Get comfy and grab your UNSC approved brew, here is my proposal for Cutter 2.0.
Disclaimer:
- I am a UNSC main, and have limited experience playing against UNSC as banished. - I play 3 v 3 random teams (I don’t have any friends). - I don’t really play aggressively or to win (i.e. abuse broken game mechanics). - If you recognise one of your own ideas in my list of suggestions, feel free to claim credit - I don’t remember where they all originate from and how many are from my own grey matter. - I do think Cutter is still viable, I just have some suggestions to make him more interesting to play as!Hero Unit
I think its general consensus that Cutter should have Major Vaughan’s ODST squad - (pleasantly named) “Sunray 1-1”. Two different Jerome’s running around is kind of strange. There are a number of potential upgrade routes.
Option 1) The squad is purchased in its entirety. Upgrades increase health/ damage.
Option 2) The squad is purchased as a 3 man fire team. This initial team could contain one or more specialised units for balancing purposes. For example, to have Vaughan be effective against vehicles, a SPNKR wielding trooper (later upgraded to a S.Laser). Upgrades add more units.
Additional options) Have the mini MAC EMP marker make a return, to offset potential weaknesses vs vehicles or infantry blobs early game (owing to lack of AOE attack). Or perhaps the ability to call in a single ODST squad for similar effect.
One question to answer is whether the health is shared by all units, or each unit within the squad has its own health (as per marines). Could add an interesting element to gameplay.
ODST
In need of a revamp. Effective early, but late game not good for much other than their stun and distraction. I’m honestly not sure why the ODST squads are all armed with the M7S SMG - think back to Halo 3: ODST, and the squad was armed to the teeth and capable of dealing with most threats. Why we are given a squad of “rookies” is confusing. Replace the SMG with a Battle Rifle or DMR to make them effective against infantry (rarely used by many leaders late game), similar to the Elites “run and fire” ability.
Option 1) Move a Leader Point from Restoration Drones 3 or Turret Drop 2 to “ODST Drop 2” - improving effectiveness through upgraded armament (better vs different unit types), health and overall damage.
Option 2) Have “ODST” as a final marine upgrade, as in HW1. Late game, basic marines are arguably more effective - they can heal vehicles and buildings, fire rockets at air units, and throw grenades at ground units. Tactically, and financially, it makes more sense to make marines.
Option 3) Add a “Power” cost requirement to ODST Drop and increase their effectiveness as per Option 1.
Option 4) Change the ODST Assault Group so it is a larger number of better equipped ODST, perhaps with a few light vehicles, to better reflect what ODST are and remove the “Instant” army call in.
A note on timed charges - if anyone could explain to me how these are supposed to work, I would love to know. Half the time they don’t go where told, and then don’t go off, and late game they tickle buildings. If they operated like grenades with a 1-2 second fuse that would be fine, or some sort of remote option…
Cyclops Drop leader power
I have a bit of a gripe with this. At Tier 4, you can call in one cyclops. Granted, it is a level 2 veteran, but lets compare that with a few other leaders: (apologies if there are mistakes here, this is copied from a website - take too long to look them all up)
Atriox
Glassing Beam I: Fires a controllable plasma beam. Damages all unit types and buildings. It has a cooldown of 195s.
Glassing Beam II: Increases Glassing Beam size and damage. It has a cooldown of 195s
Teleport I: Teleports own units to any location within range. Does not require line of sight. It has a cooldown of 165s.
Forge
Vehicle Drop I: Deploys 2 veteran Kodiaks. It has a cooldown of 180s.
Vehicle Drop II: Adds a veteran Warthog to Vehicle Drop. Transport Pelican is upgraded to a gunship. It has a cooldown of 180s.
Lotus Mine I: Drops a line of cloaked mines. Once armed, mines explode on contact. Does not damage air units. It has a cooldown of 105s.
Decimus
Teleport I: Teleports own units to any location within range. Does not require line of sight. It has a cooldown of 165s.
Boundless Siphon – Passive: All units gain a permanent minor health siphon when they damage enemy units. Effect stacks with Life Leech.
Shipmaster
Spirit Support: Deploys one Elite Ranger, one Hunter, and two Engineers. Spirit provides prolonged cover fire. It has a cooldown of 180s.
Displacement: Teleports enemy units. Does not require line of sight. It has a cooldown of 240s.
You get the picture. Feels to me that at this stage, you should be looking at a ~3 cyclops, or an anti-vehicle ODST squad or something! Late game one cyclops will not have an effect.
Finally… Close Air Support.
I think this was in the forum fairly recently, but I think it needs revisiting.
- It is far too easy to shoot down - no other leader power, save for the lackluster Lich, can be destroyed before it does any damage. Spending 1500 resources for nothing is just ridiculous. “Its situational” you say, as you call in your equally situational leader power where ever you want, with no fear of it being negated instantly. - It does little to no damage - I watched my CAS attempted to take down a hunter early, and in its entire lifespan, it only just managed it - the damage output is terrible. This may be in part due to the next issue… - It cannot be targeted properly. It is not an area of denial weapon - the pelican’s can be destroyed one by one as they circle, so by placing it in one area, you want it to damage something in that area… except, you have no choice over what. I like to call in nukes on enemy production buildings to halt their… production. I cant do that with my CAS though. It will shoot where ever it chooses, often times changing targets before it even half health’s units or buildings. - The air meta is strong in 3 v 3 right now. This means that at least one of your opponents will either have Air, or Anti - Air, both of which are extremely effective against… Air. Add to that the fact most people place AA turrets on their bases and the CAS loses its last grain of effectiveness. Not one to complain without providing alternatives, here are mine.
Replace CAS with a timed Condor.
Dramatically increase CAS health.
Dramatically increase CAS health AND damage, and increase cost.
My favourite idea - and least likely - give Cutter a 1 - 3 shot precision MAC blast power, where each blast takes out, for e.g. a turret and 1/3 of the buildings health next to it, or 3/4 of a building health if targeted directly. All three would perhaps 1/3 a Scarab and 1/2 a condors health.
In summary, I know none of these things will ever be implemented, I just wanted to share my thoughts and want to know what you guys think. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am a Halo purist and a massive ODST fan, I just want to bring Cutter inline, thematically, with other leaders (such as that Goo guy, Kinsano, Serina, Arbiter, etc)
Thanks for reading.
tl;dr - moar ODST, CAS is rubbish.