# Famine badly needs a nerf **URL:** \ **Category:** Gameplay Chat (General)\ **Created:** [May 18, 2017, 9:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338 "2017-05-18T09:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![pnast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pnast](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/pnast)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/167 "2017-06-06T20:59:37Z")
Me too, I had 4 Psion, Famine, Death, Famine fights and 1 that must of been a Kerberos, Forest Guardian leftover. At least it was different! ---
**Author:** ![jeno](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/jeno/32/20235_2.png) [@jeno](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/jeno)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/168 "2017-06-06T21:57:49Z")
use 4 dwarven miner. i can guarantee no famine can one shot any of them. plus they have impervious protecting them from deathmark. win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 7:52am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/169 "2017-06-07T07:52:50Z")
I hate that team so much. I have beat it quickly quite a few times this week using Bat/Valk/Draak/Mercy but it still really boring. ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/170 "2017-06-07T07:55:31Z")
> [@Darkness](#): > > Better get used to it. With the 25% bonus to Famine this week it is unlikely any player currently running a Famine defense will change it this week… ☹ I haven’t seen Famine as much this week with the Crimson Bat/Draakulis buff most of my battles involve them. > [@Darkness](#): > > I just fought my 5 Guild Wars battles against Match Masters (bracket 2). IIRC all 5 defenses were Psion, 2x Famine + one other troop (Crimson Bat, Death or Wraith). I’m glad I’m not fighting MM this week then. That might even push me enough to quit the game. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/171 "2017-06-07T12:28:33Z")
That’s why I try to keep it totally fresh for you with a DK with Anu’s Scepter. I wouldn’t want GWs to get stale. 😉 When I’m not facing 2xK,GS,FG or PS,X,2xF, I enjoy seeing what people have come up with. I’ve built a bunch of test defenses that sometimes make it to my GW defense, but when I’m short on time, you get a cheese sandwich. 😢 > [@Darkness](#): > > I just fought my 5 Guild Wars battles against Match Masters (bracket 2). IIRC all 5 defenses were Psion, 2x Famine + one other troop (Crimson Bat, Death or Wraith). ---
**Author:** ![Grundulum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grundulum](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Grundulum)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/172 "2017-06-07T14:27:08Z")
Down in one of the lower brackets, I got Psion/Ragnagord/Famine/Death. First turn mana surge for the AI meant Ragnagord fired on the second turn, more than halfway filling Famine (not to mention the mana going to Psion and itself). Keep it in mind as a way to break the monotony. ---
**Author:** ![Druss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@Druss](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Druss)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/173 "2017-06-08T00:00:31Z")
Famine is fine the way he is, except spell should cost 24+. That statement seems to imply no nerf required, but the opposite is true. Famine isn’t the problem, FamineS is the problem. Facing 3 of them where your guaranteed never to get a mana surge, lose 9 skill points a turn & face a 1 shot nuke that recharges quicker than anything you can get because of 3x Jinx. Added to which he has massive armour & is usually protected by psion draining any mana you got by mistake. Basically need a lot of luck to beat this - if famine wins the initial mana race its almost always curtains. ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:51am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/174 "2017-06-08T07:51:57Z")
Today in GW I fought Psion/Famine/Famine/Mercy I had a drainer, 2 mana generators and 3 summoners but Famine still got 8 casts off and killed my entire team including 4 Spider Swarms. Fighting this crap in almost every GW battle is NOT fun. I honestly don’t know how much longer I can put up with this before I just quit playing. @Saltypatra can you PLEASE do some testing with Famine at a 25 mana cost? with his jinx making it take longer to get any of my drainers up he should still be a decent threat. I don’t think mana shield will help with the Famine problem because not enough decent troops have mana shield. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:58am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/175 "2017-06-08T07:58:18Z")
> [@Maxx](#): > > I don’t think mana shield will help with the Famine problem because not enough decent troops have mana shield. they would add/remove mana shield to/from troops - to balance them - if they did that trait rework, so no, not necesarely not good enough, i think it would do just great ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:02am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/176 "2017-06-08T08:02:05Z")
Mana shield would need to be on 3 or 4 of every colour and even then there will be colours that have mana shield on a few unusable troops. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/177 "2017-06-08T08:03:30Z")
probably just like with impervious troops: take it or leave it 😉 but i think that would be completely fair option: weaken the team to be immune or try to fight with better team synergy - choice like always 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/178 "2017-06-08T08:07:24Z")
That’s not always possible in GW I have to use a 4 mono coloured team and if I use a weak team to be immune then they will have another damager that will destroy me or Khorvash will be on every team to stun the immunity. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:10am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/179 "2017-06-08T08:10:28Z")
well excuse me but that sounds like whining to me for example i struggle with red team since void portal completely doesnt work for me and so i have to fight red with no summoner so i suffer greater risk but i just deal with it. why dont you complain about traits/skills combination for each color about any other effect, not just one that isnt even added yet? **want to remove some effect from the game just coz it doesnt have viable combo for all colors?** mana drain immunity would provide us tools to defend from it, what you wanna do with it is your choice but i think this would **balance the famine well enough** ---
**Author:** ![turintuor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/turintuor/32/4097_2.png) [@turintuor](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/turintuor)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:25am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/180 "2017-06-08T08:25:09Z")
Mana shield is not a solution: they are currently only 9 troops… And I dislike the “you want to be safe, take a full team with the counter trait (Warded against DM for example)”. Moreover, boosting a trait only for only one troop seems strange to me. Just put “Disease” on Famine when he casts so he will be difficult for him to perma-drain. ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:30am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/181 "2017-06-08T08:30:25Z")
> [@Annaerith](#): > > why dont you complain about traits/skills combination for each color about any other effect, not just one that isnt even added yet? Because nothing is as broken as Famine. If Kerberos devours one of my troops I usually have something up or close to it to start damaging the Kerberos and I should have a chance at getting a drainer or silencer up before Kerberos can cast again. > [@Annaerith](#): > > want to remove some effect from the game just coz it doesnt have viable combo for all colors? I have NEVER said I want any effects removed from the game. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 8:33am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/182 "2017-06-08T08:33:31Z")
I think we’ve heard enough about where the devs are going with Famine, and this debate isn’t taking stuff further, just raising acrimony… there’ve always been opposed camps… that’s why this is a forum. Let’s see what changes happen, and hope they happen fast. If (as many have alluded) Famine is still a problem, and _everywhere_ then let’s whinge some more and get it properly balanced. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:34am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/183 "2017-06-08T08:34:12Z")
> [@Maxx](#): > > I have NEVER said I want any effects removed from the game. i know but you said that ~~if the effect wont be covered with all the colors that it means it shouldnt be in game~~ the effect x shouldnt be in game coz it wont cover all colors \>\> apply logic > [@turintuor](#): > > Mana shield is not a solution: they are currently only 9 troops like i said few post above, devs did already say that if they implement the change they would rebalance the units with mana shield, add the trait to some, remove from some anyway i dont care if its added to mana shield or made compeletely new trait - either way mana drain immunity is needed, and i hope it will be added im tired of the mana drain effect and would like to bypass it like any other bypassable “tiring” effect all of the most “tiring” effects should be bypassable to offer player choice to enjoy the game their way. ---
**Author:** ![Maxx](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/maxx/32/50891_2.png) [@Maxx](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Maxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:41am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/184 "2017-06-08T08:41:07Z")
> [@Annaerith](#): > > i know but you said that if the effect wont be covered with all the colors that it means it shouldnt be in game \>\> apply logic I NEVER SAID THAT OR MEANT THAT. If the immunity to mana drain is on useless or weak troops then it doesn’t make a difference to Famine problem. ---
**Author:** ![Annaerith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/annaerith/32/13840_2.png) [@Annaerith](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/Annaerith)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:44am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/185 "2017-06-08T08:44:53Z")
if it turns out to be on usueless / weak troops only and wont counter famine well enough then i will support you with further “nerf famine” requests with all my passion but i believe that trait is needed to be added first, otherwise famine may be nerfed too much after the trait is added, or trait wont be added at all and the effect that takes a lot of fun away will not be countered (coz face it - mana drain is one of most annoying effects, you could see it with manticore and now with famine) ---
**Author:** ![turintuor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.gemsofwar.com/turintuor/32/4097_2.png) [@turintuor](https://community.gemsofwar.com/u/turintuor)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:46am UTC](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338/186 "2017-06-08T08:46:19Z")
Mana drain is a general counter to spells and it seems better to keep it like that. The problem is that one troop can drain all without any drawback: as soon as Famine, a new race begins with Famine having some advantages (3xcolors + Jinx). I read well your posts but devs are not going to put it on every useful troops… This kind of solution will push players to focus on a tiny set of troops if you want to avoid mana drain (like the full Impervious team). I will prefer a new trait which force the drainer to target only the troops with the new trait (if there is one). So in this case, you need to put only one anti-drainer to protect your whole team ;-). Maybe a similar idea for Devour could be nice too. [Previous page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338.md?page=8) [Next page](https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/famine-badly-needs-a-nerf/24338.md?page=10)