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Imbalanced stuff in FEH and 0-nerf IS politics

This topic is about the buffs/nerfs of existing content in the game, excluding character stat-line since it can be argued that although not every stat-lines and heroes are on an equal-footing, they are least share a BST balancing.

First let's state what we already know about IS patching politic :

First about the buff politic, over obsolet existing content is done through Power Creep, like the add of Slaughter weapons, to update the Killer weapon builds. In fact, the Killer wps were hugely overshadowed by the strenght of Brave wps (even with -5spd malus, double attacks mean -1 extra CD on special and possibly before the counter-attack).

Now, let's talk about the main subject : The overpowered existing skills that kills the game diversity and possibilities.

- Bladetomes
- Emblem Hones&Goads (knowing they are often used with Bladetomes in cavalry and flyer teams)
- Brave weapons (and Dire thunder) in a lesser measure : although they are not peerless as the 2 latters, Brave weapons are still better than any other non-exclusive weapons.

THE BLADETOMES :

In fact, there is not counter to Bladetomes and overbuffed cavalry/flyer teams. One might say "Panic debuff" but no, it doesn't work since most of the panic debuff are mono-target (while it's an entire team that is overbuffed) and AFTER-combat (except for Panic Ploy) so it will require the turn, if not the suicide, of one unit, before neutralizing those buffs (assuming you can neutralize them before they unleash the tremendous power of the Bladetomes).

IS "nerf" to bladetomes : Shield Pulse & Panic Ploy , since one help to prevent quick nukes and the other is supposed to prevent the over-buffing of an unit, in certain conditions.
Conclusion about counter-plays ? -Not quite there yet.

THE +6 HONES / +4 GOADS

In total, up to 32 (2hones+1goad) bonus stats for possibly ALL the team. Well, 32 bonus stats... I think it speaks for itself. Even a turtle can now reach 40+spd, and what used to be a squishy glass-cannon is now 40def/40res if not more. Quite peerless when paired with Bladetomes.

IS "nerf" : The uneffective Panic Ploy (quite hard to debuff units with superior mobility like cavalry and flyer). The now useless Shield Pulse (+infinit dmg Bladetomes will take care of you no matter what). The use of specialized counter to the emblem team (i.e. Bows for flyers and new anti-horse weapons), which will still require you to hit before they do.

Conclusion about counter-plays? -Hit them with x1.5 weapons before they hit you...lol

THE BRAVE WEAPONS

While not peerless (since it's very good offensively but much less defensively with the -5spd malus and the lower Mt than other weapons), it's still much better than the rest of the non-exclusive stuff.
It's universally good on every units, slow as fast ones, and even on low Atk units that are meant to be support units, because now they can take out squishies.

While they don't necessarly require a nerf, other weapons need to be buffed to bring back diversity in builds and so in units (by bringing them new optimal skill sets). Just like the Slaughter wps.

More can discussed about the subject but let's leave it to the commentary section if one feels like it.

Thank you for reading and sharing your opinion.

Asked by Bravart1 year 5 months ago

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Answers

You're completely right about the Blade tombs taking over all mages (being generally the optimal tomb) & panic play not being a complete effective counter.

If IS didn't want to nerf it they could possibly add a weapon the reverses buffs before engaging combat.
(though this band-aid may cause another form of power creep/abuse, so have it infantry exclusive possibly? This could help with all the inflated stats overall maybe.)
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Yes, as much as I enjoy using them, the "unique hone/fortify & goad/ward buffs," they do drastically increase stats even allowing reinhardt with almost optimal buffs to surmount 40 speed or over. Many stats can be blown up like this though infantry cannot be given such ways (not counting delthea) and that's kinda a shame for them. I suggest they lower buffs...
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Valid point on weapons needing a maintenance though I would prefer the buffs and "not" alternate improved weapons. This poor addition by IS literally makes anything with the killing weapon brand simply sad... They could maybe make killing weapons decrease charge by 2? Though allowing an always active moonbow would be kinda awesome but way to out of hand.
(Speaking off, it would be cool a serious of weapons that ignores a percent of units defense/res or a weapon that gains Might in parallel to ones own res/def though I wouldn't have any clue on the correct percent that would be balanced off hand.)
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It's a shame to rant on my own team >///<

Yeah indeed, a weapon or a skill exclusive to infantry that reverse the buffs at the start of the combat (within a certain HP threeshold or a +1CD on special like Bladetomes, for example), it would be a very good counter-play to balance the overpowerness of the Bladetomes.

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Once again, lowering the buffs would be the perfect balancing to the Emblem Buffs but IS seems reluctant to do such things. So far the only viable anwser that exist to those teams are unit-type effective weapons to add x1.5 Atk. But it requires the unit to hit before getting hit, thus a solution might be a similar effect that REDUCE the unit type Atk as well ?

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I share your opinion about the Killing Wps, I think it's better to update (through buffs/nerfs) existing stuffs than implementing superior version of it. But Brave wps already were superior version of Killing wps (in terms of actual match-ups).

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Personally, I don't like to fit/follow the meta, I like to defy and counter it more, so I'm working on an ultimate meta crushing F2P team. It's going well so far although Bladetomes remain the biggest issue to hard-counter.

If you want unorthodox ways to beat the current meta, just use some gem weapons with triangle adept on top of it. This is not the kind of game to search for complex answers to fight the meta... its way too simple- its a mobile game after all.

Problem is, some of the "end game content" we have gives the AI so unreasonable stats that it would be way too difficult to beat them without the emblem buffs/blade tome abuse- if they nerf that, they would need to tweak all the game numbers. Sadly, the way they're "fixing" the abuse of such mechanics/teams is introducing the new modes that require multiple teams, thus effectively "nerfing" the F2P player base for lack of multiple decent units (and that could be their intention from the start- the game is becoming easy to play without throwing money at it)
To be honest, I think this would be a serious issue if the game ever have a true multiplayer mode (unlikely), but the AI is way too exploitable to make good use of the buffed stats.

You can beat an A.I with sky high stats without needing bladetomes. It is harder like you said, but there should be no fear of nerfing the bladetomes because of A.Is. It would require people to strategize more instead of just rushing through everything without thinking. To be clear, I know you didn't say impossible, but if you look online you can find people beating infernal modes with vanilla free units so no needs to tweak those A.I numbers.

I wasn't thinking on the infernal modes. I was thinking on the chain challenges (specifically 9-10 and 11-12) Infernal mode isn't that bad so far (except Legion) and as you said, you can just win those with raw power, however I think you're right, perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit.

I do agree with you guys, in fact, Gem weapons and TA may be the only viable anwser to cut through sky-high stats, thanks to their multiplicative natures.

But 2 things : first I don't like those skills since they are unoptimal. It creates as many weaknesses as it creates strenghts. secondly, they are quite hard and expensive to get as F2P.

Still, it doesn't really counter the Bladetomes in a proper way since they don't get penalized for using those (except for the +1 CD charge)...