*** Luke Cage (Hero For Hire) ***

Nick441234

There are so many attacks better than both Cage's red and yellow in this game, some not even as powerful as his yellow (thinking of board shifters). You wouldn't list any of Cage's powers in the top 10 best attacks in this game so theres no grounds at all to nerf him.

Unknown

Don't try to balance Cage around Spiderman, its been said by pretty much everyone that Spiderman is GARBAGE right now.

Cage is top tier no question, but that doesn't mean he should be nerfed, its the same way #1 is Lhor - and he doesn't need to be nerfed. If something is wildly imbalanced then it needs to be adjusted. Being strong isn't n imbalance. XF was imblaanced because he had true heal, to go with 2 attacks that did easy 10k dmg, while clearing the other teams AP and boosting yours. Spiderman and CMags got nerfed because they cause endless moves. No one has been nerfed simply because they hit real hard or are good on defense. Compare Cage to CapA. Cap's red does comparable dmg and returns AP. His blue while not instant like Cage, drops a BETTER protect tile, STUNS for two turns, clears special tiles, is aimable, AND returns AP. Cap's yellow takes way too many yellow to be useful consistently - like Cage's black (unless team is built for it), so I won't spend too much on them.

so does Roger's need to be nerfed?
- Unreall

Unknown

Unreallystic wrote:

Don't try to balance Cage around Spiderman, its been said by pretty much everyone that Spiderman is GARBAGE right now.

Cage is top tier no question, but that doesn't mean he should be nerfed, its the same way #1 is Lhor - and he doesn't need to be nerfed. If something is wildly imbalanced then it needs to be adjusted. Being strong isn't n imbalance. XF was imblaanced because he had true heal, to go with 2 attacks that did easy 10k dmg, while clearing the other teams AP and boosting yours. Spiderman and CMags got nerfed because they cause endless moves. No one has been nerfed simply because they hit real hard or are good on defense. Compare Cage to CapA. Cap's red does comparable dmg and returns AP. His blue while not instant like Cage, drops a BETTER protect tile, STUNS for two turns, clears special tiles, is aimable, AND returns AP. Cap's yellow takes way too many yellow to be useful consistently - like Cage's black (unless team is built for it), so I won't spend too much on them.

so does Roger's need to be nerfed?
- Unreall

I think you should edit out that question, I shudder to think what tuscan will actually say....

Unknown

I finally finished my CMags (took a break to get everyone else to lvl 120), so I'm working on Cage for upcoming event. Finally decided to go 553. I just NEVER use his black, EVER. It's a goon finisher, and too expensive for a color that XF uses, and Cyclops, and Blade, and Pun, and Panther, and Storm, and Mystique.

I'd feel different if I had IF lvl'd up, but only have 3 covers with him @ 45.
- Unreall

famousfoxking

tuscan panty raider wrote:

I'm just stating facts.

Psst. You misspelled "opinion" there.

Unknown

nick_chicane wrote:

There are so many attacks better than both Cage's red and yellow in this game, some not even as powerful as his yellow (thinking of board shifters). You wouldn't list any of Cage's powers in the top 10 best attacks in this game so theres no grounds at all to nerf him.

Ok, name 3 better powers.

I might (might) give you Thunderstrike as being better because of the green generation. But that is the only one. Cage tops the charts in yellow damage, a vastly under served ability, and brings along a hefty shield to go with it. He is pretty good. Better still, he is on the list of "awesome when boosted" characters that you hit the jackpot with if he's a 240 this week.

Nick441234

OK, well would you bring Cage to the fight for his yellow if he didn't have his red?

His yellow isn't that good that he'd still be worth using without the protect tile. I use Cage's yellow over Thor's thunder strike so I'm one of his biggest fans! However, without his protect tile, he'd barely make my roster.

Unknown

nick_chicane wrote:

OK, well would you bring Cage to the fight for his yellow if he didn't have his red?

His yellow isn't that good that he'd still be worth using without the protect tile. I use Cage's yellow over Thor's thunder strike so I'm one of his biggest fans! However, without his protect tile, he'd barely make my roster.

eh...I mean it's pretty hard to break him apart like that:

Mechanically, Cage works BECAUSE his red allows him to build AP. I mean, he isn't useless without it, but, he basically turns to Yelena or anyone else with overpriced moves and no shortcut to them.

Unknown

Not to mention that since the health increase 13 AP powers are actually useful now. 7k damage for 13 AP is an absolutely wonderful power, and if Cage had a different red he would still find room on teams based on that yellow power alone.

It does kind of suck that Cage is over shadowed by Cyclops who shares all his colors (that is the cost we pay for ever growing character releases), but when Cage is boosted over Cyke you wouldn't want to use anyone else.

Unknown

Lerysh wrote:

Ok, name 3 better powers.

I might (might) give you Thunderstrike as being better because of the green generation. But that is the only one. Cage tops the charts in yellow damage, a vastly under served ability, and brings along a hefty shield to go with it. He is pretty good. Better still, he is on the list of "awesome when boosted" characters that you hit the jackpot with if he's a 240 this week.

Thunder Strike, Mutant Revolutionary, Avengers Assemble, arguably Battleplan and Recovery. I agree that yellow isn't a strong attack color.

Nick441234

raisinbman wrote:

nick_chicane wrote:

OK, well would you bring Cage to the fight for his yellow if he didn't have his red?

His yellow isn't that good that he'd still be worth using without the protect tile. I use Cage's yellow over Thor's thunder strike so I'm one of his biggest fans! However, without his protect tile, he'd barely make my roster.

eh...I mean it's pretty hard to break him apart like that:

Mechanically, Cage works BECAUSE his red allows him to build AP. I mean, he isn't useless without it, but, he basically turns to Yelena or anyone else with overpriced moves and no shortcut to them.

This discussion came about due to talk of nerfing him. I'm saying that his yellow isn't good enough to warrant taking into a fight if his red was nerfed. Its why I'm saying his yellow isn't one of the 10 best attacks in the game as there's no way you'd use him without his red.

Unknown

nick_chicane wrote:

raisinbman wrote:

nick_chicane wrote:

OK, well would you bring Cage to the fight for his yellow if he didn't have his red?

His yellow isn't that good that he'd still be worth using without the protect tile. I use Cage's yellow over Thor's thunder strike so I'm one of his biggest fans! However, without his protect tile, he'd barely make my roster.

eh...I mean it's pretty hard to break him apart like that:

Mechanically, Cage works BECAUSE his red allows him to build AP. I mean, he isn't useless without it, but, he basically turns to Yelena or anyone else with overpriced moves and no shortcut to them.

This discussion came about due to talk of nerfing him. I'm saying that his yellow isn't good enough to warrant taking into a fight if his red was nerfed. Its why I'm saying his yellow isn't one of the 10 best attacks in the game as there's no way you'd use him without his red.

yes, and I mean just taking a character's ability away makes it hard to rate them properly. Is there any compensation for taking away his red? Cheaper other abilities?

theorycrafting into oblivion

Unknown

daibar wrote:

Lerysh wrote:

Ok, name 3 better powers.

I might (might) give you Thunderstrike as being better because of the green generation. But that is the only one. Cage tops the charts in yellow damage, a vastly under served ability, and brings along a hefty shield to go with it. He is pretty good. Better still, he is on the list of "awesome when boosted" characters that you hit the jackpot with if he's a 240 this week.

Thunder Strike, Mutant Revolutionary, Avengers Assemble, arguably Battleplan and Recovery. I agree that yellow isn't a strong attack color.

Disagree on Mutant Revolutionary. Maybe it leads to 10 red and an Optic Blast, maybe it doesn't, but on it's own compared to Righteous Uppercut it doesn't cut it.

Can't really say on Avengers Assemble but to my knowledge it's damage output is not 7k, but unfair comparison for 4* to 3*.

Disagree heavily on Battleplan and Recovery.

is a pretty weak attack color right now, so bringing someone who can bring the pain on should be a huge boon, especially if you are denying yellow because you are facing Thor. Or Nick Fury. Or Black Panther. Or XF. Which aren't that uncommon. Of course he only brings the pain with 5 covers in it.

Unknown

I'll stick to my Hood comparison.

Cage is pretty much Hood with match dmg instead of AP theft. To 'me' their yellows are just about on par. Don't care about the end turn, and it has board shake up to go with the 5k dmg output (and I said about).

Their blacks about cancel out one is better for the team, the other requires a ton of black for the dmg output.

Leaving Cage.Red() vs Hood.Blue()

If Hood isn't nerfed, then Cage sure as hell shouldn't be nerfed...
- Unreall

GrumpySmurf1002

Lerysh wrote:

[
Can't really say on Avengers Assemble but to my knowledge it's damage output is not 7k, but unfair comparison for 4* to 3*.

Damage output maxed is similar, but it also has the additional 5R+5Y requirement.

Twin Pistols does similar damage to Cage with one opponent down, and blows up the board to boot.

Seems people are sleeping on his black too (I did for a while). It's effectively a 12black power that does 5384 + 1 stun at max. Is it worth more than 127xMatch3 protection? Not sure, but there's an argument for sure.

Unknown

You can't leave out AP costs out of the comparison, especially as Cage's is the most expensive yellow (excepting IM40 at high levels, but that's ****).
2 casts of Mutant Revolutionary in a round is better than Righteous Uppercut.

The problem I find with Cage is if I'm matching , unless I'm facing Thor, BP, or a mirror Cage, is not really a problem. Letting X-Force heal while you take out his support is fine, as is taking a weak Avengers Assemble. Against Thor or BP, Hood generally works better.

For some reason I often find myself using Jab, Jab, Cross at 18 AP or 9724 and 2 turns of stun which can be split between targets, while gathering the last AP to finish the match.

Xenoberyll

Unreallystic wrote:

If Hood isn't nerfed, then Cage sure as hell shouldn't be nerfed...
- Unreall

You're leaving out the difference in Health between those two, but yes I think the whine for nerfs are stupid too

Unknown

I'm with Daibar - I use jab jab cross @ 18 AP, that may esque my 'feelings' on the usefulness of it.

As for health with Hood vs Cage, that's tied to abilities...Cage does it directly, still taking the dmg, but lessened, while Hood prevents it wit hthe AP theft.
- Unreall

Unknown

GrumpySmurf1002 wrote:

Lerysh wrote:

[
Can't really say on Avengers Assemble but to my knowledge it's damage output is not 7k, but unfair comparison for 4* to 3*.

Damage output maxed is similar, but it also has the additional 5R+5Y requirement.

Twin Pistols does similar damage to Cage with one opponent down, and blows up the board to boot.

Seems people are sleeping on his black too (I did for a while). It's effectively a 12black power that does 5384 + 1 stun at max. Is it worth more than 127xMatch3 protection? Not sure, but there's an argument for sure.

It's a power you have to think to use, ofc people will sleep on it

Ebolamonkey84

raisinbman wrote:

GrumpySmurf1002 wrote:

Lerysh wrote:

[
Can't really say on Avengers Assemble but to my knowledge it's damage output is not 7k, but unfair comparison for 4* to 3*.

Damage output maxed is similar, but it also has the additional 5R+5Y requirement.

Twin Pistols does similar damage to Cage with one opponent down, and blows up the board to boot.

Seems people are sleeping on his black too (I did for a while). It's effectively a 12black power that does 5384 + 1 stun at max. Is it worth more than 127xMatch3 protection? Not sure, but there's an argument for sure.

It's a power you have to think to use, ofc people will sleep on it

I don't think much brain activity is required to realize you have to wait for at least 12 black before using his black power. The problem with black is that it is essentially useless on defense, as the AI does not have a brain. I'm a fan of the 5/3/5 build myself, so I appreciate both of his actives.