Rune Fencer Merit Ability List

[Shibayama]

So the Devs posted the Geo and Run merits and they were promptly translated - Here's what we got:


Group 1
Rune Enchantment Effect
Elemental resistance of rune enchantment increases by +2 per merit.

Vallation Effect
Magic defense increases by +1 per rune per merit.

Lunge Effect
Lunge accuracy increases by +3 per rune per merit.

Pflug Effect
Resist rate increases by +1 per rune per merit.

Gambit Recast
Recast is reduced by 10 seconds per merit.

Group 2
Job Trait: Inspire
Enhances Vallation and Valiance with casting speed reduction.
Additional merits decrease casting speed by 10%.

Job Trait: Sword Sleight
Enhances Swordplay with a Subtle Blow effect.
Additional merits increases the Subtle Blow effect by +5.

Job Ability: Battuta
Recast Time: 5 minutes, Duration: 90 seconds
While in effect, grants a bonus to parry rate. Additionally, upon parrying, attacks will be countered with damage dependent on the enchanted runes present when the parry was activated.
Additional merits increase the parry activation rate by 4% per merit and the counterattack damage by +4 per rune per merit.

Job Ability: Rake
Recast Time: 5 minutes, Duration: 30 seconds
Consume active runes to reduce the elemental resistance of the target.
Additional merits extend the effect duration by 3 seconds per merit.


Thoughts: Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty disappointed in these, since rather than being the awesome job fixes we were expecting them to be, it's mostly continuing on with SE's current train of thought with the job as a magic tank. Some of the abilities look interesting but some are down right bad. Looking at some of them...

Rune Effect vs Vallation damage and Pflug Effect: So this comes out to 10 extra resistance per rune for 30 more with 3, vs -15% more elemental damage taken with Vallation (no Valliance? Guess we'll have to see) up, and +15 stat resistance with 5/5 in each of these. One flat out cuts your magic damage taken while the other I'm assuming helps you flat out resist damage and enfeebles? How exactly would Pflug resist rates vs more elemental protection factor in? Thoughts on this?

Lunge Effect Vs Gambit Recast: I feel like they got these backwards somehow - everybody was hoping for Lunge Recast from what I've seen. Lunge Accuracy seems about as useful as Step Accuracy for DNC merits IMO, and the gambit recast assumes that you either a) will be using this to boost your lunges and enspell damage, which seems like a moot point since its only for Gambit and not Effusions in general. b) have somehow teleported yourself back to 2005 and manaburn parties and throwing more black mages at something to win is still a thing.

However I could be wrong since I'm wondering - does Gambit effect Skillchain and Weaponskill damage on the target as well? I haven't seen anything that says that anywhere.

G2's:

Sword Sleight: Wow, more subtle blow! - said no one ever. I don't get what SE's thought process with this one is, could have been damage taken -, or added attack or something but subtle blow? This gives me the sinking suspicion that our AF is going to end up being a glorified Alcede's harness with the generic light armor accuracy, evasion and subtle blow with some dex and agl, since only heavy armor jobs seem to get things like weaponskill damage or occasionally absorbs damage taken.

Battua: this is more on the right direction, if only it lasted a bit longer - is there really any reason to have this ability last 90 secs but with a 5 min recast? If anything keep the duration the same but make it last 3 mins or something. However it's hard to argue with 20% extra parry/counter rate, assuming it breaks the current parry cap, so i'm thinking 5/5 here.

Inspire: this will def be at least a 4/5 in my book, since getting 45% fast cast would help with keeping those buffs like stoneskin and blink up, though as a galka I worry about my limited MP reserves since I already need to keep up flash and foil if I want to keep hate or whatever.

Rake: So... how is this ability different from Gambit? It seems like it does the exact same thing.

I was really hoping for more impressive merits than this, hell I was mostly gunning for Foil II (aoe tp move protection - I feel like If SE focused more on AOE party protection for mobs that use nasty AOE TP moves and lots of status ailments rather than MAGIC TANK we'd get somewhere with it) or some more exclusive enhancing spells.

Right now its looking like:

5/5 Battua 4/5 Inspire 1/5 rake (depending on what this actually does, if not i'm just gunna 5/5 inspire)

Honestly I have no clue on the G1's.

[Cljader1]

Inspire looks great, and battua looks very good but the duration is to low. The uptime on battua has to be adleast north of 50% and of course it MUST exceed the cap, the rest of the G2 abilities look like crap. G1 abilities are a little disappionting, the Vallation effect should have been magic defense against all elements. SE still have not did anything significant to deal with multi element casting mobs.

[Zuidar]

.............................Subtle Blow? Are you missing something up here DEV team? I thought Subtle Blow was more for Ninjas / monks / dancers.

I honestly don't understand any relevance in their vision of RUN having a merited job trait that adds subtle blow to an ability instead of something that's more beneficial to a RUN's strong point. Now it would of been a less shocking story if RUN was to get Subtle Blow trait like NIN/DNC/MNK, but not as a merit.

...........Lunge Effect Accuracy? Must I go on? I would rather have it replaced by "Enhancing Magic Duration".

The "Vallation Effect" merit is alright, but I hope this would also apply to Valiance if the main idea for RUN is to support reducing Magic Damage to their party members.

"Rune Enchantment Effect" is fine, but it should also in addition apply to the enspell effect damage as well. Elemental Resistance can stay the same but Enspell could be either +2 or +1 per rune per merit.

"Battuta" looks really interesting for a new merit ability, however the duration is a little too short like for a 5 minute recast. other than that, Parry Counter sounds fun.

"Inspire" is definitely a thumbs up right here!

"Rake" sounds good but I think they need to have a better look between the duration and recast.

[Makenshi]

I don't get how Rake is different to Gambit.

[Nightfox]

My personal choice would be 5/5 Rune Enhancement Effect, 5/5 Vallation Effect, 5/5 job trait: inspire, 4/5 job ability: battuta, and 1/5 job ability: Rake

If these merits are final that is. Though alot of these should be different since -- I don't how many already -- people have posted pretty soliid ideas. Oh well, some of these are really nice merits too.

[Zagen]

So I'm overall disappointed that this is what we get for merits. It's obvious SE wants RUN to remain a tank but it's also obvious they don't have a damn clue about how to make it an effective tank let alone a unique butterfly of a magical tank.

Rune Enchantment Effect - Why couldn't we have +2 MDB to the element? You know something that gives a consistent reduction in damage.

Vallation Effect - Is this Magic Defense or Magic Damage as those are 2 different things and the wording on the ability implies damage not defense.

Lunge Effect - Maybe I haven't been messing with hard enough content but is this even an issue for anyone?

Pflug Effect - Okay this I kind of like but since I can't full time Pflug it loses some of it's appeal. Though maybe there will be Relic gear to knock off 1 minute or AF to extend it and Relic to reduce the recast I can dream I guess.

Gambit Recast - So we can give 25%~ damage increase to nukers. Maybe manaburns are making a comeback and I didn't get the memo.

Group 2
Job Trait: Inspire - Holy crap SE you actually surprised me with something here. Assuming that 1/5 is also a 10% bonus at 5/5 it's the equivalent of a RDM with AF hat and Relic body.

Job Trait: Sword Sleight - Really? Subtle Blow? How about enhances Inquartata or a Desperate Blows type of effect to help with the loss in attacks from using our JAs? You know something that would help us try to tank.

Job Ability: Battuta - Okay this could be awesome and it better be considering it can't be full timed

Job Ability: Rake - So reduce the monster's magic evasion? Well if we get in to a group I guess we can help extend the amount of time stun can be used.

I'm left to bank on our AF being freaking awesome to bring RUN up to the point there it might get to the point where it is strong enough in the physical damage taken department to be called a tank. Hell I'd settle for it becoming a DD at least it would then be able to fit the DD/tank hybrid that most DDs fit but that would require stuff like Berserk to push it's melee damage up so people want it in a group.

Edit: I guess I should actually comment on what I might do for merits.
No clue what would be of value in group 1 at the moment so I'll wait until AF stats are found to decide.

For group 2 I think it's fairly straight forward:

Rake 5/5 if it is magic evasion down
Battuta 5/5

I'd consider Inspire over Battuta if we somehow get a way (that can be used on every cast) to boost Blink and Stoneskin to more than eh damage mitigation. For context sake I'm thinking 2-3 times the current potential effects.

[Darthmaull]

If 5/5 Inspire gives 50% spell casting for all casting, /nin maybe the new tanking sub for RUN. Getting shadows up 50% faster along with 50% faster stoneskin and regenIV should make damage mitigation alot easier.

[Babekeke]

Inspire/Battuta 5/5.

Group 1 is basically terrible, but best of a bad choice? 5/5 rune enchantment and lunge accuracy.

If Rake is just Gambit but for all elements, that's the only difference I see. Might be useful for enfeebs/stun, but I'll wait and see.

Personally I'd be happy to lose the counter effect of Battuta in exchange for a 3 min duration.

Edit: I wonder if the fast cast is just on native spells, or if it will work with cocoon...?

[Delvish]

5/5 Rune Enhancement, Vallation Effect
5/5 Battuta, Inspire

Pretty easy choices. The only one that may change things is Lunge accuracy and what it does to the effect.

[Xerius]

I don't get how Rake is different to Gambit.

Gambit targets magic defense I believe this targets actual resistances. Basically, Lunge and spells of the same elements as runes will be more accurate.