[WH] A Witch Hunter Patch Note
Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2021 10:08 am
The aim of this post is to propose solutions that would make Witch Hunter a more viable, interesting and unique class for the game. This post also contains some improvements propositions that could apply to Witch Elves.
The text takes the form of an unfinished patch note with explanations and suggestions, and is separated in 4 parts : 1) Improving the pistol, 2) AoE potential of the class, 3) Stealth mechanic improvements, and 4) Survivability of the class.
(Please, read the entire post before commenting.)
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1) Improving the pistol :
There is in my opinion a lack of utility and efficiency of the pistol in WH mechanics.
- [Absolution] has its range increased to 45 feet (currently 30), and will always crit if the target is below 25% health points.
- [Trial by Pain] has its range increased to 45 feet (currently 30).
- [Dragon Gun] and [Exit Wound] have their range inscreased to 35 feet (currently 30).
The point of a pistol is to kill from a certain distance, and currently you can only use it in an almost-melee ranged, similar to Witch Elves who use short daggers, which makes the gun pointless and reduce it to a nice looking accessory on your character. If you do not have the dual wielding efficiency of a witch elf, then you should compensate that loss with an advantage of another kind, and that advantage could be range.
These changes would make so that the singularity of Witch Hunters equipment would be more properly incorporate into the class mechanics while providing wider possibilities of use for pistol executions. The lack of proper range of the pistol makes it
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2) AoE potential of the class :
- New Tactic : [Burn Them All!]
With this tactic : [Burn, Heretic!] deals Elemental damages and last for 20 seconds, and when an enemy dies while under the effect of [Burn, Heretic!], 2 enemies within 15ft will have [Burn, Heretic!] applied to them. Additionally, the final tick of [Burn away lies] affects all enemies within 20ft of your target.
- These changes could be associated with a modification on [Razor Strike] to make that ability more relevant, for example by making the AoE tactic for that skill ([Sweeping Razor]) a permanent effect on it.
You can argue that Witch Hunters are not supposed to deal AoE damages as they're assassins, but I could reply that many AoE classes such as Choppas have currently way higher single target damages than Witch Hunters and not many people complain about that.
The point is to make WH less segregated on Order realm, as they're currently not welcomed in many guilds and organized warbands.
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3) Stealth mechanic improvements for both WH and WE :
I think the current stealth mechanic is rather tedious because you very often have to hide behind a wall or a hill to regen those action points and wait for [Incognito] or [Shadow Prowl] cooldowns to end. This break the rythm of these classes and make their core mechanic too much reliable on passive regeneration/recovery, which isn't the rythm you're supposed to have when playing an assassin.
- If [Incognito] is on cooldown, when landing a killing blow on an ennemy player that cooldown will be reset and the casting time of [Incognito] will be reduce to 0.5 seconds (normally 2 seconds). If the casting is successful, it will also provide to the player 50% of its total Action points pool. This effect cannot occur more than once every 20 seconds.
This change should incite players to adopt a more agressive way of playing their character in order to increase their survivability potential. Instead of having to hide in a bush for 30 seconds every time they run out of action points, they can now engage and kill to reset their stealth ability and re-obtain some Action points to sustain it, which create a more dynamic and rewarding stealth mechanic.
This should be implemented for Witch Elves stealth ability as well.
- New Tactic : [Hunters Association] - Each killing blow (on an ennemy player) made by a Witch Hunter in your party will count as a killing blow for you if you have an assist on that kill.
Combine with the previous change, small parties of Witch Hunters will now have the ability to pick a few targets and disappear very quickly. This should create a "harassment" feeling for warbands which should now feel more threatened by Witch Hunters when moving accross RvR lakes. It would also provide a survivability tool for this class in organized warbands, putting 2 or 3 Witch Hunters in the same party would make them helping each others at vanishing frequently during massive fights.
This tactic should be implemented for Witch Elves as well - associated with the previous stealth change - with the name : [Prowlers Conspiracy].
- [Challenge] ability from tanks can now remove [Incognito] and [Shadow Prowl] stealth effects if the Witch Hunter or the Witch Elf is considered as being in combat and is facing away from the tank that uses [Challenge]. This will not work against [Sanctified Oil] and [Elixir of Shadows] stealth effects.
Since stealth abilities do not remove you from combat, this would provide a way to counter these hunters or prowlers parties.
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4) Survivability of the class
- New Tactic : [Inquisitor Resilience] - Each time you spend your Accusation points with an execution, you will obtain for 10 seconds an armor bonus, the amount of that bonus depending on the number of points you've spent in that execution. Each point spent will provide a 20% armor bonus, so a 2 points execution give you a 40% armor bonus, a 3 points execution give you a 60% armor bonus, a 5 points execution give you a 100% armor bonus.
This effect won't refresh itself, which means that your first execution will apply an armor bonus that will be the same for the next 10 seconds, even if you spend lower or higher points execution during that time.
This tactic would make WH more capable of sustaining AoE melee dps during massive fights and become a better duelist against melee opponents and Squid Herders. This is the same principle than the one presented in the previous section, the class would increase its survivability by playing aggressively instead of running away trying to not get hit too hard by groups of ennemies - which isn't even possible to do in forts.
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Other changes :
A knockdown effect is most of the time preferred over the use of [Silence the Heretic], since they both share the same immunity cooldown. I propose a buff of this ability to make it more relevant, and to increase killing potential on healers that are currently almost impossible to kill :
- [Silence the Heretic] now silences for 5 seconds.
This change could apply to Witch Elf silencing ability as well.
- [Fanatical cleansing] could be removed from specialization tree and given to the player around class ranks 19-25, since it is almost a no-brainer if you want to deal proper damages, which forces you to spec into Inquisition tree and reduce the possibilities of original builds.
The text takes the form of an unfinished patch note with explanations and suggestions, and is separated in 4 parts : 1) Improving the pistol, 2) AoE potential of the class, 3) Stealth mechanic improvements, and 4) Survivability of the class.
(Please, read the entire post before commenting.)
__________________________
1) Improving the pistol :
There is in my opinion a lack of utility and efficiency of the pistol in WH mechanics.
- [Absolution] has its range increased to 45 feet (currently 30), and will always crit if the target is below 25% health points.
- [Trial by Pain] has its range increased to 45 feet (currently 30).
- [Dragon Gun] and [Exit Wound] have their range inscreased to 35 feet (currently 30).
The point of a pistol is to kill from a certain distance, and currently you can only use it in an almost-melee ranged, similar to Witch Elves who use short daggers, which makes the gun pointless and reduce it to a nice looking accessory on your character. If you do not have the dual wielding efficiency of a witch elf, then you should compensate that loss with an advantage of another kind, and that advantage could be range.
These changes would make so that the singularity of Witch Hunters equipment would be more properly incorporate into the class mechanics while providing wider possibilities of use for pistol executions. The lack of proper range of the pistol makes it
___________________________
2) AoE potential of the class :
- New Tactic : [Burn Them All!]
With this tactic : [Burn, Heretic!] deals Elemental damages and last for 20 seconds, and when an enemy dies while under the effect of [Burn, Heretic!], 2 enemies within 15ft will have [Burn, Heretic!] applied to them. Additionally, the final tick of [Burn away lies] affects all enemies within 20ft of your target.
- These changes could be associated with a modification on [Razor Strike] to make that ability more relevant, for example by making the AoE tactic for that skill ([Sweeping Razor]) a permanent effect on it.
You can argue that Witch Hunters are not supposed to deal AoE damages as they're assassins, but I could reply that many AoE classes such as Choppas have currently way higher single target damages than Witch Hunters and not many people complain about that.
The point is to make WH less segregated on Order realm, as they're currently not welcomed in many guilds and organized warbands.
____________________________________
3) Stealth mechanic improvements for both WH and WE :
I think the current stealth mechanic is rather tedious because you very often have to hide behind a wall or a hill to regen those action points and wait for [Incognito] or [Shadow Prowl] cooldowns to end. This break the rythm of these classes and make their core mechanic too much reliable on passive regeneration/recovery, which isn't the rythm you're supposed to have when playing an assassin.
- If [Incognito] is on cooldown, when landing a killing blow on an ennemy player that cooldown will be reset and the casting time of [Incognito] will be reduce to 0.5 seconds (normally 2 seconds). If the casting is successful, it will also provide to the player 50% of its total Action points pool. This effect cannot occur more than once every 20 seconds.
This change should incite players to adopt a more agressive way of playing their character in order to increase their survivability potential. Instead of having to hide in a bush for 30 seconds every time they run out of action points, they can now engage and kill to reset their stealth ability and re-obtain some Action points to sustain it, which create a more dynamic and rewarding stealth mechanic.
This should be implemented for Witch Elves stealth ability as well.
- New Tactic : [Hunters Association] - Each killing blow (on an ennemy player) made by a Witch Hunter in your party will count as a killing blow for you if you have an assist on that kill.
Combine with the previous change, small parties of Witch Hunters will now have the ability to pick a few targets and disappear very quickly. This should create a "harassment" feeling for warbands which should now feel more threatened by Witch Hunters when moving accross RvR lakes. It would also provide a survivability tool for this class in organized warbands, putting 2 or 3 Witch Hunters in the same party would make them helping each others at vanishing frequently during massive fights.
This tactic should be implemented for Witch Elves as well - associated with the previous stealth change - with the name : [Prowlers Conspiracy].
- [Challenge] ability from tanks can now remove [Incognito] and [Shadow Prowl] stealth effects if the Witch Hunter or the Witch Elf is considered as being in combat and is facing away from the tank that uses [Challenge]. This will not work against [Sanctified Oil] and [Elixir of Shadows] stealth effects.
Since stealth abilities do not remove you from combat, this would provide a way to counter these hunters or prowlers parties.
________________________
4) Survivability of the class
- New Tactic : [Inquisitor Resilience] - Each time you spend your Accusation points with an execution, you will obtain for 10 seconds an armor bonus, the amount of that bonus depending on the number of points you've spent in that execution. Each point spent will provide a 20% armor bonus, so a 2 points execution give you a 40% armor bonus, a 3 points execution give you a 60% armor bonus, a 5 points execution give you a 100% armor bonus.
This effect won't refresh itself, which means that your first execution will apply an armor bonus that will be the same for the next 10 seconds, even if you spend lower or higher points execution during that time.
This tactic would make WH more capable of sustaining AoE melee dps during massive fights and become a better duelist against melee opponents and Squid Herders. This is the same principle than the one presented in the previous section, the class would increase its survivability by playing aggressively instead of running away trying to not get hit too hard by groups of ennemies - which isn't even possible to do in forts.
_______________________
Other changes :
A knockdown effect is most of the time preferred over the use of [Silence the Heretic], since they both share the same immunity cooldown. I propose a buff of this ability to make it more relevant, and to increase killing potential on healers that are currently almost impossible to kill :
- [Silence the Heretic] now silences for 5 seconds.
This change could apply to Witch Elf silencing ability as well.
- [Fanatical cleansing] could be removed from specialization tree and given to the player around class ranks 19-25, since it is almost a no-brainer if you want to deal proper damages, which forces you to spec into Inquisition tree and reduce the possibilities of original builds.