Quality Of Life Changes For Hydriod.

[ThomasBrody]

There are many people on the forums, reddit, and other places stating about how Hydriod's kit needs a rework now that he isn't an overpowered loot farm bot.

However, his base skills are pretty fun, just ineffective at times for the current game. There does not have to be a huge rework in order for him to be a popular and potent frame.

The focus of Hydriod to me is concentrated CC, concentrated area damage.
 

Ability 1: The issue with this ability as well as many others is that in order to get the proper area of cc that you want, you have to reduce range. Too much range the cc becomes too random, too little and it only stops a very very small area hitting only half the enemies in that passage.

Proposed changes: Have a faster fire rate on the barrages thats drop. Faster fire rate would make the damage and area of denial in moderate to high range builds worth it. 

 

Ability 2: While a good 'get me out of here' ability, it could use a small improvement, possbility in the form of an augment mod.

 

Proposed change/augment mod: Have enemies be pushed with you while you travel and end up grouped up. Then you can combo your abilities on them or have your group combo. 

 

Ability 3: Invincability at the cost of doing very low damage to enemies while making them immune to all other forms of damage is not very fun gameplay wise. But this can be fixed very easily.

Proposed changes: Have the puddle drop seperately under Hydriod when he casts. This will make the concentrated cc more engaging and less stagnent. You can finally play your frame instead of waiting in the pool "helping."

 

Second change would be have enemies that cross the puddle be knocked down when first entering instead of pulled in and made invunable. 
Finally teammates won't be impeded on the kill train when you decide to puddle up. Enemies could also be slowed after getting up, carefully wading the water as to not slip again.

Ability 4: Tenticles usually go somewhat where you want them to go, but there are huge gaps and usually not enough to cc an area completely.

Proposed change: More tenticles (8-10 more). This will allow Hydriod to properly cc an area without having too many enemies slip through due to not enough to pick them up or slipping through the gaps.

 

Combo Gameplay for Hydriod: I feel that chaining CC should lead to the damage a caster frame should have. 

Tempest Barrage that hits a target that is either affected by Undertow, or on a Tenticle should take more damage from your barrage. Nothing like hitting a Grineer while he's down! Hitting undertowed slowed targets take 2x more from Barrage and enemies affected by tenticles take 3x more damage.

Base damage of these abilities can be lowered some if the combo damage seems too high.

 

(Probably too much, but tenticles that are in undertow could do more damage too)

Conclusion is that small changes can add up and make Hydriod the popular Pirate Frame he should be without making him a Loot Bot. Crowd Control, concentrated ability damage, and combo gameplay would be engaging and active while still being balanced.

[Eldnacpeek]

Tempest Barrage also needs to be castable on the move instead of halting movement to make it slightly worth using.