Mag: The Perfect Blend of Reactive and Proactive Skill Use.

[Xion]

--- So recently- a few months ago, actually- I sold my Maiming Strike for $$$ but I forgot to farm for it again when the Acolytes returned. Out of principle, I have refused to buy another one to replace it just because I feel like it'll be next on the chopping block for DE. I don't really want to get carpal tunnel, either.

Spoiler

Me spinning on a cryopod:

^{Game is Vindictus BTW}

Ever since then, I've had to actually use some of my abilities for the most common of situations- I know, crazy right? In a game where we pilot super powered suits of ninja armor able to bend the very laws of physics, the most powerful things we can do is shoot a double-barreled shotgun or wack things 8m away with a 3m long pole, but I digress. Since after having to change my playstyle a bit from the loss of this infinitely convenient mass clearer and after playing with all of the changes from the balance pass, I think DE created the best caster frame that we currently have in our Arsenal: Mag.

It's true that Mag, in raw power, is only a shell of her former self; that is, one of the best frames for tackling endless missions... so long as those missions had shields in them- but that's fine, we don't need endlessly scaling frames anymore because that style of content has long since passed^{unless the Not-Dark-Sectors prove me wrong!}. That being said, I think losing the 1 button nuke was worth it for an overall more enjoyable time... even if it did take a while to get us here. And sure, she may not be the most "efficient," but she damn well makes time fly during boring missions. 

--- Generally speaking, every ability usually falls under the spectrum between being Reactive, an ability you only use if certain conditions are met, and Proactive, an ability you use to prevent things from happening. Examples would be Frost's Snow Globe, which would be labeled as Proactive, and his Avalanche, which would fall closer to Reactive. In Frost's case, they're both primarily very defensive abilities, but the way they're used based on the context of the situation differs.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy, and the labels aren't as cut and dry as I make it out to be. There are a lot of abilities that lie somewhere in the middle, like for example Trinity's Bless, which you'd use proactively for that 75% DR, but can also be used to react to a bad situation with the heal.

In Mag's case, I believe that she has reached, or at least come the closest to, the perfect balance between the two while also having every ability feel impactful. Giving her a new Polarize augment that briefly CC's enemies, albeit only the ones with firearms or robotics gave her that proactive bit of CC (that wasn't crappy ragdoll) that other casters, like Nova, Nyx, or even Ember, had that she was lacking. Combined with an "Oh Sh!t" button that also restores shields and gives overshields, creating a blender on an entrance, and being able to quickly ragdoll a cluster of enemies or isolate a single enemy, I think she's the one caster frame we have in the game with the overall most engaging set of abilities. 

I do think that there are a few frames that come close, but are missing a thing or two from their kit. Frost needs a faster 1st ability and/or give it an AOE detonation range modifiable with range. The very nature of Radiation means Nyx won't feel impactful enough. Titania's buffs are hardly noticeable sometimes; turning into a bottom feeder with the ability to fly isn't fun. etc.

 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Xion

[Mk.1]

ok, now scott will delete her abilities

 

also, +1 for the Spear Lann gif

Edited February 26, 2018 by Mk_1

[Xion]

3 minutes ago, Mk_1 said:

ok, now scott will delete her abilities

 

would still get used more than Hydroid :^)