This. It’s not even a fun event, it’s literally just bash away at their shield for 20 minutes until you can hopefully kill one. Even if you take shade you can only kill like half of them before another 10 of them spawn in. It’s ridiculously overtuned on cata. They essentially sending an entire patrol at you every time you turn a valve.
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A variety of weapons, including the handgun, flail, and flaming flail, can effectively bypass enemy shields. Additionally, the platforms present within the game environment offer a strategic advantage, as players can lead enemies toward the edges and use them to kite enemies or hit them as they climb.
On cata, my personal experience with playing Shade proved highly effective, particularly when leveraging backstabs (often invisibility was triggered following a parry dodge). Huntsman with Handgun was able to shoot them while invisible and pick them off, and I clutched it with Zealot the last time I played it.
Similarly, the ‘Grail Knight’ can unleash a wide-arc ult attack through shields, and the ‘Foot Knight’ possesses the capability to topple everyone. Shield-bearing players can implement pushes that affect multiple enemies in a group, forcing them to lower their defenses.
The ‘Battle Wizard’, can use their ult ability and the coruscation staff to DOT enemies away while kiting them.
There may not be a wealth of tactical options available but there are enough. The situation only becomes truly challenging when you and your team members lack any tools to counter shield-bearing enemies.
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Yeah, came here to post this.
I feel like if you need to take a certain weapon or class just to bypass an event that’s an inherent flaw in the event itself. Each class should be able to show up to a map and provide something. If you’re being forced to just take certain weapons or classes just to bypass an event, not even an endgame event, that’s going to create a “meta” that i don’t think people are going to like. People tend to not like having to take certain loadouts into cata just to meet breakpoints. Having to take certain weapons or classes on top of having to take specific loadouts seems to be going down a pretty deep rabbit hole.
edit: also if they’re not going to make their shields breakable at least let us shoot around them. Their shield hitbox is way too big to be blocking arrows from the side. They should only be able to block projectiles facing forward (like on tabletop, your shielded units will block projectiles from the front, but flank them and their shields becomes less effective.)
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Well, this is foremost a matter of skill and knowledge. If you feel forced to take certain weapons/classes for an event just take them or tune down the difficulty.
In my eyes it is a sign of good game design that some players feel like that.
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There currently are so few ways to solve the issue of an enemy having a shield. The only way to get past SV with shield is to either stagger them or burn them. Which in groups of 5-10 good luck staggering anything outside of the base mobs like slaves, clanrats, and marauders. You can absolutely stagger 2 or 3 sv with shield that’s not the issue. The issue is the sheer volume at which they’re spawning in. Have you played the map on cata? Because they will spawn in nearly an entire patrol of SV shields every time you turn that valve. And their breakpoints are VERY VERY different than on legend. Im happy you’re enjoying it, but this is just pure nonsense on cata
“and in Cataclysm, I think Stormvermin with shields are the only elites that don’t spawn with waves.”
There’s a strong reason for this too. Their shields, while looking small, covers more than 180 degree. If you shoot them on the flank they will still block any shot that’s not an AP gun (which you can kill them from the front with that so it’s not really a point to make). Their shield shouldn’t cover their sides. It should literally ONLY cover their front. Their breakpoints are very different too. It’s much more difficult to stagger an enemy on cata than it is on legend and a lot of legend players find that out the hard way. They also don’t take any damage from swings so they can effectively block you forever in groups of 5 or more as you will never have enough cleave to get through all of them. And in this event you’re going to be spawning way more than 5 at a time.
It might be a Cata-specific issue. My team of 3 bots and I have no problems taking them down on Legend. The Warrior Priest Saltzpyre bot with a flail and shield alone makes quick work of them.
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This is false (for as good as all practical purposes). Stagger (and Cleave, I think) is the same in Legend and Cata. This is easy to prove:
Take the Plaguemonk stagger breakpoint: shield, opportunist, and 25% extra power against them. Any less power (only 20% power, for example) and a push will not stagger them out of their combo anymore. Test that out on Legend. Then load Cata and you’ll find the breakpoint is exactly the same.
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No nerfs needed. If you cant handle it you turn down the difficulty or learn the mechanics to get better at the game. Also using bad classes/weapons will just make it more of a negative experience too.
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Mass of the enemies is on legend and cata the same, so stagger and cleave doesnt change between these difficulties.
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Ok so, ive put my bulletproof hat on.
The design of the mid event is multi level, and if youre switched on you can kite up a level, drop off, kill some sv and sp on. Ivr completed it as FK with 2h hammer and bots.
Now dont get me wrong its a lengthy process and a huge PITA but its possible. In fact having bots only is a bit of a hinderance as they stick with you. If players split up its divide and conquor for the SV and shields.
Without even mentioning fireball staff, handguns , dual pistols, and good old bombs.
Its a shift from the norm, requiring new tactics and better weapon and talent planning.
Making the player consider new methods is a good thing.
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I think you mistook what i said originally. The sheer volume of enemies from legend to cata is what makes staggering the enemies difficult. Check the post above that one as i detailed it.
Been seeing this thread grow and just finished my first legend run on the map, solo+bots with WS, and thought I’d give my 2 cents.
I think initially the increased shieldvermin can seem a little overwelming but if you play smart and have strategies to deal with them it’s managable. I felt similarly about the specials on the map, which seem like they spawn more frequently, but with the right strategies and builds it’s managable.
I can only speak for legend though as I’ve yet to delv into cata, which I don’t usually do, but as for legend I think it’s more difficult than other levels but not to a degree I think it’s desperately in need of a nerf.
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The problem isn’t this event itself. It is doable. The final battle is way harder with the constant backstabs.
But more and more maps need specific setups. And this kills quickplay, because different maps require different setups. I already see hosts who pick custom maps instead of QP, even though it’s obvious from their frame they don’t need them for any okri challange. This process turns the game less and less random player friendly.
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I would say some (all) maps are easier with a specific setup. But player skill is still the most important factor.
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It also encourages players who enjoy this kind of thing, and they are probably more committed players than random players.
So on my first run through of this map on cata I can now see what people are talking about. Granted it was a solo+bots run, however the shear amount of shieldvermin that can exist at the same time is actually staggering, like the difference between legend and cata seems extrordinary. I was expecting maybe 6 shieldvermin at a time for each valve however what I encountered I feel was almost three times my expectations, a small hordes worth of shieldvermin, no exaggeration. With that many shieldvermin all packed into a tight space it makes it incredibly hard to break their block and actually reduce their numbers.
Again I’m not a usual cata player and I was playing with bots and I beleive with a team of good players, good strategy and solid team build it’s possible but with all that said I think there should at least be a cap of shieldvermin that can spawn and if there already is it would be nice to have it lowered to a more reasonable number. In the mean time imma just have to “git gud” haha.
Got a victory 2nd attempt, this time with IB Axe/Shield + Trollhammer. Having a shield helped a bit and the trollhammer made light work of them hahaha, only 1 bot death and if I’m honest it may have been slightly due to some friendly fire haha <:D.
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