New Idea! (in General)

Magician's Crossbow:

Drains DD: 1/33% of the target's DD plus some unknown constant for every 'x' on the crossbow. (i.e. A [4x1] Enforcer's Crossbow drains 0.03% DD plus an unknown amount of ST per damage dealing hit.)

Voila! Then we'll see how ya'll like it. >.<

Btw, this was me being bored.

Why is this in off-topic? Admin edit: moved to General

It is a great and perfect idea.

Please though make it strength independent.

Or we could buff this.

The Mageseeker doesn't drain opposing DD as the ExBow drains ST or the AxBow drains DX.

Also, Marl, this new bow would have to be completely independent of Archery like the other crossbows are.

Why not a DD draining weapon?

Don't get me started, if you want to nerf/fix the Exbow fine. But making a DD draining weapon is just rubbish.

Henk, you're a bud... But really, why should you have an item that completely destroys a strat without having an item that could completely destroy your own strat?

MgS, EH, AMF.

"MgS, EH, AMF."

All of which I use and still it doesn't nullify a mage's entire offense. For example, Shocking Grasp still penetrates the heck out of it, especially with crappy Noldarins included.

"Don't get me started, if you want to nerf/fix the Exbow fine. But making a DD draining weapon is just rubbish. "

Well, it's quite obvious the Exbow won't get fixed any time soon, so why NOT make a DD draining weapon to match its "effectiveness", just against mages, not against tanks ? :)
Maybe after it gets (ab)used the same way the Exbow is now, we'll start seeing the Exbow getting fixed.
OR it all turns into XBow-DB-blender.

wasn't implying that it nullifies, but they all do hinder. EC and AMF cancel out I guess in the comparison.

SG gets help vs. AC so it has that advantage over the other DD's.

"SG gets help vs. AC so it has that advantage over the other DD's."

True, but it's ungodly powerful even against 0 AC defenders. I've always advocated having the spell do minimal base damage, but increasing it's damage vs. all AC, not just base.

If it's and anti-wall spell, low AC should be a counter to it.

A bit off topic. I'll stop now.

kevlar 4:12 PM EDT
MgS, EH, AMF.

Kev. These protect a single minion, not stop a mage from attacking the entire team.

Let us not forget all AC works vs tanks while only the + is effective vs mages.

Which can make a lot of difference.

No, all good stuff, I'm still learning about SG and don't fully understand it.

All I remember is I tried a Hal one time and was scared with what EC, EX bow (don't know about AXbow) did to it. It was a quick change back at the Tatoo parlor.

Silva, archers get multiple hits, triple sometimes (more?) ... DD's land once per shot. Wasn't trying to compare / justify the difference, was just stating there is anti-DD stuff out there which does hinder, not nullify. There was an Archer/DD debate not too long ago I'm not mistaken.

No Str Drain on a Mage that is a Tank Attribute....Make it Drain HP or Add to ENC then see how it hit's home >:) Make 2 different MxBows, AMFxBow, and DMxBow with both having the DD Drain capability, then we will see a true conniption fit from those of the Mage Strat Persuasion.
The Thing here is Honestly There is the ExBow AND AxBow Both of which Drain a Tanks Attributes. The Mage Seeker you say....it only seeks out Mages first whoopitie doo it's Damage is Laughable and can easily be countered by a buff to AS, GA or via DBs burn it and start over it is about as useful as the ES.

I really think the more important question is:

If 99% of CB sees the exbow as being broken/unbalaced/wrong why are Jon and NS so reluctant to fix it, given it has been this way for over 2 years?

Are we as a community so wrong in our thinking about how this should be?

Or are we just missing something in the game design issue?

Unlike the new drop/lottery system, it appears almost everyone thinks something is wrong with this weapon?

What are we overlooking?

I would hope to get some clue from Jon or NS.

@ Silva 3:22 PM

Not really my whole strategy revolves around the RoBF and the wall. The SG is there to take out any single tank that has no AMF.

So nor a DD draining xbow or an exbow effects my team.

A SoD then again does since I have no GA or AS

Understandable Henk but if there are two items in the game that can completely negate the largest weapons in the game, when the weapons fired against them are 1/4 their NW, then I feel its time that Mages see why these things should be fixed. And since a fix isn't likely, Ranger has been pointing this out for many a change month, a new item is more probable.

"If 99% of CB sees the exbow as being broken/unbalaced/wrong"

I think you guys arguing about trying to show mages how it feels is pretty dang strange, being that most already know and agree. Some mages choose not to use the weapon (or maybe I'm the only one).

I think steering the game in a positive direction, even if things aren't what everyone wants is much better than making downhill changes that just make balancing that much more difficult.

Hopefully Jon or NS step in and set us straight.