2008-04-21, 01:48:01
I play as the Heavy Tank on occassion, and honestly I feel like it's too powerful despite it being one of my favorites. Once you get it, you can easily farm any LTs/Helis/Tinkers, including ones with Iron Hulls. I don't think I've played one game without at least one person going LT/Fireball-Fan of Knives-whatever and just camping NPCs for 5100 and moving up to the HT. The issue I have with it is directly related to the low cost of it. When the Infernal moved to 18k, it breathed new life into the Frost Robot because the cost disparity became so that you would actually get it instead of waiting.
The fact that it's relatively simple to get a HT without needing to do anything early makes it so good. What can you do with that 5.5k that gives you an advantage?
Let's say myself and another LT both started 2x Basic Magic and he camped for 5500 and I spent it on items.
I get:
Steel Hull (2500)
Swarm Rockets (3300)
So when he jumps up, he has 5500hp, and 148 dps. I have 3000hp, and 368 dps. If we stand and fight then I will barely edge him, but he has a rocket that at level 3 (Tank lvl 7, which is about the right level) does 900 damage to my 540, not to mention he has higher armor and thus damage reduction. If creeps are factored in, he takes less per shot and I would lose anyhow. Because of the range of the missle, it is difficult to run because it's range doubles that of most weapons.
The best option I think is to go full-on weapons, but then you become rocket-bait.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the Goblin Tank costs more than the HT and that once the HT is in play, it's hardiness makes it's easy to deny kills while picking off easy opponents and not allowing them to get a quick and easy upgrade. I feel like the appropriate "counter" should be a bit cheaper, but the Shredder's skills aren't enough to make it viable. Metal Stars and Shred are both outclassed by HT skills, and the nature of the Shredder (running into crowds or defending points) don't take advantage of the weaknesses of the HT (speed) since it has teleport anyway.
The fact that it's relatively simple to get a HT without needing to do anything early makes it so good. What can you do with that 5.5k that gives you an advantage?
Let's say myself and another LT both started 2x Basic Magic and he camped for 5500 and I spent it on items.
I get:
Steel Hull (2500)
Swarm Rockets (3300)
So when he jumps up, he has 5500hp, and 148 dps. I have 3000hp, and 368 dps. If we stand and fight then I will barely edge him, but he has a rocket that at level 3 (Tank lvl 7, which is about the right level) does 900 damage to my 540, not to mention he has higher armor and thus damage reduction. If creeps are factored in, he takes less per shot and I would lose anyhow. Because of the range of the missle, it is difficult to run because it's range doubles that of most weapons.
The best option I think is to go full-on weapons, but then you become rocket-bait.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the Goblin Tank costs more than the HT and that once the HT is in play, it's hardiness makes it's easy to deny kills while picking off easy opponents and not allowing them to get a quick and easy upgrade. I feel like the appropriate "counter" should be a bit cheaper, but the Shredder's skills aren't enough to make it viable. Metal Stars and Shred are both outclassed by HT skills, and the nature of the Shredder (running into crowds or defending points) don't take advantage of the weaknesses of the HT (speed) since it has teleport anyway.