Upcoming Character Rebalance - Chasm (9/21/23)

IceIX

General Goals

When we designed Chasm, we wanted to do something new and interesting - and we did! Chasm’s a cool character, and we still love how his kit came together; unfortunately, Chasm performed too well, especially paired with other characters that could repeatedly revive. Our goal with this rebalance is to tone down the parts of his kit that aren’t fun to play against (including his damage) while ensuring he’s still an interesting character to play with - and against!

 

Finally, Chasm’s a complex character, and we know the current ability descriptions can be hard to parse; we’ve taken the opportunity to rewrite his abilities to be more clear about what they’re doing and how. We’ve seen the memes 🙂
You can expect these changes to go live on the evening of 9/21!


For anyone interested, we will be offering the standard sellback increase for the next couple weeks after this goes Live for any player that feels that they don’t want Chasm rostered as a result of these changes.

 

Walking Abyss

Old Ability Text (270) (Rank 5)

(PASSIVE) Whenever Chasm makes a match, he converts 2 random tile(s) into Abyss tiles, and whenever an Abyss tile is matched or destroyed, he creates 2 random Web tile(s). Abyss tiles do not award AP when matched. At the end of each turn, for each Abyss tile on the board up to 3, both teams lose 1 AP from the front character’s strongest color with 1 or more AP, then Chasm and the enemy team’s character in front take damage equal to Chasm’s match damage in that color + 177 damage.

New Ability Text  (255) (Ranks 1-4)

(PASSIVE) Whenever Chasm makes a match, he creates 2 random Abyss tile(s), and whenever an Abyss tile is matched or destroyed, he creates 1 random Web tile. (Abyss tiles do not award AP when matched.) At the end of each turn, if there are 2 or more Abyss tiles on the board, both teams lose 1 AP in a random color with 1 or more AP, then both teams’ front characters take damage equal to 115% of Chasm’s current match damage in that color.

New Ability Text  (255) (Rank 5)

(PASSIVE) Whenever Chasm makes a match, he creates 2 random Abyss tile(s), and whenever an Abyss tile is matched or destroyed, he creates 1 random Web tile. (Abyss tiles do not award AP when matched.) At the end of each turn, if there are 2 or more Abyss tiles on the board, both teams lose 1 AP in a random color with 1 or more AP, then both teams’ front characters take damage equal to 115% of Chasm’s current match damage in that color. If there are 4 or more Abyss tiles on the board, this triggers twice.

Detailed Changes

Stare Into the Void

Old Ability Text (255) (Rank 5)

PASSIVE) If you gaze into the Chasm, the Chasm gazes also into you. At the start of the match, stun the enemy team for 1 turn. If Chasm is downed and there are 3 or more Abyss tiles on the board, Chasm is revived with 30% health, plus 2% health per Web tile on the board (max 10), then he destroys all Abyss tiles on the board and stuns the enemy team for 1 turn. Whenever a Web tile is matched, Chasm heals 1109 health.

New Ability Text (255) (Rank 5)

(PASSIVE) If you gaze into the Chasm, the Chasm gazes also into you. At the start of the match and whenever Chasm revives, stun the enemy team for 1 turn. If Chasm is downed and there are 3 or more Abyss tiles on the board, Chasm is revived with 30% health, then he destroys all Abyss tiles. Each time Chasm revives, the Abyss tile threshold goes up by 2. Whenever a Web tile is matched, Chasm heals 1282 health.

Detailed Changes

 

Empty Inside

Old Ability Text (Rank 5)

(PASSIVE) Ben’s been through a lot - sometimes, it’s easier not to feel. Chasm’s match damage is multiplied by up to 250% as the average AP on both teams approaches 0, and down to 90% as the average AP on both teams approaches 5 plus 1 for every 2 Web tiles on the board (not counting Team-Up AP).

New Ability Text (Rank 5)

(PASSIVE) Ben’s been through a lot - sometimes, it’s easier not to feel. Chasm’s match damage is scaled based on the average AP in the battle; the lower the average AP, the stronger Chasm gets (not counting Team-Up AP). Chasm’s match damage is strongest at 220% of base when the average AP is 0, and weakest at 75% of base when the average AP is 5 or more. For every 2 Web tiles on the board, the average AP at which Chasm is weakest is increased by 1. (Currently X%).

Detailed Changes

 

 

 

tylenol4

Looks great, thank you!

entrailbucket

I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

WhiteBomber

All 3 abilities, hopefully this doesn't cripple him completely. Can someone comment on the sellback feature? I was on sabbatical during the other sellbacks and am not sure how it works, or if it's worth it.
Thanks for the in depth breakdown @IceIX!

nycjonny

@entrailbucket said:
I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

It reads like enough. Every power weakened. Revive threshold higher each time. Match damage down. Ap steal down. Don’t see what more they could do.

Seph1roth5

Looks mostly good, though I think some areas didn't need to be nerfed. Like...limiting revive and AP drain was probably all that was necessary.

Taking a chunk of healing out of revive...I'd rather you leave the old way, since he's already making half as many web tiles and reviving is more difficult.

Same with match damage. I'd rather you leave the old formula. That was never really part of his problem, and this way he'll still be a very good 5*.

revskip

Seems reasonable. Glad he wasn't ground into dust. Now when is the nerf coming for Shang-Chi and mThor?

Daredevil217

One comment saying not enough and one saying I hope it isn’t too far. So it seems about right. Interesting to see how this plays in practice. At first glance I really like it. He still has use as an excellent counter character with that first turn stun. I think Chas only reviving with 30% health and upping the revive threshold everytime he comes back makes him much less effective on defense but usable on offense. Since people mostly used him as a defensive scarecrow I imagine the use goes down.

Kolence

Doesn't look enough to me either. We'll see how it works quickly...

Not sure if he'll be draining twice up to 2 AP (1 per abyss tile, like now) or just twice 1 AP?

Also, hope I'm wrong, but it looks like it's possible that mirror match Chasms can still stay stuck, permanently undying...

Daredevil217

TLDR:

• Drains 1 random AP (2 at 5 covers) instead of 3 in your strongest color
• Web tiles reduced from 2 to 1.
• Revives with a flat 30% health with no bonus health for webs on the board.
• Abyss titles needed to revive goes up by 2 each time he revives.
• Damage lowered across the board
• Healing for matching webs increased

Daredevil217

@Kolence said:
Doesn't look enough to me either. We'll see how it works quickly...

Not sure if he'll be draining twice up to 2 AP (1 per abyss tile, like now) or just twice 1 AP?

Also, hope I'm wrong, but it looks like it's possible that mirror match Chasms can still stay stuck, permanently undying...

It’s 1 AP twice at 5 covers. I think the damage would also proc twice which gives him a bit of an offensive buff to compensate for the defensive nerf.

Speaking of covers, I’m curious what people think his best build is now?

Kolence

@revskip said:
Seems reasonable. Glad he wasn't ground into dust. Now when is the nerf coming for Shang-Chi and mThor?

Don't forget Kang!

plizard

Wow. This makes him not usable in PvE anymore.

entrailbucket

@nycjonny said:

@entrailbucket said:
I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

It reads like enough. Every power weakened. Revive threshold higher each time. Match damage down. Ap steal down. Don’t see what more they could do.

Kill the stun. Kill passive AP drain completely -- replace that ability with something else.

I appreciate that they reduced each power by a bit, but I'd have given him a more thorough rework that removed his problematic stuff (rather than reducing it) and added strength in some less problematic area.

ThaRoadWarrior

He now drains a random color, not strongest. This could make him massively annoying.

"At the end of each turn, if there are 2 or more Abyss tiles on the board, both teams lose 1 AP in a random color with 1 or more AP, then both teams’ front characters take damage equal to 115% of Chasm’s current match damage in that color."

4TheChains

Basically killed Chasm with this nerf. Lots of 550s gonna be upset about this. Where's that sell-back info?

nycjonny

@entrailbucket said:

@nycjonny said:

@entrailbucket said:
I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

It reads like enough. Every power weakened. Revive threshold higher each time. Match damage down. Ap steal down. Don’t see what more they could do.

Kill the stun. Kill passive AP drain completely -- replace that ability with something else.

I appreciate that they reduced each power by a bit, but I'd have given him a more thorough rework that removed his problematic stuff (rather than reducing it) and added strength in some less problematic area.

They did mess with the ap drain. If they took away the stun too really what is left? This is a hefty nerf. People will realize that when it’s live in game.

nycjonny

@ThaRoadWarrior said:
He now drains a random color, not strongest. This could make him massively annoying.

"At the end of each turn, if there are 2 or more Abyss tiles on the board, both teams lose 1 AP in a random color with 1 or more AP, then both teams’ front characters take damage equal to 115% of Chasm’s current match damage in that color."

Nah his days of being massively annoying are over.

entrailbucket

@nycjonny said:

@entrailbucket said:

@nycjonny said:

@entrailbucket said:
I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

It reads like enough. Every power weakened. Revive threshold higher each time. Match damage down. Ap steal down. Don’t see what more they could do.

Kill the stun. Kill passive AP drain completely -- replace that ability with something else.

I appreciate that they reduced each power by a bit, but I'd have given him a more thorough rework that removed his problematic stuff (rather than reducing it) and added strength in some less problematic area.

They did mess with the ap drain. If they took away the stun too really what is left? This is a hefty nerf. People will realize that when it’s live in game.

No, I'd have taken away the stun and AP drain completely and given him something else instead. Like I get that they're going for a theme or whatever, but both of those powers shouldn't ever exist.

entrailbucket

@4TheChains said:
Basically killed Chasm with this nerf. Lots of 550s gonna be upset about this. Where's that sell-back info?

The sell back for Gambit and OML was a 1-1 conversion of their covers to random 5*.

So if you have a lvl460 Chasm and you sell him, you get back 13 + 10 = 23 tokens to a token pool that contains all the other 5*, and only them.

GrimSkald

@entrailbucket said:

@nycjonny said:

@entrailbucket said:
I don't think this is enough, but we waited this long, so I guess it is what it is.

It reads like enough. Every power weakened. Revive threshold higher each time. Match damage down. Ap steal down. Don’t see what more they could do.

Kill the stun. Kill passive AP drain completely -- replace that ability with something else.

I appreciate that they reduced each power by a bit, but I'd have given him a more thorough rework that removed his problematic stuff (rather than reducing it) and added strength in some less problematic area.

The AP drain has been managed pretty well, I think - it's gone from 3 AP from almost always something you need to 2 (probably 1 and 1) at random. It will still be annoying, but not crippling, which is something I think they were trying to do.

I think this will do it, tbh, make him a lot less of a threat while not removing his utility entirely. Speaking for myself, I wish they removed the "stops first turn abilities" from the stun, since those are almost always kind of key to the character, but whatever.

I look forward to a more Chasm-free future. I suspect this will keep him out of PVP unless he's boosted, which is fine.