u/Blazar1

V2 is a massive nerf to V1, but still technically better for roaming.

I think it’s elegant: Infinite jumps, but only 4 shots for combat. Without base-jumper, 4 is already a big bomb. With gunboats, you should be repositioning instead of vomiting out even more damage anyways.

The previous version lets you splurge out 8 rockets and effectively reload twice as fast. For this one, your clip is mostly relevant only when hitting opponents. So long as you're loaded and don’t accidentally hit an enemy, you can jump forever.

Also, if you miss/overkill your target and hurt yourself, you get your rocket back for free!

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Any thoughts on these? Can the old version be made balanced?

👉 Post For Previous Version

^(Yes. This is a modified Air Strike.)

Is this OP?... In maps with high sky-boxes I'm inclined to say yes, but I suspect many would still say no just because "damage penalty = bad!".

Stats commentary:

Fires from the center
Entirely for aesthetic purposes. Original vs Stock shouldn't concern mid-level jumpers.

-15% self blast damage (unconditionally!)
All launchers have the same self-damage when splashing yourself on someone. This sucks for the Air Strike and Liberty Launcher. You can theoretically kill yourself without ever being hit back.

I added "unconditionally" to make this an exception because it's relevant to dive/sync-bombs.
It helps make close-combat more sustainable in general.

Every second rocket draws from reserve ammo instead of clip while jumping
This is what makes it an aerial weapon without ambiguity. More rockets in the air, but not on the ground. You also wont die of old age while reloading.

-25% splash radius while jumping (and a notable lack of one on the ground)
I just rounded it down from -28% to -25%. I do consider it a necessary evil.

On the ground, you are trading away more shots (after kills) for more reliable splash. This is distinctly NOT a ground weapon, but at least you don't have excuses for missing.

Makes a distinct sound in flight (of a WWII warplane)
This serves as a warning to enemies, but it's also a buff. It's valuable to know if you're still in a "rocket jumping" state when landing b-hops or in messy combat situations.

Edit:
I would probably also give it a reload penalty while jumping in hind-sight.