Monday Night Combat = Perfect Balance?? Here's How

**WARNING:This is an OPINION PIECE**

I've compiled a list of things needed to give the game a greater balance.

After listing the adjustments/fixes I'll follow up with a breakdown of why and how it applies.

THE LIST

1. The Tank: Gives and Receives normal damage regardless of juice. (But still does extra damage to turrets while taking less from them.)

2. Pros do normal damage to money ball when juiced.

3. Assassins are able to cloak after grapple is initiated.

4. Assassins smoke bomb grants ~7 seconds of immunity to ice traps.

5. Small increase to Firebase damage to Juiced players. (I could live without this change. but I included it for balance reasons

REASONING

1. Tank: Normal damage with juice. As of right now, juiced players are able to destroy spawn defenses in the matter of seconds. (here's looking at you assassin) Once a player has juice activated, Ring outs are all that stops them. (grapples detain as well) If the tank was able to deal normal damage to juiced players, he would be the premier base defender. Not to mention an even greater counter to assassins and their juicing abilities. (also note, that the tank would deal normal damage when he is juiced.) The tank sided with a support, hacking turrets and over healing him would be able to defend base from juice rushers while easily preventing bots from taking the ball down.

2. Normal Damage to Money ball while Juiced: With this change, juice would primarily be for destroying bots, turrets, killing most pros and pushing lanes for their bots. This would greatly add to the importance of escorting friendly bots to gain the lead during the game. Simply waiting till overtime to juice the money ball would no longer be a viable option.

The tank and support combo would be able to build a strong base defense as well as protect it. All too often, pros spend cash on turrets only to have them destroyed in seconds. Being able to defend it and pros not juicing money balls would mean the team that invested in base defense early on would have the Advantage.

3. Assassin cloak after grapple: When there is a support and a Tank defending the base, the final push would be terribly difficult in terms of dropping the ball. Juiced players would have no advantage up against an over healed tank. Being able to cloak after grappling would enable the assassin to infiltrate the base and take out the support. (If he can get around the tank) That way, gunners and assault teammates can fight the Tank on equal grounds.

4. Smoke Bomb grants ~7 second immunity to Traps: A good counter to a Tank defending a base would absolutely be a sniper. Most classes can't attack the Tank without being mobbed by turrets. The sniper on the other hand can nail the tank, turrets as well as the support at a safe distance. If this is the strategy being used by the opposite team, the best class to counter this would be the assassin. (if granted smoke bomb immunity) This would enable the assassin enough time to jump, land and then engage the sniper. This does not mean a free kill for the assassin. The sniper still has a stronger frontal grapple and the smoke bomb is loud enough for anyone to hear it. But the ~7 second immunity + tactful approach will level the playing field.

In this scenario Sniper > Tank > Assassin > Sniper etc.. (Please note that this is Not intended to imply that class A will kill class B. Just that Certain classes have certain uses)


5. Increased Firebase damage to Juiced pros (Slight Increase): Supports are best at strengthening turret defense. But a support has a great deal of difficulty stopping a juiced assassin from entering the base and quickly bringing it down. With a small increase to Firebase damage pros would have to first plan their attack instead of simply waltzing in and juicing for the win. This change isn't meant to prevent juiced players from being effective but to simply cause them to use a bit more tact.

If an assassin wishes to juice and wreck the enemy base, he can't just rush in carefree. He'll first have to analyze what pros are present and location of Firebase. If not then a decent amount of damage will be taken due to the firebase as well as less damage being done to the base. It will be beneficial for the assassin to first eliminate the support, then destroy the Firebase.

With the Changes:

The Tank: Premier base defender. Being able to go toe to toe with juiced players he would truly be worthy of his title. His strengths would include defending against juice as well as clearing bots prone to take down the Money ball. His downside would be being less effective at base destruction. Although very effective at disabling turrets, juice wouldn't benefit the tank vs pros.

The Assassin: Premier base destroyer. Being able to quickly gain juice and infiltrate the enemy base makes this class one to be reckon with. Snipers still outweigh her in range but up close she has the tools to compete. Her strengths include lane pushing, fast juice accumulation and elite base destruction. Her weaknesses include Tanks as well as Firebases to counter act her juice and base defense.

These changes would bring more rewarding experience for players that invest in their defense as well as those with a more tactical offense.

Right now I feel as though the investment in turrets, can easily be lost. Not to mention the fact that its been effective to play death match for the length of the game and simply juice rushing in the end.

Again, these are some of my ideas. They could definitely be tweaked.

I'd love to hear what the community and Uber has to say.

Even the a 3 second immunity to ice traps would be enough, I hate KNOWING where they are, and being the only class that can't do a single thing about it.

These are some very interesting thoughts. I love how you want to fix how the juice issue, and how you want to fix the ease of destroying turrets.

However, I think that you're overgeneralizing the roles of the classes. Most of the classes can be played in many different ways, and with these changes, you would be forced to play a certain way or your team will suffer. Also, if your team did not have a tank or support, there would be a very distinct disadvantage.

But it's a good start, worthy of taking a look at. I just think that getting juice is too easy, maybe there's a way to fix that?

I had a thought about this the other day. I was thinking.... what if there was an anti juice?

It would be something like this: Basically you can never juice. But juiced players take damage from you and deal damage to you normally. Maybe your meter on the bottom turns blue instead..... all you can do is press both buttons to heal yourself every time the meter fills up.

Smoke bomb giving temporary immunity to ice traps... I'd rather smoke bombs free you from a trap once triggered.

That wouldn't work with the drain ability. I'd rather be allowed to grapple or do something besides ignore one whole class completely.

If your team doesn't have a support, they already have a distinct disadvantage. I think thats the only class that is always necessary at this point.

But aside from that, what class do you feel would be forced to play a certain way?

I don't think I took anything away, aside from the tanks pro juice damage. But it gives him a stronger defense to it. Meaning he could still do all the same things and play the same way. Only juice rushing would be different.

Only classes who can deal with them are support, assaault and gunner Im afraid. Even then the only way to 'deal' with them is to detonate them. Alterting the sniper and still making you have to stand there behind the trap with your thumb up your... well. You get the idea

The tank (I'm kinda defensive about him because I play him so much) would need to be in the base most of the time in order to defend it. Otherwise, it's vunerable to juice. But really, the changes wouldn't be that bad. I just don't want to see classes forced into roles (except supports).

True, and thats why I mentioned the extra damage to juiced pros from Firebases.

Its immobile and can be destroyed but its a tool that supports can use to prevent the rush. It'll be up to the support to defend his own firebase that will in turn defend him from juice. With that, hacked turrets and air strikes, the support can defend the base pretty well solo.

That way the tank can still be out pushing lanes and killing pros.

Only when the teams money ball is dropped and you know that juice rush is coming, The tank can then return to base and be the guy that saves the game for his team.

But if the base is safe, he can very well go and wreck havoc on the enemy money ball with the best of them. And lets not forget he's still awesome at destroying turrets and tanking damage from them especially while juiced.

This allows him to play whatever role he likes. He'll still be an amazing lane pusher but he'll be also an elite defender.

Nice balance right?

You can already defend against juiced players by grappling or counter juicing. And the tank is already amazing at what he does. No class should ever be sitting back in the base anyway. That just gives the other team map control and a free win. The tank should be sitting up top putting railgun shots on everything.

Okay. This is fun!

Now for starters, "I never said anything about sitting back in the base."

Going back, you'll notice that the only thing in terms of base defending mentioned had to do with defending a downed money ball, and combating juiced players destroying turrets. Not at all was it intended for a class to remain in the spawn indefinitely.

I clearly stated that the tank would fill his normal role, but IF the need arises he could return and then be a great defense.

As of right now, Tanks are easily killed by juiced players. So is every other class. A juiced player can quickly eliminate multiple enemies. Easily.

And how and what do you mean by free win? And map control? In what way? Both sides can equally defend their base. Where do you see one side having map control and a free win?

If you mean, that if only one side invested in turret defense then they would have the advantage, then my good sir that is exactly the point. That IMO is a good thing and is how it should be.

Right now, juicing in over time is a "free win." Teams that have terrible spawn defense, playing death match until overtime can win with juice. That is not a good thing. IMO

And grappling isn't the counter to juicing. Ring outs, as mentioned are, the exception. All grappling does, if at all posible, is momentarily detain them. And good luck trying to grapple mid range attackers. Aside from the assassin, not too many classes need to get close to kill you. Being that juiced players are faster grappling them isn't consistently dependable.

Now going by what you have provided, "No class should ever be sitting back at the base." Then how on earth do you grapple and/or counter juice a guy attacking your base if your not there? Lol

Having map control means that the other team is trapped in the base and your team controls the annihilator and juice stands. You can just run around killing bots for juice and then destroy their base. If they sit in there, it's only a matter of time before the ball is down and you win. It doesn't matter how much they upgrade the turrets, you'll kill them with your juice. And they won't be making money in the base anyway. They can't attack your base or ghet money or juice if they can't get out of theirs. See what I mean? And btw, tank, gunner (lvl3), sniper (lvl2), and assault (charge lvl3) all have ring-out capable grapples.

I love grappling a juicing player for a ring out or even just a knockback and time waste.

What better reasons to have better ways to counter juice are there than the reasons you provided for us? Teams shouldn't be penalized because they put up turrets and some guy gets enough money to take them down. And protecting your base should not be an inefficient strategy. Also, you'd be surprised how much money you can accumulate by defending your home base.

The fact is that you are spawn trapped and can't even make a path to the enemy ball. It's only a matter of time before they take yours down, and once it's down you will lose. It doesn't matter how much you build up your turrets, they will be constantly shot at and destroyed. Since they control the annihilator and juice bar, you basically are just waiting to get swarmed. The best outcome for that strategy is that you hold out until overtime and get juice rushed in OT.

I understand what you saying, but I never stated they should "stay" in their base. The player will decide what role he plays.

And not to go in circles but the list of adjustments do not prevent players from filling their normal roles/play styles. (lane pushing, turret destruction, money ball attacking etc.) Normal tactics will remain in tact.

With that said, there would be no reason to be spawn trapped. And ultimately with this change it would be much more difficult to spawn trap. "Being able" to prevent juiced players from quickly destroying turrets means a preserving and having stronger defense. If you get spawn trapped with these changes, its because you allowed it to happen. Not because the tank can kill juiced players...

It purely gives teams a great way to combat juice rushes. Nothing more.

For example: If the tank is out battling and the match enters overtime, everyone knows that juice is about to sale like hot cakes. At that point, the tank can either rush the enemy base or return to defend his. If he chooses to defend, he'll just be the best against juice.

(on a side note in response to counter juicing, if the tank dies in battle, he can re-spawn and still be able to kill juiced pros. Thus making him a "consistently" effective defender. Having juice to counter is not always possible. Having a tank is..)

With that, he'll have all his upgrades, access to annihilators, ejectors and he and his team can still be pushing lanes toward the enemy money ball.

What I'm illustrating is an added "ability" to protect ones base. Not the "tactic" of spawn camping. (I think thats where we were on different pages.)

And as for the grapples, I'm aware that those four have ring out grapples. What I was saying was that its not consistently dependable. There are times when it may work but, that will be a minority.

For example: If a gunner enters your base, activates juice and deploys. No form of grapple will stop him. In fact, the sniper can find an angle and set up traps and do huge amounts of damage with the sniper rifle while juiced. trying to grapple this guy with his traps isn't effective.

The tank having high hp, jet gun + rifle, he can defend up close and also be a threat to the sniper. (Sniper is better long range but the tank can kill him)

That would make the tank a great counter to juiced players. (keep in mind skilled players can still kill him. They just wont be able to one shot a tank with a body shot.lol ).