# 1.0.9 Sneak Peek - Barrier **URL:** \ **Category:** Official News\ **Created:** [February 17, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795 "2016-02-17T06:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ragereaver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Ragereaver](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Ragereaver)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/83 "2016-02-18T20:33:12Z")
Defending with spider queen, valk, silent one, abhorath atm to be different. ---
**Author:** ![MrSammy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/mrsammy/32/1957_2.png) [@MrSammy](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/MrSammy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/84 "2016-02-18T20:55:55Z")
> [@Emos](#): > > Since there’s no immense incentive to have Defense Wins Actually, at 3 glories per victory, it’s kind of worth it… I get about ~30 defense wins a day; this means ~650 glories a week. > [@Emos](#): > > Why does almost everyone and their Mom post a Netdeck of the OP flavor of the month? I’ve always came up with my own defense teams. They are usually good, winning ~75% of the time. Currently, it’s a True Shot team, because it works… @Machiknight even complained about it at one point… Sorry if it causes you grievances, but all is fair in war and games. ---
**Author:** ![Emos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/emos/32/5163_2.png) [@Emos](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Emos)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/85 "2016-02-18T21:31:51Z")
It wasn’t meant as a slam against you Sammy 🙂 I bumped up against your Defense team when it was still new and I admittedly marveled at it at the time. Imitation they say is the best form of flattery, I just sometimes wish there was a bit more diversity at times! ---
**Author:** ![MrSammy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/mrsammy/32/1957_2.png) [@MrSammy](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/MrSammy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/86 "2016-02-18T21:40:41Z")
> [@Emos](#): > > It wasn’t meant as a slam against you Sammy 🙂 Oh, I don’t mind a slam, really. I understand why you’re tired of fighting the OP flavor. (boring goblins) I was trying to answer your question… “why?” ---
**Author:** ![utfanx2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/utfanx2/32/525_2.png) [@utfanx2](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/utfanx2)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/87 "2016-02-18T21:42:18Z")
> [@Tacet](#): > > The only possible counter to it is if a new event troop is added that does 2x skull damage to fey and has an ability that does 3x damage to fey. Even then… barrier. 😛 Elf-Eater and Gob-Chomper should devour Fey and Monster on top of dealing double damage. Kerberos is looking a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![LegendMaker](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/legendmaker/32/859_2.png) [@LegendMaker](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/LegendMaker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/88 "2016-02-18T21:49:02Z")
> [@Razlath](#): > > Frozen was a lasting teamwide debuff that changed the core match-3 mechanics of the game. By that logic, goblins and all other troops and spells giving _extra extra_ turns also “change the core match-3 mechanics of the game”… Those effects, and especially the fact that they can stack up to give multiple turns in a row, have always been borderline game-breaking, and usually way too cheap for their insane impact. The devs came up with a game mechanic that countered this, thus making the gameplay potentially more varied and interesting, and extra turns less of an automatic get-out-of-jail free card. This was absolutely fine and should have been welcomed by the community, in my opinion. Instead, a few über vocal forum regulars cried wolf very persistently at the preview and, in this particular instance, the devs followed this specific feedback (despite not being entirely convinced the nerf was really _needed_, if you read between the lines). Your wish was already granted. Rejoice. Expecting the many players who didn’t feel the same way to retroactively accept your view on Frozen as the undeniable truth on top of that is pushing it a bit. Agree to disagree, to each their own, and please accept that people who disagree with you at least also voice their opinion (even if they lost this particular battle in terms of what will be released). > [@Tacet](#): > > I’m calling it now, Dryad will need a nerf. If you check the card real quick, the devs seemed to buff it even more to 5 HP gain (up from 3). The 10+ heal, 9 green gems, AND barrier just add on to make the card seem like a legendary with how much it does. That is at least a 11 mana cost spell for only 8 mana. A different fix could be to remove the HP gain and just leave it as a heal like it was previously. I’m calling it now: **you leave the Dryad well alone!** 😡 She was very near useless before (a little bit of) life gain was added to her spell, and now she’s pretty good in the Arena. I refuse to see her nerfed into oblivion even if it turns out that the flavor-of-the-month abusers switch from Glade Warden to her for Invades. Is the only reaction anyone ever has on this forum when something new comes along to grab the closest pitchfork and yell NEEEERF? 😓 ---
**Author:** ![Tacet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/tacet/32/35_2.png) [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/89 "2016-02-18T22:10:01Z")
> [@LegendMaker](#): > > Is the only reaction anyone ever has on this forum when something new comes along to grab the closest pitchfork and yell NEEEERF I’m normally the one yelling “BUFFFF!!!”, but doing so in way too many words. 🙂 My main issue with how 1.0.9 Dryad appears to be is that she is buffed twice - she gets +2 to HP gain and barrier. On top of this, it appears to be the cheapest mana cost of any barrier. To top all that off, she has full immunity and no good Fey counter (Elwyn? Elf Eater? LMAO!). Also, Dryad won’t be used in invade teams, or at least not for higher leveled players. A troop that primarily heals and shield has no use in rushing late game PvP unless it is being done in Warlord 3 or 4. Lower and mid level players may use it so they can take on higher leveled players with slightly more ease. It is hard to call buffs right now for many have already been mentioned to the devs. There is no way in knowing until 1.0.9 what buffs they actually decide to do, so people can currently only complain about what known things are too strong. ---
**Author:** ![Jainus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/jainus/32/34949_2.png) [@Jainus](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Jainus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/90 "2016-02-18T22:12:41Z")
> [@Razlath](#): > > Frozen was a lasting teamwide debuff that changed the core match-3 mechanics of the game. Eh? Did Frozen turn it into match-7? Or golf? Or World of Warcraft? No… It was still match-3, you’d have just had to think differently for a VERY short time and have different priorities on what matches to take or spells to cast… …might have been interesting… Might have been too strong, or might have never been used… We’ll never know… ---
**Author:** ![Studs](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/studs/32/3498_2.png) [@Studs](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Studs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/91 "2016-02-18T22:17:19Z")
We could take Sirrian’s word for it as a player of Gems and the dude who invented these sorts of games, and he seemed to think it felt pretty good in practice. ---
**Author:** ![Razlath](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/razlath/32/659_2.png) [@Razlath](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Razlath)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/92 "2016-02-18T22:25:55Z")
> [@LegendMaker](#): > > Your wish was already granted. Rejoice. Expecting the many players who didn’t feel the same way to retroactively accept your view on Frozen as the undeniable truth on top of that is pushing it a bit. Agree to disagree, to each their own, and please accept that people who disagree with you at least also voice their opinion (even if they lost this particular battle in terms of what will be released). If this was what I was doing you would be correct. I am not the first person to mention the frozen buff compared to this one, actually that was you I believe. So who is refusing to agree to disagree now? You trudged up an old beef because you couldn’t let it go. The thread was about the awesomeness (or lameness depending on viewpoint) of the new buff until that point. That derailing lands entirely in your lap. Sorry, but you can’t just take jabs at people / viewpoints and then expect them to sit quietly. You started it, so look to yourself about who can’t let things go. I have no problem with people disagreeing, I would have had no problem if the devs did not come down on my side in relation to the frozen debuff and frankly did not think they would. I saw a problem, I voiced my concerns, I made points and counter points. Then I left it in the hands of the devs. Maybe you should do the same. The next preview was looked at entirely in its own light and I don’t see any problem with it. If I did, I would once again make my concerns known. Some have already done so, I don’t agree with everything they have said, but I don’t tell them to be quiet and “wait and see” either. I listened, thought, and concluded that I am not as concerned as they are. Once again, the devs will review our discussion and make their own decisions. If they show up tomorrow and somehow nerf (or buff) barrier, I am not going to be dragging it out in the next buff / debuff conversation. Extra turns do not break the core mechanics of the game because they effect only your side of the board. You use an ability which has baked into it an extra turn for yourself. When your turn ends I have the exact same opportunity to use whatever abilities are on my troops. Pricing of abilities aside (which is a different debate entirely) our abilities are in theory roughly balanced and come down to personal choice and preference. In all cases there is a core mechanic we all play by. 4 of a kind and 5 of a kind matches taken produce an extra turn (and auto mana surge for 5). Scan your board, plan your moves, look for cascades then take your turn. You are rewarded for careful planning and clever cascade usage. If the other player (ie the AI) makes a bad move and leaves you with 4/5 of a kinds you punish them by scooping them up or using them to your advantage in some other way. No matter what debuffs your team suffers from this mechanic and ability to defend yourself against risky combos stays in play. That is what frozen changed and that is why in its original form it was too much. You can disagree, but we have already had and resolved this debate as much as we can. Trudging it up again because you didn’t like the outcome doesn’t change the points and counterpoint for which there are no new ones as near as I can tell. -Razlath ---
**Author:** ![LegendMaker](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/legendmaker/32/859_2.png) [@LegendMaker](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/LegendMaker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/93 "2016-02-18T23:07:43Z")
> [@Razlath](#): > > I am not the first person to mention the frozen buff compared to this one, actually that was you I believe. Oh, you mean that one line in the intro of Post #27, before moving on to an elaborate and constructive discussion on Barrier and the upcoming update in general? Rrright. I’m sure _this_ is why Frozen was compared to Barrier by multiple users 40 posts later… Surely your systematic _“those of us capable of seeing the obvious”_ lectures in response to any such mention have nothing to do with it. > [@Razlath](#): > > You started it I rest my case. 😮 Not interested in this type of discourse, sorry. > [@Tacet](#): > > My main issue with how 1.0.9 Dryad appears to be is that she is buffed twice - she gets +2 to HP gain and barrier. On top of this, it appears to be the cheapest mana cost of any barrier. To top all that off, she has full immunity and no good Fey counter (Elwyn? Elf Eater? LMAO!). Also, Dryad won’t be used in invade teams, or at least not for higher leveled players. A troop that primarily heals and shield has no use in rushing late game PvP unless it is being done in Warlord 3 or 4. Lower and mid level players may use it so they can take on higher leveled players with slightly more ease. I’m not sure I follow your reasoning. You’re saying that you don’t think she’ll be used (let alone abused) for PVP, but that she still needs a nerf? What for? 😃 You don’t seem to have the Arena in mind either (although this is where she’s actually used today, and where a nerf to her would likely have an impact), so I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Tacet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/tacet/32/35_2.png) [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/94 "2016-02-18T23:15:04Z")
> [@LegendMaker](#): > > You’re saying that you don’t think she’ll be used (let alone abused) for PVP, but that she still needs a nerf? **Arena** She will be OP. **Level 1-100** She will be very OP. **Level 101-250** She will be OP. **Level 251+** Other things are quicker and Dryad will rarely be used in PvP. She will be used in defend teams with some of the most annoying meta builds to date. ---
**Author:** ![Archenassa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/archenassa/32/153_2.png) [@Archenassa](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Archenassa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/95 "2016-02-18T23:18:50Z")
Is that a joke? She certainly won’t be OP in the Arena, where you have troops like the Summoner or weapons like Yasmine’s Chalice which are already pretty powerful. Just because she gives immune - which, if I might add, only works for ONE instance of damage- does not make her overpowered in any way. She had a small buff that made her go from useless to good, but nowhere near “absolutely awesome need above all”, so adding some immunity will simply turn her into “really good”'. ---
**Author:** ![Tacet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/tacet/32/35_2.png) [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/96 "2016-02-18T23:24:09Z")
> [@Archenassa](#): > > Is that a joke? She certainly won’t be OP in the Arena For 8 mana she will: - Add 5 HP to a troop - Heal that troop for 6 - Spawn 9 green gems, tied at highest consistent gem spawn of any Arena troop (excluding weapons) - Add a barrier to the target All a player has to do is put hero or a good tank first slot while spamming Dryad’s spell on it. Then whoever uses green on the team will completely wipe the other team while first spot becomes unkillable with an ever increasing max HP. ---
**Author:** ![Jainus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/jainus/32/34949_2.png) [@Jainus](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Jainus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/97 "2016-02-18T23:27:14Z")
I don’t play Arena so can’t comment on that part of the debate… I agree with @tacet that her spell now seems to do a lot for the mana cost, but I’d not go so far as to say it’s broken / too unbalanced… There are worse things wrecking the meta right now… Again let’s wait and see pleeeeese… ---
**Author:** ![Tacet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/tacet/32/35_2.png) [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/98 "2016-02-18T23:30:54Z")
> [@Jainus](#): > > Again let’s wait and see pleeeeese… I’m curious if Poison Master will be a poison master in 1.0.9. ---
**Author:** ![Gouki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/gouki/32/22405_2.png) [@Gouki](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Gouki)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/99 "2016-02-18T23:32:54Z")
In Arena barrier will not play a very big role, and she is meh in arena right now (with certain lucky team draws she can be kinda good, completely useless with certain other draws) i doubt the buff will make her op in arena at all compared to certain weapons or the universal usefullness of some other troops. Don’t know about pvp though, i haven’t met a team with a dryad being a challenge in any way yet, but i also don’t play sheggra/bone dragon idiocy and have directed spell damage in my team, so 🐒. In any case Dryad won’t be close to the bone dragon/sheggra nonsense in terms of power. ---
**Author:** ![Archenassa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/archenassa/32/153_2.png) [@Archenassa](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Archenassa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/100 "2016-02-18T23:45:48Z")
She already does all that BUT the barrier, and yet you don’t actually see her much in the Arena. Nice gem spawner? Sure, if you don’t mind the big chance to give the board to your opponent. Nice healing? Sure, but not overwhelmingly so. Nice life bonus? Sure, but nothing crazy either. Don’t get me wrong, she’s good, but far from being a top-tier instapick troop, and adding barrier will make her better, but nowhere near OP territory. ---
**Author:** ![Tacet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/tacet/32/35_2.png) [@Tacet](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Tacet)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/101 "2016-02-19T00:14:39Z")
> [@Archenassa](#): > > She already does all that BUT the barrier That is incorrect. She gets barrier and +2 to HP gain for a total of 5, up from 3. Also, barrier will be strong everywhere. I think you guys are forgetting how easy it is to kite the AI into taking skull matches. ---
**Author:** ![Archenassa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/archenassa/32/153_2.png) [@Archenassa](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Archenassa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/102 "2016-02-19T01:00:04Z")
Wow my bad, these 2 extra hit points will change absolutely EVERYTHING. She’ll go from being good to being the most awesome troop that ever existed in the Arena - what am I even saying, in the WHOLE GAME! -, people will be stunned by barrier that will be unbreakable and the insane amount of life that can never ever be taken away, she’ll even be nice enough to systematically give you an extra turn when creating gems, and no one knows it yet, but she will, in fact, gives you instant victory as soon as you start a fight! Dryad’s OP! NERF PLOXX! [Previous page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795.md?page=4) [Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795.md?page=6)