Thoughts on Cursed Bullet

As a stealth attack it seems underwhelming. So I had a thought.

Cursed Bullet should corrupt boons and apply "Curse of the Empowered." Curse lasts for three seconds and corrupts the next three boons applied during that duration.

Otherwise the main issue with this is pathing. "Tracking" your target is neat. But it should happen only when the bullet is close to the target. If a straight shot would hit the target a more direct path is preferable. This is most obvious when firing up at someone and the shot curves downward through the building and gets obstructed.

The only thing I think it needs to do in addition is apply a damaging condition for the kneel version, like a few stacks of bleed or torment.

I'm not always happy with how your scenario with the wall can play out but it's also not bad as a fire and forget stealth skill and, sometimes they just don't know it's coming because they've seen me heading out to something else like I'm done while CB is meandering it's way towards them. Good for multitasking a team fight, not great against someone who's keeping their focus on you. A familiar problem with deadeye is that most of it's mechanics seem to need to happen before the badguy is aware because everything together or in unison piles up nicely but once they're aware every thing gets broken up and ends up popping off and fizzling out on it's own and then nothing has much bite, like Cursed Bullet, where other stealth skills have a pretty immediate stand alone impact.

It's already a stronger Boon "removal" than any of spellbreaker's skills, it doesn't need a buff.

@Kuulpb.5412 said:It's already a stronger Boon "removal" than any of spellbreaker's skills, it doesn't need a buff.

Except that it is pretty damn worthless at the moment. DJ is a much better stealth attack as you get bonus damage for being revealed, it reveals you before it fires. Doesn't have a stupid fucking cool down. And when combined with Malignant reveal, you get free malice.

@Leo Schrodingers Cat.2497 said:

@Kuulpb.5412 said:It's already a stronger Boon "removal" than any of spellbreaker's skills, it doesn't need a buff.

There is no cost to Cursed Bullet, so there is very little reason not to use that before casting Death's Judgement.

useless stealth skill, slowest projectile speed i've ever seen and it doesn't even work with rending shade which has been a bug since beta.

@Turk.5460 said:

@Leo Schrodingers Cat.2497 said:

@Kuulpb.5412 said:It's already a stronger Boon "removal" than any of spellbreaker's skills, it doesn't need a buff.

Except that the Cursed Bullet is completely untrustworthy. When fired, it behaves like a minion that runs across the field. This means that if there is for some reason a discontinued path (WHICH PLAGUES THIEF ALREADY) it becomes obstructed. Worse is that the bullet will not try to navigate the map to find its target, It behaves more like a guided missile that's stuck to the ground.

Question, did they get Cursed Bullet to work with Rending Shade? On launch I couldn't get targets to lose 4 (with me being granted 2 cause of the steal) boons when using it with that trait.

@Kiroshima.8497 said:Question, did they get Cursed Bullet to work with Rending Shade? On launch I couldn't get targets to lose 4 (with me being granted 2 cause of the steal) boons when using it with that trait.

No, all they really did in regards to DE from demo to live is nerf rifle #3.

I've spent a lot of time with rifle and used Cursed Bullet many times and have come to the conclusion that I pretty much flat out hate the skill at this point. It's "unique" projectile mechanics just aren't working out for me. I'd love it if it was just removed entirely since it probably isn't fixable considering their luck with making shadowsteps fully functional.It is obstructed by both everything and nothing: It'll fire towards an enemy that isn't moving on 100% level clear ground with no objects and still get obstructed and it will continue getting obstructed every attempt, and then activates the annoying stealth attack cooldown preventing me from getting to tag something.It often activates slower than normal in midst of battle as well and I find myself just avoiding it all together and just using a non stealth skill from stealth instead because of how unreliable Cursed Bullet often is. Any enemy that Cursed Bullet fails to hit any other Rifle skill would of made that same shot with no issues. I can tell it's called Cursed Bullet because it plagues the user with misfortune.

That 1 second cooldown could easily ruin the entire rotation, plus the crap damage and projectile make this skill really hard to land properly. At this point i'd rather use stolen item or other skill to proc hidden malice trait.

Another thought:

Core thief has access to confusion via Throw Gunk. There is no confusion on stolen skills.

Since Cursed Bullet is relatively mediocre, why not add two stacks of confusion to the boon corruption aspect. A "curse" shouldn't rely solely on its opponent having buffs.

This is what using cursed magic bullets to destroy your enemy should look like:https://youtu.be/0E-eRUz1dhgMein Sohn, nur Mut,wer Gott vertraut baut gut.Jetzt auf, in Bergen und Klüften,tobt morgen der freudige Krieg.Das Wild in Fluren und Triften,der Aar in Wolken und Lüften.Ist unser und unser der Sieg!Und unser der Sieg!Und unser der Sieg!

The skill we get is crap, much like every other Rifle skill. The damage is pathetic, the CC is nonexistent. We're forced to remain stationary in a game about constantly moving around to avoid shit on the ground. Did any one who created this skill set ever actually play the game?

What if Cursed bullet had a massive launch for a marked target? :DLike a 600 range launch?THAT would make the rifle work for anyone.

@Zacchary.6183 said:What if Cursed bullet had a massive launch for a marked target? :DLike a 600 range launch?THAT would make the rifle work for anyone.

Would be fun if you managed to launch someone off cliffs with it, and they shout 'curse youuuu!' as they fall :D

OASN, I think it would put them out of rifle's range most of the time. I don't want to stand up just to walk closer then kneel again.

Could make it synergize with the anti fall damage traits and just teleport the target 1000 distance straight up.

:-p

Id be down for both these changes:

1.) Have one of the abilities do a knockback...even if its that one that makes you dodge backwards a bit (that could be the reason you dodge backwards)2.) When kneeling, if you move (or dodge, either one) you break the kneel so you can move normally. This will save us A LOT of deaths.