Update 35 8.1.3 Magicka warden damage large nerfs

Unified_Gaming

Without trying to make this subjective, I have decided to use my build from PC EU which I have not changed and compare it to the latest PTS build focusing on deep fissure, animal companions and spamable damage. The graphics has a copy of the tool tips of the skills with an identical build - same buffs, gear, race, mundus - everything.

As you can see [See tool tips at the bottom], the changes from the original PTS notes 8.0.1 have been kept which lowered this skill. The recent changes further lowered the damage and added a delayed bonus to be applied. When taking all that into account, there is still a large damage loss, especially for those who can use this every 3 seconds on live. Now, I understand that the new version means you essentially get 1/2 more global cool downs for a spamable to make up some of that damage loss.

You also will see slight variations between live and pts tool tips due to the animal companion passives but I've left that in as it does impact the tool tip values and also how useful the change is i.e. PvE magdens are at the pen cap without needing the change, further hurting their DPS. PvP players won't see as large a dps loss from the advanced species changes due to people have 25k+ armour.

What I am wanting to bring up is that the changes on PTS 8.1.3 to advanced species previously and this week's deep fissure have changed the effectiveness a little too much in a negative direction. The bonus damage on the 2nd fissure hit in 8.1.3 is nice in principle but does not give people the choice to play how they want i.e. cast deep fissure every 3 seconds which is a common tactic in PvP.

How Deep fissure works:

High Isle:
Deep Fissure
Stir a group of shalk that attack after 3 seconds dealing X magic damage to enemies in front of you.
Enemies damaged are afflicted with Major and minor breach, reducing their physical and spell resistance by 5948 and 2974 for 10 seconds.

8.1.3:
Stir a group of shalk that attack after 3 seconds dealing X magic damage to enemies in front of you. After the shalk complete their attack, they burrow underground for 6 seconds and then resurface again dealing X(+20%) magic damage to enemies in front of you.

Enemies damaged are afflicted with Major and minor breach, reducing their physical and spell resistance by 5948 and 2974 for 10 seconds.

Suggested solution:
Stir a group of shalk that attack after 3 seconds dealing X magic damage to enemies in front of you. The shalk mark enemies hit for 10 seconds making their next attack against them 10% stronger. Hitting the enemy with deep fissure will consume the mark. If the mark is not consumed within 5 seconds then the shalk become enraged and will do 20% more damage to the marked targets.

Enemies damaged are afflicted with Major and minor breach, reducing their physical and spell resistance by 5948 and 2974 for 10 seconds.

I would also suggest changing the deep fissure to frozen fissure and double down on the ice arch type warden has going for it.

Regarding advanced species, the penetration works well in pvp and is not a huge damage loss but in PvE it is a nerf due to groups being at the pen requirement. To address this, whilst keeping it offensive in nature, you need to reintroduce the % damage boost or use it on enemies hit by and advanced species skill i.e. "Striking an enemy with an advanced species skill applies minor vulnerability." Alternatively it gives a flat boost to animal companion skills of 500/1000 if you wish to control power creep. The other option is to change the function to be a pvp/pve focus i.e. each animal companion skill increases damage to monsters by 2/4% and increases your physical and spell penetration by 990. I would suggest the final option to be the best out of the lot.

Below are also some tool tips from in game with NO CP on an identical build - same passives, gear, race, mundus etc. There are variations between tool tips due to advanced species but even when factoring in that AND the changes to deep fissure allowing an extra global cool down still appears to result in a net DPS loss in all cases as well as a larger loss to burst potential in pvp.

Unified_Gaming

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/881684614240960542/1005642221338501240/unknown.png


https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1005168370523570268/1005649290628169738/unknown.png?width=253&height=910

Aldoss

Totally sensible changes. The advanced species change suggestion is a beautiful touch. I'd like to argue for the pen value being equal in PvP as it is in %dmg for PvE though. 1320 per skill. Give us a reason to run more than shalks and soon to be Falcon's Swiftness now that it's getting snare removal. 990 is still a direct nerf to PvP magdens.

Shalks don't need a damage nerf. Leave it the same and buff the subsequent hits as an option, controlled by the user. The current pts iteration is awful and removes all control from a PvP Magden to control their burst window on their own terms.

Additionally, the original 8% damage nerf is unwarranted on a skill that's as uniquely challenging to use as shalks is. No other skill needs to be aimed in such a way. It deserves no nerfs of any kind.

Monday is the last chance to save this dying class.

Caribou77

They didn’t, of course. Magicka Warden is not of much interest to the combat dev team.

ramdrop

Magicka Warden is part of the game?

My Master of Frost is currently wielding daggers and a sword wearing medium armour with a weapon spammable.

Unified_Gaming

ramdrop wrote: »

Magicka Warden is part of the game?

My Master of Frost is currently wielding daggers and a sword wearing medium armour with a weapon spammable.

Mine is a vampire scratching people to death although often feels like he's trying to tickle them...

Caribou77

Yes, totally agree and sympathize with Unified and Ramdrop.

My pvp Magicka Warden is in medium armor, uses a weapon skill spammable, fighters guild ultimate; resto staff ward, blessing of restoration, and life giver on the back bar.

I've been trying to build a competitive solo/pug pvp Magicka Warden the past couple of years, with some success here and there (mostly battlegrounds). U35... I'm trying to find a way to make one single offensive skill effective (withour resorting to just giving up and going whirling blades or dizzy swing, aka, a stamden/stamina-generic build).

I think it's time for me to accept that my vision of a Magicka Warden being competitive in pvp combat is not anywhere on the radar of the dev team. Tis a bummer.

ESO_Nightingale

pretty solid ideas for sure. and you included frost shalks. i have no complaints about your ideas. we really want to have warden's focus shifted to bleeds and frost. so this lines up very well with what has already been said by so many other people.

deep fissure is insanely janky now.

Caribou77

Yeah, in pvp, I just can’t make the 9 second df work. What am I supposed to do for 9 seconds? Spam birds and dodge roll? Birds all miss after the first one anyway. My MagWarden is a weak pile right now.