Atomic Poison Ivy slithers into Infinite Crisis

Ye gods. Poison Ivy’s always seemed a bit of an odd villain, in terms of being a highly sexualised plant woman, but Atomic Poison Ivy – the latest character to join the DC-fest MOBA Infinite Crisis – looks like a horrifying abomination. Half-woman, half-ambulatory plant with giant vine tentacles? That’s more like it.

Not content with just being terrifying to behold, Atomic Poison Ivy also looks like she’ll be pretty terrifying on the field of battle, with some rather unique mechanics. The big thing is her passive, Toxic Growth; if Atom Ivy hasn’t taken damage in awhile, she gains a shield. Any enemy that hits her shield with a basic attack is given a Toxic Growth marker. These markers are then consumed by her other abilities, giving them some bonus effects. Oh yes – and if they don’t have a Toxic Growth marker, then her damage-based abilities add one.

Example! Poisoned Earth does AOE damage, poisons enemies, and marks them with Toxic Growth. If they’re already marked with Toxic Growth, then Poisoned Earth consumes the marker and does far more damage.

Bramble Rapture roots a target and does damage. If they’re marked with Toxic Growth, it’s consumed, and Atom Ivy gets a move speed boost.

Wall of Thorns creates a… well, a wall of thorns. This wall slows enemies going through it and deals damage over time. If the enemy heading through it has a Toxic Growth marker, it’s consumed, and the enemy is also silenced.

Finally, Atom Ivy’s ultimate – Secrets of the Forest – surrounds her with a fog that provides nearby allies with stealth and Power Armor (which I’m guessing is resistance to power damage, rather than a mech suit). Oh, and any enemies in the fog get marked with Toxic Growth. Every second. Yeesh.

So yeah, Atom Ivy looks like she’ll be an interesting character to play, with some strong lockdown abilities and the requirement for players to keep track of who’s been marked with Toxic Growth to maximise their impact. A utility character, probably suitable for ganking. Fun.

You can see some screenshots of the shambling monstrosity Atomic Poison Ivy below, along with a video detailing these powers and offering some advice on how to make the most out of her.