Well we still don't know how else the Voil are changing. It's not really fair to assume it's a blanket nerf.
I'm not sure why eliminating ranks is so cool and needed. Sonic Flight 1, 2, and 3 would be absolutely fine, but... I dunno... that's "confusing" or something... Also, "sonic flight" doesn't mean flying with the aid of sonar... based on the meaning of "supersonic flight," it literally means to fly at the speed of sound. Sonar Flight would make more sense, even if it doesn't sound as cool.
A bunch of players, me included, proceeded to independently respond to that preview with suggesting giving them Evasive 1 (or take X% less ranged damage) for each Voil within X spaces, and one of the devs recognized the suggestion as a good idea. So take a chill pill...Voils will be cool.
Giving Voil a bonus to evasion when near other voil... I like that fine, I guess, but I am assuming they will cost less, overall, then, because right now, their expense is only justified in their having Flight + Evasion with a very, very minor drawback (Vuln: Sonic).
But then any Flying + Evasive champ in the game (and there are a lot of them) is basically a Voil if they keep that rather generic racial (imo, just an opinion). Also, it is a racial that does nothing to encourage making a Voil bg.
I just prefer simplicity. Sonar is a simple. A system where you have to count the number of voil in proximity and do math before attacking or ending your turn... that's much more complex than Sonar. I'm a smart guy. I can handle that, fine I guess I disagree. Surge isn't special, nor is it the core of Voil. Pretty much every prominent race or theme in the game has a decent Surge unit -- or several. What makes Voil appealing is range hate. It's a theme you come up against with your Archer or Tortun BG or whatever, thinking, "ah, &#!t." Yeah, Sorcerors are awesome, but you don't build a Voil BG because you want an excuse to play Voil Sorcerers; it's the other way around.
Voils are my favorite so I would hate to see them get an absurd nerf. More importantly, I do expect the entire rune base to get at least a 90 degree, if not 180 degree change so I think that in retrospect a change like sonar to sonic flight might not be the smallest straw drawn among all the revamps done. Most Voils only have sonar 1 anyway. Bottom line though, the Stormflyer better not be scathed too bad.
Most voikls dont have more than evasive 1 anyway, so this is not a nerf. All I am worried about is the conqueror, and I hope voils stay top 20 material.
If we got a weaken spells champ with pull and commander voil we would be looking at a battle master theme.
brace yourselves, Sonic Flight is coming. sorry, but teh correct wording should be: brace yourselves, less Evasive and death by Maddening Echoes is coming.