Thread: 2.1 WAR PVE First impression

After a few dungeons, here are my first impression on 2.1 WAR.
First the good things :

• Defiance & Warth : this change makes a LOT of sense, I can now use my warth and still taking the full benefits of incoming heals. Also enimity is now a piece of cake to build.
  • Unchained anger : because of defiance change, this skill goes from gadget to a nice reliable dps buff. This is also an indirect buff to bloodbath.
• Vengeance : it's now our most important CD, -30% incoming damage reduction. A must!
• Brutal swing : more stun is always welcome.
• Storm's eye, Storm's path : thanks to the enimity buff and the cost of these skills being reduced, these skills can be used more often, greatly increasing the war overall efficiency. Storm's path damage reduction can always be up it's a great addition.
• Overpower : this new animation is godsent

Then what didn't impress me :

• Steel cyclone : I'd rather have an aoe damage debuff than enimity increase. To me unchained anger+overpowerS is way better, but I may have missed something...
• Thrill of battle : it's still a weak defensive CD, basically a heal+ a small buff to stoneskin.
• Inner beast : the heal is now below average. The damage reduction, while welcome, is a bit quick to wear off, meaning it must be perfectly timed to be usefull.Plus it's useless when you're not tanking, making it work as a debuff on target would have help us get a spot in raid groups.

Lastly :

• Holmlang : didn't really test it, but it's a cool gadget, the change must be a nice addition.

My toughts :
A lot of wonderful changes making us more solid tank with even more damage output. To me WAR had an edge over PLD in 4men dungeons /speed runs, and it's even more true now.

But I'm pretty sure we're NOT on par with PLD when it comes to damage mitigation, we're missing at least a BIG defensive CD insted of weaklings like Inner beast & Thrill of battle.
There is still no room in raid for offtanks. Regarding raids (Titan HM+, coil) we're at best a second choice.

Originally Posted by Sargon

After a few dungeons, here are my first impression on 2.1 WAR.[*]Inner beast : the heal is now below average. The damage reduction, while welcome, is a bit quick to wear off, meaning it must be perfectly timed to be usefull.Plus it's useless when you're not tanking, making it work as a debuff on target would have help us get a spot in raid groups.

If you're not tanking, although it's true that it would be nicer if it could be a debuff on target, however, you could think of it as means of extra damage burst. Having too many conditions in a single skill would make my head hurt.
I feel we wouldn't have to worry about spots in raids anymore, considering how having a duplicate of a certain class would cause slower gain in terms of LB levels 2 and 3.

Rampart = Inner beast
Sentinel = Vengeance + Storm's path (stretching it there I know)
Trhill of battle= No paladin equivalent
Holmgang = Hallowed Ground
Bulwark = No WAR equivalent


They're quite even now.

I respectfully disagree for Holmgang = Hallowed ground, and this is why I say we're still lacking a big defensive CD.
At best, is some very specific cases, Holmgang can be 60% of Hallowed ground. Plus it cannot be used on stuff targeting you, and most of the times not when it matters (incoming mountain buster, caduceus with too many stacks, ...).

Originally Posted by Sargon

I respectfully disagree for Holmgang = Hallowed ground, and this is why I say we're still lacking a big defensive CD.
At best, is some very specific cases, Holmgang can be 60% of Hallowed ground. Plus it cannot be used on stuff targeting you, and most of the times not when it matters (incoming mountain buster, caduceus with too many stacks, ...).

I popped Holmgang for fun when my party wiped near the end of Ultima, with all cannons shooting me.
It was quite funny to see all these 500ish damage hits appearing on the screen and not dying.
I think it can be really usefull if used properly.

It's not mitigation, it's more like an ultimate chance to pop benediction or healer LB3.

Just so you all know Holmgang is resisted by every boss in Coil and is essentially useless. It's not even close to a hallowed ground sub.

I would gladly change any of my cooldowns for warriors inner beast. Even without the heal.

Originally Posted by DarpaChief

my pld, who provides little utility when not taking damage, (probably only RoH).

I know this is a little off topic, but I couldn't find that less true. I DO have WAR and PLD, and I have taken them both to Coil. If you are comparing an idle WAR to an idle PLD during a boss fight, WAR is going to contribute by adding a decent chunk of DPS, whereas PLD's main input will be in defense (Stone Skin, Cover, Stun, Silence, etc). They are different advantages, but if you are just doing RoH on the boss while not actively tanking anything you are missing a lot of opportunity to help your healers out.