Bard: After The Fall

[Myrha_Lhlalheva]

Here we are, roughly a fortnight after PvP BRD got nerfed into the dirt for no good reason. More specifically, Silent Nocturne suffered one of the heaviest nerfs ever seen by a single button since the 6.1 rework.

• Potency has been reduced from 2,000 to 0.
• Range has been reduced from 25 to 15 yalms.
• Silence effect duration has been reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.

As compensation, BRD received 2000 damage each on Apex Arrow and Repelling Shot, and a 5% mitigation/healing amp on Warden's Paean/Nature's Minne. It shouldn't surprise anybody reading this, but those measures of recompense were neither correct, nor were they enough. Let's talk about why.

First let's take a look at SE's reasoning:

Silent Nocturne is an incredibly effective tool to deal burst damage to enemies in conjunction with attacks from teammates. Because of the difficulty in countering this ability, however, we believe it required significant adjustments. We've reduced its range to both force tougher decisions in choosing targets, and increase risk in its execution. This should also give opponents a better chance at potentially dealing with the attack. To compensate for this, the potency of Apex Arrow and Repelling Shot has been increased, improving bard's area of effect and close-range damage potential.

Already in the first sentence, even SE acknowledges that Nocturne (and BRD) are essentially ineffective on their own, requiring team input in order to execute actual burst. They also mention "difficulty in countering this ability", even though silence can be removed by Purify/Aquaveil/Warden's, and blocked by Resilience/Guard/Warden's/Inner Release/Meikyo Shisui. There is a wealth and abundance of ways to equitably deal with a single-target silence--that is, trading one button for one button. This is unlike RDM's White Shift Resolution or BLM's Night Wing (which are AoE), or WHM's Miracle of Nature (which cannot be countered at all).

They go on to talk about forcing tougher choices in target selection and increasing risk, while attempting compensation by improving BRD's AoE and close-range damage. This betrays a complete lack of understanding of the very archetype that they originally designed. BRD was never meant to engage in high-risk decision making; the entire archetype is built around figuring out how to minimize risk while still maximizing contribution. BRD was not meant as a high-risk/high-reward killing engine like SAM.

Reducing the range of Nocturne to 15y hasn't forced riskier decision making, because killing yourself to get a silence on a backline target who MIGHT die just isn't worth it. You're more likely to just force out a Purify or a Guard, which is definitely not worth a death. All the range reduction has done is effectively buffed other backline jobs astronomically. BLM and SMN are out of control again because good BRDs are no longer capable of controlling them. As a side note, shifting Nocturne down across the 20y threshold means that BRD can no longer control or prevent any targeted gap closers. Anyone who wants to dive a BRD is now guaranteed to successfully reach them. Finally, a max range Repelling Shot (10y range + 10y backstep) will now place a BRD outside of Nocturne's range, distorting the synergy within the kit.

BRD was also never meant to be effective in enemy-targeted AoE or close combat--in fact, BRD suffers greatly in close range due to Powerful Shot and Pitch Perfect potencies being drastically reduced. Apex/Blast Arrow are often used on single targets to aid in both burst value and buff uptime. BRD was meant to have positive AoE effects on allies, with focused, single-target utility and burst for enemies. Reducing BRD's ability to play to its strengths while giving token, non-competitive buffs to its weaknesses means BRD is essentially good for nothing now.

So what should have happened? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to undersell the strength of Silent Nocturne--it was essentially the button that made BRD. But nerfing it so heavily and compensating incorrectly (ie, inconsistently with the theme of the job) was...painful. Here are my solutions to redress the problems that have arisen from Nocturne's nerf, as well as to correct many issues with crowd control in general:

BRD

• Powerful Shot no longer becomes Pitch Perfect under the effect of Repertoire.
• Repertoire can now stack up to 3 times. Charges are consumed one at at time.
• Repelling Shot now grants one stack of Repertoire.
• Repelling Shot now becomes Pitch Perfect under the effect of Repertoire if it is on cooldown.
• Silent Nocturne now becomes Pitch Perfect under the effect of Repertoire if it is on cooldown.
• Warden's Paean now becomes Pitch Perfect under the effect of Repertoire if it is on cooldown.
• Minimum potency of Pitch Perfect increased to 5000 from 4000.
• Maximum potency of Pitch Perfect increased to 9000 from 8000.
• Potency of Apex Arrow reduced to 6000 from 8000.
• Potency of Repelling Shot reduced to 2000 from 4000.
• Range of Silent Nocturne increased to 20y.
• Silence effect duration increased to 3s.
• Warden's Paean no longer grants Warden's Grace upon nullifying a status affliction.
• Warden's Paean now grants Warden's Grace to all allies within 30y range.
• Warden's Grace damage reduction and healing increase reduced to 20% from 25%.

These changes are meant to refocus BRD's kit on single-target burst, while making their supportive capabilities more consistent. Powerful Shot is also now available to recharge Empyreal Arrow while waiting for an enemy's Guard to end.

RDM

• Range of Resolution reduced to 20y from 25y.
• Bind duration of Resolution reduced to 2s from 3s.

These changes are meant to bring RDM's powerful AoE crowd control more in line with the capabilities of other jobs.

BLM

• Range of Night Wing reduced to 20y from 25y.
• Night Wing now has a cast time of 1.44s.

Night Wing was a very effective tool for forcing out Purify and enabling AoE combos alike, so these changes should raise its execution requirements sufficiently to match its rewards.

WAR

• Range of Blota reduced to 10y from 15y.

The snapshot on Blota's instant cast was giving it deceptive range and nullifying many escapes. This range reduction should result in fewer unfair interactions wherein a player who had already escaped finds themselves drawn back in.

DRK

• Radius of Salted Earth reduced to 5y from 10y.
• Damage reduction of Salted Earth increased to 25% from 20%.
• Cure over time and damage reduction of Salted Earth now applies to allies.

DRK's oppressive presence in Frontline game modes is due largely to the snapshotting of Salted Earth, similar to the issues of WAR's Blota. These changes should reduce DRK's ability to single-handedly accost entire enemy teams, while retaining their playmaking potential on smaller Crystalline Conflict maps. The utility of Salted Earth now also applies to allies, incentivizing coordinated team play rather than solo womboing.

WHM

• Range of Miracle of Nature increased to 15y from 10y.
• Miracle of Nature now additionally slows target player's movement while transformed.
• Miracle of Nature can now be removed with Purify or any equivalent.

These changes are meant to give MoN some much-needed counterplay, while increasing its range and power to better reward proper target selection.

[Valence]

Totally agreed, although I feel a party wide Warden's Grace from a non LB ability at best should give 10%. At best (Fan Dance IV gives 10% to 2 players), but I do like the idea.

[Myrha_Lhlalheva]

Totally agreed, although I feel a party wide Warden's Grace from a non LB ability at best should give 10%. At best (Fan Dance IV gives 10% to 2 players), but I do like the idea.

Fair enough, I hadn't considered that comparison point.

[Valence]

While we're at it I'd like them to buff or at least clarify Bard's LB generation on the party level. That LB is underwhelming and crippled by many problems that self conflict with itself, in true bard's fashion (long cast time animation delay, dead people don't benefit from it, people having it that die don't benefit from it since it's a sustained LB, and not a burst like AST...).