Blackguard Changes
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:11 pm
Recent changes to the middle tree really opened up the possibilities for an alternative spec for 2h BG, allowing it to drop choking fury and outgoing healdebuff for really unprecedented defensive options from parry tactic and crit reduction ability, and some really good utility from AoE snare to boot.
Obviously there is some heavy competition between middle and right tree in small scale, specifically scenarios. But middle tree will really make 2h BG much more viable for RvR situations where you absolutely need that extra defense. The major problem however with middle tree is it really starves you for mastery points, and really doesn't come into it's own until RR70.
There are also finished discussions on the balance forums for BG, and possibly some more buffs on the way specfically for 2h, which are terribly needed on top of some slight nerfs to BO/CH. BG could definitely come out of it's "worst PoS in the game" status soon.
Tanks are always considered in pairs, or solo. I can't really fathom BG ever being a solo tank, so I'll talk a bit about the possible synergies between CH/BG and BG/BO groups.
Running BG/BO as your tanks, you lose chosen and I think it's important to talk first about what is lost doing so. You lose auras, which sucks... but BG/BO can technically cover most everything here just not as reliably. You lose 10 sec CD super punt with the best launch angle in the game, BG 20 sec punt really hurts it when considering dropping a chosen for it, but at least it has one (unlike IB). You lose crippling strikes, now this I'm sure is up for debate on how good it is considering stacking rules, but with every slayer still running ID, and a lot of other DPS classes having ways to deal with challenge it's still pretty good and overall going to cost your group a bit of defense. You lose access to probably the most reliable KD on destro side, BO's typically don't spec for KD and mara/Ch have very gimmicky KD's at best. And lastly you lose access to one of your groups potential morale pumps which again hurts your groups overall defense pretty badly.
The good, BO having an AoE snare realieves BG of the need to grab it's in comparison much worse AoE snare and frees up some points that it's starving for if it's going middle tree. Crit stacking synergizes well with BO becuase of skull thumper. 2H BG is also bringing a heftier armor debuff. 2H BG can also bring the wounds debuff that the group loses bringing a chosen, tho it's technically up to RNG for it proc 1st hit or it becomes much much worse than the chosens. BG is gonna be doing more damage than chosen is as well if it's 2h, SnB chosen probably has the advantage with better scaling/base damage abilities.
A problem here tho is, BO tend to run a bit on the offensive side... which may make it impossible to grab outgoing healdebuff/choking fury in this setup becuase you might not be able to afford to run 2 offensively focused tanks.
Running BG/Chosen as your tanks, you lose the best aoe perma snare in the game with free str debuff/disorient from BO. You lose stat steal, ini steal is still quite strong as well. You lose skull thumper, and you lose the ST damage dealing tank. You lose a morale pump just like chosen. You lose a very powerful cooldown increaser. Funnily enough, BG is advertised as the "anti caster tank" when BO is 10x better at that with all this.
So the good, you get 2 super punts which is pretty nice. And well I didn't think it would be this bad after I typed it out... but man BO is probably never worth swapping out for a BG I'll just stop here honestly.
So what I get from all this is, BG could see use in place of a chosen possibly as a more offensive option in the future with groups not running mara. Why you would be running a group without mara? Who knows. WE also seems to sync up with BG the best, but right now mara/Chop combo is way stronger. Choking fury could also possibly let BG snake it's way into a AP drain group if they ever become popular, with shamans being much better now it's a possibility.
Gearing is something else I thought a lot about. 2 pc ruin is amazing, but makes it impossible to get the +1 on gear. The extra defense from the middle tree and good defensive talismans/jewelry should be enough to let you run full merc and not get destroyed while fulfilling your role as a tank guarding something and having a good group try and kill you as well. I think a ruin/merc mix is probably best if you are gonna go for outgoing healdebuff and choking fury. It just kinda sucks that you gotta choose between some of your best class defining utility or the only real defensive abilities/tactics you have access to that are worthwhile.
I don't know I just wanted to open up a BG thread seeing the changes to middle tree, and some possible new changes on the horizon. Looking for some insights or if I'm thinking about things wrong please tell me.
Obviously there is some heavy competition between middle and right tree in small scale, specifically scenarios. But middle tree will really make 2h BG much more viable for RvR situations where you absolutely need that extra defense. The major problem however with middle tree is it really starves you for mastery points, and really doesn't come into it's own until RR70.
There are also finished discussions on the balance forums for BG, and possibly some more buffs on the way specfically for 2h, which are terribly needed on top of some slight nerfs to BO/CH. BG could definitely come out of it's "worst PoS in the game" status soon.
Tanks are always considered in pairs, or solo. I can't really fathom BG ever being a solo tank, so I'll talk a bit about the possible synergies between CH/BG and BG/BO groups.
Running BG/BO as your tanks, you lose chosen and I think it's important to talk first about what is lost doing so. You lose auras, which sucks... but BG/BO can technically cover most everything here just not as reliably. You lose 10 sec CD super punt with the best launch angle in the game, BG 20 sec punt really hurts it when considering dropping a chosen for it, but at least it has one (unlike IB). You lose crippling strikes, now this I'm sure is up for debate on how good it is considering stacking rules, but with every slayer still running ID, and a lot of other DPS classes having ways to deal with challenge it's still pretty good and overall going to cost your group a bit of defense. You lose access to probably the most reliable KD on destro side, BO's typically don't spec for KD and mara/Ch have very gimmicky KD's at best. And lastly you lose access to one of your groups potential morale pumps which again hurts your groups overall defense pretty badly.
The good, BO having an AoE snare realieves BG of the need to grab it's in comparison much worse AoE snare and frees up some points that it's starving for if it's going middle tree. Crit stacking synergizes well with BO becuase of skull thumper. 2H BG is also bringing a heftier armor debuff. 2H BG can also bring the wounds debuff that the group loses bringing a chosen, tho it's technically up to RNG for it proc 1st hit or it becomes much much worse than the chosens. BG is gonna be doing more damage than chosen is as well if it's 2h, SnB chosen probably has the advantage with better scaling/base damage abilities.
A problem here tho is, BO tend to run a bit on the offensive side... which may make it impossible to grab outgoing healdebuff/choking fury in this setup becuase you might not be able to afford to run 2 offensively focused tanks.
Running BG/Chosen as your tanks, you lose the best aoe perma snare in the game with free str debuff/disorient from BO. You lose stat steal, ini steal is still quite strong as well. You lose skull thumper, and you lose the ST damage dealing tank. You lose a morale pump just like chosen. You lose a very powerful cooldown increaser. Funnily enough, BG is advertised as the "anti caster tank" when BO is 10x better at that with all this.
So the good, you get 2 super punts which is pretty nice. And well I didn't think it would be this bad after I typed it out... but man BO is probably never worth swapping out for a BG I'll just stop here honestly.
So what I get from all this is, BG could see use in place of a chosen possibly as a more offensive option in the future with groups not running mara. Why you would be running a group without mara? Who knows. WE also seems to sync up with BG the best, but right now mara/Chop combo is way stronger. Choking fury could also possibly let BG snake it's way into a AP drain group if they ever become popular, with shamans being much better now it's a possibility.
Gearing is something else I thought a lot about. 2 pc ruin is amazing, but makes it impossible to get the +1 on gear. The extra defense from the middle tree and good defensive talismans/jewelry should be enough to let you run full merc and not get destroyed while fulfilling your role as a tank guarding something and having a good group try and kill you as well. I think a ruin/merc mix is probably best if you are gonna go for outgoing healdebuff and choking fury. It just kinda sucks that you gotta choose between some of your best class defining utility or the only real defensive abilities/tactics you have access to that are worthwhile.
I don't know I just wanted to open up a BG thread seeing the changes to middle tree, and some possible new changes on the horizon. Looking for some insights or if I'm thinking about things wrong please tell me.
