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Grim focus is now the only skill that double dips in GCD and resources.
likecats
✭✭✭✭✭
Now that the skill no longer provides minor berserk, it has introduced a new OP mechanic.
In this OP mechanic, when you activate a skill costing 2700 magicka, nothing happens! Nightblade OP pls nerf.
But seriously, in its current state, grim focus in the only ability that gives no buffs when you activate it, even though you spend resources on it. It only allows to use a build up ability, assassins will, that actually does something.
Be mindful, don't confuse grim focus with assassins will. Assassins will is the equivalent of crystal frag, both abilities require a build up, both are highly telegraphed, both hit like a truck.
But now since grim focus is a redundant wrapper ability, this is the state of assassins will:
As a gist, assassins will is the only ability that requires 2 GCDs, and 4k magicka, a huge buildup and is one of the easiest abilities to avoid, AND it got 8% nerfed this patch.
There is no reason for grim focus to exist in its current state, assassins will should be a standalone ability on its own.
But how will the stacks work? Well ZOS has already demonstrated a solution with the new whip.
Molten Whip (morph): Reworked this ability so it no longer grants a passive bonus to Weapon and Spell Damage while slotted. Instead, this passive grants access to Seething Fury, a 33% damage bonus to your next Molten Whip cast and increase of 125 Weapon and Spell Damage every time you activate an Ardent Flame ability that isn't Molten Whip. This bonus can stack up to 3 times, lasts 5 seconds, and will refresh in duration every time it is applied to you.
A similar solution can be applied to assassins will:
Assassins Will: Every time you cast a light attack on the bar with assassins will slotted, you gain a buff that lasts X seconds and counts light attacks. If you recast a light attack on the bar with assassins will, you refresh the duration of the buff without losing stacks. At 5 stacks, you get the proc for assassins will.
In spirit of removing redundancies this patch, I urge ZOS to remove this new redundancy they have introduced this patch.
[edited for profanity bypass]
Edited by ZOS_Icy on December 13, 2025 7:53PM In this OP mechanic, when you activate a skill costing 2700 magicka, nothing happens! Nightblade OP pls nerf.
But seriously, in its current state, grim focus in the only ability that gives no buffs when you activate it, even though you spend resources on it. It only allows to use a build up ability, assassins will, that actually does something.
Be mindful, don't confuse grim focus with assassins will. Assassins will is the equivalent of crystal frag, both abilities require a build up, both are highly telegraphed, both hit like a truck.
But now since grim focus is a redundant wrapper ability, this is the state of assassins will:
- Requires 1 GCD and 2700 magicka to get a 20s build up window, you run out of time means you spent 2700 for nothing.
- Requires 5 light attacks, the longest build up of any ability in ESO.
- Requires 2nd GCD and 1350 Magicka to actually use the ability.
- Nerfed 8% this patch thanks to the loss of minor berserker.
- One of the most obvious telegraphs, with the slowest projectile.
- Blockable, dodgeable, and has a delay at start making it even easier to dodge and block.
As a gist, assassins will is the only ability that requires 2 GCDs, and 4k magicka, a huge buildup and is one of the easiest abilities to avoid, AND it got 8% nerfed this patch.
There is no reason for grim focus to exist in its current state, assassins will should be a standalone ability on its own.
But how will the stacks work? Well ZOS has already demonstrated a solution with the new whip.
Molten Whip (morph): Reworked this ability so it no longer grants a passive bonus to Weapon and Spell Damage while slotted. Instead, this passive grants access to Seething Fury, a 33% damage bonus to your next Molten Whip cast and increase of 125 Weapon and Spell Damage every time you activate an Ardent Flame ability that isn't Molten Whip. This bonus can stack up to 3 times, lasts 5 seconds, and will refresh in duration every time it is applied to you.
A similar solution can be applied to assassins will:
Assassins Will: Every time you cast a light attack on the bar with assassins will slotted, you gain a buff that lasts X seconds and counts light attacks. If you recast a light attack on the bar with assassins will, you refresh the duration of the buff without losing stacks. At 5 stacks, you get the proc for assassins will.
In spirit of removing redundancies this patch, I urge ZOS to remove this new redundancy they have introduced this patch.
[edited for profanity bypass]
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Zelos✭✭✭✭✭I recommend giving its sustain function for magicka and stamina back no reason to take it away minor endurance and minor intellect would be at least something...Aeonhack - AD Stamina Nightblade - 5 Star General
CP1200
Creator and user of "Questionable" addons and game mechanics.11 -
Zelos✭✭✭✭✭Pretty much, you activate a skill get nothing until you build up 5 light attacks, a loud noise is playable and everyone can roll dodge it. You can even break free faster then if someone shot it point blank at you while on the ground and then roll dodge it... it's almost ruined at this point.Aeonhack - AD Stamina Nightblade - 5 Star General
CP1200
Creator and user of "Questionable" addons and game mechanics.10 -
redspecter23✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭There are a few things they could do to it. Make it a passive that just plain works while slotted. They could just move it to class passives. It would very closely mimic crystal frags at that point. They could lower or remove the activation cost for the wind up or the bow itself. They could just wrap up this and siphoning attacks together so that it only takes one bar slot, but provides both the sustain effect of siphoning as well as the wind up for the bow.
At any rate, I do agree that if the ability itself does nothing except allow you to build up another one, and the windup and the actual attack both require a stat cost and gdc cost, it's very lackluster.Edited by redspecter23 on April 16, 2019 11:11PM7 -
kojou✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Look on the bright side... you will have room on your bar for Race Against Time in PvP.Playing since beta...6 -
ccmedaddy✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭I agree, this skill has been overnerfed. At the very least ZOS should make the procs free to cast, and add something like Major Sorcery for a minor QoL improvement. Also, revert the projectile speed nerf.13 -
ApostateHobo✭✭✭✭✭
✭Definitely need something done with this skill because it was pretty much killed. They should revert the change to the proc costing resources, and add something to make it worth activating like minor intellect.3 -
Insco851✭✭✭✭✭
✭Pretty much, you activate a skill get nothing until you build up 5 light attacks, a loud noise is playable and everyone can roll dodge it. You can even break free faster then if someone shot it point blank at you while on the ground and then roll dodge it... it's almost ruined at this point.
Yup, I’ve gotten dodge DURING the fear ani like the break free dodge input applied dodge chance before the actual animation. Only the best...1 -
Wycks✭✭✭✭A skill that didn't need any changes...let's make it useless. - ZOSThe numbers thing is always going to be there, but it’s more down to player skill and there are ways through ability choice to configure a group to be stronger vs. large groups of people. - BRAIN WHEELER - 2012 - LOL16 -
Chelo✭✭✭✭✭Now that the skill no longer provides minor berserk, it has introduced a new OP mechanic.
In this OP mechanic, when you activate a skill costing 2700 magicka, nothing happens! Nightblade OP pls nerf.
But seriously, in its current state, grim focus in the only ability that gives no buffs when you activate it, even though you spend resources on it. It only allows to use a build up ability, assassins will, that actually does something.
Be mindful, don't confuse grim focus with assassins will. Assassins will is the equivalent of crystal frag, both abilities require a build up, both are highly telegraphed, both hit like a truck.
But now since grim focus is a redundant wrapper ability, this is the state of assassins will:- Requires 1 GCD and 2700 magicka to get a 20s build up window, you run out of time means you spent 2700 for nothing.
- Requires 5 light attacks, the longest build up of any ability in ESO.
- Requires 2nd GCD and 1350 Magicka to actually use the ability.
- Nerfed 8% this patch thanks to the loss of minor berserker.
- One of the most obvious telegraphs, with the slowest projectile.
- Blockable, dodgeable, and has a delay at start making it even easier to dodge and block.
As a gist, assassins will is the only ability that requires 2 GCDs, and 4k magicka, a huge buildup and is one of the easiest abilities to avoid, AND it got 8% nerfed this patch.
There is no reason for grim focus to exist in its current state, assassins will should be a standalone ability on its own.
But how will the stacks work? Well ZOS has already demonstrated a solution with the new whip.
Molten Whip (morph): Reworked this ability so it no longer grants a passive bonus to Weapon and Spell Damage while slotted. Instead, this passive grants access to Seething Fury, a 33% damage bonus to your next Molten Whip cast and increase of 125 Weapon and Spell Damage every time you activate an Ardent Flame ability that isn't Molten Whip. This bonus can stack up to 3 times, lasts 5 seconds, and will refresh in duration every time it is applied to you.
A similar solution can be applied to assassins will:
Assassins Will: Every time you cast a light attack on the bar with assassins will slotted, you gain a buff that lasts X seconds and counts light attacks. If you recast a light attack on the bar with assassins will, you refresh the duration of the buff without losing stacks. At 5 stacks, you get the proc for assassins will.
In spirit of removing redundancies this patch, I urge ZOS to remove this new redundancy they have introduced this patch.
Devs should read this. The only problem with that suggestion is that you can't build the arrow when you light attack from back bar. Because it won't act like an active buff anymore, it would require the skill to be slotted on your bar to build up counting light attacks.6 -
SippingPotions✭✭✭Tried the new changes on PTS today and in it's current state I will not be slotting this skill for my pvp magblade. Not sure what other skill I'll slot yet but just about anything will be better for my build.3 -
JinMori✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭I would recommend zos to either remove the need to keep up the buff, but you still get the proc with la on both bars, or at least increase the duration of both morphs to 30 seconds.3 -
Stx✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Add major savagery/ prophecy to it for the duration. Also why did they remove minor endurance? Add that back too.
If you leave it how it is, there is literally no reason to have it on your bars come on zos...7 -
Mayrael✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭SippingPotions wrote: »Tried the new changes on PTS today and in it's current state I will not be slotting this skill for my pvp magblade. Not sure what other skill I'll slot yet but just about anything will be better for my build.
This. @ZOS_BrianWheeler please read this. This skill is complete trash now. Yes we can slot something else but what's the point of nerfing skills so much that nobody wants to use them?
There are some ideas what can be done to make this skill actually be ok:
Speed or dealy nerf needs to be reverted - it's overnerfed right now - the only usage of the skill right now is to force someone to dodge.
And these are some options that I think everyone would agree on:
- Remove initialisation cost and double the cost of actual activation of the skill, leave those pityful heals as they are.
- Remove the heals. Add minor fracture/breach for the duration.
- Remove heals. Add empower for next 5 LA.
- Remove heals. Add minor sorcery/brutality for the duration.
- Replace heals with minor lifesteal for the duration of the skill - at least it would do something unlike those heals that will be dodged anyway.
- Rework the skill completely into something useful.Edited by Mayrael on April 17, 2019 5:42AMI'm done with this game because of ZOS pushing us into Vengeance, because they don't know how to fix Cyrodiil.2 -
Tommy_The_Gun✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭It seems that Zeni wants to make NB a totally useless class. Think about it. They are nerfing NB DPS potenial heavily and also its single target burst potenial. So the class most likely wont be a part of "meta" for both PvE and PvP. At the same time NB also does not receive anything that would make the class slightly better at Healing & Tanking - 2 roles that are the weakest aspect of the class. Hell even those roles seems to be nerfrd as NB burst heal skill (Dark Cloak) was rewerked into uselessness.
Idk. Something feels wrong here. In many mmo games (mobas in particular) when it comes to balancing stuff there is also another factor (that devs almost always wont tell you) that comes into play - popularity. Even if something is not good but for some reason it is popular - it will recived additional nerfs, to bring its popularity down. Now, I am not wearing any tinfoil hat or belive in conspiracy... But something tells me that there is something more to it.
So maybe that is the case ? NB is just too popular ?Edited by Tommy_The_Gun on April 17, 2019 6:17AM3 -
Faulgor✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭TBH I've never liked this skill. Maybe this is the right time to ask for the old Haste skill to come back?Alandrol Sul: He's making another Numidium?!?
Vivec: Worse, buddy. They're buying it.2 -
Marcus_Thracius✭✭✭✭necro seems the way to go - and its a free class with the cool stuff in it ........oh wait ....is that a paywall?Edited by Marcus_Thracius on April 17, 2019 6:29AM3 -
likecats✭✭✭✭✭I would recommend zos to either remove the need to keep up the buff, but you still get the proc with la on both bars, or at least increase the duration of both morphs to 30 seconds.
With the change suggested, that would essentially be achieved since the buff would refresh everytime you cast a light attack on main bar. (which is quite a lot)
I also want this specific chance, because activating the grim focus buff was always so clunky, its so frustrating to be forced to use the proc or waste an extra GCD + resources to recast it.3 -
Blinkin8r✭✭✭✭✭I recommend giving its sustain function for magicka and stamina back no reason to take it away minor endurance and minor intellect would be at least something...
Magicka version never had minor intellect. Would definitely be something.II Blinkin II
Xbox 1 NA
"A man without the sauce is lost, but the same man can become lost in the sauce."4 -
Ace_SiN✭✭✭✭I think it shouldn't require a cast to take effect. Slot the skill and anytime you light/heavy attack you start to build charges. It's one of the easiest avoided skills in the game. I've CCed players before using it and they still managed to dodge it almost immediately.King of Beasts2 -
Kolzki✭✭✭✭✭A change so that it built up stacks passively would be a pve nerf. It would need to be double bared to build up stack on both bars.0 -
Izaki✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Just make it refresh automatically the duration with every 2nd Arrow cast. And put the 30sec duration on the base skill. And leave Minor Endurance on Relentless and add Minor Intellect on Merciless. Boom. That's a skill worth using.@ Izaki #PCEU
#FrenchKiss #GoneFor2YearsAndMyGuildDoesn'tRaidAnymore
#MoreDPSthanYou
#Stamblade4 -
likecats✭✭✭✭✭A change so that it built up stacks passively would be a pve nerf. It would need to be double bared to build up stack on both bars.
You misread the suggestion, the suggestion will allow it to work on both bars while being slotted on one.
You get the stack counting buff when you cast a light attack on the grim focus bar which will last X seconds and work on both bars, every time you light attack on main bar, the duration refreshes without losing stacks.
So as long as you light attack on the main bar within X seconds, merciless will work the same as live, on both bars.
They are implementing something similar with the new whip, so this is perfectly possible to implement.Edited by likecats on April 17, 2019 4:35PM1 -
exeeter702✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭▪Grim Focus:
▪This ability now provides no effect
whatsoever when initially cast. Note this
puts this ability into the "rule breaker"
catagory.28 -
WrathOfInnos✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭This is a good point, nothing should require 2 casts and cost resources twice for a single action. Either the 20-30s timer should be removed, making light attacks constantly build up stacks, or the active bow proc should go back to a free cast.11 -
exeeter702✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Honeslty they just need to change it to generate stacks while slotted and firing bow costs magicka.
Regardless, the heal is a cumbersome nonsense change.7
