With the revamp coming, I thought we could all help out the devs by coming up with a list of abilities you think should remain on your favorite champs. The more info the devs have, the better they will be in revamping KF in a positive way. Of course, they don't have to follow the ideas here but this exercise could be fun nonetheless! Guidelines: 1- Keep it simple and try to have only 1-2 abilities on base (not including the basic attack). 2- Assume that important background movement abilities like Flight and Amphibious are automatically on base (i.e. they don't count for the 1-2 base abilities I mentioned above). Also assume that important modifiers like Hero and Titan are on base (again, they don't count toward the 1-2 base abilities). 3- In an effort to identify which abilities you think are most important, only list 1-2 upgrade abilities. 4- A champion should never have more than 6 abilities. 5- Don't mention specific ranks of abilities, the devs can decide on that. If an ability does have multiple ranks, those could be excellent upgrade abilities. 6- Be creative! If you think a champion would be great with a certain ability, even if it doesn't currently have it, suggest away! Do try to retain some of the champion's current flavor, though. 7- Keep in mind that the fewer abilities the champion has, the cheaper it will be. 8- If you don't like someone's idea, be decent and respectful. Edit: 9- If you add more info, that's fine, just try to Bold and add color to the basic and upgrade abilities so that the devs can find the info easily (I updated the example post below).
Three examples... Condor Fury: Base- Attack: Physical, Flight, Duel, Quest: Kill Enemy Upgrades- Aerial Supremacy & Strike Elven Bard: Base- Attack: Sonic, Battle Hymn, Soothing Serenade Upgrades- Improve Damage & Charm Menalaus: Base- Attack: Magical, Hero, Shielded, Immunity: Magical Upgrades- Heal Mass & Regeneration
Menalaus Stats: Damage 15, Speed 7, Range 2-7, Defense 1, HP 54 Base: Attack: Magical, Heal Mass 3, Hero, Opposing Viewpoints, Shielded Upgrades: Regeneration 3, Immunity: Magical
Elven Page Stats: Damage 10, Speed 6, Range 1, Defense 1, HP 44 Base: Attack: Physical, Mena's Page, Soften Upgrades: Swap 2, Scramble
Elven Sky Marshall Stats: Damage 9, Speed 7, Range 1, Defense 0, HP 40 Base: Attack: Physical, Reinforcement 2, Running Start Upgrades: Trailblaze, Flare Shot (This champ throws a flare to target space within 2-5 spaces. All stealthed champs along the path, from champ to target space, are revealed. The flare impact reveals all stealthed units adjacent to target space and does 4 fire damage. CD: 1).
I cannot possibly fathom what Ambling Frond could become, for he is a Demi-God. But I SHALL TRY. (Gah I love KF forum activity, always gives me opportunities to Frond-terject when I'm around) Ambling Frond 35 Nora DMG 8 DEF 1 RNG 1 SPD 4 HP 39 Attack: Physical Hidden: Vegetation Taunt: Foolish Mortals (Full Text: Foolish Mortals! Beware the power of a Demi-God!) Turtle BASE UPGRADES Plant Regeneration 2 (2 nora) Shatter ( 4 Nora) OPTIONAL UPGRADES Stat Bonus: HP 3 (5 Nora) (Don't think this is a boring upgrade; it was one of frond's best pre-revamp as it increases his HP while still allowing him to benefit from foment) Nature's Connections (10 Nora) (I can dream)
Thanks for the input so far guys! Feel free to add more info than I suggested but, maybe, bold and add color to the 1-2 base abilities and 1-2 most important upgrades so that the devs can quickly and easily see the suggestions. Also, as cool as they can be, try not to add completely new abilities to the rune ideas (the devs probably don't have time to code new abilities on top of the massive task they have). With that said, the ideas look good so far!
Some Beasts... Ambling Frond Base- Attack: Physical, Amphibious, Hidden: Vegetation, Turtle Upgrades- Detection & Shatter Enraged Grizzly Base- Attack: Physical, Stun, Omnivore Upgrades- Power Attack & Enrage Great Eagle Base- Attack: Physical, Flight, Dodge, Swoop Upgrades- Rend & Detection Queen Anaru Base- Attack: Physical, Flight, Pet: Winged Lerper, Secure Fonts Upgrades- Divert & Magic Eater Timber Wolves Base- Attack: Physical, Timber Wolves, Call to Arms Upgrades- Detection & Precision Vashal Druid Base- Attack: Magical, Scramble, Surge: Beast Upgrades- Foment & Boost: Beast Wilderkin Base- Attack: Physical, Blood Rage, Shred Defense Upgrades- Berserk Attack & Resolute Winged Lerper Base- Attack: Physical, Running Start, Camouflage Upgrades- Rend & Detection Woodland Jester Base- Attack: Magical, Resonance, Bastion of Mobility Upgrades- Evasive & Vulnerability: Fire
Just a note Xirone, from what I could tell the interchangeable abilities champions had were on top of their basic attack + 1 - 2 abilities.
Yeah, yeah, good point. To clarify, it seems like the champs come with default upgrades that comes on base. Those default options can then be changed as they level up. In my example of the Woodland Jester, above, the Vulnerability: Fire ability could be one of the two default upgrades. Vulnerability: Fire could be changed to, say, Call to Arms (for added nora). I wanted to identify the most important abilities on each champ, so the devs could easily identify what matters to KF players.
It's quite likely pet abilities will be dropped when the revamp hits, as they have been mentioned as one of the things the devs don't like about the current state of the game.
To keep it cheap. It may not be as fun as Call to Arms or Evasive, but adding Vulnerability: Fire has got to shave 6-7 nora off its cost. Adding vulnerabilities can be a good thing. For those that don't like it, there would be something else there to replace it with (for a price).
Warspirit...oh look shoebox. Vashal vicar....oh look shoebox. Warcaller Fiorn...oh... Enforcer....shoebox Dugon....meet shoebox Boa...yeah lets nerf dat agin. Seeker....we know it started weak, but we made it decent, so we better make it bad again... Titans...yeah they aren't even good lately, but thats still too good, so we better nerf them too. Vashal cavs...good luck... Several of the treefolk...bye bye. I'm trying to remain optimistic, really I am. But the previews sofar make me very scared for nearly every rune in my BGs. I feel like KF has the lowest average damage per hit, the lowest hp/nora, and I think the 2nd lowest defense(next to FW right?) In exchange it has the highest average range and the highest speed by a hair. I can see removing 1 ability from MOST of the runes I play, but more than that and you are stripping away core functions. Enforcer for example could pretty easily lose assimilate, but anything else and its cutting out a huge chunk of the versatility that makes it useful in the first place. I don't know about u guys, but I frequently only ever drop enforcer as a way to find stealth units. Dictate already got nerfed to 'so so' usefulness, and his ranged attack is already balanced. I do however fully support making global spells and effects only effect runes your spell presence covers. On the bright side, maybe elven archer, garu elder, archer commander and bowmage will make a comeback. I see it as likely things that already only have 3-4 abilities will largely be ignored, and things with more than 7 just getting auto-nerfed. Just the financial incentive to skip things that are already close to 'expected', since there are thousands of runes seems to suggest this will be the case. I'd like to see. Deadly Tracker, Attack:arrow, Deadly Wounds, Detect, logistics removed and basically added to base range for free. Upgrades, Leap, Poison, hidden vegetation, strike. I think since we're reducing ability counts overall, detect should just be a fixed range of 6 for everything. Enforcer of the Circle: Attack physical, Fury, Tough 3, Reckless Blast, Balance 3. Upgrades: same as current. Basically trading dictate, assimilate, and bold for Tough and fury which are much simpler but still accomplish similar goals while reducing power turn abuse potential. Reckless Blast is already well balanced imo(fixed damage, CD, and hurts ur dudes). I mean we could just do Bounty hunter, Reckless Blast, and Balance, but that seems awfully awesome. Elven Fury: Attack: Physical, Fury, Bounty Hunter. Upgrades: Inspire, Block, (this would be a shoebox buff to make the rune not suck)
To show that the runes Kagebunshn is concerned about may not be "shoeboxed" after the revamp, I decided to try my hand at revamping them. Keep in mind that champions like Warcaller Fiorn and Enforcer of the Circle, that lose a number of abilities, should most certainly have a lower nora cost and/or increased stats. Experimental Warspirit Base- Attack: Magical, Boon of the Undead, Soulstrike, Horrific Aura Upgrades- Phase Shift & Distichous KF/FW Vashal Vicar Base- Attack: Magical, Seal of the Vashal, Intensify, Nora Vitality Upgrades- Heal Champion & Essence Capture Warcaller Fiorn Base- Attack: Physical, Hero, Hibernate, Charge, Heavy Charger Upgrades- Intimidating & Battle Leader Enforcer of the Circle Base- Attack: Physical, Bold, Regeneration Upgrades- Magical Aura & Dictate Dugon, Garu Stalwart Base- Attack: Physical, Hibernate, Triumphal Roar, Command: Block Upgrades- Vigilance & Bestial Presence Colossal Boa Base- Attack: Physical, Colossal, Consume Upgrades- Tough & Cleave Seeker of the Source Base- Attack: Physical, Devotee of De'lim, Lavawalker, Find Source Crystal, Relic Guardian Upgrades- Deflect: Fire & Relocate: Relic Ancestral Avenger Base- Attack: Physical, Titan, Ghost, Corporeal Form Upgrades- Shielded & Combo Attack: Drain Vashal Cavalier Base- Attack: Physical, Seal of the Vashal, Coordination, Combo Attack: Stun Upgrades- Tough & Scrapper Gnarlwood Oakthumper Base- Attack: Physical, Take Root, Windstriker, Shroud Upgrades- Immunity: Magical & Surge: Plant Edit: Also, keep in mind that many champions that cause KF trouble will be going through the same refining process. What once was very difficult to take down could be easier to kill after the revamp (Icesnap, for example).
Good ideas Xirone. As long as the owls are OK with legendaries having 7 abilities. I love intimidating on Warcaller...rename him Warcaller Bastion. That Cavalier is way too OP though...tough + 50% damage reduction plus 3 defense, plus stun on no CD. Things like Boa would need base damage numbers and speed tweaked. Cleave on 10 damage champ is pretty useless, as are almost all 5 speed champs in KF. A lot of it depends on how they rebalance abilities like titan, hero, and boon of the undead, prestige etc. Folks tell the owls to look at our posts. I am a big fan of the community having input on the revamped runes. Also a good way to keep existing players feeling connected to the game as we can actively help shape the new design of the game. That is good for our morale and their profit.
Conceptually, Forest Dragon is one of my favorite runes. For that reason, he gets his own full write-up... Forest Dragon Base- Attack: Magical, Flight, Merciful, Healing Breath (1) Upgrade Path 1- Healing Breath (2) or Magic Beam Upgrade Path 2- Hidden: Vegetation, Domain: Vegetation, or Revere: Thirion Special Change- Forest Dragon becomes a 1x1 unit instead of a 2x2 unit and gains Race: Plant
