Return of Reckoning

Just wanted to share my thoughts on the above now I've had a chance to play extensively with the classes.

I initially had reservations that the WE was not getting compensated for the insane crit WHs can reach with BAL/Abso, I was also worried about the Choppa/Slayer yellow damage and WL still being a rampaging 1 shot merchant, but I don't think any of these concerns have really materialised.

I really like what the patch delivered, I really think it was close to perfect:

* WE Sacrificial Stab delivers insane burst. If a WE stacks +dmg % tactics, they can do some crazy numbers, up to 4k Sac Stab double crits. Piercing Armour also hits hard and alongside Sac Stab, both ignore armour.
* WH now have a range generator which feels cool, the power isn't in Incendiary Shot's damage, its linking it with things like Flowing Accusations in a BAL/DG build, can do your opener then kite firing off Absos.
* Really like the fact that WH/WE changes feel good but distinct at the same time, really enjoying playing both, the devs did not introduce homogenisation, rather leant on their thematic diffs. WE gets a pounce, WH gets more crit and some ranged options, both feel cool.
* On the Choppa/Slayer front, I like the return of Rampage and the fact Choppa kept GTDC both are iconic, I think the game needs cool stuff unique to a class. As Greg Street put it (famous MMO designer) its important to have "concentrated coolness", something a class offers which other classes crave.
* WL/Mara burst has been toned down, felt needed.

Only small issues I think are the Mara Brut tree feels a bit odd and WL are still the superior mirror at least for my playstyle (strictly solo), people talk about def WE, but a WL with def Sov destroys def WEs without breaking a sweat, it beats pretty much everything right now, I think the community will cotton onto that soon, bit sleeper op at present (alongside dps RP with armour/tough setup).

The Choppa (and most likely Slayer) were made weaker by this patch. I am hoping for a change to the Yellow negatives so that we can weigh some of the nicer changes that were implemented.

If you think Welf having non Critting Witchbrew that is not affected by any of the % dmg tactics except RoR version of Frenzied Mayhem makes any sense because it doesnt, None of the Welf Finishers do Dmg (they do now but you need 10s setup Something that used to be done with ToB + Flanking 30% Dmg increase with 50%dmg tactic + Critting Witchbrew. Leonine Frenzy+Shades of death used and should again to do crit dmg.

Same imo should be done to Riposte, 1s Icd and affecfted by crit again.

Old Absorb Vitality sorc skill heal portion was affected by Sorc/Bw Mechanic because it was This Universal Critical rate meant heal crit 35% + 100%heal Effectivness making sorc having 4k Heal absorb ticks was the saving grace for Sorc solo roaming way back then imo : D And there still existed rr 38 inf wpns with Boost V for all classes + 7-8% Crit 2h 4-5h 1h% accessoble to all in now bloodlord instance.

Swift Movements feinted Positioning 150 ws doesnt stack with Ws buff from Pierce armor which is weird. And last when Welf didnt have 30ft ranged finishers, they were hitting for 5k dmg 2 crits puncture with 4-5 frenzies : D

And New SS needing to be behind target and only reducing dmg by Armor Ignore we already have? even the 10-50% Autoattack dmg increase per frenzie for 10s after sac stab made 1300 AA crits as baby rr50 welf with onslaught.

I had a point 15 min ago but i have no clue what it is or was so rambling is bjest

yeah totally get that, as I say, I feared WE was getting shafted initially, but now I've played Sac Stab, it's hitting like a truck + snare + pounce.

I didn't play it before, so can't comment on the 1300 AA crits from the old dmg buff, that does sound sick!

The feeling I have about WE is that it became all WL loner wanted to be.

As an order player i would say it feels like we got a big buff. At least they kill me all the time.

WE having a better pounce than WL is hilariously disrespectful to the class it was originally exclusive to.

nat3s wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:08 pm yeah totally get that, as I say, I feared WE was getting shafted initially, but now I've played Sac Stab, it's hitting like a truck + snare + pounce.

I didn't play it before, so can't comment on the 1300 AA crits from the old dmg buff, that does sound sick!

Would you mind to share your WE build? Now my witch is almost 40, i'd like to go ST.

CeeJay89 wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:19 am WE having a better pounce than WL is hilariously disrespectful to the class it was originally exclusive to.

I have a def WL in prep at the moment so I'm pretty confident that isn't true, WEs don't get the speed buff after pouncing so, if your WE is snared and the target was sprint+jumping, you're not guaranteed to get to them, WL on the other hand I almost always make it to the target. Yes WE can reset it with stealth. Different and both cool to me.

Sadsong wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:38 am

nat3s wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:08 pm yeah totally get that, as I say, I feared WE was getting shafted initially, but now I've played Sac Stab, it's hitting like a truck + snare + pounce.

I didn't play it before, so can't comment on the 1300 AA crits from the old dmg buff, that does sound sick!

Would you mind to share your WE build? Now my witch is almost 40, i'd like to go ST.

Using this for my WE. He's rr72 and only in vanq + sentinel mix. 1050 str, 32% crit, but little else:

RoR.builders - Witch Elf

Open with Vehement Blades for the +10% crit bring me to 42%. Then its Agonising Wounds spam + Sac Stab. 6k crests saved for 75+, plan is to drop Brute Force tactic at that point and instead run either Frenzied Mayhem, Swift Pursuit or Taste of Blood.

My WH is a bit more geared rr81, but only 5 piece Sov so no +2 spec points, so runs this for time being:

RoR.builders - Witch Hunter

Once I have 6th piece of Sov, I'll be grabbing Repel Blasphemy and Sanctified Oil. Playstyle is to lean on ranged options post opener. Open with Burn Armour, stun, Torment, BAL. If I'm fighting a tank or mara I'll then take range, spam 1-2 accusation Absolutions which Flowing Accusations helps you to maintain and Incendiary Shot is there to plug in additional ranged Absos where Flowing Accusations didn't proc. Blessed Blade with spamming low accusation Absos keeps up the 25% armour pen buff so those 1-2 accusation Absos still crit for like 1.2k from ranged (heavily dependent on target's armour - less on tanks of course). If I'm fighting something squishy, then I just face tank target (or de-snare + sprint if against a SH etc).