Bloodline Champions 1 Astronomer? I 'ardly KNOW 'ER [Archive]

Dogmantra

2011-03-19, 10:35 AM

Alchemist is my soul mate :)

So Foly, I was thinking of team comps for The Rainbow Dashers and I guess I'll write 'em down here. We've seen that double healer comps are really tough to beat, especially with a more aggressive CC heavy healer like Astronomer and Alchemist + a more supporty one like Blood Priest. I'm also likely to pick up Nomad next... still need about 7k blood coins but I'd like to see some kind of uber-kitey comp, possibly without a healer. But yeah, I'm thinking we should try Alchemist/Blood Priest/Igniter some time. Every time Flak and I have done it, normally with Sirro on Igniter (they're soul mates too) we have done pretty freaking well, and I always welcome the opportunity to play more aggressively as Alchemist because dang, she is so much fun.

Also I kinda want to do a 2v2 in-house tournament.

Doubly also I propose we subtitle this thread with "Astronomer? I 'ardly KNOW 'ER"

Had a look at it and decided to download and try it out. I love it, very fun game. Still getting used to the controls and abilities as I'm currently just pressing random ability buttons while attempting to aim at enemys.
May I suggest trying out healing? Healers are easy to play and do okay with, but they're still challenging to do very well with. I played nothing but healers in the beta (okay that's a lie, I played nothing but Alchemist in the beta) and managed to pick the game up pretty well from that. All you need to do is know how to run away from enemies and how to press right click on allies. You learn quite quickly when you can be aggressive and when you have to be passive and heal and in my opinion, they're the most fun you can have. Though Ranid comes close.

Pie Guy

2011-03-19, 11:05 AM

I'm in for the 2v2 inhouse, and if there are an odd amount of people I'll do it 1v2.

Penguinizer

2011-03-19, 11:13 AM

I've had some serious lag issues which manifest themselves as me being unable to even move in a certain direction. There was also a generous bit of lag between pressing buttons and using skills. Beyond that, I liked it.

Octopus Jack

2011-03-19, 12:13 PM

Out of the currently avaliable Champions, having played all four I have decided that I love Thorn. Burrowing through the ground, shooting mushrooms at people. Very fun indeed. Plus he is the only Champion I seem to be half decent at playing.

Folytopo

2011-03-19, 12:43 PM

Yeah, Rainbow Dash teamcomps. Alch, Bloodpriest, Igniter sounds really viscous. They have tons of cc and all can kite well. I guess alchemist really needs to hit her cc though.

I think another team comp could be me-lee beat down. Glutton, harb, ranid. I get in there as glutton and be the anvil, flak can play harb and also stick in there and output dps while being relatively safe. Ranid is the burst to counter heavy healer comps. The team is also really hard to kite because they have several grabs and slows. I think double healer+ dps will fall hard to this comp because we can focus on one champion that gets hit by shadowbolt and then burst them down and keep them focused with harb and glutton RMBs.

If we are talking about picking up the game I think you should pick somebody with a low skill floor. To understand this term, I will separate skill into three categories so we all are on the same page. First is technical skill, mostly it is hitting with skillshots and being able to execute combos. The next is tactical skill, this involves positioning in the next 5-10 seconds. It is about knowing the match ups that you are faced with and how to deal with them. For example, I am astronomer, I am facing a gunner, the gunner goes stealth, I have three ways to deal with this, I can try and put terrain in the possible path of the coming shot, I can try and get off a moonstone or use it to deny an area to the gunner. This is an area denial tactic. I can also use a stance to block the ability when it is in flight. Third, I can juke it with my space bar. These are tactics and tactical skill is knowing them and knowing if they will be effective. Strategy is knowing team comp, knowing if you should be engaging or being passive, It is also setting up favorable situations over the next 10 to 30 seconds. A low skill floor means that it does not take a great deal of technical skill to at least be a threat as a champion and contribute to the team. Thorn does not require a ton of technical skill to jump on somebody and beat them down. He has a lot of tactics that are kind of a no brainer with his R and his E. The reason that he is a good starting champion is that it lets you learn matchups and strategy because you are not just getting KOd because you miss your only form of cc. Healers are also similar because they can be credit to team without a whole lot of knowledge of the game. Not to say these champs are easy mode. Thorn has some really interesting strategic choices with his energy bar. His ult is awesome in certain situations and one of his ex abilities is awesome setting up good ults takes skill and can turn a round around instantly.

Dogmantra

2011-03-19, 01:14 PM

Thorn has some really interesting strategic choices with his energy bar.

Bleh that's something I need to really get the hang of with Alchemist. I re-read the Deadly Injection EX and it's amazing. Instantly applies the 50% reduction, AND does some pretty hefty damage. Oh, and it's AoE. Remind me why Alchemist has an ult?

Also something I run into playing Psychopomp is that sometimes my EXs randomly go off, especially on my space. It's annoying because her ult turns her into a champ that can stand and 1v1 tanks and some melee deeps (and it is ALWAYS hilarious to stand and fight a Ranid who thinks he doesn't need to juke up the wazoo)

I think another team comp could be me-lee beat down. Glutton, harb, ranid.

One problem we might have is against super pokey teams. Coming up against a good Igniter or Spear Master might really hurt. One thing to consider might be the Guardian for some team healing while still giving us a lot of control and melee beatdown.

Folytopo

2011-03-19, 01:34 PM

You have a good point about poking comps. The general plan is that all the heros have a heal and can stop kiting and bring it to a decisive fight. I would be more worried about somthing like vanguard+ spear master, and astro. Or a good guardian+ blood priest. Really kiting is hard vs ranid because of double jump, dash, slowing poison bomb. Harb also has a slow, a grab and a move quick. Glutton has a slow and a grab + stun on his space. More worried about a team that can out damage us or force us to aggro them while the damage kills the ranid or the harb. I think the beat down team would be ideal vs healer + dps comps. Remember yesterday when it was ravener, glutton(me) and harb vs your team(Alch, Gunner, Igniter I think). That was one of the worst stomps I have seen. The problem was that when kiting one person got grabbed by me or flak and then got vaporized and it was 2v3. I think the problem would not be kitting but a comp that could fight relatively head to head then disengage with enough poke so we cannot win.

Dogmantra

2011-03-19, 04:50 PM

So inhouse 2v2 tournament. SO DOING THIS

Come to me with a 2 man team and I'll put you on the list. Catchy team names make it faster.
Teams:
Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again
FlakManiak + Dogmantra
*Name is still to be decided*
Haunter + Penguinizer
Sons of Sauropsids
Folytopo + Keglex
Behold the Glory of Zillyhoo
AlterForm + Nano
Ragepoopers Anonymous
Wojo + Goretusk
Team Please Do Not Read This Text (placeholder)
Arcanoi + Qwazes
GG Auto-lock-in Igniter
SirMittens + Sirroelivan

Astrella

2011-03-19, 05:33 PM

Octopus Jack

2011-03-19, 05:38 PM

I guess... meh...not like anyone'll wanna be on a team with me.

I would but I am still getting to grips with the game. Though I am getting the hang of it pretty quickly.

Flak Maniak

2011-03-19, 05:59 PM

I really should drop thirty on this game so I can have my precious Harbinger and all my other favorites...

Anyway, I love the idea of Ranid plus Harbinger plus Glutton. Who's going to have melee superiority over that? I really wouldn't worry about getting outmelee'd with that comp. Maybe a hit-and-run burst team would do well against it. I can see Spearmasters and Ranids doing nicely. And of course a team that actually manages to kite will do excellently. But in general I'd assume we'd have the advantage over any melee team that isn't three Harbingers.

Oh and Sirro, I'm sure you can find a 2v2 partner. While I'd assume, say, Alter and Nano would play together, maybe you can capture Foly for your nefarious purposes?

Man, this tourney will be so awesome. How's it going to be structured? And how many rounds/matches are we playing against any given team? Please tell me it's not single elim.

Dogmantra

2011-03-19, 06:03 PM

Man, this tourney will be so awesome. How's it going to be structured? And how many rounds/matches are we playing against any given team? Please tell me it's not single elim.

I'm guessing I'm gonna do it with best of 3 match arena, one map pick per team, coin toss decides who picks the last one. Everyone plays each other once, most wins... wins.

I'm open to suggestions though.

Pie Guy

2011-03-19, 06:03 PM

I guess... meh...not like anyone'll wanna be on a team with me.

Qwazes and Sirro Vs. the Wrath of Khan!

Folytopo

2011-03-19, 07:25 PM

I would suggest that if we have 5 or less teams we do a round robin draw. Everybody has a match against everybody.

The team comp would be in trouble against teams with a fair bit of burst in melee that can then easily disengage. Kiting comps could work but the big danger is that when we close they give just about as good as we get and then lose to poking. So a vanguard plus healer and good poker. mostly it is that we get in and then we cannot stay engaged and then have to eat poke to engage again.

Penguinizer

2011-03-19, 07:36 PM

I think me and Haunter will be a team. Our team will be: *Name is still to be decided*

Folytopo

2011-03-19, 08:51 PM

Me and keglex are in Sons of Sauropsids,

Misery Esquire

2011-03-19, 08:55 PM

I think me and Haunter will be a team. Our team will be: *Name is still to be decided*

Hmm.

Gunn'er? I 'ardly knew 'er!

No, wait. That's terrible. (And stealing Dog's joke.)

What with the rainbow theme of everyone else it can be Prism Hearted? WaVeLength? Altered Spectrum?

Penguinizer

2011-03-20, 04:41 AM

Sir Spamalot and the Thousand Thorns?

Misery Esquire

2011-03-20, 08:16 AM

Brave, Brave Sir Penguin?

Folytopo

2011-03-20, 12:30 PM

Calithornication? Phycothorn. Thornocopia?

Arcanoi

2011-03-20, 01:26 PM

Ghost of a Chance - Arcanoi and An Open Slot.

Alternatively; Penchant for Pain - Arcanoi and Some Random Pubby.

Penguinizer

2011-03-20, 02:08 PM

Me and Keglex came up with the perfect plan.

You know how everyone wants to just gang up on Nomad and melee her to death?

Well, our plan was to have Nomad walk in, get wailed on while I then (as Thorn) space bar in. We then faceroll our keyboards at them in a vain hope to get them as low as possible. I then did cleanup as Thorn after Keglex died.

We actually won a game like this. It was glorious.

Folytopo

2011-03-20, 03:14 PM

Live fast, die young, leave a big crater?

Pie Guy

2011-03-20, 04:40 PM

Well, first round: Me and open slot vs. Arcanoi and open slot.

Dogmantra

2011-03-20, 04:45 PM

Well, first round: Me and open slot vs. Arcanoi and open slot.

Or you could pair up and make out a team!

Arcanoi

2011-03-20, 04:58 PM

Or you could pair up and make out a team!

But then my snazzy team names would be worthless! :smallfrown:

Dogmantra

2011-03-20, 07:09 PM

New rotation:
Astronomer
Gunner
Glutton
Stalker

Tourney matches will happen from Wednesday onwards so people have a chance to get used to the new free characters.

Folytopo

2011-03-21, 12:20 AM

Cool could I play my games on Wednesday and Thursday or Sunday please?

Penguinizer

2011-03-21, 06:37 AM

Hmm, I should try to grind enough for Thorn. He's easymode, but still fun.

Octopus Jack

2011-03-21, 11:06 AM

Oooh I want to try out Gunner. Anyone got any advice for her?

Dogmantra

2011-03-21, 11:18 AM

Oooh I want to try out Gunner. Anyone got any advice for her?

From what I've seen (and from being on the receiving end) Gunner appears to be very strong against healers and other guys who use one ability a lot. Her E is a VERY good spellblock, so you want to be using that every time you can pretty much, especially when a healer's become complacent and is sitting in the back spamming RMB. Remember that your space jumps you to the OPPOSITE direction from where you're pointing. Your stealth is good for repositioning and lining up your execute move. If you're going for an execute, especially from stealth, try getting behind the guy you're going for: all attacks do 20% more damage from behind, and execute does pretty hefty damage already, so the multiplier is brutal. An execute from behind will do over a third of the more squishy bloodlines' health in one hit.

Octopus Jack

2011-03-21, 04:15 PM

Having played with her a little bit, I can say I like her already. Something about it is just more intuative than the other champions I've played, or maybe I was just paired up with better people. But she is definitly a champion for me.

Folytopo

2011-03-22, 01:53 AM

So what is the plan dog?? When is all this stuff happening? Also you got a draw?

Dogmantra

2011-03-22, 12:57 PM

So what is the plan dog?? When is all this stuff happening? Also you got a draw?

The plan is I'm gonna wait until I go to sleep tonight for anyone else to come to me with a team because I know there are a few people who were still interested, then I'm going to assign matches based on who's available when.

Flak Maniak

2011-03-22, 10:30 PM

I can't do matches on Thursday unless they're after... Well, uh, eight at the least, though I might not even be home by then. For Friday, I can be home about 3:30 or a little later. Other than that, far as I know I'm free.

Come on, Sirro, Qwazes, et cetera. Getcher teams together!

(Sirro/Qwazes I ship it.)

Edit: If I get a few days notice beforehand I can cancel my Friday commitment if it really needs to be so.

Okay, now we have six teams, and two without teammates: Mittens and Sirro. Get to it, lads!

Folytopo

2011-03-24, 11:03 AM

Engi is awesome. So many tools!. I like having alchemist as a healer with engi because engi can do a lot of stuff to help an alchemist who is in trouble. Emp blast enemies who are following him to let him get away. Conncusive shot to incap one. Shrink devise, and flame thrower/ tractor beam are all ways to get people off your squishies. Team comps that are melee dominance and do not have tons of cc get destroyed.

Pie Guy

2011-03-24, 04:00 PM

It's (semi) official, me and Arcanoi are on a team, because I got no response from Sirro.

Nano

2011-03-25, 07:08 AM

I don't know if it has been changed yet but the Alter/Nano team is now

The Glory of Zillyhoo

jsyk

Folytopo

2011-03-25, 10:31 AM

^^Awesome.

Quick question, do you need a healer in 2s? I have a feeling that having one in threes is pretty important.

Dogmantra

2011-03-25, 12:22 PM

Quick question, do you need a healer in 2s? I have a feeling that having one in threes is pretty important.

I think with the right team comp you don't "need" a healer in anything but 4s and 5s (and Artifact regardless of team size).

Also:
If you're in one of the 2v2 teams, try to be around at least one day before Monday. Gonna start doing matches tonight whenever we can.

Penguinizer

2011-03-25, 02:55 PM

So, what does Bloodlust really give you beyond the avatars, weapons and 4 bloodlines?

Also, does the normal Champion's edition give anything else beyond: 16 bloodlines, 3 avatars/titles and 500 points?

I'm wondering if I should get the Bloodlust edition or just save the 10 euros for Saint's Row 2?

Chose not to get the Bloodlust stuff. None of the 4 really interested me anyways.

Dogmantra

2011-03-26, 06:01 AM

So guys!
If you want to get your 2v2 matches done try to be around tonight and tomorrow afternoon/night otherwise the rotation will change AND I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY.

Also it appears I'm allowed one badass moment per match as Ranid, then I fade into mediocrity. I can 1v2 a Nomad and Thorn with less than half my health left, but then we still lose the match. :smallfrown:

Results so far:
Match History:
I Forgot vs Truly Outrageous
Wadjongo the Sunken Temple
Gunner + Thorn vs Astro + Stalker
3:0
Citadel of Ama
Psycho + Thorn vs Gunner + Stalker
2:3
Baako's Grave
Gunner + Thorn vs Gunner + Stalker
1:3
Truly Outrageous wins

Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again vs The Glory of Zillyhoo
Citadel of Ama
Harbinger + Psycho vs Gunner + Herald
3:0
Dubaku the Fallen Fortress
Harbinger + Ranid vs Gunner + Guardian
2:3
Pygmy Village
Thorn + Psycho vs Gunner + Guardian
1:3
The Glory of Zillyhoo wins

Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again vs Truly Outrageous
Wadjongo the Sunken Temple
Thorn + Psycho vs Stalker + Gunner
3:1
Baako's Grave
Engi + Nomad vs Glutton + Astro
3:0
Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again wins

The Glory of Zillyhoo vs Truly Outrageous
Wadjongo the Sunken Temple
Stalker + Ravener vs Gunner + Gunner
3:1
Wadjongo the Sunken Temple
Gunner + Seeker vs Stalker + Gunner
3:0
The Glory of Zillyhoo wins
Current state:
The Glory of Zillyhoo
Played: 2 Won: 2

Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again
Played: 2 Won: 1

Truly Outrageous
Played: 3 Won: 1

I Forgot
Played: 1 Won: 0

Folytopo

2011-03-27, 06:04 PM

Can you be playing tonight. We can do some stuff.

Astrella

2011-03-27, 06:11 PM

Nice avatar, Dog.

Folytopo

2011-03-28, 09:35 AM

Could I put in a request for astronomer?

Dogmantra

2011-03-28, 09:42 AM

Could I put in a request for astronomer?

Sure, I'll get to it after Wojo's Stalker.

Penguinizer

2011-03-28, 09:45 AM

Dogmantra: No book on a stick? I'm disappointed. :smallfrown:

Anyways, great job.

Astrella

2011-03-28, 10:18 AM

Oh, I kinda wanna practise my avataring as well, so I'd be willing to take requests too if people think I'm good enough.

Folytopo

2011-03-28, 10:24 AM

If dog is already working on other people's avatars than maybe sirro, would you like to have a crack at drawing something? Take you pick of engi, astro, or inhib. Also really like you lux avatar.

Astrella

2011-03-28, 11:29 AM

If dog is already working on other people's avatars than maybe sirro, would you like to have a crack at drawing something? Take you pick of engi, astro, or inhib. Also really like you lux avatar.

Alrighty, I'll try my hand at it. Time to go look for some art.

Also, fank u. :3

efdf

2011-03-28, 07:18 PM

So, I've been playing this game about an hour, currently level 8 grade 10, and I am still incredibly confused as to what is going on.

1. Is it actually possible to simply move out of every ability? For example, many of the characters can cast a glowing circle on the ground that does bad things to people caught within it. Assuming that you start the cast with your cursor directly on the enemy, do they have to use a teleport to get out or is walking fast enough?

2. Are ladder matches only meant for the top players, or is it just a matchmaking system?

3. How important are grade differences? Say, if I played against a grade 14 while a grade 10 would I expect to get annihilated or expect to at least hold my own? Adding on to this, do level differences actually mean anything?

4. Which mode, as in 2v2, 3v3, 5v5, is the most balanced?

5. How do I change my title from "The Apprentice"?

6. Most importantly, how do I taunt after winning a round?

oh, and why are there two descriptions for a lot of abilities

Dogmantra

2011-03-28, 07:27 PM

1. Every ability is dodgable. Sometimes you might get caught in an AoE right in the centre and have to use a movement ability to escape.

2. Ladder matches are like normal queue in LoL. Tournaments are like Ranked in LoL.

3. Grade differences are... well, our best players are Grade 14, and we can STOMP a team of all grade 10s, but it all depends who we're playing (for example, put me on Harbinger and I would probably get beaten by a grade 11 if they were playing their best guy)

4. The game is balanced for 3v3 Arena but the balance holds for 2v2 and 4v4 (though some people are slightly more powerful in certain modes with certain people). 1v1 and 5v5 tend to be a bit wonky, though 5v5 is absolutely fine for Artifacts and Capture Points

5. Buy one. You can get 'em with Funcom Points (the equivalent of RP) or Blood Coins (the IP equivalent). You can also earn them via tournaments, being a beta tester etc.

6. Buy them. Again, you can buy emotes with Funcom Points or Blood Coins.

Bonus question: those are your EXs. You can spend 40% of your Energy (i.e. what you use for your ultimate) to cast an alternate version of the ability. These are cast using the 1 and 2 keys by default.

Astrella

2011-03-29, 10:05 AM

Righty, went with astronomer. Was a blast to make actually. If you'd like some changes just say so. It's not an exact copy of Astronomer since I need to take in account what looks nice and what doesn't at this scale.

Hope you like it:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/sirroelivan/rect3321.png

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/sirroelivan/AstronomerBig.png
Larger Version.

Folytopo

2011-03-29, 06:40 PM

Drool awesome. Updating now.

Astrella

2011-03-29, 06:55 PM

Fank you. :3 If there's anything wrong with it, just say so.

Dogmantra

2011-03-29, 07:25 PM

Truly Outrageous vs Sons of Sauropsids
Baako's Grave
Inhibitor + Seeker vs Inhibitor + Engineer
3:0
Citadel of Ama
Inhibitor + Seeker vs Engi + Engi
3:1
Truly Outrageous wins

Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again vs Sons of Sauropsids
Kojo the Pygmy Village
Harbinger + Psycho vs Astro + Thorn
3:0
Dubaku the Fallen Fortress
Ravener + Alchemist vs Inhibitor + Engi
3:0
Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again wins
The Glory of Zillyhoo
Played: 2 Won: 2

Beltman and Lightning Squirrel Strike Again
Played: 3 Won: 2

Truly Outrageous
Played: 3 Won: 1

I Forgot
Played: 1 Won: 0

Sons of Sauropsids
Played: 2 Won: 0

Pie Guy

2011-03-29, 07:33 PM

If either of you guys want to make a gunner, that'd be awesome.

Dogmantra

2011-03-30, 11:28 AM

The Reaver is out... I think I'mma get him with my 600 Funcom Points.

Folytopo

2011-03-30, 08:12 PM

Tell me how Reaver feels. Do you like any other melee dps? You like ranid right?

Dogmantra

2011-03-30, 08:29 PM

Reaver is like a mixture of Spear Master and Ranid, with a little bit of Harbinger thrown in. He is awesome. I'm a big fan of Spear Master and Ranid, so obviously I like him. He has to weave in and out of the battle to stop dying, and needs to spend a lot of ult metre on his EX R which gives him some lifesteal.

Folytopo

2011-04-01, 10:10 AM

He seems pretty fun. The only ones that I do not own are Reaver, Guardian and Stalker. So I could save my funcom points for a new guy or spend it on one of them.

Dogmantra

2011-04-01, 01:05 PM

http://www.bloodlinechampions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=12767

New patch notes.
I like the Glutton mount.

Penguinizer

2011-04-01, 02:48 PM

Bleh, having a massive losing streak. Losig 200 ranks and being demoted in one streak is no fun.

Folytopo

2011-04-03, 11:13 AM

Ouch that sounds rough. Can you go down grades or only ranks?

Pie Guy

2011-04-03, 12:07 PM

Ouch that sounds rough. Can you go down grades or only ranks?

Only ranks, it seems.

Dogmantra

2011-04-03, 07:04 PM

New free rotation:
Nomad, Psychopomp, Vanguard, Spear Master.

So basically all the hard to play guys. And then Nomad.

Folytopo

2011-04-04, 07:06 PM

Pomps are annoying because sometimes they do not really heal. Good ones are pretty awesome.

Misery Esquire

2011-04-06, 06:27 PM

The worst Psychopomps are the ones who decide that they want you to tank for them and swap places with you. And then don't heal. Because they hate you.

Folytopo

2011-04-09, 03:42 AM

Dogmantra

2011-04-09, 03:44 AM

I am really liking inhibitor. Won a round 3v1 once. When everything works well inhib can put out tons of dps. Also the amount of distruption they have is nice and not having to be in melee in key in many comps.

Yeah, I'm inclined to say Inhibitor is probably one of the best tanks. I don't know much about the high level meta (and don't really want to) but he seems to have amazing disruption, great damage, good support and decent self healing. And obviously, any champion capable of 3v1ing is officially awesome (yay Alchemist :D)

Folytopo

2011-04-10, 01:25 AM

My inhib games tend to go either very well or very poor. Have trouble feeling like I contribute equally.

Pie Guy

2011-04-10, 10:10 AM

My inhib games tend to go either very well or very poor. Have trouble feeling like I contribute equally.

That only happens with Inhib for you? It feels like every game is like that for me.

Dogmantra

2011-04-10, 10:18 AM

That only happens with Inhib for you? It feels like every game is like that for me.

Well, oftentimes when I get taken out of the fight really early as, say, Alchemist, I still feel okay with my performance because I kited, probably hit some sleeps, mostly distracted them etc, and that's cool. I think Foly more means that he survives for a while but feels like the battle always moves away from him when his space is down, everyone's just out of range of Inhib's absurdly short range, etc.

Folytopo

2011-04-10, 10:58 AM

Well when I play astro, I almost always at least hit a moonstone or a lmb,r,lmb combo at least a few times. When playing inhibitor I have trouble being in a range that punishes people for not targeting me but does not die.

Legoshrimp

2011-04-10, 11:44 AM

I bought the champion pack thing. So far my favorite is gunner. I have a question for you all now, what is your favorite champion from it, and what are some basic tips on how to play them? Also anyone have some more in depth tips on playing gunner?

Dogmantra

2011-04-11, 10:50 AM

My favourite champion is Alchemist. She has way too much CC for her own good, absurd damage, great kiting, one extra ability (her space is targetable) and, of course, the biggest single target non-EX heal in the game (TWENTY SIX HEALTH! That's crazy!). To play her, she's all about positioning since she has no hard escapes. Keep one of the following combinations up at all times:
Shield (Space) + Clarity Potion (Q)
Sleep (E)
Deadly Injection (R) + Clarity Potion (Q)
Shield (Space) + Deadly Injection (R)
Sleeps and Deadly Injections can be used aggressively if your team has guys up in their faces and if you are positioned right, as can your Shields be used on allies if you've got the right positioning and allies between you and your opponents. The hypothetical best game for her is one where she never has to heal.

For the Gunner, she's also a lot about positioning. Your Execute is amazing, and you're really good at kiting. Try using your stealth (Q) to get behind people so Execute goes up to a whopping 52 damage. Your spell block (E) ought to be going on healers as often as possible. I'm not Alter though, you might wanna ask him for more tips than that.

Folytopo

2011-04-11, 11:27 AM

Astro is my favorite. Your space heals for crazy amounts of health if you pass through an ally at the very end of it. When you have your stacks up you hit for 24 damage. If a melee engages. Lmb, look for good opportunity, R, Lmb again. Try and land your e on a melee or a healer. Attack speed reduction kills healing out put and damage from people like ravener. Always try and use your q as often as possible to set up 3v2 or 2v1s. If you want to be aggressive, when possible go for people who have escapes up to either get them blown or keep them out of the battle, or use it to cut off escapes. Astro wants melee pressure so having a good comp helps.

Dogmantra

2011-04-13, 06:25 AM

I was thinking about which healers work well against and in which comps (okay, I was thinking about which everyone does that, but I know the most about healers so I started with them), and I got all of them down except Blood Priest. I know you play some Blood Priest, Foly, was just wondering which comps you think he's good in and against, and which he struggles with. Plus anyone could take issue on my thoughts if they think differently.

For reference, my thoughts on the other guys:
Astro: great in melee heavy comps, struggles a little against heavy tank and kiting teams, likes facing squishies based on more sustained damage rather than burst (e.g. would rather face Nomad and Igniter than Gunner) for attrition. I'd imagine he wouldn't mind a second healer for synergy with his RMB, especially an Alchemist for super-crazy heals.

Herald: amazing if he has someone to protect him, struggles against teams with lots of damage and good closing, since his escapes leave something to be desired. Likes facing ranged teams for his reflect, and works nicely against teams which require plenty of co-ordination (i.e. more single target burst comps rather than self-sustainers like Harbinger) as he can take an enemy out of the fight for disturbingly long with his fear.

Psychopomp: fits nicely with nearly every team comp, the one criterion being that she likes her allies to have some nice harder CC, 'cause she's a tad light on it. She's quite good against melee-heavy teams, since if they're all going for one target (and often if they're not) they're all nice and grouped up for a mass-spellblock blocking their LMB. Struggles a bit against teams that can put constant pressure on her, since her escapes are either conditional (space), cost energy (EX Q) or have a long cooldown and take her out of the fight for a long time (R). I'd almost always rather have a different healer based solely on my team's comp, but against certain champions (e.g. Ravener) I feel like a Psychopomp brings a lot to the table in the "not dying" department that the others can't.

Alchemist: again, she fits nicely in most team comps, she needs a protector in some matchups, but that doesn't even necessarily need to be a tank, it can just as easily be a Reaver, or maybe even an Engi. She has trouble against melee rush teams with plenty of closers, and against bursty comps of any type if they have some way of keeping her still. She's still officially the most awesome bloodline though because she is totally cool and I'm not biased.

Folytopo

2011-04-14, 09:10 PM

Bloodpriest does well in heavy cc and kiting comps. He can heal the fastest out of any bloodline after hitting a few lmb. A knockback blind, fear and a really good space combine to make him good with kiting.

Dogmantra

2011-04-18, 09:07 PM

So what do you think about how the other guys fit into team comps? Especially tanks, since they don't seem to see that much higher level play.

Mittens

2011-04-19, 11:57 AM

Thorn is the only other tank I've seen played at a high level. Engi, astro, thorn is the only comp I've seen beat SK (jackazzm's team) in a bo3. I'm not sure why thorn is there, but it works. Probably because he seems like the tankiest tank in the game right now, as he has a lot of protection and less damage than the others. Plus engi and astro have enough CC for the whole team, so being CC light isn't a huge problem.
Either way, they don't have a SM, so they can't have best comp ;P.

Dogmantra

2011-04-19, 12:25 PM

Yeah, Thorn seems to be the tankiest tank. Vanguard often relies on having a healer around, Guardian could well be Melee DPS, Glutton feels a tad too situational and then there's Inhibitor who is just weird.

So what do you guys think about Reaver's power level? I know he's craptons of fun and some people think he's overpowered, but I'm yet to see a really amazing Reaver that measures up to some of the better Spear Masters I've seen.

Mittens

2011-04-19, 12:36 PM

I think he has a little too much melee dominance. I've been playing SM almost exclusively for a month now, and foly was able to beat me 3-2 in a 1v1 his first time. He has a stun+close, spell lock + close, huuuuuge AOE slow + damage with a giant range, one of the highest damage left mouse, a heal, and an instant trance that stuns and damages, and he can move while it's active. I think he has too much CC, too much damage, too much survivability, and too much range for one character.

tl;dr - He does way too much of everything. OP

Dogmantra

2011-04-19, 12:49 PM

He has a lot of melee dominance, true, but then half the Bloodlines are ranged and he doesn't seem to be that scary against a decent ranged DPS player or healer. Would you rather have a Reaver against a heavy-ranged comp or would you go for Ranids and Harbingers and Raveners instead? In particular, I'm thinking of closing here. What makes Reaver pull better than Harbinger pull for keeping them near you? He has a bit better closing on his other abilities, but does the silence stopping them from popping escapes make up for it? Then what about against a Psychopomp? Melee ain't great against her because she just Qs you then runs away laughing (alternatively: Qs you, pops her ult, Es you then just sits and outheals your damage forever, also laughing especially when she does a pro killsteal from Alter or Flak]), would you say Reaver is good enough to run against a comp with a Psychopomp in it? How about Engi and Alchemist debuff removal, does that hurt his closing too much (mostly his right click)? Just tossing ideas out here, trying to get a better picture of what other people think about him. He still just seems like a knock-off Spear Master to me.

Mittens

2011-04-19, 01:00 PM

I think that in some respects he's better than SM, in some worse. In a 1v1 situation, I think he can beat almost anyone. So, I think the way to play him is to single out the other team's melee DPS and kill them. He does have a hard time CCing and hitting multiple people. Even his ulti doesn't hit more than one person. So, in 3v3 i agree than he's not OP. He is just aggrivating to play against. I think that his trance needs a fix, and that's it.

Folytopo

2011-04-19, 01:42 PM

He can close like a boss but he does not have as much utility as many characters and he moves rather slowly and his auto attack has a .45 second wind up. His ulti is meh. Mittens has it right, he can shut one person down hard. He has a lot more trouble versus multiple people.

Dogmantra

2011-04-19, 07:50 PM

Alchemist got nerfed :(((((

Her space now only gives the speed boost on self cast (it was kinda ridiculous), her R doesn't slow as long, and her EX R does a little less damage. She's still crazy awesome though.

Maeglin_Dubh

2011-04-19, 07:59 PM

How does Bloodline Champions compare to LoL?

I like the art style, but I couldn't figure out properly how to install or get champions, and I couldn't tell if it was on the same sort of 'play to earn' model as LoL, or if money was required.

Folytopo

2011-04-19, 08:40 PM

It is free to play but has micro transactions that are slightly more necessary than in lol. It is a straight up battle arena. Each champion has 9 skills. There is a lot more depth in the tactics that you can use. There is no long term strategy. Think of them as plays in basketball. Skill differences are more noticeable because every skill is a skill shot and jukes are a lot more common.

Mittens

2011-04-19, 10:44 PM

who's making the ChHa clan?

Dogmantra

2011-04-19, 10:49 PM

who's making the ChHa clan?

I made one. It's called "Giant in the Bloodgate" and everyone who hangs out on mumble is allowed in.

Folytopo

2011-04-20, 12:54 PM

I am a proud member of Gib.

Mittens

2011-04-21, 04:56 PM

I joined, and now have half a mind to change my name to insta.

Mittens

2011-04-22, 02:28 PM

Dogmantra

2011-04-22, 02:45 PM

Zomg! There's a team with a higher ladder score than SK... They are 150-0. Horry sheet. Hint: They like double seeker/blood priest and Seeker BP inhib as team comps. I think that they actually counter-pick.

Holy book on a stick that's crazy.
They're almost as good as The Rarity Experience.

So, new Glutton: what's the deal? He seems like more of a supporty tank than he was, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing, because Old!Glutton still tanked by absorbing CC for his team.

Folytopo

2011-04-22, 06:26 PM

I played new glutton. He is fun and my damage out put is more consistent. Sometimes old glutton would really punish you if you were caught without an escape or hard cc. It would be easily half you life bar. Earth storm space and stalagmite are really good and keeping a lot of people in melee range.

Wandiya

2011-04-25, 03:48 AM

Just downloaded and installed, any hints before i start?

Folytopo

2011-04-25, 12:07 PM

Uh we are on the mumble server decently often. Check lol thread. I guess I will update the first post as well. I would be willing to do some 1v1s with you to help you understand how to play.

One major hint is that after getting your teeth cut in custom games do ranked to use your daily pool of bonus coins. It is the only way to actually unlock decent portions of the content without paying money. If you like the game the champion edition is a good purchase. Or if you only like a few hero's then you can pay 10 bucks to unlock em.

Mittens

2011-04-26, 04:52 PM

I don't like glutton free week. SM v Glutton is a bitch.
Solution: Play harbinger every game this week. Results: Win every game this week.

Dogmantra

2011-04-26, 04:57 PM

I don't like glutton free week. SM v Glutton is a bitch.
Solution: Play Alchemist always and forever. 1v3. Get called pro :smallcool:

Fixed that for me.

Octopus Jack

2011-04-27, 12:46 PM

So I'm getting back into this game after me and LoL had a dispute to find out that my favourite champion Gunner is free, played a custom match against a bot to remind myself how it worked and then I jumped into my first ladder game as her and won :smallbiggrin: Feeling pretty pleased with myself currently even if it is just the first step on a big ladder.

Folytopo

2011-04-29, 04:21 AM

Gunner is a fun champ. I feel that gettting that opertunity to land that execute plus several focus shots tends to make or break a round.

Dogmantra

2011-04-29, 10:31 AM

Gunner is a fun champ. I feel that gettting that opertunity to land that execute plus several focus shots tends to make or break a round.
She's also one of the non-healers better equipped to 1v2 if you know what you're doing. She's amazingly fun when you can clean up well.

Octopus Jack

2011-05-03, 11:10 AM

With this free rotation I'm very much enjoying Alchemist, and seeming to do better with her than I did with Gunner having just got off a quite bad loosing streak.

Anyone got any advice for earning Blood Coins as I really want to start unlocking things?

Astrella

2011-05-03, 11:15 AM

Playing ranked is basically the only way (besides from spending actual monies.) to unlock coins at a decent rate. Just play enough each day to get the daily amount.

Dogmantra

2011-05-03, 12:49 PM

If you hop on mumble, we play BLC quite a lot there, you could make a ranked team with some of the other Bloodliners. It's a lot more enjoyable to play 2 or 3-man team queue rather than solo ladder.

(also if you ever want tips for Alchemist, go ahead and ask because she's so awesome)

Octopus Jack

2011-05-03, 02:49 PM

Dogmantra

2011-05-03, 03:05 PM

Okay, I'll hop onto Mumble and I seem to be doing well with Alchemist with the only problem being when someone like Harbinger jumps on me and doesn't stop attacking as I don't really have any escape moves.

Try to keep at least one "escape combo" up at any one time if you're forced to play defensively. Those are your Injection + Clarity Potion, your Space + Clarity Potion, your Space + Injection or just your sleep on its own.

Folytopo

2011-05-03, 07:32 PM

Okay people on mumble who will play bloodlines, me (same name), Flak aka Rainbow Dash, Mittens, Dog, and then maybe wojo, nano, arc, lego. So I will be on periodically tonight so if you hop on come to our channels.

Penguinizer

2011-05-04, 05:46 AM

I'm also on there as Penguinizer.

Pie Guy

2011-05-04, 09:09 PM

I'm on mumble as Qwazes.

Dogmantra

2011-05-26, 10:55 AM

Wheee, season 2.

Grimrog is great fun, and I've come to the conclusion that Psychopomp is the pubstomp healer in as much as she works decently with co-ordination, but she's absurdly self-sufficient and hasn't really got any particularly good or bad matchups. Alchemist seems to be amazing at low levels and brilliant at high levels but somewhat lacking when people know how to fight her but don't know how to work with her.

EDIT: just played the most brutal team comp in solo queue, me on Psychopomp, with an Astro and a Guardian.
At one point in the first round the Guardian went down to 1 true HP and did. Not. Die.
She didn't run off and Wojo either. SHe was still fighting.

Folytopo

2011-05-29, 01:20 PM

I think we should explain that when we say wojo it means using bloodline medallion. More importantly Wojo has the connotation with being a coward and doing it at inappropriate times costing your team the match.

Alchemist seems really vulnerable to pressure. So when people have trouble applying it she is awesome. When people can apply presure she is hard done by. When your teammates become adapt at helping you recover then she is grand.

Dogmantra

2011-05-29, 02:02 PM

Alchemist seems really vulnerable to pressure. So when people have trouble applying it she is awesome. When people can apply presure she is hard done by. When your teammates become adapt at helping you recover then she is grand.

Herald and Alchemist play very similarly in this regard. They can stand up to a certain amount of pressure then beyond that they collapse. This is what makes them pretty strong in 2s because there are few team comps that can put enough pressure on them AND not let their partner reign free dealin' all the damage. Flak and I found this out in the most recent 2s tourney where we managed to place 9th with Herald/Harbinger, only being knocked out when faced with Thorn/Inhib who had SO much CC they could just CC Flak then put the pressure on me. The same tends to happen with Alchemist too.

Flak Maniak

2011-06-03, 07:31 PM

Yeah, Alchemist is super strong versus pressure, unless you get two or three melee guys on her, in which case she just folds. Herald seems similar, though with less tolerance for error and more foresight required, having fewer escapes and all (though a more absolute escape in his space).

I really feel Harbinger is strong in 2s, because he's so self-sufficient. And he just walks with impunity. The key with Harbinger is to take a teammate that covers his weakness against strong kiters like Nomad. Generally though, aside from another Harbinger, or someone like Stalker, no one can get melee superiority on you in 2s if you're Harbinger/Healer. You can wade into, say, a Thorn and a Guardian and do as you please, if you play your cards right. This strength makes him excellent against lots of popular team comps, especially Guardian spam. In fact, Guardian is pretty much my favorite matchup. Glutton is also an excellent matchup.

For 3s, I like Harbinger/Spearmaster plus a healer. They cover each other very well, with Spearmaster being excellent against ranged, and Harbinger being an ace against heavy melee. Your healer can be one of several, and might depend heavily on the enemy composition. For this reason, your healer player should pick last. You don't need to fear bad Harbinger matchups, because the Spearmaster covers those. Thus Harbinger can even pick first, though Spearmaster first is probably best, because a pick of Harbinger is a signal not to take heavy melee, and he's a bit easier to counter than Spearmaster.

Further, you can sub in any other pressure-based melee that's good against kitey characters for the Spearmaster; Spearmaster is simply what we had at the time. Reaver should work well, as would Ravener or Ranid. The key is someone who's good against Nomad, Gunner, Igniter, et cetera, specifically Nomad, as she is, I feel, Harbinger's worst matchup. Being good against Stalker is also a concern, but she seems underplayed.

P.S. Harbinger R FTW. This is seriously his most important ability in a lot of ways. Learning to use this not only to get out of troublesome melee engagements, but to dodge Volcanoes and Executes and Shadow Bolts, is really key. Get fast with this and you can negate a ton of the game's burst and CC.

Dogmantra

2011-06-12, 09:24 PM

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll78/De_ressurect/neebmas2-1.png

I think I win the war of the neebs.

Flak Maniak

2011-06-12, 09:58 PM

And I take it with pride. Maybe this should be the Bloodline Champions poetry thread.

Anyway, we played another tournament, and got fifth. I did not actually play Reaver. We used our now signature Herald/Harbinger setup. (Amateur super cup, g0-15, 100 and a bit participants, top 64 qualified. We seeded 21st or so.)

We ended up losing to a team of Nomad/Astronomer. That's a very hard and annoying matchup. I'd wanted to be able to switch to a different comp, but we stuck with what we know because that's what we have practice with. Maybe next time we'll have practiced Reaver/Psychopomp or something, in case we come across a team who usually plays such kiters. Thing is, in 2s, that's rare. We can almost always get away with Harbinger/Herald. We don't often come across bad matchups.

Anyway, the tournament was fun. And we did bring two teams this time, the other being Nano and Foly. Hopefully we can field even more for future 2s tournaments.

Penguinizer

2011-06-13, 06:14 AM

Could someone teach me to not suck at inhibitor? He's the one tank I want to learn but am awful at. If I do learn him, knowing Thorn, Guardian and Inhib should mean I can fit into a lot of teamcomps.

After that, I need to learn a healer and a ranged DPS. I'm thinking of Astro and Gunner or igniter.

Dogmantra

2011-06-13, 09:03 AM

Inhib's arguably the stickiest and most self-sufficient of the tanks, I don't know much about how to play him, but the ones I've been most worried about as a healer player are the ones that stick to you and Do. Not. Leave.

Flak Maniak

2011-06-13, 03:53 PM

My advice is to learn to work with Inhibitor's weird key layout. :P

Seriously, I always expect the spell block to be E, and when I get a trance it really throws me off. I'm slowly learning to get it right.

Anyway, more to the point, learn to use your incaps at important times. You're a tank, so Rune Shield shouldn't just be for you. And good placement can result in sick AoE incaps.

Also, you need to be quite good at prediction, both for the trance, which is super important because it's one of your incaps, and for your spell block, which, as always, becomes a game of baiting. Though if you face people who just hold down left mouse (Like me! Zing!) you can just use it whenever. Works very well to turn the tide and let you take on the aggressive role against melee.

Oh, and I'm not an expert on using left and right. I tend to spam them haphazardly. Alternating seems fine to me, but someone, I forget who, told me of the following tactic: Hit with three of one. Incap them with space to make sure the other kind of bolt hits. Seems really powerful, if you can a) get three stacks of one, and b) are willing to blow your space. But it's probably awesome enough to warrant the cost and the difficuly.

Dogmantra

2011-06-14, 10:30 PM

mostly just showin' off my pony of amazingity by Alter and actually kinda tempted to buy champion edition for AlterThorn (even though I'm pretty sure that the one who drew the pony ain't the same one who plays BLC) now

Flak Maniak

2011-06-15, 12:56 AM

That is one nice avatar. You should figure out if it's the same. Or are the sins of the brother visited on the brother? Can we extrapolate from father/son like that? Why am I trying to apply such an ancient phrase? Have I gone insane? Who can say!

Either way, Alter does need Champion edition, and Sirro probably does too. Let's keep shaming Nano for having gotten Titan instead of Champion for them. And hey, when I get my debit card, I'll probably chip in a bit to get champion for one or more of them. We can make this a team effort!

Oh and I'm gonna be gone from the 19th to the 12th. Well, probably 'till the 13th. I'll have some kind of internet and maybe the laptop I'll have will run BLC, but I probably shouldn't be playing and I dunno if the internet will be good enough for it. So we'll see.

Edit: I feel like I'm gonna write a Harbinger guide one of these days. Is there a way to give it more visibility than being buried in this thread? Maybe in the first post or something?

TheAldo

2011-06-15, 01:10 PM

Hey Giant in the Playground! I found this forum because I monitor the web for people talking about BLC and have lurked around this BLC thread for a bit.

I wanted to let you all know that GotKunju (http://www.gotkunju.com) is doing a giveaway of Bloodline Champions starter keys. To enter the giveaway, please fill out our survey that will help us target more people that will enjoy this arena-based game.

A Bloodline Champions starter key will include 17,000 bloodcoins and 4 bloodlines (characters)

Igniter (Ranged DPS)
Glutton (Tank)
Spearmaster (Melee DPS)
Alchemist (Ranged Support)

GotKunju is a North American BLC community with 200+ members. Our primary goal is to help the North American scene grow.

Click here to be taken to the giveaway (http://www.gotkunju.com/forum/starter_giveaway.html)

Dogmantra

2011-06-15, 01:17 PM

Not sure you'll be in luck there, of the like two people that post in this thread, we all have champion edition.

Also our clan is like 20% cooler than GotKunju. Flak is a neeb.

TheAldo

2011-06-15, 01:44 PM

We would really like to hear your input about the community also. You could be entered in the giveaway, win a key, and give it to a buddy :)

We will give you the coolness...this time....but next time....oooooo next time....

you will still probably be cooler.

We can't compete with that pony.

Flak Maniak

2011-06-15, 08:20 PM

I, for one, am all for more community integration. I'd love to have our clan affiliated with GotKunju. It would be great to be able to participate in your clan activities without abandoning GiB.

Dogmantra

2011-06-19, 10:19 AM

a) there's a competition to win champion edition if you have Twitter www.blgaming.com

b) I've been playing Astro recently (:O) and I'm feeling confident about playing him in Ranked.

c) I just got a killing blow with the debuff from Psychopomp's E and it felt awesome.

Folytopo

2011-06-19, 11:02 AM

Astro is so awesome. What do you think make good matches for him in 2s? Guardian for extra aoe cc? Stalker if you are playing the mobility game?

Dogmantra

2011-06-19, 11:17 AM

I wouldn't pair him with any tanks (except maybe Guardian) just because his healing isn't great comparitively, but I feel he's versatile enough to pair with nearly anyone. My favourite unusual comp is Astro/Gunner, which doesn't seem like it should actually work, but it does just feel right (and the one time I persuaded Flak to do it we won, and that's with Flak admitting to not being great at Astro and my neeby Gunner). I think other good matches for him are Grimrog for more crazy sustain and melee beatdown, Ranid for ridiculous burst i melee and Igniter for ridiculous ranged burst.

Mittens

2011-06-20, 10:56 AM

Astro is good with astro, and ravener. Also self sufficient people, like harbinger.

In other news, I just watched dreamhack... and the americans stomped. They only dropped 2 maps, and that was to SK. They played alch astro rav. Also, after orz won, one of the developers proposed xP. It was awesome, and you should all watch the VODs here: http://www.justin.tv/dreamhackblc/videos

Third, I thought you might find this interesting dog: http://www.team-dignitas.net/articles/Blogs/Bloodline-Champions/150/Malakors-Herald-Guide/