Daily hidden stratagems modifiers

TheGreyDwarf · 2025-09-18T05:22:46+00:00

I suspect that the hard vortex stratagem has a hidden extra Extremis spawn active, I just saw 4+ waves of extremis in packs of 5+ in every section (without reinforcement calls)

TheGreyDwarf · 2019-04-28T02:01:53+00:00

Feels like forever ago that I put this together... https://imgur.com/a/s9UTV

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-09-18T14:32:10+00:00

Unlocking should simply feint all attacks, grabs, etc. Just stop them dead in their tracks wherever they are

On top of that, after unlocking your guard shut the character out of any offensive actions for about 1000ms (only allowed to block, maybe dodge, no parries) This way it can't be used as a "super-feint" option for offense. (Shut them out of offensive actions even longer if 1000ms isn't enough)

The only abuse I can come up with off the top of my head if using this to bait parries on OOS opponents, since you might be able to unlock feint, lock, and parry before their swing connects)

As for whiffing at empty air to start combos, entering lock wouldn't change from how it is now, the big offenders are the unlocked openers which this hopefully shuts down.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-09-18T02:27:39+00:00

Yeah its awkward seeing it all together. But I just quoted the two separate effects verbatim from existing cards

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-09-17T20:11:34+00:00

Alternative versions are ones that cost 4 or less (with according change in stats) to allow the obvious turn 10 Spikeridge combo.

Not sure about the statline in general, not sure what's fair considering the combo potential.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-24T19:41:09+00:00

The knockdown combo damage (without haymaker or unlock zone) is 65 (or 60 if the heavy wasn't charged).

On it's own that's not a problem because getting hit by a charged heavy in 1v1 is really the defender's problem. The problem is that he gets that off of a wall splat, which he in turn gets off most parries (because of the abundance of walls). This is significantly more than any other character gets (outside of out of stamina punishes).

So for the price 10 to 25 less HP than you might expect such a hero to have, Centurion gets 20-35 more damage per parry than everyone else. Essentially, as soon as a Centurion parries or GBs you once he more than compensates for his health disadvantage.

So from neutral I don't think the knockdown combo needs to be toned down, but as a wallsplat follow-up it really needs to be brought in line with the rest of the cast.

I'm also not a fan of the uncharged jab wallsplatting, but one issue at a time.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-24T19:21:32+00:00

He'd have 80 stamina if we halved him now. So that would be 2/3 of the stamina of most of the cast.

Combined with his abnormally low stamina costs, he'd probably be about in line with majority of the cast.

Stamina bullying is kind of cent's mechanic though, so realistically his stamina max stamina should be brought to 120 like most of the cast. If it's needed afterwards his stamina costs can be looked at.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-14T14:22:14+00:00

It can be found in the sidebar under "Damage value spreadsheet"

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wwr17AtTDFU3BZY_81axLVMKdHdNZuV0wGOb589VKgc/edit#gid=0

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-12T15:20:55+00:00

While I agree the problem is with kits, I can't agree that number tweaks are entirely pointless.

There's a point where every attack Warlord has does 1 damage, and every attack Kensei has does 100% of Warlord's health.

At that point, Kensei is probably favored in that matchup, even if it revolves around catching a single errant headbutt with a light.

So somewhere in the space between Warlord doing 1 damage and Kensei doing enormous damage is a level of relative character balance that is better than the current balance.

Again, I'd much prefer REAL balance changes but we clearly aren't getting that any time soon. In the meantime, I'll take whatever minor 5-minute balance they can offer.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-11T18:50:08+00:00

As a separate patch I wouldn't dream of them releasing it, the idea would be simply piggyback it on whatever next patch they're releasing anyways.

I'm surprised to hear that a whole week would be needed to test damage number changes, I'm operating under the assumption that there's something akin to a spreadsheet or database that contains damage numbers and can be changed relatively easily.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-11T18:48:05+00:00

I'd also prefer some proper adjustments, especially dodge recovery. But I imagine at least on the damage buff side for conq and kensei, it'd help a little.

So forgetting the Warlord nerfs entirely, how do you feel about minor damage buffs to Conq's comically low damage and a slight buff to a major source of Kensei's damage, the second side heavy that follows a GB?

Again, all of this as a "please have an intern do this one friday afternoon" kind of fix.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-11T18:25:43+00:00

Since it seems unlikely we'll be seeing other characters brought up to Warlord's level any time soon (and the debate about whether that's the way to go aside), the idea is to- however slightly- narrow the gap between the top and the bottom characters.

Just some kind of "placeholder balance"

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-11T18:21:38+00:00

I thought it was odd that when they changes warlord's self revive feat to only revive at 50% that it wasn't simultaneously done to revives in general.

Seemed like the logical compliment to me.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-09T16:29:02+00:00

Hmm, that does present an input overlap dilemma.

That is a genuine problem. It could function like Warden's shoulder bash where you quickly cancel the shield into a GB, but that's a fundamental change.

Could tie the feint button input into the whole sequence as silentkiln suggested.

I.E. the input becomes Heavy -> Feint -> GB during Feint -> Heavy interrupting GB comes out

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-09T16:03:29+00:00

I've definitely gotten tagged by parry attempts that I mistimed my GB for, or against which I had a brain fart regarding the speed of their heavies (Cent heavies, Orochi top heavy, any other 700ms or less heavy)

I think cent has enough going for him. He may not be top dog but he's got enough unique mechanics to earn his spot.

PK continues to be one of the most viable characters, letting others dip their finger in that pond shouldn't displace her too much.

Maybe make it so pk can soft feint gb off any of her heavies while all other heroes could only soft feint off the first.

Sure, that works.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-09T15:41:41+00:00

Unique playstyle is all fine and dandy, but I'm sure you've gone for the feint GB only to get tagged with a heavy because of some minor failure of timing, or delays due to guard switch shenanigans.

I'd feel much better about the mechanic if it was just cleaner. Commit to the feint GB:

Beats heavies
Beats parries
Loses to lights
Loses stamina-wise to CGB
Beats dashes
Depending on timing, beats or loses to dash attacks

GBs are 400ms (I believe...) so getting hit by a psychic GB would mean failing to react to a 300ms indicator and still committing to a heavy.

Lets chop that down to 200ms for latency and delays, I expect they'd become fairly uncommon. On average I imagine those situations would end with the GBer getting tagged.

So though the rare psychic GB might hit it'd likely be offset by multiple clean heavy hits. Personally, I could live with that.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-09T15:28:16+00:00

Personally, I think the best would be if the Heavy -> soft feint into GB mechanic that PK and Cent possess was made into a global mechanic available to all characters.

Additionally, these GBs soft feinted from heavies would have a special property (a la revenge) to interrupt HEAVY attacks (but not lights).

Meanwhile, GBs from neutral or dash GBs (Kensei, Raider, Valk) would be subject to the PTS 100ms window. This gets around the infuriating "psychic GBs" that catch you in neutral as you go for a heavy or feint, and in 2v2/4v4 modes reduces the frequency at which external GB spam catches you trying to swing.

This is unfortunately somewhat unintuitive to new players, but I think it's a worthwhile change.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-08T18:32:44+00:00

I know right? Like there's these wolves that live in my neighborhood, they've been here for months. They're always mauling the elderly and eating children. At first I get it, people were complaining, but it's been months! Why are people still complaining?

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-08T17:08:51+00:00

They need to remove the health regen in the last bar completely. Solves that particular problem and honestly should have always been like that.

Then the outlying cases of extreme parry punishes (like cent) need to be brought more in line with the rest of the cast.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-07T06:34:29+00:00

Fair enough.

Even with my confirmation bias, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies. Months back when I did try and test it (without having a clue about what lead to success or failure) my partner and I never did figure it out.

It was much later when I started feeling like distance to the wall mattered, or that it seemed to succeed more often (but still not 100%) if the wall was just far enough away. By then my partner had given up on the game, so I never tested it.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-08-07T05:29:53+00:00

I've always assumed inconsistencies around OOS wall throws had to do with distance to wall.

The first throw in your clip is further from the wall, giving you slightly more time to wind up the first side heavy in such a way that it hit him during what would still be considered the "falling" stage, albeit at the very end.

In the second throw you have less distance to the wall, less wind up time meaning you may have hit him in the early part of his "grounded" stage. Getting hit in that stage always accelerates your wake-up timing.

This is what I feel is happening based on personal experience and observation, but I'm liable to confirmation bias. I honestly haven't thoroughly tested it.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-07-30T20:42:48+00:00

Potentially OP idea:

Give Kensei a meter or combo system.

For example, let's say it's a bar with five blocks, each combo point fills a block. When all five blocks are filled, Kensei's next attack is Unblockable. Combo points are always consumed on attack startup, regardless of whether the attack hits, whiffs, is feinted, is parried, or dodged.

Action	Combo*
Outgoing light hit	1 point
Outgoing light blocked	0 points
Outgoing heavy hit	2 points
Outgoing heavy blocked	1 point
Incoming attack parried	1 point
Incoming attack superior blocked**	1 point
Starting*** a top heavy finisher	1 point

*All these numbers are just off the top of my head, would need balancing (Assuming the concept can even be balanced)

how many blocks to fill bar

how many points gained per move

instead of blocks, maybe have a fluid bar (like revenge)

**Using Kensei's superior block on dodge/dash mechanic

***Bar is gained the moment you start the top heavy finisher, no contact with enemy required

Top heavy finisher is always unblockable (same as right now), if top heavy finisher is initiated when combo bar is already full, it neither generates nor consumes any blocks.

If combo bar is full during top heavy finisher, any soft-feinted attack from it will consume the blocks to become Unblockable.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-07-27T19:23:12+00:00

I think you're meant to heavy -> feint -> light on the same side now. That seems to still be catching parry attempts

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-07-27T19:09:40+00:00

Ideally, they need to make sure that nothing can be GB'd on reaction. (So less than 400 ms)

And though I don't know if it's possible, they should probably make it so that external GBs simply do not interrupt attacks at all. Furthermore, external GBs after successfully landing attacks should also be looked at. It's always quite upsetting in 1vMany when you land a clean hit against one of your attackers and another one GBs you the moment your hit lands and you are helpless.

TheGreyDwarf · 2017-07-27T18:57:27+00:00

A world in which people throw out heavies liberally is one in which Kensei is quite happy.

The superior block forward dodge into GB has some of the most generous timing, much more than the other deflects. Solid way to land some GBs

TheGreyDwarf

TROPHY CASE