Post by Daneel on Jul 3, 2010 17:01:44 GMT -5
At least one currently playing top warlock is convinced FDF is the best paralysis option.
I am somewhat unconvinced.
Now I'm the first to admit that I'm a n00b. My 50-something games don't compare to the hundreds or thousands of games some of the current leaderboard members ticked off. So I'm fully aware that whatever hypothetical analysis I might think up, probably a bunch of people already thought up, refuted, refined, and thought up again.
Yet all FDF seems to accomplish (in light of Fc) is give para back some of it's edge. (I'm looking at straight cF FDF vs. Fc FFF as the latter seems like the prevalent option).
FFFc is mostly useless; FDFF is a lightning threat.
WPFD lends nicely into FDF, which strengthens Cause Heavy (which can be used by anyone, so in the end it's less of a Paramancer vs. Warlock debate, and more of a WPFD balance debate).
The lightning fork is later (at DFFDx vs. DFFx in e.g. FaraFC), which is I think a bit better but not necessarily game changing (true, forking at 4th gesture means you can avoid Mirror and continue safely after a counter, but 5th gesture fork offers the option of coming out slightly ahead if the opponent does Mirror).
Blindness is facilitated by making xFd a less terrible finisher.
Charm is hit the most I guess - PSDFF was a nice t+1 para vs. t+2 lightning fork, which is mostly useless now as (PSDF)F leads into Lightning but (PSDF)D leads to Paralysis.
In the end - it changes some spells (making PSDF weaker; WPFD stronger; Blindness more viable; Lightning I'd say is a wash). But it makes Para itself more strong (as in, self paralysis at xDF is actually leaning into a nice threat). Not to mention that after a self-para FFc needs 3 turns to get back into the chain, whereas FDF can make do with 2 if they self-para at the FDF end.
Again - I'm far from being a skilled warlock. So please correct me if I'm wrong. But FDF just seems like a slightly bolstered, somewhat altered Fc game. It does add an interesting variance by making every second turn different but overall it just seems to mitigate some of the disruptive effect auto-targetting Para seems to (IMHO rightfully) bring into the game.
I am somewhat unconvinced.
Now I'm the first to admit that I'm a n00b. My 50-something games don't compare to the hundreds or thousands of games some of the current leaderboard members ticked off. So I'm fully aware that whatever hypothetical analysis I might think up, probably a bunch of people already thought up, refuted, refined, and thought up again.
Yet all FDF seems to accomplish (in light of Fc) is give para back some of it's edge. (I'm looking at straight cF FDF vs. Fc FFF as the latter seems like the prevalent option).
FFFc is mostly useless; FDFF is a lightning threat.
WPFD lends nicely into FDF, which strengthens Cause Heavy (which can be used by anyone, so in the end it's less of a Paramancer vs. Warlock debate, and more of a WPFD balance debate).
The lightning fork is later (at DFFDx vs. DFFx in e.g. FaraFC), which is I think a bit better but not necessarily game changing (true, forking at 4th gesture means you can avoid Mirror and continue safely after a counter, but 5th gesture fork offers the option of coming out slightly ahead if the opponent does Mirror).
Blindness is facilitated by making xFd a less terrible finisher.
Charm is hit the most I guess - PSDFF was a nice t+1 para vs. t+2 lightning fork, which is mostly useless now as (PSDF)F leads into Lightning but (PSDF)D leads to Paralysis.
In the end - it changes some spells (making PSDF weaker; WPFD stronger; Blindness more viable; Lightning I'd say is a wash). But it makes Para itself more strong (as in, self paralysis at xDF is actually leaning into a nice threat). Not to mention that after a self-para FFc needs 3 turns to get back into the chain, whereas FDF can make do with 2 if they self-para at the FDF end.
Again - I'm far from being a skilled warlock. So please correct me if I'm wrong. But FDF just seems like a slightly bolstered, somewhat altered Fc game. It does add an interesting variance by making every second turn different but overall it just seems to mitigate some of the disruptive effect auto-targetting Para seems to (IMHO rightfully) bring into the game.
