Why do Unavoidable Damage Nodes exist?

My ally has started doing Map 6 AQ recently and I expected that the only difference between 6 and 5 would be the increased attack and health and maybe some random node changes. Nodes like Long Distance Relationship and Power Struggle and Destructive Feedback are nodes that you either don’t care about or can play around. They sometimes test your skill and change your playstyle. But what I found in Map 6 is what I call “Unavoidable Damage Nodes”

Nodes like these just don’t makes sense to me. You take damage and there is nothing you can do about it. And most of these are on Local Nodes so you can’t even let someone remove them like a linked node. All this does is make you use more potions. Which maybe that is why they exist. It’s like the trick is to just use CGR or Ghost and just win the fight as quick as possible. But what if you need a slower but really good champ like Quake or Warlock against a Starburst node. What is the purpose of the Aspect of Genesis node other than to annoy you? Doesn’t Aspect of Nightmares screw you over if you have all your champs below 50%. And doesn’t it ruin playing some champs you want at low health like Nick Fury, Pyramid X and even Mole Man who gains benefits with his Awakened Ability scaling with how low his health is. We know that Kabam like us to finish fights quick (Just look at Battlegrounds and the Summoner Showdown) but it’s not always the best way. So why do these exist and should they be changed? Please share your thoughts

Comments

Ethereality

Sorry OP, but I think you should learn about all the different champs and ways to counter all these nodes. And no, it is not only 2-4 champs as you say.

As mentioned, Corvus, Ghost and CMM have differing ways to do it. GHulk, Mysterio and max sig Namor are hands down the prime direct damage counters of the game. Spiderman, iHulk and Mr. Negative can counter degen. Diablo, Duped, Angela, Hercules, Blade against certain champs, Kitty .. all of them too have their ways. Any self healing champ can counter all of this too too, such as all the Wolverines, duped KG, Warlock, OR and BWCV. In certain nodes, even a duped AA can prevent the unavoidable damage to happen in the first place. Mr. Fantastic has a pretty powerful pre-fight that lessens the damage done by some of these nodes . That's a total of of about 22 champs available to counter these nodes in in varying ways/degrees of effectiveness.

The only valid point of your argument is that these kind of nodes basically force you to be lucky enough to get any of these champs and then rank them up. Sure, but isn't this the case for so many nodes in the game? That is precisely the reason why those nodes have been put there in the first place, it's a way for Kabam to force players to think strategically about their rosters. Nodes like the ones you mention plus so many others exist to prompt players to diversify their rosters. Otherwise everyone would just rank up Quake and then be done with the game altogether.

BuggyDClown

Gulk smash

_Kill_Switch_

The best arguments i’ve seen against this post so far are:
AoN heals the damage you took when it expires (fine by me, I like this node)
AoG can be reversed and used to heal (again, I like this node. Usually I just time my special/combo to kill the opponent before AoG activates.)
“Just use a regen champ”

Direct Damage and Starburst are lazy. There used to be a somewhat large chunk of the community who agreed, at least, if I remember correctly. I like nodes where you have to actually put forth an effort to counter it. “Just use a regen champ”, while true to an extent (you aren’t avoiding the damage, just reducing the toll it takes on your champions), is just lazy fight/node design. I’d like to see it get replaced, maybe with nodes like No Retreat or Flare (Yes, I’m aware Flare is unavoidable damage, but it provides you with an extra tool to defeat your opponent) that actually encourage you to play skillfully and strategically so you avoid the damage.

Just my opinion. God bless.

Couldn't agree more.

unknown

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TimeGenesis

A skilled player isn’t going to start that fight with only 1% health.

Fact is, if you go into that fight (direct damage or starburst) with health, you come out with less health regardless of skill.

I always go in at 1% for herc 🙃

Oh and btw mini and linked boss included

and I take those "unavoidable damage" lanes your talking about

KingInBlack

The best arguments i’ve seen against this post so far are:
AoN heals the damage you took when it expires (fine by me, I like this node)
AoG can be reversed and used to heal (again, I like this node. Usually I just time my special/combo to kill the opponent before AoG activates.)
“Just use a regen champ”

Direct Damage and Starburst are lazy. There used to be a somewhat large chunk of the community who agreed, at least, if I remember correctly. I like nodes where you have to actually put forth an effort to counter it. “Just use a regen champ”, while true to an extent (you aren’t avoiding the damage, just reducing the toll it takes on your champions), is just lazy fight/node design. I’d like to see it get replaced, maybe with nodes like No Retreat or Flare (Yes, I’m aware Flare is unavoidable damage, but it provides you with an extra tool to defeat your opponent) that actually encourage you to play skillfully and strategically so you avoid the damage.

Just my opinion. God bless.
This is an interesting position. So what is regen for? There's an Electro on Map 5 that I regularly take down on my secondary alt account. I don't have many AAR options in that account, so I use X-23. I can outheal the strikeback damage *if* I don't get hit by specials and *if* I don't use specials myself, keeping my power high so my regen is working at maximum efficiency. If I do both things, I win. If I don't, I die.

For me, that damage is unavoidable. But I'm using knowledge and skill to beat the fight. By your assessment, this is being "lazy." The design of the fight is lazy because it presents damage to a player they cannot avoid, and my solution to the problem is lazy because I'm just using regen to beat it.

I suspect most players in my position would tend to disagree with your characterization, as I suspect most Map 6 runners who do these paths would likewise say their solution to these fights isn't lazy, and thus the fight design itself isn't necessarily lazy, because it presents a requirement that roster, knowledge, and skill can collectively overcome.

Equating the direct damage node with electro isn't really an even comparison and your alt lacking the options that cancel out his reflect damage doesn't mean it can't be countered. Tbh it's odd seeing you base an entire argument on an obviously false equivalence. Direct damage node is lazy compared to a champions ability with a dozen (more probably) hard counters. Regen mitigates the damage, I run this lane on map 6 and just play through it because I can, doesn't make it a well designed node. "Here's some damage, have fun" isn't nearly the knowledge and skill magnet you make it out to be. I don't feel like I'm being presented a challenge to overcome, just a minor annoyance along my way.

Eroth

can spiderham be a counter?

Aburaees

A skilled player isn’t going to start that fight with only 1% health.

Fact is, if you go into that fight (direct damage or starburst) with health, you come out with less health regardless of skill.

I always go in at 1% for herc 🙃

Oh and btw mini and linked boss included

and I take those "unavoidable damage" lanes your talking about

You lose Hercules’ entire health pool before you get to the direct damage fight?

Your screenshot shows your whole team almost KO’d, and you have 11m points. That might happen by the end of the quest, but not going into the direct damage fight.

But thanks for proving you didn’t avoid the damage.

MaxGaming

All of these are avoidable or counter-able
With maybe 2-4 Champs
No? Direct Damage and Starbust can be outhealed,
And AoN and AoG can be survived by basically everyone.

I love how in the future of MCoC everyone will be talking about the nodes and all the people will be like
.
"yo i need help countung the MoTRI node on book 3 2.4.6 boss node"

World Eater

You should fought those nodes a few years ago before we had more options and degeneration immune champs. They’re much easier now

Rasilover

Those nodes are literally nothing to fear about lol

SaltE_Wenis69

All of these are avoidable or counter-able
With maybe 2-4 Champs
No? Direct Damage and Starbust can be outhealed,
And AoN and AoG can be survived by basically everyone.
But what is the point of taking this damage?

yeah why not make every node obsolete and every champ do no damage?

spigwender

Gladiator Hulk

… does not work for the Direct Damage node

spigwender

The best arguments i’ve seen against this post so far are:
AoN heals the damage you took when it expires (fine by me, I like this node)
AoG can be reversed and used to heal (again, I like this node. Usually I just time my special/combo to kill the opponent before AoG activates.)
“Just use a regen champ”

Direct Damage and Starburst are lazy. There used to be a somewhat large chunk of the community who agreed, at least, if I remember correctly. I like nodes where you have to actually put forth an effort to counter it. “Just use a regen champ”, while true to an extent (you aren’t avoiding the damage, just reducing the toll it takes on your champions), is just lazy fight/node design. I’d like to see it get replaced, maybe with nodes like No Retreat or Flare (Yes, I’m aware Flare is unavoidable damage, but it provides you with an extra tool to defeat your opponent) that actually encourage you to play skillfully and strategically so you avoid the damage.

Just my opinion. God bless.
This is an interesting position. So what is regen for? There's an Electro on Map 5 that I regularly take down on my secondary alt account. I don't have many AAR options in that account, so I use X-23. I can outheal the strikeback damage *if* I don't get hit by specials and *if* I don't use specials myself, keeping my power high so my regen is working at maximum efficiency. If I do both things, I win. If I don't, I die.

For me, that damage is unavoidable. But I'm using knowledge and skill to beat the fight. By your assessment, this is being "lazy." The design of the fight is lazy because it presents damage to a player they cannot avoid, and my solution to the problem is lazy because I'm just using regen to beat it.

I suspect most players in my position would tend to disagree with your characterization, as I suspect most Map 6 runners who do these paths would likewise say their solution to these fights isn't lazy, and thus the fight design itself isn't necessarily lazy, because it presents a requirement that roster, knowledge, and skill can collectively overcome.

I do take these paths in Map 6. Frequently. I don’t see how I am a “skilled player” or a “knowledgeable player” due to the sole fact that I can bring in a character that can regenerate the Direct Damage node damage. I’m not saying the player is lazy for doing all they can to overcome the node with minimal damage taken. I don’t recall saying it, and if my words can be interpreted as such, it is not what I meant. I meant it is lazy to just say “You take damage” and call it a day. Even if the player can just bring in a regeneration champion. With the flare node, or no retreat, you CAN work around the damage, and minimize it, with most if not all characters. With No Retreat, know your opponents specials. Know the timing of the hits, what hits are best to dodge and what hits are best to block, get better at “re-parry” if you need to block consecutive hits. With Flare, if you don’t have a life steal champion or a champion with regeneration mechanics, go in and finish off your opponent ASAP aided by a 300% attack boost. Your electro strategy with X-23 is very smart though, props to you for that. I do believe electro has a lot more options for counters though. Energy resistance, AAR, DOT, Regeneration, Non-contact attacks. It’s not just regeneration that can handle it.

As for the question, “What is regen for?”, I believe it is quite simple. What are health potions for? To top up your champion’s health. Just like health potions, a lot of players are so good that they may not need their favorite champion’s regeneration mechanic. Regeneration obviously does not have one specific use, but has a general use. To replenish health.

Again, just giving my thoughts. God bless.

spigwender

You should fought those nodes a few years ago before we had more options and degeneration immune champs. They’re much easier now

I do agree with this, but I still believe they are unnecessary considering where and how they are used now.

GrassKnuckles

I did not expect this to be such a debate...

AverageDesi

I did not expect this to be such a debate...

Here in the forums people can debate about something that does not even exist in the game

Kpratish1997

Use corvus. Fight will be over before you'll take any meaningful damage.

Kevo9513

They exist to kill you.

Antsiou

What about infinite blast.
This node has 0 counter, you literally enter the fight and get a portion of health taken away.
Doesn’t matter if you can heal it back. It’s unavoidable (maybe with class advantage, not sure).

Terra

What about infinite blast.
This node has 0 counter, you literally enter the fight and get a portion of health taken away.
Doesn’t matter if you can heal it back. It’s unavoidable (maybe with class advantage, not sure).

You can mitigate the damage with class advantage, but that's about it.
Thankfully, that node hasn't been used in any meaningful content for years

DarkEternity

All of these are avoidable or counter-able
Direct damage is not avoidable as far as I know. It’s counter-able with a high regen champ or duped corvus. Do you know of any champs that can avoid it altogether?

CMM sig, Ghulk counters Starburst, Herc’s immortality, Namor, etc