ExeErdna

From how I build and thinking like somebody who's fresh to the game so they don't have money, mats, etc. Unleashed Might is amazing for that player you don't need to be slotted with that Gaussian to be keeping up with mid-game content. It's consistent and safe for a newer character. Rage, especially as it is now is a risky choice, with risky choices one should expect a bit more reward. The standard damage amount from Rage isn't enough since it's gonna be an overall ST setup so the damage can be pulled up 200% over 80% since that 20% on a crash without proper support is gonna put them at risk. Since when I'm playing I barely see that many supports unless it's me or somebody running a Kin

That's why I said before with my own testing instead of nerfing Rage they gotta make Rage stronger if there's gonna be a crash. 80% up isn't enough it needs to be like 200% The set already lacks AOE, so it isn't doing anything like the Murderballs. Then, late-game Melee is still playing catch-up when it comes to range unless it's an AV or the rare thing that's sturdy. Even then SS is only on Tankers and Brutes so the 200% isn't gonna be that much on either.

I often skipped whitecap because I was ranged and had zero business in melee. Marine power was really turning KD from a soft to a hard control. Also buffing a whole league with some consistent buffs. But yeah EA is amazing it doesn't do anything crazy but what it does it's good, there's no real "skips" in the set.

Knowing how Storm Blast is often times paired with Storm/Marine/Cold. Storm/Storm is very chaotic and the knock up/down are what keep things under control. Yet all those wake up "mid" game Which is basically "Yin" "Manticore" "Sutter" type of content. With a decent tank on Positron or Synapse wants some wide AOE.

As somebody that swears by Traps yeah it's WAY more impactful up front. The problem the more tweaks Storm Blast gets this is just gonna end up being Storm Control. Where Cell and Cat are Pets that interact with each other.

I agree with this since I have a Fire/Fire tanker on live. I didn't really use ST, I was rotating Combustion, Fire Breath, Fire Sword Circle and Burn. That means I need to respec on live before I transfer over to test the changes ==== Yeah, tragically Cremate doesn't really work for the late game pick. Incenerate, GFS and normal FS is fast enough to basically make not worth it over Combustion. Fire melee isn't there for ST. Especially paired with fire since now Consume is the filler I'm using.

All the ranged versions have the palm yet with how the angle is now, it should use the "steam spray" animation

I mean this would make sense on Burst and Con Strike. If CS is made to work as I suggested above. === From my testing KM is still my go to on Stalkers because of theme and has a better ST flow. Yet, for everybody else Repulsing Torrent needs to be 90 or 120 degrees or else it isn't really worth taking. As I said Burst and Focused Burst are amazing. Comparing those two with RT, RT needs something so it doesn't end up as the 2nd or 3rd skip choice in the set.

Personally, Meltdown was a skip before I understood how it worked. Now it's back to being a skip 5min CD on 30sec buff at either 26 or 30. It'll be better if it stayed 1min so it'll be used. Meltdown covers the holes the rest of the set have. Yes the interaction with SS' Rage made it potent yet that doesn't mean they're breaking the bank.

A lot of these changes aren't needed. If anything Bio needed a bit more of a safety net not reworks. Since to me it was always an armor set that was amazing on mids yet then it wasn't fun to play. From personal experience on my SS/Bio brute I used to run Hami raids on live. It was fine keeping a mob of GMs since that's where it's strongest when it can simply draw power. Yet during faster content like trials, papers, etc if you didn't Siphon right you just debuffed yourself and running into a mob weak. It's nice Spines got buffed yet its pairing is Bio and now it's looking/feeling worse now.

Since Unleashed Might is gonna be the safety choice. Rage needs a buff pull it up to 120-150% keep so it can double up. That crash is nasty, especially on NEWER mob types that have more debuff potential. Since if a tanker can't really recover due to a mistimed/illtimed crash during an alpha strike. That 20% hurts. It may not factor with Stone, Elec, Eng and Dark like that. Yet it puts it's own classic paring with Invincible in trouble since -20 on psi when it isn't really that high to begin with. Since this isn't about the armors like that. Rage needs to Punch Up a bit more.

As I'm playing with the changes and moving into testing it on Blackwing. Repulsing Torrent needs an angle buff 45 isn't enough when you get mobbed, you use that and it only hits one. Focused Burst and Burst are fine, amazing even. Power Siphon needs the original damage and time since playing on a Brute at +4/8. It really feels like it's not doing anything. Like, sure, having that 125% on Positron may be spicy. Yet late and end game with anything beyond +3 it needs the pepper. Even the ToHit aspect may need a slight buff. Concentrated Strike SHOULD be working more like Burst. Where the start-up does AOE damage, yet the last hit simply hits the one you're targeting. It's too slow and too low ST damage to be using even if you're trying to focus down problematic enemies and Blackwing has a lot you need to focus before things get out of control. So it either needs to hit harder ST or it needs Burst-like AOE. Personally, both because with animation time speeding it up won't help it needs to simply do more.

From a bit more playing these changes really help Tanker slotting. Since they now have 5 extra slots since they no longer NEED TO invest in a whole Gaussian set. Double Rage is amazing yet getting clipped by some of these tougher mobs when it crashed sucks since it only takes one little critical failure and even the tanker is entering the floor club. It's the Safety Choice, it's the early-mid game "don't wanna invest heavy into yet" choice. I'll say again, it NEEDS the ATO slotting into Hand Clap

I know how you feel, there's been many a milk run that turned to cheese because everybody want to pull aggro and nobody was running support. It's why pivoted out of melee to controllers. I'll rather take the L and be "boring" then having to respawn over and over.

I'm fine with these changes EXCEPT on Power Siphon either lower the duration or damage not both. Since it seems not very impactful. I've ran through a +4/8 Malta and Thorns popping it really didn't feel like there were anything different. Having it run for 20sec with 25% stacks wouldn't be too OP since the set is still considered "slow".

All the changes are good, Unleashed Might really takes the build into a new space where it isn't so one note. So you're basically picking safety over a bit less upfront damage, especially on Brutes. Now I hope the ATO's to be slotted on Hand Clap since it switches from knockback to KD. Which would help more mid to end-game slotting.

My friday night is about to be busy, some of these changes look interesting, yet I know some will make some people mad

This is something I've noticed about the game as a whole something on paper maybe OP in solo situations end up weak in a group and vice versa. This is how I feel about Sonic Melee until we get Sonic Armor

Arse/Traps it's made for locking down rooms but it's slow. Arse/TA faster like a lot faster but you lose out on safety

It was my main for trials for a long time, I ran Plant/Nature. I still don't like the taunt on Spirit Tree, the sleep is still a bad choice because of how fast things can get. Creepers were more so a set it and forget it overall it'll pop up when it's needed and it allowed me to focused more so on the Nature side. Since I never proc bombed Creepers I used just the psi dam troller set piece. Legit, my main was mid but well-rounded.

That would make it sonic melee just isn't good for scrappers and stalkers but also leans into being used for the "tanks" especially if we get a "sonic armor" test sometime around summer 2026

I understand the issues too often after a break from playing I forget I need to make the pet aggressive or they won't attack mezzed targets. Yet I do like being able to control them during some content where I know ambushes are coming so I can put a pet in front of a door. Or the pet is a part of the minefield setup...

Spirit Tree unironically got nerfed because you could have enough recharge to drop 2 of them. The taunt is pointless with it that was the job of the Creepers. Spore Burst is still a skip, Vines is better now yet very limited still. Fly Trap is still just too frail of a pet. It wasn't S tier on it's own it's was a C tier set with a consistent confusion proc and the best psudeopet. Besides that the set wasn't good unless paired with a strong secondary like Nature, Dark, Cold, Storm... It was always the secondary that made Plant amazing. The only great thing about the patch is being able to SEE where the Creeper is now

I know this is kinda of a necro but I have to agree. The changes aren't that great, cool Vines does damage and you can see where your creepers are now. That's damn nice, yet that's honestly ALL the set needed. I never really proc bombed since I honestly threw a controller set in it and called it a day. I honestly like how you could play it aggressively with Spore being a solid thing to proc for damage since other confusions aren't really suited to bomb like that in my opinion. Yeah giving Spore Burst some usefulness with Deep Sleep pretty much replaces Seeds since you can make it Placate pretty much giving the same safety buffer as before. In end game content I'm mainly healing where the plant side is much weaker.

To me, when I first saw BWI they reminded me of the best selection from Praetoria's mobs. You gotta freed Seers, IDF heavies, their tech is PPD and they have some former Resistance and Syndicate members. Since BWI is supposed to come together after the whole Mag Trial and post-incarnate stuff. I still think the Praetorian Duray or even both of them have something to do with this group because neither of them died during Sutter's Task Force. Seeing Hill's Warriors being more or less "passive" around them as well. So the events of Mortimer Kal and Adm. Sutter are pretty much directly tied to the creation of BWI in a way. I now see them as their own mob, their vision alone is what makes them dangerous. Many a time I came off an elevator and they saw me before I saw them. That's more fearsome than any other faction in the game. You really can't be like they're like Malta especially rolling solo or with squisher characters. Even at base level they can drop a maxed incarnate with ease. I've seen them stalemate one of my regen tankers I was testing and then win because all the debuffs finally caused a crash. Maybe sometime down the line BWI be given a Strike Force. Since I don't see "heroes" directly busting down doors of this group. Yet maybe somebody from Longbow willing to look the other way and make it known they feel slighted by this group.