Stunning stunned targets: an analysis

CNash
CNash Posts: 952 Critical Contributor
edited April 2016 in MPQ Tips and Guides
Scenario: you use an ability that stuns the target on a target that is already stunned.

If the target would be stunned for more turns than their current stun counter, the counter takes that value. So Spider-Man using All Tied Up (1 turn stun) followed by Daredevil's Billy Club (2 turn stun) results in the target being stunned for 2 turns, essentially wasting All Tied Up.

If the target would be stunned for fewer turns than their current stun counter, nothing happens. So Billy Club then All Tied Up results in a 2-turn stun, again wasting your All Tied Up.

The moral of this story: don't stun targets that are already stunned, you won't get the full value out of at least one of the abilities you're using.

(Obviously there are sometimes genuine strategic reasons for using stun abilities on stunned targets - as there aren't that many "pure stun" abilities and you may value the other effects of those abilities higher).

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    There IS some use to stunning an already-stunned target, if rare.

    I've had survival nodes with LCap where I throw a Peacemaker (2 turn stun) one turn, then throw it at the same guy the next turn (Turning the 1 turn stun into a 2 turn stun)

    Mainly so that I could keep putting blue-regens on the board because I'd be wasting AP by having 20 Blue and 2 10AP returns coming the next turn.

    There's SOME use, at least.
  • CNash
    CNash Posts: 952 Critical Contributor
    Yes, that's one of the "genuine strategic reasons" I mentioned, as you're using Peacemaker primarily for its AP-returning effect (and the Protect tile) rather than for its stun.
  • Calnexin
    Calnexin Posts: 1,078 Chairperson of the Boards
    The most obvious use of stunning a stunned opponent - Daredevil. After the initial hit you only stun one turn off the countdown, but if you can get two cycling off each other against one opponent you've effectively ended the match. So you want to fire either the turn after your initial stun, or just after your first one has recycled.

    Works great in Hulk events when he's super-boosted. Nice for any other single big target, but by the end of a standard match it's not usually relevant.

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