Alright, for me, as of writing this, the clock has just ticked over. Happy new year everyone!
But i’d like to talk about something that is still very important, and i was recently told that I need to address directly, so here i am.
𝔹𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟.
The adorable little death machine that we all know and love… well, for the most part.
Everyone who cares, seems to know the truth… that he’s in a bad place.
Everyone has opinions, myself included, but in this new year i would love nothing more than to see this character realized and accepted as a balanced part of this game… perhaps for the first time.
So what is the issue?
I’m not going to try and say for sure, again… opinions are opinions, but as far as i can tell from my own point of view, the issue is as follows:
Bastion is is generally useful when team play is at it’s peak, but when left alone… is less than useful even in good hands.
So what can we do to fix this?
I believe Bastion needs to be more independent, without sacrificing the ability to have impact when team play is involved.
Keep your heads on straight…
Arguably Bastion is no longer rewarded for precise aim, nor positioning… every single other hitscan hero, is generally rewarded for hitting headshots, and i truly believe that Bastion should not be an exception.
But how could we balance such a strong force, even if he doesn’t move while firing?
Lower ammo, in general.
It’s a simple change, in Sentry Mode, having around 200 or even as low as 150 ammo, he would be able to have burst damage again, but not oppressive burst lasting for as long as it currently lasts.
He would have just as many if not more weaknesses, with this change alone. He would reload more often, giving a small window for any hero to take the offensive, given strategy.
But that’s not the only issue at hand… a stationary hero will always struggle in this game, with the direction it is being led in. And with the new shield/barrier changes, i truly believe that Bastion requires his own protection.
I propose to you, a tried and true concept that has been passed around many times before, but some seem rather aggressive about…
The personal shield.
Let’s be honest here, Bastion is a big bot.
(As large as Reinhardt when hitboxes are involved.)
Bastion would be given a personal barrier, only while in Sentry Mode, non toggle-able, and only regenerating while in Tank Mode and Recon Mode, rewarding the Bastion for a general amount of mobility and re-positioning.
The assets already exist, or at least existed in the Beta version of Overwatch, and i believe it’s not an unrealistic ability to add to this game.
The health of said barrier is debatable, but i would personally set this health at anywhere between 400-600 barrier hp.
Yes, as of the latest changes, this IS a Tank-like ability, and for a non-mobile damage dealing hero, i truly believe that a Tank-like ability is deserved, when the hero has no direct form of defense other than shooting his way out of a situation.
What does this change?
Bastion’s Sentry Mode would be a true commitment, and feel rewarding to play when faced with massive focus fire, which is already present in the game at this time. Being that it would not regenerate out of combat, without the Bastion being on the move, it would punish purely stationary play, and give the enemy a chance to out-pressure the Bastion in question. When a shield can’t move, that hp drops very very quickly. That is an undisputed fact.
A QoL change i would like to see, which would raise Bastion’s skill floor while also making higher level play more rewarding, is to lower Bastion’s base Sentry Mode spread.
Yes, it already tightens while firing, and i do enjoy the reverse accuracy aspect, but with the lowering of Bastion’s ammo supply, i would intend for the player to be firing for much less time in each burst. Lowering the base spread would also mean Bastion is rewarded for more accurate shooting, which in general rewards higher skill level players.
The last change i would personally like to see for this hero in need, is as simple as this…
Removal or complete rework of Ironclad.
Either i want this poor excuse for a passive ability removed entirely, or simply for the ability to replace Bastion’s normal HP with armor when in Sentry or Tank mode. Again, the number values are up for debate.
In general, i’m simply wanting to open discussion back up. If possible, this could become a new hub for Bastion discussion, a megathread, if you will.
But something needs to be done, and no matter if i’m repeating other’s ideas, or simply repeating myself… these words need to be said.
TL;DR: To fix Bastion we cannot spare power for protection, nor protection for power. I propose that we lower Bastion’s ammo in Sentry Mode considerably, give Bastion a simple Tanking ability for survive-ability due to his hitbox and size in general, and change how the player is rewarded for more strategic and higher level play in many ways, including tightening his base spread.
(Post likely edited multiple times for grammar and simple additions.)
~â„𝔥𝔦𝔟𝔦𝔉𝔬𝔵 
Have a happy new year, my friends. And if i may ask for your simple support when talking about these proposed changes, and to remain civil.