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1. Storm Is a Core Part of Protoss Identity
An iconic ability since Brood War: Psionic Storm has been a defining part of the Protoss arsenal for decades. It’s not just a spell—it’s part of what makes Protoss Protoss.
Key counter to bio: Protoss doesn’t have many reliable answers to large-scale Terran bio armies. Storm is one of the few consistent tools available.
Fits the Protoss design: Protoss units are expensive and elite. Their strength comes not from numbers or mobility, but from powerful spells and precision. Nerfing Storm removes that core design philosophy.
2. Protoss Relies Heavily on AoE Damage
Lower numbers, lower mobility: Protoss armies are smaller and generally less mobile than Terran or Zerg. AoE spells like Storm are necessary to level the playing field.
Few reliable AoE options: Other Protoss AoE (Colossus, Disruptors, Archons) are either situational or have clear counters. Storm is flexible, accessible, and essential—especially in the mid-game.
Storm scales into late-game: Unlike bursty, one-time-use abilities, Storm remains relevant throughout the entire match. It offers zoning, punishes clumping, and gives Protoss a fighting chance.
3. Gateway Units Can’t Function Without Storm
Poor trading without AoE: Gateway units like Zealots, Stalkers, and Adepts do not trade efficiently on their own. They rely on AoE support (Storm, Colossus, Disruptor) to take cost-effective fights.
No strong all-in potential: Without Storm, Gateway-based timing attacks and all-ins lose most of their punch. This removes an entire pillar of Protoss mid-game strategy.
Lack of kill pressure: Storm gives Protoss the ability to pressure and punish. Without it, opponents can freely macro and split armies without fear.
4. Storm Is Strong but Fair – and Requires Skill
Micro-heavy spell: Storm requires energy management, positioning, timing, and patience. It’s not a "free win" tool—it rewards good control and awareness.
Plenty of counterplay: EMP, drop play, splitting, sniping High Templars—there are many ways to deal with Storm.
High skill ceiling: In competitive matches, Storm creates some of the most dynamic fights in StarCraft. Nerfing it would remove a lot of the depth from engagements nad much amazing moments in mini-micro fights- and fighting for vision.
5. Nerfing Storm Would Break Matchups
PvT: Without Storm, bio-based Terran armies become nearly unstoppable. Ghosts, Medivacs, and splits counter nearly everything without Storm in the equation.
PvZ: Mid-game Zerg armies like Hydra/Ling/Bane, or even mass Roach, can overwhelm Protoss if Storm is weakened/changed.
No strong alternatives: Disruptors are unreliable, and Colossus are easily countered by Vikings, Corruptors, or mass bio. Storm is the only consistent mid-game AoE answer.
6. Protoss Players Will Quit If Storm Gets Nerfed
Smallest player base already: Protoss already has the smallest representation in competitive play and on ladder. Nerfing Storm could push more players away.
No fun without tools: Playing Gateway-heavy Protoss without reliable AoE support leads to frustrating, one-sided losses.
Losing morale: For many Protoss players, Storm is the last real weapon left. Nerfing it may feel like the final blow.
7. Storm = Protoss Identity
Protoss are psionic warriors. Storm is the ultimate expression of their power—both visually and mechanically.
You don’t just lose balance—you lose flavor: Nerfing Storm isn’t just a balance issue—it removes part of what makes Protoss feel like Protoss. It would be like removing Stim from Terran or Speed from Zerglings.
Final Thoughts:
Storm should NOT be nerfed. It is not just a powerful ability—it is a vital piece of the Protoss toolkit, a fundamental element of their identity, and a necessary tool for keeping matchups balanced.
Taking it away in the current form (or weakening it) would break army dynamics, kill off strategic diversity, and drive players away from the race entirely.
Let Protoss keep their one last weapon.
greetings Dystopia
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United States1918 Posts
On September 20 2025 20:03 Dsytopia wrote:
1. Storm Is a Core Part of Protoss Identity
An iconic ability since Brood War: Psionic Storm has been a defining part of the Protoss arsenal for decades. It’s not just a spell—it’s part of what makes Protoss Protoss.
This is the most important part for me. I'll write more later...
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Northern Ireland26499 Posts
Welcome to TL! Can’t really disagree with much of that post
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On September 20 2025 20:03 Dsytopia wrote:
Smallest player base already: Protoss already has the smallest representation in competitive play and on ladder. Nerfing Storm could push more players away.
I agree with the rest of your points, but this is not true. To the contrary, Protoss has a perfectly healthy if not the largest player representation in competitive play except at the very, very top, meaning the absolute S-tier standard RO4 pros. Most non-S-tier tournaments like the weeklies feature a large or even overwhelming proportion of Protoss players while Zerg players are a rarity or completely absent. Likewise, there have been far, far more Protoss players in Grandmaster than Zergs for many seasons. All this is well-known and caused by the basic design of Protoss, making it easier to play everwhere except at the absolute top level.
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The balance council will finally realize how dumb their idea was when they watch the first pro game. The toss army will literally get deleted on the first timing attack from the terran / Zerg.
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I agree Storm is a part of Protoss identity, but the way it is with the current patch where toss players can just spam it endlessly like they got it wholesale from Costco doesn't suit the good old Protoss identity either, feels cheapened.
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On September 21 2025 18:30 bulldozer06701 wrote:
I agree Storm is a part of Protoss identity, but the way it is with the current patch where toss players can just spam it endlessly like they got it wholesale from Costco doesn't suit the good old Protoss identity either, feels cheapened.
the issue here is not storm though but energy overcharge. It's like when they created a problem out of nothing when they giga-buffed infested terrans and afterwards were like: this spell is problematic it needs to go, and we lost a cool spell forever, when it was in a perfectly fine state for years beforehand.
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On September 21 2025 19:39 Charoisaur wrote:Show nested quote +On September 21 2025 18:30 bulldozer06701 wrote:
I agree Storm is a part of Protoss identity, but the way it is with the current patch where toss players can just spam it endlessly like they got it wholesale from Costco doesn't suit the good old Protoss identity either, feels cheapened. the issue here is not storm though but energy overcharge. It's like when they created a problem out of nothing when they giga-buffed infested terrans and afterwards were like: this spell is problematic it needs to go, and we lost a cool spell forever, when it was in a perfectly fine state for years beforehand.
Yes I agree, that's what I meant. Of course don't delete Storm, but energy overcharge or something else needs to be tweaked. Storm itself should stay like it has always been - a powerful ability that should be feared. But not cheap like it is in the current patch.
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Protoss identity to autowin whit zero effort and skill? Its about time to change that identity
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15 years of storm not being changed
shield overcharge gets changed into energy recharge - disproportionally benefitting templar tech the most, then stargate tech, and robo the leas
ah yes let's nerf storm
How long did it take after they nerfed Shield Overcharge from 100% and indirectly buffed Raven Interference Matrix pushes (Ravens gas cost reduced to 150 and built faster, without adjusting Interference Matrix duration), for them to give Protoss the changes the MU needed to even the winrate from ~40% back close to 50%? Oh right, a full year.
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Northern Ireland26499 Posts
On September 21 2025 22:13 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
15 years of storm not being changed
shield overcharge gets changed into energy recharge - disproportionally benefitting templar tech the most, then stargate tech, and robo the leas
ah yes let's nerf storm
How long did it take after they nerfed Shield Overcharge from 100% and indirectly buffed Raven Interference Matrix pushes (Ravens gas cost reduced to 150 and built faster, without adjusting Interference Matrix duration), for them to give Protoss the changes the MU needed to even the winrate from ~40% back close to 50%? Oh right, a full year.
What was frustrating about that one, was that it was super predictable
Sometimes, especially a cool, interesting change, there can be swings that are hard to envisage ahead of time, players figure out ways to innovate, and there’s way more players than balance folks. That’s totally understandable. The original Queen buff, yeah obviously strong, but the butterfly effect that leads to BL/Infestor, wasn’t obvious and it took quite some time to mature. Hell energy overcharge ended up being a lot better than many thought initially, yours truly included. I thought Toss would really struggle to hold pushes (indeed including the one you mentioned) without battery overcharge, and wasn’t sure energy overcharge compensated enough. Well, it clearly did.
With that one, interference Matrix pushes, often with tanks, versus a Toss holding on with Colossus near a super battery was super common. Unless that state of affairs is broken, there can only be one result if you meaningfully buff one side of the equation, and nerf the other.
This patch, at the Toss end feels very similarly predictable. Energy overcharge is the new thing, I think it’s fair to say, overtuned, so let’s find that sweet spot.
But then you nerf storm (it doesn’t help that it’s actually bugged in the PTR so this can’t be fully tested), and you throw out a bunch of buffs elsewhere.
If Temp tech and Stargate openers synergise with energy overcharge better than Robo tech, Robo tech did so with battery overcharge. But that’s gone now.
There have also been cumulative Robo nerfs after nerf, which ain’t a great combo.
What’s more, if (and if) storm ends up being garbage, Robo tech ends up being actively worse, even if it’s just as strong. PvT outside of gatewayman shenanigans is often a delicate juggling act of introducing and countering splash from multiple sources. If Temps are a non-factor, well you can just pump out Vikings because you can pretty safely bet all the splash threat will be the lazer giraffes (especially given Disruptor nerfs).
Same with Zoigs, Robo tech is viable, but it’s on a timer. Vipers good unit. If Zoigs can generally safely assume Toss aren’t going Templar, they can tweak their comps and timings around Robo stuff.
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I can't believe people are earnestly engaging with a post written by an LLM
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On September 21 2025 18:30 bulldozer06701 wrote:
I agree Storm is a part of Protoss identity, but the way it is with the current patch where toss players can just spam it endlessly like they got it wholesale from Costco doesn't suit the good old Protoss identity either, feels cheapened.
Which is why Energy Overcharge is the problem, not Psionic Storm.
Revert to a balanced Blizzard patch and Storm won't be a problem anymore.
It wasn't a problem for 15 years.
It isn't the problem now.
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Northern Ireland26499 Posts
On September 22 2025 00:13 MJG wrote:Show nested quote +On September 21 2025 18:30 bulldozer06701 wrote:
I agree Storm is a part of Protoss identity, but the way it is with the current patch where toss players can just spam it endlessly like they got it wholesale from Costco doesn't suit the good old Protoss identity either, feels cheapened. Which is why Energy Overcharge is the problem, not Psionic Storm. Revert to a balance Blizzard patch and Storm won't be a problem anymore. It wasn't a problem for 15 years. It isn't the problem now.
Energy overcharge being too good is the problem.
Fundamentally, I believe it’s a much more interesting and flexible tool than what it replaced.
I think spiritually, it also follows in the tradition of changes Blizzard have historically made to Toss. Rip off a one click bandaid defensive ability and try to replace it with things that are more flexible and ultimately more satisfying.
Not all of the changes in the balance council era have been bad, but there are clearly some wonky things that scream conflicts of interest/these people aren’t game designers.
And not just that, but bugs. Colossus range, cyclones. We can’t actually test the proposed new storm because it’s bugged and way worse than it’s supposed to be with the nerf.
Some balance council patches have been improvements on previous Blizzard epochs, some have been worse.
Stick an actual team from Blizz on it, have them figure it out, at least give them the manpower so that bugs aren’t a seemingly constant factor.
But I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater entirely either. I like some of the recent stuff and think it’s an active improvement.
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Why can't they just change Energy Recharge to this:
Gives 50 energy and 200 shield over 8 seconds to a target unit.
Cooldown remains 60 seconds.
This way, it would be useful for Robo tech as well. Without being nearly as good as Shield Overcharge, because you can't change units. You can simply target fire a different unit, at the same time Protoss gets a way to provide extra sustain/cushion to key Robo units that might lose them the game if they die. It doesn't protect all their other units at the same time like Shield Overcharge did.
If the shield regen is too weak, you could allow that unit's shields to exceed its normal max amount until the 8 seconds runs out. For example you could let an Immortal charge up from 100 shields to 200 shields in the first 4 seconds, then engage a Terran tank push while regen'ing another 100, allowing it to utilize the 200 extra shields fully.
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On September 22 2025 03:26 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
Why can't they just change Energy Recharge to this:
Gives 50 energy and 200 shield over 8 seconds to a target unit.
Cooldown remains 60 seconds.
I'm of a similar mind to you, but I'd copy Transfusion to have some instant shields and energy as well as further shield and energy over time. With only regen over time the ability is substantially less useful in a defensive situation. No immediate shield regen and that robo unit you casted it on probably just dies anyway and no immediate energy regen means that warped in Templar or just spawned Oracle isn't really going to be able to do anything to the army that is killing your guys
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On September 22 2025 14:46 xPrimuSx wrote:Show nested quote +On September 22 2025 03:26 Yoshi Kirishima wrote:
Why can't they just change Energy Recharge to this:
Gives 50 energy and 200 shield over 8 seconds to a target unit.
Cooldown remains 60 seconds.
I'm of a similar mind to you, but I'd copy Transfusion to have some instant shields and energy as well as further shield and energy over time. With only regen over time the ability is substantially less useful in a defensive situation. No immediate shield regen and that robo unit you casted it on probably just dies anyway and no immediate energy regen means that warped in Templar or just spawned Oracle isn't really going to be able to do anything to the army that is killing your guys
True yes, the ability to warp in a HT or instantly charge it up with Storm ability is huge for defense. Ofc it shouldn't be fully taken away. 1 storm is enough but currently 100 energy can give 2 storms.
So yeah maybe it can give 50 energy upfront and 100 shield upfront and then over 8 seconds maybe it can give an additional 25 energy and 100 shield or something.
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Well said, this is probably one of the best first posts I've ever read, if not the very best, well done sir.
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meh, let's see how things go on this patch for a few weeks before we decide ahead of time it is bad.
On September 20 2025 22:30 Antithesis wrote:Show nested quote +On September 20 2025 20:03 Dsytopia wrote:
Smallest player base already: Protoss already has the smallest representation in competitive play and on ladder. Nerfing Storm could push more players away. I agree with the rest of your points, but this is not true. To the contrary, Protoss has a perfectly healthy if not the largest player representation in competitive play except at the very, very top, meaning the absolute S-tier standard RO4 pros. Most non-S-tier tournaments like the weeklies feature a large or even overwhelming proportion of Protoss players while Zerg players are a rarity or completely absent. Likewise, there have been far, far more Protoss players in Grandmaster than Zergs for many seasons. All this is well-known and caused by the basic design of Protoss, making it easier to play everwhere except at the absolute top level.
i play at about 125 APM and make the # of decisions per minute you'd expect from the typical/median 125 APM player. i can throw a bunch of zealots//(mineral units) at something and focus on other stuff. i can't do anything like that with terran.
Protoss is too easy to use for sub 200 APM players.
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On September 23 2025 02:51 JimmyJRaynor wrote:meh, let's see how things go on this patch for a few weeks before we decide ahead of time it is bad. Show nested quote +On September 20 2025 22:30 Antithesis wrote:On September 20 2025 20:03 Dsytopia wrote:
Smallest player base already: Protoss already has the smallest representation in competitive play and on ladder. Nerfing Storm could push more players away. I agree with the rest of your points, but this is not true. To the contrary, Protoss has a perfectly healthy if not the largest player representation in competitive play except at the very, very top, meaning the absolute S-tier standard RO4 pros. Most non-S-tier tournaments like the weeklies feature a large or even overwhelming proportion of Protoss players while Zerg players are a rarity or completely absent. Likewise, there have been far, far more Protoss players in Grandmaster than Zergs for many seasons. All this is well-known and caused by the basic design of Protoss, making it easier to play everwhere except at the absolute top level. i play at about 125 APM and make the # of decisions per minute you'd expect from the typical/median 125 APM player. i can throw a bunch of zealots//(mineral units) at something and focus on other stuff. i can't do anything like that with terran. Protoss is too easy to use for sub 200 APM players.
 GoOdy exists and has been in GM recently.
What's your excuse?
+ Show Spoiler +TeRrAn CaN sIeGe A bUnCh Of TaNkS aNd Go FoCuS oN oThEr StUfF. i CaN'T dO aNyThInG lIkE tHaT wItH pRoToSs.
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