I know we’ve got more pressing issues to be talked about on the forums (Gamepress’s Open Letter to Ludia), but I wanted to talk about the Rare and Epic hybrid balance. Since it’s been insistent that these two, especially epics, will see the most action in tournaments and they are key stepping stones for new players I feel like it’d be for the best to offer player suggestion on how to get these guys sorted out. Out of all our hybrids it’s these two rarities that both seem the most lacking in variety and suffering from balance disparity (rares also in quantity). Uniques are a close second in disparity (Entelolania < Magnapyrritor anyone?) but I digress.
So here I’ve got some minor buffs and nerfs for several creatures, and then some ideas for new ones to fill role gaps instead of having more of the same. (Aquila vs Gamma vs Velos) I’ve left some optional polls per each suggested change, and everyone is more than welcome to discuss their thoughts 
Sarcorixis
Nerf: This is minor. But I think it’d make enough of a difference in how some matchups work out. It drops to 115 speed, and loses total decel immunity. So now it’ll struggle more against Lasmus, and can be slowed enough that it can be set up on by things like Indominus2 without having to MF taking a hit in the process. Suchotator favors this matchup now and also creates a reasonable damage window for Majundaboa if led with a SDS.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different nerf
- It doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Scaphotator
Buff: We can all agree that scaphotator is terrible. It’s a nice idea, but a straight downgrade from Diplo. This sees a number of small changes. For stats, it gets a midway boost to its attack, and 1 point of speed to outrun its parent outside of rarity bonus as well as prorat. For its kit it expands its basic to now also pin. A minor change, but it could help get that one extra bleed tick off in a trade. It also exchanged minor swoop for the more robust Lethal Swoop. This helps make it more formidable to the abundant high usage resilients in these two rarities. Lastly it receives a full resistance to pinning from its pterosaur heritage, which further assists its function. Tbh, it probably needs something else extra, but I’m unsure as to what.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different buff
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Velosrhacos
Buff: Velos got stealth nerfed in 2.3, and while it’s still good for a solid rampage cycle that can’t be interrupted by a SIA Stun, it doesn’t hit hard enough for a glass cannon. So while staying at 2700 HP, it now does 1500 attack. It has a clear separation from Gamma now with this small attack adjustment to be a real sweeper/glass cannon. It also has a chance in the speed tie between them now with its higher attack, so a one shot is possible either way.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Aquilamimus
Buff: It’s tempting to pump up a creature like this with larger base stats, but then it would invalidate Velos and Gamma. Instead this sees its speed improved to a rarity best 131 (as it should be from Haast’s) and a small bump to 1300 attack. I’ve also thought often that it’s bizarre there are Long variants of resilient moves (I.e. long decel, long shield) and cunning’s have nothing like it. So Aquila gains the new Long Evasive Strike for added protection. It also replaces Group Distraction for Tip the Scales, which may seem odd, but is both fitting for its cunning nature and assists in dealing with things like Purrolyth. On top of this it gains new resistances fit for one of its family that make it a safe swap-in to a bleed or incoming rend further adjusting the dynamic of Cunning vs Fierce.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different buff
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Buff: Probably the simplest one here. HP buff to 4000. No gimmicks or anything else needed. It can now actually survive more scenarios to get its shield up for a second round. The 5% Crit boost helps bring it in line with the other boa hybrids.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different buff
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Spinotahraptor
Buff: As our only current Cunning/Fierce hybrid out of all the epic hybrids, Spinotah is a poor representative. This buff makes it so it is no longer badly frail for its speed, and gives it stronger moves as well as No Escape. It’s still easily beaten by the likes of Velos and Gamma, but it’ll now be more up to the task of contributing competitively. Oh, and it has a non-basic strike now. Why does it still have a basic strike after all this time?
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different buff
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
Honorable Epic Mention: Gorgosuchus
Stat Rework?: I enjoyed the old gorgo that was rocking a heavy damage stat and low-mid hp, but 2.0 saw that exchanged for much more HP and Decel immunity. Debatable as to which stat line is preferred among players.
- Stay the same
- Old High Attack Low HP
- Compromise in the middle
0 voters
Majundasuchus
Buff: The only rare that is stand out bad (Inostherium withstanding as it is a raid creature). It’s stats are lackluster and it serves little purpose for its speed tier. This buff sees it receive a priority shield to make use of its ferocity, and a moderate damage boost. It also receives 1 speed point to give it the chance to activate its ferocity against the likes of Brontolasmus and Indom2.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
- It needs a different buff
- Doesn’t need a change
0 voters
New Stuff
Each one of these was made with the intent to fill a gap present in the Rare and Epic Hybrid pool. I feel like they are all decently balanced (except one, but we’ll get there), and while all this is present as theory I have hope that some of these concepts might find their way to the game as other community contributed ideas have occasionally.
Rares
Dracocyon
Role: Fierce Stunning Trapper
Idea: The rare hybrid roster lacks a solid fierce option, and this one has both arena and raid utility. It will present low level players a nice option to contribute a group hitter to a raid party, and in the arena it locks out pesky swap ins with a nasty On Escape Savagery. It has quite low HP signature of the canid type and lacks evasion countermeasures, so it is easy prey to cunning threats or faster fierce creatures like gorgosuchus.
Einiogopteryx
Role: Swap in Stalling Runner
Idea: While yes, we do have Einiasuchus already as a swap in hitter, the Rare hybrid roster lacks a runner. This one has more bulk and attack value than most, but is very slow in compensation with only 1X attacks on the field. This will assist low levels in learning &Run combo set ups with additional creatures and building a good team chemistry early, and it can be a makeshift tank in the clutch as well.
Glyptoguanadon
Role: Resilient Raid Healer Tank
Idea: This is the one I fear I made overpowered. But the idea of it is that among the rares there is no group healer. This one makes a formidable tank healer that lets low level players tag along into raids with good purpose. It’s armor and double heals allow it to shrug all but the fiercest of hits. It almost certainly needs tweaking, but it would give beginners a pure resilient worth it’s salt and a great starting point as they begin braving the arenas upper echelons.
Brontamplexus
Role: Resilient Taunting Tank Trapper
Idea: Ugh, another resilient. Yeah yeah I know. But it opens another door to new players: access to invincibility. This will be helpful for newbies both in the arena and raids finally having a hybrid that can soak a big hit without a dent. It also has an interesting method of trapping a swapper that’ll help low levels develop good habits and tactics for when they eventually have access to better similarly roled creatures like Stygidaryx: think they are going to swap out? Drop one of these in to shut that down.
Ophiasuchodon
Role: Fierce Pinning Breaker
Idea: Fun fact: no rare hybrid has a DSR, and only 2 out of 21 epic hybrids do. Now this isn’t essential, but with so much resilient firepower roaming around from head to toe of the arena I’m sure beginners would like an avenue to fight back with the benefits hybrids bring. I’m sure it could be improved somewhat, but as a low tier shield muncher made of easy ingredients it’ll fit its job description nicely.
Epics
Gorgocheirus
Role: Revenge Fierce Cunning Buffer
Idea: I wouldn’t have thought of this pairing until I recently had time to toy around with Acrocanthops. This hybrid is admittedly not much like it, but it is an interesting premise. With its inherited decel immunity, it can speed up and past threats to deliver high powered wallops on unfortunately played matchups. Something like this would be a curious thing to throw in the mix and would likely encourage more diverse counter-play to combat it. And it’s something else to do with all that spare gorgo and cheirus dna we all have.
Nasutocerator
Role: Raid Wildcard Buffing Distractor
Idea: The epic hybrid class is scarce for strong raid choices. Thyla, Gorgo sometimes, lasmus maybe if you need a tank. This guy is built as a raid centerpiece as Inostherium is for the Rares, though it’d be difficult to level requiring both exclusive and coveted dna. It would be arena functional, but have its greatest utility butting heads with bosses.
Koolanychus
Role: Cunning Evasive Nullifier
Idea: The epic hybrid class might be starting to get a little murky with all the cunning speedsters including this guy, but I assure you it serves a key purpose. Is there any creature in all the epic and rare hybrids that can Nullify without being struck for a counter or swapping in? There isn’t, not anymore at least. This would-be feathered frog lizard has the semi-bulk and nullification to put a halt to all those rampant buffers in the rarity. And while serving that purpose, it is in turn smacked by Cunning on Cunning violence as it should be. [The profile shows wildcard, but it is pure cunning.]
Suchoripterus
Role: Fierce Buffing Evasive Counterattacker
Idea: A first round original hybrid from JW:TG, it’d be a little tough to level with it’s difficult to procure Dsunga dna. While it lacks a shield its ability to dodge, buff, heal, apply vulnerability, and bleed will help the pool of fierce creatures balance out the many strong resilients. Even still, it’d likely trade at best with rixis and lasmus as they are powerful resilient creatures.
Sauroradia
Role: Wildcard Healing Nullifier
Idea: Here’s another guy I came up with that I hope would help lower levels really learn good strategy. It’s about time we had another Mutual +/+ move and I think a two-way heal would be a very interesting dynamic in the arena. It’s also the only epic hybrid to have access to devastation, and although it doesn’t have the typical easy path to using it (SV and heavy armor), it could use Mutual Rest strategically to get the needed boost to drop that heavy blow. And plus, on a side note of this creature combo, wouldn’t a twin spike-sailed sauropod look so good?
(Updated)
Feel free to discuss!
