Bring Back Dark Cloak Stamblade

nublife01

A couple of patches ago darkcloak blade was viable and it made stamblade very viable for bgs. Darkclaok stamblade was viable due to the old version of 7th legion which seemed to be changed specifically to nerf us as that set was the only way that darkcloak blade was viable yet the changes made to it made it nearly completely nonviable to us anymore. It is understandable as thogard (a streamer I'm sure zenimax watches) abused the heck out of the darkcloak build and streamed it so it became obvious to everyone how broken darkcloak stamblade was that patch. I am not asking for that level of overpowered-ness back to darkcloak blade. I am just asking for buffs to dark cloak or changes that make it viable again so that stamblade doesnt have to rely on shadowy disguise anymore.

If anyone reads this and agrees please show your support. I'm sure everyone (not just stamblades) are sick of stamblades needing shadowy disguise to be at all viable in pvp (in bgs we are not viable at all).

Qbiken

Old Dark cloak heavy blades is probably one of the most overperforming setups this game has ever seen (old dark cloak magblade as well). They were basically heavy stamDK on steroids. Seeing your other thread regarding wanting to nerf imperial physique due to the tank meta, I'm surprised you want a buff to dark cloak, which used to be one of the backbones of the tank meta.

But I don't disagree with you that stamblades lack group utility, but bringing back old dark cloak is a big no for me.

nublife01

Qbiken wrote: »

Old Dark cloak heavy blades is probably one of the most overperforming setups this game has ever seen (old dark cloak magblade as well). They were basically heavy stamDK on steroids. Seeing your other thread regarding wanting to nerf imperial physique due to the tank meta, I'm surprised you want a buff to dark cloak, which used to be one of the backbones of the tank meta.

But I don't disagree with you that stamblades lack group utility, but bringing back old dark cloak is a big no for me.

Dark cloak is inexistant in pvp and stamblades are inexistant in high mmr bgs for the same reason. I'm not asking for it to be buffed until it is overpowered obviously. Just enough to where it is actually remotely viable.

Iskiab

Dark Cloak stamblades do exist, they just lack the burst to kill people so people drop the build.

I saw one guy in BGs for a couple days, then I think he/she figured out people were using him/her to build ult and they weren't much of a threat and they disappeared.

ATomiX69

Ah yes. 30k+ HP snb/2h or dw/2h Dark Cloak blades which still had good pressure but were immortal in 1v1s, in everyones best interest I'd say we dont need that back.

I can remember trying it out on PTS after dark cloak got its first rework and I was standing there facetanking a sorc in a full damage setup with the pet curse and 3 pets on me (that was also the time where sorc pet damage got buffed), just by occasionally using dark cloak and vigor in combination with lingering health pots.

I dont think we need such setups back, especially with the current reign of tank setups in pvp.

JinxxND

Dark cloak is decent, I use it now at high mmr bgs cause they are usually an aoe fest and normal shadowy disguise just becomes a wasted slot as it limits you to just ganking solo players in a team oriented game mode. The current iteration of it is really balanced and if anything they should just have the nb passives support it more.

1. The problems with dark cloak right now are that it acts as our armor buff for non cloaking nb but without wearing at least 2pieces of heavy armor the major resolve doesn't even last the full duration of the skill limiting 6-1 and 7 medium/light setups making them really inefficient this could be fixed by simply increasing shadow barrier baseline time on major solve by 2 seconds, going from 6 seconds at base to 8 seconds

2nd the heal on it after battle spirit is really mediocre if not poor on any setup that doesn't stack hp which is counterintuitive for a damage nb

3rd passives like master assassin only work with shadowy disguise so you can't even take advantage of that passive using it, on top of stuff like concealed weapon/surprise attack getting extra bonuses only for being used with shadowy disguise morph esp in a meta where dmg is lacking and you need as much of it with the forms of healing/mitigation etc.

There are many other issues with the skill but it does have many positives over shadowy disguise as well which can warrant its use.

JinxxND

Also a skill shouldn't revolve around a single set, the old 7th legion dark cloak combo was pretty broken and abused by many players for this reason, very similar to how mag sorc use engine guardian for 1 way los with the kit they have and how it synergies well abusing mechanics for pvp

Iskiab

I’d forget dark cloak builds. Burst is about to skyrocket, you’ll get killed so fast trying it.

SnikerPKK

Dark Cloak is not a PvP ability.

nublife01

SnikerPKK wrote: »

Dark Cloak is not a PvP ability.

After watching thogard run it in bgs have to disagree with you on that one.

Thogard

nublife01 wrote: »

SnikerPKK wrote: »

Dark Cloak is not a PvP ability.

After watching thogard run it in bgs have to disagree with you on that one.

IMO stamblade isn’t viable in high MMR BGs due to its lack of usefulness to the group. Remember that I ran medium armor, not heavy. I needed incap’s reave passive for the magicka return to sustain dark cloak in a medium armor build (heavy could sustain with constitution passive).

The 7th nerf hit my Stam DK just as hard, if not harder. Unless I’m sorely mistaken, dark cloak proccing 7th’s new 5 piece never made it off PTS - they nerfed 7th on PTS then changed it so dark cloak didn’t proc it 2 weeks later, still on PTS (IIRC).

Honestly the build would still work fine if you replace orc with nord, frontbar new moon acolyte and double bar spriggan (and bloodspawn and backbar master bow). Just need to get comfy using heavy attacks after a dizzy for a stun, but many Stam classes are like that now. Dizzy then 2h heavy into relentless is a nice nice combo, especially if you incap and ambush them first and get that double dot poison ticking.

I always played that stamblade as a DK that had traded in its pressure for burst. We’re in a burst meta rn. Honestly i don’t think there’d be any issues running that build in No CP. I only like DK right now for CP because of the stun on leap. Bug me about it onstream and I’ll dust it off, it’ll be easy to switch gear around for and now I can finally buy undaunted and get those extra stat points lol. The only stamblade specific nerf that would affect that setup is the decrease of relentless mitigation from 15% to whatever it’s at now (8%?) which will make the build more vulnerable to getting bonked. But it’s a medium build and bonk got nerfed too so just dodgeroll to glory.

Sniker knows far more about stamblade than me. That setup was really fun to play but it’s a fundamentally selfish build.

Edit: forgot to mention that that build was 100% single target dmg and had no group buffs or group heals, hence the “selfish” build.

Soooo fun to play though

Solaire

You talk like StamBlade doesn't rule the BGs?

currently the most used build in BG is StamBlade, the Battlegrounds are full of them, yet you say they aren't viable for BGs?!

mdb800

What is should do, is have a reduced cost or scale off of a different stat. I agree, that the skill was way overpowered in pvp. But that is not excuse to nerf it into complete oblivion. Also, keep in mind the damage nightblades give up when they switch to this morph. Culturally speaking I have been in groups that everyone moans that one is a nightblade tank. This has to stop. Remember every class should have the potential to fill dps, tank or healer roles. Not every tank should be templar and dragon knight only.

Dark cloak is over nerfed now. I think where people get caught up is looking at the balances globally of tank defenses in pvp. There should be some new global modifier or game change to address this as whole as playing "the class of this update" is not really what any mmo has been about.

Iskiab

Solaire wrote: »

You talk like StamBlade doesn't rule the BGs?

currently the most used build in BG is StamBlade, the Battlegrounds are full of them, yet you say they aren't viable for BGs?!

You’re kidding right? People start as stamblades because people think cloak will keep them safe and it’s a way to learn and do damage safely.

Keep doing battlegrounds and there are next to no stamblades, because people realize the class isn’t that good and switch mains.

Thogard

Solaire wrote: »

You talk like StamBlade doesn't rule the BGs?

currently the most used build in BG is StamBlade, the Battlegrounds are full of them, yet you say they aren't viable for BGs?!

Stamblades are extremely popular in low MMR matches. Once you get into the tougher fights they are virtually non-existent.