Fencer Archive
Thread: Reason for being Fencer is being removed with CU
Fencer
Primary Role: Close Range DoT Specialist (Damage-Over-Time via Bleeds)
Secondary Role: Close Range Crowd Control (Position Control)
Offense: Strong(4)
Defense: Weak(2)
Crowd Control: Moderate(3)
The Fencer is a lighting fast attacker who specializes in hit and run combat. While Fencers have fairly weak defenses making them less than ideal for standing toe to toe with their opponent, they will employ many abilities that help them reduce their need to stay within range of their target.
As a primary Damage Dealing profession Fencers will have damage output second only Rifleman and Swordsman, however their attack style is very different and unique. Their defensive abilities will end up being very weak ensuring they must rely on hit and run tactics. Basic Crowd Control abilities support their role as hit and run combatants making them a very potent damage dealer in combat.
Profession Mixing Tip: Because of their weak defensive skills Fencers will benefit greatly from additional defensive skills from Teras Kasi or Pikeman or a player could choose to widen their offensive arsenal by adding Swordsman abilities.
I have spent my entire time in game playing a defensive healer and with the CU I am going to have to regrind professions in order to maintain that play style. That sucks.
Esiho
VegitoX wrote:1) There is no regrind, you will be able to respec.2) this is perhaps the best thing that could have happened-Fencers aren't Defensive, they are Offensive.TKA were given the role of the "dodger", and rightfully so. Dont get me wrong, I will miss dodge but this does away with the rediculous stacking templates.Just my opinioin though.
On the contrary, you'll still be able to stack. As a matter of fact, it will be encouraged. And, if you want a toon that's all combat, you'll have enough SP to master two profs and get quite a few boxes in another.
What this essentially does is nerf the idea of combat/non-combat hybrid toons. I'm not sure wether that's by design or not, but (and of course, only reading through the docs) it would seem only combat/combat or combat/doc or cm toons would be viable in combat... kissing combat/artisan or combat/entertainer goodbye.
But as far as the respec comment goes, you've just agreed with the OP, if you look at the title anyway. You would apparently get more damage and better defenses with a TK/Swordsman toon, and the main reason to add fencer to your combat template is for the bleed dots and crippleHit.
Again, I could be wrong, but really,how much does it matter? Most of the fencers I know fell in love with the defenses. With the CU being more like SWG 2.0, I would think a number of folks are going to respec out of fencer, and other toons that weren't will respec in. And you're bound to see a lot of pikemen/fencer swaps. Other fencers will learn to love their new role.
One final though, though... I still think the CU changes to fencer are way more than anyone ever asked for. Of course, that's other than those that liked the defenses AND wanted more damage.
Rimy wrote:
What this essentially does is nerf the idea of combat/non-combat hybrid toons. I'm not sure wether that's by design or not, but (and of course, only reading through the docs) it would seem only combat/combat or combat/doc or cm toons would be viable in combat... kissing combat/artisan or combat/entertainer goodbye.
Combat_Medic_to_be wrote:That is what I'm concerned about. Mostly the 3k health thing. Hopefully you will be able to get 3k health with a single elite combat mastery. That way, you should still be able to compete with a single combat mastery, you just wont have the variety in specials or defenses.Those who put all their Sp into combat should have an advantage, but giving them extra HAM doesnt seem fair to me, the extra specials and certs should be enough of an advantage imo.
Agreed. Someone in the doc forums suggested that doc will get combat xp, so possibly a combat/doc toon could reach the 3k ham. Hopefully you're right, though, or if not, maybe the devs will change the code. All combat vs. combat master/something else would seem to be back to _out_of_balance_ again. Of course, opinions will vary.
Someone argued yesterday that combat/combat toons SHOULD get more health than combat/something else because they trained for it. I don't see how a swordsman would know more about health than a doctor based on training though. Weird.
Combat_Medic_to_be wrote:I just think that having less health by being combat/something else just destroys combat/something else completely, especially in PvP. The advantage of being combat/combat should be extra abilities, defenses and certs, not extra HAM imo. I like the idea of the 3k HAM for combat profs because it encourages everybody to get involved, I'm just worried I'll have to drop ID to be competitive.I don't mind having less specials, defenses or weapon certs because im ID, but having less HAM means I'm as good as dead before I even start to fight in PvP.
Agreed again
Back to the topic at hand, I do see some interesting combinations. TK/doc/some pike would be an uber tank, swords/fencer would be an uber damage dealer. I can see a few profs linking up with doc. But again, I don't really see any linking up with DE, Musician, Tailor, etc.
I do hope you're right, though, in that the 3k ham will be attainable without having all of your SP in combat profs.
fritz300 wrote:
I will miss our defense but I think the Fencer changes are a good thing because the main reason I wanted to be one was to wield swords and now we're finally getting that and we're finally going to get the damage output we should have gotten along time ago.
I've never been sure that fencers should do more damage. IRL, have you seen the weapons they use? They're about precision, not damage. But I do agree that it was lame to walk around with a stick and something that resembled a car axle.