Why is paladin the only job now that deals 20% reduced damage?

[DolphinsFan]

The frontline changes look very exciting, and I thank the devs for their efforts to improve and expand on the mode. However, I found my personal excitement to be soured upon seeing the changes to damage reduction. Dragoon and Dark Knight both had their damage dealt increased from -20% to -15%. This now leaves Paladin as the only job to receive a 20% nerf to its damage. I find this odd because Paladin's kit already deals low damage, the least of any of the tanks. Furthermore, with the nerfs it has received over 7.1 due to Crystalline Conflict, its defensives are also the weakest amongst tanks. Yes, cover is a strong ability, but properly utilizing it hinders your ability to act and do damage. Cover also has many counters, and in Frontlines, the likelihood that you will see these counters increases greatly, even more so now with some of the new role actions. In the context of Frontlines, surely Dark Knight's salted earth is considered more impactful than cover. So, why is Paladin punished so harshly?

I hope that this post is premature, and I look forward to testing out the new changes to Frontlines in 7.2. The reintroduction of Secure is especially interesting since it is a whole new map to me, having started playing after it had been removed. However, if Paladin still feels as it has in 7.1, I'm afraid that I will not have any desire to play Frontlines for long and will have to play Crystalline Conflict instead, which is a shame as I am not very good at it and I believe many would not like to see me back for another season.

[Mercury_Grey]

Probably to offset that they can basically say "screw your guard" with shield smite

[Mawlzy]

The frontline changes look very exciting, and I thank the devs for their efforts to improve and expand on the mode. However, I found my personal excitement to be soured upon seeing the changes to damage reduction. Dragoon and Dark Knight both had their damage dealt increased from -20% to -15%. This now leaves Paladin as the only job to receive a 20% nerf to its damage. I find this odd because Paladin's kit already deals low damage, the least of any of the tanks. Furthermore, with the nerfs it has received over 7.1 due to Crystalline Conflict, its defensives are also the weakest amongst tanks. Yes, cover is a strong ability, but properly utilizing it hinders your ability to act and do damage. Cover also has many counters, and in Frontlines, the likelihood that you will see these counters increases greatly, even more so now with some of the new role actions. In the context of Frontlines, surely Dark Knight's salted earth is considered more impactful than cover. So, why is Paladin punished so harshly?

I hope that this post is premature, and I look forward to testing out the new changes to Frontlines in 7.2. The reintroduction of Secure is especially interesting since it is a whole new map to me, having started playing after it had been removed. However, if Paladin still feels as it has in 7.1, I'm afraid that I will not have any desire to play Frontlines for long and will have to play Crystalline Conflict instead, which is a shame as I am not very good at it and I believe many would not like to see me back for another season.

Maybe to emphasize PLD as a staller?

It was my first FL job and I eventually gave up on it because simply not dying didn't strike me as that interesting.

[DolphinsFan]

Probably to offset that they can basically say "screw your guard" with shield smite

Warrior limit break does this as well and much more effectively since its effect is a full removal and does not need its targets to already be guarded. While Paladin can use shield smite more often, needing its targets to be guarded to actually work makes it so that at most it's likely only to affect a couple guards at a time and only for a couple seconds. While powerful in smaller-scale fights to secure kills, it loses its strength in fighting larger groups where the goal isn't so much to single people out.

[Mawlzy]

Warrior limit break does this as well and much more effectively since its effect is a full removal and does not need its targets to already be guarded. While Paladin can use shield smite more often, needing its targets to be guarded to actually work makes it so that at most it's likely only to affect a couple guards at a time and only for a couple seconds. While powerful in smaller-scale fights to secure kills, it loses its strength in fighting larger groups where the goal isn't so much to single people out.

"Balance" is still based on 5v5, unfortunately.

[DolphinsFan]

"Balance" is still based on 5v5, unfortunately.

Job kits are, but the damage reductions applied in frontlines aren't, otherwise they wouldn't exist.

[Atreus]

Pairing Cover with the new Rampart does look like it'll be pretty great, since that can't be broken or shattered like Guard. Apart from all that, it all looks pretty fun.

[Mawlzy]

Job kits are, but the damage reductions applied in frontlines aren't, otherwise they wouldn't exist.

Yeah indeed, so maybe PLD's flavor is "big, bad sponge."

[DolphinsFan]

Yeah indeed, so maybe PLD's flavor is "big, bad sponge."

The issue here is that Paladin's kit is already built around deciding between damage and tanking. Its strongest attack is built into shelltron, which aside from its lb, is it's only mitigation, and to actually get the attack off at full effectiveness, it can't use any of it for defense. If a paladin wants to use cover, they often have to kitchen sink which makes them practically unable to take an offensive action. Other tanks are arguably better at surviving than paladin and they don't have to sacrifice their damage to do so.

[Mawlzy]

The issue here is that Paladin's kit is already built around deciding between damage and tanking. Its strongest attack is built into shelltron, which aside from its lb, is it's only mitigation, and to actually get the attack off at full effectiveness, it can't use any of it for defense. If a paladin wants to use cover, they often have to kitchen sink which makes them practically unable to take an offensive action. Other tanks are arguably better at surviving than paladin and they don't have to sacrifice their damage to do so.

Now you can add the 30-yard punt, which I believe is about average for the Dolphins?

(Next season, Fins. I can feel it.)