Helmet Smash and Unload — broken skills?

[Antycypator.9874]

First, I love Helmet Smash.

But abusing this skill makes you stun-lock everything that has no breakbar — once you've got access to it, you can bonk your target until you run out of initiative. Is this intented design? If so, I'm gonna melt breakbars like no one ever did.

Unload has practicaly zero initiative cost. It takes 3 ini to activate unload, refunds 2 if all bullets hits your target, and 1 ini will regenerate during cast, making it literally endless, spamable skill on every thief's spec.

[Khandarus.2738]

I just say enjoy it while it last. It will be changed by tomorrow

[itspomf.9523]

46 minutes ago, Antycypator.9874 said:

Unload has practicaly zero initiative cost. It takes 3 ini to activate unload, refunds 2 if all bullets hits your target, and 1 ini will regenerate during cast, making it literally endless, spamable skill on every thief's spec.

Instead of addressing all the shortcomings of pistol (no inherent pierce despite everyone but elementalist getting it, poor damage, single target, etc.), the entire weapon has been reduced to a power "Spam 3" build with zero downside beyond needing to stay within range.

I just took down 2 veterans and 4 or 5 other filler enemies using a single skill and a little basic strafing.

[Doggie.3184]

It's a staff, it is meant to bonk or they will never be no horny

[Szymon.5369]

OP just wait until you learn Head Shot exists, I think it has similar damage but doesn't need a bad flipover skill to munch half of your initiative

[Zacchary.6183]

Pistol sucks otherwise. Staff needed these changes too. They'll both get nerfed after enough people complain about it.

[Tails.9372]

3 hours ago, Antycypator.9874 said:

Unload has practicaly zero initiative cost. It takes 3 ini to activate unload, refunds 2 if all bullets hits your target, and 1 ini will regenerate during cast, making it literally endless, spamable skill on every thief's spec.

So what? Mech rifle does pretty much the same thing with its skill 1 while being more passive and having both more range and damage even on a more defensive build.

2 hours ago, itspomf.9523 said:

Instead of addressing all the shortcomings of pistol (no inherent pierce despite everyone but elementalist getting it, poor damage, single target, etc.), the entire weapon has been reduced to a power "Spam 3" build with zero downside beyond needing to stay within range.

Pretty much wrong in every aspect, the weapon set has always been all about a "power "Spam 3" build" and the change did address one of its major shortcomings by making using other skills (at this point mainly skill 4 due to a general lack of utility on the weapon set) less punishing. Being able to "infinately spam 3" was always something one could easily do. 

Also, even with this change the weapon set is still just an amalgamation of downsides: damage still sucks (especially if you use the related weapon trait), survivability sucks, no mobility on the set and the utility is extremely limited.

The ability to faceroll trashmobs in Queensdale does not make something "broken".

[Doul.9314]

Stop. This skill is so much fun now!

[Doggie.3184]

1 hour ago, Tails.9372 said:

So what? Mech rifle does pretty much the same thing with its skill 1 while being more passive and having both more range and damage even on a more defensive build.

Pretty much wrong in every aspect, the weapon set has always been all about a "power "Spam 3" build" and the change did address one of its major shortcomings by making using other skills (at this point mainly skill 4 due to a general lack of utility on the weapon set) less punishing. Being able to "infinately spam 3" was always something one could easily do. 

Also, even with this change the weapon set is still just an amalgamation of downsides: damage still sucks (especially if you use the related weapon trait), survivability sucks, no mobility on the set and the utility is extremely limited.

The ability to faceroll trashmobs in Queensdale does not make something "broken".

MCH also gets default pierce + explosion + melee cleave all at same time, passively. We're still stuck with worst trait in game for pierce which wasn't even designed correctly.

[BobbyT.7192]

unload is pretty much how the auto attack should feel

[Straegen.2938]

It will never be as good or as fun as it was with Ricochet pre-nerf. 

[SamuelW.2685]

Honestly pistol feels really good as a weapon, good damage, cool looking and sounding skills, feels great to use, it's not like Ele Staff where using that feels lame.
Makes me think that I'm not sure this was change was needed tbh. It's biggest issue is that it's overshadowed by Shortbow for your 900 range slot with it being flat out best tagging weapon in the game, and now it's gotta compete with rifle with its longer range and similar damage. Pistol is the worst of the power weapons just because the others are that good.

I think of they added ricochet back in some way Pistol would be a much better pick, give it an edge when it comes to tagging at the cost of initavie and specing into a skill you might not otherwise spec into. Pistol can't tag as well as shortbow, and rifle can do similar damage to it and has a defensive edge to it with its backwards shadowstep and increased range. If you run Deadeye with rifle you can get insane damage too.

Edited November 29, 2023 by SamuelW.2685

[Last Crab.6054]

7 hours ago, Antycypator.9874 said:

First, I love Helmet Smash.

But abusing this skill makes you stun-lock everything that has no breakbar — once you've got access to it, you can bonk your target until you run out of initiative. Is this intented design? If so, I'm gonna melt breakbars like no one ever did.

Unload has practicaly zero initiative cost. It takes 3 ini to activate unload, refunds 2 if all bullets hits your target, and 1 ini will regenerate during cast, making it literally endless, spamable skill on every thief's spec.

If they dodge, it ain't unlocked anymore

[Antycypator.9874]

16 hours ago, Szymon.5369 said:

OP just wait until you learn Head Shot exists, I think it has similar damage but doesn't need a bad flipover skill to munch half of your initiative

Head Shot costs 4 initiative, Helmet Smash only 2 (PvE).

[FrancisN.9276]

33 minutes ago, Antycypator.9874 said:

Head Shot costs 4 initiative, Helmet Smash only 2 (PvE).

In order to use Helmet Smash (2 ini), we have to use Debilitating Arc (3 ini), making it a total cost of 5 ini. The range is also bad: falling back (0.5s evade frame) 400 range and leaping forward (no evade frame) for 450 range. It is extremely predictable, heavily telegraphed, and - with the forward 50 range - easy to get out of.