While other classes and super abilities in Destiny 2 have received fantastic buffs, the Warlock’s only super, Nova Warp, has been utterly nerfed. How could this happen?
How strong was Nova Warp before the 2.1.4 update? The super ability introduced with Forsaken for the Voidwalker not only excels in “neutral play” (or neutral game – how effective the abilities are in normal play without using the super), as the Nova Warp Warlock can turn his grenade into a hand supernova and regenerates health on ability kills.
For those still not satisfied, the increased melee range is sure to please. However, the super ability itself was also quite strong, at least when one was in the Crucible. In PvE, the super was mainly used to take out larger hordes of enemies. For tough bosses, Nova Warp has always been rather unsuitable.
Nova Warp was a real killer in the Crucible: A super ability that feels like it lasts for minutes, gives back health on kills, and even goes through walls? Sure, why not? Even if all team members were shooting the Warlock, the increased armor and health regeneration made this super ability a true monster.
Those who wanted to counter Nova Warp effectively had two options: run away or play a Hunter with Blade Barrage. With other super attacks, there was no need to even try. Even a Titan with the Code of the Missile could be taken out of his Superman animation with a single blow.
With the 2.1.4 update, Bungie aimed to rebalance the super. Unfortunately, this went terribly wrong.
This is how Bungie wanted to adjust Nova Warp: In the TWAB blog from January 11, Bungie went into detail about the changes players could expect with the 2.1.4 update. A first glimpse of the changes to Nova Warp was accompanied by the words
The aforementioned Nova Warp changes are small, but we believe that together they will bring things to the right level – a level comparable to the Supers we have buffed.
So it should be “small” changes that aim to make Nova Warp comparable to the super attacks that have now received a buff. In the patch notes, the full extent of the Warlock drama was finally revealed:
- Nova Warp Super
- While charging, you move slightly slower
- Charging consumes more energy
- Initial charge costs (each time you activate the super) increased by 60%
- Ongoing drain cost (holding) increased by 60%
- Duration reduced by 6.8 seconds
- Damage resistance of the super reduced from 56% to 54%
- Damage against Guardians reduced by 27%
What do these nerfs mean in consequence? Not only was the duration of the super reduced by 7 seconds, but the charging costs were significantly increased. In addition, movement speed was also reduced.
Those who try the super in the Crucible will find that enemies can escape relatively easily, and the Warlock also consumes too much super energy through teleporting. This means that the super can, in the worst case, only be activated two or three times before time runs out. Thus, the effectiveness of the super has been halved at best.
On top of that, Bungie buffed almost every super with the 2.1.4 update, making the nerf of Nova Warp seem even more severe. Specifically, the Gunslinger Hunter and the Striker Titan received fantastic buffs.
Since Nova Warp barely played a role in PvE even before the nerf, it is likely that no one uses it now. Neutral play remains strong, but the super is useless.
This is what Guardians have to say about the nerfs: Voices in the community are growing louder, calling for a rework of Nova Warp. While the damage reduction and decreased armor are deemed “good”, the movement reduction should be lifted, and the charging costs reduced.
This would ensure that Nova Warp would still be an alternative in the Crucible. However, for the fight against aliens, the talent tree would need to be balanced completely separately, a high-wire act that Bungie traditionally struggles with.
Until then, the nerf of Nova Warp undoubtedly deserves a place on our list of the worst nerfs of all time.
What do you think about the changes to Nova Warp? Were they justified?
