Warrior Rework Idea

[Kalise]

I wouldn't throw Surecast in to the useless section, a good caster knows when to utilize this and can help to pass many mechs, even in Extreme/Savage content. Many casters get more damage uptime knowing when to use this, so far from useless, even before SB it was a very good action to take as cross role. The other actions mentioned are useless though depending on the content. Although the niche ones are not all niche, but mostly wanted to clear up Surecast.

That's probably on me. As I've never mained caster, I've never really noted any mechanics that were especially punishing for getting casts off so that Surecast was necessary.

Even in solo content, where I'm literally getting pounded in the face by enemies several levels higher than me, I've never really felt the need to use Surecast to prevent interruptions (They were annoying, sure, but nothing that made me want to bother putting SC onto my action bar)

So to expand slightly further:

(assuming all TP costs are removed so base combos are free)

* BB/Eye both return MP.
* All 4 GCD gauge skills cost identical MP (FC/IB/SC/Decimate)
* Using Deliverance MP skills build deliverance gauge. Using Defiance MP skills builds Defiance gauge. Can maintain Parry/Crit passives
* When both defiance and Deliverance gauge bars are full (X uses of each) unlocks Inner release. (Probably 2 or 3 each total as any more than 4-6 starts to take to long for this game, but can vary based on how strictly MP costs gate accessability)
* Inner release is some type of bursty damage buff that is greater than the difference of (FC pot-IB Pot)*X.

My issue with this is what becomes of combos?

Like, WAR has 3 combos (Butcher, Path, Eye). Currently only 2 are worthwhile.

With this suggestion, again, only 2 become worthwhile (Butcher and Eye) for MP gain (Much the same as why DRK has only 1 combo and PLD only has 2 combos that are worthwhile because MP gain... Also, damage because, inexplicably the MP regain combos also have higher potency for them)

If the basis is still built on my original ideas for BB to generate Defiance while Path/Eye generate Deliverance. Then it comes back to a thing where people would only use BB combos to generate Defiance, they would never use IB and would instead spend MP on FC, even overcapping on Deliverance because then you're using 10% bonus crit chance FC's instead of using 33% less damaging IB's (Unless potencies were altered)

This is the underlying problem with shared resource costs, players will never want to spend their resources using the lesser damaging skill.

Be it IB vs FC using the same Gauge (Currently)

Be it IB vs FC using MP (Your suggestion)

Be it Storm's Path vs Butcher/Eye (Currently)

Be it Butcher/Eye vs Path (Your suggestion)

The latter 2 being competing for the resource of GCD's.

This is to say nothing about your suggestion doesn't do anything differently about making actively mitigating anything meaningful. You use IB to generate gauge. It doesn't matter when you use IB, it doesn't matter what secondary effect is on IB (Max HP, Damage Reduction, forced Parry etc) you have no reason to "Save" it for when damage is coming in and it's merely a passive reduction in damage if it happens to line up when you cast IB for the resources it generates.

Since this is one of the issues with WAR's design and theme. Very little exists in a way that makes active mitigation convert into something useful. The closest we have is Max HP synergy a la Upheaval's potency increase, but that doesn't actually care if we mitigate with that max HP (In fact, due to Upheaval caring about CURRENT HP it's actually better that we don't mitigate with that HP). Maybe we can also include Vengeance's retaliation damage - But again, this would come under just passively taking damage during the effect.

Some people have previously tried to think of an oGCD Inner Beast skill. But unless the skill is reworked to no longer deal damage... It would simply become an oGCD you used when beneficial (If costing gauge it would just be weaved in during IR. If free it would just be used on CD)

Even if you take WAR's current designs and themes out of the equation and look to its sources and inspiration, such as Berserkers, Vikings and Warriors from previous titles, there still isn't much there to use. For example, a stereotypical Berserker thing is to do increased damage while at lower HP values... But then it's just a case of actively not mitigating damage to lower your HP value for bonus damage.

Maybe there's some form of Counterattack (See: X-2 Berserker with Counterattack, Magick Counter and Evade & Counter, Tactics A2 Berserker with Counter and XI Warrior with Retaliation) that could work. But the issue is trying to turn it into something that cares about mitigating damage.

Especially notable is something that makes use of requiring significant damage to be mitigated like with TBN where you have to break that shield to get the bonus (Compared to Sheltron which you can block an AA that you don't care about and get the same DPS increase to if you used the block vs a Tankbuster)

Honestly i dont really care what the reward is, as long as it is greater than the cost of using IB over FC for a few uses so that it is actually worth using.

Yeah... The trick is trying to make combo's rewarding to use each of them as well as making IB then also worth using over FC.

Both have their inevitable pitfalls.

It's really hard to make these skills balanced when they cost the same resources... Unless you do something like with DRG's FaC/WT where using one lets you then use the other with bonus potency (So for example, FC then lets you use an IB with bonus potency) - The issue in this case is if IB is still the "Defensive" skill and provides a defensive bonus, then it's still just going to be passive free mitigation while you just IB after your FC for damage while the defence is free.

Honest question. Does Warrior even need a rework?

I think that all classes need a rework to their level 1-50 skill unlocks.

As far as the class as a whole goes... Something should happen to address the the essentially non-existence of Inner Beast and Steel Cyclone at end-game where Defensive Stances are rarely used.

To say nothing about my personal bias (With some other players more objective bias) in regards to Inner Release. My qualm being that it's not fun or interesting. While other's complain about how it works so well with buff stacking meta's because it condenses so much of WAR's overall DPS into a specific 10s burst window that happens to be ideal for buff stacking metas.