Oathbound and balance after last patch.

[Zxul]

IB's Oathbound ability allows IB to provide +20% parry to any target including targets outside party, without downtime, while there is no corresponding ability on destro.

After last patch, dw and ws stacking mdps, for example slayer or choppa, will have:

-Assuming 700 ws (slayer can have up to 850 or so) 21% parry
-Renown 18% parry
-Dw 10% parry
-Lets say 10% more parry from equipment (realistically can get more)
-Opponent str strikethrough -10% parry

Total 49% parry, or 51% to be hit.

Now IB's Oathbound adds 20% parry, turning that into 31% to be hit- in other words, reducing total chance to be hit by (0.31 / (0.51/100))= 60.78%.

In other words, Oathbound allows IB's to reduce real melee dmg taken by mdps by 60.78%, with no downtime- while there is no corresponding ability on destro. Seems a bit unbalanced, especially for a 5 points in tree ability.

[tazdingo]

bg can increase disrupt by about 14% now with brutal smash, and because it's 5 sec cd and 20 sec uptime you could probably keep it up on 2 people without much difficulty

- edit. i forgot ib could also do this... i still think ib is a million miles from too powerful, he looks good on paper but actually juggling the 80 things you have to do at once to keep all his buffs up keeps him in check

[Zxul]

bg can increase disrupt by about 14% now with brutal smash, and because it's 5 sec cd and 20 sec uptime you could probably keep it up on 2 people without much difficulty

- edit. i forgot ib could also do this... i still think ib is a million miles from too powerful, he looks good on paper but actually juggling the 80 things you have to do at once to keep all his buffs up keeps him in check

Its not about IB though, its about a combination of IB with for example slayer, with Oathbound making the slayer take 60% less dmg compared to what is possible on destro side. Practically speaking vs melee dmg a second Guard, which a single IB nicely enough can keep up on 2 people in same time (20 sec duration 10 sec cd- unless it gets removed when switching Oath Friend target), and which also stacks with the actual Guard.

[Onewa]

Did I missed something? Wasnt Oathbound 25% before the patch?
What did changed that it is now problematic?

[CyunUnderis]

Did I missed something? Wasnt Oathbound 25% before the patch?
What did changed that it is now problematic?

Oathbound was 25% parry and is now 20%.

What has changed is the calculation of bonus parry based on weapon skill (3% parry for 100 WS).

[Helwer]

and i think there is no skill like "elite training" on order. very powerful defense for 2 and ap-pump for 6. also shield of rage is not only against magical damage like the ib one.

seriously, we know the mirrors are not 100% mirrors. that's one aspect that makes this game fun and every class really unique.

[Fenris78]

All mdps got buffed with parry change from WS.

IB got nerfed with oathbound reduced from 25 to 20%.

I dont see the point of making a trial to an ability that just got nerfed, and wich is now not stronger than before, especially considering everyone benefited from WS buff.

Getting from base 5% WS parry to base 21% is more powerful for every mdps than going from 30% to 41% parry with one class ST buff.

[Zxul]

Thing with every defense is this- the higher is the base, the more effective is each additional %. When base is 0%, 20% buff means taking 20% less dmg in total, while when base is 60%, 20% buff means taking 50% less dmg in total.

And with general ws buff raising the base, Oathbound become that much more effective- like I calculated in original post, even for far from bis slayer Oathbound means taking 60% less dmg. And that's for ability 5 points up in tree, which as far as I understand a single IB can keep permanently up on 2 slayers. There is nothing close to that destro side.

[tazdingo]

it's not even remotely close to "60% less damage" though. barring damage from other sources, procs, etc. 60% parry does not mean you avoid 60% of melee hits. assume getting flanked, assume being under pierce defences, assume general melee jank

the best way to test this is to take a bo and spam chm (50% block channel) whilst doing your best to face the enemy melee. then check your combat log. you block 15... maybe 20% of melee hits, max. 60% parry does not mean anything close to 60% reduce melee damage taken

the main people it's going to affect are def tanks, who should never be applying important cc from the front anyway, monstro maras who are still gonna be an extremely strong wb class and wp/dok melee. again they probably just have to adapt and stop hitting high parry dw classes in the face

[Jajcek12]

Don't get me wrong but.
Exel gang attack once more.


As Ironbreaker player and person who know moste of tools that classes can use in this game- on order and destruction side i didnt think Oathbound is overpower abbility in actual ballancing patch setup(which is probably temporary) (and yes we can deliberate if it was nerf or buff relative to previous one and blabla bla)
I could write more why Ironbreaker Buffs are canonical for that class and enable him to be effective in game base on players expierience.
-those are mostlygeneralizations but-
SnB IB bring only THIS to battlefield, and if you are 2H you deal some more dmg but you are easier to kill and you trade survivability. And ther is so many variables that Ironbreaker couldn't control but it effects his utility(and utility of this abbility)
And concerns that Ironbreaker player can buff 2 slayers is very good concerns because probably this person meet good Ironbreaker player- and you should be happy to meet him in battlefield.
High skill requilements from Ironbreaker player is the main barier of his usability.So high skills required from the player, ballance this abbility and overall all Ironbreaker.
And i wouldn't support idea to nerf/ballance any skill in this game(who became effective in hands of good player) because this or that side couldnt manage with gaming ability of another. And asumption that you alvays meet the higly skill ironbreaker player on the battlefield who will alvays have time and possibility to use 100% of technical potential and base argumentation on "Exel bracets" its not good in my opinion. Bassing arguments on exelhammer and ideal battlefield situations are not the best to addres any balance problems.
I can do same exelhammer and say- lets buff Enginer or Maguss pull because on its so bad in calculation. Lets do it – why this pull doesnt hit for 1500 dmg?
And balance through symmetry would suppres the taste of warhammer lore.
Anyways let see - time will verified.
Respect and Cheers