Since Patch 1.4.7 will change many of the core-CC Abilities of all classes, I’ll have a look at what Effect that will have on different damage dealing classes. Normally, they’ll see an increase in duration.
Assuming, that the long-term goal of moving cc from dps to tanks still exists, I provide some ideas, how to substitute the “hard” cc of dps-classes with different effects, that still fit to their function in combat.
This Post is divided in two parts, due to the size of the topic.
Bright Wizard
until 1.4.7
- Choking Smoke – 3s Silence
- Fire Cage – 10s AoE Root
- Backdraft – AoE Kick
- Mage Bolt – Kick M1
- Unleash the Winds – AoE Kick M4
- Withering Heat – 40% 6s slow
Changed in 1.4.7
- Fire Cage – 5s AoE Root
Ideas for further changes
- Choking Smoke – 1s Cast time increase for 5s
Since Bright Wizards were, as far as I know, never meant to be real Caster-killers, I remove their silence and add something in, that has a broader use. Especially Tanks, who do switch guard, will hate it. - Unleash the Winds –AoE-Slow 30%/AoE Kick M4
Due to the low range of AoE-Knockbacks and the squishyness of BWs, I did add a small slow into the effect. This could help making the ability a minor bit more useful, since it makes getting out of melee easier.
Engineer
until 1.4.7
- Barbed Wire – 10s AoE Root
- Concussion Grenade – AoE Knockback
- Crack Shot – 3s Disarm
- Electromagnet – AoE-Pull/AoE-Slow 40% 4s
- Flashbang Grenade – AoE Interrupt
- Land Mine – 9s AoE Stagger
- Point-Blank – Kick M1
- Self-Destruct – AoE 3s Knockdown
- Spanner Swipe – 10s 40% Slow
- Stopping Power – Knockback on Hip Shot
- Strafing Run – AoE Knockback
- Tangling Wire – 6s 40% Snare on Barbed Wire
Changes in 1.4.7
- Barbed Wire – 5s AoE Root
- Land Mine – 3s AoE Stagger
Ideas for further changes
- Barbed Wire – level/0.5s AoE Movement-Barb/50% Slow
From my view an AoE-Root doesn’t really fit to a relatively static defender, since it doesn’t help him get away this much. Slow and movement barb are not reliable on immunities and therefore more reliable, while not as effective. - Flashbang Grenade – the next Ability used within 5s hits a rand Target
We do have very low cast-times and few casters around, making interrupts relatively weak. An Ability messing up target selections does provide a similar annoyance, but is not limited to casting enemies only. I do see this or a similar change as absolutely needed. - Land Mine – 3s AoE Stagger/9s AoE 30% Slow
Since Engineers are the supporting career among the ranged dps, I see their Stagger as a bit to weak for the usual uses. The slow is a small side-effect, that helps them, if immunities are up or if they actually need it as defensive tool, while it shouldn’t influence offence at all. - Self-Destruct – AoE 5s Disarm
Since Turrets are one of the, if not the, most important tools for engineers, destroying them needs to be offset with an important and valueable effect.
Since Knockdowns as “hard” CC is rather something that shouldn’t be in the hands of someone doing dangerous amounts of damage, I decided for a lengthy disarm, making it a useful tool against melee-assists, the same as it’s now. - Tangling Wire – 10s 40% Snare on Self-Destruct
Since the new Barbed Wire already has a slow, I decided to use this tactic for an improvement of Self-Destruct. Mainly, because it is really expensive for an engineer to use that ability. Slow and disarm together should make many mDps think twice about charging a position with a turret, maybe even making it a bit of a soft-counter to being overrun.
Shadow warrior
until 1.4.7
- Counterstrike – Interrupt
- Exploit Weakness – 3s Knockdown
- Instill Fear – 9s Stagger M3
- Opportunistic Strike – 4s Disarm
- Point-Blank – Kick M1
- Takedown – 40% 10s Slow
- Throat Shot – 4s Silence
- Whirling Pin – 10s 40% AoE Slow
- Keen Arrowheads – Time to 15s on Takedown
Changes in 1.4.7
- Exploit Weakness – 4s Knockdown
Ideas for further changes
- Counterstrike – Interrupt, Increases Damage taken by 10% for 5 seconds
As already mentioned when talking about the engineer, interrupts on their own are relatively weak at the moment. Therefore I decided to add a minor damage enhancement to the ability, making it useful, even without disruptable enemies. - Exploit Weakness – Knockback,level/0.5s Movement Barb
Shadow warriors are already able to substitute a knockdown with silence or disarm and slows, so this one isn’t even needed. Therefore I made it an “Oh Sh!t”-Button for melee-SWa, giving them a chance to survive a mistake once in a while.
For what I know, that is about the same use it had up to this point. - Keen Arrowheads – Time to 15s on Takedown, Slow on Takedown to 60%
This is meant to increase the kiting ability of shadow warriors a bit, making them able to keep melees at bay for a longer while. Additionally a ranged 60% slow can be a nice tool to catch kiting goblins….
Slayer
Until 1.4.7
- Doom Seeker – 3s AoE Knockdown(M4)
- No Escape – 10s 10-40% Slow
- Slow Down – 5s 40% AoE Slow
- Incapacitate – 2s Knockdown, undefendable
Changes in 1.4.7
- Incapacitate – 4s Knockdown, undefendable
Ideas for further changes
- Doom Seeker – 3s AoE Pull/6s 60% Slow(M4)
This change mostly gives the Slayer an option to gather enough enemies to make AoE useful. While it also reduces their chances to get away, this is way less certain then the knockdown was. - Incapacitate – 5s Root, undefendable
With slayers being relatively effective at killing tanks, I don’t see a reason for them to be able to knock anyone down. Instead a simple root should be able to allow the to catch up or run away without taking anyone out of the fight completely.
White Lion
Until 1.4.7
- Brutal Pounce – 2s knockdown
- Cleave Limb – 10s 40% Slow
- Ensnare – 5s root M1
- Throat Bite – 4s Silence
Changes in 1.4.7
- Brutal Pounce – 4s knockdown
- Ensnare – 10s root M1
Ideas for further changes
- Brutal Pounce – 4s 60% Slow
I personally don’t see the knockdown as needed to actually prevent someone from running away, a strong slow should be able to acomplish the same thing. - Ensnare – 10s AoE-Slow 50% M1
Rooting is something, that absolutely doesn’t belong in the hands of melee-dps, it is one of the best tools for tanks and ranged dps to actually keep them at bay, soft-countering their gap-closers. An AoE-Slow on the other hand will still give an option to escape, while the AoE takes care of the power difference.
Witch Hunter
Until 1.4.7
- Confess! – 4s Disarm
- Declare Anathema – 3s Stagger[+selfkick]
- Expurgation – 10s 60% Slow
- Pistol Whip – 2s knockdown
- Silence the Heretic – 3s Silence
- Snap Shot – 40% 5s Slow
Changes in 1.4.7
- Pistol Whip – 4s knockdown
Ideas for further changes
- Declare Anathema – 5s 60% Slow[+selfkick]
To be brutally honest, I have no idea, why a class needs to be able to escape easily(self-knockback) and also prevent others from following(Stagger). I see the way, the SW’s version works as way more fitting, especially since it doesn’t change the flow of combat that much. - Pistol Whip – 5s 60% Slow,+1s Casttime
Having a 4 second knockdown on one of the burst-heaviest classes in the game is a death-sentence in smaller fights and unneeded in larger ones. A reliable slow in both acting and moving should bring about the same benefit for WHs, but gives their opponents a chance of surviving them.
Last, but not least, it also gives them some support for group-play, since few do feature cast-time increasers.
I hope, I didn’t miss the target by a to far amount, but even if that is the case, I’d still like to know what you thin. Obviously I’d prefer comments.
Is Part 1 of the past 1.4.7 CC-changes balanced? | Ist Teil 1 der nach-1.4.7 CC-Änderungen ausbalanciert?
- keine Idee/No idea (50%, 1 Votes)
- Nein/No (50%, 1 Votes)
- Ja/Yes (0%, 0 Votes)
- Größtenteils/Mostly (0%, 0 Votes)
- Größtenteils Nein/Mostly no (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 2

3 Responses to CC with 1.4.7 and hopes for adjustment – Part 1 Order
Comments from new authors will need to be approved once before automatically appearing. If your post doesn't appear after 24h, send me a mail and I'll find it hidden beneath spam.
Der erste Kommentar eines Posters muss zunächst freigeschaltet werden. Sollte dein Kommentar nicht innerhalb von 24h auftauchen, schick mir eine Mail und ich grabe ihn aus dem Spamberg aus.