November 29, 2018 March 28, 2023

Countered: Scion of Storm

Recently in max level PvP, a new spell has been making a splash. This spell and the playstyle changes it has forced have done something never before seen in Wizard101 — it made Storm an upper mid tier class in 1v1 PvP. This article will examine the impacts of the Storm Scion, its surprising influence on the meta and ways in which you as the opponent can counter it.

What makes the Storm Scion so Effective?

At first glance the Storm Scion wouldn’t seem to have much of an impact. It is the most damaging Scion of the bunch but at base it is a full 300 damage less than the cheaper 10 pip Storm Owl. The condition at first glance also seems pretty easy to defy. After all, blades are a zero cost card and are fairly easy to use in PvP. However, therein lies the rub.

The Storm Scion is one of the few Scions (along with the Ice Scion) that require the opponent to actively counter the Scion with no input from the caster. In other words, it is a Scion that requires constant vigilance from the opponent. A few years ago I wrote Supercell storm strategy guide that focused on creating a One Hit Knock Out by utilizing potential pressure to control the opponent (that guide has a full explanation of what potential pressure is so check it out). In that strategy guide, the potential pressure was created with multiple blades and the threat of Storm Owl. The Storm Scion accomplishes the same potential pressure but with no blades whatsoever.

The constant Potential Pressure of the Scion forces changes in playstyle that are extremely beneficial to the Storm school on several levels. Opponents now have to consider putting up a blade whenever a Storm has 9 pips. Any round the opponent spends blading is a round they are not damaging the Storm wizard. This is extremely useful to a school that is still rocking only 5.2-5.5k hp at max. At the same time the opponent has to consider shielding- as a Storm at those pip levels also has access to Storm Owl, another big damage spike. A round spent shielding is another round for the Storm wizard to prep, shield or gain the shadow pip necessary to shrike. Finally, the Storm Scion forces the opponent to delay their hit until they are well defended, multi-bladed or until the hit will be lethal. Why? Simply because their hit will consume any single blade and put them into OHKO range if it fails to kill.

Potential Counters

It would seem like the Storm Scion is very hard to counter from second and while this is certainly true there are some options for wizards to consider. Let’s go over them.

Storm Ward – Storm ward is the most obvious answer to not just the Storm Scion but any Storm spell in general. Ward pets are extremely common in max pvp with most at warlord+ ranks sporting wards to the three current top tier schools- Fire, Balance and Ice. However, the Storm Scion and the pressure it creates has led to an explosion of Storm Wizards at the warlord ranks. Replacing a damage talent with Storm Ward or even replacing one of the top tier wards (such as Fire which has seen a decrease in usage at max) may be a worthwhile investment.

Multiple Shields – The Storm school still lacks a DoT or multi-hit and as such still suffers against shield spam. While Shrike alleviates this to an extent, shield spam is still one of the most effective counters to the Storm school, especially if combined with the aforementioned Storm ward.

Elemental/Spirit Blade – This is a counter that I personally feel is being slept on. Many pvpers are already using single blades to try and counter the Storm Scion. However, single blades are consumed with any attack and if that attack fails to kill, it will leave you wide open to a lethal Storm Scion. This is where tri blades really shine. They allow you to utilize the boost that a single blade provides while still leaving 2 off school blades that will stay regardless of attack. “But wait Eric, can’t Storm remove this with bugs, catch of the day or enfeeble?” This is absolutely true, however consider this: Bugs and Catch are a 5 pip drain while enfeeble is a 3 pip drain. If you have a Storm using 3-5 pips to counter a 1 pip spell then you are winning the resource war. Remember also that the Storm Scion is 11 pips. This means that a Storm would have to be at max pips to enfeeble to Scion and if they use Bugs/Catch you have bought yourself several rounds where they cannot use the Scion at all. I understand that tri-blades fell out of favor because they are a tempo neutral play in a fast meta. However, one round of tempo stall is a great trade to prevent the constant threat of OHKO. If you want to be even more advanced, combine your tri blade with Aegis which would likely prevent the Scion from being used for the entirety of the match.