Hammer Air #4, the "maybe blowback" skill

[scerevisiae.1972]

I really hate the current version of this skill. It propels you back, except when you are ~600 range from your current target, when it doesn't.

Even when it works, this skill is pretty bad TBH, would be much more useful to propel you forwards not back, as hammer has crappy mobility/engage -- your only real gap closer is water #4 but you'd be crazy to be in water attunement and put your water attunment on CD at the start of the fight.

 

The problem with this skill is that it has gotten me killed numerous times because i expected to go backwards on cast but the target came into range at the last moment, or I targeted some other random thing in an attempt to detarget.

 

Notwithstanding all the other bad stuff on hammer (eg: all the #3 skills which look good but are nearly worthless in impact), this skill really needs to be deterministic/reliable. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by scerevisiae.1972

[Agrios.9071]

It should work similar to the skill 5 of the tornado elite "Dust Charge", you basically rush towards a direction and knock down targets (5?) in your path. 

This would mean we have another mobility skill that can also be used to engage. I think 600 range may be not enough... For reference Dust Charge has 900 range. Another thing to consider is giving catalyst some stability on such a charge skill maybe 2 stacks for 2-3 seconds. Alternatively there could be evade frames tied to such a skill to help overall survivability.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Agrios.9071

[SlitheSlivier.1908]

I like its current iteration better.  It's so annoying having KD'd a foe, but leaped back so far you can't use the KD in any offensive manner. Now you leap back up to 600 from him, allowing you to hit him while he is down since you are still in range.  It was a very much welcome change for me.

[Ace.1784]

You can also About Face > Wind Storm > About Face to use it as a gap closer if needed. 

[Zephyrus.9680]

Air 4 is literally my favorite skill on the hammer set. It's the earth and fire skills, water 4, and all the #3 skills that need a ton of work (rework). 

[AliamRationem.5172]

14 hours ago, Agrios.9071 said:

It should work similar to the skill 5 of the tornado elite "Dust Charge", you basically rush towards a direction and knock down targets (5?) in your path. 

This would mean we have another mobility skill that can also be used to engage. I think 600 range may be not enough... For reference Dust Charge has 900 range. Another thing to consider is giving catalyst some stability on such a charge skill maybe 2 stacks for 2-3 seconds. Alternatively there could be evade frames tied to such a skill to help overall survivability.

Isn't a 900 range gap closer + hard CC + stability + evade what every class needs?

[Agrios.9071]

Well nearly every other spec has those effects in some way on their weapons, maybe not the stability but i only thought of either stab or evade.

[scerevisiae.1972]

On 12/2/2021 at 1:59 AM, SlitheSlivier.1908 said:

I like its current iteration better.  It's so annoying having KD'd a foe, but leaped back so far you can't use the KD in any offensive manner. Now you leap back up to 600 from him, allowing you to hit him while he is down since you are still in range.  It was a very much welcome change for me.

Well you only remain stationary if you are exactly 600 from target anyway, so with either implementation, you are always going to be 600 range from the KD target, so it's basically the same.

 

But really I don't care which one it is as long as it is deterministic/reliable, ie: always propel backwards or always stay stationary.

Either way I think it's not a great skill while hammer is lacking in so many other aspects.

 

[Winchester Smythe Anus III.2153]

On 12/2/2021 at 11:37 AM, Zephyrus.9680 said:

Air 4 is literally my favorite skill on the hammer set. It's the earth and fire skills, water 4, and all the #3 skills that need a ton of work (rework). 

I think the problem is that it's unreliable. IT's not a bad skill but I wish it made you go forward not backward.