Frost staff ideas

subtlezeroub17_ESO

It's pretty common knowledge right now that ever since ZoS made the destruction line rework, Ice staves went from uncommonly use to almost non existing. Most tanks won't waste their time with it and it's got nothing going for dps'ers unless they're role playing.

Not to mention, the one class that could possibly use it *ahem* Wardens, can't even effectively use a staff element they're partially built around. I know this doesn't happen often, but ZoS should really think about reworking the ice staff yet again.

I have an idea that could work. Currently, we use the fire staff for single target dps, the shock for AoE but what if they built the Frost staff around crits ? It'd make it a competitive pve and pvp option and would give magicka Wardens a new toy. (They could really use it)

For example:

For the Trifocus passive:

"Fully charged frost heavy attacks on chilled targets causes the brittle effect increasing your critical damage to the effected target by x% for y seconds"

Then for Ancient Knowledge:

"The frost staff increases the users critical chance by x%"

Not only would give dps'ers another competitive option, but it would 1) increase build diversity and 2) promote birth sign diversity since the default dps birth sign is the thief. The additional crit along with the thief bs would be far too much and other birth signs would be more optimal.

What do you guys think? Any other ideas ?

xaraan

Let's get past how stupid it looks to block with a stick and go into actual gameplay issues to me:

As a person that has tanked everything on every class the only good the frost staff is IMO is certain fights lets me run an extra crushing for a distance interrupt (very situational obviously) or run ele drain for someone if it's an odd group. The heavy attack is never useful for taunting, nor is the shield it gives.

The only use the frost staff has been is to give stam a break to regen on some classes and IMO that's broken. EVERY class should have a way to regen a little stam while tanking (I know zos took flat regen while blocking out of the game but it was not done well) and having no way to work to re-earn stamina while blocking is horrible for a tank. I'm fine with no flat regen, but there should be a way to work for it, use skills, etc. So swapping to a frost staff and using magicka is a work-around, but it takes away gameplay for the tank and turns the entire feat into just juggling resources instead of getting to use abilities (which is boring).

DK's can use magicka to get stam back using earthen, Wardens can use the stam netch (even though it doesn't give enough to be useful in this situation it's better than zip) Sorcs can try to dark deal, but that's not much more feasible that dropping block for regen, but at least - again - that's something. Templars should have a morph of their circle that gives stam back regardless of holding block or not. And NBs used to have a great resource management tool with syphoning, but that's ruined now. The game has been getting less and less fun to me for tanking and for dps, but as someone that mostly enjoys tanking they have really cut options. They really need to take a good hard look at making tanking for every class feasible.

What I hate most about the staff is that's the frost staff is virtually useless now to use for DPS vs lightning or fire. You can't work heavy attacks in fights unless you don't put passives into the tree or want to steal taunt. Which kind of sucks if you really wanted to take advantage of warden ice passives for extra damage somehow and have an ice-mage type build.

If they really want staff blocking, they should have just added undaunted passives that allow you to convert a staff of a type (if they want to stick with ice, fine) into a blocking weapon. Though they should really add some sort of ice-shield graphic over it as you block so it's looks less stupid blocking giant trial bosses with a stick.

IMO, they've really screwed up the options for tanking in the game vs. what it was a launch (and it wasn't great then). Undaunted should have been used to bridge this gap and offer dungeoning tools for any class. They've done this with Orb by letting it be the templar shards of any other class, why not give the other abilities some potential to do what any tank should be able to do.

Fix it now by making these changes ZOS:

Keep blood funnel mostly as is, though making it a bit more useful for something with a cast time would be great. But it's not really a tanking focused ability, just a good group ability that isn't that useful. One idea is maybe add a way to activate it early as the caster to offer an AoE heal like the warden flower AoE. As it is, it's just not a great skill period and with a cast time that just ruins it. Even something like doubling the radius and duration of the ability would make it worth the cast time.

Change the spider-web ability into one of two things: a chain pull sort of ability (make it not work on players, then you don't have to worry about it being better than chains or a terror for PVP). Every time I play a non-DK class I feel like not being able to help control a fight makes me a failure at my job. Give every class the tools to do this. OR, turn it into a talons sort of ability, where even if you use swarm mother or something to get adds bundled up for your group, you have a way to immobilize them. And I don't mean the crappy immobilize like wardens ice shards does, but like talons or encase. Personally, I feel like the first option would be the most useful to tanking but the second option fits the name and ability better. But I think most classes have some sort of snare where you would get the most use out of a pull ability for every other class but DK.

Inner Fire is good after it's last changes a while back IMO.

Bone shield should have a magicka morph. No tank loves the idea of wasting stam for this shield that lasts all of a few seconds. It has a very limited use as it is, even on classes that don't have shields it's not worth it to use.

Orb is in a good spot too now IMO.

Passives: add a couple passives that allow you to convert an ice staff into a tanking tool.

You could also add some interesting passives that apply to only dungeon runs, like faster rez or gain a brief shield while rezzing. Some very nitch stuff that would be good for dungeons and only work inside a grouped dungeon or while on a pledge.

As of right now you only have 2 of 5 that have a good use for group dungeon play, when you could have all five be useful for filling role gaps in a dungeon party (which, as I said, is exactly what the undaunted line should be about - dungeons and crossover potential).

SASQUATCH0

I wish ice staves were more viable for dps. Would be badass to have an ice mage

xaraan

Sorry, I guess I turned that more into a tanking response than Ice Staff response, but I do agree that they haven't handled the whole ice staff blocking thing well.

subtlezeroub17_ESO

xaraan wrote: »

Sorry, I guess I turned that more into a tanking response than Ice Staff response, but I do agree that they haven't handled the whole ice staff blocking thing well.

It's fine. All discussions about the staff are useful. We need more so maybe someone can listen.

Taleof2Cities

Great write-up, @xaraan ...

I have tried to build an Ice Warden myself.

The biggest issue is that I feel like I have to take every DPS and crit skill morph in the Warden class skills just to get to 2,000 spell damage.

It's still a work in progress ... but fun to play at least (understood that the Warden wasn't designed to be DPS-centric).

Agree with the tanking points, too. Wardens are admittedly strong in this role, but the ice staff passives could be better.

seedubsrun

I like the idea of adding crit buffs to ice staff too. It just makes sense and would pair great with a DPS MagWarden. A precise ice staff could provide enough crit buff to take them out of the pathetic place they are now without needing a complete overhaul of their Frost related skill tree (though it needs to be overhauled anyway imo)

It's simple really though- The Ice staff is a destruction staff, it should cause destruction

PlautisCarvain

Good idea!!!

subtlezeroub17_ESO

PlautisCarvain wrote: »

Good idea!!!

Thanks !

Tyrobag

Completely agree.

Similar thread Here.