As a control Mage, Polaris brings a unique dynamic to the battlefield, emphasizing support over primary damage dealing.
There are two primary approaches for using Polaris: control support and damage support.
In a control support role, Polaris is paired with another control hero, and Mara's patronage is directed toward the chosen hero, not Polaris. This setup maximizes the control capabilities of the team.
On the other hand, if the aim is to boost overall team damage, Mara's pet can patronize Polaris. This extends the duration of True Freeze to 9 seconds instead of the base 3 seconds, providing more time for the 140% magic damage increase to wreak havoc on enemies.
The skills, strategic roles, development strategies, and how she holds up against purported hard counters will be delved into.
Let's kick things off with Polaris's primary skill, Pulsing Comet. This ability deals damage to the entire enemy team, with a particular emphasis on Frontline Heroes. While she may not be the main damage dealer, the stage is set for her control-oriented play style.
Polaris's green skill, Glacial Fortress, is where things get interesting.
A nice barrier is created that not only provides protection, but also serves as an energy booster when struck. A 10% energy bonus is gained per hit with the barrier capable of withstanding three hits.
This allows Polaris to potentially gain a significant 30% energy, allowing her to access her powerful skills more frequently than other Heroes. This alone distinguishes Polaris as a hero with accelerated energy generation.
Now, let's shift our focus to the skills that truly define Polaris's supportive role: the blue and violet skills. The third skill,
Northern Lights, is a game changer. It empowers Polaris's allies, allowing them to extend control effects by a whopping %.
Visually, this skill manifests as a cloud of different colors during battle. For manual players, this cloud signals the opportune moment to activate control effects strategically.
To illustrate the impact, a test was conducted using Arachne as an example. Arachne's hyper-jump skill stuns enemies for 5 seconds, but with Mara's patronage, this duration jumps to 15 seconds.
Introducing Polaris into the mix with Northern Lights extends Arachne's stun by an additional 9 seconds, bringing the total to an impressive 24 seconds.
This synergy showcases Polaris's ability to enhance the control capabilities of other Heroes, making her an ideal companion for various team compositions.
Polaris's violet skill, True Freeze, is another powerful asset. It is activated when Pulsing Comet or Glacial Fortress explodes, inflicting a true freeze status on affected enemies for 3 seconds.
During this time, enemies are stunned and receive 140% more magic damage. In a practical demonstration with Aion, his damage output from a single rocket surged from 66K to an astounding K when supported by Polaris's True Freeze violet skill.
When it comes to developing Polaris, prioritizing her blue and violet skills is crucial. The beauty of these skills lies in their independence from health or magic attack stacks. This makes them relatively easier to level up, requiring only gold investments.
After boosting her health and armor to enhance her survivability, the first artifact to focus on is magic penetration. Every time Polaris uses her Pulsing Comet, the magic penetration effect is activated, benefiting not only her but also amplifying the damage output of other Mages in the team.
Against purported hard counters, typically when facing Mage and control Heroes, reliable hard counters are instinctively thought of. However, a fascinating twist is introduced to this dynamic by Polaris. Surprisingly, Isaac's energy bar isn't significantly boosted by her, and her first skill, pulsing Comet, inflicts higher IC damage, making her less susceptible to Isaac's energy depletion effects.
Moreover, her blue and violet skills operate passively, further mitigating the impact of debuffing strategies. Sebastian's Shield debuff, a mechanism that traditionally dissipates before the 15th attack, encounters a fascinating hurdle when confronted by Polaris. Upon closer scrutiny, a peculiar phenomenon unfolds. Polaris appears to impede the momentum of the entire oppos in the team after approximately 7 to 8 attacks.
Notably, both Polaris's first and second skills, upon detonation, deal substantial damage, effectively hastening the drop of Sebastian's protective shield. Additionally, the intricacy of Polaris's blue skill, Northern Lights, further contributes to this disruption by reducing the likelihood of enemy skills activating by 10. This nuanced interaction positions Polaris as an unexpected yet potent counter against both Isaac and Sebastian, adding a layer of strategic depth to her already versatile skill set.
While Heroes like Corvus can inflict substantial damage on Polaris, she proves to be a resilient force on the battlefield, challenging the notion of a straightforward hard counter. In conclusion, Polaris injects a refreshing strategic dynamic into the world of Dominion. Her versatility and support-oriented skill set make her a valuable addition to various team compositions.
