Well I had a look
Ao1 is um.. no longer worthwhile. I agree that the current version on the live servers is too long and quite OP depending on the circumstance and opponents.
In some cases even on the live server it can be quite useless.
So what do we have on live servers:
Mana from 340 -500 for 50 seconds and you get from 40% to 80% resistance. CD is 180 seconds with a cast time of 1 second.
The new version is:
Mana from 320 -400 for 10 seconds and you get from 40% to 80% resistance.
CD is 30 seconds with a cast time of .5 second.
Now the change is not going to hurt me much but seriously, 10 seconds? I wonder how rosy it would look if UM got knocked off from 21 seconds to 10. Who knows that might be good too.
The times that I actually need Ao1 are usually last ditch cases. 10 seconds is not going to do anything. The obvious solution is the new protector/caution combo. If Ao1 goes live it will become a useless spell and I probably wont skill it anyway. No loss. I would have 3 points to put elsewhere. Unfortunately I still have to put this to 19 to get my 5 stone temple points. If it wasn't for that I could probably dismiss Vanguard totally now.
As suggested above the skill should have been nerfed on the effect time to maybe 25 seconds and the protection itself nerfed. I say cap it at 60 % resistances and drop the cd time to 60 seconds. Mana cost for the spell is insane. That is the most debatable thing about this. 320 mana for 10 seconds is simply not worth it.
Protector + Rigorous preparation? Best laugh I had all day.
Those two were ineffective when the cast time was like 4 seconds. They were ineffective when the cast time went to 1 second. They remain ineffective to this day. If I skill those two to level 5 I deserve to die in a twisted heap. Yes, I tested these two extensively over the last 2 changes and found them wanting badly. I miss in about 12 to 21 hits is a joke. -26% HC and -16HC critical correlates to almost nothing in the WZ. I know you guys are desperate to make these have a place. I doubt they ever will.
Heroic Presence I could live with.
Precise block doesn't matter because blocks are random anyway. I don't even skill it on the live servers anymore.
At the end of the day I keep on playing. When it goes live I give it a go. I won't be any worse off anyway. If I remain in the same place or improve as a class will be proven then.
What was interesting though (noticed today in RvR mock battle) was that casting those new areas on a moving army would be exceeding hard to pull off. That would be interesting too.
I look on in interest.
Artec
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