Abilities that are different for the sake of being different

fred4

Otherwise known as: Skills that are awkward for the sake of being unique and therefore play like dung.

Flying Blade: I just used it in vMA, playing double DW. IMO ZOS are desperately trying to make a stupid idea work. The Major Brutality lasts twice as long as Momentum, because you have to cast the skill twice to get it. Since you might use a gap closer to interrupt a "Taking Aim" NPC, it's got an interrupt on the first cast. It's still an awful skill. A straight up gap closer, followed by bash would interrupt and gap close in a single GCD and I'd still much rather have the Major Brutality from a simple buff skill.

These are IMO attempts to duct tape two functions - three when you count it as a ranged attack - into a single skill that don't belong together. It's not a given that you might open every fight with a gap closer nor that you have to interrupt someone. Compare this to 2H. You can pre-cast Momentum out of combat and have your Brutality ready to go. That's zero GCDs when you begin your subsequent engagement vs. two GCDs with Flying Blade. That's a huge difference. Especially in PvP it's time you don't have.

I get that this is supposed to play like a nightblade. Nightblade is famous for having buffs, such as the armor buff, baked into a fluid rotation. It doesn't work, though, because the skill is too rigid and uncontrollable. Is it a ranged skill? Nope. You can't rely on it being ranged. Is it a gap closer? Nope. It might work 1v1, but the mark mechanic means you can't control it reliably in a brawl involving multiple players or NPCs, due to targeting issues. Is it a source of Brutality? Sure, but it requires two GCDs and good targeting. Just awful.

The reason, incidentally, I tried double DW was for the Blackrose back bar with Deadly Strike front bar.

Can you think of any other skills like this?