ArenaNet:Skill feedback/Warrior/Flourish

Flourish

Useless skill

Issue

Linked to strength, so it isn't really useful as energy management for non-Warriors. Most other professions have a better use for their elite. Warriors don't really need energy for most attack skills.

Suggestion

5e 8r "Elite Melee attack. For each uncharged adrenaline-based attack skill, Flourish strikes for +5...10...11 damage(capped at +50) and you gain 1 strike of adrenaline, maximum 0...3...4 strikes."

• Warriors only gain 2 energy every 3 seconds from their normal regeneration so they can just barely afford to use this skill as often as possible, which would lock out other important energy skills.

Waste of potential

Issue

This is a potentially great skill since it lets the warrior use energy attacks constantly without needing to worry about recharge OR cost (at least, not much about cost) by sacrificing a second after using his/her chain (which is annoying but worth it). However, it fills up your elite slot AND requires a reasonable investment in Strength, and does nothing for adrenaline skills, meaning it works best in gimmicky W/A or maybe W/D or W/R builds which shouldn't really IMO be overly encouraged.

Suggestion

To me, a "flourish" sounds kinda like you're showing off. IMO this actually fits the Tactics theme slightly better than Strength, but if it was moved it could end up being abused by /Ws. Instead I would just change the functionality a little bit to make it a bit more useful.

Generally, I would imagine someone flourishing their weapon(s) just before the fight began rather than after pulling off a chain, so I would give it a use something more like this:

Flourish. 5 1 12 .

Elite Skill. All of your attack skills become recharged. For each skill recharged in this way you gain 1 Energy and 1 Adrenaline. For 5...11...12 seconds, your next 2...4...5 attack skills cost 60% less energy and activate 20% faster.

This would preserve its use as a chain-renewer but rather than filling up your energy so you can pull off the chain it simply makes the chain cheaper to use, which would allow you to "pre-Flourish" so that you use less energy the first time around. However, the Energy gain stays (if decreased) to ensure that you can still use skills after you've used this.

I also added an adrenaline gain (not too sure about that) so that you can take an adrenaline skill or two as well (but since few adrenaline attacks recharge, they won't make Flourish more powerful meaning you will still want to focus on energy attacks).

I also added a faster activation time to the buff so that your attack skills are actually faster after you've used this. This would mean the skill could be used to increase your attack speed, thus enhancing your dps and allowing you to spam energy attacks quite quickly, which would make up for having to spend a second every 12 to re-use it. Furthermore, anyone who takes this would lose out on a more powerful elite attack skill, so they won't be able to spike as effectively (at least, not in terms of damage - this would make a spike much faster, though the fact that you used Flourish first could be a bit of a giveaway).

Sparky's Issue

Issue

Inferior to current Warrior's Endurance for energy management, long cast time. Most Warrior attack skills do not have a recharge and those that do are usually not long enough to make Flourish worthwhile. Does not allow a diverse bar by having a narrow function.

Suggestion

A flourish is a showy gesture and to flourish is to grow vigorously or steadily, so my suggestions will try to follow the name. Leave this as an on-use skill or make it an active skill (with a duration) that increases Adrenaline, Energy, or Health gain (or decreases recharge times). Decrease activation time or make it a Stance or attack skill. Keep it distinct from skills such as Battle Rage, Primal Rage, and Defy Pain.

Examples:

• Flourish

5 0 25 Elite Skill. (5...13...15 seconds.) You gain 0...1...1 strikes of Adrenaline and 5...17...20 Health when you hit with an attack.

• Flourish

10 0 10 Elite Melee Attack. Attack target foe and up to 1...3...4 other foes Adjacent to you. Deals +5...13...15 damage for each Adjacent foe. (Maximum: 1...3...4 foes.)

• Flourish

5 ¼ 15 Elite Skill. (5...13...15 seconds.) You gain 0...1...1 strikes of Adrenaline and 1...3...3 Energy whenever you use an attack skill.

• Flourish

1 0 0 Elite Stance. (2...8...9 seconds.) The next time you hit with an attack, you are healed for 5...49...60 Health.

• Flourish

5 1 20 Elite Skill. (1...4...5 seconds.) You lose 1...6...7 Conditions and Hexes. You gain +1...4...5 Health Regeneration and +15...27...30 armor. (Lasts 1...4...5 more seconds for each Condition or Hex removed.)

These are just a few of the many possibilities for a functionality change that would fit Flourish. Some might be overpowered or underpowered, I tried to make them as balanced as I could. One could easily mix and match some qualities of the suggestions I placed to hopefully find a balanced, but useful skill. (That hopefully requires thought to use.)