Wrecking Blow - How to counter the spam

OrphanHelgen · November 2015

I think mobility in general counters it. Thats why WB users usually go with the slow morph instead of crit rush.

jcasini222ub17_ESO · November 2015

Constant movement, and I mean constant with no real ryhme or reason (as a healer you're more able to accomplish this than other roles) so the wb spammer doesnt get a beat on a pattern of movement. Prayer (to whatever diety, maybe all?), alot of it, if one connects you will be put in the 50/50 game of whether or not cc break will work or the game will just troll you.

Immovability pots, honestly sometimes 'immovable' from the heavy armor line doesnt work (shocking right) and the cost isnt worth the headache. For that matter blocking isnt cost effective either with the nerfs to regain. Only immovability pots can give some sort of constant repreive from the spam. When those are up (if your a healer) just eat the damage save that stam for those 2 roll dodges you will need at some point assuming your not cc locked. Conversely if your dps or tank (rare) and I notice a spammer I'll heal you through the damage and you just have to unload on the spammer, get them off the field as fast as possible. So immovability pot, eat damage, annhilate target.

Armitas · November 2015

In most cases there are counters to a skill, and also in most cases there are counters to that counter as well. This puts WB users into two categories. A standard WB spammer that is lethal if not countered but can be countered and so not a problem. Then there is the optimized WB user who has fine tuned his build as to dry up all counters to his build and so is able to press a nuke with CC fully and repeatably. We need to distinguish between those two types if we are really going to discuss how to live through WB.

TheNephilimCrow · November 2015

Armitas wrote: »

In most cases there are counters to a skill, and also in most cases there are counters to that counter as well. This puts WB users into two categories. A standard WB spammer that is lethal if not countered but can be countered and so not a problem. Then there is the optimized WB user who has fine tuned his build as to dry up all counters to his build and so is able to press a nuke with CC fully and repeatably. We need to distinguish between those two types if we are really going to discuss how to live through WB.

Obviously the stronger of the two we should discuss, IMO.

Bloodgharm · November 2015

The biggest problem with WB is that it is a FOO skill (First Order Optimal) i.e. a noob tube. This ability does not take much skill to perform and can be spammed with ease. Not to mention the counters to this ability either take an inordinate amount of skill to pull off compared with the ease of pressing a single button, or require a potion or skill to be slotted. The other problem with CC immunity is that it doesn't always register after a wrecking blow hit. A bug, but a harmful one nonetheless. ZoS just needs to take a look at their telemetry to find out how often CC immunity is granted after a WB hit and fix the bugs accordingly.

TheNephilimCrow · November 2015

Bloodgharm wrote: »

The biggest problem with WB is that it is a FOO skill (First Order Optimal) i.e. a noob tube. This ability does not take much skill to perform and can be spammed with ease. Not to mention the counters to this ability either take an inordinate amount of skill to pull off compared with the ease of pressing a single button, or require a potion or skill to be slotted. The other problem with CC immunity is that it doesn't always register after a wrecking blow hit. A bug, but a harmful one nonetheless. ZoS just needs to take a look at their telemetry to find out how often CC immunity is granted after a WB hit and fix the bugs accordingly.

Please, as requested, no nerf or fix comments. I am sure ZOS is fully aware of the issues with Wrecking Blow. This thread is to help people fight against it until ZOS addresses it.

Bloodgharm · November 2015

TheNephilimCrow wrote: »

Bloodgharm wrote: »

The biggest problem with WB is that it is a FOO skill (First Order Optimal) i.e. a noob tube. This ability does not take much skill to perform and can be spammed with ease. Not to mention the counters to this ability either take an inordinate amount of skill to pull off compared with the ease of pressing a single button, or require a potion or skill to be slotted. The other problem with CC immunity is that it doesn't always register after a wrecking blow hit. A bug, but a harmful one nonetheless. ZoS just needs to take a look at their telemetry to find out how often CC immunity is granted after a WB hit and fix the bugs accordingly.

Please, as requested, no nerf or fix comments. I am sure ZOS is fully aware of the issues with Wrecking Blow. This thread is to help people fight against it until ZOS addresses it.

Sorry. Didn't realize I was asking for a nerf. My biggest gripe with the skill is the cc immunity bug. I'm not saying it needs to be nerfed or changed really. It does require more skill and mobility to counter and that's why so many people are calling for nerfs, but there has to be some FOO strategy in this game or noobs won't want to get into pvp.

That being said, does anyone know if cloak properly cuts off the tracking on it/breaks the windup?

TheNephilimCrow · November 2015

Bloodgharm wrote: »

That being said, does anyone know if cloak properly cuts off the tracking on it/breaks the windup?

Nope. If a caster uses it when initiating cloak, it will hit you and pull you out of cloak.

tennant94 · November 2015

Keep close to them to reduce skills radius and it gives them less time to follow your movements if you move to the side. Also you can move through them quicker to. I promise if you do this there wb spam is negated. They literally stand going round in circles and because thats there only attack/stun(usually)its an easy win!

Toast_STS · November 2015

I try and use frost reach to keep them at a distance. Most Stam users won't have a damage shield to negate it. Or mist form if I can see it coming.

Jabs is my main damage skill and unfortunately WB seems to have a greater range. Also if I run through them then I can't jab them.

Angarato · November 2015

most wb spammers suck. but i fought a dk that kept me perma snared (i tried using shuffle next match but that just costs way too much stamina even for a stam nb) it makes it really hard to avoid. stam nb cant cloak as much as people like to think altho it does help but sometimes wb goes straight through the cloak anyway or the roll dodge for that matter. speccially the wrecking blow + leap combo was vicious. we dueled 6 times and I only managed to win one because i put up enough pressure so he was forced into his s+b.

Speely · November 2015

Immovability pots are the single best thing to start with, imo.

DracoBeowulf · November 2015

terrasight wrote: »

Running against them... that's what I do...

Most effective strategy for 1vs1. Just walk through them as they cast

Speely · November 2015

tony.augeb14_ESO wrote: »

I try and use frost reach to keep them at a distance. Most Stam users won't have a damage shield to negate it. Or mist form if I can see it coming.

Jabs is my main damage skill and unfortunately WB seems to have a greater range. Also if I run through them then I can't jab them.

Jabs has a longer range than WB by one meter, FYI. You can use that to exploit WB spammers a bit. Since Jabs is a DoT-ish effect, you can gauge your effective distance on the fly via the four attacks and sort of back up/strafe to avoid at least one WB attack. Add Panacea of Immovability into the equation and you can become a real commitment problem for WB spammers.

imredneckson · November 2015

TheNephilimCrow wrote: »

So, there have been countless nerf threads. I am fully against nerf threads of any kind and really think majority of issues come from not fully understanding counters and game mechanics. With that said, I have a question for you...

What kind of counters can a player use against the spammable attack known as Wrecking Blow?

Please keep the trolling to a minimum, I.E. Zero is the minimum.

Moves for countering wrecking blow

Class moves

NBs- blur, incapacitating strike, cloak, mass hysteria, cripple, agony
DKs-fiery grip,talons, stonefist, petrify, ash cloud, corrosive armor, dragon leap
Sorcs-crystal frag, encase, rune prison, daedric mines
Templars-piercing javelin, toppling charge, blazing spear, blazing shield

Weapon moves

scatter shot, destructive reach, blade cloak, hidden blade, invasion, BLOCK, wrecking blow ( for fun wrecking blow race see who flying first )

Others

Medium armor-evasion, heavy armor- immovable, trap beast, silver shards if theyre a vamp, volcanic runes, spiked bone shield, caltrops to slow them down, immovable pots which can be bought from any siege mechant at any keep, outpost, resource, gate, and traveling siege mechant

Hope this list helps you out and ill look for you on the battlefield

Springt-Über-Zwerge · November 2015

on my stam dk I just cast rapid maneuver and walk away since im using the steed and 120 cp into the lover Im fast enough to be out of their range and crit rush wont out dps 2k+ health regen and rally

Angarato · November 2015

TheNephilimCrow wrote: »

NBs- blur, incapacitating strike, cloak, mass hysteria, cripple, agony

- blur.. lol
- incapicitating strike doesnt stun when unless he has more health than you(so if the wrecking blow already hit you)and its an ult... to counter spammable ability that costs basicly nothing.
- Cloak does not work if he's far enough in the wind up it will still hit you. also stam nb cant use cloak as often as they can spam it
- mass hysteria is a good one but they have full stamina most of the time still so any good player will break out quickly and have cc immunity
- cripple only for magicka nb
- agony ^

then we have shuffle. good ability but costs way to much stam, more than dodge rolling. which drains you of your stamina quickly. if you cancel their wb it doesnt cost them stamina theres no penalty for failing it. they'll just spam it again. and you go out of stam avoiding it.

a good player that keeps you perma snared and spams wb cant be avoided. the only way to beat them is to pump an ungodly amount of damage into them so they dont have time to use wb cause they have to heal/block/dodge.

Armitas · November 2015

Angarato wrote: »

a good player that keeps you perma snared and spams wb cant be avoided. the only way to beat them is to pump an ungodly amount of damage into them so they dont have time to use wb cause they have to heal/block/dodge.

This has been my experience as well. Snare + WB is game over, any risk with that WB reward is completely dried up. If by any chance you manage to move through the snare and get close to passing through them they will just back strafe to correct it. This is basically the difference in the two categories I mentioned. 1 is balanced, the other is broken, outright broken.

Cody · November 2015

imredneckson wrote: »

TheNephilimCrow wrote: »

So, there have been countless nerf threads. I am fully against nerf threads of any kind and really think majority of issues come from not fully understanding counters and game mechanics. With that said, I have a question for you...

What kind of counters can a player use against the spammable attack known as Wrecking Blow?

Please keep the trolling to a minimum, I.E. Zero is the minimum.

Moves for countering wrecking blow

Class moves

NBs- blur, incapacitating strike, cloak, mass hysteria, cripple, agony
DKs-fiery grip,talons, stonefist, petrify, ash cloud, corrosive armor, dragon leap
Sorcs-crystal frag, encase, rune prison, daedric mines
Templars-piercing javelin, toppling charge, blazing spear, blazing shield

Weapon moves

scatter shot, destructive reach, blade cloak, hidden blade, invasion, BLOCK, wrecking blow ( for fun wrecking blow race see who flying first )

Others

Medium armor-evasion, heavy armor- immovable, trap beast, silver shards if theyre a vamp, volcanic runes, spiked bone shield, caltrops to slow them down, immovable pots which can be bought from any siege mechant at any keep, outpost, resource, gate, and traveling siege mechant

Hope this list helps you out and ill look for you on the battlefield

Agony is not a good counter, as soon as you damage the WB user Agony stops, costing the WB spammer no stamina at all to escape.

jhharvest · November 2015

imredneckson wrote: »

Templars-piercing javelin, toppling charge, blazing spear, blazing shield

Doesn't block even a single WB. Maybe a third of one, if you have high HP.