Merellin - Archmage Warframe

[Colyeses]

Merellin, the Archmage

Another concept I created, this one is driven mostly by the desire to have a warframe whose abilities can hopefully actually compete with standard weaponry on excessively high levels. Currently, I mostly get the impression that, aside from Ash, all warframe abilities fail to scale into the very late game in terms of damage, and thus we are left with mostly control frames. And Ash.

To facilitate a warframe that breaks the rule, I have created a concept for a damage oriented caster warframe (Á la Equinox Day, Ember, Mag) that has some opportunities for late game scaling. I am not well versed in the specific numbers, however, but numbers are (usually) the most easily tweaked component, so bear with me. I may make changes to this design as I overthink it some more.

Without further ado, let me introduce Merellin's kit.

Abilities

Passive: Focus

Merellin gains bonus energy regeneration for not equipping a weapon in primary or secondary slot. Energy regeneration is increased when both weapons are unequipped.

1: Arcane Impact

Merellin lobs a ball of energy that deals damage in an area of effect upon impact. Hold down to increase projectile speed and reduce projectile drop. Max charge removes drop entirely.

Consumes 5 attunement to increase damage output and AoE radius. Charging it up will allow it to consume, at max, 20 attunement.

2: Attunement

Tap to change element, switching between the four basic elemental damage types and making all of Merellin's abilities deal that type of damage. Hold to enable conversion of energy into attunement. Merellin can hold up to 100 attunement.

3: Hands of Isis

Invoke to equip Merellin with the Hands of Isis, a unique melee weapon that benefits from the mods installed on the melee weapon already equipped. While invoked, the last hit in every combo changes form, and consumes 5 attunement.

4: Invoke

Consumes up to 25 attunement to cast one of four incredibly destructive abilities, depending on which element Merellin is attuned to.

Fire: Burning Cataclysm. Conjures a single sphere that hangs overhead and launches explosive projectiles at nearby enemies.

Frost: Winter Chimes. Conjures two spheres that travel between teammates, releasing blasts of freezing energy every time they arrive at an ally.

Electricity: Bead Lightning. Conjures three spheres that each fire one lightning bolt that stuns and damages a nearby target. After a short delay, the lightning bolt has a short time limit during which it can jump to a new target, damaging and stunning them. This process keeps repeating as long as there are enemies, although repeat hits on the same target will not stun again.

Poison: Mist-Rot. Conjures four spheres that spiral outwards from Merellin's position, coating the area in poisonous gas.

Additional Information

Attunement by the numbers

Attunement converts energy into 'attunement'. Merellin can store up to 100 attunement. At max rank, 1% of max energy is converted into 1 attunement, and when expended, a damage bonus is conferred based on the amount of energy that was effectively consumed.

The formula for max rank Attunement damage boost thus becomes: Max Energy x (Attunement Spent/100) x Power Strength = Damage amplification

Assuming a max rank Merellin to have 300 base energy, casting a fully charged Arcane Impact would thus produce a damage amplification of 300 x .20 x 1 = 60%. A max rank Intensify would boost this to 300 x .20 x 1.3 = 78%.

More importantly however, this would allow Flow to directly impact Merellin's ability to deal damage. A max rank Flow would increase his max energy to 600, thus producing 600 x .20 x 1.3 = 156%.

Theoretically, with max rank Intensify, Power Drift, Blind Rage, Primed Flow and a proc of Growing Power, this could produce an Invoke with a damage bonus of 850 x .25 x 2.69 = 571.6%. This is pretty excessive compared to weapon crits, but abilities are generally less reliable, vulnerable to energy shortages, energy drain eximi, magnetic procs, and other ability disruptions.

Again, though, I am not too well versed in the numbers, so...

Hands of Isis combos

Pre-combo (E, E): Two horizontal slashes in opposite directions.

Pause combo (E, E, Pause, E, E, E): Two horizontal slashes in opposite directions, followed by a short range lunge, then a dive forward, cloaked by energy. Finisher is the energy from the dive being dispersed over the area.

Right click combo (E, E, RMB E, E, E): Two horizontal slashes in opposite directions, followed by a wide wall of energy in front, then detonation of the wall. Finisher is a quick move that knocks back enemies in front and sends out a large, penetrating wave of energy.

Regular combo (E, E, E, E, E): Two horizontal slashes in opposite directions, followed by a forward bash, before knocking targets in front up into the air. Finisher conjures a projectile from above the warframe to angle down through the knocked up target and smash it to the ground. Projectile explodes on impact.

Notes

Nothing so far. A little iffy on the Hands of Isis ability, and I need the base damage numbers figured out. That's the toughest part though. That aside, I hope people like the concept!

EDIT1: Changed Attunement from a channel to a toggle.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Colyeses

[SenorClipClop]

This is pretty cool. I've been wanting a fist-wizard in Warframe for a while now, something that can contend with weapons without using weapons itself. It's a cool idea.

I'm personally not a huge fan of a wizard themed Warframe. To me it doesn't really fit with my perception of the Warframe world. But then they did make frames based on a dragon, a pirate, a cowgirl, a magician and a marching band, so why not a wizard?  

Good stuff. I especially like how you've mathed out the kit and how his values build on each other to get him up to fighting in his own unique way. +1

[RockyFish]

This idea is interesting. However, I couldn't see why I would be using this in high levels (lets say level 50+). Ignoring the energy disruption issues from nullies, bursas, energy drain eximi, and etc. I cannot imaging myself constantly holding that 2 key down all the time. Warframe is about ninjas that jump around, and this ability kind of defeats the purpose as you would either need to rebind your keys, or you will have to remain mostly immobile. The 2 key is right above the W key. Judging from your idea that this warframe is supposed to be a mage, it wouldn't be super tanky with 200+ armor, 400+ base health, or loads of shield. It would be hard to play unless you would have some sort shield (like mesa's #3) so that you can stand still and hold 2 (like mesa activate shield before peacemaker).

 

[Colyeses]

10 hours ago, RockyFish said:

This idea is interesting. However, I couldn't see why I would be using this in high levels (lets say level 50+). Ignoring the energy disruption issues from nullies, bursas, energy drain eximi, and etc. I cannot imaging myself constantly holding that 2 key down all the time. Warframe is about ninjas that jump around, and this ability kind of defeats the purpose as you would either need to rebind your keys, or you will have to remain mostly immobile. The 2 key is right above the W key. Judging from your idea that this warframe is supposed to be a mage, it wouldn't be super tanky with 200+ armor, 400+ base health, or loads of shield. It would be hard to play unless you would have some sort shield (like mesa's #3) so that you can stand still and hold 2 (like mesa activate shield before peacemaker).

 

The mobility impairment is a very good point about Attunement. Do you think it would help if the ability, when held, instead toggles into a continuous energy drain that keeps your attunement topped off? That way it becomes an offhanded action.

[RockyFish]

12 hours ago, Colyeses said:

The mobility impairment is a very good point about Attunement. Do you think it would help if the ability, when held, instead toggles into a continuous energy drain that keeps your attunement topped off? That way it becomes an offhanded action.

Yes that would resolve  the movement crisis. However, it would change your fundamental idea of having your #2 ability to switch your character's damage type. Maybe offload that to an average between all 4 elementals (25% poison, 25% heat, 25% cold, 25% electric). Or maybe take turns, like cast heat on first ability triggered, then cold, then poison, then electric? Im curious on how DE will make the bard work, heard rumors from dev stream that they will make us play with a series of keys to trigger abilities. Maybe that would work for your frame with a great many abilities. I personally don't like too complicated controls (example. ivara's #1 is too hard to use, and only works on her because she can stand still to change abilites while invisible)