Mark Target reduces armor/resistance instead of adds armor/spell penetration?

Thejollygreenone · November 2014

I've been noticing this for awhile, surprised I haven't seen it brought up. It seems when a Mark is applied to someone, their armor and spell resistance are lowered instead of giving penetration to the Nightblade alone as is advertised, which wouldn't show up in the targets character screen.

Here's the wording in the description:
'Marks a target for death. Player's attacks ignore 75% of target's Armor and Spell Resistance, but the target's attacks ignore 75% of player's Armor and Spell Resistance.'

What I interpret from this is that both players should get a buff for 75% armor/spell pen against the enemy, not a debuff to reduce their armor/spell resist by 75% which is how it seems to be implemented.

As it is now, whole raid groups (or pvp zerg groups) will benefit from one Nightblade's mark, which seems like a much stronger mechanic than is intended. Anyone attacking reaps the benefits of this incredibly strong armor/spell resistance reduction.

This transforms the ability from a strong but counter-balanced self buff to a virtually no-consequence raid wide support ability. It also makes getting away from a marking Nightblade who's in a group quite bothersome :P

Furthermore I've noticed that two separate Nightblades can mark one target for 140% reduced armor and spell resistance, leading to the marked target simply having 0 armor and spell resistance to anyone who attacks them until the minute is over. This screams unintended to me.

Anyone else noticed this oddity? Or can prove to me that the situation is not how it seems and is working as intended?

demonlkojipub19_ESO · November 2014

I always read it as a double edged armor pen too, not a skill that flat out reduces the targets armor. Would be pretty OP if its actually reducing the targets armor for everyone else too. NB can just mark people and remain in the shadows while the team eats them up with about no mitigation.

Samadhi · November 2014

Mark Target was the reason that Efficient Purge was first added to my skill bar.

It has been there ever since.

RinaldoGandolphi · November 2014

Yup efficient purge is on my bar as well for removing marks and heal debuffs from lethal arrow

Thejollygreenone · November 2014

Just because people have learned to adapt by always keeping purge on bar, it doesn't change the notion that the effect is (presumably) unintended in its current state.

If it's deemed fine how it is, so be it, just update the tooltip to reflect the intended effect

Samadhi · November 2014

Should be easy enough to formally test with three people. A Nightblade + anyone else in their alliance and one player from another alliance to serve as target.

Player attacks, tracks damage, Nightblade marks, player attacks and tracks damage again looking for changes.

On the Nightblade end of things, nothing changes about my Armour or Spell Resistance on the Character menu when casting Mark Target on someone; however, the target does display a shattered HP bar such as those that display when using other buffs that reduce armour.
Do not have time to do any sort of multi-person test at the moment though, so have no clear evidence of it actually doing anything it is not supposed to.

Regardless of how it functions at the moment, personally always purge it simply because 60 seconds is far too long to have such a debuff active on me whether it works for only the enemy Nightblade or his or her entire team.