On Banshee's Effectiveness in Conclave

[MechaTails]

I'll start off on this beat: I don't like Conclave. I find the combat spazzy and unsatisfying.

However, I'd like to own the Conclave skins someday, so I think it's a good idea for all the Banshee users to discuss how we can earn those Conclave points.

Let's take a look at how her powers work in Conclave:

• Sonic Boom: Deals 40 damage with a range of 10m and slows by 60% for about a second.
• Sonar: Creates weakspots on enemies in the range of 30m for 20s.
• Silence: Nullifies any opponents' ability within the range of 20m for 20s.
• Sound Quake: Range of 10m.

Sonic Boom is useful, if only for the instant 40 damage that may finish off a wounded opponent. The large surface area of the ability helps you actually hit those jackrabbiting Tenno.

Sonar is great for stealthing behind enemies and nailing them on the weakspot...assuming they stand still. Which they don't. I don't know if they can see you on the map too, I've asked but no one ever talks in there unless it's to talk smack.

Silence in theory seems badass. You're a Nullifier, sweet right? No more effing Rhino/Valk/Trinity invincibility bullS#&$. Well, I guess, but they either run away or shoot you in the face while casting lol. Let's explore that though, how about if Silence still lets opponents cast abilities, but they're nullified so they don't have any effect? This way they cast the ability and are temporarily locked into the animation as usual, so we can take advantage and shoot them at that point. Tricksy Banshee!

Sound Quake...meh. Never found a use for it. The current spazzy way people play in Conclave makes this completely useless. I guess it's good for rooting-out campers since you're essentially hitting them through the wall. Does SQ still damage opponents if they're in midair? How about if they're wall-running? Maybe there's a Sapping Osprey-esque strategy in there somewhere.

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What are your Conclave strategies?

Edited May 12, 2016 by MechaTails

[PotatoTrapdoor]

I don't use Banshee much in PvE, but she is quickly becoming my go-to frame for Conlave. Her abilities are just so good man.

Silence is probably my favorite, mainly for the knockdown it triggers upon casting. The stagger just knocks people straight out of the sky.

Sonar is pretty useless IMO, as people are flinging themselves everywhere and rolling about, it's really hard to get a bead on that little target.

Sonic Boom is nice, and Sound Quake is really effective if you get someone to chase you into a hallway. The only problem with it is that it doesn't work on stairs. At all.

But yeah, Banshee is pretty good. I usually just spam Silence and use Sonic Boom for a quick finish. I use Sound Quake if i'm in a closed area, and I just leave Sonar alone.

[Naptasha]

SQ 1 shots most squishy frames and 2 shots most of the others, so the augment wouldn't be that much useful over something like final act. Also not to mention SQ makes you a sitting duck in conclave and by keeping it up for longer all you're really doing is making yourself a bigger target.

[MechaTails]

3 hours ago, PotatoTrapdoor said:

I don't use Banshee much in PvE, but she is quickly becoming my go-to frame for Conlave. Her abilities are just so good man.

Silence is probably my favorite, mainly for the knockdown it triggers upon casting. The stagger just knocks people straight out of the sky.

Sonar is pretty useless IMO, as people are flinging themselves everywhere and rolling about, it's really hard to get a bead on that little target.

Sonic Boom is nice, and Sound Quake is really effective if you get someone to chase you into a hallway. The only problem with it is that it doesn't work on stairs. At all.

But yeah, Banshee is pretty good. I usually just spam Silence and use Sonic Boom for a quick finish. I use Sound Quake if i'm in a closed area, and I just leave Sonar alone.

Had no idea Silence had knockdown, opponents seem to just keep rushing at me. Maybe it's a lag issue? I stopped trying to use knockdown to my advantage, everyone gets up in the blink of an eye, there's no time to even aim and capitalize lol

2 hours ago, Grunt said:

SQ 1 shots most squishy frames and 2 shots most of the others

Sounds neat, what are the conditions needed for SQ to hit the opponent? Do they have to be touching the floor? Does it stagger them while in the SQ or are they free to keep shooting you? So far we've learned never to use SQ near stairs lol

[Naptasha]

I actually dont know about the whole grounded vs flying enemies thing. Ive seen cases where its hit the enemy mid air and cases where enemies can play leapfrog with me unscathed. My best guess it works in an upwards hemisphere range thing. There is stagger but it doesnt appear to be a stagger lock so enemies can still shoot you, it also doesnt appear stagger enemies in melee combos.

[PotatoTrapdoor]

6 hours ago, MechaTails said:

Sounds neat, what are the conditions needed for SQ to hit the opponent? Do they have to be touching the floor? Does it stagger them while in the SQ or are they free to keep shooting you? So far we've learned never to use SQ near stairs lol

AFAIK SQ just does damage to enemies that are on the same horizontal level as the caster. They will take less damage is they just bounce around you rather than standing still.

This makes sense for balance issues, but it makes it unusable on stairs due to the whole "standing on the same level" thing. Players just a few steps up the staircase will take no damage.