Dants

Bard

Strength 3 - Bladeturn: Increase avoidance skill bonuses from 2% to 2.5% per rank.

Agility 3 - Wayfarer's Watch: Also grants a chance at avoiding non-direct area effect spells by 1% per rank.

Agility 4 - Poison Concoction: Increased total tick count from 5 to 7, increased damage per tick.

Agility 5 - Vanishing Act: The next attack made against any ally in stealth will be avoided.

Stamina 3 - Skald's Defense: Also increases doubleattack by 10% at rank 1, and +4% for every rank thereafter.

Stamina 4 - Fortissimo: Grants your group melee and ranged doubleattack at 1% per rank, and 2% per rank for allies that have a shield equipped.

Stamina 5 - Shield Focus: Renamed to Lend Shielding: Allows you to block the next attack that would strike an ally.

Wisdom 2 - Harmonizing Shot: Renamed to Messenger's Letter: It now increases hate towards the enemy's current target.

Wisdom 4 - Allegro: Increased casting speed bonus from 0.9% to 1% per rank.

Intelligence 3 - Minstrel's Aria: Increase skill bonus from 7% to 8% per rank.

Intelligence 4 - Minstrel's Melody: Increased Haste/DPS bonus from 5% to 7% per rank.

Intelligence 5 - Coin Toss: Renamed to Heroic Storytelling: Increases the effectiveness of all heroic opportunites in the group by 50%.

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And maybe a look to the future:

TEST SERVER ONLY - WEAPON USABILITY

In early testing for GU37, weapon usability is being improved by removing the Dual Wield weapon designation.

All current Dual Wield weapons will become One Handed and gain the damage rating of a comparable one handed.

You will be able to equip most One Handed weapons in either your main or offhand.

In order to compensate for the increased damage to dual wielding, offhand delay is slowed by a small amount so that damage over time remains the same.

Again, this is being released extra-early to TEST SERVER ONLY and will not be going live with GU36.

Source: http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/p...opic_id=366605

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Dants

For the PvE troub, I don't think this changes anything because giving up bladedance for group double attack seems more of a dirge type of change.

What excites me is the change their doing to dw'ing for the future. If I understand it correctly, in the future they are looking to make all duel wield weapons 1-handers. To duel wield, you'd simply equip 2 one-handers and the 2nd one-hander equipped would have a longer delay.

Since troubs need long delay weapons because of our haste (mine's 61 self buffed with set legs) and our casting times, we need more variety of longer delay weapons to use and this will give it to us.

They'll still need to iron this out obviously - adjusting damage ratings, etc, but I like the idea it is heading.

Discuss.

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Slamdar

After looking at the changes, I don't think I'm going to respec into another line at all. I agree and think what they have done with the STA line is more of a dirge thing. Even the end ability that they made it into would benefit a MT dirge I think just by reading the description given. AGI/INT are still pointless IMO.

The change to Harmonizing Shot.. Seems based off of the description that it is pretty much going to be a taunt for the tank. IMO this is an improvment and benefits the raid more than me having a 1k deagro that I never need anyways.

I agree with you on the whole weapon thing Dants. Said pretty much what I was going to.

The AA changes really won't effect me too much minus the the .8% additonal casting speed from Allegro, and the change to Harmonizing Shot. I'm sure they will be more changes to these AAs as time goes on, we'll have to see.

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Formerly known as:
Inquis - 80 Templar
Slamdar - 80 Troubador

Terra

Meh, minor improvements, better than nothing. And maybe perhaps I don't have to switch to a sword to hit Turnstrike

Uyaem

Minor improvements for us, huge nerf-bat for rogues and predators... :o

northland

I'm definitley respeccing to STA, I use Bladedance maybe 3 times a week and I'm pretty sure we could do without, getting 8/16-% group doubleatatck is just too good not to get.

Not to mention the double attack you can get on ranged if you use a shield, 16% from Fortissimo granted that you use a shield, but currently Kilij + Buckler of the Howler + Rigid Scale bow = ownage without having 16% doubleattack.

I reckon that the double attack you can get for your bow will make up for the arrow nerf and actually go beyond in DPS, not to mention the DPS increase you're giving to your group.

Pinski

I believe, Skald's Defense is only for melee double attack, and not for ranged double attack as well. Which would mean you only have 16%. Just hope they make Skald's Defense usable with a Buckler

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Calaglin, Former Illusionist/Guild Leader of Dissolution on Nektulos
Calaglin, Former Illusionist/Guild Leader of Confirmed on Unrest

northland

I actually figured that just as I posted lol, that's the reason I edited that post, they probobly won't change Skald's Defense to work with a buckler either since the didn't change warriors STA line.

I still believe that speccing for STA in the Bard tree will be superior to the loss in utility you'll get from STR line.

Avaela

Skald's Defense - melee double attack only
Fortissimo - ranged and melee double attack 8%, melee double attack 16% if tower shield, round shield or buckler equipped
Shield Focus - if caster has round shield equipped

Dirge of Death

Assuming you're getting this info from test, was the Roundshield req retained for the new Scald's Defense?

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