Talk:Power Lock

Skill Tweaks 07/26/07

• Power Lock: add chants to interrupt and disable
• Please discuss skill change here. ~Izzy @-'---- 23:33, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

Sexyer than ever, can't wait :) Miss Velvetine 00:31, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

really need to reduce the disable time or double the recharge... Mantra of recovery + Power Lock mesmers are going to rock the GW:EN meta with this singlehandedly.87.194.81.41 01:17, 27 July 2007 (UTC)Lorekeeper

MoR-Power Lock is gonna be very, very scary indeed. That might actually add a serious counter to Paragon that's actually versatile though. Power Locking their main chants over and over can seriously screw them up. Patccmoi 07:02, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

Lower disabling time. This skill is nightmare in the hands of a half-decent mesmer. I like the addition of chants to the disabling list though. Always need more Zergway counters. Living Parasite 07:47, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

Please don't cry for nerfs already. This is the perfect non-elite version of powerblock. Shutdown is what mesmers are supposed to do and most of the time rangers do a better job.

Ok you added chants. I'm perfectly fine with it. But this skill obiously needs a nerf. Think about it: with it the it is right now, you can easily lock down a skill for the whole duration of a fight. Mantra of Recovery will make this even more powerful. This skill is _broken_. I suggest: 10 E - 20 Recast - disables target spell for 3 - 15 seconds.

Yes. Let's just make something else worthless compared to rangers. May I remind you of Distracting shot? 71.179.85.164 09:05, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Looking back at this skill and after reading Ensign's post on Guru about why balance in GW is so messed up right now, I'm trying to see wether this warrants a nerf. This is in no doubt a powerful skill but really when it becomes a monster is when it is placed in the hands of MoR. MoR is how every mesmer skill in GW is balanced. It might be fine with it's current recharge time, but under MoR it is insane. No, I don't think this deserves a nerf in normal conditions, it's stupid to balance skills according to MoR when MoR is the problem. 75.66.67.12 18:19, 28 July 2007 (UTC)

If MoR can make this type of spell too powerful, then it's easy to change the mechanic of this spell so that when it interrupts a spell, it disables that spell and becomes that spell for x seconds. Then MoR won't allow this spell to disable more than 1 enemy spell at a time. The spell this becomes would only be usable by Signet of Illusions or a mesmer who happens to be specialized in the exact same attribute as the spell they interrupted. Just an optional suggestion. I hope it doesn't come to that though. This skill needs to be just as appealing as Diversion or Distracting Shot in the end or people will not bother with it. --Redfeather 22:14, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

I like where this is, and will certainly be running it over PLeak myself. I don't think it breaks under Mantra of Recovery, simply because you don't get that many good targets to interrupt these days, and less so with PLock. If you look at the current meta build, for instance, you're basically interested in PLocking two skills, Ward Against Melee and Diversion, plus LoD if you can push up onto it. The other vulnerable stuff (Aegis, Attunement, Lightning Orb) isn't stuff that you really care about Locking for the extra seconds (though they are good PLeak targets). How often are you really going to benefit from a faster recharge? -Ensign 23:30, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

Ill be getting my Mesmers to hit Blinding Surge as much as possible when this is out.--Renegade 11:03, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

Thing is Ensign this makes accomplishing the 'locking' out of keys skills like those you mentioned too easy now. When your offense tells you to switch to monks, bang, one button 'lock' for LoD meaning the enemy will be hard pressed to heal up a good amount of pressure. I dont like skills like these that merely require you to be targetting the right person for you to be able to achieve something so effective as to disable a skill 24/7. Need to play defensively? Get on diversion/shame spamming mesmers. Need to reduce hexes on warriors? Plock price of failure and reckless haste. Wanna start killing them? PLock the LoD monk out. Without power lock there are few options that can achieve the same job so easily thats the main source of the imbalance, specially when under MoR. Dshot needs to hit through blocks/blind/and has flight time etc, powerblock takes up a whole elite slot and recharge time is longer than the duration of the lockout, diversion requires the enemy caster to actually cast through it, Dchop is more luck than skill. Plock under MoR makes locking out key skills way too easy imo. The only way you can shutdown the plock is to divert it or kill the mesmer. At least other methods of locking skills have relatively easy counters like blind, aegis, humility, interrupts, not casting etc.87.194.81.41 15:54, 30 July 2007 (UTC) Lorekeeper

I'd have to disagree with Ensign here. Though Pleak is really good against certain skills that you've mentioned, this current version of Plock will destroy key skills that normally have low recharge and can force a team pullback (LoD, Bsurge, and even wards to increase pressure). The most powerful part of it is the fact that it isn't elite compared to Pblock. A slightly longer recharge (15?) will make it much better for me, because as it is now, it can keep both LoD and Bsurge locked almost indefinitely with a Pdrain here and there, and that's pretty broken. Holymasamune 23:49, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

I think it's funny how people spasm over this, when you could use Mantra of Inscriptions and Signet of Humility at about 11 Inspiration and have total elite shutdown for an entire match. I honestly think this skill is fine the way it is. There's no reason to really take this right now over a ranger with DShot if you want a single skill disabled. Is there? It needs to be on par with other skills to be worth taking, and if it does it's job well, I'm glad. And who's to say that it will always be run under MoR? Sometimes other elites are needed. If anything, MoR needs the change, not this skill, since it's a single skill which continually makes OTHER mesmer skills undesireable. TGgold 02:09, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Just to be clear, my point is that I think naked Power Lock is great, and that I don't think you benefit from Mantra of Recovery as much as you think you do with this. This is actually the EotN skill I'm most worried about after the posted changes. -Ensign 10:25, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

I dont think anything else needs to be said. I suggest increasing the recharge to 20/25 or even 30 seconds, make it more of a tactical shutdown skill that can alleviate pressure or increase pressure at key moments instead of being a shutdown skill that can keep something locked out 24/7.--Lorekeeper 12:00, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Ensign, and i'd like to add that if MoR is so broken, nerf it, not other skills. I'm tired of hearing "That would be broken with MoR". That's a problem with MoR, not any other skill... Not that I personally think MoR is broken or any combo of skills with it is. My point is, if a skill causes a problem, you deal with it directly. I do wonder why this skill was added though... Domination Mesmers are pretty much required for a balanced team. They have so many powerful skills that allow you to break defenses. I find it annoying that Illusion Magic didn't get anything to make it useful for balanced while Domination got this, which is a cool, solid skill, don't get me wrong. :P --TimeToGetIntense 11:09, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

DROOOL 76.170.188.190 05:29, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

Other interrupts on mesmer are barely going to see play because this skill is just so much better, I don't see how anyone can say this is really on par. I mean it's quite obvious what anyone with even an average reaction time and a good ping will be able to do if they know anything about the game. What are the counters to this skill? Diversion + stuff that makes you uninterruptable? It won't necissarily be amazingly better under MoR, but you can go ahead and shutdown 2 skills forever. In response to the guy who compared this to sig of humility, there is no comparison. Sig of humility is a 3 second cast and you can be knocked out of mantra of inscriptions. It's clearly going to be overpowered and it basically just looks like the skill that is going to "force" anyone who plays a mesmer in PvP to buy GW:EN.

Just throwing out the idea again to make this...

10e,1/4s

"Spell. Interrupt target foe's spell. For 5...21...25 seconds that spell is disabled and Power Lock is replaced by that Spell."

It would limit Power Lock to only being able to lock out 1 spell at a time, unless you echoed Power Lock, and MoR wouldn't effect it's recharge so it would not be so difficult to balance. Plus this would provide a Signet of Illusion Spell Stealer Build with much needed interrupt utility to round out the existing enchantment removal/hex removal utilities already present. What does everyone think? --Redfeather 03:14, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

To anon: yes, it is much better than... Power Spike. It's not better than Power Leak, which is something people actually use. Losing 19~20 energy is no laughing matter for any caster. Still, you're probably right that it will force Mesmers to have GW:EN because you can fit both Power Leak and Power Lock on your bar. At least Mesmers aren't forced to have 3 games like Monks are though. --TimeToGetIntense 20:32, 25 August 2007 (UTC)

I think it seems fine as it is, any concerns to about too easy to interrupt a monk is not applicable if they use GoL as its one of the most spammable heals out there.

Power Block

The elite version of this skill has a recharge of 20. This has 12. Is the nonelite supposed to be better for many cases? Backsword 23:45, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

Power Block disables entire attributes. Much stronger effect. --TimeToGetIntense 23:03, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Original skill feedback

Makes Psychic Distraction rather obsolete, don't it? Especially if Mantra of Recovery is your elite. --24.179.151.252 06:40, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

Note that it only affects spells. Oh, and is this going to affect Chants like the rest of the Power interrupt spells? --Ufelder 06:43, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

It should affect chants. Anyway it looks like a correct interrupt. --82.243.4.182 10:14, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

Power Lock is a really strong skill. Just consider how kills are produced in gvg nowadays: You either spike a target or you lock lod with distracting shot/ Diversion/ Sig of Humility etc and pressure the hell out of the other team. This is really good skill to lock lod and the likes.

Am I the only one who would rather use Distracting Shot if I wanted to interrupt and disable a single skill? I wouldn't even have to use a single attribute point to do it. Please Izzy, can you adjust the additional disabling to look more appealing? Perhaps use Arcane Larceny as a guide? I do not expect Power Lock's disabling to equal Larceny/Thievery though! That would be insane. lol--Redfeather 04:23, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

You can link to skills by just putting two brackets on each side ( [[skill name]] ). -Auron 04:33, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

Mesmer interrupts and ranger interrupts have always had their relative strengths and weaknesses. Mesmer interrupts aren't subject to blocking, line of sight, or flight time. Ranger interrupts generally can interrupt skills too, and have better recharge times and/or costs. That's simply how they balance out. (Aiiane - talk - contribs) 04:34, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

Ooooh. Thanks Auron. Aiiane you are right, but I'd really think it would be more appealing to at least raise Power Lock's disabling to 20s at 15dom, if it only works on spells. I know Larceny/Thievery are 'pot luck' disablers, but they really look more effective than this atm.--Redfeather 04:42, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

Hehe, it's like Power Block and it rhymes with it! =D I also like it because now I can have three interrupts that start with power and are not elite. ^^ Vengeance Signet 04:41, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

I agree the skill disabling effect needs to be atleast comparable to disctracting shot. Yes ofc mesmer interrupts don't require line of sight, but then mesmers do not have expertise and power lock works only on spells. Even though it's considered one of the better mesmer spells, it still isn't as effective as distracting shot. Really don't see power lock mesmers replacing distracting shot rangers.

At the current levels, I'd say it IS comparable. You do have to realise you're not contending with obstructions and flight time. --Kale Ironfist 06:17, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

I think the obstruction and flight time weakness is why distracting shot gets a flat 20s disable, interrupts/disables all skills, does damage, costs less energy and has a lower recharge. Honestly, I don't think getting 20s at 15 domination is too much to ask.--Redfeather 13:57, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Actually i think it is. This skill is EXTREMELY powerful. Just think of it on a MoR Mesmer that can use it every 6s, and that's a LOT of disabling potential, and far more reliable than DShot, especially in the current meta with all the block and miss. You can easily use that to prevent an enemy caster from really getting anything off. In MoR, it seems more powerful than even PD to me. And it's EXTRA disable, which is a big advantage over PD too (although it might well mean that it won't interrupt through anti-interrupts, but that's a non-issue in most cases, nearly nobody carries anti-interrupt skills) Patccmoi 00:27, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

Bleck. You are right about MoR. I really hate that skill sometimes. It seems like you always have to have it to get decent recharge on Mesmer skills. Like every mesmer recharge is using MoR as a balance. It stinks.--Redfeather 01:23, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

This will interrupt Chants I'll fix that, I don't plan on increasing the disable, this has to be weaken then D shot in some way, and I like the disable being a little less, I hope this finds it's place into the meta as I like what very active skill disables do to the game. ~Izzy @-'---- 20:05, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

Will be common in hero battles.

Wow nice skill. It can really hurt skills that have a short recharge. (Terra Xin 01:32, 24 July 2007 (UTC))

And with common i mean, it will be used in the only one team usable in hero battle, regardless of skill. Btw it's overpowered on heroes, just put it on someone, lock it on monk and wait until he dies. --YukoIshii 16:49, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

comment: The synergy with Mantra of recovery makes power lock too powerful. Even without MoR at 14 Dom this skill can 'lock' out a single skill 100% of the time. With Monks relying on Light of Deliverence so much currently i think this skill is far too powerful as it stands. I like the idea behind it... i have always wanted a non-elite version of PD and PB but this needs to be toned down a little.

suggestion: increase energy cost to 15 or 20 energy or increase recharge to 20 or 30 seconds. Alter it so that even if i catch LoD everytime i can only 'lock' it for 50% of the time. At 14 domination with 15 seconds 'lock' the skill needs a 30 second recharge. It would be much better if the 'locking' of this skill was used to trigger a period of high pressure or to aleviate pressure rather than allowing 24/7 of it.

solution to monks relying on LoD too much? Give them more options for party wide heals otherwise we are going to see MoR mesmers with power leak and power lock destroying teams quite quickly if this skill isnt toned down.

on second thoughts... maybe mantra of concentration or glyph of concentration or song of concentration might come into play... highly doubtful but skills to provide immunity to interrupts would be the idea counter to interrupt mesmers of this type. Problem is, does power lock still disable even if it fails to interrupt like Psychic distraction does? If so... even anti interrupt skills are useless.

87.194.81.41 10:31, 24 July 2007 (UTC) Lorekeeper

I have to laugh when someone wants a Mesmer skill nerfed because it can shut you down. That's what they're for, it's not OP, it's their job. Just like people wanting Assassins nerfed because they kill quickly, if they were nerfed any more than they already are they wouldn't be worth a slot in a GvG team. I agree to the extent that maybe the disable should be reduced a little -- maybe 5 seconds at the most because it goes through anti-interrupt (not that anti-interrupt is used much) -- but for the time being it looks like it's going to be a genuinely good skill. 07:10, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

Agreed, people are getting incensed over it when Distracting Shot has done the same job for +2 years. --Ufelder 15:29, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

The title of my comment was "in hero battles". It's a decent skill on an human player, it's too powerful on heroes that just interrupt <1s casting time skills easily. I don't feel right that norgu with just 3 skills (this and 2 mana boosts) can totally destroy an healer. But hero battles sucks anyway, so until we like to see only a/w r/p r/p m/e teams, who cares? --YukoIshii 13:39, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Translation Suggestions

To avoid some bad skill translations i'm opening a comment for new skills so everybody can post their translation suggestions in various languages, have fun :) --YukoIshii 00:07, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Italian: Interruzione di Potere / Chiusura di Potere --YukoIshii 00:07, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

French: Privation de Pouvoir Utaku

French: Serrure sur Pouvoir

Spanish: Cerradura de Poder. Ayumbhara 06:28, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

Release stats

During the preview the skill ran from 5..11 at 0..12 attribs, I don't have a mesmer that can hit 15 so I cannot confirm the disable duration for the green numbers now. But the current wiki data of 1...13...16 is incorrect. Recharge is still 15 s. ~Seef II <☎|→> 07:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Fixed. --  (CoRrRan / talk) 14:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Still wrong, seems to go 5...11...13 but I still can't check. For reference, Psychic Distraction goes 5...11...12 and has a slightly slower progression than Power Lock. I'll put in 5..13 for now but someone please correct me if it's wrong. ~Seef II <☎|→> 20:09, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

This skill - Interruption prevention

So I swear I remember this disabling skills even if the target was under the effects of something like Mantra of Concentration. I went and tested this today and the targets skill isnt disabled. Power Block and Psychic Distraction for example, will still disable the skill through Concentration. Did I just imagine this being able to go through concentration at some point or what?--Thelordofblah 08:20, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Maybe. I never tested it, but I don't think it would go through. The skill has to be interupted for the disable to take effect. However, PBlock says the same and disables them anyway. However, PBlock is an elite so I can see them leaving this as it is. Same with PD. 71.127.159.233 16:00, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

The reasoning is that this skill disabled the skill, which Mantra of Concentration stops from happening. Power Block however disabled the attribute line, which has a separate disabling function, like Blackout (which, function-wise, just blacks out all attributes and non-attribute skills but in the same way as Power Block). Bozzie 13:00, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

Even if this may be a little bit late: I guess i know why this won't disable under the circumstances of an interrupt-prevention.

Power Block works so that there are two different effects, one interrupting, the other, as said many times before on this page, disabling all skills of the same attribute. Power Lock on the other hand doesn't disable the skill instantly like the Elite it works more like a small diversion adding time to the recharge instead of really disabling the skill. At least that's how i understand this. Lou Wolfskin 22:54, 8 October 2009 (UTC)

Look at the wording. Interrupted AND Disabled. Not, If this is interrupted, that spell is disabled. This skill therefore bypasses SoC and MoR.FleshAndFaith 05:22, 12 November 2009 (UTC)