Intro
So before I get started, let me make something clear. For those of who question the validity of my ideas or opinions, look here. I play stealth classes, a LOT, I’m no expert or by no means have a more valid opinion than yours, but I would expect you at least read and fully grasp my ideas before you spew words from your mouth.
How is Phantom currently?
So first, let’s talk about this EMP. I feel like an adult who’s trying to tell a kid how to do something, like, they’re trying, and they’re close, and you wanna be patient, but ultimately you just wish you could do it yourself. The EMP is close to a concept I presented previously, but it’s still not quite there.
Granted, it is a really damn good buff. I can now get to any target I please without needing to worry about mines, turrets, or healing stations, allowing me to eliminate Auras, or any merc hugging a station like a dog humping your leg, and make sneaky plants, defuses, and repairs. But, there’s also the argument that it gives away your position, and this is true, it’s pretty easy to assume a Phantom is near when a deployable goes out. But granted, the sound, and the “Hey I’m invisible but not really” cloak already gave you away so…yea. Imo it’s kind of a mute point, but the buff is still nice.
The new loadout cards I really really like, there’s at least 3 loadouts now I can safely say are worth it. The C64, CR54, and CR94, all damn good and fit someone’s preferred way of playing Phantom. Thought I still think the cards could be better.
For one, Machete and knife, for sure, whatever is the more damaging knife, Phantom should have it, and the Machete is a good middle ground between the knife and katana.
Second, I definetely think the loadouts could be as follows, a melee focused loadout, a gun focused loadout, and a niche or out there loadout, for each primary. So for example, the CR94 is clearly a gun loadout, but it’d be nice if we had a melee centric loadout for the Crotzni as well. I also would like to see some other augments introduced like Explodywhateverthehellitscalled, if my EMP nade idea is added eventually.
Overall, the meta for Phantom’s cards is better, Quick Slash is great, the cards are all somewhat or absolutely viable. And the EMP field is not a bad buff imo, the main thing is now Undercover is not a mandatory augment.
Also, you can still run fast, just press 4 to equip the refractive armor and run, it’s not like you’d use your melee anyhow. XD
How could he be improved?
I will say this once, EMP GRENADE
Why have a field when a ranged option separate from the refractive armor makes so much more sense???
Here’s how it goes, the EMP Nade works like any other nade, you throw it, and any deployables within it’s radius are disabled, and marked on ally huds. The icon used for the Bomb Sqaud augment? Yea, basically that, but you can see it through walls while the deployable is inactive.
This would have a 15 second cooldown, and it’s radius can be increased with Explody.
The second improvement, is still the armor.
I will say this again, we need stealth, not a tankiness. 120 HP would more than cover for that.
We need cloak that actually hides us well when walking, crouch walking, or standing still. Running should be punished somewhat, but for Phantom to be viable he needs to be able to get behind an enemy’s front line in plain sight and without needing to flank or stay out of people’s peripheral vision.
That’s the only way he’ll be more useful.
That, and if we remove the EMP field let’s revert the to his cooldown back.
I’d even argue for full 100% invis still, the way it’d work is simple. Pressing the command for Quick Ability 1, activates and equips the armor, so you’re not only running at full speed but you’re also activating it immediately, and in order to attack you have to deactivate it or switch weapons. Similar to Blacklight Retribution’s cloak actually, the difference being you are completely invisible to enemies, except Red Eye of course.
But if that’s too radical of a change, just removing the EMP field and making it a nade would do wonders for Phantom, he’d be an amazing close range and anti deployable merc.
Conclusion
These changes to Phantom’s cards and his armor were great, but we still have a long way to go. He’s getting closer and closer to being on par with the like of Skyhammer and Sawbonez, and I’m enjoying him way more than previously.
All in all, you did good Splash Damage, but not quite good enough.
tl;dr
Future patch notes
- Removed Phantom’s EMP field, and he now has an EMP nade.
- This nade disables deployables and reveals their location to allies, even through walls.
- Phantom’s HP is buffed to 120
- Phantom’s Armor is removed, now Refractive Armor is just cloak.
- Quick Ability 1 equips the armor, and switching away from the armor deactivates it.
- Refractive Armor now gives 100% invisibility but no attacking while cloaked, and interacting with objectives deactivates it.
- Armor cooldown now scales properly with use, every second equates to 2 seconds of cooldown, so if the duration is 8, max cooldown is 16 seconds.
