Void Wisp's mana steal is ineffective against Mana Drain immunity

[Jonathan]

Platform, device version and operating system:

Mobile/Android

Screenshot or image:

Note this separate trait (not on targeted troop):

What you were expecting to happen, and what actually happened:

Was expecting Void Wisp’s mana steal ability to reduce enemy’s mana and increase own mana by relevant amount (4).

No change in mana levels occurred.

Also, enemy’s Dark Ancestry trait flashed, indicating a trigger.

How often does this happen? When did it begin happening?

• Replicated once in Challenge battle subsequently
• Noticed just prior to this post

Steps to make it happen again

1. Use Void Wisp’s ability against a troop with immunity to Dark Ancestry or immunity to Mana Drain
   • e.g. Dark Maiden, Tal’Rae
   • ensure said troop has mana available to be stolen

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Notes:

Dark Ancestry confers immunity to Mana Drain, however a separate and specific immunity to Mana Steal exists. My assumption is that immunity to Mana Drain would not render the Mana Shield trait completely unnecessary/obselete, as this would make recent troop Wu Hao’s choice of third trait even more confusing:

@Jeto

Chased this up with the team in regards to Wu Hao’s traits, and they are as intended!

My speculation is one or more of the following:

• Mana Drain incorrectly also gives immunity to Mana Steal

• Void Wisp’s ability is incorrectly configured as a Mana Drain, rather than a steal

  • This could also apply to other troops

  • Note that Void Wisp’s mana did not increase when the enemy’s mana stayed the same and Mana Drain immunity triggered, indicating it is not likely configured separately as a Mana Drain (4 Mana) and then a ‘Gain 4 Mana’.

    • This is in contrast to Morthani’s Will, who gains half of the enemy’s Mana regardless of whether or not it was able to be drained (the text could be arguable, but more probable interpretation is that MW is intended to gain half of Mana drained rather than simply gain Mana equal to half the enemy’s prior total), and for which a separate report should realistically be made (possibly already has?):

(screenshot taken after casting MW on Dark Maiden)

• Dark Ancestry is configured incorrectly to give immunity to more than just Mana Drain

• Mana Steal is (previously unbeknownst) a strictly inferior immunity to Mana Drain, and the text ‘Mana Steal’ can be removed from the Mana Shield trait as it would be covered by the Mana Drain immunity [seems unlikely]

[Fourdottwoone]

@Jonathan

Mana Steal is (previously unbeknownst) a strictly inferior immunity to Mana Drain, and the text ‘Mana Steal’ can be removed from the Mana Shield trait as it would be covered by the Mana Drain immunity [seems unlikely]

As much as I recall it always behaved like this. Stealing mana is handled as draining mana, then adding the drained amount to your troop, so it gets blocked by Mana Drain immunity.

Trait description in Gems of War tend to be somewhat iffy, just look at Impervious and the special mention of Lycanthropy. Opening a bug report for this kind of issue is a waste of time, all of the past ones got ignored.

[Jonathan]

@Fourdottwoone

Stealing mana is handled as draining mana, then adding the drained amount to your troop, so it gets blocked by Mana Drain immunity.

It seems you’re right!

Decided to test 2 other Mana Steal troops just now, against both Dark and High Ancestry (neither of which say Immune to Mana Steal) as well as Invulnerable (assuming MS is not a status effect).

2 other troops were Ghost Queen and Sir Mordayne. Tested against troops in Explore in Zhul’Kari and Silverglade, as well as my own PvP Defence for E. Kurandara.

Unfortunately, none of these combinations resulted in Mana being stolen, with all attempts triggering the relevant trait.

Despite the devs’ best intentions to give Wu Hao a usable third trait, it is currently in fact completely superfluous, due to this (what we must assume is a) bug.

It would appear all immunity to Mana Drain traits also give immunity to Mana Steal.