Retribution suggestion thread because it's one of the least used traitlines in a large number of content.

[Jobber.6348]

Introduction:

Retribution is supposed to be Revenant's "Tank" traitline, which I find absolutely ironic that now Salvation has toppled it because it addresses Revenant's sore weakness of Condition cleansing. In addition to that, Salvation also gives rather easy to obtain Damage Reduction via healing themselves from various means (Battle Scars, Siphoning etc.) All of these has resulted in Retribution being rendered rather useless in its current rendition unless a particular build requires its unique traits. 

Small history lesson on Retribution:

Retribution didn't used to be weak, actually quite the opposite. Retribution used to revolve around the boon Retaliation instead, and encouraged bunkering up and taking less damage but dealing damage in return thanks to the Retaliation boon. This is the past now, since Retaliation was considered a difficult boon to balance by Anet and removed. So now Retribution deals with the boon Resolution which reduces Condition Damage but honestly this is made redundant by Versed In Stone that gives Jalis a very powerful Condition Damage reduction factor not only to himself but also his allies. I would like to suggest some changes to Retribution traitline as I still use it as a Core Revenant in both PvP and WvW. 

Suggestions:

Close Quarters is made largely redundant by Planar Protection. Should be reworked. Spiritual Reckoning needs to give more Resolution duration in competitive, 3s is way too short. 
Close Quarters should be made into a stronger trait and swapped with Steadfast Rejuvenation which is a GM trait but rather weak. 

Close Quarters > Mocking Challenge: 

- When you cast an Elite skill, Taunt enemies and inflict Weakness. 

- 360 Radius (larger than Song of the Mist area) 

- 5 Targets

Set in Stone needs longer base duration and grants its effects to allies around you as well. It's so weak to grant a paltry amount of Protection on skills that have 20s cooldown. It's automatically trash tier trait as it is right now.

Other traits, I don't have much ideas for or think they're "Bad" in any way in their current format. Feel free to suggest as well, but my main gripe with Retribution are the absolute useless F2 skill trait (which I feel that Anet seems to love pushing onto us with the last major balance???) and Close Quarters being crappier than Planar Protection. 

 

Edited June 9 by Yasai.3549

[arazoth.7290]

•Spiritual reckoning: Now shared resolution with allies too in 240 radius.

•Close Quarters: Changing to 360 radius taunt aoe for 5 players ln elite skill activation is enough. Adding weakness condition on it makes it too strong for N°1 pick.

•Vicious reprisal: Resolution applied to allies is also increased by 50% and not only yourself.

•Unwavering avoidance: Vigor also shared to allies now and not only yourself, if they're in 240 radius.

•Set in stone: When F-2 skill is activated it gives now few seconds longer protection boon to you and allies in 300 radius. 

When you have protection boon active or protection shared, 10% of all incoming damage is reflected back to the enemy/rejuvenated back to who is affected by it.

•Resolute evasion: Also shared with allies in 240 radius.

•Dwarven Battle training: It's a really nice trade. Add 25% increased weakness condition duration on this trait, doesn't needs much more.

•Rite of the great Dwarf: Really nice trait, love it. 

Just reduce cd duration in PvP to same level as WvW =====> 90 second cd => 60 seconds cd.

•Steadfast Rejuvenation: Allies in 240 radius are healed/second too as long upkeep is in use. This amount of healing also heals people in downstate.

And 10% passive increased manually revive healing (not related for holding upkeep skill on).

 

 

[Jobber.6348]

30 minutes ago, arazoth.7290 said:

•Spiritual reckoning: Now shared resolution with allies too in 240 radius.

•Close Quarters: Changing to 360 radius taunt aoe for 5 players ln elite skill activation is enough. Adding weakness condition on it makes it too strong for N°1 pick.

•Vicious reprisal: Resolution applied to allies is also increased by 50% and not only yourself.

•Unwavering avoidance: Vigor also shared to allies now and not only yourself, if they're in 240 radius.

•Set in stone: When F-2 skill is activated it gives now few seconds longer protection boon to you and allies in 300 radius. 

When you have protection boon active or protection shared, 10% of all incoming damage is reflected back to the enemy/rejuvenated back to who is affected by it.

•Resolute evasion: Also shared with allies in 240 radius.

•Dwarven Battle training: It's a really nice trade. Add 25% increased weakness condition duration on this trait, doesn't needs much more.

•Rite of the great Dwarf: Really nice trait, love it. 

Just reduce cd duration in PvP to same level as WvW =====> 90 second cd => 60 seconds cd.

•Steadfast Rejuvenation: Allies in 240 radius are healed/second too as long upkeep is in use. This amount of healing also heals people in downstate.

And 10% passive increased manually revive healing (not related for holding upkeep skill on).

 

 

 

Yea no idk how I feel about a majority of these. Why are you trying to turn a Tank traitline into a second Support traitline? 
 

[arazoth.7290]

16 minutes ago, Yasai.3549 said:

Yea no idk how I feel about a majority of these. Why are you trying to turn a Tank traitline into a second Support traitline? 
 

Because dwarf is supporting allies same time but in a different way, same like this traitline does. 

Dwarf is far from only selfish gain and Retribution traitline is linked to it directly.

So it only make natural sense for it. You can literally see how it is made.

 

[Jobber.6348]

3 hours ago, arazoth.7290 said:

Retribution traitline is linked to it directly.

Addressing this statement, this sort of ideology is why Revenant build flexibility and expression has been suffocated for over a decade. Did everyone forget how rigidly unusable old Salvation was? Yea, that's because 60% of the traitline was not only shackled to Centaur but also to Staff's dumb healing orbs. Salvation is now one of the best traitlines today because it was turned into a more independent traitline which offers its benefits without the player needing to run Staff or Centaur.

I do not think having Versed In Stone is considered "linked directly" at all. 

Other than this sentiment, I don't think there needs to be a 2nd support traitline where every trait boon shares. Retribution needs more tanking focus, not boon sharing.

Edited June 10 by Yasai.3549

[arazoth.7290]

46 minutes ago, Yasai.3549 said:

Addressing this statement, this sort of ideology is why Revenant build flexibility and expression has been suffocated for over a decade. Did everyone forget how rigidly unusable old Salvation was? Yea, that's because 60% of the traitline was not only shackled to Centaur but also to Staff's dumb healing orbs. Salvation is now one of the best traitlines today because it was turned into a more independent traitline which offers its benefits without the player needing to run Staff or Centaur.

I do not think having Versed In Stone is considered "linked directly" at all. 

Other than this sentiment, I don't think there needs to be a 2nd support traitline where every trait boon shares. Retribution needs more tanking focus, not boon sharing.

It's theme wise linked to function in similar way like the abilties.

So I am not talking about linking abilties directly to it. I am pretty sure that now I didn't link any of the suggestions here that makes it only useable in dwarf, but flexible with others aswell.

But abilties are theme wise for every class linked atleast to represent specific traitlines, so is revenant. I don't see them overhauling every class, redesigning that all to make it not theme wise linked. 

But yes, it shouldn't be like dwarf only working with Retribution obviously, I didn't suggest it here either.

 

The only thing we might disagree on is the philosophy how we see it. But I am pretty sure arena net sees it like I just described, just to categorise classes their set of abilities to certain traitlines.