Salted Earth and other questionable changes.

[ScarletVanguard]

Now that we have the complete patch notes, I want to hear the DRK communities thoughts on some of the more "interesting" changes. The abilities I'm a bit confused about are Salted Earth and Quietus. Salted Earth was nerfed so hard that it's almost a waste of an ability. I normally don't care about potency changes, but this just feels like it should have been removed entirely.

Salted Earth - Overall Potency: 1050 reduced to 300
Recast: 45 to 90
Duration: 21 to 15
Potency: 75 to 60
No longer increases Blood Gauge

Quietus Isn't so blatantly bad, it's just in a bit odd. It now always does DA damage (210), but no longer generates MP. With the addition of Stalwart Soul we still have an AoE option that will generate MP, but the patch notes don't specify if the MP generation is a set number or if it will work like Quietus does now. But if it does generate MP for each target, Quietus could potentially be a DPS and mitigation loss.

[Chrono_Rising]

I agree with you about salted earth, and I see no reason why It couldn't have been left at 45 seconds and 75 potency.

Quietus change seems to be in the direction of reigning in our resource generation in large pulls. Stalwart soul appears to function like Syphon strike giving back only a set about of mp. Dark Knight seems slown down for no reason. People didn't really care for the dark arts spam, but I am pretty sure most people play dark knight for the speed which has been heavily reduced.

[MagiusNecros]

Salted Earth is weaker, does not generate blood and is on double the CD.

On the other hand Tanks no longer have damage penalties.

Quietus just makes it so we can't spam MP spenders. Which is dumb.

[whiskeybravo]

I agree with you about salted earth, and I see no reason why It couldn't have been left at 45 seconds and 75 potency.

The most obvious reason is that the damage (and blood gen) was applied elsewhere.

[shao32]

all the changes on DRK are very questionable, it's just another "hey take another nerf at the start of the expansion". this stuff and the buff on bloodspiller it's just another proof that they hate DRK and want it to become a WAR so in 6.0-7.0 can say, we remove DRK and you can wear greatswords with WAR, enjoy.

[Chrono_Rising]

The most obvious reason is that the damage (and blood gen) was applied elsewhere.

It seems like even if we had the move at full power we would still be below paladin.

[Giubba]

Now that we have the complete patch notes, I want to hear the DRK communities thoughts on some of the more "interesting" changes. The abilities I'm a bit confused about are Salted Earth and Quietus. Salted Earth was nerfed so hard that it's almost a waste of an ability. I normally don't care about potency changes, but this just feels like it should have been removed entirely.

Salted Earth - Overall Potency: 1050 reduced to 300
Recast: 45 to 90
Duration: 21 to 15
Potency: 75 to 60
No longer increases Blood Gauge

Quietus Isn't so blatantly bad, it's just in a bit odd. It now always does DA damage (210), but no longer generates MP. With the addition of Stalwart Soul we still have an AoE option that will generate MP, but the patch notes don't specify if the MP generation is a set number or if it will work like Quietus does now. But if it does generate MP for each target, Quietus could potentially be a DPS and mitigation loss.

Salted earth got the dark passenger treatment got nerfed into oblivion so it can be removed without too much fuss.

Qiuetus became the aoe spam skill for our NEW THRILLING AND ABSOLUTELY BELOVED DELIRIUM THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING WE SHOULD BITCHING ABOUT BECAUSE FINALLY WE ARE CLOSER TO WHAT EVERY TANKS SHOULD ASPIRE TO BE

[Kyni]

the salted earth change is probably just to set it up to be removed in the next expansion. This is the only reason i can see for this specific change. Allthough the loos of blood generation is probably because it scaled with targest and they seem to only want fixed numbers for this.

[Jonnycbad]

Salted Earth was weakened because:

Unleash: 50->150 potency AoE
Flood of Shadow: 300 potency AoE
Abyssal Drain: 150->200 potency AoE
Quietus: Potency 160->210 potency AoE
Stalwart Soul (Combos with Unleash): 160 potency AoE

DRK received buffs to all their AoE potencies, as well as a few new AoE oGCDs. Additionally, Unleash/Stalwart Soul cost 0 MP to use, so they can be spammed indefinitely. Whereas before, DRK's sustain AoE was Unleash/Abyssal Drain which could drain a DRK dry quite fast, so Salted Earth was a tool to help upkeep AoE damage when available. Now it's less important.

[Giubba]

the salted earth change is probably just to set it up to be removed in the next expansion. This is the only reason i can see for this specific change. Allthough the loos of blood generation is probably because it scaled with targest and they seem to only want fixed numbers for this.

Abyssal drain is another ability primed for being deleted