Winged Shell gets less and less useful

Asterelle - Sanctuary_1381265973

Winged Shell.

The main archer defensive skill which costs 45 chi. You can max this at level 54 at which time it will absorb 810 damage. This is a huge boost to your survivability as nothing can get through your uber shield.

Fast forward a bit... here I am at level 94. I have much more HP and mobs hit much harder. However, the skill still takes 45 chi and still absorbs 810 damage. Rather than lasting a while it lasts 1 hit, maybe 2. I am level 94 using a skill designed for level 54.

This is just wrong. The cleric's plume shell has no absorption limit. Neither does the veno hood, neither do any of the other defensive skills available to other classes.

There is only one other skill with an absorption limit like this and that is the cleric 79 skill "Wings of Protection" (familiar name right?). It looks and behaves just like an archer shield. The only difference is that their version of our shield takes 20 chi and not 45, lasts 30 seconds and not 20, can be cast on others as well as themselves, and has an absorption limit equal to 25% of the target's maximum HP.

That's right their version *gasp* scales with the player and is still usable in the endgame. With my current HP a cleric's version of the archer shield cast on me can absorb more damage than even the impossible to obtain sage version of Winged Shell. Bleh.

I guess the 79 skills are much newer and were better thought out than the old base skills.

Speaking of 79 skills, just look at the archer 79 skill "Elven Alacrity". 15m/s run, you can cast on others, and only costs 1 spark. I have it.. others went through the effort to get it too. And now we're the only class that can make people run at 15m/s, weeeeee.

Pretty cool until you think about genies and the popular skill "Holy Path". A skill very easy to obtain, does not take a spark to cast, and is an AOE speed boost for the whole party and not just a single target. Ooops... our uber 79 skill is now obsolete.

The annoying thing about archer skills is just seeing the better versions of those skills available to other classes. You can see them and realize that is what our skills could have been.

Is it any surprise archers stick so much with normal attacks when we have so many lousy skills? I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to using that Demon Stormrage Eagleon skill book sitting in my bank right now.

Ohh well, at least we can crit.

Bowlinbob - Lost City

I haven't looked at archer's skills much, but from they way you word it, that does seem sort of unfair that it only protects 810 damage. (Curious how long the cooldown is, before u can throw it back up) Im surprised that its not some sort of % like our plume shell.

But then again, yours absorbs 810 of any type of damage, ours is physical only.

Unno, I just wanted to make a post b:bye

Asterelle - Sanctuary_1381265973

Bowlinbob - Lost City wrote: »

I haven't looked at archer's skills much, but from they way you word it, that does seem sort of unfair that it only protects 810 damage. (Curious how long the cooldown is, before u can throw it back up) Im surprised that its not some sort of % like our plume shell.

But then again, yours absorbs 810 of any type of damage, ours is physical only.

Unno, I just wanted to make a post b:bye

Winged shell effects all damage which is why there is a absorption limit rather than a time limit like plume shell. The problem is that this limit hasn't changed over the last 40 levels. Clerics get a near exact copy of the skill with an absorption limit that is cheaper and scales correctly. That is what our skill should have been.

Elenacostel - Heavens Tear

30 seconds cooldown.

20 seconds of effect, or 810 damage, whichever is lesser.

Helps regenerate mana, but that is a secondary benefit.

Quilue - Sanctuary

yeh its pretty much just for regenerating mana...mobs will pop that thing in 2 hits at the moment. however, i hear demon wingspan spawning winged shells is very sick indeed

meaangirl

Man clerics are too OP b:angry

Guardgodess - Sanctuary

in my opinion, archer is more designed towards the pvp part of the spectrum, so is the skill winged shell.

think about it, archer's only pve useful skills are sharpen tooth arrow, barrage of arrows and frost arrow. the rest are more pvp.

as for winged shell, it is a really useful skill if you go pvp or pk, as in those situations, the damage output is decreased by 75%, so the winged shell will be able to last for a lot longer and be a lot more useful. as for pve use of this skill, the only usefulness i found was to regenerate mana at the cost of chi, and when you accidentally aggro something you shouldn't, to provide a bit of time for your tank to get it back, before it eats you alive.

Horseman - Sanctuary

Knockback arrow is also PVE ...

Guardgodess - Sanctuary

oh yeh forgot about thatb:chuckle

SATII - Lost City

It still saves you from OS's after a cleric sleeps you, does it not? I think that alone makes it a good skill to have... Kinda annoying

Salvation - Harshlands

SATII - Lost City wrote: »

It still saves you from OS's after a cleric sleeps you, does it not? I think that alone makes it a good skill to have... Kinda annoying

you're not supposed to tell ppl how to survive a fight against your own class b:shutup now they know how not to get owned by clerics b:shocked

Wen - Harshlands

i wish it could take more damage like 2000 than i be fine with clerics plume shield b:laugh

Ussichu - Sanctuary

I've found winged shell useful for this:

When in lack of a veno... (you'd be surprised... I had to pull mobs in a TT60 xD)

Pulling mobs does great with winged shell to survive one (additional) hit before barb/tank takes aggro off you xD

CrimsonScyth - Lost City

Asterelle - Sanctuary wrote: »

Winged Shell.

The main archer defensive skill which costs 45 chi.

our main defensive skill is wings of grace. pop it after your hiero ticks for a few seconds of immunity followed by damage reduction to allow your heiro to recharge. but at 9x light armor is the worst armor making us arguably the squishiest class. that said i rather see flesh ream fixed for pvp balance.

hpmorg

ya i just use wingedshell for mana regen or when 8im about to aoe 2-3 mobs it helps a little

Fleuri - Sanctuary

Asterelle - Sanctuary wrote: »

Winged Shell.

The main archer defensive skill which costs 45 chi. You can max this at level 54 at which time it will absorb 810 damage. This is a huge boost to your survivability as nothing can get through your uber shield.

Fast forward a bit... here I am at level 94. I have much more HP and mobs hit much harder. However, the skill still takes 45 chi and still absorbs 810 damage. Rather than lasting a while it lasts 1 hit, maybe 2. I am level 94 using a skill designed for level 54.

You should be getting your sage or demon winged shell soon?

Until then, if your winged shell lasts for two hits, you can extend its life slightly with your stunning arrow... (yes, I know, this seems obvious and dumb.)

Asterelle - Sanctuary_1381265973

Fleuri - Sanctuary wrote: »

You should be getting your sage or demon winged shell soon?

Until then, if your winged shell lasts for two hits, you can extend its life slightly with your stunning arrow... (yes, I know, this seems obvious and dumb.)

The only common sage / demon skills are Frost Arrow, Take Aim, and Blazing Arrow. All other level 89 demon skills are very rare drops from the fb99 final boss (I have never seen a book drop in 10 runs). All level 92 books come from rebirth delta or Cube of Fate extended at level 96. All level 99 books come from completing the cube of fate 30 times (I have one of these books... Demon Stormrage.. almost have a second one). And level 100 books from Chrono pages from world bosses.

The point is you don't just get skills when you meet the level requirements... Really after 90 there is very little stuff to realistically get in the game which is why many quit.

Caledfwlch - Harshlands

PVE Players! lol

Asterelle - Sanctuary_1381265973

CrimsonScyth - Lost City wrote: »

our main defensive skill is wings of grace. pop it after your hiero ticks for a few seconds of immunity followed by damage reduction to allow your heiro to recharge. but at 9x light armor is the worst armor making us arguably the squishiest class. that said i rather see flesh ream fixed for pvp balance.

Wings of grace is main because Winged Shell got worse. At level 54 maxed it covered like 40% of your health... at level 94 maybe 15%.

Ussichu - Sanctuary wrote: »

I've found winged shell useful for this:

When in lack of a veno... (you'd be surprised... I had to pull mobs in a TT60 xD)

Pulling mobs does great with winged shell to survive one (additional) hit before barb/tank takes aggro off you xD

Remember the shell is a level 54 skill... the problem is that it just keeps getting less useful as you level.

Quilue - Sanctuary

so about that demon stormrage...why is it that the description on eca speak of it only lasting 1/2 the duration as if it were a bad thing? does it tick twice as hard in that duration? aaah well do tell us when you get to 99

so what was the point of this rant anyways? i'm sure we're well aware of how little number of hits winged shell blocks later on. its depressing.

DarkRings - Sanctuary

Another QQ thread.. TBH, that skill is quite useful, it can block my 10k-HP Arma..

Quilue - Sanctuary

seeee ast? you can block his 10k hp arma with it :P

Asterelle - Sanctuary_1381265973

Quilue - Sanctuary wrote: »

so about that demon stormrage...why is it that the description on eca speak of it only lasting 1/2 the duration as if it were a bad thing? does it tick twice as hard in that duration? aaah well do tell us when you get to 99

so what was the point of this rant anyways? i'm sure we're well aware of how little number of hits winged shell blocks later on. its depressing.

Meh .. just pointing out the cool shield we had at 54 isn't that great any more while the other classes dont have to put up with losing effectiveness in their skills.

Lunnark - Sanctuary

Asterelle - Sanctuary wrote: »

Meh .. just pointing out the cool shield we had at 54 isn't that great any more while the other classes dont have to put up with losing effectiveness in their skills.

To be honest i think this thread has a equitable purpose. I didn't realized this until reading the post as I am not that far from level 54 yet. And is a very big difference between a rant, a QQ and an objective opinion.

So, PEACE to all of you who aren't able to catch a glimpse of a nonpartisan hypothesis!! Lol
Lady Asterelle : Very Well Put!b:victory

Cheers mates!