QUESTION: Nightblade Skill - Impale; why the hate?

Anjelicus · July 2014

My question to ZOS is this...

Why would Impale gain its damage from magicka and WEAPON critical?

This seems wrong to me, that a class ability is dual fed from magicka and weapon critical instead of magicka spell critical. Would love a response to this one, even if there is no fix/change in the works. I dont think the skill is working as intended mainly due to one other factor: there is no weapon critical magicka potions... being as the skill both costs magicka and improved by magicka, the critical should be based on spell critical as well. One other option is to remove Critical chance from all executes in general, and it would be even across the board.

Now IF Nightblades (or any class for that matter) in Trials were viable as melee, I could see the weapon crit/spell damage combo working better... however that is not the case in the games current state. My Nightblade is basically a Warlock, wearing light armor a restoration staff and casting drain health constantly. Granted I don't mind being setup this way, but its pretty much the only high DPS spec for Nightblades at the moment.

Lynx7386 · July 2014

A lot of class abilities use weapon critical. The reasoning is that they're more like a physical attack than a magical attack. This setup also promotes hybrid builds and makes these abilities more useful for players who dont want to be forced into all light armor and staves.

If you wear light armor and focus on magicka, impale will do higher base damage.
If you wear medium armor and focus on crit chance, impale will crit more often, thus doing similar damage despite the lack of magicka you may have.

For nightblades deathstroke, assassin's blade, teleport strike, and veiled strike are based on melee critical.
For templars it's Radial sweep, puncturing strikes, and focused charge.
For dragonknights it's fiery grip, searing strike, and lava whip.

I think sorcerors are the only class that doesnt have any abilities that function off of melee critical.

Lynx7386 · July 2014

Just look at it this way:

A magicka built character gains more base damage on these abilities.
A stamina built character gains more critical chance on these abilities.

In the end, the effect is the same - they both do more damage.

Samadhi · July 2014

I think of the Impale morph as being in place primarily for Bow wielders rather than staff wielders. The other morph provides additional benefit to close range fighters in contrast.
As such, Weapon Crit makes far more sense since Bow has a passive for Weapon Crit.

I went 5 Light and 2 Medium so that I would have bonuses to both Spell Crit and Weapon Crit.

Lynx7386 · July 2014

The real issue is that so many people want to be 'pure' magicka or 'pure' stamina builds, when in order to succeed in this game you really have to hybridize at least to some degree.

ozgod22_eso · July 2014

Who is hating? I've only seen love for Impale.

khele23eb17_ESO · July 2014

Anjelicus wrote: »

My question to ZOS is this...

Why would Impale gain its damage from magicka and WEAPON critical?

This seems wrong to me, that a class ability is dual fed from magicka and weapon critical instead of magicka spell critical. Would love a response to this one, even if there is no fix/change in the works. I dont think the skill is working as intended mainly due to one other factor: there is no weapon critical magicka potions... being as the skill both costs magicka and improved by magicka, the critical should be based on spell critical as well. One other option is to remove Critical chance from all executes in general, and it would be even across the board.

Now IF Nightblades (or any class for that matter) in Trials were viable as melee, I could see the weapon crit/spell damage combo working better... however that is not the case in the games current state. My Nightblade is basically a Warlock, wearing light armor a restoration staff and casting drain health constantly. Granted I don't mind being setup this way, but its pretty much the only high DPS spec for Nightblades at the moment.

Moar buffs for cloth/staff plz! And nerf medium armor while youre at it -_-

CapuchinSeven · July 2014

Lynx7386 wrote: »

The real issue is that so many people want to be 'pure' magicka or 'pure' stamina builds, when in order to succeed in this game you really have to hybridize at least to some degree.

I'd argue I find those the easiest to kill in PVP. Maybe in PVE, but I don't PVE much.

Samadhi wrote: »

I think of the Impale morph as being in place primarily for Bow wielders rather than staff wielders. The other morph provides additional benefit to close range fighters in contrast.

I use a bow, but I don't have Impale on my bow bar and I keep it on my melee bar. Ambush, Soul Harvest, Concealed Weapon if they are still up, then Impale. But by the time you get to Impale they've started to move and flap about, the reach is pretty useful at this point. You can hold block and Impale at the same time so you render their panic return CC to escape, void.

That said, I agree with you, there is nothing wrong with Impale working on weapon crit, that's pretty much how I want it.

Kypho · July 2014

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

Anjelicus wrote: »

My question to ZOS is this...

Why would Impale gain its damage from magicka and WEAPON critical?

This seems wrong to me, that a class ability is dual fed from magicka and weapon critical instead of magicka spell critical. Would love a response to this one, even if there is no fix/change in the works. I dont think the skill is working as intended mainly due to one other factor: there is no weapon critical magicka potions... being as the skill both costs magicka and improved by magicka, the critical should be based on spell critical as well. One other option is to remove Critical chance from all executes in general, and it would be even across the board.

Now IF Nightblades (or any class for that matter) in Trials were viable as melee, I could see the weapon crit/spell damage combo working better... however that is not the case in the games current state. My Nightblade is basically a Warlock, wearing light armor a restoration staff and casting drain health constantly. Granted I don't mind being setup this way, but its pretty much the only high DPS spec for Nightblades at the moment.

Moar buffs for cloth/staff plz! And nerf medium armor while youre at it -_-

And moar buff for AoE for cloth/staff plz. Maybe 400% buff to aoe damage like impulse/pulser, And DKs with cloth/staff should get 500% damage boost for standard. Would be fair ballanced.

Stannum · July 2014

Yeh, LA user whines about not all class skills works on spell crit.

А-а-а, LA builds are too weak!!