• Northern Storm. This skill is useless in PvE and PvP (compared to the other morph). However, the 8% max magicka is really useful, but by slotting it, you lose the ability to use the Bear. You also can't double slot it without losing too much damage. This 8% max magicka should be attached to a passive, similar to the Magica Flood passive from Nightblade. There's no reason for MagWardens to be punished for trying to have +8% max magicka, especially when they are suffering in the DPS department.
  
• Growing Swarm. It could adjust to be a instant AoE dot, like, it doesn't need to expire the first dot to spread. Why this morph isn't as useful in the current state: In trash fights you either need to focus one enemy (Overcharger, Minotaur...) and then you kill the other enemies or you just explode the adds with AoE damage. On the first example, the other morph is better. On the second example where you need AoE damage the enemies will be dead (or almost dead) before it spreads... Meaning it is still better to take the single target morph to use vs Bosses. Also, since enemies already die really fast(second example), you don't need more AoE... It's not that this morph is bad, it's more that the other morph is more useful in so many more situations that I would never consider this one, meaning I don't have a choice in terms of morphs, it's either Fletcher or be ineficient.
  
• Deceptive Predator vs Bird of Prey. Minor Evasion vs Minor Berserk... what a hard choice.. 4s extra duration is really meh too. You get Major Endurance through pots, same for Major Expedition. They are such common buffs that this morph is too overshadowed by Bird of Prey.
  
• Eternal Guardian: This morph effect should be in the base skill if the Bear is supposed to be the main DPS for the class. The magicka morphs you could increase the damage and change it to Cold damage instead, and make this element the main source of DPS for the class and adjust accordingly.
  

• No compensation for it: They don't have more AoE damage (compared to the other classes) to compensate this, in fact, one would argue they have less AoE damage due to the fact that their strongest AoE dot is Cold Damage, which doesn't scale too well in Raids compared to fire (+7% Dunmer, +7% Engulfing Flames). Though to be fair, that's a problem with Ice/Cold damage in general and not Warden itself, but that's a different topic.
  
• Not reliable: You can't use the Bear in every fight, for the same reason Sorcerers can't use their pets in every fight. The difference is that Sorcerers do not lose as much damage compared to Warden. Pets die, or make mechanics more difficult which is a detriment to the group.
  
• The only Execute: For a skill that is not that reliable, being the only execute for the class is too punishing. I understand the PvP implications if Warden had a good execute, and changing that fact would require a lot of changes, but this is a pain point for using the Bear nonetheless.
  
• Not rewarding enough: At the moment, you do have great reward by using the bear, which is... making you viable (arguably) in the DPS role compared to other classes. It also makes them the only class that maintain good uptime on Master Architect from range, which is a good and probably the only reward. But again, using the bear for damage should be a reward, not a requirement. I understand Warden can be competitive as a "utility" DPS, but any class can, it's not something unique to the class.

kichwas wrote: »

It feels like Warden was 'punished' for being too fun.

The class is a really neat bag of tricks. I have 3 of them, all leveling. It plays very well there. A great tank, a great healer, and a really cool DPS at a level where I can't really tell if I'm actually useless...

But The class also feels like 3 different classes in one.

The three skill lines have about as much thematically in common with each other as Coffee and the planet Pluto... It's like... Oh this is neat... but what is that?

I'll agree with those who wonder why there is a heal in the Winter line.
Winter feels like it was meant as a tanking line. So Arctic Wind should be an AoE damage mitigation ability...
- cut enemy damage done by X% when inside of it or attacking someone inside of it.
- In other words Arctic Wind and Crystalized Shield should be 'merged' into a defensive barrier around the Warden - a small AoE, like 2-5 meters. And a new ability is then needed to fill out the skill line.

The bear shouldn't be an Ultimate. Like the Sorcerer's pets, it should be a regular skill, and of power for such. The Animal Companion Ultimate should be Swarm, boosted up to be of the right potency for an Ultimate.
- In 'thematic concept' Swarn just reads like an Ultimate ability... and it's a perfect opposite of the Green Line healing Ultimate... It should be that powerful, but as an AoE instead.
- In theme, the Bear reads like the Sorcerer's pet... and should be that powerful as well... Maybe it should be a Dog, that you Morph into either a Wolf or a Bear... for Damage or 'Pet Tank' just like the two options Sorcerer has.

Gargath wrote: »

So many negative opinions about frost damage being too low on warden but it's not entirely true now after latest changes (3 full sets with frost staff). While having 5 pcs. Julianos + 5 pcs. Ysgramor plus some damaging monster set, the frost warden can play a true aoe supporting role. Lower damage in comparison to mag sorc is compensated by an awesome immobilization effect applied with every cast of Elemental Blockade, followed by Winter's Revenge and Crystallized Slab as defence-offence for ranged mobs.
While doing dungeons with lower level quishy players or without super power over levelled sorcerers, this immobilization on every cast helps a lot. I think much more power plus immobilization effect on each cast, could be a bit too OP.

Frozen Device also helps creating some unique tactics, while in a same time allowing to troll other players by stealing enemies especially from low lvl melee players .

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

1. Too many skills that don't deal damage, making any nerf to our current damage dealing toolkit catastrophic.

2. No hard CC. (This should be the bird, not the shalk)

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

The bird would need a damage reduction for that morph, but it is still the most viable option for a stun. Mag builds have no need for a spammable anyway, as that is basically every other destro skills functions. The reduced travel time change already ruins the skills burst potential.

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

LeHarrt91 wrote: »

Amdar_Godkiller wrote: »

The bird would need a damage reduction for that morph, but it is still the most viable option for a stun. Mag builds have no need for a spammable anyway, as that is basically every other destro skills functions. The reduced travel time change already ruins the skills burst potential.

But the reduced travel time helps PVE dps though, where timing burst is not the playstyle.

I wonder if changing a natures grasp morph to a stun would work, like the vines burst out of the ground and stun the enemy. As i haven't seen this skill used much outside of pvp, and even then Bursting Vines grants ultimate when below 60% and in PVP thats basically execute range anyway.

I don't think they will add a stun to the animal companion tree (even tho the bears heavy attack stuns) as they want each tree to focus on one thing, tanking/ controlling the fight, healing, damage. Which in the current state of the game isn't working for the warden

Yeah I don't like that approach (one skill line per role). That would ruin most classes.