#counterplay

So idk if it’s a problem with everyone but I swear every match I wanna try a new character there’s ALWAYS A COUNTER ON THE ENEMY TEAM??? Like I can go five matches without seeing hela but ONE MATCH I wanna play human torch they miraculously decide to play hela and FUCKING IRON FIST. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN THIS LIKE IDK WHY THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS TO ME😭

So, first is some context for those who aren't necessarily into D2, or at least the PvP side of it. Iron Banner, or IB, is a PvP mode that happens 2 times per 3 month season for 1 week each time it happens. Kind of a special event thing. For a lot of people, it's also basically the only time they play D2's PvP. This can lead to moments like me being dimly aware that PvP was in the midst of a SMG meta, and then suddenly experiencing how overpowering some of the weapons at the top of the general SMG heap can be. Especially with the new boogeyman weapon of Destiny 2 PvP: The Immortal.

This thing right here. Image is not mine, as I do not have this weapon on any character.

"But, Arti," you may ask, "why is this little thing so terrifying?" Well, it's simple. Not only is it a SMG, it has the strongest SMG archetype with the second-highest rate of fire, can get ludicrous amounts of range for a SMG (to the point where it can and does overshadow auto rifles, which are supposed to be the automatic weapon option for mid-to-long range), can drop with amazing perks, and can drop with enough points in its stability stat to make these little words right here, the ones that say "high recoil," absolutely fucking meaningless!

Not only that, but it drops from the Trials of Osiris game mode. Trials is a PvP game mode, kinda like IB, but it is the sweatiest game mode in Destiny 2. The reason for this is simple - not only does it drop incredibly good weapons such as The Immortal here, but those weapons can drop as Adept versions. See, there are some examples of end-game content in Destiny that reward you for doing well in them, especially at higher difficulties, with versions of their normal weapons that intrinsically have better stats. Not enough to make it so that having an Adept version with a bad roll is better than a regular version with a good roll, but enough to make strong guns even better than they already are.

So where all of this comes together is, to put it simply, everyone and their mother played a metric shit-ton of Trials this past weekend when The Immortal was released, as anyone that read up on the new weapons and saw what The Immortal was going to be like through the D2 API immediately knew it was going to be the strongest weapon for PvP in the current meta.

This has led to me and my friend, who don't normally play PvP much outside of IB, consistently going up against full teams of people spamming this gun, along with a shotgun (as shotguns are also doing well right now), and barely getting to do anything because of it.

And this was when we had an idea.

See, one thing that is incredibly easy to forget in the face of a meta this dominating is that even in the darkest times, the meta isn't everything. And even weapons that aren't necessarily as strong can still come out to play and fulfill one very important role - counterplay. Because The Immortal may have enough range to push out into being useful at mid-range - but at its core, it has the same weakness as every other SMG. A weakness that is magnified by most of the people running it using it in conjunction with a shotgun.

Range.

So if you, like my friend and I were, are getting frustrated by game after game of being matched against these meta-spamming people trying to get as close to you as possible so they can do optimal damage, do what we did. Pull out your scout rifles and hand cannons and take them out from a farther range than they can reach. Show them how annoying a pulse rifle player being safe about engagements can be.

Story Summary:

What would have happened if Harry, Hermione, and Ron were saved from the Snatchers in the seventh book? This is an alternate ending to the Harry Potter series with some Harmony, Drinny, and a lot of twists and turns. 

Chapter 1 Excerpt:

When he's done, he drops his Death Eater mask and walks back to her. Hermione quickly gets to her feet and straightens her spine. This is it. She's about to find out if this rescue is real, or if he has something worse planned for them. When he gets to her, he regards her for a moment, then looks down at Harry and Ron.

"Stinging jinx?" he drawls.

She nods, heart pounding so hard, she wonders if he can hear it.

"Clever," he says. Then he turns to her and holds out her wand for her to take. "You need to be more careful. There is a taboo on the Dark Lord's name."

She carefully grips her wand, half-expecting him to snatch it back, but he lets her take it. She considers hexing him, but his wand is in his hand and he is watching her carefully, probably expecting that.

"Why did you help us? You hate Harry."

Her grip on her wand tightens when he reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a small object and his gaze softens as he looks down at it. She sees the remnant of tenderness in his eyes when he looks back up at her, but it's gone so quickly, she wonders if she imagined it.

"I didn't do it for Potter," he snarls. "I did it for her." He tosses the object at Hermione and she fumbles with it, then looks down, curiously. Before she can ask any more questions, she hears the rustle of robes. He is running away and she's trying to decide if she should go after him when he finally reaches the edge of the ward and she hears the pop of disapparition.

Story Summary:

What would have happened if Harry, Hermione, and Ron were saved from the Snatchers in the seventh book? This is an alternate ending to the Harry Potter series with some Harmony, Drinny, and a lot of twists and turns.

Chapter 26 Excerpt:

Ginny marches up to Draco and slaps him hard across the face.

He turns his head and closes his eyes, then says in a flat voice, "The Dark Lord is dead. The war is over. You won."

Tears start to fall from her eyes again. She is mildly surprised. She'd thought after hours of crying, she was all out of tears. "At what cost?" she demands.

Draco looks back at her, his face is still blank. "Many people died today, but none of your friends or family, as far as I could tell. One of your brothers was badly hurt, but it should heal."

"Which brother?"

"Uhh, one of the older ones who didn't go to school with us."

"Did he have scars on his face?"

"No."

Charlie, Ginny thinks. She goes to sit on the edge of the bed and focuses on the ground, not wanting to look at Draco. "How does Harry not count as one of my friends?" she asks through her tears. "I went into Voldemort's mind and I saw him die. I should have been there, Draco!"

She goes back to stand in front of him. "But you kept me here!" she jabs a finger hard into his chest. "I will never forgive you for that!"

Draco grabs her finger with his good hand and lowers it gently. "Potter's alive."

Story Summary:

What would have happened if Harry, Hermione, and Ron were saved from the Snatchers in the seventh book? This is an alternate ending to the Harry Potter series with some Harmony, Drinny, and a lot of twists and turns.

Chapter 30 Excerpt:

"Your mother and I are worried about you, mon cœur," Draco is saying.

"I'm fine."

"Please, stop lying. Tell me what's going on at school."

Cecelia is quiet and Ginny peeks her head in the room. Draco is sitting on her bed with his legs stretched out and she is lying back against his chest as he massages her scalp.

Cecelia sighs and closes her eyes before finally starting to talk. Ginny sits down on the floor in the hall and rests her head against the wall as she listens to them.

"Augustus is telling everyone you killed his uncle."

Ginny's heart breaks for Draco. She almost goes in to support him but doesn't want to do anything to interrupt Cecelia. They've been trying to get her to open up to them for weeks.

"That may be true," Draco says in a flat voice. "I've told you I was forced to kill people in the war."

Cecelia is quiet and after a time, Ginny hears her sobbing softly. She looks back in the room and sees that Draco has pulled her onto his lap. He has his head bent over her, so Ginny can't see his expression, but she imagines he's struggling to hold back his own tears.

Story Summary:

What would have happened if Harry, Hermione, and Ron were saved from the Snatchers in the seventh book? This is an alternate ending to the Harry Potter series with some Harmony, Drinny, and a lot of twists and turns.

Chapter 29 Excerpt:

"Okay, I need you to have a panic attack while I'm in your head. Do you think you can create one?"

"I - no -" Hermione backs away from Draco. She knows she can create one, but Harry's not here. What happens if she can't come back? And Draco...she'll lose it in front of him. She'd only just gotten used to sharing her thoughts with her former bully. This level of vulnerability was out of the question. Her mind is starting to spiral out of control and she thinks that she may start having a panic attack, at the thought of having a panic attack - how ironic.

"Granger, look at me."

Draco has his hands on her shoulders and Hermione focuses on his firm grip in an effort to reign in her wandering thoughts. "I know I've hurt you in the past and given you countless reasons not to trust me, but I promise, I'm not going to hurt you today. You need to learn how to deal with your attacks on your own, without relying on Potter, and I think I can help you do that."

Story Summary:

What would have happened if Harry, Hermione, and Ron were saved from the Snatchers in the seventh book? This is an alternate ending to the Harry Potter series with some Harmony, Drinny, and a lot of twists and turns.

Chapter 28 Excerpt:

Harry has wrapped his arms around Hermione tightly. When she looks up at him, she can see fear swimming in his eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, but he starts talking first.

"Don't you dare apologize."

She sighs and lays her head back against his chest. "Okay."

He squeezes her against him and she listens to the steady beating of his heart.

"I'm scared, Harry. That's the second time, just today. It's getting worse."

"I know, I know, try not to think about it too much right now. Okay?" he whispers.

She nods.

"We're going to get you help. I promise. We're going to figure out how to control this."

A few tears fall down Hermione's face. She hopes he's right. If not, there will be no independent study at Hogwarts, no N.E.W.T.s, no job, and probably no renovations of Grimmauld Place, either. She'll be in St. Mungo's, locked in the same ward as Lockhart and Neville's parents.