Thoughts on Briarheart Set

LootAllTheStuff · May 23

The Night Market has been throwing the Briarheart set at my like crazy. A quick search didn't show up much recent discussion.

So, the big questions: is it any good, and what would you use it for?

Sluggy · May 23

It's okay for harder solo content where you need a drip feed of healing. And I'd use it for... the Nightmarket.

CP5 · May 23

I loved the set back when it first launched with Wrothgar. It gives a decent damage bonus and self heal which, like Sluggy said, is good for solo content, or any time when the side heal can be useful. If you use it with a rapid hitting AOE skill like jabs and you can turn into a small sun when it's active as well.

AcadianPaladin · May 23

Just bear in mind, the best you can get is 2/3 uptime (when triggered lasts 10 sec; can occur once every 15 sec). With that in mind, I find both the weapon/spell damage boost and HoT to be rather underwhelming.

LootAllTheStuff · May 23

Hmm.....

I think I'll pass it on to one of my "just hit level 50" toons to use while the gather skyshards and stuff while I figure out what to do with it. I think I have some interesting bits to pair it with that should make that process easier.

Although having said that, the down time between procs wouldn't be so bad for most dungeons/delves, or navigating through trash mobs.

Either way, since I got some in very desirable traits and level, I'll hang on to it for now.

Ilsabet · May 23

I use it on stam characters who will mostly be doing overland content and don't need more optimized builds. (I also use it on my main character whose build I've been too lazy to update in years.

) So it's definitely worth having around, even if it's just to have something to toss onto newly leveled characters until you come up with something more optimized (if optimizing is something you care about).

SaffronCitrusflower · May 23

I think Briarheart is under rated. It's a great, easy to get set that's really good for beginners and anything other than vet dlc content and HM trials.

YandereGirlfriend · May 28

I remember Briarheart Daggers being a hot-selling item way back in the day. Folk would spin-up new characters just to get the automatic Precise drop from one of the Bangkorai quests. I definitely have a gold set laying around somewhere.

IMO, the set would benefit from a slight uptime/cooldown tweak. Bump it up to like cooldown == duration so that you could get closer to constant uptime on the effect.

If the uptime had to remain at 2/3 then I would bump-up the Weapon Damage and then clone the uptime and cooldown from Burning Spellweave: 8 seconds up and 12 down) to make it burstier and perhaps more appealing as a back-bar in PvP.

Luneca · May 29

No. When they nerfed how often the heal portion ticked and how much it healed, it became useless. Oh and sets are not supposed to proc other sets, so it is even useless there (though some do anyway, not sure about this one).

At least in a PvP context.

tsaescishoeshiner · May 30

If you do the math on the uptime for the Weapon/Spell Damage, it evens out to the same as a standard crafted set (Law of Julianos or Hunding's Rage). That means less than more optimized sets.

There's potentially a slight damage buff for cases where you kill new enemies in that window and get more burst power, and a slight debuff for cases where you need a couple seconds to even get your rotation started.

But the healing is a nice touch, makes a cool sound that I miss, and is an excellent set for new players and a decent choice to have drop from content like the Night Market, although I doubt many players started wearing it because of that.

El_Borracho · June 2

This used to be a strong set... back when VO and TFS were still viable.

Its an okay set now, but its more of a reminder of how out of control sets and power creep have become.