Leya tested Paladins‘ new champ Willow and played a few rounds with the combat chopper. Here are her impressions.
Willo is one of the most unusual shooter characters I’ve ever seen. She is an elf reminiscent of a mix between an insect and a flower. Her weapon is not even close to a weapon. The elf doesn’t use a pistol, sword, or bow – Willo’s weapon is a delicate little flower that shoots pollen.
However, this delicate little elf can deal devastating damage with this flower.
Willo – Block Healing and Trigger Powerful Explosions with Seeds
Willo’s flower – the Staff of Overgrowth – has quite an impact. With it, the elf can create a death zone that suppresses healing. An incredibly strong skill. With her ability “Seedling”, Willo hurls a seed that deals area damage. The seed explodes and directly after the explosion, produces more seeds, which also explode and deal damage.
How excited I was to bombard my opponents and take them out! The opposite happened. I died a lot and didn’t really get any kills.
Everything you need to know about Willo: Paladins: Willo – New Champ is (not) a cute fairy, skills and cards
Willow’s Gameplay – As Flittery and Fun as Her Personality
I took a closer look at Willo, studied her cards, and played around with her figurine. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks – I had forgotten to flutter and overlooked Willo’s personality.
This may sound strange now. Nonetheless, I found the decisive turning point for me in Willo’s gameplay. The elf is a real daredevil, brimming with energy and hardly able to stand still.
I dove into the next match and embraced Willo’s character. I began to play more boldly and used her movement ability “Flutter” much more consciously to chase down opponents and cleverly evade them so I could strike at the right moment.
Delicate Elf? Not at all! Willo is a nimble Combat Chopper
Willo flies with her ultimate ability “Elf Flight” for 10 seconds in the air and can use all her skills during that time. This makes her an excellent scout and combat chopper.
It’s especially cool to bombard opponents from high above with the exploding seeds. Willo is extremely hard to hit in the air – I found that out when I played against other Willos.
Willo Needs Tactical Adjustments – Just as It Should Be in Paladins
The elf has strong characteristics, with great area damage, flying, and blocked healing. Still, she seems to be in good balance. The cooldowns on her skills are quite high, which means that good timing must be exhibited.
Her ultimate cards define a clear strategy. They can deal significantly more damage to Willo or enhance her “Death Zone”. If you opt for the “Death Zone”, not only is healing blocked, but shields are also weakened. This is strong against the “2 Healers, 2 Tanks” meta. But Willo’s damage potential is drastically reduced as a result.
These very tactical decisions make Paladins stand out among shooters. Willo reflects that perfectly.
Willo Has a Strong Skill Set That Still Seems Balanced
Willo’s design is really strong overall. I like that she is not the classic, sweet fairy that could have possibly become a healer. I much prefer the flittery combat chopper in bright colors. And I still find Willo cute – in her own way.
Her kit is suitable for experimenting and playing around. Depending on deck building, you can enhance her different strengths while sacrificing a little in other areas. I could imagine that the damage of her exploding seeds might be reduced a bit. All in all, the elf seems to be in a good balance and I don’t expect any drastic adjustments.
Even if the elf might not fit into a classic shooter, she is perfectly placed in the colorful fantasy hero MOBA shooter mix – Paladins.
Have you played Willo yet? How do you like the summer elf?
Console players are still getting the patch with Willo. On PS4 and Xbox One, the latest champ Seris, the Oracle of the Abyss
To the official website: Play Paladins for free on PS4, Xbox One, PC
