Hey all! I made a similar comment and figured I’d throw it out to see what everyone thinks. I think Bastion is a tough hero to balance but these are my thoughts on him:
If I had to rework him, I think his ult (Tank Mode) should actually be another transformation. I believe Blizzard played with him having that as a normal ability before and at this point, I think it would be better for him. Maybe his different modes could use individual resource meters so he can’t sit in it the whole match? (Weakens pirate ship strategy)
- Give him Tank Mode: Increase the movement speed. Give him the launcher with reduced damage (weaker than Junkrat nade since they are faster?). I would like another ability that lets him boost forward but maybe that is too much mobility! This shouldn’t be an ult, this should be an option for him when the situation calls for more mobility/aoe.
- Turret mode: Reduced spread, no headshot, ironclad (he should feel beefier) - this is for locking down an area and trying to put out the most dps he can. I also think he should have something extra like a ground targeted launcher, but maybe simple is better.
- Recon mode: This mode is free and takes up no resources. Spending time outside of any mode restores the resource meter and this mode restores them both. I also think his transformation speed should be faster so that he can really swap on the fly.
- Ultimate: Probably better ideas but for a character with multiple modes, I think a self boost of sorts is best for him. Like Molten core for Bastion - faster firerate, near instant transformation, armor boost. The only downside is that it may feel too similar to getting Nano-ed (and I want Nano to get a few more buffs)
This would allow Bastion to do the thing that is unique to him: change his kit on the fly. He can operate defensively and use Turret to break enemies down, go into Tank mode when he needs to evade and keep the enemy suppressed and Recon to manage his cooldowns/health. As long as his only option is to transform to a movement deprived version of himself, he will always be played behind barriers (Especially now with Dive being so strong and with a community that got better on heroes like Zenyatta, Hanzo and Widow). Only boosting his damage into a glass cannon form of himself just makes pirate ship stronger since the enemy has to now bust those barriers faster since Bastion is more effective at killing them. Making Bastion better at skirmishes by allowing him to adjust modes could help him have a place in this ever evolving game while still feeling like a unique hero on this roster.
Let me know what you think!