Rework of Warrior Priest Grace and Wrath Path

[Charon]

Hello fellow RoR players. I would like express my thoughts about current state of melee WP especially in melee heal area which I'm most interested. In fact melee WP need a lot of help to make it works. I think I am last “more” active melee healer in game (I don't count wrath WP like Aponymus, Cefu and Clown) and I have to admit my performance is far from reliable (even I have years of experience playing this class) and don't bring much enjoyment. I think my support keg engineer (yes I stack willpower;) with all his cc and available dmg is much more useful, effective and fun to play as a support healer.

From this point of view Az ab.mode for WP was step in right direction. But, his changes to prayers somehow allow WP to outperform in some areas without addressing main problems which are lack of utilities and week tactics in both melee trees. I will advice to switch on again ab.mode but with some important modification. I hope my suggestions will be easy to implement in current state of game. If not maybe will create some base to further evaluation when client control will be on the table. So I dont mind if you mark this topic as “declined”.

I going to address mostly issues connected with WP performance. Melee Dok is quite viable in current state at least in sc mode (Starilas is best example of that;P) and need only couple of upgrades to make him works in rvr.

Path of Grace

Prayer of Devotion /Vitality
- keep ab.mode mechanism to increase willpower per strike.
- prayer should convert 50% of willpower to strength (ab.mode gives 100%) it would help melee WP to address problem with stats composition without outperforming him.
- to compensate lose in stats i suggest to link to this prayer effect of dwarf tactic “Stoutness of Stone”. Alone its week tactic but might help to survive melee healing WP worst situation for him when is constantly cc. WP/melee Dok is very fragile to knock down and its easiest way to kill him when does't have proper support.

Tactics

Greave of Sigmar

This tactic on paper is not bad but its usually totally obsolete in group play. It does not stack with other debuff (knight aura) and what more painful it does not stack with WP dominator set proc. So I suggest:
- change tactic character. It should proc as separate effect (for 7-10 sec) not only as Sigmar Fist buff. It would allow to stack it with other debuffs and increase WP role as a semi debuffer
- outdated suggestion while stricethroug was added to 2h (with I don't recommend) but I had idea to link additional block stricethroug to this tactic to all WP skills to allow perform WP as snb tanks pain in as when DoK is squishy target killer – somehow it will reflect real role of 2h blunt weapon in history as heavy armored troops cracker.

Leading the Prayer

Basic prayer of devotion as always the least useful WP prayer – is not reliable and usually pop when you don't need it. This same curse is connected with LtP tactic. I hardly notice existence of this additional heal and from my experience even Emperor Ward tactic is better to dish out some dmg. I don't know, but maybe LtP is bugged currently. Anyway I suggest;
- increase chance of PoD to pop to 35% with tactic (if over perform to 30%) as the equivalent of DoK Potent Covenant tactic. It would bring it to more reliable state and give more benefit for party from allow melee wp to play with.
- make it available only to 2h to avoid overuse of Salvation WP.

When or rather if changes will be implemented - both tactics should switch place in Grace tree.

Skills (leaser importance)

Sigmar’s Vision

Its my personal viewpoint but parry buff is totally obsolete for melee wp. On the other hand Melee WP is very fragile to caster attacks. So suggest change parry buff to disrupt to help WP survive constant caster focus. It might work also with shield of faith tk as combo.

Sigmar Radiance

Az always criticized overuse/spam of this ability – If ab.mode and LtP and GoS changes are implemented I will suggest to increase ap cost of this ability from 35 to 45 and respectively fury build to 45 also – it may decrease WP ability to use it and push melee heal WP to use different skills from salvation tree.

Divine Assault

In long run and with client control and possible replacement with old Divine Strike I suggest to move this skill to wrath tree to make dps mode fully independent in the mater of selfheal (from my perspective as melee grace/salvation healer this ability is totally obsolete)

Sigmar Fist

Make it curse to allow use with Weight of Guilt skill and Endless Guilt tactic which is very interesting but currently very limited to wrath tree users because combo mechanic.

2. Path of Wrath

Dps Path in current state - even with additional buffs to HoS and AoF - lacks of sustain comparing to DoK Torture Path so;
- switch on Az ab.mode with some changes
- lower dmg boost with with prayer/covenant to 20% (for WP) and 10 (for DoK) respectively – this upgrade is enough and with Divine Fury overall dmg increase comparable with other mdps abilities/tactics.
- add ap regeneration effect to WP caster similar at least to KoTBS aura (so 20 ap per 5 sec) to lower effectiveness of destruction ap drain abilities that DoK has access and to help keeping dps preasure.

Tactics

Guilty Soul

The biggest problem with this tactic is no conection with any other WP skills outside wrath tree and primarily with auto attack when DoK greatly benefit from AA. So I suggest allow this tactic proc with any WP crit – it will add whole additional dimension to offensive WP arsenal, stabilise his selfheal and allow effective use of available gear.

Divine Justice

I support statement created by “Roadkillrobin” – in current nerf of prayer ability pop usefulness of this tactic is very limited

Skills

Soulfire

This skill has very limited effect in current state. To make it useful it dmg should be split between base dmg and additional dot effect to allow it use to proc abilities launcher and utilizer of fury in wrath tree

Absence of Fate – currently addressed like we all wanted;)

3. Other things

Prayer of Absolution

I suggest leave book/chalice WP/Dok in current state – ab.mode destroy this way of playing a bit and was main reason whay Az was so much criticized. in fact changes to this mode are not necessary. In RoR heal WP/DoK is not immortal like it was in Live war. There is no Trivial blow/ Land proc bubbles, access to high armor talies is limited and what is more armor debuff is everywhere. I played couple of years in live war this way and its no more issue. What is more heal WP was oust from throne as best heal output healer by new ab. AM / Shaman

“idiotic” tactics like Sigmar Favor and Divine Reward
In current shape they are “mech” – its least to say. But I see potential changes that might create new opportunities to WP

I hope that my advices and suggestion will help devs to deal with WP problems in future. Pardon me for my low proficiency in english and wall of text.

[Penril]

Gonna decline this for now since it metions keeping several of the .ab ex changes. Will revisit it once we have client control.