Hey everyone, I just worked through the new minor adjustment that Reaper received with the new LIVE balance change. He received a slightly increased reduction to his damage from the Experimental Patch.
Original Experimental Patch Note:
…and the new Reaper change that went to live…
I went back to my video recordings from my Experimental Patch Video and compared it to the new adjustment using my Experimental Lab Test Workshop (Code J5NZ5). This was targeting a roadhog at 4, 8, 12, and 16-meter distances, aiming at the torso. Here is the number of shots it took to kill Roadhog at certain distances.
Distance
Old Live
Experimental
New Live
4 Meters
5 shots
5 shots
6 shots
8 Meters
5 shots
5 shots
6 shots
12 Meters
9 shots
8 shots
8 shots
16 Meters
15 shots
13 shots
13 shots
In my sole opinion, I believe this still measures as a net buff. Yeah, doesn’t melt shields quite as fast, but can secure kills quicker at farther distances.
I try to do basic calculations to show the raw damage adjustment only. Note, my statement on whether this is a net buff or nerf is in consideration to actual gameplay and not this test only.
With Reaper you should get as close as possible, but that is not always going to be guarenteed that you can, that is what this balance change addresses by rebalancing his damage output to spread mix so that is has mostly the same damage output at a slightly greater distance.
If anything it raises the skill ceiling and skill floor of Reaper ever so slightly.
When it’s a clear trade off in up close damage vs consistency at longer ranges I would call it a “change” since the buffs and nerfs sort of cancel each other out.
The thing that might tip this into the “nerf” category is how his life steal is impacted. And then there’s the fact that reapers “role” is tank busting so how will these changes impact that? Is he better against squishies than before but worth on thanks? If that’s the case, why pick reaper over certain other dps?
I’m interested in that as well. If he could be better at say getting a quick pick on a support, it could end up a net buff. But only if Reapers changed their playstyle to be less tank busty and more opportunist-y.
I appreciate that you’re willing to play devil’s advocate here but i don’t think anyone will support the nerfs to damage. He was already a niche choice and taking away damage while adding range isn’t helpful at all. Why play him when you have tracer and junkrat right now?
Everybody plays Reaper at that range, if they realize it or not, want it or not, it’s where Reaper is most of the time. The “I’m gonna shove my shotty up your face” engagements are sporatical and cooldown based, Reaper goes in, fires a clip at best, goes out, while these >7m shots keep getting damage out nigh constantly between these engages.
I don’t think it’s actually relevant whether it’s a net nerf or net buff. The problem is the smoothing of his damage impacts his lifesteal negatively. Now he’s a less mobile tracer and a weaker junkrat
kinda agree i just wish they keep him as close range hero
if they want to buff him maybe rework wraith from / shadow steep
his gun was never really a problem, its only that he so predictable the higher rank you go
something along the line of making wraith a resource based like dva matrix, with total 2 or 3 sec wraith, can be cancelled right away and can be used again after 1 sec delay
but to make it less OP make it to fully charge take longer like 12 sec