Return of Reckoning

In 2024 a concentrated effort was made to bring all duration-based tank parry self-buffs in line by having a 20 second duration, which allowed tanks greater freedom in ability rotations, since spending one GCD per 20 seconds to maitain parry buff is much better than spending one GCD per 5 or 10 seconds as it was before the changes.

Lets take a quick look at relevant changes.

19.01.2024 patch laid the foundation for 20% parry, 20 sec duration self-buffs across the board:

IB:
Oathbound - Buff duration extended from 10 to 20 seconds. Grudge cost increased from 15 to 25 Grudges. This ability now has a 10 second cooldown. Increased parry chance reduced from 25% to 20%

KOTBS:
Shield Rush - Duration increased from 10 to 20 seconds.

Chosen:
Suppression - Increased parry chance reduced from 25% to 20%. Duration increased from 15 to 20 seconds.

SM:
Eagle’s Flight - Increased parry chance reduced from 25% to 20%. Buff duration increased from 5 to 10 seconds.

SM being the notable exception there with getting parry amount shaved off to the now-standard 20%, yet getting duration increased to only 10s, unlike any other tank.

Then came the 23.10.2024 patch, which addressed BO lacking parry self-buff and KOTBS Coordination was made to affect Sunder as well:

BO:
Tuffer N Nails - <...> increasing your defensive targets parry by 10% for 20s.

KOTBS:
Coordination - Blessing. Shield Rush and Sunder will now increase your chance to parry by 20% for 20s.

After these changes and to this day SM remains the only tank with a parry buff which has a 10 second duration. What is team's stance on Eagle's Flight being an outlier in an otherwise uniform picture of tank self-buffs? Is 10 second duration just something that fell through the cracks during the changes or is it by design?

I propose Eagle's Flight duration be changed to the same 20 second duration all other tank classes enjoy with their buffs, especially considering restrictive nature of SM's class mechanic (maintaining Eagle's Flight competes for GCD with such staples of tank CC as KD and Snare).

The shorter duration is probably because EF doesn't have a cooldown.

But, just as with the BO, the changes were made without taking into consideration how the BO/SM mechanic works. I imagine every SM would gladly take a 10sec cooldown on EF if it had a 20sec duration, as it removes the need to use the same middle stance ability so often when other abilities in the stance also need to be used.

maxonian wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 9:44 amSM being the notable exception there with getting parry amount shaved off to the now-standard 20%, yet getting duration increased to only 10s, unlike any other tank.

This has been the pattern of changes to SM mechanics for, well, ever since changes to SM mechanics began to be made. But as the previous poster said it is workable.

Culexus wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:17 pm I imagine every SM would gladly take a 10sec cooldown on EF if it had a 20sec duration

Yep, zero qualms about it getting a 10s cd with a 20s duration. Would be absolutely akin to Chosen Suppression, KOTBS Shield rush, BO Tuffer N Nails, IB Oathbound and even SM's own Crushing Advance. Currently Eagle's Flight stands out like a guy in a chicken costume at a wedding, in a bad way.

maxonian wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:20 pm

Culexus wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 2:17 pm I imagine every SM would gladly take a 10sec cooldown on EF if it had a 20sec duration

Yep, zero qualms about it getting a 10s cd with a 20s duration. Would be absolutely akin to Chosen Suppression, KOTBS Shield rush, BO Tuffer N Nails, IB Oathbound and even SM's own Crushing Advance. Currently Eagle's Flight stands out like a guy in a chicken costume at a wedding, in a bad way.

If EF gets parried you don't get the parry bonus. So while the lower duration is "sub-optimal" it is far better than the 5s it used to be AND you can attempt to reapply it immediately.

We already have WODS and can have 100% parry with no movement restrictions...

Maybe if we can only squeeze blood from a stone—make it a buff, not an enchantment, and/or make it self-cast?

I think no CD 10 second duration is a good compromise. Be thankful it isn't 5 seconds which was always ridiculous.

i agree please make it every 20 second the rotation is infernal as it is