Kit Kit: Scavenger

[Mythless]

Kit Name: Scavenger
Kit Icon: Chest
Kit Price: 150 or 200 Credits

Description: A specialized fighter that thrives off of enemy arrows. In exchange for being weak in other defenses, it has very high projectile protection and receives reduced knockback from arrows. It can also pick up enemy arrows on the ground to gain temporary power-ups.

Armory
- Leather Cap (Projectile Protection 2)
- Chainmail Chestplate (Projectile Protection 3)
- Leather Pants (Projectile Protection 2)
- Leather Boots (Projectile Protection 2)

Equipment
- Stone Sword
- Fuse

KIT MECHANICS

SCAVENGE
The kit's primary ability. The Scavenger is able to pick up enemy arrows on the ground, which will grant them a temporary buff. To help distinguish which arrows are from the enemy team, these arrows will have a glowing effect when the user is near them.

The duration of this buff will stack upon picking up consecutive arrows, but it will cap when reaching a certain duration. The effects are unique depending on what kind of arrow the Scavenger picks up. Each of these effects' durations are counted independently, and it is possible for more than one of these buffs to be in effect simultaneously:

• Regular: Gain a Speed II buff for 2 seconds, and +1 second for consecutive arrows. Caps at 4 seconds.
• Flaming: Gain a Fire Resistance buff for 3 seconds, and +1 second for consecutive arrows. Caps at 6 seconds.
• Spectral: Gain an Absorption buff (2 Hearts) for 10 seconds, and +1 heart & +5 seconds for consecutive arrows. Caps at 5 hearts and 15 seconds. If all Absorption Hearts are consumed, the effect is immediately removed.

Also, there is a 0.5 second cooldown/delay before picking up another arrow. This is to prevent sudden changes in the user's combat flow that may prove too advantageous in some situations.

You may notice the maximum durations for these buffs are very short. The main draw of the kit is its very high tankiness towards archers, so this mechanic is more viewed as a passive bonus. This also takes into account the often-constant barrage of arrows that are present in usual SnD games, so these numbers are supposed to reflect that balance.

ARROW TOLERANCE
The kit's secondary ability. When being struck by arrows, received knockback is reduced by 75%. The purpose of this kit is to serve as a hard-counter to archer kits and exploit enemy arrows similar to Porcupine's purposes. Since the punishment is not as direct and deadly as Porcupine's thorns, I feel it is better to give the Scavenger an easier time to approach archers. In combination with the high projectile protection, this will most definitely scare archers in a different way.

 

[Onett]

interesting idea, although i feel that it is pretty underpowered.

With how I see it, it just would play like a worse porc. You buff up, run at the enemy, and if you do manage to get to them before the buffs run out, it doesn't matter because you just get destroyed since your armor and weapon are pretty bad. They can kinda just ignore you since if you try and melee them, you'll just get shredded.

Personally, I think more focus on the scavenge ability could help it be more nuanced from porc and also be more effective.

imo most of the time you get the arrow buff, you probably won't be able to use it very effectively, so I'd buff the duration/strength of those buffs.

Spoiler: Proposed Changes

Regular: +1 Heart per arrow always; Caps at 15 hearts
Flaming: 4 sec. Fire Res per arrow; Caps at 20 seconds
Spectral: 10 sec. Speed 2 per arrow; Caps at 30 seconds

I think making regular arrows give hearts would make it more reliable, especially since its armor is pretty weak. Spectral arrows are pretty rare and I think this kit should have a way to get tanky easier.

I also think it should have at least some blast prot, since you'll probably get 2 shot by burst which is pretty brutal. This could also help differentiate it from porc a bit.

I think with these changes, it could still fulfill its role as a ranged tank but in a more unique way. While porc is always able to just run at the enemy and be an effective frontliner, scavenger has to wait to build up stacks, albeit, with more potential to tank effectively than porc.