Some suggestions for MCH

[Senoinya]

Let me start by saying MCH is not a bad DPS class at all, and I consider it to be one of my two favorites. I just can't help but feel there's a few areas where it could still stand to improve, more specifically, Flamethrower and Auto Crossbow. I'll try to keep this organized.



Flamethrower: This ability really doesn't have any particular place in MCH's rotation. Your other options offer better sustained DPS, and later in the game, you get more and more situations where standing still while reasonably close to the enemies just isn't an option.

My suggestion: MCH has an ability called Bioblaster, which is the AoE alternative to Drill. However, MCH also has Air Anchor, which is basically Drill, but it also adds 20 battery. Unlike Drill, Air Anchor doesn't have an AoE alternative. So, why not make Flamethrower work more like Bioblaster? It'd then be a cone AoE DoT you throw out that sets enemies on fire and recharges 20 battery while sharing a recast timer with Air Anchor.

Why: This takes care of two issues MCH has in one go. There's only two ways to build up battery, and neither of them lie in AoEs, so during pulls, your only option for building up battery is to toss in Air Anchor on a single target before returning to spamming Spread Shot, whereas with this change, you not only have a reason to use Flamethrower, you also have a way to build up battery while keeping up damage across the entire group.



Auto Crossbow: AC's not bad, but there's one thing that's always stood out to me, and that's the fact that despite being the AoE alternative to Heat Blast, it doesn't reduce the recast timers on Gauss Round and Ricochet by 15 seconds with each use. In my case, it causes me to almost not want to use AC on a pull right before a boss, because I'll just end up using hypercharge time that could have gone to Heat Blast to get my weaves up and ready again.

My suggestion: Naturally, it's to make AC work more like HB. Keep everything else as-is, but add on HB's additional effect of reducing GR and Ricochet's recast times by 15 seconds with each use.

Why: HB does the same damage as Heated Split Shot, while offering a shorter 1.50s recast in addition to its most noteworthy benefit, which I've already noted. AC is nearly the same, it does the exact same damage per use as Spread Shot, but with a shorter 1.50s recast, the only difference is that it doesn't recharge your weaves, which can cause it to feel like a waste of a perfectly good hypercharge.


Anyway, I realize this post was lengthy, but I wanted to share my thoughts on how I think one of my favorite DPS classes could be improved a bit. If anyone (especially fellow MCHs) would like to share their thoughts on my suggestions, please do so! And if any devs happen to read this post, then I hope you'll take my suggestions into consideration.

Regardless of whether you're a dev, a fellow MCH, or anyone else, I thank you for reading all this, and hope to have a fun discussion here!

[Kitfox]

I'd like for them to completely redesign and remove the Rapid Fire effect from Hypercharge gcds, but that's probably not happening. As bandaid fix, I'd like Hypercharge to give 5 charges of Heat Blast and Wildfire to build 6 stacks on the target before exploding instead of having timers for both of them. That would fix the ping dependency problems with the class.

[Senoinya]

That's a pretty good suggestion. Thankfully I never really had this issue, since I don't suffer with ping too much, but I have heard a lot of other MCH players mentioning that. The only problem I'd see with this idea is that hypercharge feels like it was designed to be something you sort of have to commit to a bit once you pop it. If you don't make the most of it while you have it, you've wasted heat, DPS, and Gauss Round & Ricochet charges you could have otherwise had. I feel like that's somewhat important to MCH, as it keeps it from feeling completely effortless to play.

So, to add onto your idea, have 5 charges for heat blast and wildfire like you suggested, but still have a timer, just one that's a little more generous than the current one. Say an extra 5-6 seconds. Enough to where you'll have more than enough time to use all the charges regardless of your ping, but not enough to where you can just pop it and then not worry about making use of it quickly.


Another thing that might need some adjustments is how battery works. Currently, if you're aiming for optimal DPS, there's no real reason to go to 100 battery, since you'll get more out of just deploying your summon at 50 every time. I don't really have any ideas for this, though, which is why I didn't include it in my post (which was already pushing the character limit anyway).

[Kitfox]

Another thing that might need some adjustments is how battery works. Currently, if you're aiming for optimal DPS, there's no real reason to go to 100 battery, since you'll get more out of just deploying your summon at 50 every time. I don't really have any ideas for this, though, which is why I didn't include it in my post (which was already pushing the character limit anyway).

You don't get more dps out by summoning at 50. In fact, you don't want to wait until 100 and you don't want to summon at 50 either. The potency per battery is linear at all gauge levels which means you want to time Queen for raid buffs windows instead of looking at the gauge number. That rewards good planning and foresight.

I don't think there's anything wrong with how battery works. The only thing missing would be an AoE battery spender, but then again, the AoE rotation doesn't generate any battery in the first place.

[Senoinya]

Are you sure you don't get more DPS out of it? By summoning at 100, you will ideally get one roller dash, eight arm punches, and one pile bunker, which will deal a total of 2,300 potency of damage over the course of 20 seconds of Automaton Queen usage (115 potency per second), while two 50 battery summons will get you two roller dashes, six arm punches, and two pile bunkers for that same 100 battery, which totals up to 3,100 potency of damage over the course of 24 seconds of Automaton Queen usage (129.1 potency per second).

There could just be something I'm missing here, and if there is, please do let me know.

[Kabooa]

There could just be something I'm missing here, and if there is, please do let me know.

After reading what Lynn said, I tested it myself.

You get one GCD from the Robot per 10 Battery. Each 10 Batter also gives Pile Bunker 80 potency. Rolling dash takes two GCDs.

Punch is 150
Dash is 300

The 5 seconds of summoning time are style points and allow you to set up for other things.

You get 5-10 seconds of uptime with the robot, where it spends it doing 5-10 punchs, or 1 dash and 3-8 punchs, totaling 750 - 1500 potency, + 400-800 Pilebunker.

[Kitfox]

Are you sure you don't get more DPS out of it?

Yes, I'm sure. It was tested at the very beginning of Shadowbringers and has been documented in the Balance MCH guide forever.



As you can see, the potency per battery remains the same regardless of the gauge level. Roller Dash replaces 2 punches like mentioned depending on range and doesn't need to be counted separately.


If there was something that needed improvements with Queen, it'd be better target control. Because right now it's very bizarre how it can go to a completely different target than the one you're attacking without any clear reason.

[Senoinya]

That's actually really useful to know, thank you!

[Darkpaw]

I'd like for them to completely redesign and remove the Rapid Fire effect from Hypercharge gcds, but that's probably not happening. As bandaid fix, I'd like Hypercharge to give 5 charges of Heat Blast and Wildfire to build 6 stacks on the target before exploding instead of having timers for both of them. That would fix the ping dependency problems with the class.

Got to agree with Kit here. This is the one change I want more than anything else, and something we have wanted for ages now. Also hey Kit good to see you in another thread about MCH lol.