[sPvP] Thoughts on Repose & Glacial Blow healing changes.

[Saiyan.1704]

This'll be a short and sweet discussion (maybe idk.. probably not actually..).

The changes makes sense if you're leaving an F2 team oriented cleanse (not choosing Absolute Resolve) for another utility cleanse (Flash Combo), if you prefer a cleanse + kite/chase + damage utility. You gain damage that's "good enough" on Flash Combo, you still get a cleanse and a very surprising 2595'ish heal on Repose along with it. I just didn't put two-n-two together... was wondering why they made Flash Combo's Repose a cleanse lol. It makes sense what Anet is trying to do.

The biggest decision is whether or not Willbenders can afford to lose a second stunbreak when taking Flash Combo. Technically, you can do without, if you reserve F3 and a SYG/Contemplate/Judges... which ever one you want to slot on your bar. I feel a lot of Willbenders will realize they'll need to be very reserving with FC when it comes to engagements (or not engaging with it, rather). FC could be used for engagements but it can also double as a kiting node-trolling tool, cleanse/heal tool, and "I have nothing else so i'll do damage with it" tool.

...I like Glacial Blow, I just don't like hammer....
I've talked to a few guardians and we all have different opinions on what Hammer should do better in. The biggest issue with hammer (for me) is that it just doesn't chase well at all. Most other Guards wants H3 and H5 to be quicker because it makes Hammer as a whole, a sluggish weapon. I half agree. I would personally want H3 to be on a much much lower cd, say 9 Seconds instead of 15 seconds. I often find myself swapping to hammer and unable to do anything because they're out of melee range and my H3 gets blocked (they removed unblockable from H3 so it feels awkward to use now).

I'm quite curious on everyone else's take is. Flash Combo could be slept on, or people feel it's being stepped on. But I'm having fun with it rn.

[Kuya.6495]

I'm enjoying taking fc and Glacial heart right now with hammer. I decided to get rid of cop for fc and keep wl for the pressure. Gh could use either a lower icd or higher healing to make it worthwhile. But the occasional 600 heal when you cc or chill has noticeably added to my sustain. 

I also tried pack relic and feel my wrath. I really like how deadly it makes hammer  but giving up rf does increase the problems I have with thieves and I have found not having rf a problem when facing a dh on wb. I have not tried heaven's palm since I heard it is only .5 evade and it's at the start and not when you're hanging off the ceiling letting the entire neighborhood know what you're doing.

Edited March 20 by Kuya.6495

[Arken.3725]

I'll take this further:

Glacial Blow changes:  They removed the Chill-on-CC in place of a minor heal that has an icd.  I like what they're doing but this isn't good enough to take over a Flat dmg bonus for ALL skills(Inspiring Virtue) Or more cleanse(Absolute Resolve).  This won't be taken in spvp

Redemption change:  An increase from 3-4 seconds isn't good enough what-so-ever.  Valor is still a very lackluster trait line for defense outside of support.  The main reason why this trait and Litany of Wrath aren't utilized because dealing damage is much more difficult than it is to take damage and convert it to health.  Infuse Light and Defiant stance are MUCH superior versions because again, it's much easier and more efficient to receive damage than it is to deal it out.  

Flash Combo:  I love this skill but replacing a stunbreak for it might be tough.  Good changes overall

Heaven's Palm:  Cool concept, evade feels clunky and not long enough to justify it just yet.

Roiling Light:  Nice change, effects/boons aren't good enough to take just yet.

Deathless Courage:  Cool change but as it stands, WB is still inferior to DH in every facet outside of mobility.  This change doesn't change that fact.  In fact, it lessens WB's damage which is already inferior to DH's in favor of sustain. 

 

Rest of the changes were solid.

[rosento.6830]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents here. I don't do spvp so it doesn't apply so much here but the glacier hammer change to heal on cc has added some pretty gosh darn decent healing to hammer combos in a healing support build. Right now unbuffed it heals about 900, hammer outside of auto attack symbol doesn't  heal, now I can 3242 for a fairly bursty 4000 aoe heal plus whatever combo field is down twice. Add on top sanctuary on a stationary boss with improved consecrations for another 7000 ish heal +5000 ish over time. I think it really makes it a competitive choice over better resolve/share at least 

[Saiyan.1704]

On 3/20/2024 at 12:06 PM, Arken.3725 said:

Roiling Light:  Nice change, effects/boons aren't good enough to take just yet.

I heard Naru mention its damage and it peaked my interest. It is my 4th game using it in ranked, after a few pit dueling shenanigans, and I have a love/hate relationship with it lol. 

The most effective way to use it is,

• Deselect from the target you want to evade engage with,
• Pull a 180 degree turn to evade frame Forward towards the target,
• Then reselect my target and tap Quick Retribution when you're ready to engage.
  If you use it while selected on your target then it will evade frame away from your target no matter how you're character is facing.

It feels like a kitten Street Fighter combo move lol.

On one hand, it would be nice to have a QoL directional evade arrow... on the other, I know it's going to be a higher skill ceiling move that Willbenders are going to need practice doing, which means it 100% needs to stay the way it currently is. 

It does a base power damage of 585 on zerks/valks with a damage coefficient at 1.0. I have seen it hit for 2.3k on a heavy, which is not too bad.

It just sucks that it's not unblockable.... but perhaps an unblockable daze is too much to ask on a blind + resistance + stunbreak + daze skill lol.

EDIT:
The Street Fighter feeling ran its course. I just can't slot Roiling Light over other utility items like COP/SYG/JUDGES etc. A lot of it has to do with how it feels... I want to engage, they CC me but I roll backwards. Ok, maybe I can do the work around i'm talking about, play like a God and roll forward instead, oh the Stun gets blocked or instantly stunbreaked.... if that's the case then Roiling Light is just a 25s flashy stunbreak that only stuns 20% of the time. I don't need a Resistance + Blind stunbreak when I can take a full condi cleanse one (COP), or a 6s Stability one that actually helps in team fights, or a Judges port for more mobility/survivability. If the Stun was unblockable, maybe i'd take it but as of now it just misses far too frequently for me to find a spot for it.

Edited March 25 by Saiyan.1704

[Arken.3725]

The damage is miniscule at best though.  Not to mention, the work needed to make it halfway decent just isn't worth it.  

[Sonork.2916]

I do find it funny they suck so much at balancing they nerfed glacial blow with the change.  The new icd coupled with kitten heal means the trait is doa. 

Meanwhile revs get Resilient Spirit, which is a trait provides up to 1200 barrier every 3 seconds with the simple requirement of having boons and existing.  The trait asks for nothing and provides more...

 

Edited April 1 by Sonork.2916

[Saiyan.1704]

8 hours ago, Sonork.2916 said:

I do find it funny they suck so much at balancing they nerfed glacial blow with the change.  The new icd coupled with kitten heal means the trait is doa. 

Meanwhile revs get Resilient Spirit, which is a trait provides up to 1200 barrier every 3 seconds with the simple requirement of having boons and existing.  The trait asks for nothing and provides more...

 

I expected it to function similarly to how Furious Focus (Zeal trait) works. "This new trait inflicts vulnerability on any foe players strike while they have fury." If we have fury and swing once with a weapon and hit multiple targets, multiple targets get vulnerability from that single slash. Glacial Heart needs to be able to proc heals from multiple targets that get CC'd at the exact same time, because Hammer is a multi-target melee weapon that can hit multiple players at once. If Hammer#5 traps 3 people and 2 gets knocked down at once, that should give us 1294 healing instead of a single 647.

The only items in our kit that can land multiple CC at once is GS/Hammer/LB/Shield#5/oSword#5. We technically have Heaven's Palm too but that elite still isn't good enough to replace Renewed Focus/FMW.

Edited April 2 by Saiyan.1704