Puncturing strikes-one big reason it's relatively bad

Troponin · July 2014

I cannot tell you how many times I have attempted to start a Templar. I wanted it to be the "Do-it-all" kind of character. They can tank most content without issues, (Some people tank all content without issues, but it's difficult, I realize), heal, etc. However, there is one major issue with Puncturing strikes; It gets cut shorts so often, I just cannot take it anymore and I stop playing the class.

Hear me out for a moment. Almost all class skills can be activated while blocking. You can even cast and block, what appears to be, at the same exact time like this. OTOH, you pull a group of enemies, and nearly every time you begin casting, you have to interrupt it to block an attack. So, you blew magicka, did no damage, and if you're depending on healing from puncturing sweeps, then you're going to just have to wait. In a single pull, I have counted up to 5 times that I had to interrupted it in order to block, because the fight ends up dragging out way too long. On every single other class, the group would have been dead, I would have moved on, and I wouldn't have sustained near the damage.

I honestly believe this one issue prevents the templar from being a much, much better tanking class too, especially on trash, where that is a great ability to use. For being the main attack skill for the melee build of a class, it comes up really short in this aspect.

Lynx7386 · July 2014

This is probably why puncturing sweep was changed to heal you for 40% of the damage done - lets you use it while taking damage/under heavy attack.

This game allows you to use -instant- abilities while blocking, but nothing with a cast time or channel duration (or aim requirement). Puncturing strikes is a channeled ability, so it cannot be used while blocking.

Thejollygreenone · July 2014

Troponin wrote: »

I cannot tell you how many times I have attempted to start a Templar. I wanted it to be the "Do-it-all" kind of character. They can tank most content without issues, (Some people tank all content without issues, but it's difficult, I realize), heal, etc. However, there is one major issue with Puncturing strikes; It gets cut shorts so often, I just cannot take it anymore and I stop playing the class.

Hear me out for a moment. Almost all class skills can be activated while blocking. You can even cast and block, what appears to be, at the same exact time like this. OTOH, you pull a group of enemies, and nearly every time you begin casting, you have to interrupt it to block an attack. So, you blew magicka, did no damage, and if you're depending on healing from puncturing sweeps, then you're going to just have to wait. In a single pull, I have counted up to 5 times that I had to interrupted it in order to block, because the fight ends up dragging out way too long. On every single other class, the group would have been dead, I would have moved on, and I wouldn't have sustained near the damage.

I honestly believe this one issue prevents the templar from being a much, much better tanking class too, especially on trash, where that is a great ability to use. For being the main attack skill for the melee build of a class, it comes up really short in this aspect.

So you have an issue with cast time/channeled abilities versus instant cast abilities, since those are the only abilities that can be used while blocking. I really wouldn't say that's a templar specific issue.

Honestly, I think the idea of holding up your shield constantly and being able to cast spells through it is ridiculous to begin with, though. Even as a tank, blocking should be frequent but not constant.

Back to the topic, I think if templars need to be better at tanking, or damage, or whatever it the core issue is that you're facing, it shouldn't be addressed by improving one arguably already effective ability. I'd imagine there should be more general changes that would be made to better do that.

jesterstear · July 2014

Troponin wrote: »

I cannot tell you how many times I have attempted to start a Templar. I wanted it to be the "Do-it-all" kind of character. They can tank most content without issues, (Some people tank all content without issues, but it's difficult, I realize), heal, etc. However, there is one major issue with Puncturing strikes; It gets cut shorts so often, I just cannot take it anymore and I stop playing the class.

I only acquired this skill at VR2, together with the addition of the heal, the fix for Honour the Dead, and the Veteran difficulty nerf, it seem we've gone from the class that can neither heal, tank nor dps to one that is pretty good at all three simultaneously.

I haven't died once since the patch came out, vs three mobs you need to have good timing if you're not going to waste Puncturing Strikes but even if you get it wrong it just means finishing the fight with a little less magicka and health than you would have done. I get annoyed at myself for walking into power attacks but it doesn't actually matter. Honour the dead, rune focus, puncture , ransack, puncture, puncture, remembrance, puncture, loot.

Prior to this I would die on every group of 3 mobs unless I prepared perfectly and made zero mistakes, in addition, some combos with a healer were just impossible and forced me to wait for help.

Pmarsico9 · July 2014

jesterstear wrote: »

I only acquired this skill at VR2, together with the addition of the heal, the fix for Honour the Dead, and the Veteran difficulty nerf, it seem we've gone from the class that can neither heal, tank nor dps to one that is pretty good at all three simultaneously.

Templar DPS output is still putrid. They are amazingly survivable and the best healers, but they still need help with DPS.

dylanjaygrobbelaarb16_ESO · July 2014

This is silly. I soloed everything through v5 zone( then craiglorn/PvP only) before we even got the heal morph, I never used it and didn't need It. I was soloing large mobs by morphing all skills to aoe and using vamp ult. I could ult Every mob by pulling two and aoe them with multiple CLASS skills+ self heal generating ult very fast. I crushed everything. Now that I changed back to dark flare from other morph for PvP I use strikes sometimes but its in no way a necessary move to make templars good. The thing that's bad about strikes is that they can easily just move and flak you or for that matter block the last 3 hits.