My observation on ToJ... (in General)

First off, I'm not a supporter yet, so I can't say exactly that I know what it's like to use one. However, from my observations of fighting people with them, I've decided a few things. These are just my thoughts, and arguments on the ToJ and why I think it's a problem.

First and foremost, I find the balancing on them to be most uneven at least on the lower level. Going through my fight lists several lists below my own, I find out that half the people I easily beat, and the other half I lose to. The difference? ToJ of course. It's a single familiar team wrecking force that is a major problem.

For example, fighting a random opponent, I shut them down with dispel magic on their AS and GA and then kill ALL 4 mages round 1 with fireball. The end? Nope, for the next several ranged rounds my duo mages battle AMF and then the true fighting begins in melee where I lose to one whimpy familiar. So my round 1 win turns into a round 7 loss to a ToJ. I'm not sure if anyone else agrees, but this doesn't seem right. IMO a supporter item should give a slight advantage not a near guaranteed win against someone without.

Well, my other thought on tattoos is probably another for the list of stupid suggestions, but it seems that at least to me it should only be fair if everyone had access to 5 minions. Until the store starts kickin em out faster or people start selling, only the few have this priveledge. And number of minions ranks way up there, at least on my list, on strategies. How about if all the lesser tattoos were available at all times in say a tattoo parlor (or another armor store, pardon the name lol) for a sizable chunk of change ($20k seems like a lot at these lower levels?) This would even the playing field greatly, and still give the supporters with their full ToJ a good edge with a better ToJ and extra CB2 cash against the non-supporters who had a lesser tattoo and less cash at the start.

As far as fixing ToJ, I just wish it was toned down at lower levels. Having it only half as strong would still leave it a force at lower levels. If there was a way to have it lose half or most of its strength/stats when its tattoo bearer died? Etc etc, I'm sure you can think of a few.

Thanks for putting up with my theories and thoughts and I guess even complaints. Despite how it may sound I love CB2 and tattoos and familiars but I just don't believe its fair to the other half of CB2 that does not yet have supportership and their battle winning ToJ's. (PS: anyone wanting to help me out with supportership feel free to contact me- I'll pay almost anything in reason). Thanks for your time.

Any other opinions? Let's discuss!

As with all supporter items, they are meant to be very powerful at the low end, and possibly useful later on. Look at the MoD. Gave a brand new player a x36 claymore, so they could dominate the very low end melee rounds, and was useful up to almost 200k pr. If you feel the ToJ familiar crushes your setup, try using a different setup, or even your own LToJ.

Supporter items tend to have a market value of 500K-1,000K. It is no surprise that this supporter item is very powerful right now.

Dispel magic *is* weak against certain strategies. Not just ToJ but also most teams which use many mages and 4 minions. It is no surprise that ToJ is the only survivor and the biggest threat against your strategy.

Your comment about everyone having access to tattoos is absurd. Similar arguments have been made for everyone having access to other rare items and I don't see this being any different. If you really want access to a tattoo, try offering to pay to rent one in chat. Even if your offer is small, I bet someone will be willing to provide a loan.

Having a tattoo weaken when the bearer dies is not an idea that I'm a fan of but I can't come up with a good argument against it.

I have to disagree with you there private... dispel magic is extremely powerful to have in my strat. Especially against 4 minion teams. Every enemy mage is dead in the first round or two 90% of the time. I have no problem beating their strat- it's just beating their pesky helper, lol. Besides, part of the reason I went 4 minion was for extra blockkers for my mages just FOR the melee tanks/familiars- but the familiars are just too powerful.

From having one, I am not noticing I am EVER winning SOLELY because of my familiar. I am however losing to people who have a familiar much larger than myself, and my own familiar. Why? Because they have put more time into it. Doesn't seem unfair to me. Then again, I am all for ANYTHING that defeats the 4M team. Go familiars, kick their magely butts.

At least at the low levels the tattoos are way overpowered. My ToJ for example is a lot tougher than my solo tank. It's a bit odd to have a familiars that could easily beat his "master". :p
At the moment the gap between my familiar and the tank is increasing but I hope it'll change as the levels increase. The problem with my setup is that I can't beat any team with a bigger Jigo than mine.
And when it comes to other tattoos it's not any better. Just fought against a guy with a lesser fire tattoo (not sure about the name, and I'm too lazy to look) the one that shoots FB. The tattoo blasted my tank and familiars with over 1k damage during the first round, killing my tank immediately and then delivering over 2k damage to my Jigo.
So obviously it's not just ToJ that's owning at low levels. I'm hoping it's like this only at lower levels and later on they'll be like familiars should. Something that gives you a little edge in a combat, not the force that dictates the course of the whole battle.

Another thing to remember is that familiars cannot be equipped. At all.

No armour for them...