OK, we all know the Water Elemental is fairly useless, but exactly how useless? I decided to keep statistics whenever my balance wizard cast spectral minion and it became a water elemental.
The Data is culminated from 11 arena fights, and 148 spells cast. During that time he cast 28 useful spells, which means 81% of the time this minon does completely useless stuff. Casting one useful spell every five spells is pretty bad. I doubt any other minion would rate this low.
Useful Spells: 1. Spritely on me- counted it even if I was at maximum health 2. Elemental Shield on me- counted this even if against spirit schools 3. Absorb- a very rare spell of his 4. Storm Trap- could be helpful with hydra or blast, another rare spell
Useless Spells: 1. Spritely on self- since I don't want this minion around, anything that helps it live is useless 2. Elemental Shield on self- same reason as above 3. Absorb on self- same reason as above 4. Taunt- useless in PvP unless maybe opponent has a minion. (Maybe taunt in PvP should give a small chance of redirecting opponent's next spell to minion, and not you.)
I have read older posts on other websites about this minion and it seems that at one time this minion had some good attacks. At some point King Isle must have deemed the Water Elemental too powerful, and turned him into the useless swirl of water that he currently is. Couldn't this minion have at least one attack spell, or if not that, maybe make him be a little more useful than 19%?
It seems to me like King Isle really wanted to diminish Storm's already potent power at some point, and maybe went a bit overboard.
The water elemental is not useless at all. If you haven't noticed by now its not meant to attack its meant to taunt. It acts like a meat shield directing damage away from you so you can attack without getting hurt yourself. The Minotaur minion myth receives at level 38 has the same purpose. In PVP it may have no use but in PVE its invaluable. Especially in the towers of Dragonspyre and when your soloing by yourself.
To clarify, I am talking about PvP, and not PvE, where taunt is useful.
Lol, I didn't expect to be chastised for simply passing on the data I accumulated. If you can think of a minion who is close to the Water Elemental in uselessness in PvP, I'd be curious to know. 19% useful spells is pretty bad, no matter how square the peg, or how round the hole
It is simply data, and the data shows this minion to be unhelpful in PvP. And it seems to me that no other minion is this unhelpful. That's all.
I keep spectral minion because fire and ice minion are helpful.
To clarify, I am talking about PvP, and not PvE, where taunt is useful.
Lol, I didn't expect to be chastised for simply passing on the data I accumulated. If you can think of a minion who is close to the Water Elemental in uselessness in PvP, I'd be curious to know. 19% useful spells is pretty bad, no matter how square the peg, or how round the hole
It is simply data, and the data shows this minion to be unhelpful in PvP. And it seems to me that no other minion is this unhelpful. That's all.
I keep spectral minion because fire and ice minion are helpful.
If your post was about PvP, it should probably be in the PvP forums or state somewhere within the post. Everyone is trying to change everything about PvP in the PvP forums anyways.
Second, IF KI was to make the storm minion more "useful" by shielding and healing you all the time, that would immediately make it completely overpowered in PvE and completely unintended the way it was orginially designed, especially for storm wizards. Unless they create two seperate versions, one of the game modes will lose out. Since, as a Balance wizard you are already afforded different minion choices, this is even more unfair for storm wizards.
Taunt and Soothe are completely useless in PvP too. That doesn't mean they need to be upgraded into something else to become useful. Some spells are designed for PvP and some spells are designed for PvE. Storm elemental is one of those spells.
If your post was about PvP, it should probably be in the PvP forums or state somewhere within the post. Everyone is trying to change everything about PvP in the PvP forums anyways.
Well, for what it's worth, I did post this in the PvP forum. Someone at KI put it in this forum. And for what it's worth, I did mention this was regarding arena fights in my first post.
There sure are lots of people who just can't wait to tear other people apart on this forum.
All this negativity, simply regarding scientific data? Nobody else thinks 19% usefulness is a bit low? It's simply a glaring imbalance I couldn't help but notice and point out.
Sorry this post is so provocative. I had no idea simple science would make people so angry.
