User blog:Golurk 88/Inquisitor and Spectre: Balanced?

Two of relatively new robots released by Pixonic were the Inquisitor and Spectre. Both sharing the Descend abiltiy, basically Jump but with the Stealth effect for 10 seconds (5 seconds in the air and on the ground), they were typical of the new releases, extremely powerful robots that quickly became commonplace in the high-league meta. However, Pixonic seems to have attempted at making them balanced, but many players ask: 'Has this worked?'. To be frank, not really.

Firstly we have the Inquisitor. With 165,000 health at level 12 mk1, it certainly seemed to have average health for a medium robot, almost inadequate. However, it had more firepower than most heavy robots. One heavy hardpoint and two mediums was capable of eliminating almost all but the most durable and formidable robots, which ironically, either costed Gold or Components, two premium currencies. This, coupled with its Descend ability which, not only gave it the ability to jump over or behind obstacles to avoid or join engagements, but also made it relatively immune to weapon fire, due to the additional stealth effect.

Its combat capability was such that it could outgun and outfight heavy robots, despite it being classified as a Medium. The barely adequate health of the Inquisitor was completely countered by its high firepower and Descend ability, so much in fact to the extent that it was overpowered and changed the meta. It also cost components and was very expensive to buy, further escalating the fact that it was simply an overpowered and expensive robot in almost all respects.

Secondly, we have the infamous Spectre. Originally called the Exorcist, (which was later changed due to it being too contraversial), this robot has 4 medium hardpoints and 110,000 hitpoints at level 12 mk1. Being a medium robot with 4 medium hardpoints, this robot outgunned every single existing robot in the game except the Fury. Even traditionally weak weapons such as the Hydra, usually a nuisance, became a severe threat when mounted on the Spectre. However, most Spectre pilots equipped their robot with 4 Orkans, Tarans or Shocktrains. These weapons, alread very powerful (and in the case of the Shocktrain, overpowered), were enough to almost instantly destroy any robot on the battlefield without any threat of retaliation whatsoever, especially when coupled with the Descend ability.

The Descend ability allowed the Spectre to avoid confrontations it couldn't win, and allowed it to ambush robots, rapidly destroying them with its superior firepower. Its low health of 110,000 didn't matter, its firepower would destroy enemy robots so quickly that it would receive minimal damage, and sometimes even none at all when using its Descend ability. These features make the Spectre overpowered in every aspect as a combat robot, mainly due to its firepower.