When overhaul Warriors were first released, we saw a lot of BC, but they got a bit of a nerf, other specs got their release issues sorted out and people simply learned how to use and counter Warriors (notably better parry shuts down BC), so they fell by the wayside. Now most Warriors have gravitated over time to AL and Cav. Those specs have the best kills for 1v1 and the best group skills (pincharge, hack, opencavity, etc). PB is just below those two in power and they synergise well with hemorrhaging, so there's been a few more lately (and decap is always nice). BM has always been undertuned and underrepresented, but has potential with some changes.
Just an idea, not sure if it'd be abused with damagedlimbs but:
Warriors can add an afflicting modifier for 1 power if they are in the next wounding bracket above the requirement.
So for example: A BC could give damagedthroat (heavy req) along with deepwounds for 1 power if the target's head is at critical.
The issue I can already see with this is how BCs for example could spam 1p on arms to do arm wounds + damagedarms, but it might not be as huge of an issue as I'm imagining, since there's no great reason any more for warriors to be working your arms up anyway.
BM was really good right after overhaul for getting locks, and I still maintain that it has strength against Gaurdians with on demand disloyalty. It has fallen behind since then, I think Shedrin and I are the only two people who continue to play BM, on and off again.
I think letting non warriors venture away from mandatory tailoring as a tradeskill was a good change. I don't see the return of a tradeskill locked armor type for non warriors as really all that valuable. I think they should just make splendours and plate the same just for variety and customization's sake then move along.
Not to mention how many players would suddenly be screwed by not having the right trade and armour with useless runes on them. This boat has kinda sailed.
So I've decided to go ahead with a special report over using normal reports. This way we can test and address multiple things at once, especially with regards to 1hers. This also gives the opportunity for more feedback from everyone when it's started.
So with that in mind, here's some more specific tweaks I'm considering:
BC - Add hemorrhaging as a mod in heavy/crit gut. This should be a decent burst of hemorrhaging, but gated by wounds. This'll give BC a pseudo-instakill method they can build to, and another bodypart threat besides head and chest. Alternate idea: Add mutilates, but that's less interesting and BC already has some decent hinder. BM - Adjust Stab to lower shrugging as Dem and I discussed. Potentially move Eviscerate to Gut, or more likely Gut/Chest. Move towards making the lock into a new kill method, with suitable requirements and consistency. PB - Change the mods that do extra bleeding now to do hemorrhaging. 2hers - Probably remove the extra wounds from mutilate. AL - Maybe slightly nerf Execute.
So I've decided to go ahead with a special report over using normal reports. This way we can test and address multiple things at once, especially with regards to 1hers. This also gives the opportunity for more feedback from everyone when it's started.
So with that in mind, here's some more specific tweaks I'm considering:
BC - Add hemorrhaging as a mod in heavy/crit gut. This should be a decent burst of hemorrhaging, but gated by wounds. This'll give BC a pseudo-instakill method they can build to, and another bodypart threat besides head and chest. Alternate idea: Add mutilates, but that's less interesting and BC already has some decent hinder. BM - Adjust Stab to lower shrugging as Dem and I discussed. Potentially move Eviscerate to Gut, or more likely Gut/Chest. Move towards making the lock into a new kill method, with suitable requirements and consistency. PB - Change the mods that do extra bleeding now to do hemorrhaging. 2hers - Probably remove the extra wounds from mutilate. AL - Maybe slightly nerf Execute.
If you think Execute is too strong you may wish to also slightly nerf skewer as well. They are sort of on the same level in terms of avoidance.
For Skewer change the required affliction from impale to a non hindering ice affliction on gut. Same wound requirements.
For Axelord can keep the same wound requirement add in a non hindering ice affliction and then lower its power cost.
It'll make all the instant kills fairly comparable then 3 power, requiring a non hindering affliction and two hits to kill. It means everyone can counter the instant kill with properly timed hinder.
BC hemorrhaging could be pretty good. It depends on the numbers though. In order to have it as an instant kill effect the bonecrusher would need to be able to build to 600-800 hemo which would give them 300-400 brusing stuck on the target which would result in a double pulp killing various targets. Which would require prone to be done but well thats doable.
PB would be kind of similar but they can't do a double hit so it'd be just working as overwhelming damage to wear people down.
BM I'm not sure if the lock is the right way to go. Wont you just end up with situations where Bms basically just spam damagethroat/asthma/anorexia/slickness with beast spitting paralysis. I thought the admin were pretty against lock based classes as well anyway. Isn't that why we adjusted a ton of monk afflictions to make it so a spamable combos cant lock people? And why we took away arm lock?
I think Skewer is fine. It's easy enough to parry two bodyparts. I consider Maul to be a stronger instakill due to having four bodyparts to build on. Similarly, Execute with three is easier to achieve than Skewer. I think the difficulty should largely be in the buildup, not the final exeuction of the kill.
I don't think admins are against locks, and I think the BM lock can be balanced to have enough requirements to not be overwhelming while still improving the consistency and usefulness. Keep in mind right now it requires effectively crit level wounds and works less than 50% of the time, and might not even gain you anything worthwhile.
Skewer and Execute are pretty much on the same level though. Both unavoidable and both requiring aprox the same wound levels. Skewer has a slight advantage in giving you more power with which to build wounds with and execute has a slight advantage in technically requiring less wounds.
If your nerfing execute for being too easy then skewer will require a similar nerf at the same time. But if you think the two of them are kind of ok just leave it as it is.
Skewer is much easier to parry against. I don't think Execute is good because it has no affliction requirement, I think it's good because it's on three bodyparts. And Maul is good because it's on four, even if it requires more total wounds.
Comments
Warriors can add an afflicting modifier for 1 power if they are in the next wounding bracket above the requirement.
So for example: A BC could give damagedthroat (heavy req) along with deepwounds for 1 power if the target's head is at critical.
The issue I can already see with this is how BCs for example could spam 1p on arms to do arm wounds + damagedarms, but it might not be as huge of an issue as I'm imagining, since there's no great reason any more for warriors to be working your arms up anyway.
Maybe it's just a bad idea
So with that in mind, here's some more specific tweaks I'm considering:
BC - Add hemorrhaging as a mod in heavy/crit gut. This should be a decent burst of hemorrhaging, but gated by wounds. This'll give BC a pseudo-instakill method they can build to, and another bodypart threat besides head and chest. Alternate idea: Add mutilates, but that's less interesting and BC already has some decent hinder.
BM - Adjust Stab to lower shrugging as Dem and I discussed. Potentially move Eviscerate to Gut, or more likely Gut/Chest. Move towards making the lock into a new kill method, with suitable requirements and consistency.
PB - Change the mods that do extra bleeding now to do hemorrhaging.
2hers - Probably remove the extra wounds from mutilate.
AL - Maybe slightly nerf Execute.
If you think Execute is too strong you may wish to also slightly nerf skewer as well. They are sort of on the same level in terms of avoidance.
For Skewer change the required affliction from impale to a non hindering ice affliction on gut. Same wound requirements.
For Axelord can keep the same wound requirement add in a non hindering ice affliction and then lower its power cost.
It'll make all the instant kills fairly comparable then 3 power, requiring a non hindering affliction and two hits to kill. It means everyone can counter the instant kill with properly timed hinder.
BC hemorrhaging could be pretty good. It depends on the numbers though. In order to have it as an instant kill effect the bonecrusher would need to be able to build to 600-800 hemo which would give them 300-400 brusing stuck on the target which would result in a double pulp killing various targets. Which would require prone to be done but well thats doable.
PB would be kind of similar but they can't do a double hit so it'd be just working as overwhelming damage to wear people down.
BM I'm not sure if the lock is the right way to go. Wont you just end up with situations where Bms basically just spam damagethroat/asthma/anorexia/slickness with beast spitting paralysis. I thought the admin were pretty against lock based classes as well anyway. Isn't that why we adjusted a ton of monk afflictions to make it so a spamable combos cant lock people? And why we took away arm lock?
I don't think admins are against locks, and I think the BM lock can be balanced to have enough requirements to not be overwhelming while still improving the consistency and usefulness. Keep in mind right now it requires effectively crit level wounds and works less than 50% of the time, and might not even gain you anything worthwhile.
If your nerfing execute for being too easy then skewer will require a similar nerf at the same time. But if you think the two of them are kind of ok just leave it as it is.