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I’ve been waiting patiently for Human Torch to be adjusted ever since he was added alongside The Thing at the beginning of Marvel Rivals Season 1.5. Human Torch is another flying hero who has the ability to launch fireballs at enemies, crash down on other heroes like a meteor, and create fire zones that deal damage over time to those who walk into them. But his most powerful ability is a team-up perk that gives Storm the ability to turn her ultimate into a raging fire tornado. Long story short, I was expecting NetEase to adjust this character as soon as the next patch went live, but I seem to be mistaken.
Instead of nerfing some of Human Torch’s abilities, NetEase has actually made this hero slightly more powerful in the latest patch: “The fiery hero is getting a boost to his primary attack damage output and Ultimate Ability, enhancing his solo takedown potential.” Human Torch’s primary fire is now faster and has two extra ammo, wave damage has increased from 70 to 80, and the energy cost for his ultimate has decreased from 4,000 to 3,400.
But the wildest change has to be to the Flame Tornado, which has had a damage increase from 100 per/s to 120 per/s. To put this in perspective, Flame Tornado (Storm and Human Torch’s team-up perk) was able to chew through every immortality Strategist ultimate in the game, like Luna Snow or Cloak and Dagger’s ults, in a matter of seconds. So I’m not actually sure what good giving this ultimate team-up more damage does, apart from making it even harder to survive.
Even before this team-up, Storm’s ultimate was pretty powerful. Having been buffed coming into Season 1, this hero had one of the highest pick rates and was probably my least favourite character to go up against. I soon learned that the only way to counter her ult was to save a Strategist ultimate for the very moment she unleashed the tornado or try to scramble up to high ground as quickly as possible, as the tornado only deals damage to players on the ground floor. But now the Strategist ultimate is of no use, and the only way I can play against Storm and Human Torch is to stay close to jump pads at all times.
I can’t really complain about Human Torch’s buff, though, because NetEase has also improved a hero that I play quite often alongside him, Cloak and Dagger.
Cloak and Dagger is one of the more busted Strategists available (alongside Luna Snow), thanks to her rapid primary fire, which provides a constant and relatively high stream of healing. It’s this ability that has been buffed, increasing the healing effect from 10 to 16. This will make a real difference in keeping players up during team fights, especially as it’s not hard to hit your shots as Cloak and Dagger, thanks to the projectiles having a bit of aim assist. Despite her Spell Field healing getting decreased from 18 to 16, I still think this change will make Cloak and Dagger one of, if not the, best Strategists on the roster now.
The only hero who has been negatively affected by this patch is Iron Man. Most of his attacks have been weakened in a bid to balance his mid-range offensive capabilities. I’m not massively upset about this—having multiple strong flying characters can make for some truly chaotic and messy battles.
All of these changes may seem a bit out of pocket, but NetEase reassures players that this patch has been done to maintain the current diverse team meta. “We’ve noticed a surge in the popularity of various heroes, leading to exciting new strategies in matches,” the patch notes say. “Whether it’s a rush comp centered around mobile Vanguards and Duelists, a double-flyer setup featuring Storm and Human Torch, or the classic 3-1-2 lineup with three Vanguards, or even the previously popular 2-2-2 or single Vanguard compositions, each has showcased their unique flair in the current competitive environment.
“So, in this mid-season balance update for Season 1.5, we’ll be optimizing the experience for just a handful of heroes to maintain this rich diversity. As we gear up for Season 2, expect new Heroes and fresh Team-Up Abilities to bring an even more thrilling experience.”
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Kurt Indovina
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