Pike lower received damages by 10%: is it working?

[savvy]

In the patch 83 release notes under the combat section it states

- Pike: 20% less damage, 10% faster, 20 in reach (3 others weapons have 10) that allows to lower received damages by 10%;

I have not run many tests but this does not seem to be working unless the 10% less damage taken is calculated before the damage dealt is displayed to you.

An example would be all of your armor has a protection of 60% with all "max vs." at 500. If the damage dealt was 700, 60% of that would be 420. This is less then your "max vs." so the full amount should be take off the damage received and the damage numbers would be displayed to you as "MOB hits your chest for 280 (700). If you equip a pike this damage should be 10% less, but it's not...unless the 10% less damage taken is calculated before the damage dealt is displayed to you. It would be very odd if this damage reduction was not displayed to you like all other damage reductions.

I had thought it may have only applied to PvP but in the release notes there is a "PvP" section and the pike changes are under the "combat" section. Also the 20% damage dealt reduction and 10% speed increase apply to PvE combat.

Has anyone else run any tests or noticed this? Was this brought up before and I just missed it?

[lathan]

If you look at the pike's stats, you'll see that they're nerfed (at least in terms of damage). You can now relatively easily get speeds above 30 hpm (the previous maximum) but the damage has been knocked down to around 445 max (can't remember exactly, not logged in atm).

When you run the numbers this makes pike much less effective than axe is now in terms of damage-dealing, and I also haven't noticed anything in the way of benefit from the reach, only more problems with the additional negative dodge modifier (not much point tanking in +2 dodge LA anymore with a pike, at 250 you'll have nearly as good parry anyway).

I also ran the numbers from a PvP perspective (which this was supposedly brought in for) just out of interest, and fighting an elementalist you're no better off (assuming you're using a max stat pike) in terms of hits you'll get in before you die (again assuming that you're fighting an AoD) than you were with the slower, harder-hitting pikes.

The biggest shame is that the pike nerf doesn't just apply to PvP, it applies to PvE also. So really, in terms of trying to balance out magic and melee, it didn't work towards that goal for a PvP or PvE situation.

[brithlem]

To answer the direct question.... I've neither seen a range increase nor damage recieved decrease.... PvP or PvE. Only toyed a little personally... but had a lot of guildies play with it rather extensivly.

Far as "nerfed" for PvP.... I'm not willing ot say that... PvE worst melee wep? .. sure.... but not PvP.... the armor pierce makes it a very viable weapon for PvP against other tanks... however... that is the only use I can really come up with for 2H pike users ATM.

[mercury7]

this might sound a little noob-ish, but are pikes really worth bothering to level?

surely there must be something that makes up for the low damage?

*wishes I had bought an axe from the start rather than a pike*

[akicks]

this might sound a little noob-ish, but are pikes really worth bothering to level?

surely there must be something that makes up for the low damage?

*wishes I had bought an axe from the start rather than a pike*

Pikes can "ignore armor". So, they will always do as much damage as they say they do (if you use ignore armor). So, while the damage is less, it is predictable.

[sidusar]

I've done a little testing against mobs but never saw any damage reduction myself. Apart from partial dodge/parry, it seems a creature does the same amount of damage with every attack it does. If the 10% reduction is calculated before the damage is shown to you, it should still be easy to see as equiping a pike would suddenly change the kincher's damage from 400 to 360, but I've never seen any such effect.

It's possible that this works like the damage reduction on shields and only works part of the time. Then if it's also calculated before the damage is shown, the effect would be indistinguishable from the damage reduction caused by partial dodges/parries, and it's impossible to tell what the effect is.

[swe999]

I'm so confused..


I was fairly certain that the only change to pike was that ITS damage was reduced 10% compared to its previous max and its max speed was increased 20%.

Edit: oops i foudn the patch note
- Pike: 20% less damage, 10% faster, 20 in reach (3 others weapons have 10) that allows to lower received damages by 10%;

It says that it has something to do with the range. But range never affects damage done, weird

[jamela]

I've done a little testing against mobs but never saw any damage reduction myself.

May I ask what race you are, Sidusar? If you are zorai then clearly it would make little difference whether you are wielding a pike or a dagger, your superlative reach means you will always have the edge. Equally, if you are tryker and forced by your enviable closeness to the bark to wield a pike way up near the working end, then again the weapon makes little difference and you must look elsewhere for an advantage. Are you from the desert? Fyros are well known to prefer to be "in your face" and by their nature cannot help but ignore the advantage of a pike in keeping an opponent at bay; I think the pike is not for you.

/ooc No offence intended to anyone Now I just have to log in and test my Jug toothpick

[jamela]

Tried out my own pike and sword and it seems that girls can't hold a pike properly to gain the benefit either

[savvy]

It's possible that this works like the damage reduction on shields and only works part of the time.

Good point. If the pike damage reduction only works part of the time, they should have said this in the notes.

Can anyone from CSR or Nevrax give us more information on "lower received damages" when using a pike?