@Knootewoot That's a very reasonable argument and I can totally see where you're coming from with it. I probably should have said this in the original post but I don't really want any nerfs to cloak either.

I just see the constant cries for a "rework" or nerf to cloak on these forums and I can't help but worry that the devs will further gut magblades in an effort to bring stamblades in line with the other classes.

It's hard to argue that stamblades aren't at least a bit overtuned on the live servers, and while I don't really care if they get nerfed or not, I really don't want to see magblades take another hit as collateral damage.

Here's the problem with the suggestion. Cloak as is is a bad skill if you're not essentially pretty ok without it. They could make cloak last for ten minutes and most of the problems with magblade would stand. Shadowy disguise is what turns medium armor stamblade from a marginally bursty spec with no good pressure into a 1vX champ

At the same time magblade is by far the worst class out of cloak and doesn't have the pressure or the defense to not crutch on cloak. The reason magblade sucks it that generally mag classes suck in PvP and need a lot of in class support. Magblade in part doesn't get that in class support because stamblade uses most of the same skills. Stamblade uses Shadow Disguise well in part because it doesn't have to crutch on class skills because stam characters have traditionally been slightly classes. Elder Staves Online and all that turned out to mean that all stam specs rise and fall somewhat together. Also, because you can crutch on cloak if you only focus weak targets and such magblades will still be ok for AP farming. Therefore open-world leaderboards won't fully show their weakness in PvP.

Essentially Cloak is part of why magblade sucks, which is that magblade is being balanced based on cloak not being countered. If ZOS doesn't actually remove Shadowy Disguise chances are they'll essentially remove the non-gank playstyles that use it by gutting them because the class works well when shadowy disguise isn't countered. Shadowy disguise is at the same time mind numbingly easy to counter.

So yeah I don't have a lot of hope for nightblades long term. I'll either be ganking with them or making my stamblade into a heavy bleedblade. Medium stamblade is already on the edge of swinging from somewhat overpowered to totally underpowered in part because heavy armor is a better crutch than roll dodging is with the current AOE tank ball meta. Even newbies under level 50 are quickly going 30-35k and staying balled up.


TL:DR Cloak is an actually bad skill that is only OP against newbs but eventually NBs will be nerfed into the ground because there will at always be newbies that they'll be best at ganking.

(Honestly magsorc, mag dk, and stamden already mash potatoes faster than stamblades which is why the griefers/farmers killing PVEers are mostly playing those classes and not stamblades XD. It just seems fairer because the newbies don't know that they were dead from the start while NB kills seem to come out of nowhere.)

SippingPotions wrote: »

Any input? Would that help solve the problem of stamblades gaining unlimited damage mitigation through stealth and dodge roll without further destroying magblades?

If theyre getting unlimited damage mitigation against you, its because youre the problem.

Perhaps a list of aoe, beam abilities, mage light, hunter, potion, etc. that all break cloak might help you?