ZOS - Please update these 4 underutilized skills

Kilandros · September 2017

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

Pr0Skygon · September 2017

Totally agree

Ladislao · September 2017

So you think Trapping Webs is good-balanced skill? Or Scalding Rune? Frozen Gate? Maybe Malefic Wreath?
On the other hand Flames of Oblivion and Cinder Storm are pretty good skills. Sun Shield and Cauterize are not very popular but still useful enough in many cases.

This sample makes me understand that you are either not particularly versed in the game, or you are not trying to analyze it in its entirety. But you can correct yourself if you take a detailed look at all the available skills and write down the results of your analysis. At the moment it only looks like "buff my favorite classes"

Qbiken · September 2017

I laughed when they nerfed templar shield. Like those high HP templars was an issue.....

Agreed on all points.

Joy_Division · September 2017

Ladislao wrote: »

So you think Trapping Webs is good-balanced skill? Or Scalding Rune? Frozen Gate? Maybe Malefic Wreath?
On the other hand Flames of Oblivion and Cinder Storm are pretty good skills. Sun Shield and Cauterize are not very popular but still useful enough in many cases.

This sample makes me understand that you are either not particularly versed in the game, or you are not trying to analyze it in its entirety. But you can correct yourself if you take a detailed look at all the available skills and write down the results of your analysis. At the moment it only looks like "buff my favorite classes"

I'd say about 50%, perhaps as much as 65% of this game's skills and ultimates are too niche, inefficient, sub optimal, or just outperformed by alternatives. The OP probably feels the same way, but didn;t want to write a dissertation listing them all. So, instead he focused on 4 particular skills that were once standards of competitive PvP that have got overnerfed or had highly questionable changes in the 1.6 patch.

Cauterize can't even heal the caster; it's a crap skill. If you think Sun Shield is so useful and the OP is "not particularly well versed," go ahead and fight him with your Templar Sun Shield build so we can see evidence of these claims.

Kilandros · September 2017

Ladislao wrote: »

So you think Trapping Webs is good-balanced skill? Or Scalding Rune? Frozen Gate? Maybe Malefic Wreath?
On the other hand Flames of Oblivion and Cinder Storm are pretty good skills. Sun Shield and Cauterize are not very popular but still useful enough in many cases.

This sample makes me understand that you are either not particularly versed in the game, or you are not trying to analyze it in its entirety. But you can correct yourself if you take a detailed look at all the available skills and write down the results of your analysis. At the moment it only looks like "buff my favorite classes"

Generating a list of every skill that could benefit from buffs or tweaks would be too extensive. I looked at all the class skills and chose the ones that are most broken or have been the most heavily nerfed. Global skills like Trapping Webs and Scalding Rune clearly weren't the focus of my OP, but just because I didn't list every skill does not mean that I think they are "good-balanced skill(s)".

Ladislao · September 2017

Joy_Division wrote: »

I'd say about 50%, perhaps as much as 65% of this game's skills and ultimates are too niche, inefficient, sub optimal, or just outperformed by alternatives. The OP probably feels the same way, but didn;t want to write a dissertation listing them all. So, instead he focused on 4 particular skills that were once standards of competitive PvP that have got overnerfed or had highly questionable changes in the 1.6 patch.

I can not understand this point of view. Do you want balance, but only partial?
Once Trapping Webs was used by sorcerers for Crystal Fragments proc. Should we discuss about this questionable change?
And what's the "standards of competitive PvP"? Do you mean certain pvp META? I'm afraid to upset, but there are a lot of really strong skills and sets which are not part of META.
And what's about pve?

Joy_Division wrote: »

Cauterize can't even heal the caster; it's a crap skill. If you think Sun Shield is so useful and the OP is "not particularly well versed," go ahead and fight him with your Templar Sun Shield build so we can see evidence of these claims.

I agree that Cauterize should be buffed a bit. But now its passive group healing skill which should be recast only once per 15 seconds. Maybe duration is not enough or healing is not very much. But the skill has a definite task, with which he does a good job.
Sun Shield is primarily a defensive skill like Obsidian Shield and Bone Shield. They have the same strenght but slightly different additional effects. But according to you one of them is good, and the other is useless. Really? Or can Sun Shield be used only in a special build? Strange logic.

Kilandros wrote: »

Generating a list of every skill that could benefit from buffs or tweaks would be too extensive. I looked at all the class skills and chose the ones that are most broken or have been the most heavily nerfed. Global skills like Trapping Webs and Scalding Rune clearly weren't the focus of my OP, but just because I didn't list every skill does not mean that I think they are "good-balanced skill(s)".

Well, I see. It's your right. But as I said it looks like another "buff my favorite class" which, as you know, are notorious

Teridaxus · September 2017

I wish they would rename inferno until they change it.
How about dragon flashlight.

olsborg · September 2017

Power Extraction yo....

Teeba_Shei · September 2017

evil hunter ... people put it on their bar but only for the passive bonuses. No one ever uses this skill to reduce the cost of other fighters guild abilities or increase damage from stealth because its crap.

Garwulf · September 2017

I would not bother wasting your time. ZoS' intentions seem to be all aimed at reducing the fun . ESO is work rather than entertainment.

Garwulf · September 2017

In a game where you can shield charge up a rock , be a dragon knight and be frightened over and over again, where nothing really makes any sense , you either play as ZoS wants you to play or leave the game.

I believe ZoS uses the following definition of game- form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules.

FloppyTouch · September 2017

As a dk agree those two skills need to be re worked. They where nerfed then given to other classes like a stam sorc with hurricane.

Would love to use cinder storm again and have major evasion while I stand in it. Just me not my group and only when I'm inside the AoE. This change would bring mdks back to the stand our ground class. Not the use mist form and run away until our ult is back class.

Yngol · September 2017

Kilandros wrote: »

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

I actually don't agree with Inferno; I think both morphs are great as they are. But the others definitely need some reworking

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO · September 2017

Yngol wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

I actually don't agree with Inferno; I think both morphs are great as they are. But the others definitely need some reworking

Cauterize is a heal that doesn't heal the caster. That is garbage, full stop.

SanTii.92 · September 2017

Yngol wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

I actually don't agree with Inferno; I think both morphs are great as they are. But the others definitely need some reworking

Yeap, compared to many other skills inferno is pretty good.

Kilandros · September 2017

olsborg wrote: »

Power Extraction yo....

What's wrong with Power Extraction? It outperforms Steel Tornado on targets above 66% health. If it outperformed Steel Tornado all of the time then NB would be the only viable form of stam AoE

Yngol wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

I actually don't agree with Inferno; I think both morphs are great as they are. But the others definitely need some reworking

I've never seen anyone actually use Cauterize in competitive gameplay. Flames of Oblivion is a straight downgrade from its original design.

DRXHarbinger · September 2017

You have my agree Sir.

Eruption needs a change more than anything. It's so weak and tbh the only great use I found was pre Morrowind procing BSW, chuck it on a group and boom it procd everytime. Now it's just weak and too small for the snare to be viable.

At least make it grow in size or power as time goes on like Hurricane....Hmmm think I'm onto something there.

Saint_Bud · September 2017

Yngol wrote: »

Kilandros wrote: »

Here's a short list of abilities which desperately need to be buffed or have their functionality changed. Many of these abilities were nerfed or broken when the Champion system went live and have been allowed to sit unused ever since:

Templar -
Sun Shield - This once-great defensive ability was rendered useless for builds that don't stack health when ZOS introduced Battle Leveling. A capstone ability (the last to unlock in a skill line) should not be exclusively useful to niche builds. Lower the ceiling on this ability of 40k+ health builds and raise the floor considerably for all other builds. Give Templar back some of their active defense abilities so they aren't just heal/block bots.

Healing Ritual - Unfortunately channeled heals just aren't going to be a thing in this game. Remembrance works because it heals throughout the duration of the channel; but waiting 1.5 seconds for a large AoE heal is an eternity in fights where outgoing heals need to be instant. There are so many ways they could rework this skill - it could become an instant cast AoE HoT for allies, for example.

Dragonknight
Inferno - I'm still angry this ability was unnecessarily nerfed from an AoE into a redundant fiery Magelight. I'm even more angry that it's been this way for years while the DK community begs and pleads for the ability to be returned. This is a capstone ability, ZOS. It's something players should look forward to unlocking and using. A lame fire ball every 5 seconds that you can't even target is just lame. MAKE THIS AN AOE ABILITY AGAIN.

Cinder Storm - Much like Sun Shield, this ability was gutted nearly two years ago for no good reason other than Miss Chance was being removed from game. For some reason, though, Miss Chance couldn't be replaced with Major Evasion. Myself and the DK community at large are still scratching our heads about this one. Also like Sun Shield (and Blinding Flashes and other defensive ability nerfs), changing this skill from a defensive utility into just a placeable ground DoT had the effect of making defensive play on DK less interesting and more reliant on just holding block. Leave one morph as a DPS-focused skill, but change the other morph to be a defensive utility that is cast at your feet and bolsters the caster's defenses in some day (e.g., Major Evasion, Minor Protection, etc. etc.).

I actually don't agree with Inferno; I think both morphs are great as they are. But the others definitely need some reworking

Inferno is ***. The damage of the skill is not bad, the problem is you cant target it, it fire to the closed i think and from the 15 sec duration its *** in a pve mdk rotation (same wirh eruption 18 sec).

ssewallb14_ESO · September 2017

In other words please buff useless abilities and revert nerfs to abilities that were already balanced.

Idk, maybe this time they'll listen?

Zapzarap · September 2017

Kilandros wrote: »

I've never seen anyone actually use Cauterize in competitive gameplay. Flames of Oblivion is a straight downgrade from its original design.

A nerv is always a downgrade, that's why it's called a nerv...
I mean, have you been played before 1.6? Don't think so... otherwise you would know why they nerved it.

And if it's so useless, why is it still PvE-endgame meta?

kojou · September 2017

I personally would be happy if Inferno and Cinder Storm were extended to 20 seconds, so they would at least make the DPS rotation less complicated...

I don't know of anybody that uses Cauterize. I tried it on my tank once, but vigor outperforms it in so many ways... making it a self heal would help.

I don't play Templar enough to speak to the others...

eirinnpryderi · September 2017

I agree all but Inferno...althought Cautherize its pretty useless for a healing skill

simeion · September 2017

Change Cauterize completely make is a poison/stamina morph and give Flames of Oblivion when it hits a target allow it to have a small aoe heal that does not effect the casting DK.

ak_pvp · September 2017

Base inferno: Mobile GBAoE, deal poison/fire

Consuming inferno: Mobile GBAoe+Magicka steal, deal posion/fire.

Cauteize: Mobile GBAoE hot, heals everyone in radius. Afaik nothing of the sort exits yet, so unique

Olupajmibanan · September 2017

I wouldn't call inferno underused. Show me a PvE magDK without Flames of Oblivion. And actually it takes really high places in dps parses.