Playing It Safe: Storm's Strengthening Skill and Death's Downfall


With the coming updates to Wizard101, which include Avalon, each school was granted four new spells. Each school, with the exception of Balance, received a Mass Prism, and each school received one Spear spell, with the exception of Balance, who received two. Each school also got two new interesting spells that do a variety of things and throw everything everyone knows about PvP out of place, though I can't help but feel that that's just complainers who don't like adapting to change. However, based on some recent changes in the test realm, Storm may be headed in a new direction, and Death... well, we're feeling worse than ever with our new spells!

Storm started out with two spells. One was called Enfeeble, and it cost three pips, and removed all charms. Some Storm students said it was useless, but think about the possibilities. A Balance, double bladed and ready for a kill-shot with Judgment, gets their blades removed, and uses all their pips. The Storm survives for only three. The same could be true with any other one-shot kill, but those just aren't the smartest thing to do anymore.

How about some other situation? Say, a Myth character using many blades for a super-powered Basilisk? Easy fix - Enfeeble. The best part? There's absolutely no trade-off. Every time, this works 100%, and all blades are removed for good.

This could be compared to Death's Bad Juju. Originally one pip, then four, now three, this spell does 300 Death damage to the caster and adds a 90% weakness to the enemy. Essentially, it's four pips, but it's still useful, despite the fact that it uses any blades we have, and removes several types of shields we may have... and that self damage might critical, too! Besides that, the risk is tremendous. Consider going second. Even if you place it with many blades on the opponent, who'd attack with it on? They'll surely use a wand hit, and may even keep their blades in tact by doing so. Then you basically wasted four pips and 300+ health  for a stun.

There's already a 50% chance it'll work. Now consider going first. What if they don't attack, but shield, or add another blade? Then they'll removed it next round and you'll be out of four pips. There are certainly plenty of trade-offs here!

Then Storm got Healing Current. It initially did 1100 health or so to yourself, or 10000 moon damage to yourself, all for four pips. Pretty decent, that's better than Satyr! However, after complaining, it's been changed to 100, 300, or 1000 health. That's simply unfair. With a good healing bonus, that could be nearly 200, 600, or 2000 health. That makes the spell extremely useful 67% of the time. Best of all, no trade-off. No chance that you'll kill shields, no debuff that an opponent may wand off, etc.

Death's other spell is Mass Infection... not too bad, but more risk. The opponent's pet may heal it off, or a minor blessing from a wand may rid them of it quickly. And it's a full three pips, too. Not too bad, but still... risks involved.

While Death does takes some risks, they aren't getting many substantial spells, and while Storm may not come out on top in the new update, they've been overpowered for a long time.

Consider it, a school with the best damage, compromised by low accuracy. Then they get gear, so they have the best damage, 100%+ accuracy, 100%+ damage bonus, etc. Throw in the highest critical chance, and a few no-risk healing spells, and Storm may soon be on top of things.

I suppose, however, that we'll just see how it plays out. I'm excited for some practice PvP matches at level 80! Until later, thanks for reading, and see you in the Spiral!

5 comments:

  1. I am death lvl 70 and I feel that death is getting more and more weak. I mean I love the animation for Dr Von but it may do decent damage but even ice has a better card attack wise then us Death has been tossed out to many times. And look at the new pet awesome pet but it looks nothing like the real spell I think KI was either to lazy to make a whole new model but there certainly didnt feel that way with any other school like Basilisk Efreet Wooly Mammoth Triton Chimera and Gnome death has been cheated for far to long I am getting very disapointed in KI I mean I love them just they get lazy on death a little to much I: anyways beside for all my complaining bext game ever! and KI does try there hardest and I do understand that.

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  2. People now consider pvp to much, Wizard101 is mainly about pve,the monsters still will attack you with the -90%, and a esoteric may help you with Healing Current. If you think Bad Juju is useless for pvp or that Healing Current will make the esoterics impossible to defeat then you should not go pvp anymore.

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  3. I think what ia that since death can steal health without infecton or any kind of less healing spell being activated the people of wizard101 hq want to even the playing field per say. but i think that storm healing card of 100 300 1000 is simply to much of a advantage. but then again they have the worst health even at level 70 of maybe a max of 2500 which is simply to easy to kill. plus adding to that when you start a match and are thinking of what school they are look at the health and if it is about 2400-2600 then you should know that it is a storm. i think though that it should not be 100 300 or 1000 but heal 1000 or kill yourself with 10000 moon. a example of why is that if a death puts a -90% weakness on storm they will likely live through the 10000 moon.

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  4. Yea it's kinda unfair. Death is really cool KingsIsle, stop giving them weird spells that aren't really that great (I'm talking about the level 80 ones). And Storm is getting way too much power. The next uberboss should be a Storm. Then when the Diviners go up against him/her they get pwned. ~ Kestrel Dragonflame

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  5. I think healing current is fine as it is. It is less effective pip for pip than most other healing spells 67% of the time. It can do 1/3 of a sprite for 2 more pips, a pixie for 1 more pip or a five pip dryad for 2 less pips. That seems pretty fair to me.

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