Why is shield swipe so bad?

[axemtitanium]

Lol, okay so you gain 6 WHOLE POTENCY from one attack. The fact that people thing this ability is good is mind boggling.

It's not good but it's certainly not bad. It's just a thing you do to keep your GCD spinning without running out of TP in a long fight. Also, using Shield Swipe is ALWAYS a dps increase, unless it would break your combo from waiting too long. Why say no to extra dps?

[Gilthas]

Let's say you do 10 global cooldowns in a short fight.

Method 1:
150, 200, 260, 150, 200, 260, 150, 200, 260, 150. Total Potency of GCD abilities you did: 1980

Method 2:
150, 200, 210 (shield swipe), 260, 150, 200, 260, 150, 200, 260: 2040


In a short 10 GCD fight, you gain 3% DPS by using Shield Swipe, and this is only your GCD DPS. It will result in LESS DPS gain after you add Spirits within and Circle in the totals. If the fight only lasted 9 GCD, you would actually LOSE DPS from using Shield Swipe because you spent a GCD on shield swipe instead of building to Rage of Halone faster. This is what I meant by interrupting. I understand that it doesn't STOP the combo; I never said that it does.

The ability is awful. It is not even close to "your best DPS ability."

This is such a flawed argument. So how much DPS does an ability need to add for it to stop being awful?

[Brannigan]

Shield Swipe is pretty mediocre, especially when you consider it in the context of paladin, which already lacks good WSes and does pretty poor damage while tanking. Plus, it's one of the very few reaction abilities in the game (the other being Haymaker, which also has an added effect that doesn't work on anything in full parties) and a level 30 quest skill. This ability could possibly add some cool gameplay and decision making to paladin if it started a combo or something. I really hope they rework it or make it a combo starter in the expansion. Doing very slightly more damage/gcd than the full Halone combo doesn't really justify its existence imo.

[reality_check]

Doing very slightly more damage/gcd than the full Halone combo doesn't really justify its existence imo.

Exactly my sentiments.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

How about a useful effect? Pacification is extremely useless in endgame, the only reason I even use that skill is TP management, and I really only need it on certain fights. They made Presence of Mind less useless, why not Shield Swipe?

[Riepah]

If I'm tanking a boss and am way ahead in aggro generation, I'd rather start stoneskinning and using Riot Blade, myself, than use Shield Swipe. If Shield Swipe gave some sort of buff, perhaps a 10% defense increase for 10 seconds or something, it'd become worth using.

[Gilthas]

If I'm tanking a boss and am way ahead in aggro generation, I'd rather start stoneskinning and using Riot Blade, myself, than use Shield Swipe. If Shield Swipe gave some sort of buff, perhaps a 10% defense increase for 10 seconds or something, it'd become worth using.

I'd argue against making Shield Swipe give a good buff without how the ability is activated being redesigned. Give it a good buff and PLDs could probably have it up indefinitely by using a shield with a high block rate. That's why it currently makes sense to have the ability cause a status effect that a mob can build resistance to.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Wars have maim and storms path and eye that they can keep up indefinitely...

[TouchandFeel]

I'm in the camp of its meh, not terrible but not very good either.
I agree that pacification becomes somewhat pointless in endgame due to it being resisted but I do like to cycle it in to my attacks for the very slight dps boost.

If I were to do anything to it, I would have it play up its tp management useage and remove the tp cost and maybe have it actually regain a small amount of tp. That way in a long fight you could cycle it in to replenish your tp or at least not drain it.

[Kayo]

This is a DPS ability? Potency is 10 more than savage blade. The average potency of paladin 1-2-3 combo is 206. You basically add 4 potency onto one ability by interrupting your 1-2-3 combo to use shield swipe. Try again.

Youre not really interrupting anything, just kinda throwing it in. It doesnt cancel the combo IIRC. Granted its probably not very good when tanking that Ive found since it doesnt actually do anything useful or raise enmity but for solo'ing or just FATEs I think its better (if slightly) to throw it in whenever it procs.

Its probably useful in PvP.... =\

I agree it needs a buff though. Twelve knows PLD could use one, maybe turn it into an AoE? .... PLEASE!!!