The Bad Ones
Swordsman C1
- Thrust = crap
- Bash = used to be good, but everyone with a good shield, enough CON and/or evasion can just block/evade it now; let’s not even talk about those that use GGolem card in cases of team fights with minions around (they still trigger P.Barrier even if players can’t) - just a PVE control skill now?
- Gung Ho & Concentrate = crap at C1, but both gets better in later circles; it’s a waste of time trying to use these buffs at just C1
- P.Barrier = the only saving grace of this circle
Archer C1
- Multishot = more like “multi-sh!t”
- Full Draw = like Bash, this used to be good but almost everyone with a shield, high CON or insane evasion is just blocking/evading it now
- Swiftstep = +50 Evasion wow such evasion much evading
- Oblique Shot = it’s ok, it’s actually better than what it used to be, but it still gets overshadowed fast by higher rank skills especially when you already have a lot in your rotation - just a PVE mobbing skill now? In PVP you can rarely trigger the slow debuff due to blocks and misses
Both circles are so underwhelming that you wished you could spend the skill points in higher circles instead. Often times, you’re left with a lot of points that even when used doesn’t really impact your endgame build.
Now let’s take a look at the two other classes:
The Good Ones
Cleric C1
- Heal = always relevant, can recover, can deal damage
- Cure = good damage even at higher level content; very good utility against most debuffs
- Safety Zone = really good utility
- Deprotected Zone = while more party-oriented, it’s a great debuff for sword-using partymates and those builds that capitalize on debuffs (e.g. PD, HL)
Wizard C1
- E.Bolt = while damage isn’t that great, it’s mini-knockback is more reliable than Bash since magic pierces through block and evasion (great for pushing opponents back towards or outside AOE/CCs or to simply interrupt their casting)
- Lethargy = like Cleric’s D.Zone, it’s more party-oriented and it’s not bad either (always handy to use in dungeon runs)
- Sleep = a much more reliable CC compared to Bash or Full Draw
- Reflect Shield = probably the only useless skill in this circle
- Earthquake = another reliable CC when used properly
In the dozens of builds I’ve made, I’ve come to the conclusion that Sword and Archer C1 have become nothing but useless yet compulsory filler classes for C1. Both really needs some rework.
Suggestions
- Increase Thrust’s bleed proc chance
- Give Bash 50% chance to hit and KD on 3rd use (it has 3 overheats) even when blocked (only on normal blocks, not with skills like SZ) or evaded - putting it on the last overheat prevents chain-CCing with the skill
- Like Bash, give Full Draw 50% chance to hit and Skew (if there’s something to skew the target with) on 2nd use (it has 2 overheats) even when blocked (only on normal blocks, not with skills like SZ) or evaded
- For Swiftstep, move Crit Rate attribute to C1 but adjust it so that it still makes more sense to go C2 or C3 for higher evasion and crit rate bonus (%-based at C2 maybe?)
- Increase slow proc chance for Oblique Shot
- Give Reflect Shield a very small chance to resist debuff
- I have nothing for Cleric - the circle is already in its best state
NO, I don’t endorse nerfs of any kind, especially to Cleric and Wiz C1.
