Excalibur Revisited - Pve Feedback

[Chroia]

Context:

Pre-rework Excal was one of the only 2 Warframes that I felt had no reason to exist. (For reference, the other was pre-rework Oberon.)

I've been playing an MR2 account, using an unformaed, unpotatoed Excal with only found mods and crafted gear and no restores; in everything besides Raids (because I can't be bothered to try) for around 3 months.

 

I'm finally posting this because I've decided to finally rank him to 4, for the upcoming Sorites  :P

(He's got ~370k MR exp, so yeah.)

 

 

This Excal for general use:

 

This Excal for Nightmare missions:

 

Weapons of choice are one of an unpotaoted unformaed Vulkar or Boar, my bae Dex Dakra (since I only finally got a Covert Lethality on Thursday), and whatever else.

Boar

 

Vulkar

 

Dex Dakra

 

 

So, my 'serious business' loadout looks something like this:

 

Playstyle revolves around parkour and Radial Blind for survivability,

Primary use or stealth finishers or slide attacks on blinded enemies, with Exalted Blade as an anti-armor damage boost or board wipe.

 

And it's been the most rewarding play experience I've had in Warframe in around 8 months.

 

 

So I think I'm in a decent position to offer some feedback.

 

Slash Dash:

Don't use it as a damage skill, take from that what you will.

The knockdown is nice when energy's tight, but Radial Blind will serve you better.

I primarily use it as a mobility skill, and for that it's spectacular.

Fast, fairly long-range, (somewhat) vertically aimable, some i-frames.

 

Verdict: 4 of 5 swords, would Dash again.

 

 

Radial Blind:

I was very leery of it, once it lost its xrayness, but in actual gameplay, the only significant difference I've felt is that a newcomer popping out of a door will wtfmurder you.

Combine that with an ICD, and you get some fairly cheap deaths.

On the other hand, it kind of is my own fault. I wasn't being careful, and I pay for it. This appeals to me.

 

So yeah, this is the workhorse skill.

Survivability and damage amp in one, Radial Blind is still amazing.

 

Verdict: 4/5 migraines, would dazzle again.

 

 

Radial Javelin:

Radial Jav... Sigh.

AoE Multitarget nuke with a built-in blind, Radial Javelin should be an amazing skill.

However, between the limits placed on it post Viver and the advent of Exalted Blade - it doesn't really have a niche in Excal's current toolset:

Capped # of targets, so not a board wipe.

Flat damage, so not a better nuke/board wipe than Exalted Blade (which is cheaper, too).

(It's cheaper and more reliable (which is a big thing for me) to RB once, toggle EB and toss some bladewaves around.)

And it's restricted by LoS, so not even a better CC than Radial Blind.

 

Verdict: 1/5 Javelins, would not impale again.

 

Suggestions:

You can't remove the flat damage, due to how the Evolution Engine works. At best you can make it scale from melee mods, which will either not equal EB or make it do ludicrous damage. Neither is a good outcome, imo.

So remove one of the other limits.

 

Removing the target cap makes it an AoE, which is something that EB isn't.

Removing the LoS restriction lets you use it as a 'from cover' Blind or as a preemptive Blind in situations where a poorly placed door will @&*( you over, though even with this it still won't displace EB as a nuke on its own. See next.

 

 

Exalted Blade: EEEEEEEEEE

 

This skill...

Low upkeep toggle ability.

Defense via built-in autoparry.

Ridiculous damage output via scaling from melee mods (+ Radial Blind).

Range/AoE via infinite punchthrough Bladewaves.

 

Verdict: Exalted Blade is too powerful.

6/5 Bladewaves, wouldn't use it except as an 'ace in the hole'.

 

 

So.

Excal's billed as a swordsman. As such, EB's low cost is appropriate.

The autoparry isn't broken. It's directional, whereas enemies appear all around you; and it doesn't stop CC or AoE damage.

And unless you want people spamming SD as a gap-closer, it really kinda needs it.

The scaling is likewise required, for EB to remain competitive.

 

What I'd do, is increase the bladewaves' hitbox slightly, and reduce their range to 10-15 meters.

This both lets it continue serving as a flyer-counter, while making EB gameplay be more than just aiming in the enemy's general direction and spamming E.

 

That said, I don't think I'd've managed to beat the Raptor without EB in its current state, so :(

 

 

 

Overall:

Whoever was responsible for Excal's rework - THANK YOU.

You took a frame that I never use, and made him not only competitive, but one that rewards skilled careful play.

I play for challenge. I'm a proponent of skill>gear.

Excal lets a skilled (and reasonably modded) player glass-cannon their way through any non-endgame content that Warframe currently offers.

I can't think of any other frame I'd've attempted, succeeded - and had as much fun(*1) - making my undergeared and undermodded way through Ceres/Eris/Pluto with.

 

 

4.5/5 potatoes, would play again.

 

 

*1

I could probably have pulled it off reliably with Ash, Rhino, Trinity or Valkyr.

Ash -> Bladestorm all the things. Godmode while doing loads of damage. Also, boring.

Victory through stats.

Rhino -> Iron Skin + gunplay. Limited godmode doesn't mesh well with a sniper, and removes the excitement from point-blanking with shotguns.

Victory through stats.

Trinity -> As opposed to Rhino's semi-Godmode, which is statistical, Trinity's derives from player upkeep.

I wouldn't call it 'boring'; it's intensive, but it's algorithmic, not very interactive or engaging.

'Press 3. Target any enemy and press 2. Kill enemy. Kill nearby enemies. Repeat when buff runs out. Press 4 when attrition becomes dangerous'.  - Slightly oversimplified, but fairly representative.

Valkyr -> Hysteria.

Victory through stats.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Chroia