Helminth System & Volt

[BlueSabre]

DE's argument for changing weapons and warframe abilities has always been to encourage build diversity and player choice. Ever since the release of Plains of Eidolon one warframe has dominated the Eidolon hunting meta, Volt. His shield is the only ability that can buff operator amps, making him the premier choice for experienced speed running Eidolon Hunters. I'm not saying he is the only warframe capable of hunting eidolons, you can do it with ANY warframe in the game. What I am saying is that no other warframe is nearly as efficient as he is. There was a time when adarza's cats eye, Mesa's shooting gallery and ember's old fire blast would affect operator amps, but this is no longer the case. 

From an external point of view it's clear that Volt is the most picked warframe for Eidolon hunting, check the forums, look at an eidolon hunting guide or watch a speed run on YouTube. I can't say what his usage looks like percentage wise, but I'm sure that if you compare it to any other warframe it is ahead by a considerable margin.

DE has stated they would not allow us to subsume signature warframe abilities, but they also went ahead and nerfed abilities that seemed like they would be chosen overwhelmingly and barred us from putting damage buffing abilities on frames that already have a similar ability. In other words they made an exception, I think that in this instance a similar exception needs to be made if they really care about player choice as much as they claim that they do.

Lastly, I know that shock and it's augment shock trooper are great abilities, overall Volt's kit is solid since his last rework. Some of you might not like the idea of giving it up but in return, the shield is far more versatile and it not only gives you an electricity buff (which stacks up to 300%), but it also increases critical damage. So which would you rather have?

[AlphaPHENIX]

Aside from you going on about how Shield is a good ability for Eidolon hunting, I don't understand what's going on here. Could you fill me in? Did they change Volt's Helminth abilty from Shock to Shield or something? And where was it said? I even checked twitter, which I normally do 0,2 times in a blue moon and didn't find anything.

Also I would still pick Shock, because I don't build most frames in a way you would have to build them to make Shield cost a reasonable amount of energy.

[(PSN)CommanderC2121]

2 hours ago, AlphaPHENIX said:

Aside from you going on about how Shield is a good ability for Eidolon hunting, I don't understand what's going on here. Could you fill me in? Did they change Volt's Helminth abilty from Shock to Shield or something? And where was it said? I even checked twitter, which I normally do 0,2 times in a blue moon and didn't find anything.

Also I would still pick Shock, because I don't build most frames in a way you would have to build them to make Shield cost a reasonable amount of energy.

The OP is asking for Volt’s subsumed ability to be swapped from his first to his third. 
 

I vote no

[CopperBezel]

7 hours ago, BlueSabre said:

DE has stated they would not allow us to subsume signature warframe abilities, but they also went ahead and nerfed abilities that seemed like they would be chosen overwhelmingly and barred us from putting damage buffing abilities on frames that already have a similar ability. In other words they made an exception, I think that in this instance a similar exception needs to be made if they really care about player choice as much as they claim that they do.

Volt's signature is probably Speed, in the way that Iron Skin is Rhino's signature even if Roar is more meta. So I think Electric Shield and Shock would have both been valid choices. 

Arguably, by having Rhino's Roar less powerful on other frames, they're actually preserving Rhino's role in the meta. But I doubt that they're really concerned with forcing people to continue bringing the same four frames to Eidolon hunts. Shock is a pretty weak ability even with its augment damage buff, and that added electricity damage is itself most useful in Eidolon hunts just like the shield, so it does feel like they probably chose Shock more to avoid giving everyone Electric Shield than for anything to do with Shock. They did seem to avoid damage mitigation abilities, but the Shield isn't exactly that either when carried, since it faces only forward and comes with its weird caveats. 

I don't know, I think Volt's another case where I'd prefer a really basic novel ability, like +100% electrical damage to weapons from Shock Trooper combined with a +25% additive speed boost for 20s, just an intensely watered down Volt-flavored generic self-buff ability.