This is nonsense. Every hybrid wants more weaponskill. They can't have it.

 

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I'd take loltaps and easy +10% range templated over 1700 range any day.

Mid chain just can't get caster gear and do anything melee wise. It's just not possible. As I've said before. Thane is a hybrid that has to choose either caster or melee in template AND in spec.

A simple heretic style pierce buff would fix that a ton. Tics have it for the same reason thanes should, there's too much to template. Some defensive toys are warranted now too, after the 3 consecutive shield spec nerfs.

Thanes still need access to caster arties also. It's insane they are a caster hybrid without even the option of Ernies, Jacinas, Zo, good Phoebus, CTR, or Cloudsong. Probably couldn't fit any in template but a hybrid without caster choices offered is just a weak melee. Even necro's get CTR...

 

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A simple abs buff or some other form of damage mitigation would suffice I think. As far as damage goes with a stormcalling/2h melee build it isn't all that bad. The problem is that you light up a Thane like no one's business with just about any class before he can get enough damage on the target to kill.

I think thanes should be asking for something more defensive than offensive.

 

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Something like the Heretics RP buff I could see to help out with templating a bit, but most other suggestions are pretty over the top. Not so much because you'd actually make the Thane OPd, but because they stomp on other classes territory without really helping Thanes be better or more wanted. They are still a very survivable class; I am baffled anyone would want more survivability on a chain-wearing melee/nuker hybrid. Spec Parry & Shield along with MoB/P ensures that you can hit stupid defense levels by investing a bit into RAs. They don't need ablatives, more WS, or even their Slam boosted.

All hybrids had to learn to adapt to the new Slam, there are other shield styles that do almost as well and those are just as useful for Thanes as they are for all other hybrids. (Mangle is 8s and easy to land, 7s rear stun for kiters is also almost identical to Slam, and both allow you to drop Shields down a lot to put those points elsewhere.) Bumping Slam back up would largely defeat the purpose of the nerf, if you thought it was to nerf Scouts I seriously have to laugh out loud. It was directed at several hybrids that had too easy a time using an anytime followed by a damage dump to easily kill someone, and Thanes were quite capable of doing the same. I think it was also directed towards making heavy tanks more wanted in groups by giving them the very best of the shield stuns, and considering they're the masters of melee with no range of their own to speak of, I think it was a wise choice to make them slightly more attractive.

The simple truth is that like many other hyrbrids, they just don't offer much to a group. If you can't heal, don't have speed5 or Charge, aren't a CCer, and also aren't a primary ranged or melee DPS then really you're not wanted in FGs. That's a fundamental problem to how & where RvR usually plays out, which simply caters to a group setup of that nature, and almost by definition excludes a true hybrid.

The reality is that both CC & healing are too strong to make most hybrids viable in open field RvR. Thanes, VWs, Reavers, Paladins, Wardens, etc. all have the issue of spending most of their time CCed and largely unable to contribute, or when they contribute it's almost meaningless compared to either pure or more focused hybrid classes. (Wardens will probably be off that list next patch due to getting a greater heal now that will at least allow them to pump out strong heals when rooted/snared, plus they have a ton of other decent utility.)

Just look at Savages, they were at the very bottom of that list! Now look how fast that changed; Charge. That's all it took. And everyone knows that's all it would take to get Reavers into groups instantly. (And many people already cry "OPd!" at just the thought that Reavers might possibly get it, no matter that Savages are easily just as bad if not worse. As a Caster in 8v8 I sure would rather have a Reaver on my butt then a Savage who can nearly 1 shot me with a lucky hit.)

 

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Yes 1 little ability goes a long way.

But thanes chain + shield and parry defense is dismal. Everything bypasses those defenses now. Heavy 2h can bypass shield like nothing, dual wielders get a bonus, arrows basically can't be blocked anymore, and every other class can just cast you down. Thane defense is a joke and you sacrifice soooooooooo much just to get that little defense. 35-42spec + 20-32spec on a 2.0spec class? Nothing left fo anything but 34sword with pitiful DPS.

There is no return on investment in thane's defense lines now.

 

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well yes this is true also. When I say group setting I don't specifically mean 8 man. The thing that makes DAOC an amazing game is that each class has serious situational weaknesses and strengths on their own, but when put together then you can have a balanced fight. I don't think I need to explain this any further.

Anyways, I think there can still be some balance in the solo melee fighting area, because it should represent each classes tradeoff between defense and offense. But beyond this, you're not going to have much balance at all when talking about soloing or duoing.

 

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Okay, my Thane has decent D and is only RR5... you have an R8 thane; if your temp is somewhat competitive (assume you're like me, not a ton of parry/shield in the template in favor of ToAs and capping 'sists and stats)... with a spec like:
50 SC, 44 Weap, 35 Shield, 12 Parry, with 5 Shield (pretty average) and 0 Parry (assume you really couldn't fit any in), 90-101 Dex, you only need MoBlock 4, MoParry 5, Aug Dex 5(assuming you want to reach your second break point) to cap your Block and Parry. That's pretty average for a tank classes investment to cap out, in addition you get offensive bonus from that dex investment.

Don't get me wrong here, Thanes need a bit of love, but there's a lot of bad information in this thread with the ideas/complaints.

 

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Yeah, several aspects of the game do get some love - but that's as it should be(my opinion).

 

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I'm sorry but you're quite wrong here, I got AugDex 6, MoB 6 and MoPar 6(42shield 20parry), and have about 61% block and about 47.5% parry - and thats Before I meet a enemy. A heavy tank reduce both parry and defence waay too much for me to even be close to effective cap.


You're not half close to have capped defence(from what you told about template, spec and ra investment).

 

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Ya I have a similar setup. And it caps defense VS mobs but not even close against players.

With walk through's, Weapon bonuses and defense penetration calculated in, it's pretty low vs everything except friars. That's the truth in both numbers and experience.

Trust me, I have toons with "real defense".

 

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