Survival Games - Warlock kit tweak ideas

intro
This thread will list a few ideas to buff the warlock kit as the kit is currently in a poor state, these ideas aren't meant to all be applied and are mainly ideas which can be combined or put on on their own to make the kit more satisfying to play and live up to its concept of "mighty dark arts user".

note:
channeling - This is the period after right clicking a weapon, you will gain an aura for several seconds which indicates your next attack will deal high knockback.
activate - to hit someone with a weapon while channeling, ending the ability with high knockback to the target
run out - Not hitting someone during the full channel, making the ability run out without effect.

How the kit currently works
Right click weapon: channel repel
Channeling repel will last a few seconds, during this channel, hitting an enemy with a melee weapon will activate repel, knocking back enemies a far distance, then regenerating a small burst of HP.

(To activate repel, right click weapon, then hit an enemy)

When the repel channel ends with or without activating repel, it goes on a ±30 second cooldown.




why?
The achievement kit of SG, warlock, is to be blunt... quite bad in comparison to other kits:

• Kit kb is inconsistent and buggy
• Brawler's ability has much better knockback and damage tied to it in response + much lower cooldown
• Brawler's passive has much more effect than warlock's regeneration after-effect
• Ability is channeled, giving it the chance to run out, which can happen easily as you need to block to channel it and land a melee hit to activate the effect, which is very punishing due to its long cooldown
• Landing repel feels poor as something feels like it reduces your melee range once channeled (not even joking, i've been fully winning duels, but once channeling the ability i suddenly could no longer land 1 hit)

These issues call for an overal buff to the kit.

Potential buffs

1. Wind's guard
   
   While channeling the ability, all projectiles will be deflected and incinerated, all incoming damage will also be reduced by 80%, channel duration is also significantly longer.
   
   
2. Raycast
   
   When you activate the ability, a ray is send out of 8 blocks, knocking back all enemies caught in it, multiple hits apply. This removes the requirement to hit an enemy to activate the ability.
   
   
3. Airborn
   
   While Channeling, you take no fall damage nor any knockback.
   
   
4. Gapcloser
   
   +1 range on the next attack when channeling, gain speed 1 for 5 seconds when the effect activates or runs out.
   
   
5. Tempest
   
   While channeling, all enemies entering your aura will be heavily knocked away, you and your allies also gain a speed 2 effect while in the aura, increased aura size.
   Empowered attack doesn't deal additional knockback, but when activated, you gain regeneration 2 based upon the total amount of time there was left on channel. No regeneration at all when effect runs out. Basically fully replaces initial kit effects, keeps the idea of beign a channeled ability though.

Summary
Wording might be quick, but if you look at all these buff concepts, they all basically have as goal to get value out of the ability: Getting the hit off more easily, or buffing the channel itself to not require a hit. General buffs such as knockback increase or cooldown reductino wouldnt need to be considered with these buffs, tweaking kb to be consistent would help a ton though.

It'd be nice if this kit was kept instead of fully replaced, ofc feel free to leave smth on this, i'll try to reply within a reasonable amount of time.

 

Hey there, these special effects on these kids are tremendous. Looking back on them they can be overpowering while engaging in a battle with your opponent. Airborn is an effect that could be added, considering the warlock kit can have many cool features, or already has them. Great thought :).

-Justin/Ghost

 

Thanks for leaving your thoughts, i meant these subcategories as each their own potential buff, not a collection of them as 1 (if i was unclear)

Airborn is my personal favourite of these as well; it's a versitile escape tool (by jumping down pits) which allows for easier disengage and some extra dueling potential on repel (resets someone's combo). A strategic tool rather than raw power.

 

I'm glad it is. This also may seem a little OP and can disturb others. We also want to make it fair for others. Although once you complete all of the achievements for the kit which you deserve, you should be proud of your hard work and accomplishment and receive the kit. Other wise, I gree with what you are saying though :):):):):):):):).

 

I honestly was already expecting the 5 concepts to be selectively broken down for good traits, i assembled them to have a playstyle put together, but taking from some concepts and making a new one seems viable ya.

Fair, i mainly thought of this as a gapcloser against axeman/rods/archery where you get bulky to position yourself to run away safely. or in teams, pick off a single target while protecting your teammate to live up more to warlock's supportive side. I can see however as to why that could feel really unfair to play against as you can basically undo any big mistake you make and get out of lava/fall freely/etc. all in one.

This was indeed the worst i thought of tbh, it was what i initially kinda thought of as to how the kit worked; ranged kb. It doesn't offer anything too "trumpcard" though so i'd gladly fully drop the concept.

Im surprised you think the no fall damage is unrelated to the kit honestly, warlock seems to have a wind magic aura and the combination of these 2 buffs is basically a counter to barb's cleave knockback and a tool to support your teammate, the no fall dmg oart is mainly useful for solo's. I'm curious as to what others think of it.

(Come to think of it, no fall dmg would be an interesting tool for the assasin)

This was also a less strategic based concept, either you hit then run to properly disengage, or hit and run back to your oponent with the speed buff to gain a pvp advantage during the remaining speed time.

I wasn't aware of the attack range thing so i'd also gladly drop the concept.

Since i play a lot of SG teams, this idea was really me just going a bit out of the box and actually giving utility to your team, emphasizing on warlock as a support disengage tool and target isolator. I indeed think i went overboard on this one and would think a speed buff on the aura could have potential (this would basically make you swap out with your teammate if they would be low, add the antikb and you got yourself some heavy strategy potential).

I initially thought the knockback aura would be fine since hitting an enemy will deactivate it, but now that you mention clipping it i think its fair to say that one is a bit TOO much.

No, the reason why warlock is so bad is because it's improper user of the channel itself, you get an intimidating aura which does nothing but cause you to get combo'ed easier, resulting in a pathetic bit of knockback (non teammate though...!) and regen.

Those buffs you picked out of the concepts essentially throw a big rework on the kit already since the channel would gain use, i've played a lot of warlock and don't think straight up removal of the "channeled kit" concept is the way to go.


Thank you for your thoughts, das a lot, phew...!

 

Warlock bad kit and buggy giv big buff

 

i love you.