PTS players, question on Mageblade losing Major Expedition with cripple

Kuramas9tails

When I was running VFL HM yesterday, I realized how much I used cripple to avoid the ghost walls and to reach the crystal/colossus/cleanse circles before death struck and knowing they are removing the Major Expedition, I am finding doubt in survivability for someone with my build/play style without plenty of deaths.

Is there a saving grace somewhere for Mageblades? I use Cripple a lot to save stamina for blocking and roll dodging. Will I have to increase my stamina pool?

Sincerely,
a worried PS4 player

darkblue5

Kuramas9tails wrote: »

When I was running VFL HM yesterday, I realized how much I used cripple to avoid the ghost walls and to reach the crystal/colossus/cleanse circles before death struck and knowing they are removing the Major Expedition, I am finding doubt in survivability for someone with my build/play style without plenty of deaths.

Is there a saving grace somewhere for Mageblades? I use Cripple a lot to save stamina for blocking and roll dodging. Will I have to increase my stamina pool?

Sincerely,
a worried PS4 player

Almost certainly not worth it to increase your stamina pool. Probably you'll just use Twisted Path for the Major Expedition with the bonus that it'll sometimes help your group mates also avoid the mechanics.

Insco851

Yea this change sucks. It was the all in one opener.... now you have to waste another GCD on RAT or path.

Kuramas9tails

darkblue5 wrote: »

Kuramas9tails wrote: »

When I was running VFL HM yesterday, I realized how much I used cripple to avoid the ghost walls and to reach the crystal/colossus/cleanse circles before death struck and knowing they are removing the Major Expedition, I am finding doubt in survivability for someone with my build/play style without plenty of deaths.

Is there a saving grace somewhere for Mageblades? I use Cripple a lot to save stamina for blocking and roll dodging. Will I have to increase my stamina pool?

Sincerely,
a worried PS4 player

Almost certainly not worth it to increase your stamina pool. Probably you'll just use Twisted Path for the Major Expedition with the bonus that it'll sometimes help your group mates also avoid the mechanics.

@darkblue5
I do run Twisting but the amount of time you get for ME is significantly higher on Cripple than Path. Those few seconds help especially the last boss of vMA in the upstairs where the wall is spawned and you have to make it behind it and then be ready for a dodge or block immediately after to which better make sure that you have a tri-pot ready if you used your stamina already to run behind the wall (which Cripple was a great solution to this and saved stamina for the block).

Kuramas9tails

Insco851 wrote: »

Yea this change sucks. It was the all in one opener.... now you have to waste another GCD on RAT or path.

@Insco851 Yeah, I am not on PTS but I been paying attention to the changes and as I play my character and watching what I will have to be ready for to adjust and I am not liking it at all for my Mageblade. I hope they increase the ME time on Path or not change cripples ME.

Iskiab

One option is to take the race against time morph for the minor force. You’ll have to get used to the shorter minor force duration, but at least you won’t have a cast time.

Kuramas9tails

Iskiab wrote: »

One option is to take the race against time morph for the minor force. You’ll have to get used to the shorter minor force duration, but at least you won’t have a cast time.

@Iskiab Well, I guess but what skill would I replace for this?

Wait......

Would I replace Merciless Resolve? I always thought it was used mostly just for the buff and the bow was a bonus.

Iskiab

@Kuramas9tails

No, channeled acceleration on your back bar, you’re basicly just changing which morph you choose.

I’m not sure if merciless is worth it anymore for pve. I’m waiting to test, I think lotus fan will be better. I’m more into pvp and will likely just go with meta and let someone else test it.

Bargonauts

I always use either Twisting Path or Channeled Accel to speed around the vFL HM arena - crippling grasp losing expedition is a lil more of an "aight" nerf. I think you'll be all good if you use Twisting or Accel!

Iskiab wrote: »

I’m not sure if merciless is worth it anymore for pve. I’m waiting to test, I think lotus fan will be better. I’m more into pvp and will likely just go with meta and let someone else test it.

So far from my parses + raids, Merciless is still very much worth it - the damage it puts out will just lower for solo content or spots where your healer can't reach you with Combat Prayer. The primary attraction with the bow proc is the damage it puts out just for weaving your skills - Minor Berserk was lovely, the removal just means I'll finally retrait my Slimecraw to run for solo stuff (vMA) or vAS +1/2,

Kuramas9tails

Bargonauts wrote: »

I always use either Twisting Path or Channeled Accel to speed around the vFL HM arena - crippling grasp losing expedition is a lil more of an "aight" nerf. I think you'll be all good if you use Twisting or Accel!

Iskiab wrote: »

I’m not sure if merciless is worth it anymore for pve. I’m waiting to test, I think lotus fan will be better. I’m more into pvp and will likely just go with meta and let someone else test it.

So far from my parses + raids, Merciless is still very much worth it - the damage it puts out will just lower for solo content or spots where your healer can't reach you with Combat Prayer. The primary attraction with the bow proc is the damage it puts out just for weaving your skills - Minor Berserk was lovely, the removal just means I'll finally retrait my Slimecraw to run for solo stuff (vMA) or vAS +1/2,

@Bargonauts
D8 You mean to tell me if I want the minor berserk, I will have to run Slimecraw? But I lurves me Skoria! But I suppose it would be better since Skoria can proc on enemies that are already dead while Slimecraw is a permanent stat. It's just I love the animation of Skoria so much.

So Merciless is still useful? I was thinking maybe it wasn't going to be. I haven't checked any videos on Mageblades on the PTS yet.

Myconos

It'd be nice if they at least gave cripple minor expedition if they didn't want nightblades having multiple sources of major expedition in their kit.

Bargonauts

After this nerf, you'll be able to get Minor Berserk from two main sources - Combat Prayer (a skill most PVE endgame/midgame healers run, or at least should run) and Slimecraw (the monster set).
Healers can hit you with Combat Prayer well in 95% of fights so for the most part, the only real thing that changes is that we have to stack even nicer for our healers. For content like vMA and vAS +1/2 (vMA is solo, and healers can't keep good uptime at all in vAS +felms or +2 to even use the skill) we'll just need to wear Slimecraw.

Merciless's main attraction is the damage - on a solo 6mil dummy, not the new trial one, its max hit was still 62k, so I doubt we're gonna see good ol' bow proc leave the kit. Minor Berserk has been more of a bundle package, not the sole reason why we use Merciless. (we as in, PVE magblades)