Auroras

[FunkOff]

Auroras, like most units, are more or less effective based on terrain and micro. This is indisputable. However, some high level players think that they are overpowered in 3605, due to the speed increase they relieved. This is most apparent on maps such as Theta passage, where they can kite other T1 forces consistently.

For reference, Aurora range is 26, speed is 3.1. PD range is 26. Mantis range is 18 and speed is 3.6. Auroras have highest DPS of all T1 tanks (tied with mantis), lowest cost (tied with thaam/mantis) and have a very, very high range. The only weakness is health, which is low at 140, against 270 mantis, 280 thaam and 300 striker.

The question is what to change. Being a tank, it's balance is very fragile. My vote would be to reduce the range by 2, increase the hell by 20, for a range/health of 24 and 160, against the mantis 18 and 270. Kiting becomes less of a problem and it's a little tougher.

A second option is to reduce speed and turn rate. A small speed nerf from 3.1 to 3.0 and a reduction in turn rate from 90 to 70 should make them a little more difficult to kite with.

Thoughts from other players?

[Lu_Xun_17]

i think aurora is a really hard unit to balance, and it's already very well balanced.
The real problem i think is that too many players try to fight all the factions with the same strategy, the same units! if you do not adapt yourself to the unit you're fighting, for sure you'll find problems.

[Ze_PilOt]

Yeps. On theta, a T2 bot rush with any of the three others faction works pretty well.

A lot of players don't know that bombers own auroras badly too.

[lebensnebel]

I also think auroras are fine. Kiting can only work if a) there is space to retreat b) the opponent follows with t1 land. Usually you can't do the kiting game very long without getting into a close range engagement, where the auroras are UP if anything, or getting one bomber killing 9 auroras because you massed a lot up. T2 of the other races also counters aurora very hard and aeon land t2 has no good counter to that.

[TAG_ROCK]

FunkOff whats the range of ACU gun?

[uberge3k]

I would vote for any of the above options for nerfing them. As it stands, they are game-breakingly-OP. This is not hyperbole. Well, maybe a little bit, to counter the apathy I see from so many people on the topic of aeon. Observe:

The real problem i think is that too many players try to fight all the factions with the same strategy, the same units! if you do not adapt yourself to the unit you're fighting, for sure you'll find problems.

On theta, a T2 bot rush with any of the three others faction works pretty well.

A lot of players don't know that bombers own auroras badly too.

In a straight up fight, assuming two players of nearly equal skill, one aeon and one any other faction - the aeon player has a far higher chance of winning early land skirmishes with proper aurora micro.

So, to counter this, you can go fast air, or fast T2 land, or maybe a fast gun upgrade. The problem is, put quite simply, you are having to counter the auroras. This means that the aeon player has a huge advantage from the start, as he is already forcing you to react - just based on the fact that of his faction!

Against any other faction, early T1 landspam wars are quite balanced - all tanks are more or less the same, so those early fights for map control are "fair". Auroras, when properly microed, short circuit this as they can be far more cost effective than any other faction's tanks. While you're rushing that more-expensive-than-tanks counter (bombers, gun, T2, etc), the aeon player is taking early map control with their auroras, and using that extra eco to fuel counters to your bombers, gun, T2 rush, etc.


I think that at the very least, we need to get together a bunch of the top players for some focused testing of these proposed changes, and try and narrow down what works and what doesn't.

[FunkOff]

ZLORD wasted tagpebble on finns yesterday (cyb vs aeon) with a quick T2 rush.

I think the amphibious movement is more OP than the kiting... but yeah, you cannot beat auroras with T1 land. Auroras rape all T1 land.

[Gowerly]

even labs? The projectile speed is so slow and the damage is all front loaded. I've seen auroras waste 50-60% of their shots missing labs.

[uberge3k]

You'd have to micro like crazy to get LABs close enough to damage auroras. The problem is, any half decent Aeon player will simply pull the auroras back - and their range will kill LABs easily. FunkOff and I tested this a bit the other day with the Nomad's faction (which has madly OP LABs) - there's simply no way to get the LABs close enough to damage the auroras before they're killed.

I'd nearly forgotten about the amphibious movement... that's just broken. :/ On maps such as paradise, roanoke, or even EOTS, Aeon have a ridiculous advantage.

[Gowerly]

Jesters, bombers, etc will make short work of labs. If you're up against aeon on island maps, you can just not build t1 land and use the resources to make aircraft. Their t1 mobile AA can't float, so you have free reign on them.