New Balance Test Map

In a quest to improve Balance Blizzard has released a new test map with the specific aim to help Terrans in PvT, Zerg in PvZ, and Protoss in late PvZ.  The potential changes:

 

Photon Overcharge duration decreased from 60 to 50

Time Warp energy cost increased from 75 to 100

Ghosts build with the energy upgrade built in

Hydralisk cost decreased from 100/50 to 100/25

A Passive Tempest ability that allows them to deal 2-3 times more damage vs. Structures (We’re not 100% set on the actual value yet.)

 

I'm not sure how much difference the overcharge change would make, but I'm fine with it.  The Time Warp cost has more impact and I suspect would alter the way players use the unit.

 

The change to ghosts would result in them being used more, but it doesn't strike me that the unit needed a buff in the first place.  Blizzard keeps pushing ghosts as helpful for mech armies, but it doesn't seem they mesh well with those builds.

 

I don't like the hydra change at all and don't expect it to be adopted--the unit is cheap enough as it is and the last thing Zergs need is more gas for their late game armies.

 

I like the idea behind the tempest change, but can envision cheeses where early tempests are used to wreck enemy bases.  I do like that Blizzard recognises how broken Snute/FireCake-style swarm host play is and want to nerf it.  I agree with them that the problem is how powerful static Zerg defense is in combination with the unit.

 

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)