Elektra buff - concept and breakdown

Elektra is a classic character that has fallen by the wayside in recent years, rarely being taken for anything other than as a synergy partner. This buff idea intends to pull in some aspects of Elektra as shown in the Daredevil and Defenders Netflix series, including her resurrection as Black Sky, to help fill out her kit and hopefully make her more relevant, engaging and fun to use.

Many thanks and appreciation to both @FluffyPigMonster and @Rookiie for their challenges and ideas. If you’ve got time to read, fellow Summoner, please let me know your thoughts.

It's the same as the current kit for Elektra, with the following changes:

Basic Attacks

Light attacks have a 15% chance to inflict a Bleed Debuff inflicting X (240 points damage at 5*R5) Bleed damage over 20 seconds. Max stacks: 10
Medium attacks have a 30% chance to inflict a Bleed Debuff inflicting X (240 points damage at 5*R5) Bleed damage over 20 seconds. Max stacks: 10

These Bleed Debuffs are low powered intentionally. They are consumed by the Special Attacks to create far deadlier bleeds. The likelihood to trigger is similar to, but slightly more, than Spider-Man 2099's Rupture ability. This is to make is easier for Specials to be used for full effect.

Defensive Ability Accuracy Reduction
Opponents passively suffer 85% reduced Defensive Ability Accuracy for as long as they are under three or more Debuffs.

Without modification, the normal ability in the kit could have been in effect for the whole fight with Bleed debuffs now being gained more often. Therefore, an adjustment for balance was needed.

Always Active
Black Sky
If Elektra has been knocked out one or more times in the current quest, she starts the fight transformed into the terrifying Black Sky.

Black Sky has the following changes:

Loses the tag #Hero, gains the tag #Villain
Gains Tenacity, allowing Elektra a 30% chance to shrug off any Debuff, plus 10% for every additional time that Elektra has been revived to a maximum increase of 60%.
Effectiveness of Power Burn and Power Steal against Black Sky are reduced by 30%, plus 10% for every additional time that Elektra has been revived to a maximum reduction of 60%.
Start the fight with a permanent Cruelty Passive, increasing Critical Damage Rating by 30%, plus 10% for every additional time that Elektra has been revived to a maximum increase of 60%.

Okay, this might be a bit controversial. It's important to remember though that Black Sky is an additional boost it is not necessary for the kit to function. Yes, it requires a revive but given the way Black Sky is represented in the show it's not a Nick Fury / LMD situation - Elektra was dead and buried so it needs to be something different. The main thing here is that by being revived, Elektra becomes more the monster that The Hand want her to become.

All Special Attacks
Such is Elektra's level of proficiency as an assassin and ninja, Opponents do not generate Power from her Special Attacks.

Special Attack 1
On the first hit, 100% chance to inflict a Heal Block for 8 seconds.
On each of the final two hits, convert 1 Bleed Debuff into a stacking Deep Bleed Passive dealing X (1750 points damage at 5*R5) Bleed damage over 10 seconds, or half potency if no Bleed Debuff can be converted.
Black Sky: Decrease the chance for the Heal Block to activate by 10%, plus 5% for every additional time that Elektra has been revived, to a maximum decrease of 25%.

Intending to fit in with the animations, the first hit is a Heal Block whilst the second and third can inflict the damage. The second and third make use of the new mechanic in this kit, converting one of the less damaging Bleed Debuffs gained on basic attacks to a deadly Deep Bleed Passive. It's a Passive because we don't need to worry about Deep Wounds making it excessive, so can more safely 'up' the effectiveness. Also, Black Sky has a minor but noticeable negative effect on the SP1 and SP2 as Elektra loses herself to her terrible destiny.

Special Attack 2
On each of the first two hits, convert 2 Bleed Debuffs into a stacking Deep Bleed Passive dealing X (2100 points damage at 5*R5) Bleed damage over 10 seconds, or half potency if no Bleed Debuff can be converted.
On the final hit, 100% chance to inflict an Armor Break Debuff on the target, reducing Armor Rating by X for 10 seconds.
Black Sky: Decrease the chance for the Armor Break to activate by 10%, plus 5% for every additional time that Elektra has been revived, to a maximum decrease of 25%.

With the SP2, the first two hits are blade hits. Therefore those are the ones which convert Bleed Debuffs to Deep Bleed Passives if possible. The final hit gives a little bit of utility against opponents, particularly those that do not bleed. Again, Black Sky has a balancing downside.

Special Attack 3
Inflict three stacking Deep Bleed Passives, each dealing X (2100 points damage at 5*R5) Bleed damage over 10 seconds. These do not require the converting of Bleed Debuffs. Then, refresh the duration of any Bleed Debuffs.
Gain a Fury Buff increasing Attack Rating by 15% for 25 seconds.

Struggling to get enough Bleed Debuffs? Then fire off the SP3 for free Deep Bleed Passives and then refresh the duration of any Bleed Debuffs that you have got. An emboldened Elektra also gets a pretty nice Fury Buff as well, which can be boosted by synergies such as that with Kingpin. It also makes an SP3 only rotation because of Suicides and Recoil more useful..

Synergies
Elektra retains all her current synergies, plus the following new ones:

Bad Romance
With Daredevil (Hell's Kitchen)
Daredevil (Hell's Kitchen): Start the fight with an indefinite, non-stacking damaging Bleed Debuff that causes 1 point of damage every second.
Elektra: Increase the damage of all inflicted Deep Bleed Passives by 20%.
Unique synergy (does not stack with uplicate synergies)

This synergy is here to reflect the stormy and ultimately doomed relationship that exists between Matt and Elektra during the Daredevil and Defenders series. For Matt, it’s a bad romance that could ultimately be his undoing. Opponents that care about the number of Debuffs can take advantage of it. With Willpower though it allows him to recover some health, albeit at a reduced Regen rate. Importantly for Elektra though, this gives her most potent weapon, the Deep Bleed Passives, a notable boost to their total damage and raises her damage potential significantly. Plus, if there any other characters involved with or opposed to The Hand released, I.e. Stick, they could increase it further. This isn’t an essential synergy for either but a very useful one.

Rivals to Power
With Psylocke
Synergy Champions: +10% Critical Hit Rating
Elektra: Increase the potency of inflicted Bleed Debuffs by 20%.
Unique synergy (does not stack with duplicate synergies).

Both Elektra and Psylocke have had a significant involvement with The Hand and this synergy reflects that involvement. Although the 20% may not seem like much, most of the time during a fight the enemy will be affected by at least one Bleed Debuff, if not several.

Hired for a Job
With Kingpin
Synergy Champions: +20% Fury Duration
Elektra: Final Strike is active for the first 10 seconds of the fight if the enemy is from the Skill class.
Unique synergy (does not stack with duplicate synergies)

Kingpin, in one comic arc, contracted Elektra as an assassin. This synergy acknowledges that arc and gives Elektra an initial boost when fighting a member of her own class, which is a pretty unique mechanic, I think.

If you’ve got this far, you deserve a medal :-)

TLDR: Buff to Elektra. Gains low level Bleed debuffs which are traded in for nastier Passives via the specials. Some secondary utility in Specials. Black Sky triggers on revive, trading in some utility % chance for increased critical damage, power burn/steal resistance and tenacity. New synergies to boost aspects of new kit.

Comments

Texas_11

Typical Kabam making me die to get all of her kit.

All seriousness , I like using the tag villain and hero in a champion. That's clever.

I wouldn't think she would have resistance to power burn and power drain as that's a counter for techs more so than anything similar to mutants.

The black sky is decent , but maybe put it into a signature ability like hela.

I don't see anything in there to counter science champs really. Love the AAR and damage boost.

FluffyPigMonster

I think the immunity to power manipulation after she’s revived is to start giving her mystical resistances as Black Sky is an ancient ritual.

I love the Bad Romance synergy.

Chobbly

Thanks for the comments @Texas_11 - appreciate the time taken to look at it.

My first few passes replaced the Sig, but rather than rip it out I put it in the base to make it easier for players picking her up (again). When using this version of Elektra in Arena etc you won't be able to access Black Sky at all.

It could be moved into the Sig though with little effort and the % increase replaced with Sig ranks (which is what it was at the start).

As for the synergies @FluffyPigMonster, inflicting a Bleed Debuff for Bad Romance felt the right way to go in the end. Plus, if the two ever fight, then Elektra with her new consume ability in the specials would actually rip it away from him. Which is harsh... but reflects the bad romance 😄

Rookiie

This is a very interesting and well thought out buff that I would love to test in-game.
It would be interesting to see if the damage increase in Black Sky damage justifies the reduction in some of the abilities’ chance to proc!

ThatGuyYouSaw235

Not too much of a fan of having to use a revive to get her full potential, but aside from that, I like the ideas you have.

Chobbly

Not too much of a fan of having to use a revive to get her full potential, but aside from that, I like the ideas you have.

I totally get that, @ThatGuyYouSaw235 . It was something I was really concerned about. I didn't want all of the buff to be hidden behind it. And for Elektra to be totally usable while 'alive'.

As I sketched it out, initially using a mechanic similar to Nick Fury's LMD, it just didn't sit quite right if I respected the fluff. Activation from a revive is a unique mechanic and not something I'd want to see widespread, so probably feel the same as you generally.

But if you're in EQ Cav difficulty, a Variant or deep in Act 6/7 and your team is wiped out, I wanted to add some possibilities to the decision around who to resurrect. If you've got a revive, it may be better to opt for the benefits of the Black Sky. It's not mandatory, but it's an option.

Thanks for your feedback

DestinyPolo

I like the overall buff but I feel like the amount of revives needed to fully feel the effects of her black sky would really only limit it to be used in abyss or RoL and even then the benefits don’t particularly help against that content. I feel like if black sky particularly helped with that sort of content (I don’t know how but just an idea) I think the black sky element of the kit could be really useful. Otherwise I feel like it could be rendered a bit redundant, like is it truly worth it - that said I know you stated earlier it was only an addition to her kit so I’m not too bothered

The rest still seems fun to play with and get some big bleed damage with the synergies.

Chobbly

I like the overall buff but I feel like the amount of revives needed to fully feel the effects of her black sky would really only limit it to be used in abyss or RoL and even then the benefits don’t particularly help against that content. I feel like if black sky particularly helped with that sort of content (I don’t know how but just an idea) I think the black sky element of the kit could be really useful. Otherwise I feel like it could be rendered a bit redundant, like is it truly worth it - that said I know you stated earlier it was only an addition to her kit so I’m not too bothered The rest still seems fun to play with and get some big bleed damage with the synergies.

You may not be surprised that Black Sky originally only required a single revive, admittedly with a less powerful benefit. This version has an increasing gradient, with the first step being the largest and the closest to what the original off/on toggle for Black Sky had been. It might have been 40% Tenacity, etc with no downside on the SPs - I'd have to check.

With this buff, Elektra would never be an Archangel with comparable total DoT damage, but that's totally fine and right. I think she's holds her own with the damage potential though.

Thanks for your thoughts @DestinyPolo . All the best.