Grim Focus -- You like?

Romen88

How do you guys feel about the Night Blade skillGrim Focus? Does it need a tweak? Is it fine the way it is? I feel like it could need a change and I highly doubt they would reinstate Haste, so I'm not suggesting that.

In my honest opinion, I don't think the whole hit with 8 light/heavy attacks to activate the spectral bow seems interesting.

I think it could be improved if it was changed to remove the 8 light/heavy attacks. In other words, you activate Grim Focus for the damage boost (minor berserk) and then you can activate it again with no requirement to use the spectral bow attack. Activating the spectral bow attack would remove Grim Focus and minor berserk and it would need to be cast again. Now to make it so this is not OP, the cost of activating Grim Focus again should have an increased cost, similar to how Bolt Escape works currently.

Example:

Grim Focus > Spectral Bow Shot (Assassin's Will) ---- and this removes Grim Focus and it's minor berserk buff
If you cast Grim Focus again within 4 seconds of using Assassin's Will it will cost 50% more magicka.



I tried to make this as clear as I could, hopefully it is easy to understand. How does the idea sound? The goal was to make the Assassin's Will attack more usable without making it OP. Would something else need to change to make it not OP? Would the damage of Assassin's Will need to be lowered?

Thank you all for reading, let me know what you think!

Dekkameron

It looks like a gimmick skill that no-one will ever use tbh.

Mahedros

No, 8 atacks its too much to waste 1 skill slot for only 8% dmg pasive.
Should be 6-5 and 2-3 heavys imo or something like that.

Mr_Gallows

It's the most annoying skill I've had. Works somewhat when using a bow, but for daggers the ranged attacks is pointless. Still having to weave 8 attacks in between my skills, means the enemy will be dead before I use it. Against groups it can work, but it's just such a boring skill and not worth the space on my bar. I'd rather have something cool, more utility, self heal... anything but another attack that is just annoying to use.

TheBucket

I think it should work like Rally. Provide a self heal and HoT. Or Do the spectral bow.

Apoxsee

By my count I was getting it to fire off after 6 shots. Personally I would like to see it have a notification sound or a visual cue ,only see by the user of Grim Focus, when Assasian Will is ready much like KB. I don't look at my skill bar often and find it takes my eyes off what is going on to see if it is ready.

kash

Do Dark Shades or Shadow Image help build that counter?

Lightword

As a caster NB I wouldn't even waist my time with the skill, the haste buff was far more beneficial.

Orihara_Izaya

I wrote this on another thread, it basically sum's up all the uselessness of Grim focus.... The dev's completely ignored the thread, but maybe I'll have more luck over here.

Orihara_Izaya wrote: »

To those who think you can actually get this skill off in PvP let's look at the math for a second. 20 / 8 = 2.5 so basically to get this skill off you need to use a light attack at least every 2.5 seconds. Now that is fairly easy to do if all you do it light attack, but if all you do is light attack your dps is going to suck and your better off using another skill since the bow's burst will not help.

So the logical thing to do is light attack weave this skill in with another ability but that cuts down you 2.5 seconds leaving you with like .5 seconds extra. .5 seconds x 8 light attack weaves = 4 seconds. So if you pull off a perfect light attack weave combination that leaves you around 4 seconds to use your bow skill before it resets on you.

Now let me bring this to reality. IN PVP THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Even in PvE there are boss fights where you can end up hard pressed too get a perfect light attack weave combination like that off, forget getting this to work with heavy attacks. There are times when you have to dodge, there are times when you must block, you get stunned in PvP, you can't be attacking 100% of the time because you may be running around a rock or casting a heal or something. The only way to get this skill off is if you give 100% of your attention and focus to getting it off which is unreasonable.

Not to mention that say a miracle happens and you do get your bow skill to proc. You have NO CHOICE to decide when you want to use that skill in an encounter. Want to save it up to burst someone down and then use a finisher? Nope! Want to use it to break a shield? Nope! Want to know why? Well that's because by the time you get the god damn skill to proc you have only a few seconds to use the skill before it resets. FORCING you to use it the very second that you get the skill proc'd or face it reseting.

These are only a few reasons why this skill is completely useless. I mean you have a marginally easier time getting it off in PvE but let's be realistic here. Whoever designed this skill was not thinking about this practically, yes if you look at it mathematically it's possible. But in reality there are to many obsticals blocking it's path to being useful, not to mention that there are other skills that are. 1) easier to use 2) less headache than this skill.

At the very least if they are to lazy to re-work the skill they should at minimum reduce the charges required to 4 or double the duration.

Edit: Here is the link to the previous thread in the PTS
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/1593132#Comment_1593132

Suntzu1414

GF is worthless. Bring back haste...

only way, i see , salvaging this ability --> making it a toggle.
With on/off. When you hit 8 la/ha, you get SB. WITHOUT TIME LIMIT.

its current meta...doesn't make any sense.
maybe trials you could use it (but there are better setups)


Kill Well
ST

Nivzruo_ESO

Yea, make it a toggle ability that auto fires and it gets interesting, bar space is already immensely valuable in this game, skills really need to earn their spots on our bars.

TheBucket

I like iy for the stamina buff. Gives me up to 2800 stamina recovery. I havent uses the proc much

Varicite

I feel like they got rid of Haste and replaced it w/ the old Incapacitate (now Grim Focus), but got rid of the only real reason for actually taking the morph Incapacitate (+heavy attack damage).

Not sure why they would replace Haste w/ the least-used morph of the skill and then strip out the only good thing about that particular morph.

The "hit guy a ton of times and then use a blockable shot" mechanic seems even worse than immobilizing them after X number of hits.

Buuuut, I haven't played around w/ it at all, so this is all just gut reaction. : P

AssaultLemming

Way too much micro management required for this skill. It will never get used by me the way it is now. Hard to see how it could be salvaged, auto fire instead of needing to cast again, and increase the damage done would be a good start

Grim13

I use it for the 8% damage buff... but the actual Spectral Bow thing is a gimmicky waste of time. Unless I'm in a large skirmish, I'm not really going to have enough time to fire off 8 light attacks. Especially considering there's no longer a haste component to the skill.

Darkonflare15

Apoxsee wrote: »

By my count I was getting it to fire off after 6 shots. Personally I would like to see it have a notification sound or a visual cue ,only see by the user of Grim Focus, when Assasian Will is ready much like KB. I don't look at my skill bar often and find it takes my eyes off what is going on to see if it is ready.

There is a sound now that notifies you and I find this skill useful for ranged weapons like staffs and bows since the light attack animations are faster. I also find that this skill kind of takes to long to proc but I use light and heavy attacks more often to do damage this does not bother me as much as some people. Haste by base ability was useless never bring back Haste.

Darkonflare15

Playing around with the skills and I notice when I use leeching strikes with degeneration and quick siphon I can gain a lot of health back just by spamming light attacks. Using this along side Grim Focus since you need to use light and heavy attacks. I find that I can focus on being defensive more by roll dodging and using magic utilities because I am using leeching strikes to get my magicka and stamina back while just spamming light attacks while also stacking dots on enemies. I find this ability a lot more useful as buff to quickly take down the first enemy while using the spectral arrow to whittle down the next enemy fast and when you use dots between you light attacks enemies tend to die faster. It was pretty fun.

suycyco

I've heard that the minor berzerk bonus of grim focus (8% dmg) doesn't apply by now, is it real or only a false rumor?
Because I use the skill only for the 8% bonus and the stamina regeneration.

Lightword

Suntzu1414 wrote: »

GF is worthless. Bring back haste...

only way, i see , salvaging this ability --> making it a toggle.
With on/off. When you hit 8 la/ha, you get SB. WITHOUT TIME LIMIT.

its current meta...doesn't make any sense.
maybe trials you could use it (but there are better setups)


Kill Well
ST

Nivzruo_ESO wrote: »

Yea, make it a toggle ability that auto fires and it gets interesting, bar space is already immensely valuable in this game, skills really need to earn their spots on our bars.

These ideas together are awesome, Toggle with auto cast! Possible to make it useful without losing it... NB at the moment do not have a toggle class ability.

Swen_von_Walhallion

wel land siphonig strike is waht ? i always think its toggle ability :O

Orihara_Izaya

suycyco wrote: »

I've heard that the minor berzerk bonus of grim focus (8% dmg) doesn't apply by now, is it real or only a false rumor?
Because I use the skill only for the 8% bonus and the stamina regeneration.

I think that it's working I'll check again when I get home.

DeLindsay

Mahedros wrote: »

No, 8 atacks its too much to waste 1 skill slot for only 8% dmg pasive.
Should be 6-5 and 2-3 heavys imo or something like that.

You mean like we all used to waste 1 slot for 8% damage increase with Flawless Dawnbreaker, and Stamina DPS still do? I agree it should be 6 shots instead of 8 and probably even a toggle. Right now it's Clunky McClunk and a pain to keep going.

x_drizzt_x_ESO

I have to agree. I tried using it for several hours before realizing that practically anything would be a better replacement than it was. I use resto staff on the bar I had this on too, so even with the fast attack speed it was just sorta meh.

Deviante

The part I dont get is the stamina regen.
You need this for stamina builds which aside from the bow are melee based.
So why have a ranged magic based attack for the proc O.o

I am however still trying to work this into a bow dps build I think it could be possible with a light weave/PI rotation along with a couple of other abilities (Poison Injection / scorched earth / Relentless focus / Mark Target / Evil Hunter / Flawless Dawnbreaker)

PI/LA weave while maintaining Scorched Earth dot keeping up Mark Target & Relentless Focus (Spectral Bow when available) Evil Hunter when stamina is getting low or fighting undead/daedra. Second bar would feature Duel Wield with Siphoning attacks.

Really what the skill needs is to be a toggle ability allowing spectral bow every 10 light attacks while providing minor stamina regen and minor damage buff. As well as basing the spectral bow damage on weapon damage and weapon crit.

Orihara_Izaya

I think everyone is making this too complicated with their ideas for toggles etc. All they need to do is reduce the charges required to 4-5 (anything higher would be stupid). Then the skill will be fine.

kijima

I played around with this with the Undaunted infiltrator medium set which has bonuses for light and heavy attacks, it actually worked quite well but your play style had to be built around maximizing light and heavy attacks.

The more I thought about it though, I think it worked okay more of being the fact the PTS was then new with 1.6 and no one had seen it or knew what to do.

I think it has a place 1v1 with light and heavies, but overall I didn't end up having enough room on my bars for it.

Stannum

I use Relentless Focus doing boss dps with bow. Usually i use Venom arrow + light weave, so with relentles focus i have better stamina regen (as i've had with focused attacks before) and sometimes assasins will with10-13k hits. Really 8 attacks are too much for this skill cause if you need some time to run/roll/cc-break/smth else you will not have time to weave 8 lights.

Oreyn_Bearclaw

I have been messing around with this as Haste was a staple of my 1.5 Trials Bow build. First, i am pretty sure that my bow build and all my hawks eye pieces are worthless for trials at this point, but that's a different rant.

This skill basically forces you to light weave, which I do anyway.

My old rotation was Mark target, Haste, LAW (light attack weave) venom arrow, LAW Snipe x4. I found that I could get 4 LAW Snipes before recasting Venom Arrow to keep it up 100%. I could get 2 Venom Arrow LAWs, and 8 Snipes LAWs total before needing to recast Haste. Basically every forth LAW snipe, i would recast VA, and every 8th LAW Snipe, I would recast both Venom arrow and haste, thus keeping a DOT and Player Buff up 100%.

In theory: I was previously casting between 9-10 Light Attacks during the normal duration of Haste (assuming I didnt miss any), so that should translate into the Assassins Will being up at the end of your 20 second rotation. This might be what they are going for.

In Practice: The problem is that Grim focus no longer seems to trigger any of my buff trackers, so i never have any idea where I am at with the skill. It forces you to count and stare at your skill bar to know when to hit. You then need to waste time casting the assassins will, and recasting Grim Focus. It is very clunky and hard to use. And if you wait too long, it resets and cant be used until you do it all over again. I found in practice I was getting Assassins will to fire maybe 50% of the time I casted grim focus. This % might get better with more practice, but at that rate, it has no place on my bar. Any time you are forced to maneuver(dodge roll, block, whatever), you probably aren't going to make the 8 LAW in the 20 seconds.

IMO I think this is an interesting ability and there is potential but a few things need to change.

1. The ability should proc automatically on the last required LA hit!
2. I would like to see them reduce the number of hits by a few to 5 or 6. Being able to get 8 light attack weaves in the 20 second duration, will be really tough for a lot of players from a skill standpoint, and difficult for anyone if the fight requires you to do more than stand in one spot.
3. There needs to be some sort of animation that lets you know what hit you are on. Its hard to tell in real time, how many LAW you are actually getting off.
4. It needs to hit harder, especially with the HUGE nerf to bows.

Vizier

I've been finding it pretty useless. It needs to be toggled on or off and have fewer hit requirements to proc. maybe 4-5.

Cody

Grim focus is mediocre at best. ZOS should just give the class a self heal/damage shield already.

Orihara_Izaya

I don't think they should replace the skill with a shield or heal, all they need to do is fix the skill. I think it's interesting and would be a fun skill if it was useable.