Garuda is interesting but needs some work.

[Widur]

Garuda is an awesome frame... At least as a concept. I like how she looks and all of her abilities have potential. But as she currently is, she can be defined as slow (very slow) and all over the place.

I would like to talk about all her abilities, starting with her passive. I won't suggest how to specifically change her, but i want to state what i think feels good or bad about her kit in general.

Passive Death's Gate: Her passive is great. I was aiming for a quick thinking playstyle that really utilises the dmg boost, since she is capable of hurting herself with her 3. That makes her passive one of the really strong ones in the game. I'm actually fine with the fact that her claws are not an exalted weapon (i don't need a second Valkyr), although i think they could benefit greatly from a slight dmg increase (they really feel week, compared to too many weapon alternatives in the game).

1. Dread Mirror: Her first ability is mostly fine. It would have been awesome if her shield would cover her sides as well (maybe make the shield bend around her, depending on ability range). But i think it is servicable. The only thing that is weak, or rather pointless is the unmoddable 35% insta kill threshold. It should either scale with her passive or with power strength mods, because it is really useless otherwise.

2. Blood Altar: This one is obvius for me. Great with more base range, barely servicable now. Healing abilities need range in order to work. I would say this ability needs at least double the base range. Garuda's kit depends on mobility (unless you want her to be a steady turret with a fixed first aid station, but why give her big claws and two melee abilities then?) and this low range turns her into a turret to often. Other than that this ability is ok in my opinion.

3. Bloodletting: This ability is really important for Garuda to work. It is the only way to reliably utilise her passive and gives her the option to not depend of efficiency mods....well that's what i thought. I really love Warframe's that do not depend on efficiency, because those Warframes typically a much more ability focus playstile (with exception of Inaros for many players). I am pointing towards Nidus here. The fact that Bloodletting scales with efficiency mods and not with ability strength ruins the entire frame for me. WIthout those mods, the ability only grants 25% energy, which is pityful. Where is the sense here? If you go for full efficiency, you do not need the energy granted for that ability. Please change this ability to scale with ability strength. Her kit is highly ability strength and range focused and has no place for efficiency mods (even a single streamline doesn't cut it). Garuda is not a frame that is fun to play when modded for one ability. This is so obvious that i don't understand what happened here.

4. Seeking Talons: This one is simple. Make this ability charge faster or better instant. It is way too slow to use. The debuff it gives is good enough for me, so i am fine with the quite low damage (barebones that is), but applying it to all enemies in your line of sight (it's not even all around her!!!) must happen instantly.

SYNERGIES: Garuda lacks synergies, although you really ecpect her to have some. Let her Seeking Talons profit from the blood orb from Dread Mirror. The charge up could, instead of increasing the range (that should be maxed to begin with) consume a set amound per second from her blood orb, to be added as ability damage (or use the orb in total for the boost, i'm not sure here what i would prefer). That is quite obvious for me, so i  don't know why its missing. I think this synergy is required at least, but more would make her more interesting, of course.

 

Garuda has a lot of potential, but without some changes, this frame will be left in the Arsenal unused because of her missing utlity and the difficulty to properly mod her for a fun and interesting gaming experience. I really hope my words will find their way to DE, since i really want to enjoy her more.

 

Thanks!

 

P.S.: Obviously other people might find her good enough as is, but please do not disregard that it would be so easy to improve her.

[Veridian]

Finally someone who doesn't see a discount caster.

I do agree with most of what you said, so I'll just give my opinion on the rest.

Passive: I'd like more damage to her claws, but I doubt this would happen. What I've came to realize is that they deal somewhat lower damage to squishy enemies but do a lot more to tougher ones. E.G. my Valkyr wipes the room in seconds, but takes about 15 to take down a Nox, Garuda takes a bit longer to clear the room, but the Nox dies in 3 sec max, damage reduction and all.

1. I like the idea of the threshold being affected by strength, I can just see ~300 Strength builds running around with a 100% HP execute 😄  that is probably why it won't happen 😕.

2. I think it's fine, after all you're not meant to be at 100% hp and the ability heals you based on missing hp, so you're never low and you're never full. + you can spam it like 1 to keep healing.

4. Amen. But if coupled with your proposed synergies change it would be a pre-nerf saryn level of OP. 

[Redfeather75]

I'd like it if the reticule for ability number 4 (seeking talons) started off being bigger so I don't have to charge it every single time. Having to always charge it to hit anything is what makes it feel so bad.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Redfeather75

[Chappie]

I agree and disagree with your points at the same time which makes it "tough".

I originally thought the 1 sided shield was a "bad thing" until I realize you were 100% DR from that shield in that direction and taking damage on your shield increases the pewpew of your meatball.  I love standing in from of a heavy gunner or corpus tech watching my meatball grow to stupid levels in a few secs.  When you view it from the lens of a dev trying to create a frame which requires more compelx play, a 4 side shield would not do that.  Thus, I intentionally try and position myself now to maximize the damage I take on my shield...and by proxy I also don't take as much damage.   I am forced to be actively aware of my surrounding and how to take advantage of them.    in many ways I will bait my targets as I back into "a corner"; poor fools...they don't know what they have in store for them.  

Blood altar with a larger range IMO would be too powerful.  if you are running at 200% strength it is borderline ridiculous for you and your team.   But more importantly, that larger radius goes hard against trying to make her passive work.  Being able to put a pin in a mob that is your heal beacon allows you to generate energy and then get back to work.  You could argue run negative range...but then that nukes the range of her 1 leap gimping that skill.

As for bloodletting, DE has been very much on point as of late not making dump stats.  If they tied blood letting to strength then efficiency would have ZERO value.  As a game dev...I would find that really hard to justify.  I think they learned pretty hard what happens (e.g. chroma) when you make dumping stats a "good thing".  

As for her for 4...use a natural talent is that is your goto skill.   That mod is 100% game changer for "charge up skills".    It works amazing on harrow as well.   The skill also needs a charge because it isn't affected by power range; without that charge up it would OP as hell,   Think about how this skill works with 200% str 175% eff natural talent build running amprex or atomos.  Use someting like staticor...and lulz.   Slash procs for days.....well, seconds because they are all dead.  It is insanely ridiculous.  It would be more insane if I got another modslot back because I didn't need natural talent.  

But most importantly, I feel Garuda isn't a frame where you can have an optimal set of mods which makes every skill ideal.  That is the one thing I noticed about garuda is that you need to "choose" and play to that choice.   For places like Fortuna/PoE, I tend to use a bit more range to close the distance.   For speed run i'll focus more on using my meatball and shield and a QT build so I can murder in a straight line.   For defense and survival.....my 4 becomes a staple and I run more as a caster.   I find that refreshing actually since i'm tired of "one build to rule them all" designs.   I know that is a more convenient in a game with 30 frames....but just because there are 30 frames doesn't mean frame sub-build diversity should go in the corner.  

[(XBOX)GearsMatrix301]

Given the fact that DE has already had a whole week to improve her (they didn’t even have a feedback thread for her in the Warframe forum) I don’t see any changes to her coming anytime soon.

[DarkSage]

Personal opinion:

 

passive: addition to current increase armor as health is reduced 

1: a) angle and size of shield should be affected by range (ex: 90 degrees 5m at 100% range, 180% 10m at 200%)

   b) faster animation/ casting ,maybe more like a slash dash to target so less likely to bug out

2: slight bit more heal range maybe from 6m to 9m 

3.higher base (25% to 35%) or slight reduction of health damage (50% to 40%)

4. a)Faster animation

    b) highlighting targeted enemies maybe

 

overall though I'm happy with her results but could use just a slight tweaking

[-Himari-]

Moved to a proper section.

[Agent-KI7KO]

I think she's fun but underpowered. 

For 1, I think the shield could be bigger with power range and her execute threshold increases with power strength, but capped to a reasonable number so as not to be.

For 2, I would gladly trade less healing/s for more range.

For 3, I feel strength/efficiency could stand to be swapped here.

For 4, I feel should be affected by power range, because 60m is a little short for something i can aim.

I also would not mind if all her ability durations were increased.

[(PSN)teacup775]

I think I’d rather see her blood orb charge her 4 and her 4 simply cast widely, that or turn the orb attack for one that does an aoe leap attack instead. Throwing a blob bowling ball seems out of place with her, and a knock off of a mirage move.

[Grimmstyler]

Just make Garudas 4th ability not charge, 360 for Defensive Standpoints and progress outward in Range Radius  (Like Novas 4) so she can get back to shooting.

The whole Charge Concept is trash outside of Hydroid and Garudas 1.. Ability Over Time is much better like Khoras 2nd (But Venari kills the target)

Edited November 20, 2018 by Grimmstyler

[EinheriarJudith]

2 minutes ago, Grimmstyler said:

Just make Garudas 4th ability not charge, 360 for Defensive Standpoints and progress outward in Range Radius  (Like Novas 4) so she can get back to shooting.

ill take anything that isnt that slow charge.

[Grimmstyler]

5 minutes ago, EinheriarJudith said:

ill take anything that isnt that slow charge.

Yes. I use a controller so charging hinders my movement for survival.

[Aenris]

I feel Garuda's passive, theme and playstyle don't go along very well:

Her passive tells me i need to go full melee. Take damage, deal more damage. High risk, high reward, right?

Well...

1) Dread Mirror:
It's great for closing up distance, to go full melee, but her shield is really... underwhelming. I'd rather get my shield and jump into a higher ledge, shooting enemies while charging it's damage. It needs to be bigger, and more convex. It feels way too much like volt's shield too. If it's going to be a shield (rather than a buff with a reduction in damage), i feel it needs to protect me in a wider angle.

2) Blood Altar
The range is terrible BUT it does help your squad a bit. Still, it's another skill that seems to work better while camping and shooting, rather than going full frontal. My suggestion would be that for allies, you should keep the actual range, but for Garuda herself it should have a bigger range. Maybe x5 times larger, maybe even infinite. That way i can go on a rampage, healing with the altar and killing with my claws.

3)Bloodletting
This skill it's the first to truly synergize with Garuda's passive. It works really well for what's intended. Still, i'll add it something like a couple of seconds of invulnerability, to be able to cast it mid-combat and not die.

4)Seeking Talons

Ok: this is WAY better than the meat blender, i'll admit that. But it lacks synergy. The bleeding proc needs an extra punch: maybe the enemies bleeding or marked by the ult can be killed with Garuda's 1st (the leap attack) automatically, regardless of the enemy's hp. This would work better when facing groups of enemies, killing the soldiers with the ult's damage and finishing the Elite units, jumping around.

 

Overall... i like her theme. But the synergy it's all over the place. I like her abilities are not mindless straight buffs (press "2" and just spam melee). It has some sophistication. But still, it doesn't feel rewarding to pull off a combo of skills if it's restricts gameplay into primaries and secondaries. 

[GPrime96]

8 minutes ago, Arandabido said:

I feel Garuda's passive, theme and playstyle don't go along very well:

Her passive tells me i need to go full melee. Take damage, deal more damage. High risk, high reward, right?

You know her Passive can be countered by her 2? That's why it's trash in normal Game Play.

[Aenris]

hace 16 minutos, GPrime96 dijo:

You know her Passive can be countered by her 2? That's why it's trash in normal Game Play.

yes, i'm aware of this. Sorry, i didn't added it to the stockpile of reasons of why it doesn't synergize xD