Berserker update shortlist (10/2018)

[TheBravery.9615]

This spec has an identity crisis. It's no longer the unstoppable furious DPS spec it used to be. Spellbreaker should have less dps than berserker due to its overly defensive capabilities and the utility SB has, but it's the other way around. Here are a few suggestions to return Berserker back into the game.

 

# General:

Make it so after activating berserk mode, primal bursts are no longer limited by both adrenaline and cooldown, instead, limit it with only a cooldown. Keep berserk mode's cooldown and 3 bar adrenaline cost. Make smash brawler baseline.

**Why:** Activating berserk mode spends 3 bars of adrenaline but gets nothing in return in terms of procing adrenaline use traits. As a matter of fact, entering berserk mode becomes a liability to the warrior as it's ability to gain and use adrenaline traits gets nerfed.This would be a fair compromise without making berserker bursts count as level 3 bursts.

 

# Skills

* (GS) Arc Divider: Revert the cast time nerf; Change the cast time to half second.

**Why:** Compare this to holographic shock wave. will also launch you, crit 100% of the time, and has a 600 range. compared to arc divider's 450 range. Also holosmiths can enter photon forge with less restriction than berserk mode. Apples to oranges, but this skill really needs the nerf reverted as it's no longer considered 'op".

* (Hammer) Rupturing Smash: Change the AOE to a full circle instead of a quarter circle.

**Why:**: The unusual hit box makes this awkward to lead hits with its 3/4 second cast time. Giving it a full AOE circle will make this more usable.

* (Axe) Decapitate: Reduce cast time to half a second, reduce aftercast. Remove the might gain, and fire the shockwave effect even if the axe doesn't hit a target.

**Why:**: Eviscerate is a better burst attack, the shock wave is a gimmick and awkward to hit other targets out of position. Even skull grinder is better than this.

* (Mace) Skull Grinder: Undo the splits and normalize it to the PVE specifications.

**Why:**: The nerfs are not justified in this current game build.

* Outrage: Change it so this uses the charge/ammunition mechanic, increase cooldown.

**Why:**: Because it's more appropriate for what this skill is supposed to accomplish.

* Wild Blow: Increase the launch to 900, increase damage by a lot.

**Why:**: Gimmick one trick pony skill without a purpose. At least give warriors an option for a high damage, high risk, close range attack.

* Sundering Leap: Change it from vulnerability and cripple to torment and burning. Reduce cast time to half a second.

**Why:**: Awkward to use because of it's long cast time, serves no purpose because there are other leaps out there that does power damage. Would give this an identity as a condi damage based gap closer.

 

# Traits:

What I want to do here is separate the major traits into 3 distinct categories: Power damage, condi damage, and utility.

* Smash Brawler: Make current trait baseline, rework this. Critical hit chance and critical damage is increased against burning enemies.

**Why:** If primal bursts are going to be treated as level 1 bursts, smash brawler need to be made baseline because of warrior doesn't gain much after transforming besides hindering their own survivability with the adrenal health nerf.

* Last Blaze: in addition to its current effects, Primal burst attacks inflict burning. Can only occur once per interval per target for multi hit burst skills.

**Why:** Berserker being a condi oriented spec should have their primal bursts inflict more condi as a trait option. No such option exists.

* Savage Instinct: In addition to its current effects, primal bursts are now able to break stun.

**Why:** Current trait places too many restrictions to make this beneficial (effectively a stun break on a 30 second cooldown and it requires adrenaline to use). Need 3 bars of adrenaline to enter berserk mode, and limited by a cooldown with a subpar benefit. Making primal bursts capable of breaking stun will breathe new life into this trait.

* Dead or Alive: Rework this. You are now able to leave berserk mode to put it on cooldown early by pressing F1 while in berserk. Evade and gain super speed for 1 second when entering berserk mode, gain barrier and vigor when leaving berserk mode.

**Why:** Current dead or alive trait is ineffective due to the requirements of being in berserk mode. It's also a passive boring trait. Make this an active trait.

* Fatal Frenzy: Increase boon duration to 15 seconds

**Why:** Always angry is a better trait and has a lower tier. can't even do anything with 3 seconds of quickness.

* Eternal Champion: Rework this. You are no longer able to gain stability if you take this trait, but your primal bursts also become uninterruptible. Any incoming stability you gain is immediately converted to retaliation and resistance. Gain resistance + convert blind/weakness/cripple into fury/might/swiftness when you break a stun.

**Why:** This is to make a frontline berserker more viable in WvW while embracing the specialization's theme around breaking stun.

 

[Ferus.3165]

Eternal Champion should grant pusling stab again for the full 15 sec duration. There is so much boon rip and convert going on that a one time stab ability (even every 30 sec) will just be utterly useless. Stab like that won't last longer than 1-2 sec (that is also the reason why dolly signet is trash).

 

Also some of your suggestions seem like a total overkill... a stunbreak on every primal burst for which you don't even need adrenaline anymore? That sounds absolutely broken :D. You activate your bursts to pressure the enemy, having a stunbreak as a byproduct on an ability that you don't even use for that part of the ability is just bad design and in your proposed case would probably be pretty overpowered. (again that is the reason why the current Savage Instinct is a bad designed trait. You want to use berserk mode not for the stunbreak but for the extra dmg and skills you get. Thus most of the time the stunbreak/condi cleanse part is completely wasted.)

[Schwahrheit.4203]

Berserker should at least have 3 attacks unblockable when you enter Berserker mode. But tbh, there's really not point atm in playing berserker because you lose so much defense and you still can't really do much vs. evade spamming classes.

 

Like there's things that ANET can do but ANET devs are having trouble fighting Warrior cause they're kinda bad at the game themselves.

[TheBravery.9615]

> @"Ferus.3165" said:

> Eternal Champion should grant pusling stab again for the full 15 sec duration. There is so much boon rip and convert going on that a one time stab ability (even every 30 sec) will just be utterly useless. Stab like that won't last longer than 1-2 sec (that is also the reason why dolly signet is trash).

>

> Also some of your suggestions seem like a total overkill... a stunbreak on every primal burst for which you don't even need adrenaline anymore? That sounds absolutely broken :D. You activate your bursts to pressure the enemy, having a stunbreak as a byproduct on an ability that you don't even use for that part of the ability is just bad design and in your proposed case would probably be pretty overpowered. (again that is the reason why the current Savage Instinct is a bad designed trait. You want to use berserk mode not for the stunbreak but for the extra dmg and skills you get. Thus most of the time the stunbreak/condi cleanse part is completely wasted.)

 

Berserker was themed around breaking stuns, high dps, and "being unstoppable" from what I remember on anet's introduction video a while back on berserker.

 

I don't think it's over powered to have primal bursts include a stun break. You still need to be in berserk mode for this to useful. If you get stunned entering combat without adrenaline you still wouldn't be able to use it.

 

Eternal champion is an odd one because it doesn't really fit thematically to the berserker by giving it stability. I would probably ask it to change it to resistance or protection so the berserker can make use of stun break traits.

 

[Obtena.7952]

> @"TheBravery.9615" said:

> > @"Ferus.3165" said:

> > Eternal Champion should grant pusling stab again for the full 15 sec duration. There is so much boon rip and convert going on that a one time stab ability (even every 30 sec) will just be utterly useless. Stab like that won't last longer than 1-2 sec (that is also the reason why dolly signet is trash).

> >

> > Also some of your suggestions seem like a total overkill... a stunbreak on every primal burst for which you don't even need adrenaline anymore? That sounds absolutely broken :D. You activate your bursts to pressure the enemy, having a stunbreak as a byproduct on an ability that you don't even use for that part of the ability is just bad design and in your proposed case would probably be pretty overpowered. (again that is the reason why the current Savage Instinct is a bad designed trait. You want to use berserk mode not for the stunbreak but for the extra dmg and skills you get. Thus most of the time the stunbreak/condi cleanse part is completely wasted.)

>

> Berserker was themed around breaking stuns, high dps, and "being unstoppable" from what I remember on anet's introduction video a while back on berserker.

>

 

It does all that ... it just doesn't do it all at once. If it did, it would be OP'ed.

 

The fix I would like is related to the level of adrenaline to get to Berserker state. The traits are fine.

[Ferus.3165]

> @"TheBravery.9615" said:

> > @"Ferus.3165" said:

> > Eternal Champion should grant pusling stab again for the full 15 sec duration. There is so much boon rip and convert going on that a one time stab ability (even every 30 sec) will just be utterly useless. Stab like that won't last longer than 1-2 sec (that is also the reason why dolly signet is trash).

> >

> > Also some of your suggestions seem like a total overkill... a stunbreak on every primal burst for which you don't even need adrenaline anymore? That sounds absolutely broken :D. You activate your bursts to pressure the enemy, having a stunbreak as a byproduct on an ability that you don't even use for that part of the ability is just bad design and in your proposed case would probably be pretty overpowered. (again that is the reason why the current Savage Instinct is a bad designed trait. You want to use berserk mode not for the stunbreak but for the extra dmg and skills you get. Thus most of the time the stunbreak/condi cleanse part is completely wasted.)

>

> Berserker was themed around breaking stuns, high dps, and "being unstoppable" from what I remember on anet's introduction video a while back on berserker.

>

> I don't think it's over powered to have primal bursts include a stun break. You still need to be in berserk mode for this to useful. If you get stunned entering combat without adrenaline you still wouldn't be able to use it.

>

> Eternal champion is an odd one because it doesn't really fit thematically to the berserker by giving it stability. I would probably ask it to change it to resistance or protection so the berserker can make use of stun break traits.

>

 

hm some protection and resistance on eternal champ and some more stunbreaks sure would be nice.

I mean something has to be done with berserker because it is absolutely useless atm. The high dps part is not even true in pve :D (banners be blessed!!) and unstoppable combined with berserker should not be used in the same sentence.

Resistance would also be quite nice because that is something you are almost completely missing on berserker. 4 sec through the stance and that is kinda it. There is no way you can fight vs anything that has even a bit of condi pressure, let alone broken stuff like condi mirage. I think if you'd buff outrage and give that skill charges while leaving the cd as it is there should be plenty of stunbreaks available.

Primal bursts should imo be special in another way that does not interfere with your "prime objective" that is hitting your enemy with a burst. Those skills should prob be unblockable and remove blind on use. Berserk mode offers so little benefits that this would probably be justified, even if you'd get some sec prot and resi from eternal champion.

Also a fitting thematic on berserk would be that chill has a -66% duration on you while you are in berserk mode.

[TheBravery.9615]

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fatal_Frenzy

 

They should probably also change this to 15 seconds.

 

3 seconds of quickness.. what can you do in 3 seconds even?

[Harubpunbaru.3260]

Berserk needs to give Berserker's Power 3 stacks right after button push. Wasted the entire 3 bars and gets 1 stack LUL

Also i agreed with axe. But it should be a cleave instead.

 

[Blocki.4931]

Honestly I don't think it needs that much of a touch up. The biggest problems are:

1. Awkward to use Burst skills (Hammer F1 in burst mode says hello)

2. Everything being aimed forward or targeted

 

Longbow Primal Burst is amazing. Unload it on a choke and you're good to go. But that requires you to not have anybody targeted else you fire it towards them, which can mess up your aim. Hammer Primal Burst isn't even worth using. Half the time you can't even hit it on NPCs because you jump inside of them due to being in melee already (change it to some earthquake like skill? Maybe slightly bigger than normal F1, with some rippling earth effect & could make it a knockdown for flavor)

Sword F1 is strong, but projectile and kinda weird to use since it semi locks you in. Greatsword F1 feels just right imo. I wouldn't change it.

 

If I had free reign for a single, bigger change to the spec I would give Berserker mode a flat CC reduction. Make hard CC last 50% less and reduce damage taken by 15%. Fits the theme of a Berserker while keeping a weakness to condi damage alive. Stuff like you can ignore physical pain more easily due to the rage just leaves a lot of room in that direction.

[sneakytails.5629]

The recent buffs to Longbow and Sword have helped Condi Berserker significantly. Ever since the recent Sword buffs I have put a Condi Berserker back into my build rotation in WvW. Its doing just fine, and Thieves and Mesmers are less of a problem than when I play my power builds. The burst potential feels really good right now. With power taking back the meta, most enemies are not running many clears right now.

 

Power Berserker is what feels weak to me right now, I always destroy them when on my Core Warriors, its the power version of Berserker which could use some buffs. Some of the skill tweak ideas above sound good. It needs to be hitting way harder.

[Kiroshima.8497]

Berserk Mode needs a Delayed Damage mechanic in order to bring out the Unstoppable Juggernaut theme it really wants, where taking damage fuels your own damage. Before I used stacks, but instead we just make it a pool created when you enter Berserk Mode (basically reverse life force).

 

Base Mechanics:

33% of all damage taken is negated and stored into a pool. When Berserk Mode ends, empty the pool and take all damage that was in it over 10 seconds as unreduceable damage (cannot be negated by invulnerability, Endure Pain, anything). Your Delayed Damage pool is equal to the warrior's Base Health (20000 aka 10k vitality and 9k plus a bit from class). If your pool fills, it will immediately empty and begin ticking damage (and start filling up again for more damage). No longer increases attack speed by 15%.

 

Hitting any primal burst (like the on burst traits) reduces the pool by 5% of your total max health.

 

Delayed Damage can be interacted with by utilities and traits. Similar to how holosmith scales with heat on sword skills, Berserker Skills will scale based off how much delayed damage you have compared to your Base Max health (more vit = good).

 

Utility Changes:

Blood Reckoning: As it is now, but also 10% of all damage is removed from the Delayed Damage pool.

Outrage: As it is now, but reduce the Delayed Damage pool by 2% of your max health per target (max 10%).

Shattering Blow: Direct Damage, Bleed Duration, and Stability Duration increased by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

Wild Blow: Direct Damage increased by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%. If over 33% of the pool, inflicts Blind and Weakness on all targets.

Sundering Leap: Adrenaline gain reduced to 5 and 10. Cooldown reduced by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

Headbutt: Base damage reduced to 2,0. Direct Damage by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%. Self Stun duration reduced by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

 

Trait Changes:

Smash Brawler: As it is, but also reduces Rage skill cooldown by 20%.

Last Blaze: Burning duration increased by Delayed Damage Pool. If your delayed damage pool downs you, burn and damage enemies around you.

Savage Instinct: Gain the old Berserk Stance for 6 seconds (immune to condi application) and break stun when you activate Berserk. Primal Bursts convert 1 condition into a boon on hit.

Always Angry: Damage and Condition Damage increased by .5% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full, maximum 25%.

Blood Reaction: Primal Bursts inflict 1 stack of bleeding for 3 seconds. 2 on critical. Duration of this bleed is increased by ferocity as if it were expertise. Striking foes with 5 or more bleeding stacks grants ferocity based on precision.

Heat the Soul: As the current trait, but also gain - Burning enemies reduced your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% of your Max Health per target.

Dead or Alive: 50% of the damage taken is stored, instead of 33%. When in downstate, 50% of bleedout and damage taken is put into the pool which triggers when you rally or are revived.

Fatal Frenzy: Berserk Mode and Vengeance pulse swiftness, fury, and quickness (3 seconds every 3 seconds, stacks if you are under both). If you would go down, heal for 33% of your max health and start taking damage as though your Delayed Damage Pool was 100% full (2000 damage per second for 10 seconds). Cooldown 60 seconds. Vengeance has a 100% chance of rallying if you down an opponent (instead of killing) while in Berserk Mode.

Bloody Roar: While in Berserk Mode, Berserk turns into Bloody Roar. Bloody Roar has a 10 second cooldown (8 with smash brawler), costs 10 adrenaline, 1/4 cast time, and is unblockable. Taunts (1.5 seconds) and bleeds (2 stacks, 8 seconds) nearby enemies. Taunting OR Fearing enemies grants 1 stack of might (20s) and reduces your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% of your max health per target affected. Automatically use Blood Roar when you enter Berserk Mode.

King Of Fires: Skills that burn enemies also inflict burning on yourself for 6 seconds(per activation, not per burn). Instead of doing damage, having burning on you reduces your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% per second per stack as long as you have Fire Aura. Berserker Skills detonate Fire Aura, which will cleanse burning on you, deal damage, and inflict burning in a radius around you (as current trait).

Endless Champion: Incoming healing will be split 50/50 to your health and Delayed Damage Pool while in Berserk Mode. Gain stability and pulse stability while in Berserk Mode. Breaking stuns grants stability. Stability reduces incoming damage by 10% and condition damage by 33%.

 

tl;dr

Berserker should offset incoming damage for later, and interact with that offset damage using traits/skills.

[TheBravery.9615]

> @"Kiroshima.8497" said:

> Berserk Mode needs a Delayed Damage mechanic in order to bring out the Unstoppable Juggernaut theme it really wants, where taking damage fuels your own damage. Before I used stacks, but instead we just make it a pool created when you enter Berserk Mode (basically reverse life force).

>

> Base Mechanics:

> 33% of all damage taken is negated and stored into a pool. When Berserk Mode ends, empty the pool and take all damage that was in it over 10 seconds as unreduceable damage (cannot be negated by invulnerability, Endure Pain, anything). Your Delayed Damage pool is equal to the warrior's Base Health (20000 aka 10k vitality and 9k plus a bit from class). If your pool fills, it will immediately empty and begin ticking damage (and start filling up again for more damage). No longer increases attack speed by 15%.

>

> Hitting any primal burst (like the on burst traits) reduces the pool by 5% of your total max health.

>

> Delayed Damage can be interacted with by utilities and traits. Similar to how holosmith scales with heat on sword skills, Berserker Skills will scale based off how much delayed damage you have compared to your Base Max health (more vit = good).

>

> Utility Changes:

> Blood Reckoning: As it is now, but also 10% of all damage is removed from the Delayed Damage pool.

> Outrage: As it is now, but reduce the Delayed Damage pool by 2% of your max health per target (max 10%).

> Shattering Blow: Direct Damage, Bleed Duration, and Stability Duration increased by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

> Wild Blow: Direct Damage increased by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%. If over 33% of the pool, inflicts Blind and Weakness on all targets.

> Sundering Leap: Adrenaline gain reduced to 5 and 10. Cooldown reduced by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

> Headbutt: Base damage reduced to 2,0. Direct Damage by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%. Self Stun duration reduced by 1% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full. Maximum 50%.

>

> Trait Changes:

> Smash Brawler: As it is, but also reduces Rage skill cooldown by 20%.

> Last Blaze: Burning duration increased by Delayed Damage Pool. If your delayed damage pool downs you, burn and damage enemies around you.

> Savage Instinct: Gain the old Berserk Stance for 6 seconds (immune to condi application) and break stun when you activate Berserk. Primal Bursts convert 1 condition into a boon on hit.

> Always Angry: Damage and Condition Damage increased by .5% for every percent that your Delayed Damage Pool is full, maximum 25%.

> Blood Reaction: Primal Bursts inflict 1 stack of bleeding for 3 seconds. 2 on critical. Duration of this bleed is increased by ferocity as if it were expertise. Striking foes with 5 or more bleeding stacks grants ferocity based on precision.

> Heat the Soul: As the current trait, but also gain - Burning enemies reduced your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% of your Max Health per target.

> Dead or Alive: 50% of the damage taken is stored, instead of 33%. When in downstate, 50% of bleedout and damage taken is put into the pool which triggers when you rally or are revived.

> Fatal Frenzy: Berserk Mode and Vengeance pulse swiftness, fury, and quickness (3 seconds every 3 seconds, stacks if you are under both). If you would go down, heal for 33% of your max health and start taking damage as though your Delayed Damage Pool was 100% full (2000 damage per second for 10 seconds). Cooldown 60 seconds. Vengeance has a 100% chance of rallying if you down an opponent (instead of killing) while in Berserk Mode.

> Bloody Roar: While in Berserk Mode, Berserk turns into Bloody Roar. Bloody Roar has a 10 second cooldown (8 with smash brawler), costs 10 adrenaline, 1/4 cast time, and is unblockable. Taunts (1.5 seconds) and bleeds (2 stacks, 8 seconds) nearby enemies. Taunting OR Fearing enemies grants 1 stack of might (20s) and reduces your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% of your max health per target affected. Automatically use Blood Roar when you enter Berserk Mode.

> King Of Fires: Skills that burn enemies also inflict burning on yourself for 6 seconds(per activation, not per burn). Instead of doing damage, having burning on you reduces your Delayed Damage Pool by 1% per second per stack as long as you have Fire Aura. Berserker Skills detonate Fire Aura, which will cleanse burning on you, deal damage, and inflict burning in a radius around you (as current trait).

> Endless Champion: Incoming healing will be split 50/50 to your health and Delayed Damage Pool while in Berserk Mode. Gain stability and pulse stability while in Berserk Mode. Breaking stuns grants stability. Stability reduces incoming damage by 10% and condition damage by 33%.

>

> tl;dr

> Berserker should offset incoming damage for later, and interact with that offset damage using traits/skills.

 

lets be realistic. With arenanet having a track record of balancing things with mere % increases/decreases in something, do you think they would do all this?

[Kiroshima.8497]

> @"TheBravery.9615" said:

> lets be realistic. With arenanet having a track record of balancing things with mere % increases/decreases in something, do you think they would do all this?

 

Of course not. That doesn't mean we can't brainstorm thematically appropriate changes to grant ideas to whoever is reading. Also it's fun.

 

What I REALLY think will happen is that Berserker will never get touched again, and if they do get anything, it'll be pointless adjustments like the Core Necro Shroud changes that don't really shake anything up.

[Miko.4158]

berserkers dead. The primal burst is long gone and eternal champions not up to it in wvw .

its damage is, ok , maybe pvp but why would you.

[TheBravery.9615]

> @"Miko.4158" said:

> berserkers dead. The primal burst is long gone and eternal champions not up to it in wvw .

> its damage is, ok , maybe pvp but why would you.

 

All the more reason this needs an update

 

also re-evaluating dead or alive trait, I really don't like how passive this is.

 

Here's what I'm proposing instead: Gain superspeed when entering berserk mode, heal yourself when leaving berserk mode.

[Opopanax.1803]

I don't think they will rework the 3 bar adrenaline... but, gasp, I don't want them too.

 

Going back to fury bar counting as three bars means you are Locked into Strength, and I don't like that.

 

Just add some buff when in berserker and buff power coefficients on burst skills and see where that leaves it.

[TheBravery.9615]

* Dead or Alive: Rework this. Evade and gain superspeed for 1 second when entering berserk mode, heal yourself when leaving berserk mode.

**Why:** Current dead or alive trait is ineffective due to the requirements of being in berserk mode. It's also a passive boring trait. Make this an active trait.

 

* Eternal Champion: Rework this. Change it to resistance for 15 seconds while in berserk mode, gain barrier, protection, and endurance + remove conditions when you break a stun.

**Why:** This is to make a frontline berserker more viable in WvW while embracing the specialization's theme around breaking stun.

 

What do you guys think about these suggestions?

 

I think these would easily give berserkers a sustainable option

[Opopanax.1803]

Those would help

[Obtena.7952]

Just to focus on one trait:

 

Savage Instinct: This trait is simply not implemented correctly. It forces a user to sit on their full adrenaline bars to get ANY benefit from it. Adding primal bursts to it's trigger isn't a bad suggestion, but I think even better than this would be the following:

 

_If possible, berserker mode will activate to remove stuns and conditions_

 

Personally, I think the price to pay to sit on a full adrenaline bar as a stun breaker is an inappropriate implementation and not inline with the berserker theme. Frankly, 'going berserker' shouldn't be a player choice IMO .. you build the rage and lose control; it doesn't make much sense to decide when you lose control when you are 100% full of adrenaline. I think going into berserk mode should happen automatically.

 

I'm still of the belief that most of these problems with Berserker interacts with the adrenaline bar, so primarily the fixes should be related to improvements to that interaction. I would prefer it's not in the traits that's addressed. There is plenty of sustain in the other traits so I don't think those suggestions are as much value.

[TheBravery.9615]

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

> Just to focus on one trait:

>

> Savage Instinct: This trait is simply not implemented correctly. It forces a user to sit on their full adrenaline bars to get ANY benefit from it. Adding primal bursts to it's trigger isn't a bad suggestion, but I think even better than this would be the following:

>

> _If possible, berserker mode will activate to remove stuns and conditions_

>

> Personally, I think the price to pay to sit on a full adrenaline bar as a stun breaker is an inappropriate implementation and not inline with the berserker theme. Frankly, 'going berserker' shouldn't be a player choice IMO .. you build the rage and lose control; it doesn't make much sense to decide when you lose control when you are 100% full of adrenaline. I think going into berserk mode should happen automatically.

>

> I'm still of the belief that most of these problems with Berserker interacts with the adrenaline bar, so primarily the fixes should be related to improvements to that interaction. I would prefer it's not in the traits that's addressed. There is plenty of sustain in the other traits so I don't think those suggestions are as much value.

 

Pass. I don't want to involuntarily go berserk upon getting CC'd or condi'd. Passive traits that try to play the game for me turn me off

 

and Berserker do need options for sustain. Dead or alive and eternal chapion in its current format are terrible and it's obviously a band-aid fix for berserker sustain. If more options exist, we'd be opening up new build possibilities for berserker instead of defense, discipline, berserker builds.

[Obtena.7952]

Not to derail your thread, but what would be so bad about involuntary berserk mode ... other than it's passive? Frankly, I think if you need sustain as Berserker, you're ignoring better ways to play. Sure, if we had more options, we would have more options. That kind of goes without saying. I believe the big thing that prevents 'sustain' berserker is the fact that a berserker theme isn't really about sustain; it's about going crazy, being unstoppable and demolishing things in your path. We already have the guidance on what Berserker does, so it makes sense to stick to that with the proposals we make.

 

Admittedly, I think Dead or Alive is not too exciting and very limited in what it does but Eternal Champion is not even about sustain in the first place. Why push to make it into a sustain trait? Theme is important; people just don't take Berserker for sustain, so it's really misguided to push it in that direction. That doesn't even fix what is wrong with it. I just don't get all these idea threads that want to dilute what elite specs do and not fix the real problems. It doesn't make sense to do that.

 

I also think it's really important that the goal here is to fix what is wrong with Berserker. That isn't necessarily done but take things out of it you don't like or adding things to it you do like. For example, you got a hate on for passives ... but that's not something that's wrong with Berserker. Sometimes, passives fit the bill; dislike isn't a reason to suggest removing them.

[Zoltar MacRoth.7146]

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

> Not to derail your thread, but what would be so bad about involuntary berserk mode ... other than it's passive? Frankly, I think if you need sustain as Berserker, you're ignoring better ways to play. Sure, if we had more options, we would have more options. That kind of goes without saying. I believe the big thing that prevents 'sustain' berserker is the fact that a berserker theme isn't really about sustain; it's about going crazy, being unstoppable and demolishing things in your path. We already have the guidance on what Berserker does, so it makes sense to stick to that with the proposals we make.

>

> Admittedly, I think Dead or Alive is not too exciting and very limited in what it does but Eternal Champion is not even about sustain in the first place. Why push to make it into a sustain trait? Theme is important; people just don't take Berserker for sustain, so it's really misguided to push it in that direction. That doesn't even fix what is wrong with it. I just don't get all these idea threads that want to dilute what elite specs do and not fix the real problems. It doesn't make sense to do that.

>

> I also think it's really important that the goal here is to fix what is wrong with Berserker. That isn't necessarily done but take things out of it you don't like or adding things to it you do like. For example, you got a hate on for passives ... but that's not something that's wrong with Berserker. Sometimes, passives fit the bill; dislike isn't a reason to suggest removing them.

 

I like this concept, especially the part about turning into an unstoppable rage monster. :)

[Obtena.7952]

Personally, I think the whole Berserker spec would be much better if you could activate it like other bursts; (when you choose to) ... and it's duration was dependent on how many adrenaline bars you used at activation. That would make it's function completely familiar, more flexible and for PvP/WvW, less predictable. This would improve it lots because there are many traits that work upon activating Berserker.

 

E.g., You get 5 seconds of Berserker duration for each bar you use.

 

The issues with traits are minor and short of making OPed traits, changing them can't fix what's wrong with the spec. The traits are actually pretty good as they are; the problems are related to the adrenaline cost to use Berserker being the barrier to it being really good. This 'duration by bar' idea would even address my dislike for Savage Instinct.

[Kiroshima.8497]

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

>

> The issues with traits are minor and short of making OPed traits, changing them can't fix what's wrong with the spec. The traits are actually pretty good as they are; the problems are related to the adrenaline cost to use Berserker being the barrier to it being really good. This 'duration by bar' idea would even address my dislike for Savage Instinct.

 

Actually, I can think of one trait that is just straight up bad: Last Blaze (doesn't work with rage skills which are ALL power based, no cd reduction)

Also, King Of Fires is also weird, because you "want" to use it with Sword, but it actually works better with Axe, and doesn't work at all with Mace (a really good condi primal burst).

Oh and Blood Reaction. Not really great in the grand scheme of a warrior kit.

 

[TheBravery.9615]

> @"Obtena.7952" said:

> Not to derail your thread, but what would be so bad about involuntary berserk mode ... other than it's passive? Frankly, I think if you need sustain as Berserker, you're ignoring better ways to play. Sure, if we had more options, we would have more options. That kind of goes without saying. I believe the big thing that prevents 'sustain' berserker is the fact that a berserker theme isn't really about sustain; it's about going crazy, being unstoppable and demolishing things in your path. We already have the guidance on what Berserker does, so it makes sense to stick to that with the proposals we make.

>

> Admittedly, I think Dead or Alive is not too exciting and very limited in what it does but Eternal Champion is not even about sustain in the first place. Why push to make it into a sustain trait? Theme is important; people just don't take Berserker for sustain, so it's really misguided to push it in that direction. That doesn't even fix what is wrong with it. I just don't get all these idea threads that want to dilute what elite specs do and not fix the real problems. It doesn't make sense to do that.

>

> I also think it's really important that the goal here is to fix what is wrong with Berserker. That isn't necessarily done but take things out of it you don't like or adding things to it you do like. For example, you got a hate on for passives ... but that's not something that's wrong with Berserker. Sometimes, passives fit the bill; dislike isn't a reason to suggest removing them.

 

Reason I didn't like that idea was because entering involuntary berserk to remove conditions/control effect suggests that it would put my berserk mode in cooldown after it expires, and it would mess with my rotation. It's just a solid no in my opinion and adds to the berserker's list of problems rather than fix. I would rather give that control to the player, have primal bursts break stuns and gain resistance with the grandmaster trait when stuns are broken. This reinforces the idea that the warior is 'unstoppable' when in berserk and can not be locked down. better than a passive trait.

 

The way the traits are currently set out, it looks like there are 3 options. First row: physical damage, second row: condi damage, 3rd row: utility. There are glaring problems with the 3rd row that need addressing and they're embedded in how the traits are designed, not berserk itself. Example: eternal champion grants stability. Berserkers should be breaking stuns and benefiting from the stun break, stability is working against the design of the berserker. This needs a change. Dead or alive and savage instinct are bad for reasons stated in the op.

 

 

> @"Kiroshima.8497" said:

> > @"Obtena.7952" said:

> >

> > The issues with traits are minor and short of making OPed traits, changing them can't fix what's wrong with the spec. The traits are actually pretty good as they are; the problems are related to the adrenaline cost to use Berserker being the barrier to it being really good. This 'duration by bar' idea would even address my dislike for Savage Instinct.

>

> Actually, I can think of one trait that is just straight up bad: Last Blaze (doesn't work with rage skills which are ALL power based, no cd reduction)

> Also, King Of Fires is also weird, because you "want" to use it with Sword, but it actually works better with Axe, and doesn't work at all with Mace (a really good condi primal burst).

> Oh and Blood Reaction. Not really great in the grand scheme of a warrior kit.

>

 

King of fires has no ICD when using leap finishers and can contribute to a ton of condi damage, so I didn't change that. Agree that blood reaction isn't great but wouldn't suggest anything at this time because it competes with nothing if the player is opting for a physical damage build.