Balthazar the Beast
Apr. 8th, 2010 03:19 amEdit: Turns out, I was wrong about the proc - it's just 62 to whoever you have in, 10 to everyone else.
Let me state this right now: As soon as I get a copy of him, expect me to make a post titled "Baaaaaaaalthazar Boooooooomb-Briiitches!"
Played a game against someone using Balthazar. Wow, I thought he was good, but I didn't realize how good he was. (I lost that game, for the record.) This is just after one game but here's what I'm noticing that I didn't take into account before.
A 50-energy nuke is a good threat. A 50-energy nuke that has speed 10 is a better threat. A 50-energy nuke that has speed 10, and happens to be on a character with a 30-energy teleport, is an amazing threat.
I really hadn't thought of that last part before. One of the big problems with such high-energy moves is you can't use them after changing range - or if it's exactly 50 energy, you can't do so without going all the way down to 20 next turn. But when you have a teleport at your disposal, suddenly this doesn't seem such a huge problem.
Any similarity to Ambush - that you have to prepare it - is entirely superficial. (OK, I doubt anyone was seriously thinking of such a comparison in the first place, but...) Ambush, the opponent has to play around for a turn or 2 (although it can often be quite a crucial turn or 2). This... OK, you spend 1 dead turn preparing the thing. Which you're likely to be able to do safely due to Shot Put, especially if you equip Ornamental Egg, but you shouldn't even need any of that. (My opponent that game was playing with no items and didn't stun me at any point.) Then your opponent has to play around it for the entire time until you actually use it! And because it's speed 10, you can't trade with it unless you can survive it, and it does 62 damage.Or is that 72, because of the proc? So surviving it is going to be a very rare situation will not be common.
Now maybe this is the same mistake I made early on, thinking Helene was super good because I hadn't considered the energy calculus from the point of view of someone actually trying to play her. But somehow I don't think that's the case... I've thought about the numbers a bit and they look pretty good to me. I've gotta get a copy of this card.
-Harry
Let me state this right now: As soon as I get a copy of him, expect me to make a post titled "Baaaaaaaalthazar Boooooooomb-Briiitches!"
Played a game against someone using Balthazar. Wow, I thought he was good, but I didn't realize how good he was. (I lost that game, for the record.) This is just after one game but here's what I'm noticing that I didn't take into account before.
A 50-energy nuke is a good threat. A 50-energy nuke that has speed 10 is a better threat. A 50-energy nuke that has speed 10, and happens to be on a character with a 30-energy teleport, is an amazing threat.
I really hadn't thought of that last part before. One of the big problems with such high-energy moves is you can't use them after changing range - or if it's exactly 50 energy, you can't do so without going all the way down to 20 next turn. But when you have a teleport at your disposal, suddenly this doesn't seem such a huge problem.
Any similarity to Ambush - that you have to prepare it - is entirely superficial. (OK, I doubt anyone was seriously thinking of such a comparison in the first place, but...) Ambush, the opponent has to play around for a turn or 2 (although it can often be quite a crucial turn or 2). This... OK, you spend 1 dead turn preparing the thing. Which you're likely to be able to do safely due to Shot Put, especially if you equip Ornamental Egg, but you shouldn't even need any of that. (My opponent that game was playing with no items and didn't stun me at any point.) Then your opponent has to play around it for the entire time until you actually use it! And because it's speed 10, you can't trade with it unless you can survive it, and it does 62 damage.
Now maybe this is the same mistake I made early on, thinking Helene was super good because I hadn't considered the energy calculus from the point of view of someone actually trying to play her. But somehow I don't think that's the case... I've thought about the numbers a bit and they look pretty good to me. I've gotta get a copy of this card.
-Harry
