[Chaos]

Reaper's Scythe can't even hold a candle to Power Gradation in terms of damage. Let's not try to make Skill even more necessary with this one.

Soapy's also right; it's better to use it against someone that isn't guarding so they don't lose CC over a garbage effect.

[Sarinpa1]

As far as I know the formula for PG is Str+wpn power + the modifier from rank
With Devs suggestion to add weapon power to Reaper's scythe... wouldn't that be....exactly the same?

[Jay]

Soapy's also right; it's better to use it against someone that isn't guarding so they don't lose CC over a garbage effect.

That is not the right way to approach an underpowered skill. Most of this topic emphasizes on its damage output, when the actual effect should be compensating above that. If it's meant to spam tag a low res target, odds are they are a defense heavy, and aren't dodging a PG. And it costs 26 FP versus 10 FP.

The core of the issue seems to be the effect and little incentive to even rank it. It can function similar to Judgement Blade, so if a target is guarding, the damage is increased by Rank*10%. Guard Break does not properly penalize excessive (3M-7M) or casual (1M-2M) guarders at all. If the target was CC'd the turn before, you are slower, and the target decides to guard, you can set up something-- assuming you can hit the guarder (obviously no skills requiring CC). But that situation is too narrow for a skill that generally 'guard breaks'. Barring the unmarkable and guard break duration, even the paltry 15% damage boost, a target afflicted with 'Guard Break' should not be able to use the guard skill whatsoever. You can currently overlap the debuff the very next instance you get. If the skill is meant to synergize with other ghost skills, the unmarkable duration can also be lowered by one. Those are three ideas that pop out and would offer the skill more than enough for its purpose.

[Chaos]

Sarinpa1 » Tue May 12, 2015 9:32 am[/url]"]As far as I know the formula for PG is Str+wpn power + the modifier from rank
With Devs suggestion to add weapon power to Reaper's scythe... wouldn't that be....exactly the same?

PG is an actual attack. It will factor in criticals, excel weapons, Sword talent bonus, power boosts, etc.
Reaper's Scythe is an autohit, which does not involve any of those elements.

[Soapy]

PG takes 4 momentum and can be Stalemated/Spirit Pained/Fellel'd, among other things.

Just putting that out there.

[Sarinpa1]

Aaaan sword talent bonus and perhaps even some other things get outweighed by the whole..axes getting much more base power.

[Chaos]

Sarinpa1 » Wed May 13, 2015 7:47 am[/url]"]Aaaan sword talent bonus and perhaps even some other things get outweighed by the whole..axes getting much more base power.

Okay then. Elaborate, in numerical detail, how Reaper's Scythe can consistently nail superior results than Power Gradation when both sides are being used optimally, using 60 STR against an opponent with 30 RES. Each side gets an equal number of uses within a single turn. (Yes, it is completely possible to achieve this within the bounds of gameplay)

[Ranylyn]

And let's not forget that Reaper Scythe costs 260% more FP than PG. Seriouly. I've never invested a single point into Reaper Scythe on my old Axe Ghost (Galdric Axe, Fitting Form, Berserker Shell, I'd get like 180% crit at low hp) simply due to it not being worth it; can't crit, that absurd FP cost, target becoming unmarkable for 2 rounds to get rid of something they'll just re-apply next turn anyways, etc.