TL5 Gank(Enforcer) Agent Nerf

[Dopecat]

With new perk changes, it seems Mimic Enforcer which is most used Mimic by TL5 agents atleast on RK1 (heard RK2 is just full of doctors), will get nerffed very hard as it relies on winning fights by ganking instead of outlasting (CH/tms).

Concussive Shot will change from Aimed Shot to Attack Modifier, in my agents case that means over 300 less AR for it. Damage will drop from -3589 .. -7065 to -2251..-4503. And biggest nerf of all will be from instant execution time, going down to 2s.

Pinpoint Strike with Armor Piercing Shot running will drop from -3719 .. -7307 to -2140 .. -4280. And also execution time will go from instant to 2s, even though Armor Piercing Shot which is required before using it effectively already takes long to execute (3 seconds).

Means mimic enforcers are forced to either Mimic Noob(Soldier) or Mimic Doctor, to outlast opponents as the old gank power is gone. Also doctors are impossible to alpha unless changes in their CH effectiveness also happen. 2s perk execution times will make it impossible to queue your perks in right order so that they all hit at once along with as+fling+crit buff which made it possible to alpha in optimal circumistances nearly 15k HP with the slow prepared alpha.

AI perks will also drop in AR hugely along with concussive, making it impossible to perk anymore good advies/fixers/mas etc.

Its true TL5 Mimic Enforcers were bit too OP against many profs but these changes seem to be one of the hardest nerfs ive seen around. Reaching 2k Aimed Shot skill is impossible at tl5 which would make the dmg atleast nearly as good as with old perks. Currently with this setup and 230 ransack tower i got bit over 1.9k.

Im not saying these changes are right or wrong. But one thing is sure, Ziltoid's ganking days are over.

Guess ill just have to adapt to not so exciting outlasting style and setup and forget perking anything with decent evades. Or start playing my TL5 trader and crat more since atleast some of the rare top twinked mimic enfos that could gank both of those nearly instantly will be gone. I foresee TL5 BS filling with traders and such lot more in future.

Intention of this thread is not to cry and whine. But to show whats coming and i think nerf this big is worth its own thread. Also not sure how much FC is intrested in sub-TL7 matters but decided to post this here on Balance Discussion also instead of just Agent Forums.

[srompu]

Agent 150 will have Snipe Shot 1 available, and 160 will additionally have Shadow Bullet. Do you think these will have a significant effect on potential alpha?

Currently, well-equipped tl5 agents are instant finger-of-death to most opponents, so the nerf is somewhat deserved :P
Agents as a group might need to wait and see what happens with AS/heal mechanics; FC probably has something to make Fixer/Advy killable. TL7 Agent is already into outlasting mode for pretty much everything but Doc/Agent/Trader.

[Dopecat]

Agent 150 will have Snipe Shot 1 available, and 160 will additionally have Shadow Bullet. Do you think these will have a significant effect on potential alpha?

Shadow Bullet Player level: 160+ (6)
Attack Modifier: 100% Aimed Shot Skill 1000: Damage: -2976 .. -5951 with 2s execute time
Looks nice in theory but there is one major issue with it at TL5. As cobra user if id go that line instead of the ones that give either Pinpoint Strike or Concussive Shot, id lose a lot of Rifle/Aimed Shot from the passive bonuses. That would mean no longer being even close to capping Cobra AS which seems to require some 1.9k+ or so which requires lots of work. Also might even go 75% OE on QL 250 Cobra which requires 1468 skill. So atleast for Cobra user that line isnt most likely worth it. Shadowsneak line gives just sense and concealment and minimal amount of aimed shot.

Snipe Shot 1 Player level: 100+ (2)
Attack Modifier: 100% Aimed Shot Skill 1000 Damage: -1140 .. -2279 with 2s execute time
just looks weak with the 2s execution time also. But perhaps its better option than maintaining Armor Piercing Shot for Pinpoint Strike since all those execution times will grow very long. Soften Up(1s)+Armor Piercing Shot(3s)+Pinpoint Strike(2s)

Also im not sure you can even talk about alpha anymore that much when all of them have 2s execution times. At TL5 only Armor Piercing Strike for slow maximal damage focused in couple seconds alpha against docs used to take 3 seconds, while rest of the perks were instant, and you queued that as preparation before everything else hitting afterwards.

Currently, well-equipped tl5 agents are instant finger-of-death to most opponents, so the nerf is somewhat deserved :P
Agents as a group might need to wait and see what happens with AS/heal mechanics; FC probably has something to make Fixer/Advy killable. TL7 Agent is already into outlasting mode for pretty much everything but Doc/Agent/Trader.

I agree about tl5 agents being powerful, but these nerfs are like cutting away half the offensive capability in terms of Attack Rating for perks and damage currently. No other prof at tl5 seems to be getting such rough treatment so in that light it seems very harsh.

Also i liked the variety in agent toolset that both highly offensive (enforcer) or more defensive styles (doctor/soldier) worked. Not happy to see us forced also in TL7 outlasting mode which i find more boring than the fast hit and run style of enfo at TL5.

[Kinkst44h]

This also applies to TL7 agents and TL7 enforcers also.
Probably far moreso than anything at TL5, as both classes aare extremely dependent on

a) Stunning their enemy
b) Doing all of their damage in the duration of the stun

Which seems bad on paper for both classes, but may be moot if all heals get a capped 3s cast time in the future, or something.

[Parranoid1]

From the point of view of a tl5 enforcer, i first thought woo hoo! agents get nerf stick yay for me! then i actually looked at it, and it really really is a huge nerf :/ even the fact that concussive has moved from AS to AR which is much lower, that is harsh also. I can see they needed a bit of a tone down, but this is over the top :/.

id like to think that there is some other thing thats still incoming that will balance it out, but maybe it is the end of superfast ganktastic agents?

Hey zil, Shadwenf here, hope this isnt left as is, time will tell as to how its effected overall.

[Ciex]

Those perks currently are OP like hell.

[Dopecat]

Those perks currently are OP like hell.

Well FC hitting us with some OP Nerfbat too. Maybe we get double AS though on the AS change patch to compensate.

[Ciex]

TL5 enfs perks will be also hit with nerfbat. Without perking an advy, fix, ma it will be close to impossible to kill em

[Parranoid1]

Well FC hitting us with some OP Nerfbat too. Maybe we get double AS though on the AS change patch to compensate.

u wont got double aimed shot, u will get 2 types of aimed shot, the 3 sec cast time one that acts like current with no checks, or an instant AS that has an evades check, but both on the same timer. at least this is wat means has said about the as nerfing. double AS would be making AS more OP then it is