(nealhunt @ Nov. 09 2007,13:05)
QUOTE
Nah. What encourages Monolith popcorn armies is that pairing them with Obelisks is pointless.
Obelisks linked to Monoliths lose their speed advantage because they can't run away from the Mono, and they lose their range advantage because the Monolith needs to be close to the enemy for both the portal and to use FF.
Supposedly, they gain value by functioning as a "meat shield" for the Monolith, but that doesn't make sense. Obelisk costs 50 points to guard a 75 point unit. That's not much "meat shield" value to begin with. Then add in that the Obelisk has half the durability and it's just silly to think it gains any value from that role at all. There is no benefit.
You pay 50 points per Obelisk in their own homogenous formation where all their abilities can be used to the max compared to 50 points per Obelisk with Monliths where their abilities are slashed and their value as a screen is highly dubious.
You pay 50 points for an Obelisk that is a poor ablative shield for a Monolith, compared to paying 75 points for an entirely new, separate Monolith.
Either way you look at it, there is an internal balance problem with Obelisks. Using them with Monoliths is simply inferior.
Popcorn Monoliths happen because it's the only sensible choice. You must have portals. That means you either buy lots of portals or you guard them. Guarding them is throwing points away. That only leaves buying lots of them.
It's a nice theory, but utterly unsupported in any game I have seen or played myself.
Solo Monolith's die fast and ugly.
