Quote Originally Posted by tjw View Post
Forbidden Chakra works similar to Spread, rather than Draw/Ninjutsu. The ability actually has a 5 second cooldown which is practically negligible, however, much like how Spread goes on cooldown after using the spread card but Draw doesn't, Forbidden Chakra goes on cooldown but not Meditation.
The TFC cooldown itself does nothing as it takes 4.8s + activation time (considerably more, depending on your ping, than .2s), though, unlike Draw. I'm honestly not sure why it's there--it makes zero difference. Like Ninjutsu, it may give precedent programming to some extent, but there's no similarity in gameplay effect. TFC's 5s CD does nothing. Similarly, there is no reason to hold a Ninjutsu, except to prep for a coming add to get the oGCDs out of the way; it advance the CD, and cannot be woven. A delay in Draw's card use, however, is weavable, often ideal for the buff's target, and yet the AST is punished for doing so solely by nature of that cooldown's trigger timing (on release, rather than on use - 1 click just to see what you have, another to use it). In either case though, my point is that AST gameplay would feel more powerful through its own unique toolset, while gaining QoL changes that make it feel both more tactical and yet lenient, if Draw and Spread simply triggered the cooldown the other way, in the background (like TFC's pointless 5s CD while restacking Chakra). Though, ideally, I'd still want those slight changes to Ewer/Spire (combine) and Spear as well. Those are all the changes I'd want for AST.