PvE Empower and Howl of Despair

Erickson9610 · August 2022

In the PTS v8.1.3 patch notes, we see that Empower now only works against PvE monsters. One of the morphs for Werewolf's main spammable, Howl of Despair, gives allies the Feeding Frenzy synergy, which grants them Empower for 5 seconds.

The issue that I see with this is that it is a useless skill in PvP, as the other morph increases the bonus damage and works on feared enemies, so that morph will be preferred by Werewolf damage dealers. Only a PvE support role should consider Howl of Despair, and since Werewolves make pretty terrible healers, it falls on Werewolf tanks to utilize that morph.

In what circumstances would any organized group utilize a Werewolf tank? Why would a damage dealer use a less powerful skill in order to buff their group, which may not need Empower at all?

Edit: I should mention that the caster does not get to activate the Feeding Frenzy synergy and get Empower from it. If you want to have a Werewolf heavy attack build in PvE, you need another Werewolf to run the skill, or you need to get the buff from a set like Oakensoul.

Wuuffyy · August 2022

Erickson9610 wrote: »

In the PTS v8.1.3 patch notes, we see that Empower now only works against PvE monsters. One of the morphs for Werewolf's main spammable, Howl of Despair, gives allies the Feeding Frenzy synergy, which grants them Empower for 5 seconds.

The issue that I see with this is that it is a useless skill in PvP, as the other morph increases the bonus damage and works on feared enemies, so that morph will be preferred by Werewolf damage dealers. Only a PvE support role should consider Howl of Despair, and since Werewolves make pretty terrible healers, it falls on Werewolf tanks to utilize that morph.

In what circumstances would any organized group utilize a Werewolf tank? Why would a damage dealer use a less powerful skill in order to buff their group, which may not need Empower at all?

Looks like yet another loss for both WW dps and healers. This, of course, clearly caused by blanket nerfs and seemingly rushed patches, or worse… lack of care.

Swagata01 · August 2022

So how do I use empower? Deals more damage for only heavy attack against monster? Really? It's pathetic. They should adjust those skill such as Templar, mages guild that provides empower.

Wuuffyy · August 2022

Swagata01 wrote: »

So how do I use empower? Deals more damage for only heavy attack against monster? Really? It's pathetic. They should adjust those skill such as Templar, mages guild that provides empower.

I wish, for the WW ability, that they would change this to a different, unique (or very rare) group buff. This would be the simplest way. If all else fails, a flat and unique 40% light and heavy until they think of a better buff.

K9002 · August 2022

The more I think about it, the more I feel sick in my gut. Instead of improving the heavy attack CP star (I forget the name) from measly 15% to at least 25%, they had to go after light attacks and indirectly demolish several class skills in the process. Class kits are becoming more useless with every new patch.

Want to help heavy attack people? Change one of the useless jewelry or weapon enchantments to improve the damage dealt by heavy attacks. Dump the useless defending trait and replace it with something that improves the damage of heavy attacks. Make true on your statement that CP 2.0 was created to introduce a wide variety of effects. Just don't gut literally all other builds, there is no reason at all to help heavy attack builds at the expense of everything else.

Marto · August 2022

K9002 wrote: »

Want to help heavy attack people? Change one of the useless jewelry or weapon enchantments to improve the damage dealt by heavy attacks.

That could very easily result in an indirect nerf to heavy attack builds, since they'd be forced to give up other powerful enchantments.

Wuuffyy · August 2022

Marto wrote: »

K9002 wrote: »

Want to help heavy attack people? Change one of the useless jewelry or weapon enchantments to improve the damage dealt by heavy attacks.

That could very easily result in an indirect nerf to heavy attack builds, since they'd be forced to give up other powerful enchantments.

Make the amount significant. Add diminishing returns (with one slotted you get 100%, 2 80, 3 60.

ColoniaCroisant · August 2022

Wolf_Watching wrote: »

Swagata01 wrote: »

So how do I use empower? Deals more damage for only heavy attack against monster? Really? It's pathetic. They should adjust those skill such as Templar, mages guild that provides empower.

I wish, for the WW ability, that they would change this to a different, unique (or very rare) group buff. This would be the simplest way. If all else fails, a flat and unique 40% light and heavy until they think of a better buff.

Literally that's all I need, if ZOS gave WW a new buff even if only on self that upped our light attack damage considerably that would solve most of my issues with them in the next patch

Wuuffyy · August 2022

ColoniaCroisant wrote: »

Wolf_Watching wrote: »

Swagata01 wrote: »

So how do I use empower? Deals more damage for only heavy attack against monster? Really? It's pathetic. They should adjust those skill such as Templar, mages guild that provides empower.

I wish, for the WW ability, that they would change this to a different, unique (or very rare) group buff. This would be the simplest way. If all else fails, a flat and unique 40% light and heavy until they think of a better buff.

Literally that's all I need, if ZOS gave WW a new buff even if only on self that upped our light attack damage considerably that would solve most of my issues with them in the next patch

That unfortunately would not change the outcome of group play. There are so few reasons to bring WW into content for any reason. With the advent of minor courage being one of the more common buffs now mixed with the fact that empower only provides a buff to heavy attack builds… There is now 0 uncommon group utility on WW. Also, it just generally is underperforming without Oakensoul in CP

Darth_LucSky · September 2022

ZOS, please look into this. There are very few topics about this issue out there and this needs to be seen. The new empower does NOT works as intended with the synergy provided by Howl of Despair. In 5 seconds you can barely complete 2 fully charged heavy attacks, plus, given how many new sources of empower are now out there, it's a very, very weak buff.
Make it stronger, either by giving a unique buff, like someone already suggested, or by making the empower last significantly longer (a minimum of 10 seconds).
Werewolves are already extremely weak, don't discourage us, werewolf players, with even more indirect nerfs.