Defense Bladesworn

[CalmTheStorm.2364]

Obviously, TR no longer working on shouts is massive blow to Bladesworn's viability in competitive modes. However, all might not be lost for the spec. Here are a few thoughts on how the new Defense might be an OK substitute for Tactics on BS:

 

1) Combat Stimulant's synergy with Thick Skin. The new Thick Skin gives protection on heal skill use. CS has two charges and can get a third thanks to TR. This should allow for fairly high prot uptime.

 

2) Significant Weakness application through Cull the Weak. You probably won't be able to do many max- charges of DT now that they are removing the stability from Dragonscale Defense, and that's gonna hurt. BUT... You already have unblockable, unblindable bursts with huge hitboxes, and now they can inflict weakness on hit. This, if skillfully used, will help reduce the damage you take. 

 

3) Having a permanent stack of adrenal healing means River Flows will always be proc'd off CD. Additionally, having all that passive healing boosted by 10% could be quite a bit over the course of a match/engagement.

 

4) BS may be better able to utilize stances than other specs. Most other specs depend on Bulls Charge or other key utilities to function. BS is often able to forgo this because DS-boost fills a similar role. This frees up another slot for a stance skill--which, thanks to the new Last Stand trait, provides a significant amount of barrier. BS may thus be able to transition to "stance spam" for its sustain. This will be (thankfully) less obnoxious that shout spam, but should nonetheless be a source of significant sustain. 

 

Thoughts? Other predictions? 

[CalmTheStorm.2364]

Alternatively, this build might be decent:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKwAEdrllyuYhMMmLeWTtxUA-zZILjGjgMDBZHAA

 

(Keep in mind that the trait selection reflects where the NEW traits will be)

 

Some perks:

Pretty good might generation

Combination of passive and on-demand healing

Decent condi cleanse and very high resistance up time 

Reasonable protection uptime

Frequent weakness application 

 

Could also trade cleansing ire for the new stalwart strength for better stability access and a small damage buff at the expense of flow generation and condi cleanse. I would probably take rune of the soldier (or take warhorn instead of pistol) if I did that. 

[oscuro.9720]

Yes defensesworn may be pretty fun. You could change out tactics for strength for a different play style. A bit glassier, busy you could get the consistent quickness proc from the new Strength trait, then run frenzy and you will have super-zooms Warrior. 

[felix.2386]

except the fact that damage will be heavily shaved.

and still will not be as much sustain as the old tactic shout, mainly due to low CD stab and 3 second dragon trigger

 

remember unyielding dragon might was also nerfed from 2 to 1

you will barely have any might at all.

that also means mender might and might makes right will be minimum.

but if you take tactic instead of strength, you won't have might makes right, so it is pretty much pointless.

weakness and protection are avoidable, so it is more shave then expected, because pure healing was not avoidable.

 

bugs fixes alone remove at least 20% of the sustain, with 3 second mobility and stab application.

before you can negate by going into dragon stance for counter plays. now it's not possible.

you will basically be CC'ed to death everytime you go into dragon stance

daring dragon is even more garbage now also.

Edited September 19, 2022 by felix.2386

[felix.2386]

the class will need heavy work in order to be playable again.

needs triggerguard CD reduced

needs 2might per charge back

needs daring dragon and immortal dragon fixed

now dragon defense grant protection.

daring dragon reset dragon defense so only getting protection, so people will be even more CCable then regular dragon trigger, as you are casting multiple dragon trigger

 

also immortal dragon grants protection when entering dragon trigger already.

like..both of these grand master grant protection on dragon trigger now.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

13 minutes ago, felix.2386 said:

the class will need heavy work in order to be playable again.

needs triggerguard CD reduced

needs 2might per charge back

needs daring dragon and immortal dragon fixed

now dragon defense grant protection.

daring dragon reset dragon defense so only getting protection, so people will be even more CCable then regular dragon trigger, as you are casting multiple dragon trigger

 

also immortal dragon grants protection when entering dragon trigger already.

like..both of these grand master grant protection on dragon trigger now.

Stability back on Flow Stabilizer should happen. And you are right, Immortal Dragon is redundant now.

[CalmTheStorm.2364]

2 hours ago, felix.2386 said:

except the fact that damage will be heavily shaved.

and still will not be as much sustain as the old tactic shout, mainly due to low CD stab and 3 second dragon trigger

 

remember unyielding dragon might was also nerfed from 2 to 1

you will barely have any might at all.

that also means mender might and might makes right will be minimum.

but if you take tactic instead of strength, you won't have might makes right, so it is pretty much pointless.

weakness and protection are avoidable, so it is more shave then expected, because pure healing was not avoidable.

 

bugs fixes alone remove at least 20% of the sustain, with 3 second mobility and stab application.

before you can negate by going into dragon stance for counter plays. now it's not possible.

you will basically be CC'ed to death everytime you go into dragon stance

daring dragon is even more garbage now also.

Yeah, a lot of people forget that, if BS drops FGJ, it has no might and therefore no damage.  Dropping Strength but keeping Tactics (like I proposed above) definitely comes at a loss of DPS, but you'll still have decent might output because you're keeping FGJ.  Also, the overall sustain might not be too dissimilar from the current shoutsworn; however, you won't have as much on-demand healing--but that was objectively overtuned and needed to be nerfed.

 

If you keep Strength but take Defense instead of Tactics, you'll lose out on most of your on-demand healing.  You also probably wouldn't run FGJ in that case, and would therefore not have much might.  However, you could take Frenzy instead for an extra stunbreak/DPS boost, albeit on a long CD.  It would synergize with the new Last Stand, though, so could get a chunk of barrier and decent vigor uptime as some extra defensive perks.

 

However, I think that Str/Defense/BS builds would probably work best with taking Brave Stride, Berserker's Power, Cull the Weak, Resilient Roll, and Stalwart Strength.  This stacks damage mods, provides high stability and resistance up-time, and inflicts a good deal of weakness.  You'll probably still need to take Dolyak Rune or Demolisher Amulet to be tanky enough (which is yet more DPS loss), but it could probably still be a pretty good all-around brawler/duelist.

[felix.2386]

Problem is, the dodges sustain you gain with might through MMR equals if not out weight the healing you gain from might through MMR and MM (not including vigorous shouts)

MMR alone is basically 70% of the reason why focus on might gen is worth it as self sustain with power build.

you can already test it out now, FGJ build without MMR is basically nothing.

 

Also people probably not realize the importance of stability for shoutsworn, at least 20-30% of sustain comes from that bugged stab.

80% sure at least one of brave stride and stalwart strength will be required for bladesworn to be functional at this stage.

and still won't match the current stab.

yet MMR is minimum without tactic either.

 

also will be missing barrier with unshakeable mountain with tactical reload nerf.

with overall healing heavily good, may actually need to move to hard mitigate.

then warhorn would be pointless, because you will need shield.

but then without warhorn, you will get destroyed by immob in high end,

specially with shake it off being only one cast now.

so you will need warrior's sprint. so maybe defense discpline bladesworn. will be the most likely outcome.

 

discpline's sustain is overall better then strength without tactic might gen for overall combat ability increase

and actually has synergy with defense

 

tbh the new changes/bug fix at least shaved 50% sustain and 50% damage of bladesworn.

 

 

 

[felix.2386]

discpline gives overall more damage then strength in low might situation

cleanse condition

make you less vulnerable to immob( can not dodge when immobed so new defense trait does not help)

you could still take warhorn, but i'm not certain if new sustain will allow warhorn to be played.

burst skill CD reduction and flow gain synergize more with cull the weak, cleansing ire, adrenaline health and stalwart strength which are all crucial for sustain

 

strength has little benefit outside of MMR for bladesworn overall.

Edited September 19, 2022 by felix.2386