October 8th Balance TL;DR

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

My commentary in Italics.

• Volley: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.75 to 0.8 in PvE only.
  • Woo.... The skill already does enough damage, what is needed is a faster cast time, in all game modes. A 6.6% damage increases is technically a buff, but not in a meaningful way.
• Explosive Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.6 in PvE only.
  • Same story. A tiny damage increase is not what is needed. Make it a proper AoE that explodes at the target range or max range. Make it slightly faster.
•  Rifle Butt: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
  • This is the only real change of merit on Rifle. This will do more to increase the overall DPS of the weapon than either of the two above changes.
  • Also, Brutal Shot needs its follow up attack to come out much faster than it does.
  • Also, unroot Kill Shot.
• Tremor: This skill now recharges Crushing Blow if it strikes an enemy.
  • Decent change actually. Puts a lot more power into OH Mace. Tremor still has the problem of being a projectile though... PLEASE consider make it a line AoE like Coalescence of Ruin.
• Wastrel's Ruin: This skill now always inflicts its bonuses against defiant enemies. Increased the maximum number of targets from 1 to 2.
  • Another actually decent change. Weird to not just let it cleave proper though.
• Bladestorm: Increased the barrier per hit from 289 to 445.
  • They DO want you to bunker on Spellbreaker, just actively rather than passively...
• Kick: This skill now deals bonus defiance-bar damage.
  • This is not why we do not take this skill. It needs to be faster, actually hit the range it says it does, and do damage in PvP/WvW.
• Dolyak Signet: The passive effect of this skill now grants reduced incoming damage instead of toughness.
  • Okay? Depends on the percentage, but the only real difference is in agro algorithms in Raids. 
• Signet of Stamina: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
  • Okay. I'll actively use it whenever Signet Mastery lets signets maintain their passives while on recharge.
• "To the Limit!": Increased the endurance gain from 50 to 100 in PvE and from 65 to 100 in PvP.
  • HINT, they want you to bunker in PvP, just actively... Still a nice change since everyone else also gets the endurance. For the record, I have previously pushed for this change.
• Rampage: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvE only.
  • PvE now with 50% more alcoholic father stance. Still won't get used over the others in PvE until it becomes more like a kit proper. I stand by that along with removing all the passive buffs for being in Rampage. Just leave the utility bar up if the passives are removed.
• Burst Precision: Increased the bonus ferocity from 150 to 250.
  • They DO want you to run 1-Shot meme builds! Face roll your signets and enjoy +75% critical damage on your Gunflames. No defenses? No problem, they'll be dead. Find a thief buddy to stealth you for extra fun.
• Martial Cadence: Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 2 in PvE and PvP.
  • Nice change. Now lets see some Tactics/Defense builds deny condi enjoyers their fun.

Berserker

• Heat the Soul: This trait now applies might to allies in addition to its previous effects.
  • Now with more support. But we could do this with Tactics, so... maybe a different boon?

Spellbreaker

• Sun and Moon Style: This trait now heals for a percentage of all strike damage instead of only critical hit damage.
  • The ICD does nothing, that is a tooltip left over from when it granted quickness on interrupt. Reminder, they DO want you to bunker on Spellbreaker, just actively. Grab a certain relic from SotO and enjoy the nice healing.

All in all, some meaningless buffs, some buffs that are decent, and some buffs that reinforce the playstyles we've been griping about for years now, just now in a slightly different flavor. 6/10 from me. Please properly focus on Rifle and Arms in a future patch. Please at some point have a come-to-Jesus internally on Bladesworn and how bad it is.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

Rifle buffs

Is it much? No. But i take what i can get.

Everything is better than another failed rework attempt.

 

Mace buff

I would have simply reduced the CD of Crushing Blow to 10s but this fine too.

I take it.

 

Martial Cadence

I already switched to a Staff/Staff build that works amazingly with this Trait. Now i have even less reason to run Warhorn.

Love it.

 

Heat the Soul

On Heal Zerker, im already overcapping Might like crazy. So its basically a not needed but still cool sustain buff (?).

Well, now i can run Shrug it off for free. Thumbs up.

On Power zerker, its nice to have i guess. Im not complaining.

 

The rest of the changes dont matter to me.

 

 

Edited September 13 by DanAlcedo.3281

[Bris.7984]

Not impressed.Not enough!Almost nothing, again!Small changes to shut our mouths after the Spear nerfs!Compare to Guardian side and see discrimination from toe to toe..."vomit icons"🤮🤮🤮.

Edited September 14 by Bris.7984

[Aaron.1294]

These changes are so dumb...

Buffing already broken condi cleanse - CHECK

Buffing already dealing insane dmg build by adding dmg - CHECK

Making useless skill have additional usage but still nobody will play it because it's so bad? - CHECK

Amazing

Edited September 14 by Aaron.1294

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

2 hours ago, Aaron.1294 said:

These changes are so dumb...

Buffing already broken condi cleanse - CHECK

Yeah... I can't wait to hear the WvW/PvP forums after the 8th...

2 hours ago, Aaron.1294 said:

Buffing already dealing insane dmg build by adding dmg - CHECK

Making useless skill have additional usage but still nobody will play it because it's so bad? - CHECK

FWIW, I can see Mace 4 - Mace 5 - Mace 4 doing well in some instances.

2 hours ago, Aaron.1294 said:

Amazing

/s yes... especially those rifle changes...

[Suyheuti.1732]

For me, OH Mace buff is awesome. 
After the patch, Dagger/Mace-Hammer SPB will be meta in PvE. But I would like to see 2 sec CD reduction of “Crushing Blow”. If Anet do that, the rotation will fit the loop perfectly. 
Dagger buffs are also great. 
Wastrel’s Ruin will hit hard. But Bladestorm is still too weak when we compared to Axe5. (It also doesn’t get benefit from quickness.) Bladestorm has def options, ofc it shouldnt be as strong as axe5. If anet removes mh and oh prerequisites for damage bonus and apply them for both hand daggers, Dagger5 will get benefit from that trait and dagger oh will be an alternative for PvE. 

 

[DanAlcedo.3281]

1 hour ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

FWIW, I can see Mace 4 - Mace 5 - Mace 4 doing well in some instances.

About that.

I have been playing Offhand Mace on DPS Spellbreaker since thye buffed it in Nov 2023. Instead of Axe.

I was keeping up with the Axe variant in terms of dps.

Dont know about now with Spear but if we had gotten that buff pre Janthir, that would probably make Axe and mace very close in terms of dps.

Edited September 14 by DanAlcedo.3281

[Guy.9207]

Offhand Mace buff is nice and all, but what about Mainhand Mace? Doesn't it need some love, too?

[DanAlcedo.3281]

20 minutes ago, Guy.9207 said:

Offhand Mace buff is nice and all, but what about Mainhand Mace? Doesn't it need some love, too?

It needs a full on rework and new identity. 

Anet can't handle that kind of work.