Thread: Loyalty / Precise Ally tweak

This should probably go into Suggestions, but it's a Captain specific issue, and I think I'd get more thoughtful feedback posting it here. I think that the herald trait bonuses should be tweaked to help better customize the role our helpers play.

Loyalty would be shifted to the yellow tree (maybe blue). Its bonus to damage would be dropped, but it would get a bump to threat generation. The idea would be to turn your herald into a mini tank, an ideal target for your healing abilities. Leader of Men makes more sense thematically, but putting it in under Hands of Healing might make it more popular, since it would have better synergy with the other traits.

Precise Ally is sort of a misnomer. I'd make it into an actual precision bonus, by supplementing or even replacing the damage bonus with something more appropriate to the name; critical rating, armor penetration, finesse, or to hit chance.

I'm not sure what a third trait would do, or even if it's needed. Perhaps a cooldown reduction on the herald's special powers, along with a bonus to power. That could be a good fit with the yellow tree, complementing the Herald of Victory's power bonus.

I think that it could be a good step towards making heralds a reflection of player priorities. If this is the millionth thread proposing the idea, and I'm a bad and stupid person for starting it, I apologize. Otherwise, any other thoughts?

Originally Posted by Wiedman

This should probably go into Suggestions, but it's a Captain specific issue, and I think I'd get more thoughtful feedback posting it here. I think that the herald trait bonuses should be tweaked to help better customize the role our helpers play.

Loyalty would be shifted to the yellow tree (maybe blue). Its bonus to damage would be dropped, but it would get a bump to threat generation. The idea would be to turn your herald into a mini tank, an ideal target for your healing abilities. Leader of Men makes more sense thematically, but putting it in under Hands of Healing might make it more popular, since it would have better synergy with the other traits.

Precise Ally is sort of a misnomer. I'd make it into an actual precision bonus, by supplementing or even replacing the damage bonus with something more appropriate to the name; critical rating, armor penetration, finesse, or to hit chance.

I'm not sure what a third trait would do, or even if it's needed. Perhaps a cooldown reduction on the herald's special powers, along with a bonus to power. That could be a good fit with the yellow tree, complementing the Herald of Victory's power bonus.

I think that it could be a good step towards making heralds a reflection of player priorities. If this is the millionth thread proposing the idea, and I'm a bad and stupid person for starting it, I apologize. Otherwise, any other thoughts?

I like the idea to make loyality give heralds a threat-increase. Very good idea, so you got my support on that suggestion (for what that is worth to you lol).

The damage increase is worthless anyways... and more people would use heralds if they were actually capable of putting out some decent threat to where you didn't have to tiptoe around them all the time.

I've always wondered, what with the alterations they made to the more specific shield brother skills, if they might not expand on our heralds by providing a particular one with particular skills for each traitline as well.

your suggestion strikes me as being a nice tweak to a LOM based herald - a legendary traitline that increases threat and perhaps armor for the herald (like 2 of the 3 advantages of the LTC legendary)

then give LTC a finesse bump and increased damage, perhaps

not sure what a HOH herald would provide

on the other hand, the other possibility might be to switch herald roles as opposing the given traitline - give the tanking line to the HOH captain (thereby making the HOH captain more skilled at healing his tanking herald, while the tanking herald keeps enemies off the HOH captain) - and LTC would...I'm really not sure what would be more useful - a tanking herald for the DPS captain, or a healing herald for the DPS captain...

there we go - healing herald for the tank captain...tank herald for the DPS captain...and...I guess that leaves DPS herald for the HOH captain - that doesn't quite sound right - but it's a work in progress

Could always have the heralds mimic skirmish soldiers:

archer => archer
war => warrior\bannerguard hybrid
hope => herbalist\bannerguard hybrid
victory => protector\bannerguard hybrid

Originally Posted by phermitgb

I've always wondered, what with the alterations they made to the more specific shield brother skills, if they might not expand on our heralds by providing a particular one with particular skills for each traitline as well.

your suggestion strikes me as being a nice tweak to a LOM based herald - a legendary traitline that increases threat and perhaps armor for the herald (like 2 of the 3 advantages of the LTC legendary)

then give LTC a finesse bump and increased damage, perhaps

not sure what a HOH herald would provide

on the other hand, the other possibility might be to switch herald roles as opposing the given traitline - give the tanking line to the HOH captain (thereby making the HOH captain more skilled at healing his tanking herald, while the tanking herald keeps enemies off the HOH captain) - and LTC would...I'm really not sure what would be more useful - a tanking herald for the DPS captain, or a healing herald for the DPS captain...

there we go - healing herald for the tank captain...tank herald for the DPS captain...and...I guess that leaves DPS herald for the HOH captain - that doesn't quite sound right - but it's a work in progress

The problem when you start suggesting such intricate renovations of the Herald is it starts to call into question the continued relevance of the banner, and that makes a lot of Captain's nervous because they don't want to be bothered with having to deal with a pet.

And we already have skirmish soliders. So I think instead of trying to expand on heralds so much they would be better served to broaden the accessiblity and particpation of those.

So in regards to the Herald, I think simple changes are best. Just increase their threat a little so they are easier to use as "off-tanks" and give them the same self-buffs that can be aquired from banners give. I think that would largely settle the malcontent with heralds.

Originally Posted by Almagnus1

Could always have the heralds mimic skirmish soldiers:

archer => archer
war => warrior\bannerguard hybrid
hope => herbalist\bannerguard hybrid
victory => protector\bannerguard hybrid

I like that idea, it has merit and I commend it to The House. +rep.

Having started as LM way back when I regard the herald as a normal part of the character. Its not an issue using one, you need to work within its limitations and, in the case of trying to use it to tank, give it time to build some threat if that's what you want. Remember to uncheck the "attack my target" button if you want something else picked up while you attand to your own interests (just one more ore node or I've got the sig, you handle the normals). The archer will struggle unless you remember to use inspire whenever its available and a few words of courage now and again (+pulses is useful but not essential) but the normal heralds can manage quite well on level with the right buffs and consumables. If the herald looks like s/he is going down, make sure you use its heal in time and be ready to pop out a banner, which will probably up your morale.

Deeding mobs in Parth/Ost Celebrant while strip mining Great River and spent quite some time recently refining the technique. Remember those blazoned crests you failed to carry..?