GNB QoL Change:

[Shurrikhan]

I think you are getting the wires crossed.

Fair enough. It seemed before that some (not you, but others) were blaming Double Down for clunk outside of just dungeon play. That seemed unreasonable, if not backwards. I'm glad that wasn't typically the case.

Personally, I've not found EW GNB restrictive nor clunky in doing my daily Expert roulettes on my tank alt (as GNB is my favorite outside of DRK, and this char already has DRK at 90), since I just remember which lulls will have Bloodfest and which won't ("full lulls") and just aim to cap immediately when going into the latter, even if it means putting in one fewer cartridge (into a very short-lived pack) under No Mercy. But, I can see why it might annoy some.

That said, changing Double Down to cost 1 cartridge without also changing Bloodfest seems like it'd be equally problematic, as you'd otherwise be very pressed to get all your cartridge damage into that window (since doing so would then take one GCD longer). Personally, if Double Down were reduced to a single cartridge in cost, I'd sooner leave Bloodfest as it was before, at 2 cartridges to be gained, and slightly buff Burst Strike itself and the Gnashing Fang combo in compensation, rather than extend the No Mercy window by a further 2 seconds.

At present, even at next to no SkS, I have no issues snapshotting NM onto the final Hypervelocity under the recommended opener, though that may be due to low ping (I live near the server).

[Absurdity]

At present, even at next to no SkS, I have no issues snapshotting NM onto the final Hypervelocity under the recommended opener, though that may be due to low ping (I live near the server).

No idea how you manage to do that, even at 18ms ping I can't, but you're also not really supposed to get it in the first place. You basically have 3 different No Mercy windows, not including the opener, within the first 3 minutes of a fight.
NM at 1 minute has Hypervelocity fall outside of your buff.
NM at 2 minutes has it inside the buff because you have enough time left to end No Mercy on a Brutal Shell.
NM at 3 minutes not only has Hypervelocity fall outside of your buff but also has the whole "Gnashing Fang + Jugular Rip outside of NM" nonsense.


I'd honestly suggest something similar. Just bring us back to 2 cartridges max, make Bloodfest give us 2 again and make Double Down cost only 1. Then add the missing potency to both Gnashing Fang and Burst Strike.
It would essentially make our burst function like it did in ShB again, the only difference being Hypervelocity and that one Burst Strike gets replaced by Double Down.


It still wouldn't fix the issues I have with Hypervelocity, but it would make our buildup phase and our NM windows less rigid again.

[Noctisnine]

I love new gunbreaker and it's my main tank for savage. Sure it could be less clunky but honestly compared to DRK it's a breeze. Still don't like the sounds for the one-two-three combo cause they sound like a wet noodle but the job itself feels amazing to play.

[Sceros]

Though I agree on the rotation side of things (doesn't yet feel that good and not going through 1-2-3 means we miss out on shield & heal), 2 cartridge only wouldn't mean a qol change for me. Might be a change in regards to preferred gameplay for some, but that's it pretty much.

On the constructive side of things, there might be some things that could work actually. Remove 20% damage buff and put it into double down. On hit, double down restores one bullet.

Now what would change? In the end, we would now always start burst with double down. We would always need 2 cartridges min to start the phase, but even after initiation with double down, there is both burst skills available to chain into. Those changes would make for a easier rotation and way more obvious best rotation that can be followed and improvised even when things go south in between.

We would have only lost a button that serves only to buff percentage. I hate all skills that just do some change to stats. I want skills feel reactive, not mere stat or percentage boosts - boring! But that might just be me.

In regards to "perfect balance": I don't think gunbreaker would be overperforming with this change. I actually would suppose a slight buff to gnashing fang, in that the finisher grants 200 shield / heal as well. That is due to the fact that we are going thorugh 1-2-3 only "rarely", so having a small potency shield / heal every 30 seconds would really feel as if something helpful is prinkled in there. I think overall, all those changes would bring gunbreaker into what might be the "perfect spot" for this expansion. Not saying it couldn't be better, but even what I do propose - sadly to me - is way more then we likely will see.

[Shikiseki]

Honestly, after being synced to 80, I can't even play that "simple version" of the rotation anymore.
It feels complex enough to be like a dps job as a tank which I really like. Build up cartriges to fully unleash them during no-mercy feels satisfying.

If double down gets its cost reduced to 1, I think that would be fine too as it would be less punishing if you somehow screw up midway due to sudden tank panic (lol)
And that would also mean more Burst Hypervelocity which is REALLY like using. I hope the job builds even further into the continuation like a double down continuation would be amazing for level 100

Also please don't reduce the max cartridge down to 2 again... can't live without it either