Riders of Rohan Developer Diary: Warden
By: Erika “DEViled_Egg” Ng
Hey folks! Erika “DEViled_Egg” Ng here again with yet another dev diary! This time I’ll be discussing the updates and changes to the Warden. Update 6 brought with it some pretty substantial changes to the class. Unfortunately, things were a little rough around the edges upon release. Even though a lot of polish has been done since then, we still feel there was some streamlining to be done. Because of that, this update has a lot of tuning, usability, and quality of life improvements coming to the Warden. But first… we’ll talk about:
Improved Skills and Gambits!
Level 77 – Improved Hampering Javelin
Level 80 – Resounding Challenge; Gambit; (Fist + Shield + Fist + Spear/Javelin)
- Targeted AoE with a range of 25m and can hit up to 6 targets in a 10m radius from your initial target.
- In Determination, this skill provides a high instant threat effect to all targets hit.
- In Recklessness, this skill does moderate AoE light damage.
- In Assailment, this skill does moderate AoE light damage and a de-taunt effect.
Level 83 – Call to Battle; Gambit; (Fist + Shield + Fist + Spear/Javelin + Fist)
- Targeted AoE with a range of 25m, and can hit up to 6 targets in a 10m radius from your initial target.
- In Determination, this skill does an initial pulse of medium threat as well as a medium threat-over-time effect.
- In Recklessness, this skill does moderate light damage and a moderate light damage DoT.
- In Assailment, this skill does moderate light damage with a moderate light damage DoT, as well as a detaunt effect.
To be clear, neither Resounding Challenge nor Call to Battle have damage components in Determination. These are purely threat generating skills which avoid breaking combat states on targets.
The Warden is also getting travel skills to the Misty Mountains and Lothlórien at appropriate levels.
Quality of Life Improvements and Skill Modifications
- All assailment gambits which had multiple attack hooks are being condensed into one big attack hook with comparable damage. The Warden, after all, throws only one javelin per skill.
- All Shield-spear gambits in Assailment (Persevere, Safeguard, Celebration of Skill, and Restoration) are having their ranges extended to 25m and can benefit from Javelin Max Range Legacy.
- The Assailment versions of Persevere and Impressive Flourish are swapping effects. Persevere will have a Ranged Damage Self-buff, and Impressive Flourish will have a life-tap.
- The Assailment versions of Safeguard and Maddening Strike are swapping effects. Safeguard will have a Ranged Damage Self-buff and Maddening Strike will have a life-tap.
- - Celebration of Skill will provide a 4% Ranged Damage buff instead of a 3% buff if you currently have Safeguard’s Ranged Damage Self-buff active.
- The Parry buff on Wall of Steel is having its duration extended to 30 seconds.
- Shield-Spear Gambits in Determination will now generate a small amount of threat, which is increased by the Shield-Spear Threat Legacy.
- Life-taps will now display exact damage and healing values, courtesy of some new tech from our engineers. Gone is the vagueness from the tooltips of yesteryear!
Perhaps the most drastic change here is the swapping of Persevere and Safeguard’s properties for Impressive Flourish and Maddening Strike’s respectively. This was done in order to bring all the ranged damage self-buffs under one line, and build a little synergy between the individual gambits. This also means you’ll be able to buff your ranged damage from range, instead of having to run into melee to do so.
Trait Lines
- Force of Personality now affects all Warden Gambit DoTs
Legendary Items
- The Fist-Spear Gambit Threat Legacy will now convey its bonus in percentages
- The Shield-Spear Threat Legacy will now enhance the threat generation of Shield-Spear Gambits in Determination, and the threat reduction afforded to Shield-Spear Gambits in Assailment has been increased
Again, everything in this diary is not necessarily final, and may be changed due to feedback. Thank you all for reading and hope to see you in Rohan!
It’s quite lovely this time of year. Well… you know… except for the orcs… and what have you…
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