How would you improve the Paladin's Cover skill?

[krislox]

I've been using Cover liberally during dungeons runs just so I get a feel on how to actually use the ability efficiently. I've counted 2 successful saves over many runs and this is because apparently a lot of players don't like it when you use cover and run away to break the tether. I think breaking tether isn't necessarily bad but I don't think there are any other skills in the game that has another player dictate the usage of your abilities. There were also times where Cover would've been perfect, but that 50 Oath Gauge cost makes using it even more difficult.

It's a situational ability that punishes you hard for using it at the wrong time. I think increasing the tether range (and creating a visual indicator for when the tether is about to break) and lowering the cost is a good direction to start. It could have an effect similar to Synastry where a heal on one target is also a heal for the chosen ally but that might be stepping into Astro's turf.

[Cabalabob]

There are times when you want to break the tether so you can cover one hit and then let the other tank continue tanking so a longer tether would be bad because you couldn’t cover then break the tether while staying in melee range.

I think it’s pretty much unanimously agreed that the gauge cost was an unnecessary addition to the skill and should be removed.

Cover used to give a 20% damage reduction on covered damage which made it PLDs go to CD where other tanks needed to swap, personally I found that iteration of cover to be the best because it brought PLDs iconic ability to the forefront of its kit. But they nerfed it because it made PLD too good as OT.

Right now I think it’s fine as it is. It has its uses but PLDs baseline kit is fairly decent without it. The gauge cost is the only thing I’d change, just outright remove it and cover would be a perfectly inoffensive niche skill.

[ThorneDynasty]

Either remove the gauge cost or the cooldown, first of all.

[Dzian]

Bring back its buff sharing.

Used to be fun to cover a WHM or something and pop hallowed ground. Resulting in an invincible WHM.

Or the times I used it to save people in old ex trials. Tempered Will and cover the BLM mid cast during a landslide in Titan ex or on the wrong side of the boat in Leviathan ex. Don't worry buddy I got you..

Oh and get rid of the "does not activate on certain attacks" thing.. especially with this trend of making things simpler to understand... you either cover them or you don't. no effin maybes

Things like that made it a fun skill to use.

[aodhan_ofinnegain]

The only way you can make Cover useful again is either remove the cost and keep the 2 minute cooldown, or keep the cost and 2 minute cooldown, but allow Cover to apply Knight's Benediction and Knight's Resolve for the duration of Cover, to the PLD, to make it equally worth using it as there reason to use Intervention.

Bring back its buff sharing.

Used to be fun to cover a WHM or something and pop hallowed ground. Resulting in an invincible WHM.

Or the times I used it to save people in old ex trials. Tempered Will and cover the BLM mid cast during a landslide in Titan ex or on the wrong side of the boat in Leviathan ex. Don't worry buddy I got you..

Oh and get rid of the "does not activate on certain attacks" thing.. especially with this trend of making things simpler to understand... you either cover them or you don't. no effin maybes

Hallowed Ground and Cover never interacted, ever. There has been evidence showing this interaction never existed all the way back in ARR.

Tempered Will plus Cover worked only until the second tier of SB raid tier, after which they negated that interaction. Granted most people had Arm's Length or Surecast to negate knockback and draw-in effects.

Does not work on certain actions is there as a caveat to cover certain fight design, and reduce cheesing mechanics or circumventing enrages.

[krislox]

Thematically since Cover is used to protect another player, it would be cool if they add an ally targeted dash and create a tether from there. It fills in that fantasy of "jumping in to protect you" visually without compromising it's usage. I'm not sure if that's worth 50 Oath gauge and 120 second CD though. Maybe in addition to buff sharing I can see it being worth it.

[VictorSpoils]

Any of the following: increase the range, lower/remove the cooldown, lower/remove the Oath Gauge cost, or rework it so it treats you as the recipient of the damage so you benefit from your mitigations and don't receive debuffs.

[Marxam]

Hot take, but I'd make it a tank role skill for all tanks to utilize. It would free up PLD with an open spot, give all the other tanks some good utility and the shenanigans you can pull with it is potentially endless, ex. both tanks cover the healers for mechanics, OT covers MT to take a slashing debuff, etc.

Even hotter take; they should also remove rampart. With the introduction of short cds like BW, shelltron, TBN, etc, acting as a shorter but powerful version of rampart (20% mitigation) it seems redundant to still have it in-game. The only reason I can see to keep rampart is for low lvling dungeons but honestly if the healer just spammed heals on the tank they can pull quite a bit w/o needing to use cds. In most cases lvling roulette that already happens, in addition to the tank not putting up stance.

[DanielNegreanu_Adamantoise]

Give it Knight’s Benediction and a 10s recast

[Garnix]

Simple changes:
1) When applying cover, the next Sheltron/Intervention should be free. (this way, you are still restricted in use by your gauge and not by a ridiculously long CD, but are not penalized if you use it)
2) Increase the range and remove the tether, the same way Dragoons lost theirs.