Ideas for 5*Magneto Redesign

Jacklag
Jacklag Posts: 316 Mover and Shaker
edited December 2021 in MPQ Character Discussion
I know it's probably not gonna happen anytime soon, but Magneto is such a beloved character, I bet most of the player base have their own ideas of how he should be reworked. I think everyone agrees on the basics, Magneto shouldn't go Airborne just for being Airborne, he shouldn't have an active ability that spends the same AP pool he needs to deal damage with his Blue and shouldn't create Repeater tiles that stop ticking while he is Airborne. Here are my suggestions for a basic rework of the character.

(Abilities listed at level 255, followed by 450)
14541 Health / 58447 Health
 205 |  179 |  230 |  28 |  25 |  30 |  114 |  4.0x
 820 |  718 |  922 |  108 |  99 |  117 |  456 |  4.0x

(No changes up to this point)

OLD
Polar Coordination - 10  AP
Magneto surveys the battlefield, planning the perfect moment to strike. Magneto converts 3 Basic Green tiles to Yellow and goes Airborne for 2 turns. For every 3 Yellow AP Magneto has when he returns from being Airborne, deal a blow of 1148 damage to the enemy (up to 8 . (Max Level 4614 damage)
  • Level 2: Deal 1339 damage. (Max Level 5383 damage)
  • Level 3: Deal 1531 damage. (Max Level 6182 damage)
  • Level 4: Converts 4 tiles.
  • Level 5: Go Airborne for 3 turns and deal 2105 damage. (Max Level 8459 damage)
NEW
Polar Coordination - 10  AP

Magneto surveys the battlefield, planning the perfect moment to strike. Magneto destroys 3 Yellow basic tiles and goes Airborne for 2 turns. Destroyed tiles deal damage and generate AP. For every 3 Yellow AP Magneto has when he returns from being Airborne, deal a blow of 1148 damage to the enemy (up to 8 . (Max Level 4614 damage)

(Passive: If Magneto is Airborne, destroy 3 Yellow basic tiles. Destroyed tiles deal damage and generate AP.)
  • Level 2: Deal 1339 damage. (Max Level 5383 damage)
  • Level 3: Deal 1531 damage. (Max Level 6182 damage)
  • Level 4: Destroy 4 Yellow tiles per turn.
  • Level 5: Go Airborne for 3 turns and deal 2105 damage. (Max Level 8459 damage)
The idea here is pretty basic. The passive ability turns Magneto into sort of a Yellow battery, which also prepares for his attack. By destroying Yellow tiles instead of converting Green ones to Yellow, Age of Apocalypse Magneto also acts as a counter to... Apocalypse. Not an excellent counter, I know, but it's more for the theme than to actually change the meta.

OLD
Eternal Induction - 6  AP
Once in the X-Men, always in the X-Men. Magneto protects his people in the face of danger. Convert 2 basic Strike, Attack, or Protect tiles of a chosen color into strength 69 Protect tiles. If a friendly Strike, Attack, or Protect tile would be converted, instead improve it by 38. (Max level strength 277/154 tiles)

(PASSIVE) Protect tiles are 28% stronger for each active X-Men member on Magneto's team.
  • Level 2: Convert 3 tiles.
  • Level 3: Create tiles of 77 strength, improve tiles by 68. Protect tile strength is increased by 30%. (Max level strength 308/277 tiles)
  • Level 4: Create tiles of 92 strength, improve tiles by 76. Protect tile strength is increased by 35%. (Max level strength 369/308 tiles)
  • Level 5: Convert 4 Protect tiles. Protect tile strength is increased by 48%.
NEW

Eternal Induction - 0  AP

Once in the X-Men, always in the X-Men. Magneto uses his battlefield knowledge to make his team be stronger than ever. 

(PASSIVE) Friendly Attack, Protect and Strike tiles are 10% stronger for each active X-Men member on Magneto's team, and 1%  stronger for every Yellow AP his team has.
  • Level 2: Tile strength is increased by 12% for each X-Men member and 1% per Yellow AP
  • Level 3: Tile strength is increased by 15% for each X-Men member and 2% per Yellow AP
  • Level 4: Tile strength is increased by 15% for each X-Men member and 3% per Yellow AP
  • Level 5: Tile strength is increased by 18% for each X-Men member and 4% per Yellow AP.
The removal of the Active part of the power is intended to remove the contradiction that existed before with blue requiring you to gather yellow AP with a Yellow active that blows it away. Now both powers require Mags to collect as much Yellow AP as he can, making himself and his team stronger each turn. By changing the passive to affect all special tiles, it adds variety to the number of partners he can enhance, since he no longer has the ability to create his own Protect tiles. It does have more sinergy with the red power.

OLD

Magnetic Inhibitor - 9  AP
Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, weakening their position. Magneto creates 2 strength 38 Black Strike tiles. Then create 2 Purple 2-turn Repeater tiles that convert 1 enemy Strike, Attack, or Protect tiles to a friendly Strike tile and deal 153 damage. (Max level strength 154 tiles, 615 damage)
  • Level 2: Repeater tiles deal 268 damage. (Max level 1076 damage)
  • Level 3: Repeater tiles deal 383 damage. (Max level 1538 damage)
  • Level 4: Repeater tiles deal 765 damage. (Max level 3075 damage)
  • Level 5: Repeater tiles deal 1454 damage. (Max level 5843 damage)
NEW

Magnetic Inhibitor - 9  AP
Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, weakening their position. Magneto creates 2 strength 38 Black Strike tiles. Then create 2 Purple 2-turn Repeater tiles that convert 1 enemy Strike, Attack, or Protect tiles to a friendly Strike tile and deal 153 damage. (Max level strength 154 tiles, 615 damage)
  • Level 2: Repeater tiles deal 268 damage. (Max level 1076 damage)
  • Level 3: Repeater tiles deal 383 damage. (Max level 1538 damage)
  • Level 4: Repeater tiles deal 765 damage. (Max level 3075 damage)
  • Level 5: Repeater tiles deal 1454 damage. (Max level 5843 damage)
(Passive: If Magneto is Airborne at the start of the turn, all friendly Repeater tiles countdown once)

I didn't actually think there is anything wrong with this power, except that it was directly contradicted by the blue power while Magneto is Airborne. By adding a passive that make all friendly countdown tiles tick more often, Magneto gains a unique ability that may create cool combos with other 5*s that use them, specially other X-Men, including Cable, Iceman and Kitty.

That is the lazy version of my fix. If I'm aloud to get creative, I would keep in mind that in the reality of Age of Apocalypse Magneto was the leader of the X-Men, so it would be cool if he had an ability to call upon those X-Men, like 5* Professor X's. I would change Polar Coordination to work in a very different way. I will just give give the numbers at Rank 5 and level 450, just to give an idea:

NEW
Polar Coordination - 6  AP 

Magneto surveys the battlefield, planning the perfect moment to deploy his X-Men. Magneto goes Airborne for 2 turns. While Magneto is Airborne, friendly colored matches generate twice as much AP.

When Magneto returns from being Airborne, drains all AP in his team's largest AP pool and calls forth one of the X-Men depending on the color of AP drained:

purpletilepng Nightcrawler teleports behind enemy lines to kidnap a defenseless enemy. Send the enemy in the back airborne for 1 turn (2 turns at rank 3 and 3 turns at rank 5. When that enemy returns from being airborne, it takes 2.819 damage for every 3 AP drained.
bluetilepng Morpho infiltrates enemy lines, causing mischief. Stun the enemy team for 1 turn and create a purple countdown tile numbering 1 turn per each 3 AP drained. While that countdown tile is on the board, each friendly match steals one enemy AP of it's color.
blacktilepng Sabertooth and Wildling destroy one enemy strike tile and every tile around it for each 3 AP drained, dealing 8459 damage for each strike tile destroyed. Destroyed tiles don't deal damage or generate AP.
yellowtilepng Rogue charges the enemy lines to protect her family. Creates a strength 277 protect tile for every 3 AP drained.
greentilepng Blink shoots an arrow at a random enemy for each 3 AP drained, dealing 8459 damage per shot. Blink's portals allow her to ignore enemy protect tiles.
 Sunfire burns the enemy team for 2.819 damage for every 3 AP drained. 
  • Level 2: Increased damage and tile strength.
  • Level 3: Increased damage and tile strength.
  • Level 4: Increased damage and tile strength.
  • Level 5: Go Airborne for 3 turns and matches generate triple AP.
It's convoluted, I know. And it may not be specially strong, but it looks damn fun, doesn't it?

Comments

  • dianetics
    dianetics Posts: 1,379 Chairperson of the Boards
    You are making him way too strong with ap generation. Heimdall could send him airborne every turn Throg can keep him airborne forever with this kit.
    The right team could be invincible after three turns.
  • Jacklag
    Jacklag Posts: 316 Mover and Shaker
    I may have exaggerated on something. But airborne every turn? I don't see how. When Heimdall or Throg send an ally Airborne the status only lasts for 1 round, so the extra AP generation would only trigger once, for 4 extra yellow AP with the lazy version and up to 6 extra yellow AP with the creative one, barring cascades. I guess that version can be turned down. But since sending Magneto airborne without firing his blue power doesn't trigger his attack upon landing, keeping him permanently airborne is kind of a mute point, is it not?
  • dianetics
    dianetics Posts: 1,379 Chairperson of the Boards
    Double AP matches with Heimdall would turn him into Prismstic cleave nightmare.
    You would get yellow AP when Magneto lands to send him again.
  • Breadsticks
    Breadsticks Posts: 85 Match Maker
    Just make him have 2* Magneto abilities tweaked for 5* level and I'd be happy. 
  • Kolence
    Kolence Posts: 969 Critical Contributor
    edited January 2022
    Heh, it warms my heart that there are more Magneto fans and enthusiasts? out there... :) 

    Here are my most recent ideas for his rework. I was changing this and that over the last year, as newer mechanics were being added in the game. 

    p. s. The damage numbers were just what I got when I took screens of the abilities (all at rank 5) for my own Mags. It's all mostly baby champ level range, anyway. 

    Old Man Magneto (Passive Aggressive) 

    Polar Coordination
    POWER COST 10
    Magneto surveys the battlefield, planning the perfect moment to strike. Magneto converts 8 basic tiles to Blue and Yellow, targeting Green or Purple tiles first, and goes Airborne for 3 turns. For every 3 Yellow AP Magneto has when he returns from being Airborne, deal a blow of 8928 damage to the enemy (up to 8 times).
    (PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, if Magneto is Airborne, convert 2 basic Green tiles to Yellow, and 1 basic Purple tile to Blue. If a Yellow match is available after the board has settled, Magneto will make one for free. 

    Eternal Induction 
    POWER COST 0
    (PASSIVE) Once in the X-Men, always in the X-Men. Magneto protects his people in the face of danger. At the start of the turn, if Magneto is Airborne, for each of his allies, improve a friendly Protect tile on their strongest and weakest colors by 76. If there aren't any in a color, convert a basic or enemy tile of that color into a strength 92 friendly Protect tile instead. 
    Friendly Protect tiles are 48% stronger for each active X-Men member on Magneto's team, when he's not Airborne.

    Magnetic Inhibitor
    POWER COST 9
    Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, weakening their position. Magneto creates 2 strength 162 Black Strike tiles. Then create 2 Purple 2-turn Repeater tiles that convert 1 enemy Strike, Attack, or Protect tile to a friendly Strike tile and deal 6166 damage.
    (PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, if Magneto is Airborne and there's at least one of his Repeaters on the board, activate a random one for free.
    Whenever Magneto returns from being Airborne, fortify 2 friendly Repeaters.
  • Jacklag
    Jacklag Posts: 316 Mover and Shaker
    Kolence said:

    Eternal Induction 
    POWER COST 0
    (PASSIVE) Once in the X-Men, always in the X-Men. Magneto protects his people in the face of danger. At the start of the turn, if Magneto is Airborne, for each of his allies, improve a friendly Protect tile on their strongest and weakest colors by 76. If there aren't any in a color, convert a basic or enemy tile of that color into a strength 92 friendly Protect tile instead. 
    Friendly Protect tiles are 48% stronger for each active X-Men member on Magneto's team, when he's not Airborne.

    Your blue looks excellent, it not a tad overpowered with the extra match each turn. But yellow is still problematic. The passive still contradicts Blue. Do you want Magneto do be airborne or not? I think it might actually be better if the boost to Protect tiles worked only while Magneto IS airborne, so you would try to keep him airborne as often as you can.

    Kolence said:

    Magnetic Inhibitor
    POWER COST 9
    Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, weakening their position. Magneto creates 2 strength 162 Black Strike tiles. Then create 2 Purple 2-turn Repeater tiles that convert 1 enemy Strike, Attack, or Protect tile to a friendly Strike tile and deal 6166 damage.
    (PASSIVE) At the start of the turn, if Magneto is Airborne and there's at least one of his Repeaters on the board, activate a random one for free.
    Whenever Magneto returns from being Airborne, fortify 2 friendly Repeaters.
    Another problem with the passive here. When Magneto goes Airborne he stays there for a while. So you would have to cast Red to create your repeater tiles, then cast blue and leave your repeater tiles hanging for 2 to 3 turns until Magneto returns. It would be better to change that to "Whenever Magneto goes Airborne, fortify 2 friendly Repeaters." or add the repeater fortification aspect to Yellow.

  • Jacklag
    Jacklag Posts: 316 Mover and Shaker
    Magnetic Inhibitor - 9  AP
    Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, freezing them in their tracks. Creates 2 strength 235 Black Strike tiles. Deal 4206 damage to the target and stun them for 1 turn. Then, if one doesn't exist, create a Fortified Purple 2-turn Repeater tile that deals 3853 damage to a random enemy and stun that enemy for 1 turn. Magneto's Repeater tile(s) continue to tick down when he's Airborne.
    • Level 2: Creates strength 248 Strike tiles. Deal 6842/4295 damage.
    • Level 3: Creates strength 262 Strike tiles. Deal 7597/4786 damage.
    • Level 4: Creates strength 277 Strike tiles. Deal 8613/5392 damage.
    • Level 5: Creates strength 294 Strike tiles. Deal 9238/6013 damage.
    That is so great. Based in the description, Red absolutely should stun his opponents. But how about this instead:

    Magnetic Inhibitor - 9  AP
    Magneto manipulates the iron in his enemy's blood, freezing them in their tracks. Creates 2 strength 235 Black Strike tiles and stun the target them for 1 turn. Then creates two Purple 2-turn Repeater tile that deals 3853 damage to a random enemy and stun that enemy for 1 turn. Magneto's Repeater tile(s) continue to tick down when he's Airborne.
    • Level 2: Creates strength 248 Strike tiles. Deal 4295 damage.
    • Level 3: Creates strength 262 Strike tiles, stun the target for 2. Repeater tiles deal 4786 damage.
    • Level 4: Creates strength 277 Strike tiles and 3 2-turn Repeater tiles that deal 5392 damage.
    • Level 5: Creates strength 294 Strike tiles, stun the target for 3 turns and creates 3 1-turn Repeater tiles that deal 6013 damage.
  • Kolence
    Kolence Posts: 969 Critical Contributor
    @Jacklag

    I mean, if it's not too much trouble, sure, let him boost tiles all the time. :) 

    I'm mostly trying to only suggest changes for which a mechanic is already present in the game. Airborne has historically had trouble with bugs, and so far passives and CDs or Repeaters would stop working when characters go Airborne.

    As for his Blue, it would only make a free yellow match if it's available. The idea is there's a chance adding a few tiles could make a match (cascade) or if not, would make a match possible. From what I've seen in another game, adding two colors at the same time, randomly, sounds better than it performs in practice for auto cascade. It should improve the chances of that extra matching, though. And on defense, players could try and match yellow themselves to deny him.

    Yellow is improving Protect tiles constantly, if he's Airborne, so you want him in the air, with this power as well. If the extra boost from X-Men can only work in one state, I'd think it's better to have it from the start of the fight and while Mags is collecting AP for his attacks.

    Finally, Red passive would work even if someone else sends Mags Airborne. Or on other people's Repeaters. Also, if he's Airborne, even one Repeater would achieve the same rate of damage as both of them normally would.

    So, all in all, I thought it balances out overall, but it's hard to say just theory crafting. Maybe fewer tiles changed would work? Maybe he's still too slow for pvp?

    In the end, even if all these were implemented, he'd still kinda be a slower character. But might actually be dangerous if he went Airborne with his blue... 
  • Tiger_Wong
    Tiger_Wong Posts: 1,013 Chairperson of the Boards
    Leave his powers like they are. Ditch the airborne stuff and give him an entirely new mechanic in place of being airborne. 

    Give his blue a new mechanic. Instead of AIRBORNE, give him HOVER.

    HOVER : With this mechanic, he can be damaged with match damage and single hit power damage but not with team damage or random damage. He can also still make matches and fire powers. Then when he returns from HOVER, he does the “big damage”.
  • Breadsticks
    Breadsticks Posts: 85 Match Maker
    Mags always throws up that magnetic field while hovering. He shouldn't take any damage in that state but still be able to act. He's supposed to be powerful and he's not even as strong as 4* Jugs. Lol
  • Srheer0
    Srheer0 Posts: 510 Critical Contributor
    I think Magneto needs some kindof auto match making part of his kit.  

    He controls magnetism!  

    They could do interesting things like adding annoying metal tiles to the board. They wouldn't be movable by the enemy, but you could move them if magneto is active or airbourne (if they are keeping the airbourne thing).  

    He should also do something with reducing team damage. He can make barriers right?

    Honestly it feels like he should have 5star storms kit. I think it would fit into him. 
  • formula11
    formula11 Posts: 68 Match Maker
    I like it