Greatsword Reaper is so underwhelming

[Brkz.4712]

Not only Reaper needs some general buffs but i think some tweaks and even skill reworks for the greatsword moveset would be a great addition to May patch. And this is for all kinds of content.

4 and 5 are good, maybe 5 needs a better cast time to be good enough for pvp, since its very awkard to use and its very easy to dodge. Now 2 and 3 are two melee only skills that have a long kitten cast animation, easy to interrupt, poor range and their damage is also not good enough.

Looking at greatsword moveset across all classes it has some of the most interesting skills, i just wish they threw reaper 2 and 3 away and replaced it with a new burst skill and give us something for defensive option like counterttack or a new gap closer like leap of faith, phantom onslaught, etc. Just use something recycled from other class and its good enough.

[Dr Meta.3158]

55 minutes ago, Brkz.4712 said:

Not only Reaper needs some general buffs but i think some tweaks and even skill reworks for the greatsword moveset would be a great addition to May patch. And this is for all kinds of content.

4 and 5 are good, maybe 5 needs a better cast time to be good enough for pvp, since its very awkard to use and its very easy to dodge. Now 2 and 3 are two melee only skills that have a long kitten cast animation, easy to interrupt, poor range and their damage is also not good enough.

Looking at greatsword moveset across all classes it has some of the most interesting skills, i just wish they threw reaper 2 and 3 away and replaced it with a new burst skill and give us something for defensive option like counterttack or a new gap closer like leap of faith, phantom onslaught, etc. Just use something recycled from other class and its good enough.

Greatsword 3 just needs to be a 600 range leap finisher and the weapon is solid.

[Dadnir.5038]

Apart of skill #4 I hate all other skills of the GS. The skillset is just to slow and what's unfortunate is that it's still the most effective strike damage weapon skillset of the reaper.

NB.: Don't ask for rework, Warhorn and Focus proved that the devs are able to change things from bad to worse.

[Arianth Moonlight.6453]

nah, GS is fine now. We need better traits that work all the time and not only under 50% health.

[Mikhael.2391]

Gravedigger needs to remove the  spam on enemys below50% and have an evade while casting with breakstun.

[Arianth Moonlight.6453]

10 hours ago, Mikhael.2391 said:

Gravedigger needs to remove the  spam on enemys below50% and have an evade while casting with breakstun.

evade sounds good. Stun break not so much.

[Mikhael.2391]

1 hour ago, Arianth Moonlight.6453 said:

evade sounds good. Stun break not so much.

 stunbreak is a must, very low susceptible to cc and stunlocks

[semak.7481]

12 hours ago, Mikhael.2391 said:

Gravedigger needs to remove the  spam on enemys below50% and have an evade while casting with breakstun.

My curiosity led me to places where I shouldnt be and saw things I shouldnt see 🙈

Edited March 27, 2023 by semak.7481

[Boh.4568]

GS1, 2 and 3 are only effective with quickness, which is fine in a PvE party with support, but terrible in PvP and WvW. You either use them immediately after shroud, while the last couple of seconds of reaper onslaught are still active, or you are forced to use CTTB, an elite skill, just to make standard weapon skills usable for a few seconds. GS4 and 5 are great.

[Methuselah.4376]

I do think that greatsword on Reaper either needs an increase in speed or an increase in damage to justify the slowness. The skills themselves I personally like (though the targeting on GS5 needs further work); I certainly don't want Reaper greatsword to be a copy paste of other professions. 

[Dadnir.5038]

What I'd want:

• Remove chill from AA and reduce a bit each skill coefficent in exchange for a global increased base attack speed of the chain (make all 3 skills of the chain have a 1/2 cast time like they did for warrior's hammer).
• Reduce Gravedigger damage by around 25% to allow it to be more reactive (cut down this cast time to at least 3/4 if not 1/2) and make it apply chill.
• I don't mind death spiral being melee, but the cast time need some shave, I'm ready to let go of the vuln stack and even the whirl finisher if they cut down the cast time to 1/2 or 1/4.
• Nightfall is fine, no change needed.
• Grasping darkness would be great if it was a bit more like Guardian's Binding blade. Make it into a skill that apply a debuff that last 10s and periodically apply 1s of chill every 2s (make chill duration 1/2s per tic in competitive) with a follow up skill that allow the reaper to pull it's foes toward him.

Edited March 27, 2023 by Dadnir.5038

[Yasai.3549]

On 3/26/2023 at 9:43 AM, Dr Meta.3158 said:

Greatsword 3 just needs to be a 600 range leap finisher and the weapon is solid.

Second this. Reaper needs a tad more mobility on GS, especially for that cooldown, and especially for Gs3 Death Spiral. That skill is notorious for not hit confirming properly even when the tip of the hitbox ever so clearly pierces its target. 

[Greviathan.6107]

1 hour ago, Yasai.3549 said:

That skill is notorious for not hit confirming properly even when the tip of the hitbox ever so clearly pierces its target.

I can confirm too.
 

Also, I also agree that the reaper needs a leap out of shroud, and the greatsword is the perfect weapon to have that, especially if the replaced skill is Death Spiral. I sincerely hope Anet does something about it. The average mobility has risen with EoD, making it even more necessary, especially for a light armor spec that has no real defenses / versatile sustain.

[mirage.8046]

I would not mind if reaper greatsword had a block on another skill or an evade on skill 2 (although gravedigger's CD reduction on foes below 50% health would need to be removed since a reaper would be evading probably every 2 seconds). it would help so much to have a block. a leap would be interesting too ngl.

[Yasai.3549]

1 hour ago, Greviathan.6107 said:

I can confirm too.
 

Also, I also agree that the reaper needs a leap out of shroud, and the greatsword is the perfect weapon to have that, especially if the replaced skill is Death Spiral. I sincerely hope Anet does something about it. The average mobility has risen with EoD, making it even more necessary, especially for a light armor spec that has no real defenses / versatile sustain.

The reason why I want Death Spiral to be a gap closer is to make the skill actually confirm the hits. Imo if the skill is replaced entirely, then I don't think GS specifically needs a gap closer but one of Reaper shouts can instead be a gap closer.

Nothing Can Save You could be changed to a targeted Shout which teleports a Reaper nearer to a target by 600 units if the skill is cast on a target outside of melee range. (Melee range being 130 units - 300 units). It'll also be thematically fitting for a Reaper to jumpscare enemies using a Shout. 

I really wouldn't mind if this is the only gap close though because Reaper is still meant to be a powerhouse in melee, but we don't want them to be too sticky once they get on an enemy. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Yasai.3549

[KrHome.1920]

Not a single well thought idea in this thread. Dadnir came close until he mentioned the removal of vulnerability. Reaper actually needs more access to vulnerability as currently it is forced to run the spite traitline and bitter chill for a viable access. The vulnerability and decimate defenses are mandatory for dragon (has anyone actually tried this gear in wvw on a high vuln application build? It's insane!), valkyre, soldier and celestial builds to work at all in any content that is not instanced party pve.

Regarding the cast time: reaper has 3 options to generate quickness. It is obvious that reaper is meant to use these to overcome its slow main weapon and shroud. Asking for cast time reductions is asking for an overpowered weapon because competent reaper players do already have 80% quickness uptime.

[Dadnir.5038]

2 hours ago, KrHome.1920 said:

Not a single well thought idea in this thread. Dadnir came close until he mentioned the removal of vulnerability. Reaper actually needs more access to vulnerability as currently it is forced to run the spite traitline and bitter chill for a viable access. The vulnerability and decimate defenses are mandatory for dragon (has anyone actually tried this gear in wvw on a high vuln application build? It's insane!), valkyre, soldier and celestial builds to work at all in any content that is not instanced party pve.

Regarding the cast time: reaper has 3 options to generate quickness. It is obvious that reaper is meant to use these to overcome its slow main weapon and shroud. Asking for cast time reductions is asking for an overpowered weapon because competent reaper players do already have 80% quickness uptime.

The high self access to quickness is also one of the reasons behind reaper struggle to have competitive dps in group as it basically nullify the usefulness of a Quickness support for a reaper.

Other professions don't have crippled weapons that need good self quickness access in order to feel good to play.

Let's be clear, I don't want an "overpowered" weapon, I just want a weapon that feel good to play without the need to pidgeonhole myself into taking dread and reaper onslaught (if you can complain about feeling forced to use bitter chill, I can complain about feeling forced to use dread and reaper onslaught).

As for vulnerability, it isn't much needed in group content as everybody and it's grandma fart this condition without even realizing it. Again, I'd rather have reaper weaker when alone if it mean that he can be stronger in group (to be fair that's how balance is supposed to work).

Edited March 29, 2023 by Dadnir.5038

[Val.7826]

I think Reaper's GS skills, while not that performant, have extremely well fitting animations, I'd be sad if devs change 2° and 3°.

Got a little idea that probably could reduce the problem:

Third skill could be unblockable

Second skill could pulse stability on yourself while casting

[SleepyBat.9034]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:24 AM, Dadnir.5038 said:

What I'd want:

• Remove chill from AA and reduce a bit each skill coefficent in exchange for a global increased base attack speed of the chain (make all 3 skills of the chain have a 1/2 cast time like they did for warrior's hammer).
• Reduce Gravedigger damage by around 25% to allow it to be more reactive (cut down this cast time to at least 3/4 if not 1/2) and make it apply chill.
• I don't mind death spiral being melee, but the cast time need some shave, I'm ready to let go of the vuln stack and even the whirl finisher if they cut down the cast time to 1/2 or 1/4.
• Nightfall is fine, no change needed.
• Grasping darkness would be great if it was a bit more like Guardian's Binding blade. Make it into a skill that apply a debuff that last 10s and periodically apply 1s of chill every 2s (make chill duration 1/2s per tic in competitive) with a follow up skill that allow the reaper to pull it's foes toward him.

Keep in mind that reaper can spec into perma quickness. Personally, I don't have issues landing Death Spiral. I don't like that Grasping Darkness change, I think it'd be kitten.

[SleepyBat.9034]

7 hours ago, KrHome.1920 said:

The vulnerability and decimate defenses are mandatory for dragon (has anyone actually tried this gear in wvw on a high vuln application build? It's insane!)

I'm planning on trying that build, just need to change my marauders out for dragons.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

Gravedigger should have a cast time of 3/4s.
Deathspiral should charge foreward by 600 during the animation and block projectiles during the animation, whirl finisher remains.
Grasping Darkness' claws should travel at least 20% faster.

That's my feel on the matter with my experiences on Reaper.

[Nimon.7840]

15 hours ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Gravedigger should have a cast time of 3/4s.
Deathspiral should charge foreward by 600 during the animation and block projectiles during the animation, whirl finisher remains.
Grasping Darkness' claws should travel at least 20% faster.

That's my feel on the matter with my experiences on Reaper.

If it would be as bad as RS2, pls don't add movement to it. 

 

Having RS2 in PvE dps rotation is already bad.

1. Because it animation locks you every 4seconds

2. Because you have to make sure, that every hit of RS2 hits to be an actual dps increase.

And that's actually pretty tough to do.

A. You have to use it when standing directly at the boss.

B. If the boss then moves away, the charge often won't follow the boss, but you just do a stationary RS2 

C. Being animation locked needs you to have stability for certain mechanics (thank got we have RS3, but that covers only one of three to four uses of RS2)

 

Imo GS would be fine, if they just shaved of some casttimes or aftercast.

In wvw/pvp most people just don't use it the right way. It's more a utility than dps weapon.

If you use it like that, you get much better results.

That's why I use it on my wvw roaming build, even though staff is much better against certain classes with high mobility or stealth.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

4 hours ago, Nimon.7840 said:

If it would be as bad as RS2, pls don't add movement to it. 

 

Having RS2 in PvE dps rotation is already bad.

1. Because it animation locks you every 4seconds

2. Because you have to make sure, that every hit of RS2 hits to be an actual dps increase.

And that's actually pretty tough to do.

A. You have to use it when standing directly at the boss.

B. If the boss then moves away, the charge often won't follow the boss, but you just do a stationary RS2 

C. Being animation locked needs you to have stability for certain mechanics (thank got we have RS3, but that covers only one of three to four uses of RS2)

 

Imo GS would be fine, if they just shaved of some casttimes or aftercast.

In wvw/pvp most people just don't use it the right way. It's more a utility than dps weapon.

If you use it like that, you get much better results.

That's why I use it on my wvw roaming build, even though staff is much better against certain classes with high mobility or stealth.

I think any charge component on Deathspiral would end at the target, but otherwise apply all hits to foes along the path, or if it is at the target, all foes in range of the skill.

RS2 not doing the full number of hits when used in Melee needs to be fixed so that it hits the full amount of times, but that is a separate topic.

I use GS as a part of a CC juggling build, with Gravedigger and Deathspiral used inbetween CCs. People don't expect that kind of gameplay from a Reaper and it works pretty well. 

[Flumek.9043]

On 3/26/2023 at 3:43 AM, Dr Meta.3158 said:

Greatsword 3 just needs to be a 600 range leap finisher and the weapon is solid.

 

This.

Necro greatsword is identical to guardian greatsword, EXCEPT skill#3.

[stormemperor.3745]

All Reaper Skills(GS, Shroud, Shouts) are too weak, have too long cast time and barely do enough damage to justify their cooldown.

 

 

Shivers of Dread and Cold Shoulder should be combined 

Soul Eater move to where Cold Shoulder is and add 5s When you crit hit on 10s cd, 5 man boon.

 

Add +120 power, +120 power with gs and -20% all gs cd. Just like dunking guarding. to Major Master trait.

 

Reaper's Onslaught Change it to Ferocity: +300 when you have quickness to boost non shroud damage.