Howdy fellers! These are some of my ideas to balance out certain Commanders. Since I don’t play every Commander - or even match with 'em - I am only proposing ideas to the ones I do know. Take everything with a mine of salt, and thanks for all the people who helped me compile these changes. It ain’t over yet.
General:
- As of 1/17/2020 I added an H&H proposal, as well as updated the Swann-SCV, Zagara-Corruptor, Karax-Masteries and Mengsk-General parts a tiny wee bit.
- As of 1/2/2020 the Karax rework and the Stukov rebalance have been added to the patch note proposal. Also watch out for Swann and Tychus.
- Reorganized in which order the points will come: first general, then mastery changes, afterwards heroic units, ground and air units and lastly buildings.
- Changed some descriptions to past tense like actual Patch notes. Don’t get fooled by it, these are still only words.
Artanis:
General:
- Orbital Strike shots are now split to charges and the obnoxious overlay is removed. Each charge has a 6 second Cooldown and requires 5 Energy to use. Stacks up to 5 charges.
Swann:
General:
- Starport Upgrade Cache (Swann propgression level 13) now also grants Wraiths and Science Vessels the Cellular Reactor, increasing their starting and maximum Energy by a 100.
- Advanced Construction (Swann progression level 8) also unlocks the Command Center Reactor, allowing you to train two SCVs at the same time.
SCV:
- SCVs benefit from all Armory upgrades.
Hellion/Hellbat:
- Infernal Plating now also applies Smart Servos, decreasing the combat mode switch time by 75%. Also allows Hellions to fire on the move.
- Infernal Pre-Igniter now also upgrades the Hellions with Twin-Linked Flamethrowers, doubling their flame’s width.
- Hellbat movement speed increased to 2.69 to match that of the Goliath.
- Hellbat push priority increased compared to the Goliath.
Cyclone:
- Cyclone’s range is increased to 6.
- Cyclone’s Vespene cost is decreased to 75.
- Speed increased from 2.81 to 3.25.
Thor:
- Allow players to cancel 330mm Cannons.
- Thors now benefit from Multi-Lock Weapons System allowing them to attack ground and air targets at the same time.
Wraith:
- Wraiths can fire on the move against targets in a narrow cone in front of them.
- Displacement Field now grants 25% damage reduction to Wraiths instead of the 20% evasion chance.
- The anti-air attack of Wraiths now deals 10 (+10 vs Armored) damage but only has one attack.
- Wraith weapon ranges increased from 5 to 6.
Science Vessel:
- Can now use Tactical Jump.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: These changes aim to balance out Swann’s kit in and of itself, giving some power to other (non-Goliath) units without taking away already existing power from everybody’s favorite cranky engineer.
Zagara:
General:
- Banelings and Scourges now benefit from Regenerative Acid. This only applies to your own units, and does not affect allied units.
Aberration:
- Additional tech at the Evolution Chamber, Abomination (100/100/90) allows Aberrations to explode upon death, slowing the movement and attack speed of nearby enemies by 20% for 5 seconds.
Corruptor:
- Corruptors now automatically target the highest health flying enemy with their Corruption. This Autocast can be turned on and off.
- Corruption now has a 10 second cooldown and a 10 second duration. The damage increase has been reduced from 35% to 20%. The cooldown progresses during the duration.
- Vespene cost reduced from 90 to 75.
- Corruptor’s damage and scaling have been changed. Instead of 14 (+14 vs Armored) the Corruptor now does 20 (+8 vs Armored). Scaling has been changed from 1 (+3 vs Armored) per Flyer Attacks upgrade to 2 (+1 vs Armored).
- Additional tech at the Scourge Nest, Aimed Bile (150/150/90) allows the Corruptor to target up to 3 units with its basic attacks. Decreases the attack speed from 1.9 to 2.0.
Bile Launcher:
- Bile Launchers now target a location and fire at enemies who enter it with an area of effect attack. Can only target ground units, but can hit air.
- Rapid Bombardment also increases the projectile’s travel speed by 50%.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: I’m trying to make non-suicidal units, sustained combat performance and static a bit better.
Karax:
General:
- All combat units gain +1 armor and +1 Shield armor.
- Pylon cost decreased from a 100 Minerals to 25.
- Every Nexus, Pylon, Shield Battery, Photon Cannon and Khaydarin Monolith has 20% increased health and Shields.
- Advanced Repair Systems now also increases the healing of mechanical units from 5 to 8 and buildings from 10 to 15.
- Solar Lance is split into charges. Each charge has its own separate Cooldown of 40 seconds and Energy cost of 20, stacking up to 3 charges. The obnoxious overlay is removed.
- Purifier Beam Cooldown reduced from 450 seconds to 360; additionally Purifier Protocol (Karax progression level 13) now also increases the damage per second of Purifier Beam from 50 (+50 vs Armored) to 75 (+75 vs Armored).
- Solar Efficiency Level 2 now also decreases combat unit costs by 10% (down to a 120% of the normal amount from 130%).
- Solar Efficiency Level 3 now also allows your Shield Batteries, Photon Cannons and Khaydarin Monoliths to benefit from Protoss Ground Weapons and Protoss Ground Armor.
- Khalai Ingenuity (Karax progression level 11) now also allows Photon Cannons, Khaydarin Monoliths and Shield Batteries to be warped out from the field, returning their cost. This action takes 5 seconds to complete.
- Unity Barrier’s Cooldown is decreased to a 150 seconds from 240.
Masteries:
- Chrono Overload Energy Regen Mastery now grants 0.1 SoA energy/second while Chrono Wave is active (up to a maximum of 3 energy/second at 30 points). This is a 100% increase to it’s current SoA energy generation.
- Chrono Boost Efficiency Mastery now also provides a 0.25% increase to Chrono Field’s speed boost (up to a maximum of 7.5% at 30 points) as well as a 0.5 second duration increase for Chrono Wave (up to 15 seconds at 30 points).
- Reduced Combat Unit Cost Mastery is replaced by Combat Unit Improvement Mastery, which increases the attack speed, energy regeneration, health and shields of combat units by 1% per point (up to a maximum of 30% at 30 points) and decreases ability cooldowns by 1%per point (Up to a maximum of 30% at 30 points).
- Structure Life and Shield Mastery is replaced by Research Cost and Time Reduction Mastery, which reduces the research time and cost of all research by 2% per point (up to a maximum of 60% at 30 points).
Sentinel:
- Sentinel’s Charge now deals 7 damage on impact.
Energizer:
- Basic attacks can now be toggled on and off, changing the target priority of the unit.
- Reclamation now also turns the Energizer into a Detector.
Immortal:
- New research at the Robotics Bay, Improved Barrier (150/150/90), which doubles the amount of Shields gained from Barrier.
Colossus:
- Fire Beam no longer reduces attack speed.
- Attack range increased from 6 to 7.
- Both Extended Thermal Lance and Fire Beam grant the Colossus +25 extra Shields.
Nexus:
- Nexuses built after the start of the game will properly start up Chrono Boost while playing with or as Karax.
- Nexuses gain the Nexus Overcharge ability from Legacy of the Void, allowing them to attack and detect nearby enemies.
Photon Cannon:
- New research at the Forge, Concentrated Antimatter (200/200/120), which allows Photon Cannons to deal 25% of their damage in an area around their primary target.
Khaydarin Monolith:
- Now attacks the highest max health unit in its range.
- Charges up its beam after every shot, instead of before firing.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: I never had a problem with Karax having expensive units, but I never found them particularly powerful compared to what other Protoss Commanders have. Now you have different ways to empower your favorite builds, and static should feel better with less of an investment.
Alarak:
General:
- Alarak’s Chrono Boost is colored red.
Vanguard:
- Increased the number of attacks from 8 to 16.
- Fusion Mortars now also increase the projectile speed by 30%.
War Prism:
- Supply cost decreased to 1.
- Phasing Mode’s Power Field radius is increased by 20%.
- While in Phasing Mode gain Cloaked.
Destroyer:
- Shield armor increased by +1.
- Damage and attack re-evuation. First target is damaged for 6 (+4 vs Armored) per second, the second target is damaged for 3 (+2 vs Armored) per second. Over three seconds the beam targets up to three additional targets for 2 (+1 vs Armored) damage. Each level of Protoss Weapons increases all damage by 1 on the three additional targets. On the first two targets the damage is increased by 1 (+1 vs Armored). Additionally the attack interval has been increased from 0.5 to 1.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: Trying to empower the stragglers for Alarak, nothing to see here.
Nova:
General:
- Griffin Airstrike cooldown increased to 60 seconds.
- Nuke and Holo Decoy Cooldown Mastery’s per point Cooldown reduction increased from 3 to 3.5 (up to a maximum of 105 seconds at 30 points). This is a ~17% increase in time reduction.
- Holo Decoy’s Coolup decreased from 600 seconds to 480.
Hellbat Ranger:
- Baseline armor increased by +2.
- Jump Jet Assault now grants Hellbat Rangers +1 additional armor, and its stun is applied in a small area. Heroic enemies are slowed instead.
- Infernal Pre-Igniter now increases damage by +5 (+10 vs Light).
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: The Airstrike is likely too powerful on such a short cooldown, yet because of the mineral cost it shouldn’t have the cooldown of other abilities of the similar caliber. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Also Hellbat Ranger buffs because they are awful. I also staggered the Coolup of the two ultimate abilities on Nova.
Stukov:
General:
- Retinal Augmentation now also increases the range of Troopers inside Infested Bunkers by an additional +1.
- Creep spreads 20% faster.
- Each Infested spawned by the Infested Colonist Compound or the Alexander has a 15% chance to be a Volatile Infested.
- Infest Structure grants a shield worth of 100HP to friendly Structures.
- New tech at the Engineering Bay, Biosteel Armor, which increases the Armor of Structures by +1 and allow them to regenerate 2HP/sec while Rooted. The regeneration from Biosteel armor does not effect Infested Bunkers.
Masteries:
- Infested Structure Cooldown Mastery now also increases the shield Infest Structure provides by 3.334% per point (up to a maximum of ~100% at 30 points).
- Volatile Infested Spawn Chance Mastery replaced by Factory & Starport Unit Health Regen Mastery. This Mastery increases the health regeneration of your Infested Factory and Infested Starport units by 0.1 per level (up to 3 health per second at 30 points). This regeneration is constant and not inactive while or after taking damage.
Infested SCV:
- Infested SCVs move and mine 20% faster on Creep.
Overlords:
- Excrete Creep and Ventral Sacs can now be researched at the Infested Command Center. Infested infantry inside the Ventral Sacs now times out 50% slower.
Infested Infantry (Infested Marines, Infested Troopers, Infested Civilians & Volatile Infested):
- Gain a 30% chance to spread a small amount of Creep upon death.
Infested Marines:
- Cost reduced from 25 Minerals to 20.
Broodling:
- Broodlings now also follow the Psi Emitter.
Infested Siege Tank:
- Volatile Biomass can store up to 12 Infested instead of 8.
- Automated Mitosis’ Cooldown is decreased to 25 seconds. Additionally it allows the Infested Siege Tanks to consume Broodlings, which will heal the tank for 5 Health and reduce the Cooldown of Automated Mitosis by 5 seconds.
Infested Liberator:
- Replaced by an Infested Valkyrie model and renamed accordingly.
Infested Refinery:
- Gains access to Micro Filtering, increasing the mining efficiency by 25% (from 4 Vespene per run to 5).
Infested Bunker:
- Cost reduced by 25 Mineral.
- Health increased from 400 to 500.
- Before Stukov progression level 14, Infested Bunkers only cost 4 supply.
Infested Missile Turrets:
- Infested Missile Turrets burrow if there are no targetable enemies nearby.
- New tech at the Infested Engineering Bay, Noxious Payload, which allows the Infested Missile Turret to deal its damage in a small area and increases its range by +1.
- Infested Missile Turrets no longer need to be rooted for Detection.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: Ask and you shall recieve.
Han & Horner:
General:
- Double Salvage Chance Mastery replaced by Space Platform Mastery, which reduces the cooldown of Space Platform by 2.5 seconds per point (up to a maximum of 75 seconds at 30 points).
- Assault Galleon and Sovereign Battlecruiser movement speed increased from 1.88 to 2, acceleration increased.
- Salvage mechanic reworked: attacking and destroying enemy Structures grants resources based on the type and price of the structures. Destroyed friendly and own units no longer leave resources behind.
Assault Galleon:
- Assault Galleons now regenerate health at the speed of 2 HP/sec once they haven’t taken damage for at least ten seconds.
- Assault Galleons now has the Structure tag.
- Assault Galleons’ health increased from 500 to 750 and Armor from 1 to 2.
- Assault Galleons attack interval decreased from 1.2 to 0.6, damage decreased from 20 to 12 and range increased from 10 to 12.
Widow Mine:
- Vespene cost removed.
- Range increased from 5 to 8. Black Market Launcher still increases the range by 50%.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: Some ideas to help with Galleons, economy and defense.
Tychus:
General:
- Now you can switch up your Outlaws under the topbar, changing their Primary Ability keys.
Blaze:
- Removed the wind-up before his basic attacks.
- Increased armor by +2.
- Hades Oil’s bonus damage is now applied to Structures as well.
Cannonball:
- Redline Power Cells now increase his attack speed by 6% and damage by 6, stacking up 10 times. The benefits disappear after 10 seconds.
Vega:
- Type-88 Persuader now increases the duration of Dominate by a 100% instead of 200% (maximum duration goes down from 12 minutes to 8).
- Basic attack range increased by +1 to 8.
Nux:
- Basic attack range increased by +1 to 8.
- Basic attack damage increased by 5 to 35.
Lt. Layna Nikara:
- Super Heal is now counted as a basic attack that can only target friendly units.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: I personally feel like Vega got a couple of buffs she did not need, so I’d like to bring her back in the fold a bit. At the same time these little changes should improve how some of the lesser used Outlaws feel. I’ll try to play around with numbers for Nikara and see if the Outlaw Weapon Upgrades should benefit her Super Heal, if yes, how much, etc.
Mengsk:
General:
- Dominion Troopers are always preferred on the unit card when different unit types are selected.
- You can now equip your Dominion Troopers with weapons without getting them out of their Supply Bunker.
Enlistement Center:
- New research in the Enlistement Center, Command Center Reactor (150 Minerals, 45 seconds), allows the affected EC to train two Laborers or Troopers at the same time.
- Enlistement Centers now have a button to select all non-bunkered Dominion Trooper.
Bart’s Fantastical Comment: Still brainstorming about more ideas, but probably gonna take it slow and look through the masteries first.