[PTS] Patch Notes 23/07/2026 - RDPS Patch and New Scenario Mechanic

[rorswar]

The above comment is not a considered view. The posture reduces to class A needs to be weak because of the needs for larger class balance. This is farcical. There is no requirement for any class to be weak, or nonperforming, or fodder. Class analysis is fundamentally about whether a given class can do what its three respective masteries put forward. For SWs this includes: long range single target, AOE, and melee. In the new patch SWs are poorer in all three areas than before.

Scout has been turned into a 9 second backload matrix all centered on Fester. (9 seconds multi dot building is comical)

Skirmish has been simply gutted. It is basically a mid-range single target mobility thrust now. It's AOE has been reduced to a nonfactor as the damage is not compelling and not sustainable.

Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. It remains a niche oddity rather than given any meaningful way to perform on its own, or even integrate with WBs (the primary mode of play that is exactly why both WHs and WEs were given options so they could participate in WBs).

Are there any SW mains that are ardent defenders of the changes? Is there any excitement about the SW changes, at all? This alone is telling.

The conclusion is obvious; SW will drop over time. Those that remain will be pushed to the periphery as SW do not bring anything to the table that another class cannot do better. The SW rework is a Dev Team massive failure.

As a RR84 solo roaming aSW, I like the changes to assault. I do think it needs a boost in the defensive department and that giving it the 2x armour buff in assault back is realistic, or at least giving it some more +WNDS rather than just +INI.

Other then that, I think the changes to assault are generally an improvement, although it did raise the skill ceiling a bit more, on a class that already required more effort than a lot of other classes.

I don’t think assault will ever be properly viable in a WB as it’s purely ST so caters better to solo and small scale, but Skirmish AOE is meant to be for WBs. I cant say if Skirmish AOE got nerfed too hard, as neither it nor Scout, are really my play styles.

TL:DR - I liked assault, and like it even more now. The devs should consider boosting its defenses a bit though.

Your post demonstrates the point on Assault. Pre-patch Assault was a niche irrelevancy. Post-patch Assault is a niche irrelevancy.

As stated: "Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. " Your own language reinforces the first clause.

There are no offensive offsets for the defensive losses. All other MDPS are superior in single target, and have AOE options. ASW is simply a renown vehicle for Destro.

This comment is also telling "it did raise the skill ceiling a bit more, on a class that already required more effort than a lot of other classes." That comment demonstrates a Dev. design failure. Classes should be effective in all aspects of their masteries. The simple example is all healers now have effective DPS trees. That is how it should be. Assault SWs similarly should be something that can be feared in melee for any that choose that as their focus. They were not pre-Patch. They are not post-Patch. They are simply a sad fetish.

The 1% of SWs that were Assault focus pre-Patch will remain the 1% afterwards. Assault SWs will also remain a non-factor.

Assault SW isn’t a meta class where you press a few buttons like a def WE was, or how a def Magus is. It requires more skill to make it work, and that’s fine with me.

But to say that it’s irrelevant is nonsense. It’s totally viable for solo roaming, and in the right hands it’s a beast in 6-men. It’s not for everyone, and it’s clearly not for you.

It has no place in a WB, and that’s fine. The class has three trees, and they cater to different play styles. You wouldn’t argue that festerbomb was viable or sought after in a WB, right? That’s what skirmish was for… how far it’s still viable is another debate that has nothing to do with aSW.

PS you also put words in my mind. Your words of “lost critical defensive tools” and my words of “boost defenses a bit” are wildly different.

[Orontes]

As a RR84 solo roaming aSW, I like the changes to assault. I do think it needs a boost in the defensive department and that giving it the 2x armour buff in assault back is realistic, or at least giving it some more +WNDS rather than just +INI.

Other then that, I think the changes to assault are generally an improvement, although it did raise the skill ceiling a bit more, on a class that already required more effort than a lot of other classes.

I don’t think assault will ever be properly viable in a WB as it’s purely ST so caters better to solo and small scale, but Skirmish AOE is meant to be for WBs. I cant say if Skirmish AOE got nerfed too hard, as neither it nor Scout, are really my play styles.

TL:DR - I liked assault, and like it even more now. The devs should consider boosting its defenses a bit though.

Your post demonstrates the point on Assault. Pre-patch Assault was a niche irrelevancy. Post-patch Assault is a niche irrelevancy.

As stated: "Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. " Your own language reinforces the first clause.

There are no offensive offsets for the defensive losses. All other MDPS are superior in single target, and have AOE options. ASW is simply a renown vehicle for Destro.

This comment is also telling "it did raise the skill ceiling a bit more, on a class that already required more effort than a lot of other classes." That comment demonstrates a Dev. design failure. Classes should be effective in all aspects of their masteries. The simple example is all healers now have effective DPS trees. That is how it should be. Assault SWs similarly should be something that can be feared in melee for any that choose that as their focus. They were not pre-Patch. They are not post-Patch. They are simply a sad fetish.

The 1% of SWs that were Assault focus pre-Patch will remain the 1% afterwards. Assault SWs will also remain a non-factor.

Assault SW isn’t a meta class where you press a few buttons like a def WE was, or how a def Magus is. It requires more skill to make it work, and that’s fine with me.

But to say that it’s irrelevant is nonsense. It’s totally viable for solo roaming, and in the right hands it’s a beast in 6-men. It’s not for everyone, and it’s clearly not for you.

It has no place in a WB, and that’s fine. The class has three trees, and they cater to different play styles. You wouldn’t argue that festerbomb was viable or sought after in a WB, right? That’s what skirmish was for… how far it’s still viable is another debate that has nothing to do with aSW.

PS you also put words in my mind. Your words of “lost critical defensive tools” and my words of “boost defenses a bit” are wildly different.

This is not a compelling reply.

You already admitted "it did raise the skill ceiling" and ASW " already required more effort" This makes my argument for me. The patch made the class harder to play.

On the Destro side, no one worries about ASW. They are easy to kill. They are a nonfactor.

On the Orde side, they bring nothing to the table another class can't do better.

You being drawn to the odd speaks to your person. It does not address the actual issue: Assault should be a mode for SWs wanted by others and others wanting to play and actually do play. The numbers speak for themselves. If a gameplay mastery is used by charitably 1% of a class player base, that is telling. That is a design failure.

Pre patch Assault was a fetish. Post patch it remains a fetish. That is not good.

Per your PS this quote "Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. " is my requoting my earlier statement it then refers to your own statement that reinforces this same idea.

[rorswar]

Your post demonstrates the point on Assault. Pre-patch Assault was a niche irrelevancy. Post-patch Assault is a niche irrelevancy.

As stated: "Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. " Your own language reinforces the first clause.

There are no offensive offsets for the defensive losses. All other MDPS are superior in single target, and have AOE options. ASW is simply a renown vehicle for Destro.

This comment is also telling "it did raise the skill ceiling a bit more, on a class that already required more effort than a lot of other classes." That comment demonstrates a Dev. design failure. Classes should be effective in all aspects of their masteries. The simple example is all healers now have effective DPS trees. That is how it should be. Assault SWs similarly should be something that can be feared in melee for any that choose that as their focus. They were not pre-Patch. They are not post-Patch. They are simply a sad fetish.

The 1% of SWs that were Assault focus pre-Patch will remain the 1% afterwards. Assault SWs will also remain a non-factor.

Assault SW isn’t a meta class where you press a few buttons like a def WE was, or how a def Magus is. It requires more skill to make it work, and that’s fine with me.

But to say that it’s irrelevant is nonsense. It’s totally viable for solo roaming, and in the right hands it’s a beast in 6-men. It’s not for everyone, and it’s clearly not for you.

It has no place in a WB, and that’s fine. The class has three trees, and they cater to different play styles. You wouldn’t argue that festerbomb was viable or sought after in a WB, right? That’s what skirmish was for… how far it’s still viable is another debate that has nothing to do with aSW.

PS you also put words in my mind. Your words of “lost critical defensive tools” and my words of “boost defenses a bit” are wildly different.

This is not a compelling reply.

You already admitted "it did raise the skill ceiling" and ASW " already required more effort" This makes my argument for me. The patch made the class harder to play.

On the Destro side, no one worries about ASW. They are easy to kill. They are a nonfactor.

On the Orde side, they bring nothing to the table another class can't do better.

You being drawn to the odd speaks to your person. It does not address the actual issue: Assault should be a mode for SWs wanted by others and others wanting to play and actually do play. The numbers speak for themselves. If a gameplay mastery is used by charitably 1% of a class player base, that is telling. That is a design failure.

Pre patch Assault was a fetish. Post patch it remains a fetish. That is not good.

Per your PS this quote "Assault has lost critical defensive tools while not seeing any compelling offensive offsets. " is my requoting my earlier statement it then refers to your own statement that reinforces this same idea.

Assault is mostly fine as it is. If you can’t make it work, doesn’t mean it requires major buffs.

I’m tired of WEs defending for months a class that was clearly OP. I’m also tired of people begging for buffs if a class barely needs it.