The Knockback Dory is a very strong item. Almost everyone can agree that it is too strong for its own good. However, instead of straight up removing the Knockback Dory from the game, I’d like to propose potential a fix for it.
The Problem
So from my experience, some factors that make the Knockback Dory too strong for it’s own good are that it uses Knockback II rather than the Knockback I that the Nemo uses. It is a one-time use item, but especially in Season 2 where you can get the Strike it Lucky upgrade (Which I’ll get to in a different post), it is quite cheap, being priced at 6 emeralds. Believe it or not, those two factors aren’t much of a problem, at least on paper.
The biggest problem is the way the knockback itself works. Instead of the knockback effect working like it normally does, it instead sends the player sliding off the map, with no vertical knockback. This means that the knockback dealt will be negligible if a player is hit towards a block. However, the large majority of BedWars maps are flat and open, which allows for the knockback effect to really kick in. The fact that next to no vertical knockback is dealt makes it so when a player does get hit, they don’t have enough time to react and they just go straight into the void.
With these problems in mind, here is my solution on how to fix the Knockback Dory…
Add in Vertical Knockback
I know that some of you looking at this are thinking that this would just make the Knockback Dory even more overpowered. However, let’s think about how the knockback effect would work in relation to the way the maps are laid out. If more vertical knockback was to be added, that would give Dory users the potential to send a player from one island to another, instead of straight into the void. This would mean that players using the Dory would need to be more mindful of where they decide to hit the player from, otherwise their attempt to send their opponent into the void could very easily go wrong.
Not just that, but adding in extra vertical knockback would give players who are hit by the Dory more time to react and possibly make a clutch. Having the knockback effect work like this would add an extra layer of strategy and skill to the usage of the Knockback Dory, and make it more fair for everyone.
Pricing
With the solution in mind, let’s talk about the pricing. Knockback Dory could potentially be fine staying at 6 emeralds if this change is applied to it. However, I do think that because of the fact that Strike it Lucky exists, making it harder to get at home would be another way to make it so players have to spend more time at middle. This would make it so the Knockback Dory is still a strong item, but players who use it will need to be mindful of where they want to send a player, and they’ll need to work harder to get it.
If Strike it Lucky is to be removed (Which would be ideal in my opinion), then it could be fine sitting at 6 emeralds. Let me know what you think of this idea…