User talk:Lazuli/Living Death

If it wasn't for the 25% health sacrifice, I would simply say it's OP. Now, it's a dangerously powerful skill, but I still think it's too powerful. If you have 10 minions, and lets say, 6 are attacking a target, that target is both body-blocked and taking 96 damage per second... --El_Nazgir 06:22, October 11, 2009 (UTC)


 * Minions already have decent DPS for PvP. 25% Sac or not, adding another 14 PBAoE DPS to every minion is not a good idea. --- [[Image:VipermagiSig.JPG]] -- (contribs) &emsp;(talk)  10:01, October 11, 2009 (UTC)
 * I've altered the skill to kill all of the minions when it ends, adding an interesting risk. Death Nova synergies could cause problems though.  Thoughts?  Vipermagi, you seem to be implying that it would work better as a targeted spell.  Lazuli  01:24, October 12, 2009 (UTC)


 * Targetted could work, but do you see humans using Jagged Bones?
 * Current version is still equally strong, since wiping the enemies still lasts but 1 cast. Maybe cap it at 3 nearest minions or something (somewhat targetted, risky due to frontlining and not as OP)? --- [[Image:VipermagiSig.JPG]] -- (contribs) &emsp;(talk)  14:30, October 12, 2009 (UTC)
 * What if it dealt cold damage? Lazuli 23:17, October 12, 2009 (UTC)
 * But we're dancing around the real issue here. You seem to think that minions deal respectable damage in PvP.  In the highest level of PvP I've seen MM's in, there is only one minion summoning skill that people actually use, and that is Aura of the Lich.  Yes, Arcane Mimicry exists, but do you really see people giving up the only reliable minion generation skill for kiteable and difficult to control AoE damage?  I should add a note that I envision this skill only affecting your minions, unlike Blood of the Master which affects other MM's minions as well.  And balancing it for PvE would be as simple as removing its made-up bug (done). Lazuli  23:30, October 12, 2009 (UTC)


 * The description states it works on undead allies, i.e. every minion on your team.
 * And yes, minions deal quite a lot of damage. I've played against Lichway a couple times as E/N. If you turn the whole army into either dust or DPS against them (I used 8 Death), they completely melt. Their spikes stop working due to the greatly increased damage they take and lots of time spent not Swarming but protting/redbarring. It's still just a team of 8 squishies.
 * Even if it only affects your own minions, imagine 4 MMs, 1 Rezmer and 3 bodies. Yes, that's friggen Minion Factory, which rolled in the early days. If the minions suddenly deal over 30 DPS (half of which is AoE), you've got 4*8*30 DPS at the start of the game (960). Sure, this dimishes slightly as the opponents nuke some minions, but you create more and more as bodies appear through Animate Bone Minions. --- [[Image:VipermagiSig.JPG]] -- (contribs) &emsp;(talk)  13:46, October 13, 2009 (UTC)


 * I've fixed the description to be clear about whose minions are affected. I've also upped the energy cost and casting time a bit.  There are enough skills out there to counter minions.  And there are also small prots.  I think that Living Death is powerful, but I don't think it would be the easiest skill to abuse in high end PvP.  And even if it were to become popular, I think that it could be a healthy change to the meta.  Think of the now underused minion countering skills that would appear.  Banishing Strike, as anyone who has ever vanquished Nightfall knows, can deal a ton of damage, and not just to the minions.  I know that this is Build Wars, but that's half the fun. Lazuli  00:03, October 15, 2009 (UTC)