As you know, I play frost amp 99% of the time, which most of the time gets me somewhere in top50. Its has been like that for years, obsiously with some more exciting periods where amp was easly tier1 and got me to top10. I had a break waiting for Ronin and just came back to check on the amp theme. I really like that some of my comments were considered and we now got Detection in amp (Ice Dragon), really lovely rune and bolt on top that fits to rune, good job on that. What do I not like, is that amp itself is hard to get. Shard is overcosted for what it does (compate to skull, which gives 2x25% (for only 5 more nora), I wouldnt mind if it was 20%, 25% seems weird, unless you introduce minor amp ability for champs giving 5% amp. I think some of the runes need to be recosted or altered due to font bonus change as well. Some old favourites could see some play, like Extinguisher. Elementalist and Hammerfall is what amp got in this expansion, both are decent runes. Elementalist is fun rune and with 67 price tag, sure worth running. Not so sure about his upgrades, barrier/catalyst, but overall I like it. Hammerfall on the other hand, needs to lose Spur and get something fun instead.
i played frost amp for the first 3 days. 60 games. 47-13. It can easily be a rank 1 theme Most of the losses were on the first day, by the third day I went 18-1. I run shard because when you consider that your elementalist is engaged with 0 ap on their turn, your turn comes and you double recharge bolt+nova them in the face after dropping the surprise shard.
I miss the old ST frost with Icewisps and Ice casters as your main Amp units. I don't really like the current amp units (Arcadon, Lonx, Yeti). Also, i'm still mad how terribad Kento is.
Icewhisps with amp for sub-60 were great. I play now with Shard, Icesnaps and Lonx as amp and most of the time I have 25-35% amp up, so 0-1 units and shard. Never liked Ice Casters, but loved old Shardmasters, now they are playable at best. I could see our font bonus changed, I mean duration added, that +1dmg will not break the game if its longer. Vanguard and Crystal Dragon after changes lost their tanking spot and now Nokhan Apprentice is my tank. Jakei Maiden is now great with 6SPD, hope she gets stun replaced into something else. I also play Snare Fairy, think for 71 nora she is worth it with Avalanche and para-flight.
From my limited use of ST amp, I found the Cone attack change was painful. I used to love the dragons (icesnap and FW one), but now a lot less. Crystal dragon also seems to have been nerfed (was that needed?) although frost ele got a nice cost redux from the elemental resistance removal (like it needed it). Extinguisher also got a cost increase from what I've seen (why?). So overall I feel ST amp is hurting a fair bit, although the Elementalist is really nice.
@calisk would it be possible to give Ice Elemental 4-5 Range to actually make us of Chill? (since 5 base damage is mediocre) Or just remove Chill path since he's a tank and doesn't really use it (specially if you choose Coldsnap).
That was after DOG though, right? Otherwise I might be going crazy as I would swear he was 78 during DOGs ownership, as I remember running him + crystal dragon + lonx adept and all 3 got hit with a cost up.
Oh, yea. I guessed that. I haven't been on for a while. What was the reason behind the change if you recall? I never felt he was anything special :/ And he was always one of my fav. concept/look wise.
I wasn't around then. I believe November was the just the application of the second cost formula (which adjusted things slightly relative to the first).
Huh. A rune of Hammerfall's level only gets called "decent". I'm scared to imagine what it would even need to look like for it to be called great...
