[SM] Phantom's Blade

[Ramasee]

The issue with this blade enchantment is that currently it is the only one used by the swordmaster that is selfish. The swordmaster lacks as many tools to help out the party compared to other order tanks. The other two blade enchants are used much more often because of this, even by vaul specced swordmasters.

Solution 1: Have the bubble apply to all party members within 100ft. Reduce the duration it lasts to 5s (for the swordmaster too).

The ability still benefits the party under similar guidelines as other blade enchantments. You have to be actively attacking targets to trigger and it is random, therefore, not reliable. The reduced duration means that the bubble would only be useful while the swordmaster is actively attacking allowing the opponents to remove you from the fight and your absorbs.

[Side Note] Black Orc war bellow Da Toughest! shares a similar element about being the only selfish war bellow. I would leave that to people more experienced in the class on how theirs should be changed (in a different thread).

[peterthepan3]

Open for discussion. Will be locked in TWO WEEKS from now (26th May).

As it stands now, this is the only enchantment that offers literally nothing to the group. It is a selfish enchantment that doesn't really help negate damage a lot, and even as a full Vaul SM, you're probably going to be more inclined to use Nature's Blade to at least help the group out in some manner.

Allowing the enchantment to apply to party members would possibly give it more situational use within a group environment (akin to BO Green bellow, i.e. swapping when being focused.

[Methryel]

I do agree . PB IS useless. I think that increase the bubble (max IS around 470? now) ans Share it IS a good Idea.
The question IS how much ans how long?
800 max seems ok , like PoH.
5 s for the duration
What do you think?

[Aurandilaz]

PB is useless, but I'd be careful with spammable absorbs that can offer quite the protection against enemy dmg, make it too strong for whole party and SM becomes 3rd healer with permanent cushioning spam.
However, it works only when attacking, so kinda unreliable when you probably want tank to help you also when defending.
And I somewhat doubt that it would still be favoured over statsteal (considering how valuable that Init debuff can be).

What about other possible ways to save the PB? Say, something like +10% speed, or +10AA haste or +5 reduction in chance to be crit or something other minor but helpful benefit from forfeiting statsteal spam?

[Harkonen]

I do not see what could go wrong with maintaining the current PB values and making em group wide. It adds survivability to the group which is the defining role of Vaul mastery tree (something it currently lacks). Dont worry about it becoming OP; absorbs are the lowest of the low when it comes to protection.

[dansari]

Absorbs aren't garbage, but I'd like to know if Phantom's Blade bubble is pre mitigation or post mitigation. That would certainly be relevant to discussion of how much it needs to be tweaked. I definitely agree with making it group wide, which really only gives Vaul SM much needed love. I like the idea of AA haste but not sure you would give up stat steal if you're in a melee group. It's also in Vaul so something defensive makes more sense (to me at least)

[Harkonen]

Absorbs aren't garbage, but I'd like to know if Phantom's Blade bubble is pre mitigation or post mitigation. That would certainly be relevant to discussion of how much it needs to be tweaked. I definitely agree with making it group wide, which really only gives Vaul SM much needed love. I like the idea of AA haste but not sure you would give up stat steal if you're in a melee group. It's also in Vaul so something defensive makes more sense (to me at least)

Absorbs are garbage; all absorbs dont take into account resistances or armor, only toughness, which none but defensive tanks have any significant amount of.

Agree on the defensive support route. Both speed increase and +aa are more hinted towards offensive support (both would be a great HB replacer).

[Ramasee]

Phantom's blade absorbs works like other absorbs. Only toughness helps mitigate enemy damage against the bubble. Armor/Resists play no part. Now, of course, avoidance such as parry is still in effect.

Also more information for those that may not have it. Base absorb amount on phantom's blade with no points in vaul for a r40 SM is 325. Each point in vaul adds 10 with every 3rd point adding 12. (For example, 325, 335, 345, 357, 367...) There are some odd quirks to this, but following that rule will get you correct +/- 1. I don't think the enchantment needs a potency increase for the actual absorb amount, due to the fact that it can be procced again as soon as the absorb drops.

If we are going to add a minor buff to the blade enchantment, I agree with dansari that the buff added should be defensive in nature because its a defensive enchant in the defensive tree. So perhaps +2% parry/dodge/disrupt ONLY while the shield is active, since most other defensive stats wouldn't have a use while the absorb is in effect.

[Tesq]

Absorbs aren't garbage, but I'd like to know if Phantom's Blade bubble is pre mitigation or post mitigation. That would certainly be relevant to discussion of how much it needs to be tweaked. I definitely agree with making it group wide, which really only gives Vaul SM much needed love. I like the idea of AA haste but not sure you would give up stat steal if you're in a melee group. It's also in Vaul so something defensive makes more sense (to me at least)

Absorbs are garbage; all absorbs dont take into account resistances or armor, only toughness, which none but defensive tanks have any significant amount of.

Agree on the defensive support route. Both speed increase and +aa are more hinted towards offensive support (both would be a great HB replacer).

Bubble work pre crits so vs classes that work with crits aka sorc/bw they are very good as they negate 3x their value.

Stat steal while strong is rng and have not 100% update time on what buff.
Any buff to any xxx blade mastery buff should follow this line imo,when you can remove as said 100% of the time the best raw DD in game on oppo realm (sorc).
If absorb bubble is made group wide what it need is a ICD which give a max of 50% update time the value can be adjusted later on.

I was here on ror originally against it because it can pretty much became a 4th party's kobs aura...unless it get as i say an ICD and.a 50% updatetime.

[Aurandilaz]

What about the proc randomly triggering some of these for the party;
+10% parry
+10% dodge
+10% disrupt
+10% reduced chance to be crit
+10% speed
+10% physical damage mitigation

Or what else.
Say, the proc gets and ICD of 2? seconds, and each buff lasts maybe 5? seconds, it would randomly provide variety of choice to the party nearby, same way statsteal randomly gives good stuff or sometimes gives stuff not helping in that situation (like steal ballistic skill from a sorc, or Int from a tank).
Or ICD of 3 sec and 10 sec effect. And lot of randomness.

Alternatively, it could also debuff those, while stealing the benefit to own party. Randomly.
(maybe debuff by 5% and buff by 10%, not sure)

Just throwing ideas, they are probably flawed.

Suggesting these, because whilst groupwide absorb buff would help PB, it would still lose most of time against the benefits of stat stealing.