As I said earlier on this thread , the current Destroyers have a viable build that makes use of the one thing the devs gave us while taking everything else away - sprint. Thats it. Any "good" GWF in mod 4 would be a 'perma' runner.
The general feel of unease that most GWF players are feelin' comes from not only the buffs to others ( OP or not ) but also the great amount of nerfs to their own class. Class mechanic is softer, gap closer at will - nerfed, Determination gain nerfed, prones gone, Roar not only fixed but nerfed as well. They really nerfed everything down while boosting damage with Mark and buffing Sprint. Im not saying I like it but I can live with it.
PS: it all means nothing tho unless we get some lets call it class rebalancing asap.
Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.
Good/bad, it means nothing. CWs are in the spot GWFs Sents once were, the damage is off the chart while they can do you in from a safe distance. It should be a rule in RPGs: potent control or high damage. Once you give both to a class, a ranged class at that, it goes overboard... And HRs are next in line having the same tools as the CW - range, damage, cc with more dodge etc.
That being said the current state of affairs makes taking down a CW as satisfactory as it was taking down a GWF before. Im content
You can take two looks at things. #1 each class should be able to fight equally with another class assuming same gear and skill levels. #2 Rock - paper - scissors. Meaning, each class has significant advantages and dis-advantages against other classes. The most evident example of this is functioning in the TR/CW/GF dynamic on live. CW being the paper, GF being the rock, and TR being the scissors.
CWs are NOT in the same spot that GWF sents were. M2 I could hit a a GWF sent and not do more than 10% of his HP, meanwhile he could hit me back and do HALF my HP THROUGH ITC with tenebrous enchants.
Potent control and high damage AND range are fine. CWs have ALWAYS had damage and control at range. They now have GOD-SLAYING damage, and that, is not fine. M2 GWF had high damage, potent control, superior speed, and absurd toughness, as well as CC breaks, and that, was not fine either. In terms of killing ability CWs are the undisputed masters now. But dominion is more than about killing. CWs still have all the disadvantages they have always had. That is low defense, poor mobility, and no CC breaks. They cannot fight 2vs, 3vs1 and they cannot node hold. They are not the new HR or GWF, and they cannot all but win a match by themselves. CWs, are actually having a tough time right now in some ways. When one is vulnerable you can bet that everyone is going dog pile him into the floor. When a CW faces another CW, it may not be skill or gear that decide things, but luck.
When I'm queing into dom matches I am not seeing CWs being the deciding factor in a match. Tactics, and tenaciousness seem to be the rule of the day. I have had team compositions of one CW or no CW and still won the match easily. A point I pride myself on is not my K/D ratio, but the K/D ratio of the enemy team's CWs. 6 of the 8 matches I last qued, every single cw on the other team had a NEGATIVE K/D ratio. One match a single CW had a 13 to 12 K/D ratio. The last match I qued a CW had an out-standing K/D ratio. I spent most of the match back-capping and fighting this CW 1v1. No matter what I did I was dying and the CW didn't really even seem that good. Then I realized, they were using the new broken overload enchant, and I was actually killing myself, but, my team still won the match .
CWs are not the new GWF or HR, but I do think they need to be toned down a bit if your talking about true balance. If you want to talk about what's fair, what would be square, it would be to let them have their dominance for months. Then they can hand it off to GFs, who were also under represented in PVP for a long time. While they are at it the devs can make TR the new god-class, triple stack party comp of mod5 PVE. Personally, I just want as much balance as I can get in both PVP and PVE. So lets look to the future, but at the same time....... don't expect people to forget the past.
I'm playing my GWF just like I did back at the beginning of mod (2?) when they broke unstoppable the first time. Run around the edge of the map, jump down on top of people, kill them fast, and then die in seconds when their teamates turn around and target you. It's going to be really hard for people to adjust who started playing GWF recently. You have to have a strategy and accept that you're basically a TR without stealth or any way to mitigate damage anymore.
Well I only play on my CW in pvp, chill stacks are your greatest enemy, if you see your at 4-5 chill stacks then use sprint and it will insatntly cancel them
Instigators exist? Thought they were like unicorns and leprechauns.
I made a post to propose a rework (buffs/changes of all feats).
Let's copy/paste !
Don't change Destroyer for PvP. Let it like that, as a PvE DPS Tree. Sentinel is Tank PvP/PvE Tree.
If we wanted to have a GWF who deals damages and who is viable in PvP, then there is another Tree exactly for it : Instigator. This is why this Tree HAS TO BE REWORKED.
When it will be its turn, I'll expect a rework into a glasscanon/highburst with DR piercing/crit, with high mobility, few controls, high burst (with DR Reduces, true damages, passing deflection for example), but sucks in tanking.
Actually Destroyer has Sprint or even Punishing Charge but Punishing Charge doesn't give control immune (and Mighty Leap ... Mighty Leap ...)
My propositions to make Instigator viable :
T1 : Student of the Sword :
Your critical strikes lower your target's DR to your attacks by 1/2/3/4/5% for 5 seconds. This effect does not stack.
Before the nerf, it could stack 3 times. It was a lot because the old GWF had damages and tanking. But now he must choose between damages and tanking. This Tree should be pvp damages. So this must get a little change, but not against squishy classes (would be too much), but against Tanky classes.
Your critical strikes lower your ACTUAL target's DR to your attacks by 2/4/6/8/10 % for 5 seconds. Block and Unstoppable also count.
For a CW for example, if he has 30% DR, the reduce will be 3%.
Less than the actual, but it's better, if Instigator were reworked, the feat would be a little bit too powerfull against low DR, but still not good against high DR (GWF Sentinel, GF ...).
The point is to nerf it a bit against squishies classes and buff it against tank, to have an equal chance.
For example, a GWF Sentinel should have between 80% (around 40% without unstoppable) and 120% DR (but not really true, I don't really know how does it work).So a Sentinel GWF will see his 120% DR reduced to 108 (10% of 120 --> -12%).
Fleet Footed :
Whenever you control a target, you gain an additional 3/6/9/12/15% Run Speed for 3 seconds.
This feat can be really good to catch someone, but in fact, it's bad. What's the point of gaining Run Speed when your target is controlled, so she can't move ? GWF'd rather gaining this Run Speed after the controls affect himself. This feat also encourages being a glasscanon with high mobility/burst but being really squishy.
Whenever you are controlled, you gain an additional 3/6/9/12/15% Run Speed for 3 seconds.
This change allows GWF to approach his target a little bit easier. You can think it can be broken, but in fact, not that much, he'll still take the controls, and damages. GWF can play with more skill with this change : he can permuting Sprint or not, to take a little control like Slow, to gain the Run Speed and then Sprints.
Vicious Advantage : Combat Advantage now grants an additional 1/2/3/4/5% Crit chance and damages.
This. With the Instigator changes I propose, it's perfectly fine.
Stunning Flourish :
Flourish has an extra chance 1/2/3/4/5% to crit and stuns for 0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1 second on last hit.
Flourish stuns longer. Aw. If we kept this feat and buffed it, it would be overpowered (enjoy the 4 seconds stun). With the Instigator changes, Flourish would have too much Critical chance.
Flourish now gains an additional of X/X/X/X/X range (a very little buff of range, no worries) and now gives a control immunity while casting, but you take 1/2/3/4/5% more damage during this time.
You can think it can be overpowered. But in fact, no. Actually Flourish has a big cast time, can be interrupted, and easily dodgeable. This feat compensates it by buffing a very little bit the range, and gives control immunity during the cast (like Crescendo/Spinning Strike), but you take more damage during this time. Flourish would still be easily dodgeable because of his cast time and obvious animation.
The little buff of range helps more and control immunity on this long animation is a must GWF had to have since start of the game. Now, a GWF who slots Flourish, is dangerous. Now, an ennemy, instead of obviously using a control to never let you using this power, must dodge/block/run.
It would not be broken. Why ? An Instigator GWF is a highburst in melee, but squishy, not tanky. And when he's near to you, he should be really dangerous.
P.S : stun duration lowered to 2 seconds from 3 seconds (it would be broken for rotations).
Or the IV feat :
Frontline Surge deals 1/2/3/4/5% more damages and (now stuns) ennemies for 0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1 sec more.
Once again, remove stun. 4 seconds stun, too much.
Frontline Surge deals 3/6/9/12/15% more damages.
With the recent high damages nerf of Frontline Surge, 20% more damages seems legit for Instigator. It would be, around +250-300 damages (actually the damages are 1800-2100). Not a lot, but it's AoE, in range.
Nimble Runner :
Sprint and Punishing Charge now grants 2/4/6/8/10% deflect chance.
Sprint needn't. It is already good (or almost too much good, 30% DR is maybe a little bit too high). Punishing Charge should have Control Immunity, but it would be "Never CCed GWF" with the actual Sprint.
Punishing Charge now grants 3/6/9/12/15% more deflect chance and deals 4/8/12/16/20% more damages.
P.S : Punishing Charge : 3 charges, but the damages are between 800-1100, +20%, it means +160-220.
This change would recompensate the players who calculate when they'd take high damages, and/or if they want to engage/escape more quickly than Sprint, but without Control Immunity, this is why they must use it at the right time (Oh god, is GWF becoming a skilled class ?). One thing which would be good, is to change the Punishing Charge animation (GWF rising his Weapon like he wants to be Immune/Protected) into THE OLD Sprint animation (it would be so beautiful)
Little change to do : making Punishing Charge a little bit more responsive when he casts and when the animation ends.
Allied Opportunity :
Mighty Leap and Not So Fast deals an additional of 2/4/6/8/10% damages and you and your allies gain Combat Advantage against the damaged target for 1/1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds.
This feat gives Combat Advantage, a good synergy with Vicious Advantage. But, the damages buffs are a little bit too low (check base damages, Mighty Leap --> around 1400-1600, Not So Fast around 1800-2200) and the Combat Advantage Duration is too short because ennemies can kite, run, dodge, control you and waste this time easily.
Mighty Leap deals an additional of 10/20/30/40/50% damages and Not So fast 10/15/20/25/30% damages you and your allies gain Combat Advantage against the damaged target for 0.8/1.6/2.4/3.2/4 seconds.
50% more damages of around 1600 (max base damage) means +800, so 2400. For Mighty Leap, a jump, not a lot, but not bad. For Not So fast, 30% of 2200 (max damage) means 660, so 2860, not that much, not that bad, because : melee with just a little slow. But with 10 seconds CD. Perfect damages with perfect mechanics, don't you think ? The Combat Advantage is 1 second longer, not that much, 4 seconds, the ennemies have the time to dodge, or run, or control etc but they must take care.
If you think it's still too short, there are other ways to get Combat Advantage, and Not So Fast CD is 10 seconds, and Mighty Leap is 12 seconds.
Group Assault : Wicked Strike now deals an additional 1/2/3/4/5% for each target hit.
Good for PvE, but in fact, not really, because the damages are reduced in the exactly same mechanic. So this is a good for a bad, the feat is finally not worth. You know what will I change
Group Assault : Wicked Strike now deals an additional 1/2/3/4/5% for each target hit and the damages are not reduced anymore for each target you hit beyond the first.
A better Wicked Strike, and would be good with the Artifact Weapon for PvE or even PvP (but I don't think personally).
Crippling Strike : Spinning Strike and Avalanche of Steel now slow your target for 10/20/30/40/50%.
Can be good for some situations. But the point is Avalanche of Steel slow is not good (slow after prone, but i'm not sure).
Crippling Strike : Spinning Strike now slow your target for 10/20/30/40/50%, and Avalanche of Steels now Slow your target while you are in the air by 10/15/20/25/30%. Slam can now crit.
Avalanche of Steel was easily dodgeable with dodges, and even without when there were 2 or more people and you wanted to hit them all. Now Avalanche of Steel slows while you are in the air, which makes the Daily dangerous because it's less easily dodgeable (but still). And Slam which crits, this is more a fix than a buff, because it always had to crit. Giving the crit Slam in this feat, why not ?
To fix : Spinning Strike OFTEN doesn't give Control Immune while using it.
Final Feat :
Instigator's Vengeance : Your damage is increased by 12%, but taking direct damage will disable this bonus for 3 seconds.
The thing is you always take damages, you're a GWF, you take damages to approach your ennemies. In very rare cases you will keep this buff.
Instigator's Vengeance : Your damage is increased by 15 %, but taking direct damage will divide this bonus by 2 for 3 seconds. In addition, 8% of your damages ignore your target DR.
Giving more damages to GWFs who come at the right time, or have a good positioning, is a thing to keep. Taking damages now doesn't disable the feat, it now doesn't make the feat totally useless (and not broken, 7.5% more damages or 15%, Destroyer in PvE has permanently +40% more damages, in PvP it depends). 8% of GWF's damages ignoring target's DR, it means, for a 5k Encounter, he deals 400 TRUE damages (not that much). It means if he killed someone alone, with 30k HP (including regeneration/lifesteal/artifact), he dealt 2400 TRUE damages (not a lot, but this is good).
It is now a real Final Feat for Instigator.
The reasons of these changes are actual Instigator is really bad but has a good potential. Those buffs are not "damnly broken buffs". It wouldn't make the actual IBS/Crescendo or any other combo "Broken", no. These changes give chances to GWFs to have other Encounter/At-Wills/Dailies good (Wicked Strike, Punishing Charge, Spinning Strike, Avalanche of Steel, Slam, Not So Fast) and with new Builds. It would make the GWF player calculating when they should use their power, alternating Sprint and their powers, like Punishing Charge/Mighty Leap, and not the thing you hate "Mod 3 GWF"
This would make the glasscanon GWF viable, but not broken, because he'd stay squishy, easily killable in rotations, the fight now would depend of the skill between GWF and the ennemy.
By the way, 32K HP GF is quite low. A PvP CW will have 41-43K Hp these days. A GF should have even more.
I am 40k HP when healthy. Still off the top-end of GFs, I know, but with 47.5% DR, 26% deflec and 20% Tenacity, I'm not exactly an egg shell.
At 32k I was still 80% health, the CW in question was literally dead, I'd guesstimate 10% health, could barely see green on his bar. We saw each other at the same time but he froze me mid animation and then killed me without me even being able to close the gap. He ate through my 32k HP faster than a Mod 3 Destroyer could.
PSA: You don't need to grind Spinward Rise for your Elemental artifact main hand if you have some AD lying around. You can craft it via the Tyranny of Dragon's campaign screen.
I am 40k HP when healthy. Still off the top-end of GFs, I know, but with 47.5% DR, 26% deflec and 20% Tenacity, I'm not exactly an egg shell.
At 32k I was still 80% health, the CW in question was literally dead, I'd guesstimate 10% health, could barely see green on his bar. We saw each other at the same time but he froze me mid animation and then killed me without me even being able to close the gap. He ate through my 32k HP faster than a Mod 3 Destroyer could.
Yeah was my mistake, misread.
Also lucky procs based on ****, lazy mechanics that no CW supported.
We were FORCED into this BTW.
I have officially stopped PvPing and am not alone. Pretty much only people in PvP these days are the overload abusers, **** CWs that's couldn't do **** before patch but now they feel they're good and clueless people that just go for daily or whatever.
Comments
The general feel of unease that most GWF players are feelin' comes from not only the buffs to others ( OP or not ) but also the great amount of nerfs to their own class. Class mechanic is softer, gap closer at will - nerfed, Determination gain nerfed, prones gone, Roar not only fixed but nerfed as well. They really nerfed everything down while boosting damage with Mark and buffing Sprint. Im not saying I like it but I can live with it.
PS: it all means nothing tho unless we get some lets call it class rebalancing asap.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.
You can take two looks at things. #1 each class should be able to fight equally with another class assuming same gear and skill levels. #2 Rock - paper - scissors. Meaning, each class has significant advantages and dis-advantages against other classes. The most evident example of this is functioning in the TR/CW/GF dynamic on live. CW being the paper, GF being the rock, and TR being the scissors.
CWs are NOT in the same spot that GWF sents were. M2 I could hit a a GWF sent and not do more than 10% of his HP, meanwhile he could hit me back and do HALF my HP THROUGH ITC with tenebrous enchants.
Potent control and high damage AND range are fine. CWs have ALWAYS had damage and control at range. They now have GOD-SLAYING damage, and that, is not fine. M2 GWF had high damage, potent control, superior speed, and absurd toughness, as well as CC breaks, and that, was not fine either. In terms of killing ability CWs are the undisputed masters now. But dominion is more than about killing. CWs still have all the disadvantages they have always had. That is low defense, poor mobility, and no CC breaks. They cannot fight 2vs, 3vs1 and they cannot node hold. They are not the new HR or GWF, and they cannot all but win a match by themselves. CWs, are actually having a tough time right now in some ways. When one is vulnerable you can bet that everyone is going dog pile him into the floor. When a CW faces another CW, it may not be skill or gear that decide things, but luck.
When I'm queing into dom matches I am not seeing CWs being the deciding factor in a match. Tactics, and tenaciousness seem to be the rule of the day. I have had team compositions of one CW or no CW and still won the match easily. A point I pride myself on is not my K/D ratio, but the K/D ratio of the enemy team's CWs. 6 of the 8 matches I last qued, every single cw on the other team had a NEGATIVE K/D ratio. One match a single CW had a 13 to 12 K/D ratio. The last match I qued a CW had an out-standing K/D ratio. I spent most of the match back-capping and fighting this CW 1v1. No matter what I did I was dying and the CW didn't really even seem that good. Then I realized, they were using the new broken overload enchant, and I was actually killing myself, but, my team still won the match
CWs are not the new GWF or HR, but I do think they need to be toned down a bit if your talking about true balance. If you want to talk about what's fair, what would be square, it would be to let them have their dominance for months. Then they can hand it off to GFs, who were also under represented in PVP for a long time. While they are at it the devs can make TR the new god-class, triple stack party comp of mod5 PVE. Personally, I just want as much balance as I can get in both PVP and PVE. So lets look to the future, but at the same time....... don't expect people to forget the past.
CRAZY MIKE - 14.6k PvE CW
Backbone - 16.7k PvP HR
[SIGPIC]http://i59.tinypic.com/s3hts7.png[/SIGPIC]
Fox Stevenson - Sandblast
Oh Wonder - Without You
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- Dylan Thomas
Destroyer --> PvE DPS
Sentinel --> PvP/PvE Tank
Instigator --> High burst/Mobility PvP
That's what he should be.
Fox Stevenson - Sandblast
Oh Wonder - Without You
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- Dylan Thomas
I made a post to propose a rework (buffs/changes of all feats).
Let's copy/paste !
Don't change Destroyer for PvP. Let it like that, as a PvE DPS Tree. Sentinel is Tank PvP/PvE Tree.
If we wanted to have a GWF who deals damages and who is viable in PvP, then there is another Tree exactly for it : Instigator. This is why this Tree HAS TO BE REWORKED.
When it will be its turn, I'll expect a rework into a glasscanon/highburst with DR piercing/crit, with high mobility, few controls, high burst (with DR Reduces, true damages, passing deflection for example), but sucks in tanking.
Actually Destroyer has Sprint or even Punishing Charge but Punishing Charge doesn't give control immune (and Mighty Leap ... Mighty Leap ...)
My propositions to make Instigator viable :
T1 : Student of the Sword :
Your critical strikes lower your target's DR to your attacks by 1/2/3/4/5% for 5 seconds. This effect does not stack.
Before the nerf, it could stack 3 times. It was a lot because the old GWF had damages and tanking. But now he must choose between damages and tanking. This Tree should be pvp damages. So this must get a little change, but not against squishy classes (would be too much), but against Tanky classes.
Your critical strikes lower your ACTUAL target's DR to your attacks by 2/4/6/8/10 % for 5 seconds. Block and Unstoppable also count.
For a CW for example, if he has 30% DR, the reduce will be 3%.
Less than the actual, but it's better, if Instigator were reworked, the feat would be a little bit too powerfull against low DR, but still not good against high DR (GWF Sentinel, GF ...).
The point is to nerf it a bit against squishies classes and buff it against tank, to have an equal chance.
For example, a GWF Sentinel should have between 80% (around 40% without unstoppable) and 120% DR (but not really true, I don't really know how does it work).So a Sentinel GWF will see his 120% DR reduced to 108 (10% of 120 --> -12%).
Fleet Footed :
Whenever you control a target, you gain an additional 3/6/9/12/15% Run Speed for 3 seconds.
This feat can be really good to catch someone, but in fact, it's bad. What's the point of gaining Run Speed when your target is controlled, so she can't move ? GWF'd rather gaining this Run Speed after the controls affect himself. This feat also encourages being a glasscanon with high mobility/burst but being really squishy.
Whenever you are controlled, you gain an additional 3/6/9/12/15% Run Speed for 3 seconds.
This change allows GWF to approach his target a little bit easier. You can think it can be broken, but in fact, not that much, he'll still take the controls, and damages. GWF can play with more skill with this change : he can permuting Sprint or not, to take a little control like Slow, to gain the Run Speed and then Sprints.
Vicious Advantage : Combat Advantage now grants an additional 1/2/3/4/5% Crit chance and damages.
This. With the Instigator changes I propose, it's perfectly fine.
Stunning Flourish :
Flourish has an extra chance 1/2/3/4/5% to crit and stuns for 0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1 second on last hit.
Flourish stuns longer. Aw. If we kept this feat and buffed it, it would be overpowered (enjoy the 4 seconds stun). With the Instigator changes, Flourish would have too much Critical chance.
Flourish now gains an additional of X/X/X/X/X range (a very little buff of range, no worries) and now gives a control immunity while casting, but you take 1/2/3/4/5% more damage during this time.
You can think it can be overpowered. But in fact, no. Actually Flourish has a big cast time, can be interrupted, and easily dodgeable. This feat compensates it by buffing a very little bit the range, and gives control immunity during the cast (like Crescendo/Spinning Strike), but you take more damage during this time. Flourish would still be easily dodgeable because of his cast time and obvious animation.
The little buff of range helps more and control immunity on this long animation is a must GWF had to have since start of the game. Now, a GWF who slots Flourish, is dangerous. Now, an ennemy, instead of obviously using a control to never let you using this power, must dodge/block/run.
It would not be broken. Why ? An Instigator GWF is a highburst in melee, but squishy, not tanky. And when he's near to you, he should be really dangerous.
P.S : stun duration lowered to 2 seconds from 3 seconds (it would be broken for rotations).
Or the IV feat :
Frontline Surge deals 1/2/3/4/5% more damages and (now stuns) ennemies for 0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1 sec more.
Once again, remove stun. 4 seconds stun, too much.
Frontline Surge deals 3/6/9/12/15% more damages.
With the recent high damages nerf of Frontline Surge, 20% more damages seems legit for Instigator. It would be, around +250-300 damages (actually the damages are 1800-2100). Not a lot, but it's AoE, in range.
Nimble Runner :
Sprint and Punishing Charge now grants 2/4/6/8/10% deflect chance.
Sprint needn't. It is already good (or almost too much good, 30% DR is maybe a little bit too high). Punishing Charge should have Control Immunity, but it would be "Never CCed GWF" with the actual Sprint.
Punishing Charge now grants 3/6/9/12/15% more deflect chance and deals 4/8/12/16/20% more damages.
P.S : Punishing Charge : 3 charges, but the damages are between 800-1100, +20%, it means +160-220.
This change would recompensate the players who calculate when they'd take high damages, and/or if they want to engage/escape more quickly than Sprint, but without Control Immunity, this is why they must use it at the right time (Oh god, is GWF becoming a skilled class ?). One thing which would be good, is to change the Punishing Charge animation (GWF rising his Weapon like he wants to be Immune/Protected) into THE OLD Sprint animation (it would be so beautiful)
Little change to do : making Punishing Charge a little bit more responsive when he casts and when the animation ends.
Allied Opportunity :
Mighty Leap and Not So Fast deals an additional of 2/4/6/8/10% damages and you and your allies gain Combat Advantage against the damaged target for 1/1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds.
This feat gives Combat Advantage, a good synergy with Vicious Advantage. But, the damages buffs are a little bit too low (check base damages, Mighty Leap --> around 1400-1600, Not So Fast around 1800-2200) and the Combat Advantage Duration is too short because ennemies can kite, run, dodge, control you and waste this time easily.
Mighty Leap deals an additional of 10/20/30/40/50% damages and Not So fast 10/15/20/25/30% damages you and your allies gain Combat Advantage against the damaged target for 0.8/1.6/2.4/3.2/4 seconds.
50% more damages of around 1600 (max base damage) means +800, so 2400. For Mighty Leap, a jump, not a lot, but not bad. For Not So fast, 30% of 2200 (max damage) means 660, so 2860, not that much, not that bad, because : melee with just a little slow. But with 10 seconds CD. Perfect damages with perfect mechanics, don't you think ? The Combat Advantage is 1 second longer, not that much, 4 seconds, the ennemies have the time to dodge, or run, or control etc but they must take care.
If you think it's still too short, there are other ways to get Combat Advantage, and Not So Fast CD is 10 seconds, and Mighty Leap is 12 seconds.
Group Assault : Wicked Strike now deals an additional 1/2/3/4/5% for each target hit.
Good for PvE, but in fact, not really, because the damages are reduced in the exactly same mechanic. So this is a good for a bad, the feat is finally not worth. You know what will I change
Group Assault : Wicked Strike now deals an additional 1/2/3/4/5% for each target hit and the damages are not reduced anymore for each target you hit beyond the first.
A better Wicked Strike, and would be good with the Artifact Weapon for PvE or even PvP (but I don't think personally).
Crippling Strike : Spinning Strike and Avalanche of Steel now slow your target for 10/20/30/40/50%.
Can be good for some situations. But the point is Avalanche of Steel slow is not good (slow after prone, but i'm not sure).
Crippling Strike : Spinning Strike now slow your target for 10/20/30/40/50%, and Avalanche of Steels now Slow your target while you are in the air by 10/15/20/25/30%. Slam can now crit.
Avalanche of Steel was easily dodgeable with dodges, and even without when there were 2 or more people and you wanted to hit them all. Now Avalanche of Steel slows while you are in the air, which makes the Daily dangerous because it's less easily dodgeable (but still). And Slam which crits, this is more a fix than a buff, because it always had to crit. Giving the crit Slam in this feat, why not ?
To fix : Spinning Strike OFTEN doesn't give Control Immune while using it.
Final Feat :
Instigator's Vengeance : Your damage is increased by 12%, but taking direct damage will disable this bonus for 3 seconds.
The thing is you always take damages, you're a GWF, you take damages to approach your ennemies. In very rare cases you will keep this buff.
Instigator's Vengeance : Your damage is increased by 15 %, but taking direct damage will divide this bonus by 2 for 3 seconds. In addition, 8% of your damages ignore your target DR.
Giving more damages to GWFs who come at the right time, or have a good positioning, is a thing to keep. Taking damages now doesn't disable the feat, it now doesn't make the feat totally useless (and not broken, 7.5% more damages or 15%, Destroyer in PvE has permanently +40% more damages, in PvP it depends). 8% of GWF's damages ignoring target's DR, it means, for a 5k Encounter, he deals 400 TRUE damages (not that much). It means if he killed someone alone, with 30k HP (including regeneration/lifesteal/artifact), he dealt 2400 TRUE damages (not a lot, but this is good).
It is now a real Final Feat for Instigator.
The reasons of these changes are actual Instigator is really bad but has a good potential. Those buffs are not "damnly broken buffs". It wouldn't make the actual IBS/Crescendo or any other combo "Broken", no. These changes give chances to GWFs to have other Encounter/At-Wills/Dailies good (Wicked Strike, Punishing Charge, Spinning Strike, Avalanche of Steel, Slam, Not So Fast) and with new Builds. It would make the GWF player calculating when they should use their power, alternating Sprint and their powers, like Punishing Charge/Mighty Leap, and not the thing you hate "Mod 3 GWF"
This would make the glasscanon GWF viable, but not broken, because he'd stay squishy, easily killable in rotations, the fight now would depend of the skill between GWF and the ennemy.
I am 40k HP when healthy. Still off the top-end of GFs, I know, but with 47.5% DR, 26% deflec and 20% Tenacity, I'm not exactly an egg shell.
At 32k I was still 80% health, the CW in question was literally dead, I'd guesstimate 10% health, could barely see green on his bar. We saw each other at the same time but he froze me mid animation and then killed me without me even being able to close the gap. He ate through my 32k HP faster than a Mod 3 Destroyer could.
Yeah was my mistake, misread.
Also lucky procs based on ****, lazy mechanics that no CW supported.
We were FORCED into this BTW.
I have officially stopped PvPing and am not alone. Pretty much only people in PvP these days are the overload abusers, **** CWs that's couldn't do **** before patch but now they feel they're good and clueless people that just go for daily or whatever.