Is Crystal Blast still that bad?

Scav1985 · April 2020

Welcome folks.
I'm a magsorc over 300cp and i still use Crystal Blast (don't make laugh from me, it's just my current game style and I'm not any tryharder, trialer or endgamer).
So, is this skill still that bad after all those reinforcments, patches and nerfs to CFragments?
I know it is bad in 1v1 PvP or vs single boss, but I found CB is main source of damage in group in dungeons vs trash waves and ads on bosses.
Heck, I even found it succesful in BG if I'm not on first line of the fight, especially vs few enemies fighting each other in close combat. I always get many assists and my k/d ratio is mostly over 1.0. It is even good in 1v1 vs unexpirienced or suprised players.
Currently CB have really big aoe radius and aoe damage and I can save 1 skill slot for other stuff.
If you aren't interrupted it may deal good spammable damage with weaving even on single targets (ofc in that matter CF is better).
I know many people dislike it cause they want to change it to stamina ability, but this skill may be usefull too. Seeing groups of several mobs melting to CB is really satisfying.
My cp and gear is far from the best and I still mostly get like 40-45% dmg in equall power group and even 60-70% in low lv/low cp group.
I think CB is not that bad as it was in the past but it is usefull for mass pve/pvp.
Change my mind.

JinMori · April 2020

Yes, crystal blast is so bad that it's not worth considering.

Costs too much, cast time, and the other morph is way better.

It;s a wonder they still have not changed it into something better.

Lord-Otto · April 2020

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Yes.

AcadianPaladin · April 2020

@Scav1985 , I hear ya. I won't use skills that are gimmicky enough to spoil my rotation (C-Frags, NB spectral bow) since I've found that managing them actually nets me a dps loss. So I wish C-Blast was adequately compensated for its cast time to be useful. . . but a cast time on a dps spell takes it out of the running as well. If I'm going to use a dps spammable, make it a simple one like Crushing Shock from the destro line.

That all said, my magsorc is a heavy attack AoE girl without a spammable. Lol.

Vaoh · April 2020

Unfortunately yes, it does have a use in BGs for Deathmatch.

Slot both pets, Mages Wrath, and Crystal Blast as your damage skills. You can stand far back during a deathmatch just spamming one button (this skill) and actually put out a lot of pressure. Also cast Mages Wrath on targets who are about to die to steal more kills.

I’ve seen a few Sorcs do that and get crazy scores despite being quite bad PvPers. The reason for this is that the Matriarch gives medals for its burst Heals, and you’ll easily reach 1mil+ Damage every match due to the AoE (and very high matriarch healing). 6K+ scores are easy this way with minimal skill. In any other scenario besides spamming it at range in PvP.... no.

BGs is just the only place that rewards you for that type of one button mashing.

Atherakhia · April 2020

They really should redesign this skill to be a stamina morph and provide something valuable to stamina sorcerers.

Alucardo · April 2020

Atherakhia wrote: »

They really should redesign this skill to be a stamina morph and provide something valuable to stamina sorcerers.

Man, we have asked them for this sooooo many times. Instead they buffed crystal blast, which people still won't use because there's literally no reason not to choose frags.
Crystal Blast is just begging for a stam morph.

MincVinyl · April 2020

Crystal Blast could easily be renamed to crystal blade or something of that nature for a stam morph. Then it could have the light attack proc from the current Bound armaments, bringing back the previous block mit ability which was unique and useful.

maybe:
Gain a crystal dagger after each light attack when slotted. The crystal blade ability will be a 1 second cast that deals X amount of physical damage and releases any built up daggers dealing X amount of physical damage each. If there are 4 daggers the crystal blade becomes infused with the daggers for a short ~4 sec period and will stun/knockup the enemy and deal X amount of bonus damage.

This would allow stamsorc to have two unique abilities with minimal work from zos. It would solve the issue of adding in a class spamable, but it would not be boring to use since to get burst out of the skill it forces players to light weave other abilities to gain the potential burst. On top of that it provides stamsorc with a way of actually using the blood magic passive.

Ideally the expert summoner passive would also be changed to give the health bonus after using a daedric summoning ability for probably 10-15sec, or make it give the health passive for having a daedric summoning ability slotted. Considering wardens give a similar passive to their entire group for using any heal, this wouldn't be extreme by any standards.

jecks33 · April 2020

i saw a looooooooooooot of players casting 10/20/30 crystal blasts one after another, it must surely be an excellent skill

ku5h · April 2020

Alucardo wrote: »

Atherakhia wrote: »

They really should redesign this skill to be a stamina morph and provide something valuable to stamina sorcerers.

Man, we have asked them for this sooooo many times. Instead they buffed crystal blast, which people still won't use because there's literally no reason not to choose frags.
Crystal Blast is just begging for a stam morph.

As a magSorc main i fully support this.
Honestly i doubt they will ever do that, more so now when they introduced that lack luster Armaments proc.
Ideally they change it into stam spammable.

Sarousse · April 2020

We've been asking for years for a stamina morph instead of this useless skill.

Starlock · April 2020

Something I don't quite understand is that we have many "useless" skills that really only have a point if you PvP, but there's nobody whining about those. I mean, I would, but I also understand that skills are not "useless" in all contexts. I accept that " useless" PvP skills need to exist. Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

MincVinyl · April 2020

Starlock wrote: »

Something I don't quite understand is that we have many "useless" skills that really only have a point if you PvP, but there's nobody whining about those. I mean, I would, but I also understand that skills are not "useless" in all contexts. I accept that " useless" PvP skills need to exist. Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

I mean stamsorc uses between 3-8 passives out of 12 compared to magsorc which gets between 7-12 passives.
stamsorc gets 0 ultimates magsorc gets 6
stamsorc gets 7 morphs magsorc gets 27

I'm sure you can see why people are asking for literally anything to compete with classes like necro or warden which get sources of major mending/fracture/protection/defile all in their normal kit. Not that I think tacking on these random buffs should be the solution, but there isn't much to compete with these days. To even get one of these buffs you usually have to drop a 5 piece from a set or lose utility abilities.

Even in pve stamsorcs have been asking for a spammable, now i think making a phys damage crystal frags would be kinda lame, which was why i suggested what I did above. For newer players that run crystal blast just because for some reason it makes them happy, I see no reason they couldnt just use frags instead to allow for a stamsorc ability.

Alucardo · April 2020

Starlock wrote: »

Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

H.. how is it fun? I'd really like to understand how it is more fun than seeing your hands glow purple, allowing you to throw a bullet with the damage of a truck full of nuclear weapons in your enemies face for minimal cost. How is standing there hurling slow moving rocks with a cast time more enjoyable? HOW? What am I missing here??

Beardimus · April 2020

Scav1985 wrote: »

Welcome folks.
I'm a magsorc over 300cp and i still use Crystal Blast (don't make laugh from me, it's just my current game style and I'm not any tryharder, trialer or endgamer).
So, is this skill still that bad after all those reinforcments, patches and nerfs to CFragments?
I know it is bad in 1v1 PvP or vs single boss, but I found CB is main source of damage in group in dungeons vs trash waves and ads on bosses.
Heck, I even found it succesful in BG if I'm not on first line of the fight, especially vs few enemies fighting each other in close combat. I always get many assists and my k/d ratio is mostly over 1.0. It is even good in 1v1 vs unexpirienced or suprised players.
Currently CB have really big aoe radius and aoe damage and I can save 1 skill slot for other stuff.
If you aren't interrupted it may deal good spammable damage with weaving even on single targets (ofc in that matter CF is better).
I know many people dislike it cause they want to change it to stamina ability, but this skill may be usefull too. Seeing groups of several mobs melting to CB is really satisfying.
My cp and gear is far from the best and I still mostly get like 40-45% dmg in equall power group and even 60-70% in low lv/low cp group.
I think CB is not that bad as it was in the past but it is usefull for mass pve/pvp.
Change my mind.

It used to be good with overload as a Sorc Sniper.

RIP overload tho

phoenixkungfu · April 2020

Blast can be amazing however blast suck in a combo with its design counter part. OVERLOAD. BLAST being aoe pairs with overload heavy attack. It should proc OFF BALANCE ON HIT. This would give a group utility and damage combo that make sense.

MincVinyl · April 2020

@phoenixkungfu you would likely be banned for using that combo because of the current bugs/exploits with overload heavy attack. Tbh i heavily disagree with how offbalance works now, it is near impossible to track in combat on multiple opponents especially in group fights. This is coming from someone playing the game since beta, i guarantee there is almost no way that newer players will know wtf is going on with offbalance or what it even does.

pieratsos · April 2020

Starlock wrote: »

Something I don't quite understand is that we have many "useless" skills that really only have a point if you PvP, but there's nobody whining about those. I mean, I would, but I also understand that skills are not "useless" in all contexts. I accept that " useless" PvP skills need to exist. Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

It's not about PVP as a content. It's about the class. PVP is just usually used as the standard cause in PVP u usually see the identity/playstyle of the class, it's strengths in weaknesses and how the skills synergize with each other and with the identity of the class. PVP simply put, takes everything the class has to offer into account, not just how much dmg can it push with a specific rotation.

Now with all that said, crystal blast has no place in any meaningful PVE content and it's useless in PVP for various reasons. The skill has essentially no synergy with the class. It's like the black sheep. Sure some may like it and can use it for overland or whatever other content if u don't care about optimising ur build or in some other gimmick build like the old gank sorc but that same logic applies for everything. I may like the most useless set in the game and use it while killing mudcrabs. Does that make the set any less useless? No.

Whether some like it or not, when you judge the skill from any meaningful point of view, it just doesn't cut it. The skill is simply put useless and it has nothing to do with pvp.

zvavi · April 2020

The main issue of crystal blasts is that running the other morph, crystal fragments, is just much much much more beneficial to single target damage.

phoenixkungfu · April 2020

Blast would be a must have skill if it set off balance like d swing. It make sense.

MincVinyl · April 2020

@phoenixkungfu or you take one of the 27 out of 30 morphs that magsorc gets from the class and let stamsorc have an actual ability to use.

Kadoin · April 2020

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

Alucardo · April 2020

Kadoin wrote: »

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

Danksta · April 2020

Kadoin wrote: »

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

It's bad as a spammable because it can be bashed and if you're using it just for the stun the channel makes it easy to block. How is it even a little bit good?

phoenixkungfu · April 2020

MincVinyl wrote: »

@phoenixkungfu or you take one of the 27 out of 30 morphs that magsorc gets from the class and let stamsorc have an actual ability to use.

Sorcerer goes with magic like lion goes with claws.. stam sorcerer get dark deal (magic morph) that's super unique.

phoenixkungfu · April 2020

Eso please remove snare on overload heavy attack, increase range or both..make blast do a aoe off balance. Right now in pvp I'm lacking in the aoe ultimate department. I'm using dawn breaker over overload heavy it's just better.

MincVinyl · April 2020

phoenixkungfu wrote: »

MincVinyl wrote: »

@phoenixkungfu or you take one of the 27 out of 30 morphs that magsorc gets from the class and let stamsorc have an actual ability to use.

Sorcerer goes with magic like lion goes with claws.. stam sorcerer get dark deal (magic morph) that's super unique.

It isn't that hard dude, just look through your own class skill trees

MincVinyl wrote: »

Starlock wrote: »

Something I don't quite understand is that we have many "useless" skills that really only have a point if you PvP, but there's nobody whining about those. I mean, I would, but I also understand that skills are not "useless" in all contexts. I accept that " useless" PvP skills need to exist. Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

I mean stamsorc uses between 3-8 passives out of 12 compared to magsorc which gets between 7-12 passives.
stamsorc gets 0 ultimates magsorc gets 6
stamsorc gets 7 morphs magsorc gets 27 (this includes encase+clannfear which can be used by stamsorcs not that they ever are)

Magsorc can loose a *** morph that only new players or a very very very one off build will ever use. Asking for zos to put in an offbalance so you can abuse an exploit is pretty ballsy ngl

phoenixkungfu · April 2020

MincVinyl wrote: »

phoenixkungfu wrote: »

MincVinyl wrote: »

@phoenixkungfu or you take one of the 27 out of 30 morphs that magsorc gets from the class and let stamsorc have an actual ability to use.

Sorcerer goes with magic like lion goes with claws.. stam sorcerer get dark deal (magic morph) that's super unique.

It isn't that hard dude, just look through your own class skill trees

MincVinyl wrote: »

Starlock wrote: »

Something I don't quite understand is that we have many "useless" skills that really only have a point if you PvP, but there's nobody whining about those. I mean, I would, but I also understand that skills are not "useless" in all contexts. I accept that " useless" PvP skills need to exist. Meanwhile, crystal blast continues to be useful and fun to various players, so please remember that, yeah?

I mean stamsorc uses between 3-8 passives out of 12 compared to magsorc which gets between 7-12 passives.
stamsorc gets 0 ultimates magsorc gets 6
stamsorc gets 7 morphs magsorc gets 27 (this includes encase+clannfear which can be used by stamsorcs not that they ever are)

Magsorc can loose a *** morph that only new players or a very very very one off build will ever use. Asking for zos to put in an offbalance so you can abuse an exploit is pretty ballsy ngl

Off balance make sense. Off balance is attach to many other class skills. That doesn't have any kind of heavy attack moves associated with the class sorcerer has many a ultimate associated with it..

Kadoin · April 2020

Danksta wrote: »

Kadoin wrote: »

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

It's bad as a spammable because it can be bashed and if you're using it just for the stun the channel makes it easy to block. How is it even a little bit good?

You'd be surprised at how many people chasing after me in a ball never see it coming... It's actually the only time people do not get angry over dying, because they know its funny and it usually results in laughs

Plus no one would ever dare come to the forums or shout in chat about dying to crystal blast

So it is nerfproof. Though I really shouldn't jinx it like that...

Also its not that bad as a spammable even in melee range because after you roll, in the same time you have for the dodge frame after rolling you can cast the skill while also gaining distance. There is also CC immunity, when it works, which is great because then I cast it point-blank. Oh... well maybe not everyone plays all there mag classes in melee...hmmm...

I better not go into any more detail, I can feel a hammer hovering over me.

kyle.wilson · April 2020

Kadoin wrote: »

Danksta wrote: »

Kadoin wrote: »

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

It's bad as a spammable because it can be bashed and if you're using it just for the stun the channel makes it easy to block. How is it even a little bit good?

You'd be surprised at how many people chasing after me in a ball never see it coming... It's actually the only time people do not get angry over dying, because they know its funny and it usually results in laughs

Plus no one would ever dare come to the forums or shout in chat about dying to crystal blast So it is nerfproof. Though I really shouldn't jinx it like that...

Also its not that bad as a spammable even in melee range because after you roll, in the same time you have for the dodge frame after rolling you can cast the skill while also gaining distance. There is also CC immunity, when it works, which is great because then I cast it point-blank. Oh... well maybe not everyone plays all there mag classes in melee...hmmm...

I better not go into any more detail, I can feel a hammer hovering over me.

This is a skill I've only seen 16k health zerg sorcs use on PCNA. I can only think of one person that uses Crystal Blast in pvp and they get 1shot every time they get 1 step out the zerg. (Its a DC Grand Overlord)

JinMori · April 2020

kyle.wilson wrote: »

Kadoin wrote: »

Danksta wrote: »

Kadoin wrote: »

It was never bad in PvP if you knew how to use it...

It's bad as a spammable because it can be bashed and if you're using it just for the stun the channel makes it easy to block. How is it even a little bit good?

You'd be surprised at how many people chasing after me in a ball never see it coming... It's actually the only time people do not get angry over dying, because they know its funny and it usually results in laughs

Plus no one would ever dare come to the forums or shout in chat about dying to crystal blast So it is nerfproof. Though I really shouldn't jinx it like that...

Also its not that bad as a spammable even in melee range because after you roll, in the same time you have for the dodge frame after rolling you can cast the skill while also gaining distance. There is also CC immunity, when it works, which is great because then I cast it point-blank. Oh... well maybe not everyone plays all there mag classes in melee...hmmm...

I better not go into any more detail, I can feel a hammer hovering over me.

This is a skill I've only seen 16k health zerg sorcs use on PCNA. I can only think of one person that uses Crystal Blast in pvp and they get 1shot every time they get 1 step out the zerg. (Its a DC Grand Overlord)

Lol, how can you be a grand overlord and still use blast? It's a wonder.

I see, a lot of people being overly protective of this skill, look, it's garbage, it was always garbage, and always will be until they change it, especially when the other morph is crystal frag, one of the best sorc skills.

No good player will ever take blast. At least, this thread is a good way to see which people i should basically, never take their opinion seriously, so there's that. I guess something good comes out of every thread.