[SM] New changes in patch (19th aug)

[Ugle]

Any Vaul/Hoeth SM tested the Vaul tempering skill and the new phantom blade enchant? is it good in wb setting? I am yet to test it. I also really like the new heavens blade , it's quite nice to have your group mates resistance or armor gets buffed up when taking pressure from destro.

Heaven's Blade is borderline useless because it doesn't stack with armor pots, which everyone and their mother uses and outside of sorc word of pain bombing, most burst damage comes from the melee train. Phantom Blade is only 32 wounds. 320 HP isn't that much, most DPS auto for more than that. Seems like it's best just to stick with the ol' faithful Nature's Blade.

HB provides Resistances OR Armor, which is a step forward in allowing for possible SM/IB comps one day.

Unless duration of the buff can overlap?

On that note, what is the duration of the buff supposed to be?, skill description in changelog dosen't say.

[Mystry]

As for the usefulness of Phantoms Blade, if you spec into Vaul, it buffs/heals for more (for me 48 wounds when lightly specced into it (the 5pt bubble)), also heals for every proc, so borderline OP in AOEspam environment.

Woah woah woah wait a second here; PB heals every single time it procs even if you already have the buff? If so then that's a 480 hp heal with only 5 points in Vaul.

This might single-handedly put SM near IB in terms of solo potential if that's the case. 2 handed heavy vaul solo roam builds incoming.

Unless duration of the buff can overlap?

On that note, what is the duration of the buff supposed to be?, skill description in changelog dosen't say.

Pretty sure the buff duration is 10 seconds. And I don't think it overlaps but overwrights itself

[ashton007]

As for the usefulness of Phantoms Blade, if you spec into Vaul, it buffs/heals for more (for me 48 wounds when lightly specced into it (the 5pt bubble)), also heals for every proc, so borderline OP in AOEspam environment.

Woah woah woah wait a second here; PB heals every single time it procs even if you already have the buff? If so then that's a 480 hp heal with only 5 points in Vaul.

This might single-handedly put SM near IB in terms of solo potential if that's the case. 2 handed heavy vaul solo roam builds incoming.

Unless duration of the buff can overlap?

On that note, what is the duration of the buff supposed to be?, skill description in changelog dosen't say.

Pretty sure the buff duration is 10 seconds. And I don't think it overlaps but overwrights itself

It sounds better than it is... You can only proc that heal once every 10 sec and thats only in perfect scenario. Usually its every 15-20 as you cant refresh it.

[MayoDaen78]

Phoenix Wing is kinda useless in WB specc with 2h requirement.

Yeah it would be nice to be able to use it as S n B too. I myself like to play 2h, and I found it's quite useful especially when trying to hold destro pushing on keep sieges, especially on ramp or some tight spaces. it's 40ft radius broad cone swing slash that deals spirit damage and hits multiple targets, it allows more procs from tactics like BE and PE and blade enchants too.

[Mystry]

It sounds better than it is... You can only proc that heal once every 10 sec and thats only in perfect scenario. Usually its every 15-20 as you cant refresh it.

Yeah....I toyed around with it and it doesn't work at all. RIP, my dreams of being an SM version of Volgograd dashed again.

[Athergic]

Sword masters, what do you think of having mirrored bellows/blade enchantments? I always liked looking at the other side, seeing they had resist debuff and bubble. But now it's the same, was there any particular reasoning for making them exactly alike? I wonder if mirroring classes is on the agenda, because it seems to be happening in recent patches.

[Wdova]

It sounds better than it is... You can only proc that heal once every 10 sec and thats only in perfect scenario. Usually its every 15-20 as you cant refresh it.

Yeah....I toyed around with it and it doesn't work at all. RIP, my dreams of being an SM version of Volgograd dashed again.

On live BO version was pretty viable because it worked that way and provide some minor healing. Than It get changed to it cannot proc during 10s duration and nobody run that anymore. Both versions SMs and BOs need some love to be worth to pick it over stat steal or rezist/armor buff belows/blades.

[Azarael]

Sword masters, what do you think of having mirrored bellows/blade enchantments? I always liked looking at the other side, seeing they had resist debuff and bubble. But now it's the same, was there any particular reasoning for making them exactly alike? I wonder if mirroring classes is on the agenda, because it seems to be happening in recent patches.

I will do whatever is necessary to make an ability viable while keeping its thematic intent. Shields are crap on a tank because they come after Toughness but before every other type of mitigation, of which tanks have a lot. Heaven's Blade was competing with Nature's Blade as an offensive enchantment, and Nature's Blade is simply more viable in this regard because it can steal Initiative as well as Toughness and offensive stats.

[Mystry]

I will do whatever is necessary to make an ability viable while keeping its thematic intent. Shields are crap on a tank because they come after Toughness but before every other type of mitigation, of which tanks have a lot. Heaven's Blade was competing with Nature's Blade as an offensive enchantment, and Nature's Blade is simply more viable in this regard because it can steal Initiative as well as Toughness and offensive stats.

Well, in that case I would HIGHLY suggest making the new Phantom's Blade able to overright itself and proc a heal in the process. It would certainly help with survivability (which is PBs theme).
Example: You're fighting some enemy with PB on. PB procs for the first time; you gain 32 wounds for 10 seconds and a 320 heal. Now let's say PB procs again during the original 10 seconds. Your wounds buff does not change, but you get another 320 heal. Maybe the duration is refreshed too. No one else gets a 'free heal' but you.

As it stands, Nature's Blade blows it out of the water since it can steal things like toughness and initiative and willpower, all of which give more effective EHP (particularly if you're specced into Khaine and have 120 stat steal) than 32 wounds and a very small heal does.

[anarchypark]

too much solo dps perspectives here.
all the changes are synergy each other for tanking. grp defender.

raking talon is good for melee train blob.
if you know how to use challenge.

HB is 940 armor in WW build.
guarantee with AoE in front line.
It might need multiple effects like NB,
armor + 3resist.

VT turn your grp into CC immune shock troops.
short time, hard to use. it's up to players make it viable.

PB... VT vaul also gives 940 armor. additional wound is synergy with +940 armor.

even 1 dimentional ED build improved with KD.

1khaine 1vaul 1hoeth 3SM, anyone interesting?