Discussing unused abilities or morphs from PvE and PvP perspective - Dragonknight

Syraas

Dragonknights have gained much more access to their ability kit because of the new hybrid scalings (StamDKs especially). As a DK is my main char, this is a welcome change. Still, there are underused, unused or lackluster abilities/ability morphs that don't feel right. So, I decided to start a discussion on writing fictional patch notes for these abilities.

Giving you a reference of the old effects, I crossed them out. After I give my changed description, I comment my thoughts. For damage scalings, I refer to the values on the Build Editor on en.uesp.net with character's base stats.

Fiery Grip
This pull ability is a cool idea, but the recent changes and its buffs/effects dont fit the theme of a chain. It comes with logical flaws.
- Basic Morph: Grasp pull an enemy to you, dealing 1490 fire damage and taunting them for 15s if they are not already taunted. Hitting the target grants you Major Expedition, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% for 4 seconds and reducing their movement speed by 70% for 4s. This attack cannot be dodged or reflected.
Comment: There's no need for Major Expedition after you already closed the gap. Keeping your opponent close with a slow is in the sense of this ability. Taunting on the base morph prevents healers in PvE situations to assist the tank.

• Chains of Devastation (pts): Grasp pull up to 3 enemies to you, dealing 1490 fire damage and granting you Major Berserk for 4s taunting them for 15s and reducing their movement speed by 70% for 4s.
  Comment: The access to Major Berserk feels unbalanced. Pulling enemies in a cone in front of you would be a more useful morph.
• Unrelenting Grip: Launch fiery chain to tether to an enemy, dealing 1855 fire damage over 10s and slowing them by up to 70% on the maximum distance. The chain breaks if you are more than 12m away from the target. This attack cannot be dodged or reflected.
  Comment: Sounds more unrelenting, doesn't it?

Dragon Blood
The heal you get from this ability and Green Dragon Blood is weak compared to Coagulating Blood. You need 60k health and miss 45k for it to be equal with to the base (!) healing Coagulating Blood grants you on a offensive character.
- Basic Morph: Draw on your draconic blood to heal for 33% 25% of your missing Health every 2 seconds. You also gain Major Fortitude, increasing your Health Recovery by 30% for 20 seconds.
Comment: Change the ability to now grant passive healing half the rate of the Vampire's Drain ability.

• Green Dragon Blood: Draw on your draconic blood to heal for 33% 25% of your missing Health and restore 5% of missing Stamina every 2 seconds. You also gain Major Fortitude, Major Endurance, and Minor Vitality, increasing your Health Recovery and Stamina Recovery by 30% and healing received by 8% for 20 seconds.
  Comment: Stamina Restore based on your missing Stamina would make it attractive to use.

Protective Scale
The problem is that this ability is very situational to sacrifice a slot for it. In addition the cost is high and the duration is short. The goal would be to increase useability by a bit.
- Basic Morph: Flex your scales, reducing damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. When you are hit with a projectile, you retaliate by launching a fiery orb at the attacker that deals 1799 Flame Damage. This effect can occur once every half second.
Comment: Granting it the "reflect" of Dragon Fire Scale on the base morph seems fair.

• Protective Scale: Flex your scales, reducing damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. When you are hit with a projectile, you retaliate by launching a fiery orb at the attacker that deals 1799 Flame Damage. This effect can occur once every half second. Gain immunity to snares and immobilizations for 4 seconds while active. While slotted you gain Minor Expedition, increasing your movement speed by 15%.
  Comment: Extending the snare immunity to the duration of the ability (6s) improves readability in PvP. Minor Expedition to make it worthwhile having it in your bar while there are no projectiles hitting you.
• Dragon Fire Scale: Flex your scales, reducing damage taken from projectiles by 50% for 6 seconds. When you are hit with a projectile, you retaliate by launching a fiery orb at the attacker that deals 1799 Flame Damage. This effect can occur once every half second. Enemies hit are afflicted with Burning and Major Vulnerability for 2 seconds, increasing damage taken by 10%.
  Comment: Patches ago this morph retaliated the projectile you were hit with with 20% more damage, which was to strong. Instead this way gives a short window for a strong counter attack against ranged targets.

Stone Fist
Oh boy. This is the reason I started this post. Since launch, this ability felt clunky. My idea is to keep the clunkiness while compensating it with damage in return. The last boss in Falkreath Hold "Domihaus" has an attack where he slams the ground multiple times creating small fissures that deal damage and explode (similar to the Pillar of Nirn Set). For a the Earthen Heart Skill Line a good addition!
- Basic Morph (channel 2s): Slam the earth beneath you, dealing 5.336 Physical Damage over the duration to enemies within 6 meters of you in front of you, creating fissures underneath the enemy, applying the hemorraging status effect. After 2 seconds each fissure explodes, applying the sundered status effect.
Comment: The rather high damage over the channel is similar to pressing "Flurry" of the dual wield skill line two times, but since its AoE its a 33% slower and 33% less Dps.

• Stone Giant: Each hit applies Stagger, increasing damage taken by 65 per stack for 5 seconds. Enemies with 3 Stacks of Stagger are stunned for 2.5 seconds.
• Obsidian Shard: Slam the earth beneath you, dealing 5.336 Physical Damage over the duration to enemies within 6 meters of you, ripping up to 3 stacks of debris from the ground around you and your allies for 10 seconds. Debris explodes upon taking damage, dealing 448 flame damage and healing for 1290 health.

Obsidian Shield
Overall this shield is kinda tiny and you only press it for the Stamina sustain and Major Mending Buff. It would be better to have the Igneous Shield morph to have the extended duration of Major Mending and the Fragmented Shield to reapply its shield over the duration.

This got a little longer than I exspected, but to all who read past this: Thank you. Let me hear what you think about it below.