All-Star Changes

To be honest, All-Stars are really fine as they are in comparison to other characters. If you look at other insta kill mechanics like Huskhop (if you can aim/time it) it’s fairly underperforming.

All-star is pretty solid as is, no increase is really needed to penalize him or push him further. Certain variants depending on the map can be mildly problematic, i.e. 5th point moonbase z with wrestling can be difficult due to his slow-firerate across a variety of obstacles and plants usually attacking from more long-range. However, his mid-range damage, lane pressure/denial, and large health help to provide great offensive capabilities outside of his three unique triggers. It is unfortunate, but people will usually take the easiest option given to them; imp-punt deals damage quickly and because the all-star needs a way to support/alternate between suppression fire while dealing with characters who have strong defensive skills. I have gone and won matches successfully where I do not use imp punt/long bomb, but I will overheat more often and have to plan when to use the other two abilities to prevent it.  An easy way to counter all-stars if they are ability spamming: is to bait them into wasting them, either by staying far or circling them within mid/close range . 

Don't you dare touch my Golf Star...when the plants are camping in groups with sunflowers and laughing at my team I whip out the good old Allstar...run behind them, imp punt, tackle and wipe up the rest with basic fire.  Try doing that with any other variant and you can't you just have to watch your team get decimated.  Counter the All Star with the Iron Maiden as cactus to have All Stars waste their abilities.

Overall All-Stars are in a pretty good place. Maybe some tweaking here and there but once they fixed Hockey Star and the earlier changes to Tennis Star I would say it's one of the better balanced classes to be honest. 

His Imp Punt was dumb down. It used to be more powerful. The sprint tackle these days can't even vanquish multiple targets.

I file this under the general issue of "Ability Spam". Something that certainly plagues the game and where its unclear what Popcap wants to do with it.

Thing with the game is that its entire premise seems to be exactly that plus camping galore, in awful scenarios where people can shoot through walls. But whenever i experience problems in the game it is not caused by All-Stars.

All-Star is actually my favorite class ever since the original GW and he was always given these powerful push moves to penetrate plant defenses. But way too often i have to switch to a more accurate class because of all the sniping, Burrow and Pea Gatling spam. And i actually love a team with 6 All-Stars just pushing in the garden. Much better than the constant annoying mech spam no one can stop.

The only All-Star that needs a direct review is the Wrestling Star because of his slow projectiles that only work as support but not as direct offense. Golf Star also has an issue with a weird drag that makes his aim hard at any moving target. All the others are rather solid. Just be prepared for these punts and respect the good old All-Star who gives 110% whenever he's on the field.

All Star was my favorite character from GW1 and I used him (non-variant) almost exclusively when playing on zombies.  Now, I NEVER use him.  It's a shame/sad to me and something I've thought about a million times. My mains in GW1 were All Star and Peashooter.  Peashooter is just as strong as before but not All Star.  I use Plasma Pea more than the standard Pea but it's strictly preference (as opposed to performance-based, like All Star).

I agree (100%) that he doesn't need to be effective long range but medium range power is not what it was before.  Many people use the abilities instead of primary fire due to the fact that by the time you're in range to use primary fire (effectively), you're also close enough to tackle or punt.   

I think the majority of the community prefers TT or other non-deathmatch modes and therefor doesn't care about the All Star much but he's still my favorite zombie and my favorite game mode is Team Vanquish.  By playing a deathmatch mode, his lack of power is super apparent/almost a night and day difference from the powerhouse he was in GW1 and that's the reason I never use him in GW2.

Every character has a way to neutralized other players abilities:

1. Chomper, goop him first from distance before he releases his punt/tackle and don't get into straight line. If he already too close, put spike weed to avoid the tackles, and dance around to avoid the punt, goop and eat to finish him off.

2. Pea shooter: Hyper up, jump like a bunny, shoot him from the air and release the bomb behind him, land on high places.

4. Citron: change to ball form, attack like bowling ball or run away and attack from distance.

                if already close, stun him, put shield on and never get into straight line, hide behind object....improvised based on the environment.

5. Corn: Husk hop first then husk cop when about to land to his body/feet.

6. Cactus: Shoot while he's far away. If too close, walnut first to stop tackle/punt, put mine surrounding it, dance around your walnut while try to shoot him. Practice shoot in close distance as cactus.

7. Rose: snare him, attack, when snare about to expire, goatify and finish him off.

If short distance, arcane first, go to his back, get out of arcane and goatify. When goatify about to expire, snare him and finish him off while keep distance away.

8. Torchwood: tank vs tank...doable.

9. Sunflower: Sun beam from distance, hide to crowd, put flower pot, dance around while shooting.  Sunflower is the hardest to survive in close distance against all star. 

So all star punt/tackles is fine...

This is a good video of how excellent cactus defend against all-star:

1. Mine first....I step on it....oppsss

2. Blocker to slow me down so he can shoot me while walking around it and freeze me over (ice cactus).

3. another mine so if I'm in hurry and want to jump over instead of walk around, I will step on it and die (2 mines in a row).

4. another blocker in case I decide to punt him or shoot him.

He is really good, almost got way, I'm impressed,

so I've put all the right move to deliver the "ability" 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYVR7W_KvZc