Honoo Youko
- During Wings of the Firehawk, the energy cost of Fanning the Flames is reduced to 1 random.
OR
- Talon Strike deals 5 more melee damage to enemies affected by Talon Strike.
To be honest I am not sure about either of these changes. Reducing FoF to 1 random during WotF might make her too powerful again. And increasing the damage of TS on enemies affected by TS makes for a messy skill description.


ITEMS

Medical packs
SMP: 25 hp, no cost, 2 cooldown, allowed 2 times.
MMP: 35 hp, 1 rnd, 3 cooldown, allowed 2 times.
LMP: 65 hp, 2 rnd, allowed 1 time.
I reduced amount of uses of the small versions to 2, because otherwise these items may become far to efficient at removing afflictions. I increased the amount healed by LMP by 5 because right now the item seems UP.

Bowl of Ramen
- Change the energy cost to no energy.

Guard of the Warbringer
- Disables all damage reduction and damage limitation on the wearer until destroyed, and now grants a protector of 50 hit points.

Youko
I'm not sure either of those changes would increase her usage or effectiveness. If I were to go with one of the two, I would choose the latter. And while it may make for a messy skill description, i'd recommend this:
Youko deals 20 melee damage to all enemies. While affected by Wings of the Firehawk, Youko also affects the targets with a Burning affliction, dealing 5 affliction damage each turn for the following 2 turns. This skill stacks. If this skill is already in effect on the opponent, it deals 5 extra melee damage.

Medical Package
The only Medical Package I use with any regularity is the Large Medical Package, and I LOVE what you've done with it here.

Bowl of Ramen
I genuinely think that people underestimate this item. It's less effective than getting a full heal straight out of course, but it's still 60HP for 1 random.
Personally, I'd keep it as it is, because it's very effective with Hahen, but a cost decrease is always nice.

Guard of the Warbringer
I'm neutral on this. I'm so glad this will stop the GotW + Karasu combination, but I'm afraid to see what it will do to one of my favourite characters and the man it was designed for, Isshou.
Part of the attraction for Guard of the Warbringer for me was that the fact that it worked with Isshou so well.
I very rarely use it otherwise, as it is destroyed way too quickly.
I guess this change will help it be used by more people than just Isshou.

The GoTW on karasu was bs....
Im glad that that is over. It will still be useful on isshou, as he is already reasonably hard to kill, which stacks with his warbinger

Overall, the changes look nice. Ramen wasn't used off of kurai, but now he doesn't use it (healing ignore). It clearly needed a boost. I may finally decide to purchase it...

Updated the possible balance changes according to feedback. Changes made are in bold.

CHARACTERS


Honoo Youko
- During Wings of the Firehawk, the energy cost of Fanning the Flames is reduced to 1 random.
OR
- Talon Strike deals 5 more melee damage to enemies affected by Talon Strike.
To be honest I am not sure about either of these changes. Reducing FoF to 1 random during WotF might make her too powerful again. And increasing the damage of TS on enemies affected by TS makes for a messy skill description.



Seishin Kame
- Genbu, the Black Warrior
Kame grants one teammate a protector of 40 hit points. Until destroyed, melee and ranged damage dealt to the target is reduced by 15. This skill cannot be used while active.
1 inteligence 1 random
This is my favorite version of Genbu. It allows for the skill to be a lot more user friendly. I have however reduced the DR to 15, because I believe 20 will be far too powerful.

Youko: I'd prefer the second option than the first.


Kame: 15 DR is very little, you know. At least promise that you're either willing to buff it to 20, or the protector to 45 if it proves underpowered, which I can almost guarantee it will.

The GoTW on karasu was bs....
Im glad that that is over. It will still be useful on isshou, as he is already reasonably hard to kill, which stacks with his warbinger

Why do you think it'll be useless on Karasu and still be useful on Isshou? The GotW changes necessary to stop Karasu's GotW abuse would also nullify the limiters present in Isshou. And as far as I remember, Isshou's passive DD isn't the first target so it's still just killing 50 DD and poof, GotW gone.

Also I want Youko's suggestion to be that the prep is required to make FtF to 1 random. I'd rather have that than apparent damage boosts.

So, are these changes applied yet? If not, i think the second version of Youko is better (The talon strike one), as opposed to making the stun to 1 random again.

"
Honoo Youko
- During Wings of the Firehawk, the energy cost of Fanning the Flames is reduced to 1 random.
OR
- Talon Strike deals 5 more melee damage to enemies affected by Talon Strike.
To be honest I am not sure about either of these changes. Reducing FoF to 1 random during WotF might make her too powerful again. And increasing the damage of TS on enemies affected by TS makes for a messy skill description.
"

1st version is way too powerful in my opinion

Oh and 50 HP for GOTW? Too strong. Make it 40. With Karasu or Isshou, sure their original protector/DR is disabled, but once GOTW is gone they will still have their prot/DR to eat through.

Oh and 50 HP for GOTW? Too strong. Make it 40. With Karasu or Isshou, sure their original protector/DR is disabled, but once GOTW is gone they will still have their prot/DR to eat through.

Considering how GotW's main target are fast and very aggressive 2-3 melee users, I don't think it's a problem actually. Ever since there's no more good option to defend GotW outside Smoke Bombing, it really needs that high DD to actually survive more than 1 turn.

Although I can only see if it's truly too powerful once the ratios for GotW in its first week is over.

(...)

Considering how GotW's main target are fast and very aggressive 2-3 melee users, I don't think it's a problem actually. Ever since there's no more good option to defend GotW outside Smoke Bombing, it really needs that high DD to actually survive more than 1 turn.

Although I can only see if it's truly too powerful once the ratios for GotW in its first week is over.

Yes, but 50 protector is still an insane amount. That's effectively giving Jomon 170 HP. I mention Jomon because he is one of the 120 HP characters that can easily take GotW without being useless afterwards.

(...)Yes, but 50 protector is still an insane amount. That's effectively giving Jomon 170 HP. I mention Jomon because he is one of the 120 HP characters that can easily take GotW without being useless afterwards.

Hmmmm, yes I see your point, although I would pick Daiki instead if it didn't have Jyouzo. But considering how it used to be, I would go for either 40-45 DD seeing as increasing DD by 5 when all previous defenses are ignored (outside invulnerability) is lost.

@Youko boost: I like the suggestion of her stun costing a random energy during her prep.

I think the reason her random stun was so amazing, was because it guaranteed you could stun one character for 2 turns on your first turn. If you went first, that means your opponent didn't even have a chance to do anything (sake, WoR, invul, etc) about it. Now that it costs a specific, that guarantee is gone as you're dependant on the energy you draw from the pool. She's still a good character, but hardly anyone is using her anymore because her stun clashes with her 2 best friends, Kurai and Nozuichi.

Implementing this change will remove that clash (sort of), making her better suitable to team up with Kurai and Nozuichi again, but still without the guarantee of a first-turn stun. This way, she (and Kurai) will hopefully be used more often again, but without becoming overpowered.


@Kame rework: Alright, so we're changing the limiter to a damage reduction. I don't like it, but it's not the end of the world. For some reason, people seem to be underestimating how powerful a damage reduction on such a large protector is when the opponent is using a team without much of a spike capability. When it was a limiter, you only needed 2 turns of 25 damage to get rid of the protector. If it's made to have a DR of 15, you would need 2 turns of 40 damage to get rid of the protector. "No, you can also hit it with 65 damage and get rid of it in one turn!", you might say. Not all teams have that kind of spike though, especially when Kame is paired with another stunner like Asami and they're keeping one of your characters stunned.

I think it would be better to nerf the DR to 10, down from 15.


@GotW boost/nerf: I also think 50 hitpoints is a bit much. I'd suggest 40 hitpoints instead, but 45 might just be alright too.

@Youko boost: I like the suggestion of her stun costing a random energy during her prep.

I think the reason her random stun was so amazing, was because it guaranteed you could stun one character for 2 turns on your first turn. If you went first, that means your opponent didn't even have a chance to do anything (sake, WoR, invul, etc) about it. Now that it costs a specific, that guarantee is gone as you're dependant on the energy you draw from the pool. She's still a good character, but hardly anyone is using her anymore because her stun clashes with her 2 best friends, Kurai and Nozuichi.

Implementing this change will remove that clash (sort of), making her better suitable to team up with Kurai and Nozuichi again, but still without the guarantee of a first-turn stun. This way, she (and Kurai) will hopefully be used more often again, but without becoming overpowered.


@Kame rework: Alright, so we're changing the limiter to a damage reduction. I don't like it, but it's not the end of the world. For some reason, people seem to be underestimating how powerful a damage reduction on such a large protector is when the opponent is using a team without much of a spike capability. When it was a limiter, you only needed 2 turns of 25 damage to get rid of the protector. If it's made to have a DR of 15, you would need 2 turns of 40 damage to get rid of the protector. "No, you can also hit it with 65 damage and get rid of it in one turn!", you might say. Not all teams have that kind of spike though, especially when Kame is paired with another stunner like Asami and they're keeping one of your characters stunned.

I think it would be better to nerf the DR to 10, down from 15.


@GotW boost/nerf: I also think 50 hitpoints is a bit much. I'd suggest 40 hitpoints instead, but 45 might just be alright too.

"This skill does exactly what it should be doing, let's nerf it more."

You can always target Kame first. It's almost like this change would change Kame into the tank he.. actually is supposed to be?

I think we've been discussing Kame and Youko too much and everyone is slowly getting more and more ridiculous with their suggestions.

I'm sorry Dutch, but Youko having her stun back to a random at ANY point will make her just as bad as before, there'll just be a slight re-jigging of her turn queue.

It's her AoE that's UP, strictly because it's her only damage output and it deals next to nothing unless she preps. I'd say that making it deal the extra 5 melee damage to someone affected by it is a good idea, but is still to easily beaten by cleansing water. Maybe make it deal 5 more damage outside her prep, and then dealing it's current prep melee/affliction

I think we've been discussing Kame and Youko too much and everyone is slowly getting more and more ridiculous with their suggestions.

I'm sorry Dutch, but Youko having her stun back to a random at ANY point will make her just as bad as before, there'll just be a slight re-jigging of her turn queue.

It's her AoE that's UP, strictly because it's her only damage output and it deals next to nothing unless she preps. I'd say that making it deal the extra 5 melee damage to someone affected by it is a good idea, but is still to easily beaten by cleansing water. Maybe make it deal 5 more damage outside her prep, and then dealing it's current prep melee/affliction

I have never once in my life thought that Youko's offense is UP in any way. Sure, I use Yukigaaru to combat her with a simple counter, but I do so because her AoE is not to be trifled with especially with VI. She's a walking caltrops who can do 30-40 AoE damage. Let's not forget that she is a pain in the ass in a Takeko team.

(...)

I have never once in my life thought that Youko's offense is UP in any way. Sure, I use Yukigaaru to combat her with a simple counter, but I do so because her AoE is not to be trifled with especially with VI. She's a walking caltrops who can do 30-40 AoE damage. Let's not forget that she is a pain in the ass in a Takeko team.

I agree with this. For the most part, Youko's offense is actually pretty scary. Sure, without the prep her damage becomes subpar, but I wouldn't say it's underpowered.

Youko is just one of those characters for whom there is no reason not to prep, like Ikuchi.