So a question - I think most players agree Webspinner is currently a bit broken (debatable whether 107 made that better or worse…) - playing against it is just not fun.
So why do so many players set it it (or now set 4 of the things!) as a defence team… Do you want the game not to be fun for others? Do you want to not be invaded?
I’m guessing it’s mostly people who don’t read the forums. Although, maybe it will change if we all spend 50 gold to avoid the broken teams and their defenses totally dry up. Maybe they’ll get the point.
I hate being invaded, so I used to have Webspinner in my defending line-up. I changed it though, a couple of weeks before the update, because I realized I had the same defenders for almost a year. 
I don’t think Webspinner is broken at all, I just think people found combos that makes her particularly potent, so she’s everywhere, and super annoying. Personally I despise Celestasia, Shadow Dragon and Jarl just as much, or any other colour-changing troop. Actually, I feel like Shadow Dragon is the most OP of them all. But for some weird reason, people are obsessed with Webspinner and made her hyper popular. I really don’t feel like she’s OP, I feel like all these colour-changing troops are. And not fun to play against.
Hey @Archenassa I’m afraid I really have to disagree. There’s no other troop out there that can cause long loops of AI turns the way Webspinner does - it makes a lot of gems (past the critical 11 gem mark that statistically means high chance of extra turn) and is one of the few to power itself with its gem creation.
Rock Worm does that but is nowhere near as strong and nowhere near as many gems.
Venoxia and Jarl do a bit, but being two colours they’re far more hit or miss.
No other troop on the AI leads to as many losses for us players, and losses in a tedious way - even without use in combos. It’s not unbeatable but is closest the game has to being broken. Worse though, it’s just not fun (the definitive cardinal sin in a game).
Celestasia can loop a few times (but not as much, and isn’t causing damage).
Shadow Dragon is strong, but situational, and may loop once only.
It’s early days but my instinct is that 107 hasn’t necessarily improved things:
Maybe we should just make a thread that lists players with unfun teams to play against to save some gold.
If dwaalkameel wants to keep his tribute gold so badly with his 4 webspinner team, he can do so.
see my post here: And the clear winner of 1.07 is.....WEBSPINNER!
About ideas to fix this burdensome unit.
I still disagree.
I don’t lose more against Webspinner than any other gem-creating troop, and I don’t have fun against ANY of them.
So let’s look…
Webspinner creates 11 Green gems. She goes on a loop, and you’re bored watching her playing in an neverending way. Who else does that? Yeah, Celestasia also creates 11 gems, she chooses the colour, usually herself because she’s selfish that way. It’s true that she doesn’t hurt you, but she still plays forever on a loop.
Then you have the Goblin Shaman, who “only” creates 10 gems instead of 11, AND gives you an extra turn in case you didn’t get that 4+ combo allowing you to play again. I despise him even more - Webspinner sometimes, if rarely, misses. The Shaman makes sure you NEVER do miss the loop.
Jarl and Venoxia might create two colours, but they create 10 of each. TEN. So instead of 11 gems, you get 20. Yes, they’re bicolour, but they rarely miss their combos as well. I’ve seen them in infinite loops just as much. Actually, I’ve seen Jarl far more on a loop than the poisonous one, actually.
With the new update, I agree they’re more annoying. But I don’t think the problem lies with Webspinner at all. We just see her more.
Edit: typo.
I put them in defence out of spite
Interesting debate, and we may have to agree to disagree…
It may be we just perversely remember more where we have bad experiences (negative recall bias and all that).
I don’t recall ever losing for months now to any team other than Webspinner based green teams. That includes seeing Celestasia and the others from time to time.
Celestasia can get similar loops, but doesn’t do damage, the heal effect can’t stack (life gain on that would be awful), and the AI sometimes picks a different target (often herself, she is bizarrely selfish, but sometimes another) and the loop breaks.
Jarl and Venoxia - the two colours created often overwrite each other so I’ve always found them loop far less - and of the two colours made, only one charges itself (Venoxia makes blue matches but that doesn’t charge Venoxia) so they typically don’t get enough mana to recharge immediately.
Gob Shaman - yes, lots of greens and extra turn - usually a guaranteed Hobgoblin shot or set up ol’ Webspinner - but doesn’t recharge itself or loop well with any one other troop (nearly did with Giant Spider but neither makes enough gems to guarantee the charging loop).
I wouldn’t mix up ‘gem changers’ (Alchemist, Valkyrie, Shadow Dragon) with ‘gem spammers’ (Webspinner, Venoxia) - the former are strong in the hands of a skilled player but far from it for the dopey AI. The latter can be played more mindless and of those only Webspinner consistently recharges itself.
So these are my experiences having played the game since its release - and I know resonate for most readers here. I know you’ve been playing a long time too @Archenassa and you don’t hold back with your views here!
Hey @Machiknight agree with your post - we must have been writing at the same time…!
Pre-1.07 the only team I lately had lost to more than once was the Goblin Rocket / Goblin Rocket / Goblin Shaman / Hobgoblin lineup dwaalkamel had going for a while
I agree with Jainus - why would anyone set up a Webspinner defence. If they want the boredom of using that team to attack well fair enough, but I have to admit that if a Webspinner gets going before I’ve had a chance to attack it I just close out of the game altogether and restart. I play a lot (avg 300 games p.w) and have to disagree with Archinessa too re troops other than Webspinner being more annoying. I cope well with all the others - 100% win rate - but Webspinner on a loop is unstoppable and frustrating, not withstanding that if it grinds to a halt after several turns there arent generally many colours other than green left ! I suggest nerfing her so that the opposition at least gets a chance to fight.
I don’t actually lose more against webspinner than any match-up. When I do invades, I usually have an herdmaster or Emperina to cleanse my troops and one big troop that either uses green or removes them (like Goblin King or Tyri for instance), and she’s soon useless. Like Mel above, I have more problems with the all goblin line-up.
Not seen a webspinner team yet, but taken out 2 teams of Cel/3 venoxia teams.
Stone giant (to absorb damage) Had webspinner, but game dose not give me chains as much as computer and it becomes a liability if I use his attack.
Orpheus’ Dischord (weapon, silence 11 damage)
Faunessa (uses enemy attack as damage and +health)
Alchemist (take out all green gems)
This post was more to explore the emotion or logic behind putting Webspinner (or multiple ones) out for pvp defence…
I’m keen to know more about the ‘fix’ in 107 - my understanding is it’s a behind-scenes code fix that reduces the chance of an extra turn when spawning lots of gems. Experience in the last day or so is this is patchy, and slightly outweighed by the extra magic buff from having 4 daemons.
I’d like to see Webspinner ‘fixed’ by, for example, increasing its health and armour but knocking 2-3 points off its magic stat (and maybe up its mana cost). This would leave it strong, with some chance of looping, but much less chance of the endless loops.
So you guys who put Webspinner on defence - what’s the reason?
This. I don’t quite understand why you want to win on defense in the first place. You get better rewards from winning a revenge, as it’s essentially just another invade but only costs you 50 gold instead of 200-500+. I don’t see anywhere where your defense wins are even tracked as a stat, so who cares? Maybe I’m missing something here, please tell me if so. Until then my defense will continue to consist of just 1 Peasant. Please invade me.
With my luck this week? I’d probably lose
So you guys who put Webspinner on defence - what’s the reason?
Because for some people, like me, invades and defends are not fun, and Mondays on GoW actually the worst day of the week.
Each to their own then!
My problem isn’t the Webspinner by itself but legendaries in general. I miss the days when all I had to worry about was Lady Sapphira combined with Luther (this was the main threat for me pre 106).
But now? The question is not IF I’m going to meet legendaries, but rather HOW MUCH. It saddens me that 23 legendary troops overshadow the 124 other troops. And only supporters have a chance to be in elite build-ups, but the main focus is/are still the legendary/legendaries.
I was never a fan of them. I did try out the Webspinner just to figure out, what people like about her. And even when I’m able to get the Webspinner vortex started (yes, I call it that way) it doesn’t feel like I’ve achieved something. I stick with other teams build around epics or ultra rares.
That is why I only play non-arena non-treasure map games on Monday for the rank. Once I have grinded through that, I go back to the parts of the game I actually enjoy.