I think this would be a good idea. I highly doubt we'll get shadow dispels to prevent the transormation. It would be nice to make an opponent pay dearly for shadow transforming with a spell that increases the backlash they will take.
A spell like this needs to be added immediately if Shrike is allowed to pierce 50% resist. Shrike is way too overpowered and that's not even coming close to talking about how much it unbalances pvp. Shadow magic needs to be made NO PVP, because the Level 75 Minions are not more overpowered than Shadow magic. I completely disagree with Shadow Magic being allowed in PVP but Level 75 minions with resist to their own school only aren't.
It makes no sense.
Please do something about the ridiculousness of Shadow Magic even being introduced in the first place.
If anything should be no PVP it's Shadow Magic as it takes all strategy away.
A spell like this needs to be added immediately if Shrike is allowed to pierce 50% resist. Shrike is way too overpowered and that's not even coming close to talking about how much it unbalances pvp. Shadow magic needs to be made NO PVP, because the Level 75 Minions are not more overpowered than Shadow magic. I completely disagree with Shadow Magic being allowed in PVP but Level 75 minions with resist to their own school only aren't.
It makes no sense.
Please do something about the ridiculousness of Shadow Magic even being introduced in the first place.
If anything should be no PVP it's Shadow Magic as it takes all strategy away.
Stun or make them fizzle that's your only option.
I don't really mind 'No PvP' flags being added to Shadow Magic. It's not that big of deal for what I do with Shadow Magic, but I feel like more of your post is geared toward (you guessed it!) Shadow Shrike and not Shadow Magic in general. I've yet to hear 1 person say Shadow Sentinel and Shadow Seraph be a problem.
Shadow Magic spells, so far, do put you in a position that can only be handled in 1 or 2 ways. Again though, we really haven't seen the real power behind Shadow Magic or other features it can do until Part 2.
Also, I think it was the mix of already having offensive-styled Aquilan gear and Shadow Shrike that displaced things. I don't think, with Storm and Fire getting high Critical and Pierce already, Shadow Shrike really need +50% Pierce, but rather +25%.
Now another alternative to Shadow Magic is instead of PvP-banning or nerfing it, how about making an effective opposite to Shadow Shrike. Now, instead of saying another Shadow Sentinel power up, I'm going to suggest a completely new spell geared at Taunting rather than Interrupting.
So how about:
Shadow Staller
Pips: 0 (1 Shadow Pip) Acc.: 100% -50% Incoming Damage +120 Critical Block Rating Mega Taunt on spells Hidden Effect: Adds -30% Shield to all friends if you cast a Shield, are the target of your enemies, Block or cast a spell.
It's within my belief that if it was Shadow Magic that caused this discomforted "sugar rush" than why not allow Shadow Magic to alleviate it? I would think that this is a great counter to Shadow Shrike and better balances the game.
Now if KI wants to save a few dollars and make Shadow Magic more even leveled, I'd just power up the underappreciated Shadow Sentinel and Shadow Seraph. As in:
Shadow Sentinel
Intercept 1 (Intercept 45%) +95 Critical Block Rating -50% Incoming Damage Hidden effect: Gain a Stun Block to all friends when a Shield is cast
Shadow Seraph
+25% Incoming Damage +50% (Both Incoming and Outgoing now) Absorb on Heals (increased to Absorb 250 Damage).
I'd really perfer either method if Shadow Shrike and Critical gear are becoming too overbearing. They could also make Jade gear much harder to get, "nerf" Ice gear in Aquila and Azteca, and take Fire and Storm critical gear down a peg. Those are just my suggestions.
I think this would be a good idea. I highly doubt we'll get shadow dispels to prevent the transormation. It would be nice to make an opponent pay dearly for shadow transforming with a spell that increases the backlash they will take.
This would make an interesting Shadow spell actually (or Balance, but who else would like that?)
So something like:
Aggitate
Pips: 0 (1 Shadow Pip) Acc.: 100% Take 5% Backlash for +30% Backlash to target Shadow spell.
or
Irritate
Pips: 0 (2 Shadow Pips) Acc.: 100% Take 10% Backlash for +30% Backlash and -1 Shadow Pip to target
we have them already. if you dispel them and their pips are gone so they have to pass, ut oh. if you smoke screen them so they fizzle, oh no! if you stun them and they cannot hit, yikes. with shrike, every round you must blade or hit or the backlash increases. so, what can you do to keep them from blading or hitting.
we have them already. if you dispel them and their pips are gone so they have to pass, ut oh. if you smoke screen them so they fizzle, oh no! if you stun them and they cannot hit, yikes. with shrike, every round you must blade or hit or the backlash increases. so, what can you do to keep them from blading or hitting.
Amber Raven Song, MaxWarlord
agree completely, and works great, dispel will take care of any spell plus rob target of pips, plus smokescreen/black mantle can make them fizzle and stuns, don't get me started about stuns. this maximizes the backlash damage which, the first shadow is the most damaging when the targets health is full.
however....
this method requires carrying said spells along with the spells you usually carry, meaning more cards in the deck. Tripping over your own cards looking for what you want and getting four tower shields in a row, or three enchants, or every attack you have BEFORE any blades or traps, funny this NEVER USED TO HAPPEN. this method would make things tricky at best.
another option, like a designated healer, have a designated joker, someone specifically there to make a pain of themselves. spamming stun and wild bolt (nah, das not cheating) seems to be a going favorite, so why not.
this works on shrike and seraph, but who carries a full range of dispels? besides balance i mean.
seraph and sentinel is soooooooooo sad looking compared to shrike anyone else notice this?
now, countering sentinel, which isnt really that much of a problem, but still. just dont attack the team. focus a single attack of the sentinel and backlash will not reduce. however, delaying main attack until after sentinel's final round would make it most effective as backlash would be full.
the suggestions i seen in above posts sounds nice and all, but spells to counter shadow directly? we have seen these things before. why bother with it if they are only gonna water it down or nerf it?
remember dampen magic? major shake up on the pvp spectrum at the time took a major nerf shortly afterwards. wonder why, don't get me started. this would hamper shadow magic big time, funny what hindsight can do.
balance schools current spell supernova, aimed at a direct bubble attack watered down to 60% base accuracy on spell? (almost as funny as no enchants on mana burn) hope my life never depends on that one.
note, played with supernova using 0% accuracy boost with gear or pet just for giggles. 3 runs showed 8 out of 10 fizzled every time. anyone got a calculator? (like we really need one)
spell to increase enemy backlash? would only cause crying on the forums, again, which would only cause more poor decisions as far as i am concerned.
the good news is ya can't really break something already broken. i don't really care,i don't pvp.
"to ignore the facts, do not change the facts" - Andy Rooney
A spell like this needs to be added immediately if Shrike is allowed to pierce 50% resist. Shrike is way too overpowered and that's not even coming close to talking about how much it unbalances pvp. Shadow magic needs to be made NO PVP, because the Level 75 Minions are not more overpowered than Shadow magic. I completely disagree with Shadow Magic being allowed in PVP but Level 75 minions with resist to their own school only aren't.
It makes no sense.
Please do something about the ridiculousness of Shadow Magic even being introduced in the first place.
If anything should be no PVP it's Shadow Magic as it takes all strategy away.
Stun or make them fizzle that's your only option.
I completley disagree. Please do not get rid of shadow magic, and do not complain when things get hard.
Like storm and fire about ice? What is wrong with them using another school to hit just like everyone else? I can wipe out every other school in one hit but only use a off school wand. All other schools don't have a problem with this you want the damage but not the after effects heck storm cried not to have a weakness other then health and got that fire did to thats why we have mastery now. You think storm deserve a heal more then myth or efreet needs to have a 90 weakness instead of 90 smokescreen? Everytime a school complain we get a even more unbalanced game. This game is then just pvp. Half of the stuff would be outlawed in pvp including shadow magic. If you want to win use a strategy instead of just power. And critical should be random and not catored to storm and fire. No way a lower level with less do it more people complain but balance has it the lowest by a mile.
Whose ever heard another player scream and shout life wizards are bad because they heal too much, or its wrong that storm wizards bring so much damage...
...and how dare other players use high resistance gear...
...or use shadow magic or treasure cards in PVP...
...and so-on, and so-on.
I've just started to get into pvp in Wizard 101; and the way I look at pvp - is you win by any, and all means possible. Your style may be through massive damage, or high defenses and resistances; or maybe you like to cut through the best of defenses with the greatest of ease.
Sure, it was a real eye opener the first time I played my storm wizard in pvp, and I had to fight a wizard with a 91 resistance to storm; ugh!
But you know what...
...I didn't whine or complain; I made the choice to adapt, and found different approaches, spells and fighting styles to use, to overcome and defeat players with high resistance, defenses, and massive damage; until these weren't issues anymore. I also was crazy and asked and teamed with better players, and along the way I got dramatically better too!
And here's the best part - you can do this too! Good luck in your game play and PVP.
Like many folks who play Wizard 101, I've played other games too. And no matter what games I've played with some variation of PVP, there's always been other players screaming and shouting for me to not use certain gear, powers, spells, abilities, talents; or outright hinder myself in other ways that made it easier to defeat me.
(Both Incoming 
Warlord