Cloud's Frost Rework

[Cloud_the_Angel]

I don’t have much to say about Frost. His main problem is just that his abilities have become outdated balance-wise. And that three of his abilities just “deal cold damage to enemies” with no pre-requisite or bonuses, so you inevitably only end up using one of them; the one that gives you the most damage for your time and energy.

First, a general note: Enemies frozen by Frost are not un-frozen when they reach a certain health threshold. Enemies that die while frozen shatter, dealing slash damage to enemies in range. All of Frost’s freezes use the same duration, based on duration mods. If an enemy is frozen twice in a row, the duration is extended, as opposed to refreshed.

These changes also affect Frost’s passive.

Freeze

1. Freeze is generally stronger, dealing more damage, and being cast more quickly.

• Besides the fact that power creep has happened, Freeze is also absorbing Ice Wave’s use in Frost’s kit, so it deals more damage.

2. The explosion radius of Freeze is affected by range mods now.

3. Freeze doesn’t destroy Snowglobes. Freeze instead gains extra cold damage if it passes through a Snowglobe.

• Since Freeze is, again, absorbing Ice Wave, Snowglobes need to not impede Freeze’s useability. Also synergy is fun.

4. Freeze deals large amounts of bonus pure damage to enemies that are already frozen. Freeze doesn’t freeze on it’s own.

• More synergy. Freeze is the “finisher” of sorts now.

5. Freeze should probably also be renamed, I’d suggest calling it Ice Shard, and updating the visuals of it to become a spear of ice.

• Since it doesn’t freeze anymore the name gotta go. Having a spear fits with the “hunter” aesthetic this rework is going for.

Ice Wave

Ice Wave has been removed. Frost’s second ability is now Frost Jaw.

• Ice Wave was pretty redundant. Frost already has two other abilities that directly deal cold damage to enemies.

Frost Jaw places a trap, similar to a bear trap, underneath Frost. The trap has a similar size as Snowglobe. If an enemy stands too long inside the trap, they take damage and are frozen.

The amount of time until the trap activates is affected by duration (more duration means a shorter delay).

Frost Jaw has a number of charges based on strength that are consumed whenever it activates. When a Frost Jaw runs out of charges then and only then is it destroyed.

Enemies killed inside Frost Jaw may drop bonus health and energy orbs.

There’s a maximum amount of Frost Jaws one can deploy at a time (which isn’t affected by mods.)

Casting Frost Jaw multiple times in one spot increases the amount of charges, but doesn’t affect the maximum amount of Frost Jaws. Holding the ability while inside a Frost Jaw destroys the trap.

Snowglobe

1. Snowglobe is generally stronger, with much more health. The bonus health Snowglobe gains from Frost’s armour also applies to his health. 

• Power creep back at it again. Snowglobe just doesn’t have enough survivability anymore, even when you stack them.

2. Frost and his allies can contribute to Snowglobe’s health during the invulnerability.

• Similar to Nyx’s Mind Control.

3. Holding the ability while inside a Snowglobe will destroy it.

• The change to Freeze necessitates this.

A special UI element above your energy and abilities tracks all your Snowglobes’ health and Frost Jaw’s charges. Each Snowglobe is assigned a letter, and each Frost Jaw a number, which are displayed on the (mini)map also. Snowglobes being a circle with the letter inside, and Frost Jaw a square with the number inside.

Enemies within the range of a Snowglobe or Frost Jaw can also be seen on the map.

Note that stacking Snowglobes doesn’t affect the max amount of Snowglobes deployed.

Avalanche

1. Avalanche has to be held to be cast, instead of being tabbed.

2. All the regular effects of Avalanche are now triggered during the first part of the ability (as Frost raises his fist).

• These two changes will make sense in a bit.

3. Avalanche no longer shatters enemies. 

• Enemies would still shatter when killed with Avalanche, that’s just a part of all of Frost’s freezes instead of Avalanche.

4. During the latter half of the ability (when Frost swipes in front of himself) all enemies are pulled / slide towards Frost.

• Adds synergy between Avalanche and all his other abilities.

5. The range and damage of Avalanche should probably be reduced.

• A pull with a high range is very strong. And the damage doesn’t need to be as strong, since Avalanche doesn’t need to land the killing blow to shatter enemies, and you’d be pulling the enemies into your other abilities.

6. Avalanche can also be tap casted, which just does the effect of the first part of the ability. This has a reduced cast time (because Frost just raises his fist, and doesn’t swipe in front of himself). And also costs less energy.

• Multiple ways to use one ability is cool.

~Cloud