Spellcaster's Ward, a 3k soul upgrade to Hollow Point Ward

[jungle]

The formatting for this post was copied from @cjflaherty4 's post about the newly-added Spirit Snatch item (Congratulations!)

Hollow Point Ward is a pretty versatile item that provides early game damage on a number of heroes. The tradeoff of having to be above 60% hp to get the value from this item is a mechanic that rewards taking favorable trades in the early game. The problem is that this is a 500 soul item that is always the first or second item you're likely to sell for an extra slot.

The idea of this item is to support spirit damage-based characters that like mobility and calculated engagements, and are likely to buy Hollow Point Ward in the early game (i.e. Lash, Paradox, Pocket).

Spellcaster's Ward:

• Spirit item
• Upgrades from Hollow Point Ward
• Costs 3,000 Souls (3,500 without Hollow Point Ward)

Stat Bonuses:

• +20% weapon damage
• +20% movement slow resist
• +1 stamina

Passive:
When you are above 50% health, gain spirit power and move speed.

• +30 spirit power
• +3m/s move speed

 

[bloodfrost27]

Personally think the stats are overtuned but a hollow point ward upgrade that gives you movement seems very cool

 

[jungle]

Personally think the stats are overtuned but a hollow point ward upgrade that gives you movement seems very cool

Thank you for your input. Which stats do you think are overtuned? I've talked with a friend and he said the 3m/s might be, which I can understand. I did my best to keep it in line with other 3000 soul options, alas I'm no meta expert.

 

[nathanieljbrill]

Fits the same niche as fortitude combat barrier and enchanter's barrier of you being full and having a buff. I think it should go in a different direction.

How about "Deulist's Ward"
When above 50% hp you deal 15% more damage to targets with over 50% hp.

It would be multiplicative this way and be something lots of people might buy to stack a kit.

 

[jungle]

Fits the same niche as fortitude combat barrier and enchanter's barrier of you being full and having a buff. I think it should go in a different direction.

How about "Deulist's Ward"
When above 50% hp you deal 15% more damage to targets with over 50% hp.

It would be multiplicative this way and be something lots of people might buy to stack a kit.

I see what you mean. I think this item fits it's own niche however. Fortitude is a similar item, but it is also a vitality item and is focused more on giving you the weapon damage passive, as well as a ton of health and regen. You don't often buy fortitude on spirit-based characters, and it's health gate is 75% as opposed to Hollow Point Ward's 60% (and this item's 50%). It's a more tank-centric item.

As for the barriers, I understand what you're saying but they do not scale very well due to them being barrier-based, not hp-based. They're also based more on survivability, rather than damage output and mobility.

I appreciate the input.

Also, your item is a cool concept, however I think it's a completely different concept from what I'm trying to achieve with my concept.

 

[nathanieljbrill]

I see what you mean. I think this item fits it's own niche however. Fortitude is a similar item, but it is also a vitality item and is focused more on giving you the weapon damage passive, as well as a ton of health and regen. You don't often buy fortitude on spirit-based characters, and it's health gate is 75% as opposed to Hollow Point Ward's 60% (and this item's 50%). It's a more tank-centric item.

As for the barriers, I understand what you're saying but they do not scale very well due to them being barrier-based, not hp-based. They're also based more on survivability, rather than damage output and mobility.

I appreciate the input.

Also, your item is a cool concept, however I think it's a completely different concept from what I'm trying to achieve with my con

I actually do buy fortitude on spirit characters fairly frequently. It's an amazing map traversing and farming tool.

 

[jungle]

I actually do buy fortitude on spirit characters fairly frequently. It's an amazing map traversing and farming tool.

I used to buy it on lash, but it was nerfed a little while back and it's hard to justify the purchase, but it was one of my fav items.

 

[gibnewitems]

hollow point ward is already balanced as is. not every 500 soul item needs an upgrade.

 

[jungle]

hollow point ward is already balanced as is. not every 500 soul item needs an upgrade.

Thank you for your input.

Personally, I disagree with this point of view. I think nearly every 500 item should at least upgrade to a 1250 item, it just makes itemization flow better.

I respect your opinion however.

 

[gibnewitems]

Thank you for your input.

Personally, I disagree with this point of view. I think nearly every 500 item should at least upgrade to a 1250 item, it just makes itemization flow better.

I respect your opinion however.

+1 for respecting my opinion. I will still have to respectfully disagree. Adding upgrades only causes the higher tier item to be more expensive, therefore causing said users of that item to have to delay items that might be vital for a power spike. Valve only added upgrades to items that seem to be overperforming as a way of nerfing them, such as when they added slowing bullets to silencer, or enduring spirit to slowing hex, or extra regen to return fire.

 

[PK_SleeplessNess]

Thank you for your input.

Personally, I disagree with this point of view. I think nearly every 500 item should at least upgrade to a 1250 item, it just makes itemization flow better.

I respect your opinion however.

I disagree here for a similar reason to GimmieKey, but in a different area. I think items like Hollowpoint Ward, which you sell for a slot only when absolutely necessary, highlight the value of a percentage increase. Take Fortitude as an example: at 3500 gold, it provides a 27% bullet damage increase while above 75% HP, while Hollowpoint offers 22% (28% if you include the base percentage) while above 60%. Therefore, if there were no downside to buying it early (by being able to upgrade it), it would need nerfs to compensate, as GimmieKey mentioned with other items like SlowingHex.

 

[jungle]

+1 for respecting my opinion. I will still have to respectfully disagree. Adding upgrades only causes the higher tier item to be more expensive, therefore causing said users of that item to have to delay items that might be vital for a power spike. Valve only added upgrades to items that seem to be overperforming as a way of nerfing them, such as when they added slowing bullets to silencer, or enduring spirit to slowing hex, or extra regen to return fire.

I understand what you're saying, certainly the change for slowing hex to build out of enduring spirit was a nerf, however adding items that build out of lower cost items is not really the same thing.

I don't think every item should build out of something, but I do think every 500 soul item should have an upgrade.

However, that's just my opinion and it's not like I find it to be a terribly important concept.

 

[jungle]

I disagree here for a similar reason to GimmieKey, but in a different area. I think items like Hollowpoint Ward, which you sell for a slot only when absolutely necessary, highlight the value of a percentage increase. Take Fortitude as an example: at 3500 gold, it provides a 27% bullet damage increase while above 75% HP, while Hollowpoint offers 22% (28% if you include the base percentage) while above 60%. Therefore, if there were no downside to buying it early (by being able to upgrade it), it would need nerfs to compensate, as GimmieKey mentioned with other items like SlowingHex.

I think fortify does provide a similar benefit to hollowpoint ward but I think fortify has become a bit of a niche item that is built on specific heroes.

I think this item would be built on different heroes than those who would typically buy fortify due to the stats it provides and the more forgiving health-gate on the item.