Low utility of the Scout tree, which also results in zero use for any possible (effective) group setups.
It also has low damage potential since UF no longer exists.
Lack of motivation for stance dancing.
Explain why it is an issue
Scout stance requires the stationarity because of the long build times. Stationary dps is easy to catch then it can't provide it's damage while escaping or chasing. In competitive environment which is full of movement, repositioning and switching, there is almost no time for such turtle damage. But it is not the main issue. It's just a downside of this stance. The issue is that it has no compensation - poor sacrifice/reward balance.
Since SWs are not allowed to deal a lot of single target damage, they should offer something else.
Propose a viable solution to the problem
Step 1
Rework of the tree:
Such positions of skills and tactics will be required for further changes.
Step 2
Increase the cooldown of Festering Arrow to 10 sec.
Simple as that.
Step 3
Add these affects to tactics:
Enchanted Arrows:
Flame Arrow and Festering Arrow will now bypass all of your victim's resistances.
Festering Arrow will now cause all healing done by your target to be reduced to 50% for the next 10 seconds* (out-going heal debuff).
Smoldering Arrows:
Flame Arrow will now disorient your target for 5-10 seconds, increasing their build times by 25-50%.**
* - I highly recommend this duration because it is optimal for stance dancing.
** - these can be tweaked.
Explanation
No, it won't be OP. Why? Because I tested it.
I was using this build
Spoiler:
It can be considered as the strongest build you will be able to get with these changes (+1 skill with 70rr). It would have both heal debuffs, but, just to mention, such possibility already exists in the game (Choppa, WE and WH are able to apply both HDs and it doesn't make them OP).
So, I imitated the situation if SW would have two HDs and would be able to increase build times (IB was providing an out-going HD with 20s. duration and which can't be cleansed (I'm asking for only 10 sec. duration and removable) and SM was imitating 80-100% uptime of the build times debuff (which also not that easy to maintain). AM had really hard times. Here is the video.
Spoiler:
Every round was from 30 sec to 2 minutes (round 1, without detaunt and kill - 30+ sec.; round 2, kill - 41 sec; round 3, kill - 37 sec; round 4, w/o kill - 1:30+ min; round 5, w/o kill 1:30+) which is more than enough for a healer to react, apply detaunt, ask for guard, drink pots and just start to kite or simply run away (in that case whole stationary Scout stance gameplay will be countered). Dodges also counter it pretty hard. Moreover SW was free, none was attacking, interrupting or chasing, most of these actions would prevent SW from focusing a healer.
AM said that the main problem for her was an AP starvation, which is another sigh that SW needs a lot of time to kill an enemy healer. Also AM used pot only once (Round 4).
Furthermore this kind of gameplay forces to stance dance and it's great! (It wasn't even close to kill a healer while being only in Scout stance or full Scout build with EE) Finally there will be a motivation to switch stances and use their advantages.
And clearly it was high RR build that requires a lot of RR points to get those tactics and to be able to attack from 98ft range (but I still don't think that it is something OP since it's much more easier for a healer to get out of your range in that case). Otherwise you will have to be in range of ~70ft and again it will benefit a healer since it will be easy to spot the SW.
To summarize:
Resurrection of the Scout tree - check
Stance dancing requirement* - check
Damage values don't change - check
Possibility for a counter play - check
Utility for a group play - check
* - FA will have 10 sec. cooldown, HD duration is 10 sec., build time is 3 sec, it means that a healer will have a 3-4 seconds window for any reactions. Also SW will have to switch back to Scout stance to reapply HD and build times debuff. Dodge - 13 sec. before another HD. Same if healer just cleanse it.
Why does SW need these changes?
Today SW can be performed in two possible setups:
- 3-2-1 (dps-healers-tank) that is highly unrecommended (punt the tank - mdps is dead, gg)
- WL/SW setup. And it still has some weak places since SW just can't outshine damage potential of WL/SL or double SL.
So since it can't win the war of damage dealing, it must have something else to offer. Today only Skirmish stance has something to offer - RKD (It's placement now makes Skirmish almost mandatory). But with these changes SW will have a choice: RKD or out-going HD. Both are high rewarded decisions. Even simple moving of FtW may cause more stance dancing.
