Is there any reason why Assault challenges were made so much more difficult...

[Lordraviel]

...than other challenges. I know they are doable, but they definitely require much better equipment than other challenges at the same level.

It all comes back to the almost comical list of restrictions placed on your character.

-Halved HP
-Resistances cut.
-Hero speed bonus negated.
-Jump height cut.
-Various abilities disabled (Battle Leap, Invisibility, Turtle Stance).
-Projectile range limited.
-Heal cost increased
-Pets don't work

Add to that the standard Hero damage reduction and projectile speed negation in nightmare and it really is silly. I understand that you could easily break the mode if some of the restrictions weren't there such as Invisibility being allowed and no range limit but is all of that combined really nessesary.

[Duze]

Personally I find them easier than the Warping Core pack, but that may just be me. I just assumed that the new challenge packs were supposed to be downright impossible.

[Darkman_0]

It's not like all those restrictions work on one hero. Any of these restrictions could potentially trivialize the challenge without requiring any strategy. Doesn't take a lot of thinking to use turtle stance to not get webbed. Compare that to raining goblins. The challenge is pretty easy with the bouncer setup, but at least you have to think of that setup first (or steal it from someone :P)

[senzation54]

The old Assault challenge is piss easy. Or well, at least it was, might have changed lately I don't really know.

As for the newer Assaults, they're harder than the old challenges for the same reason that Mistymire and Moraggo is harder than the original campaign. The rewards are better than anything you can dream of getting on any campaign map, why wouldn't they be hard? They're also not that hard. Get 4 countesses/barbarians with some decent upgraded gear (Misty campaign gear should do it) and try until you make it. I prefer countess.

inb4 "I only have a huntress": Too bad, level a countess/barb or buy your AMP weapons. And no, there's nothing wrong with some classes being stronger than others at certain things. Everyone has like at least one of each hero anyway by the time they're at the AMP level of progression.