Varangian torso

[abstract patio]

I feel Varangian torso is to strong

130k shield especially paired with other items such as shock trains 1 or even paired with Kate which is and can triple stack shield on bot when it comes to buffing or stacking shield.

This is going to kill any high comp lobbies and is going to be the meta breaker.

This build as it sits has no complete counter.

So the best way to compete is make that build to go against it.

Cooldown is too short
Shield health too high

[toxic hedge]

20 seconds of cooldown for a shield that has no penalties for the opponent who tries to enter it doesn’t seem too OP to me, since there are so many weapons in the game which offer a sub 20 second ttk. This torso might be more effective if used in a crew with allies to protect the user from getting rushed but isn’t as strong when used in solo queue. Just sharing my thoughts as someone who uses the Varangian and has also faced many Varangian users. Disclaimer - i do not know if it is excessively popular in stacks on the NA server but I play on the Eu and Asia server frequently against full lobbies and haven’t found the torso to be as much of an issue. Most torsos when used in a team would have their advantages.

[abstract patio]

It’s meta in NA servers currently and the only way to combat this build is to use the same thing

[abstract patio]

And yes the stacks on NA use it

[granite token]

The meta seems to be varan with energy wall, with magnetos, and with maximizer

Little annoying

[abstract patio]

The shocktrain variant is the worst

[toxic hedge]

I just thought that unless the entire team uses the dome while its active, it might not be such an issue since the dome is stationary, and even a maxed Varangian can deploy its dome only every 20 seconds. I’ve not played on the NA server due to ping, apologies.

[abstract patio]

Yeah unfortunately I couldn’t show you unless you were on NA servers

[real meteor]

Never used it outside of the test range myself, but I've never found fighting them to be frustrating like how Fenrir and Pursuer were.
Fenrir was (and still kind of is) a no skill "I win button", and pursier was just obnoxious.

Dome has plenty of ways to play around it (unlike what the above used to be like), like diving in, moving out of line of sight of their immovable safe spot, burning the dome down with high shield damage weapons.

Strong yeah, but OP? I'm not so sure.
I like what FIsh suggested; let splash weapons deal their splash damage to walls and domes (Right now walls only take direct damage, not splash). That'll help all types of weapons burst down the dome with coordinated team play.

[toxic hedge]

Most torsos will anyway become stronger when used in a crew.

[dapper skiff]

I did fight max level 4 halo Varangian yesterday and it was super OP

But also I walked into shield with Loki and ate it

[cinder moat]

The thing with the dome is that it's stationary. It can certainly turn the tide in the right situation, but if the opponent is far away, they can duck into cover for a moment to wait the dome out. If the opponent is close, they can rush the dome to kill the guy inside, or force them to flee. Either way, it's a matter of counter_play_, rather than requiring specific builds to counter them or anything like that. It's certainly strong, but I don't think it's overpowered.

That said, I do like to use the torso, so I'll have some bias in favor of it. That being said, I don't think I've ever run into a situation where I'm facing against one, and found feeling cheesy / overly frustrating to deal with.

[toxic hedge]

I saw Hector’s Shocktrain Varangian video just now so I can appreciate Yotty’s feedback a bit more.

But i still maintain that its the fact that the torso / combo is being used in stacks which is making it seem so much more stronger

[cinder moat]

It definitely has a lot of potential with stacks and coordination, not honestly many abilities are like that. Teamwork is the most OP thing in the game, lol.

[real meteor]

To that point, the coordinated teams I've been on often times get one flanker to dive into the dome, flush them out, then all fire at the person once they get outside.
Teamwork OP.

[dapper skiff]

Then you could cycle between Domes and then maybe have 1 done always active
But dome isnt that big so can only fit like 1-2 ppl inside I think

[junior path]

Just my 2 cents, Varangian Shocktrain is one of those builds that can completely take over a match if left unchecked, not necessarily because it’s overpowered in isolation, but because the current map design gives it every advantage. On maps like Spectrum, it becomes borderline oppressive. There are barely any viable flanking routes, and safe dive paths are practically non-existent. Trying to push a Shocktrain Varangian often turns into a suicide run, especially for squishy flankers. All it takes is one player sitting on a high lane with clear sightlines, and suddenly an entire side of the map is shut down.

The problem isn’t just the weapon or the torso, it’s the terrain enabling it. These maps hand out dominant sightlines and elevated positions with little risk or effort. It’s not even about skillful positioning or reactive gameplay, it’s about parking a Shocktrain build on a perch and farming damage with minimal need to move. Its not tactical depth, it is static control rewarded by lazy map geometry.

If maps had better cover, not cluttered, but well placed to break up long sightlines and force repositioning, Shocktrain builds would have to work harder to maintain pressure. If elevation weren’t always so easily accessible and safe, players would have to fight for those spots, not just spawn near them and hold fire. If flank routes weren’t predictable chokepoints or completely exposed, then faster or more mobile builds would have a real shot at dislodging a Shocktrain build without throwing their life away.

Right now, all of that is missing. The map design gives Varangian Shocktrain everything it wants, wide visibility, low risk elevation, and no real counterplay unless the enemy team overcommits. It doesn’t feel earned, it feels handed out. And when one build can dictate the flow of a match so effortlessly just by camping a sightline, that’s not just a balance issue. It’s a map problem.

I brought this up during their recent Q&A video, and they acknowledged it as an issue they’re working on, so hopefully we’ll see some map/game-mode tweaks soon. 🙏

Time-stamped it for those interested, incase you missed the Q&A https://youtu.be/RvOHuOXj7GY?si=XVPXp7DvmgxfMApJ&t=551

[topaz trail]

the varangian is finally usefull but not OP IMO as you are stationary if you want ro be protected and rushable.
I myself switched my magneto build to a varrangian after the changes on artillery because I disliked the pusuer torso.
it is sure a good torso but it does require a nerf. I feel like the nerfing cycle is endless if we go down that road, the nefing spree should end soon if not now as there is always going to be strong builds and people using those builds well to make it feel even stronger

[toxic hedge]

The harpy torso when maxed has a decently short cooldown as well. Imagine a stack running the harpy. Imagine a Ravana defender stack. Any torso is OP when used in a stack.

[topaz trail]

a lancelot ravana griffin can become insane too

[toxic hedge]

Imagine a griffin stack they can just keep activating the ability in turn and stay permanently invincible

[abstract patio]

It’s starting to happen on na servers it’s pretty funny to see a hurdle of bots on spearhead XD

[abstract patio]

I do agree with the maps for sure sight lines are longer range oriented l