# 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:** 6
**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 19, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/103 "2016-02-19T01:11:29Z")
> [@Tacet](#): > > ArenaShe will be OP > > Level 1-100She will be very OP. > > Level 101-250She will be OP. I’m level 350+, I’ve been playing the Arena daily for forever, and I actually always pick the Dryad when I get the chance (out of personal preferences, because she’s good, not god-tier). My Dryad is still just Epic, and I have a long way to go to ascend her to Legendary, let alone Mythic. How in the hell are those level 100 players going to have their basic Rare Dryad even begin to compete with Emperina, Celestasia (if they’re lucky and get her in an early chest), or any of the many bigger and better troops available for non-rigged PVP teams? They’re also obviously not going to have all the juicy stat boots from Level 10 Kingdoms, or be anywhere near that yet (I’m still working on this myself, though I’m finally getting close), or have Traits on most troops… You seem to be forgetting what PVP is actually like for the average low level player (who isn’t in Match Masters or similar). Stats come first and picking a squishy Rare support like the Dryad early on would be madness, even if her spell were “OP”. If you’re level 100-ish, your best bet to even have a shot at some PVP is to pick Legendaries, more Legendaries and a select few of the more powerful Epics. You don’t have the luxury to pick a once-garbage-tier troop like the Glade Warden and turn it into a 40/40/40 killing machine. If any troop below the Epic rarity becomes popular in PVP, it’s typically for people at much higher levels than that. At which point you yourself claim even the “OP” Dryad would be discarded (which is pretty clear to me as well). So it shouldn’t have any impact on PVP. Also, for the Arena, I’d like to add that the Arena meta will undoubtedly change a lot in 1.0.9, if only for the huge buffs to Heroes, which will have a million times bigger impact than any one troop could ever have. Other troops will also get changed, like the Frost Giant (that we know of yet, from a couple of tiny teasers). It’s way too early to estimate how good any one troop will be in this changed meta. We’ll just have to see it in context. My guess is that it’ll probably be more than fine, though (I think we’ll get roughly back to the pre-1.0.8 equilibrium, where your team is worth 50% hero + 50% the other 3 slots _combined_). > [@Tacet](#): > > Also, barrier will be strong everywhere. I think you guys are forgetting how easy it is to kite the AI into taking skull matches. I also agree to disagree on that, obviously. You’re reacting as though Barrier would be worth a spell all on its own. 8 mana “Give Barrier to an Ally”… This is the equivalent of ONE proc of Agile. Any skull (including a 1-skull proc from an Explosion) or any damage spell (including a cheap split/spread damage ability like the Giant Spider’s or Hobgolin’s) will remove it. It’s not like this was “this troop can’t die, period”. Getting this ability from a support troop, like the three examples in the preview screenshot, makes perfect sense. It will be a good bonus that will make them more viable (or in the Priestess’ case, _maybe_ viable at all - she’s currently trash-tier even in the Arena). The Dryad is about as good as tenth of an Emperina or a Yasmine’s Chalice at the moment; adding 2 HP and one temporary shield to her spell won’t suddenly make her “OP”, anywhere. Note that even Emperina is found in approximately 0.0001% of all current PVP teams, by the way, despite being worth 10 Dryads… However, if we’re super wrong and the Dryad truly does become an even greater plague than the goblin and true shot teams… lol I have no shade of doubt that there will be no shortage of calls for her to be nerfed at the stake _then_. Could we please wait? =) ---
**Author:** ![Rasper](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/rasper/32/2363_2.png) [@Rasper](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Rasper)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/104 "2016-02-19T01:13:39Z")
> [@Archenassa](#): > > 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! ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/gemsofwar/original/2X/a/a95f2e00d68ca6cc2223b60c18dafc446c76869e.jpg) ---
**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, 1:19am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/105 "2016-02-19T01:19:42Z")
> [@Archenassa](#): > > Wow my bad, these 2 extra hit points will change absolutely EVERYTHING. While you are joking, you are more correct than you may realize. Dryad’s problem always has been how useless her spell is on a fully healed troop. That is why she got the 3 hp gain in the first place. Now she will have 5 HP gain and barrier per cast on top of gem spawn. > [@LegendMaker](#): > > My Dryad is still just Epic, and I have a long way to go to ascend her to Legendary, let alone Mythic. How in the hell are those level 100 players going to have their basic Rare Dryad even begin to compete with Emperina, Celestasia (if they’re lucky and get her in an early chest), or any of the many bigger and better troops available for non-rigged PVP teams? At level 1 with no bonuses, Dryad does: (8 mana) - 5 HP gain - 9 green gem spawn - 2 heal - Barrier At level 1 with no bonuses, Celestasia does: (14 mana) - 2 HP gain - 10 gems - Cleanse At level 1 with no bonuses, Emperina does: (14 mana) - 1 HP - 1 Attack - Full heal - Cleanse Not to mention they will have Dryad likely within their first week or so of playing, whereas the other two would be months+. I’m not quite sure what argument you are making here for lower leveled players, especially since barrier scales upwards much better. A level 50 with a weak team up against a level 200+ will fend better with barrier than with not having barrier. ---
**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 19, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/106 "2016-02-19T02:00:56Z")
Are you seriously talking about level 1 troops? For PVP? 😕 It’s pretty clear that no one would (or at least should) bother with Invades (and consequently Defends) with a line-up of level 1 troops. I’ve hardly ever faced a line-up that wasn’t entirely made of max level troops, even when I started myself. Everyone would take 4 level 10 troops to PVP, even if it was their _only_ troops above level 1. It moved to level 15 when that was patched up, just as most line-ups these days have level 18+ troops. This is pretty basic. So maybe compare what’s comparable? Level 15 (at least). Assuming a player with no magic bonus at all yet (could still get one from having 4 dragons, for instance, though), so just from the troop’s magic: Emperina SPELL (14 mana) +3 Attack +3 HP FULL HEAL CLEANSE vs STATS Life: 14 Attack: 7 Celestasia SPELL (14 mana): 10 gems +6 HP CLEANSE vs STATS Life: 15 Attack: 9 Dryad SPELL (8 mana): 9 gems _+5 total HP\*_ (based on what we can half read from the screenshot) 6 HP heal (if possible) _BARRIER\*_ (based on what we can half read from the screenshot) vs STATS Life: 10 Attack: 5 Goblin Shaman: SPELL (10 mana) 7 gems +3 total HP EXTRA TURN Life: 14 Attack: 6 A player with these options is obviously far better off without the Dryad than with it. The spell alone does not the troop make. The opposite point was made recently for the Ogre, for instance (with good reason). Horrible spell? sure, but insane stats for his rarity slot. Dryad has a nice spell? Great. She’ll still get one-shot by fairly much anything you face in PVP, sometimes before casting her spell even once. EDIT (grrr forgot that one point ^^): > [@Tacet](#): > > Not to mention they will have Dryad likely within their first week or so of playing, whereas the other two would be months+ lolwat? Emperina is one of the free epics everybody is given just by completing kingdom quests, remember? Dryad, players actually have to get from chests (or, much farther down the line, from Arena, for mucho gems). Emp is free of charge, guaranteed, and you basically **start** with her, just like Sapphira etc. ---
**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, 2:20am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/107 "2016-02-19T02:20:40Z")
I believe Dryad won’t be nerfed regardless of its performance for the same reason Valkyrie will never be nerfed. Just like Valkyrie ensures everyone can farm souls, troops like Dryad will ensure lower leveled players can invade much higher leveled players. The only thing that will really happen is a troop with 3x cast damage and 2x skull damage to Fey. My main concern with her is she will make 4x Fey the new 4x Marauder. If people thought 4x Marauder took forever to kill, wait until the complaints come in for 4x Fey. ---
**Author:** ![Esoxnepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/esoxnepa/32/1837_2.png) [@Esoxnepa](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Esoxnepa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/108 "2016-02-19T02:44:58Z")
@LegendMaker @Tacet My speculation is that we will see massive changes to troop, so much so, that it is hard to compare the couple we’ve seen in the sneak previews. I say this based on the first line in: > [@Developers should never nerf units or abilities](http://community.gemsofwar.com/t/developers-should-never-nerf-units-or-abilities/3790/4): > > It’s an interesting theory, and I believe there is a time and a place for power creep and large sweeping buffs (you’ll see some in 109), BUT I do believe that an occasional nerf makes sense for a bunch of reasons: If a single object is performing too well, it makes a lot of sense to nerf that one thing… buffing 200 OTHER things is a huge amount of work for the same result, and will still leave most core players feeling a little cheated A refund system (Hearthstone has one… we’ll have on in… “It’s an interesting theory, and I believe there is a time and a place for power creep and large sweeping buffs” !!??!! ---
**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 19, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/109 "2016-02-19T04:35:21Z")
> [@Tacet](#): > > troops like Dryad will ensure lower leveled players can invade much higher leveled players You keep telling this and it keeps making zero sense to me. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. > [@Tacet](#): > > My main concern with her is she will make 4x Fey the new 4x Marauder. If people thought 4x Marauder took forever to kill, wait until the complaints come in for 4x Fey. I highly doubt that. Feys are far less synergistic and snowball-y than Marauders. The bonuses for having a full unique Fey/Forest of Thorns line-up are also spread much thinner than for Marauder/Zaejin. @Esoxnepa: Thanks for the link. I hadn’t noticed that other thread. > [@Esoxnepa](#): > > My speculation is that we will see massive changes to troop, so much so, that it is hard to compare the couple we’ve seen in the sneak previews. Exactly. What I said about the changes to the Arena meta with 1.0.9 should be true for PVP to an extent as well. After all, the main set goal of the bulk of the update is supposed to be to make the Hero viable _for PVP_, and a number of changed troops and new status effects will also likely shake up the meta a bit. Not to mention the True Shot and Agile adjustments (hopefully, if they come with the same patch). So we’ll have to see the big picture. ---
**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, 6:56am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/110 "2016-02-19T06:56:47Z")
> [@Tacet](#): > > troops like Dryad will ensure lower leveled players can invade much higher leveled players. > [@LegendMaker](#): > > You keep telling this and it keeps making zero sense to me. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. I am level 478. Lets say a level 100 is facing my current defend team. It leads with an Ogre with base 27 attack +1 every time it is damaged. Barrier, regardless of the Dryad’s level or rarity will negate the full attack. This occurs regardless of the Ogre’s attack. This level 100 could be up against a level 80 with an Ogre with 13 attack. Barrier is just as effective in both instances, meaning it is more effective in the instance of the stronger enemy. That is a difference of over 14 protection per instance blocked. ---
**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 19, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/111 "2016-02-19T08:17:36Z")
You could make this same point for a lot of effects already in the game though, heal to full, entangle, devour, or the general damage boost to spells by gemnumbers of a colour, generally everything that disregards the individual skills of a troop with its effect. ---
**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, 8:22am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/112 "2016-02-19T08:22:18Z")
> [@Gouki](#): > > You could make this same point for a lot of effects already in the game though, heal to full, entangle, devour, or the general damage boost to spells by gemnumbers of a colour, generally everything that disregards the individual skills of a troop with its effect. Heal to full: - Limited by a lower level’s lower max HP Entangle: - Limited by Immunity - Attack gain Devour: -Limited by % chance While barrier is consistent with upscaling, it is limited too by: - Poison - Burn But guess who has full immunity? Dryad. And Priestess has cleanse. ---
**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 19, 2016, 8:35am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/113 "2016-02-19T08:35:56Z")
So everything has limitations then, great! Devour itself is btw an additional limitation of barrier you forgot, one without a way around it too. And if attack gain is a limitation for entangle, so is any kind of direct damage to barrier, attack gain doesn’t just happen without spending a spell on it or being damaged. Also what is Dryads immunity gonna do for the troop she is actually shielding? Unless she is actually in front which i think no one is unhappy to see in an enemy team in the first place. 🕶 ---
**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, 8:40am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/114 "2016-02-19T08:40:18Z")
> [@Gouki](#): > > Unless she is actually in front which i think no one is unhappy to see in an enemy team in the first place. You would be surprised how strong a level 20 fully traited Dryad is in the first slot location. It is by no means the best first slot, but she is quite comparable to Knight Coronet in defensive capabilities of the same color. ---
**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 19, 2016, 8:44am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/115 "2016-02-19T08:44:27Z")
Knight Coronet has stoneskin, the single best defensive trait in the game which makes a huge difference. ---
**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, 8:47am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/116 "2016-02-19T08:47:49Z")
> [@Gouki](#): > > Knight Coronet has stoneskin, the single best defensive trait in the game which makes a huge difference. Yes, but he lacks big or huge, which Treant (fey, Forest of Thorns) and Gloom Leaf (fey, Forest of Thorns) have both. Add Dryad (fey, Forest of Thorns) and she will just feed the other two while still acting as an above par tank. She is by no means a superior tank compared to every possible tank in the game, but sufficient all around. Knight Coronet can just be silenced, entangled, and the such. ---
**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 19, 2016, 8:58am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/117 "2016-02-19T08:58:06Z")
While all that is besides the point of the argument, i’ll bite and say Dryad will just be oneshot by a trueshot troop or twoshot by any hardhitter, she has no offensive use for her spell, and is among the weaker skull damagedealers(though the difference gets more negliable the more kingdom bonuses come into play obviously). She needs to pump mana into herself just to simulate similar tanking capabilities as the knight has passively, whereas the knight just dishes out devastating spelldamage with his mana. A silenced Knight still has stoneskin and tanks just as well as a nature’s gift spamming dryad. Yes other Fey troops are amazing tanks that is exactly why a Dryad in front would make me happy, i get to dispatch her quick instead of her spell adding to the tankiness of treant or gloom leaf. ---
**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 19, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/118 "2016-02-19T14:28:10Z")
> [@Tacet](#): > > ArenaShe will be OP. > > Level 1-100She will be very OP. > > Level 101-250She will be OP. vs > [@Tacet](#): > > But guess who has full immunity? Dryad. & > [@Tacet](#): > > You would be surprised how strong a level 20 fully traited Dryad is Even if that were relevant to her applying Barrier to another troop, which it is not, **_you’re talking about exactly the type of Dryad that a level 100 player cannot possibly have._** Impervious is the Dryad’s **third Trait** , for crying out loud! And you need **91 copies** of that troop to make it reach level 20!!! “She’s gonna be OP _at level 20 with full traits_” and this is somehow going to help **_low_** level players? Come on… And even in your very example, the Dryad would never fill up and apply her spell anywhere near as often as your Ogre would simply match 3 or more skulls. So she’d get one-shot or two-shot anyway, end of story. Not to even mention that your defense team surely has a skull generator or two, to back up that Ogre. Edit: _And_ your troops also have spells; even your Ogre himself could potentially remove a Barrier with his trash-tier “explode 1 gem” ability. The Dryad would need 8 mana for every single Barrier cast; removing each Barrier would be almost for free… Also, in the (current) Arena, there are no Traits and all troops are at level 15. Unless you also expect that to change in 1.0.9 (which I really hope won’t be the case, as it would completely kill the mode’s spirit), nothing you have said so far supports in any way, shape or form your original assessment that the 1.0.9 Dryad will be OP in the Arena. All you’ve managed to make reasonably believable so far on this matter is this: > [@Tacet](#): > > 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. Which is to say, she won’t be a problem, so she won’t require a nerf, let alone be OP. There are far more problematic troops out there already. ---
**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 19, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/119 "2016-02-19T21:40:19Z")
Oh guys… Let’s just see what happens… ---
**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, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/120 "2016-02-19T22:36:24Z")
> [@Jainus](#): > > Oh guys… Let’s just see what happens… Wait until the thread starts for the new hero with traits. That discussion will be utter chaos. 😈 ---
**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 19, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/121 "2016-02-19T22:37:19Z")
> [@Jainus](#): > > Oh guys… Let’s just see what happens… Wish I could like that post a 1000 times! ---
**Author:** ![Machiknight](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/machiknight/32/6108_2.png) [@Machiknight](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Machiknight)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795/122 "2016-02-19T23:17:51Z")
At some point this just becomes an american political debate between a single party. Vacuous and with no real meaning until the proof is shown. [Previous page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795.md?page=5) [Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/1-0-9-sneak-peek-barrier/3795.md?page=7)