Excalibur Redux

[Vargras]

I have Excalibur Prime, play him fairly regularly, and still have fun with his current kit, but I was on the Warframe wiki and saw something:

 

 

Excalibur is a sword-themed Warframe. By empowering any blade he wields, Excalibur cuts down his foes swiftly. He is one of three starter options for new players.

Now this isn't really reflected at all in-game (in the Codex or anywhere else), but it got me thinking. What if this really was what Excalibur was all about?

 

Changed abilities will be found below.

 

Slash Dash

Excalibur dashes forward, slashing any who get in his way. 100% slash status chance. Damage increased when actively wielding a melee weapon.

 

You'll recall that the slew of Ash buffs brought a breath of life into his gameplay, quickly catapulting him into a very nice position that made him one of the most damaging frames in the game (and one of the most hated in PvP). Among the buffs were a guaranteed status chance on Shuriken, making it especially deadly -- if the damage itself didn't kill the target, the bleed would help. By also increasing the damage of Slash Dash if Excalibur actively has a weapon out (having your gun out doesn't count!), we help further show that Excalibur is the master of the blade.

 

Radial Blind

Surprise, surprise. No real changes here, given that it's widely agreed to be his best skill. Also helps that it already scales because it's CC.

 

Riposte (New)

Super Jump gets thrown out. Despite its uses (and the supporters of it, which includes me), it's for the best if this gets tossed out in favor of something else to help tie his kit together.

 

Excalibur counters incoming attacks with unerring speed, deflecting bullets and blades alike. Projectiles are reflected back to the original shooter at increased damage and velocity. Melee attacks are parried and result in immediate finisher damage (no finisher animation). This ability can be toggled (2 energy drained per second, 5 energy drained per counterattack). Other abilities may not be used while Riposte is active.

 

While Riposte is active, Excalibur may only use melee weapons. If he does not have one equipped, he will instead use an ethereal Skana/Skana Prime.

 

Sorry, but we gotta try to keep this balanced somehow.

 

Radial Javelin

Too iconic to throw this one out. Instead, we try something different to reward good setup and timing.

 

Launches javelins towards enemies, dealing high damage and impaling them to walls. All javelins have innate punch-through. In addition, Excalibur may charge up this attack further, extending the cast animation but increasing the number of javelins launched.

 

Here's how it works: You press 4 and get the same ult that you have now (except with punch-through now). Or, you hold down 4 and charge up the attack even further, up to a limit. Upon releasing, you've launched even more javelins than usual, inflicting even more damage and likely killing more enemies.

 

And if you have someone on your team using Bullet Attractor? I feel really, really sorry for them.

 

Please leave all thoughts and comments below.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Vargras

[Letter13]

The Riposte idea sounds totally awesome.

 

Though I'm wondering, perhaps it should force him into melee mode? And if he has no melee weapon then perhaps it grants him something like a void or energy sword with which to parry/reflect stuff?

 

These changes would make me want to play Excalibur again.

[Vargras]

The Riposte idea sounds totally awesome.

 

Though I'm wondering, perhaps it should force him into melee mode? And if he has no melee weapon then perhaps it grants him something like a void or energy sword with which to parry/reflect stuff?

 

These changes would make me want to play Excalibur again.

Yeah, probably. It'd be kinda hard to deflect everything with your... gun.

 

Added the melee-only stipulation to it.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Vargras

[Letter13]

Yeah, probably. It'd be kinda hard to deflect everything with your... gun.

Hmmm.

 

Gunblade?

[Monsterwithin]

Awesome ideas!

[Vargras]

Hmmm.

 

Gunblade?

I can see the bugs now.

 

Somas glitched into Nikanas to form some unholy abomination.

[Letter13]

I can see the bugs now.

 

Somas glitched into Nikanas to form some unholy abomination.

Was thinking more along the lines of FF8:

[Vargras]

Was thinking more along the lines of FF8:

Oh, I know. I was just trying to be a smart aleck.

 

And because guns glitching into melee weapons has already happened before.

[Myocarde]

The whole thing with Radial Javelin and projectiles going through walls can be avoided if the projectiles will appear above the mobs and pin them to the ground (Like, weapons of various dead tenno) or if they will pop from the ground and impale or launch the mobs into the air. Long spikes or spears that could reach flying units too. Also, a reason for a new flasy animation. =)

[Vargras]

The whole thing with Radial Javelin and projectiles going through walls can be avoided if the projectiles will appear above the mobs and pin them to the ground (Like, weapons of various dead tenno) or if they will pop from the ground and impale or launch the mobs into the air. Long spikes or spears that could reach flying units too. Also, a reason for a new flasy animation. =)

I actually quite like the current one (slamming the weapon into the ground, then withdrawing it). The current javelins already hit air units as well.

[Oriviagene]

To OP: your idea is awesome :D

But I'd like to share my thought on radial javelin,why don't we made this ability more mobile?

You said super jump is useless,so I was thinking why not combine super jump and radial javelin,u know radial javelin casting time is slow,with additional charging time it would be risky to use on higher lvl, what if radial javelin can be executed just like dragoon race skill jump from Final Fantasy or Huskar's Life Break animation on Dota 2? :o

Jumping to wherever our crosshair pointed at and additional 100% knockback(impact proc) during landing(maybe slash proc too?dunno if it's gonna make this skill OP like ash's)

With your charged javelin idea during execution excal jump towards to our targeted area(jump-charge the javelin in the air-execution) and slamming ground harder(it's charged lol) causing additional javelins and heavy impact effect(100% knockdown) any enemies nearby

Question :)

Does this riposte even blocking dmg from excal's back side(blind side)? :o

Edited September 30, 2014 by Godhands

[Vargras]

To OP: your idea is awesome :D

But I'd like to share my thought on radial javelin,why don't we made this ability more mobile?

You said super jump is useless,so I was thinking why not combine super jump and radial javelin,u know radial javelin casting time is slow,with additional charging time it would be risky to use on higher lvl, what if radial javelin can be executed just like dragoon race skill jump from Final Fantasy or Huskar's Life Break animation on Dota 2? :o

Jumping to wherever our crosshair pointed at and additional 100% knockback(impact proc) during landing(maybe slash proc too?dunno if it's gonna make this skill OP like ash's)

With your charged javelin idea during execution excal jump towards to our targeted area and slamming ground harder(it's charged lol) causing additional javelins and heavy impact effect(100% knockdown) any enemies nearby

The entire point of the changes I made to Radial Javelin is to make it riskier to use. You either hit 4 once for what we have now, or you take a gamble and hold it for more damage, with the potential risk of taking additional damage in the process. If you play well and use it in a good spot (or at a good time), you do more damage with relatively little damage taken. Screw it up and that's your fault.

 

Adding in a jump just seems to remove all of that.

 

Question :)

Does this riposte even blocking dmg from excal's back side(blind side)? :o

No. That'd be overpowered (and makes no sense).

[SIDESTRE4M]

Super Jump heretics. ;P

 

I don't like to be the party pooper and I always like it when people are creative,...

 

but when you need the ult, you don't have time to charge. It's even slow as it is, so my Excal sports natural talent.

So it remains the poser ult, we have now.

 

Riposte is a nice idea. However it's a jedi-version of hysteria with better weapons.

 

Not sure. I'd rather keep my excal as he is. Nice try though.

[Oriviagene]

The entire point of the changes I made to Radial Javelin is to make it riskier to use. You either hit 4 once for what we have now, or you take a gamble and hold it for more damage, with the potential risk of taking additional damage in the process. If you play well and use it in a good spot (or at a good time), you do more damage with relatively little damage taken. Screw it up and that's your fault.

Adding in a jump just seems to remove all of that.

No. That'd be overpowered (and makes no sense).

I see u have a point,then maybe small CC utility on the javelin?

For example,oberon's new reckoning,it does only average 1250 dmg but able to proc 100% radiation which causing short chaos into the enemies troops? Don't forget the knockdown too...

Unless you gave either slash proc like ash or small CC like oberon I think javelin will be same either charged or not :|

Maybe push enemies away from excal?

Edited September 30, 2014 by Godhands