Hunter Update - Option #1

[Ryvick]

Re: Exsanguinate cool-down, any chance cooldown on Exsanquinate could be removed or at least reduced to 15 or less seconds? Currently on live its at 20 seconds and with traited Blood Arrow the best you can do is every other Blood arrow or delay using Blood arrow which makes it a little clunky. Add in the new remove Exsanguinate bleed on crit with Rupture Artery and no cooldown on Exsanguinate would be a positive for the Blood Arrow + Exsanguinate since Exsanguinate cannot be used without Blood Arrow firing first anyway.

[Ethuilir]

As someone who has not played my hunter for many years (except maybe a few festivals), I'll say that my reasoning is I want a bow-wielder that isn't a 'DPS main', and so I'm happy to see that, in either option, the Yellow line is not being turned into a utility line. And, while I don't get to do group content as much, I'd like it so that I don't have to switch from Yellow (or any spec) if I do.

Please do get it to a point that all specs (in all classes, ideally) has a place in groups. More class fantasy freedom is always nice. If it proves to be acceptable, group gatekeeping will eventually subside.

[DoRonRon]

Surely it's only a static ("rooted" in place) Bowmaster that's going to get into melee? Why would a mobile Huntsman consider going toe to toe other than to deliver a choice effect the devs have forced into a melee skill?

This seems to be a Bowmaster's flight of fantasy of what an alt Huntsman build should offer.

All the moving skills between trees is just another resource drain on switching traceries that may not even prove worth the change.

I'm having fun taking on (some) T12s solo right now; that's wrangling everything I can out of the build I have atm. I want all the mobs dead before any bleeds take effect, excepting dot/blood and fear for the 45% reflects - and then too much dot hurts too much.

I don't relish going to T7s to relearn another class - that I only do if pressed for time.

[wispsong]

Re: Exsanguinate cool-down, any chance cooldown on Exsanquinate could be removed or at least reduced to 15 or less seconds? Currently on live its at 20 seconds and with traited Blood Arrow the best you can do is every other Blood arrow or delay using Blood arrow which makes it a little clunky. Add in the new remove Exsanguinate bleed on crit with Rupture Artery and no cooldown on Exsanguinate would be a positive for the Blood Arrow + Exsanguinate since Exsanguinate cannot be used without Blood Arrow firing first anyway.

This is something I always found stopping the flow because the second can't be used without the first. Will never understand why they have different cds. The barrage cd also seems jarring. Often times I don't even bother with it and go to pen right away. And quick shot looks so bad with the induction bar since the induction is so short.

[wispsong]

As with the Trapper of Foes we looked at the initial ideas behind the considerations for Hunstman as well.

The definitive trait tree goal for Huntsman is as follows:

Huntsman fills its DPS role as a skirmisher. Feeling equally at home in melee and at range, the Hunstman uses mobility and honed talents to soften their targets at range and deliver devastating melee hits. In times of need, they use their ability to find cover to exact grievous injury on their enemies.

Huntsman

Grants Scourging Blow
Scourging Blow
2 Attacks
Deals +15% damage for each stack of Lingering Wound to each attack
Stops the Bleeding
Cooldown 8s

Grants Lingering Wound
Cooldown 2s

Induction Based Skills can be used while moving.
No Focus Loss on Movement
No Miss Chance Penalty for Movement

Impactctful Arrows
0 -5 Tier
5 Ranks

Increases Ranged Damage by 1% per rank

Strong Arms
0 -5 Tier

6 Ranks

Ranks 1-6: +5% Bow damage for bow skills that consume Focus and +2.5% melee damage/rank (1-5)
Rank 6: Using a skill that costs Focus has a 15% chance to reduce the cost of all skills by 1 for 5s

(30% Focus Skill Damage, 15% melee damage)

The Skirmisher
Rank 5 Set Trait Bonus

Successful Melee Attacks grant 1 Focus
Critical Melee Attacks grant 2 Focus
+20% Induction Movement Speed

Press Onward
5-10 Tier

Grants the Skill: Press Onward

Quick Shot Focus
5-10 Tier
5 Ranks

+4% Quick Shot bonus per rank (unchanged)

Split Shot
5-10 Tier

Grants the Skill: Split Shot

Athleticism
5-10 Tier
3 Ranks

+ [Level based] Physical Mastery per rank
On every Harmful Skill,
+3.33% Chance to gain Fleetiness per rank
Fleetness: 10% In-combat run speed for 20s

Barbed Hindrance
10 Rank Set Trait Bonus

+30 to Barbed Arrow Damage
+30% to Barbed Arrow Bleed Damage
Slows target by 20%

Perseverance
10-15 Tier Requires Pess Onward
5 Ranks

+5% increase to Press Onward Heals

Precision
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Stance: Precision now generates 1 Focus every 4s
Rank 2: Generations 1 Focus every 3s

Pathfinder
10-15 Tiers
3 Ranks

+5% Boost to Find the Path speed bonus per rank

Nature's Barb
15 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Low Cut Becomes Nature's Barb
Nature's Barb
Melee Skill 5.2m Range
Max Targets:1
A low cut in front of you channels natural energy to purge corruption from your enemy.

2 Attacks:
Main-hand damage
Off-hand Damage
100% chance to remove a corruption on the main-hand attack
25% chance to remove a corruption on the off-hand attack
Cooldown 10s

Improved Blood Arrow
15-20 Tiers
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Blood Arrow heals 5% of Max morale over time
Rank 2: Blood Arrow heals 10% of Max morale over time and reduce the cooldown of Blood Arrow by 5s

Exsanguinate
15-20 Tiers Requires Blood Arrow Rank 2

2 Ranks

Tier 1: 66% chance to unlock Ensanguinate after Blood Arrow
Tier 2: 100% chance to unlock Ensanguinate after Blood Arrow

Barbed Fury
15-20
4 Ranks
Increases Hunter Bleed damage by 5% per rank

Hunter's Voice
20 Rank Trait Set Bonus

10s Cooldown to Cry of the Hunter
+10% Movement Speed

Shot through the Heart
20-25 Tier

Heart Seeker and Merciful Shot do more damage to targets with active bleeds

Volley
20-25 Tier
5 Ranks

Using a skill that costs focus has a 3% chance per rank to remove the induction time of your next skill stacks 5 times Expires out of combat

Martial Training
20-25 Tier
2 Rank

On every Harmful Skill +5% chancce to gain Fleetness and increase Fleetness run speed efficacy by +2.5% per rank
At Rank 1: Fleetness now grants 1 Focus per 5s
+5% melee damage per rank

Find Cover
25 Rank Trait Set Bonus

In-combat Camouflage becomes Find Cover and can be used in-combat but increases the cooldown to 60s;
Ranged attacks while in Camouflage gain +25% Critical Chance and +25% Critical Magnitude

Strength of the Earth
25-30 Tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Grants Skill Strength of the Earth
Restores Power while Active
5s Duration
1m 30s Cooldown
Rank 1: Increases Ranged and Melee Damage by 10%
Rank 2: Increased Ranged and Melee Damage by 20%

Improved Inten Concentration
25-30
2 Tiers

12s Intent Concentration Cooldown per Rank

Earthborn
30 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Strength of the Earth now restores morale and focus while it is active:
+1 Focus per second
Restores Morale while active

Rupture Artery
30-35 Tier

Grants the Skill: Rupture Artery

A melee attack dealing additional damage to target a target suffering from Barbed Arrow, that automatically scores a critical strike on targets affected by Exsanguination.

Crtiical Hits stop the Exsanguination Bleed.

2 Attacks
Rupture Artery deals 225% of Main-hand Damage + bonuse Bonus
Deals
225% of Off-hand Damage + bonus Bonus

Cooldown 20s

Rapid Assault
30-35 Tier

Grants Skill: Rapid Assault
Skills that cost focus no longer have a cost. Resets all skill cooldowns.
Duration 10s
Cooldown 180s

Intense Assault
35 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Every attack made while Rapid Assault is active puts a stacking Physical Mastery buff on the Hunter.

Now, there would be a lot to ensure that the Huntsman balances well against Bowmaster which I hope to be able to describe and outline a bit more later today.

Looking forwaard to reading thoughts on the updates here.

I don't like the melee focus. Seems to me these skills will be stronger when ranged and I can't play melee. I like blue hunter because I can keep mobs away from close encounters due to moving. This melee focus would be more fitting for red since they can't move out of harms way and in instances moving is not required as much as in landscape.

Volley is useless because we still don't have a bigger show when it is available. I can't see the little icon. Why is this secret but Exsanguine which can more easily be seen, gets a big popup?

We are getting a new class, why not experiment with skirmisher on that instead of changing an existing class to fit that description?

[Hephburz-2]

I don't like the melee focus. Seems to me these skills will be stronger when ranged and I can't play melee. I like blue hunter because I can keep mobs away from close encounters due to moving. This melee focus would be more fitting for red since they can't move out of harms way and in instances moving is not required as much as in landscape.

Moving is an unreservedly more important in instances and raids than on landscape, sorry (because 50% of the time if you don't move for a certain mechanic it's not just yourself you are going to kill but also the group). Also, there is no functional change to the ranged aspect of blue, it simply involves adding an aspect of melee play to the line, from these changes you will still be able to play blue as you always have done if that is your wish.

Volley is useless because we still don't have a bigger show when it is available. I can't see the little icon. Why is this secret but Exsanguine which can more easily be seen, gets a big popup?

There are plugins you can install to fix this issue, and that is because Exsanguinate is a proc skill, this functionality is shared across all classes that have "proc" skills - and Volley is a buff on your character, therefore under your nameplate.

We are getting a new class, why not experiment with skirmisher on that instead of changing an existing class to fit that description?

Hunters have always had melee skills, there is no harm in making them actually mean something and worth using.

[SSG_Orion]

I don't like the melee focus. Seems to me these skills will be stronger when ranged and I can't play melee. I like blue hunter because I can keep mobs away from close encounters due to moving. This melee focus would be more fitting for red since they can't move out of harms way and in instances moving is not required as much as in landscape.

It may not read that well, but the melee inclusion here is more additive to the trait tree rather than intrinsic. It should, for the most part, leave the traditional use on landscape and solo untouched. While giving a more active flow in group settings where you'd want to maximize your DPS to compete with Bowmasters.

Volley is useless because we still don't have a bigger show when it is available. I can't see the little icon. Why is this secret but Exsanguine which can more easily be seen, gets a big popup?

Volley is passively applied affecting your next induction skill while Exsanguinate is an active skill play. Now, we could give it a VFX that lets you know that it is active - that would be a bug level fix.

[Tralfazz]

Volley is useless because we still don't have a bigger show when it is available. I can't see the little icon. Why is this secret but Exsanguine which can more easily be seen, gets a big popup?

Volley is passively applied affecting your next induction skill while Exsanguinate is an active skill play. Now, we could give it a VFX that lets you know that it is active - that would be a bug level fix.

You can set up a plugin to help with this. The Volley trait produces a buff when it procs and that will show up in BuffBars (as one example). You don't need to use BuffBars for anything else, it can be set up to give you a big indicator which will pop up as soon as the proc occurs and disappear when the buff is consumed (or expires out of combat). Or you might find it useful for showing your other buffs as well.

BuffBars is old enough that it has two important patches available from helpful folks that are not the original author so be sure to get all three of these:
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...nfo.php?id=361
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...fo.php?id=1000
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...fo.php?id=1155

[SSG_Orion]

The last update I will make here is to Bowmaster.

Only the updated traits or trait sets are listed here.

The changes to this trait tree are far less and have the following goal: Bowmaster is the traditional back-line archer with skills that deal devastating damage because of careful aim and concentration. Bowmaster can move, but is rewarded with greater efficacy when stationary and making the most of their induction skills.

Bowmaster

Gains the Skill: Barrage
Gains the Passive Trait: Needful Haste
-.8s Swift Bow induction
-25% Attack Duration
+10 Max Range for all ranged skills

Swift Release
5 Rank Set Trait Bonus

33% Reduction to Barbed Arrow and Swift Bow Inductions

Draw Weight
5-10 Tier
5 Ranks
+3% Induction Bow Damage and +3 Induction Bow Critical Multiplier /Rank

Swift and True
5-10 Tier
6 Ranks
+6% Swift Bow Damage/tier
and
Tier 5: Quick shot has a 25% chance to reduce the induction of Swift Bow by 100%

Shoot to Kill
10 Rank Set Trait Bonus

+10% Ranged Damage
+2.5% Critical Magnitude

Deadly Precision
10-15 Tier
3 Ranks

+33% chance to gain +1 Focus on a critical hit/rank
Reduces the cooldown of Penetrating Shot by 1s per rank

Archer's Mark
15 Rank Trait Set Bonus

20% Chance on Critical to increase incoming damage on the target by 2.5% for 10s can occur once every 60s. (Benefits all players hitting the target)

Bow of the Righteous
20-25 tier
No other changes

Relentless Barrage
Replaces Bodkin Arrows
25-30 Tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of Barrage 1 and 2 by 1s
Rank 2: Removes the cooldown of Barrage 1, 2 and 3
Barrage 3 becomes:
+280% Barrage Damage
+400% Barrage Power Cost
Cost: 2 Focus
Adds Barrage 4
Damge+Bonus Damage
[9320 power]
Cost: 2 Focus
Cooldown 12s

Storm of Arrows
Replaces Hail of Arrows
25-30 tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Rain of Arrows becomes Hail of Arrows
Fires two volleys of arrows that strikes up to 10 targets within 10 meters of your target. Costs 7 Focus
First volley Deals Current value of Rain of Arrows, second volley deals 66% of the first volley

Tier 2: Hail of Arrows becomes Storm of Arrows
Channeled Skill 6s
Costs 2 focus per second
Hits up to 10 targets within 10m of original target, applies a 10% slow and deals damage every 2 seconds while active.

Plant Feet
30+ Tier

Every 1.5s you do not move gain a tier of Hold Ground; Max 5 tiers, expires if you move for more than 3s, or are out of combat for 9s, Tiers down on Critical Strike:
+2% Evade, Damage, and critical chance

Marskman
35 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Marksman
5% Bypass Mitigation for all focus bow skills
On Critical Hit, Reduce Cooldown of Upshot, Merciful Shot, and Heart Seeker by 1s
On Devastating Critical Hit, Reduce Cooldown of Upshot, Merciful Shot, and Heart Seeker by 2s

Current thoughts on the potential change to Bowmaster for Option #1.

Discuss?

[wispsong]

You can set up a plugin to help with this. The Volley trait produces a buff when it procs and that will show up in BuffBars (as one example). You don't need to use BuffBars for anything else, it can be set up to give you a big indicator which will pop up as soon as the proc occurs and disappear when the buff is consumed (or expires out of combat). Or you might find it useful for showing your other buffs as well.

BuffBars is old enough that it has two important patches available from helpful folks that are not the original author so be sure to get all three of these:
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...nfo.php?id=361
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...fo.php?id=1000
https://www.lotrointerface.com/downl...fo.php?id=1155

I tried that before and couldn't get it to work. I don't have it traited at all right now because I don't see when to take advantage of it. I also don't like to add outside sources.

[zipfile]

Marskman
35 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Marksman
5% Bypass Mitigation for all focus bow skills


Discuss?

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

No mitigation bypasses on non-support specs, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEE

[SSG_Orion]

No mitigation bypasses on non-support specs,

Entirely possible it does not remain, for the exact reason that it should be the realm of debuff to grant these.

[Joedangod]

The changes to this trait tree are far less and have the following goal: Bowmaster is the traditional back-line archer with skills that deal devastating damage because of careful aim and concentration. Bowmaster can move, but is rewarded with greater efficacy when stationary and making the most of their induction skills.

Just to highlight that end bit, feel like the rework should make at least a small attempt to actually give rHunter some inductions. Quickshot may be tagged as an induction skill but it executes faster than regular skills. Casts shouldn't really be slipping below ~0.75s average cast time. If inductions are more rapid fire than regular skills you kinda lost the point of having them be an induction in the first place.

[Hephburz-2]

Swift and True
5-10 Tier
6 Ranks
+6% Swift Bow Damage/tier
and
Tier 5: Quick shot has a 25% chance to reduce the induction of Swift Bow by 100%

|| An additional rank here? Or am I confused?

Deadly Precision
10-15 Tier
3 Ranks

+33% chance to gain +1 Focus on a critical hit/rank
Reduces the cooldown of Penetrating Shot by 1s per rank

|| Why pen shot? This skill is only used to reapply it's debuff.. Otherwise it's a waste of focus.

Archer's Mark
15 Rank Trait Set Bonus

20% Chance on Critical to increase incoming damage on the target by 2.5% for 10s can occur once every 60s. (Benefits all players hitting the target)

|| This is going to be a nerf, but justifiable I think.

Relentless Barrage
Replaces Bodkin Arrows
25-30 Tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of Barrage 1 and 2 by 1s
Rank 2: Removes the cooldown of Barrage 1, 2 and 3
Barrage 3 becomes:
+280% Barrage Damage
+400% Barrage Power Cost
Cost: 2 Focus
Adds Barrage 4
Damge+Bonus Damage
[9320 power]
Cost: 2 Focus
Cooldown 12s

|| This could be interesting, will have to wait to see in relation to power cost.

Storm of Arrows
Replaces Hail of Arrows
25-30 tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Rain of Arrows becomes Hail of Arrows
Fires two volleys of arrows that strikes up to 10 targets within 10 meters of your target. Costs 7 Focus
First volley Deals Current value of Rain of Arrows, second volley deals 66% of the first volley

Tier 2: Hail of Arrows becomes Storm of Arrows
Channeled Skill 6s
Costs 2 focus per second
Hits up to 10 targets within 10m of original target, applies a 10% slow and deals damage every 2 seconds while active.

|| This sounds VERY cool - but, do you mean 2 focus per second, or 2 focus per hit? Because we don't have 12 focus max, and making the full channel reliant on crits seems, badly designed... And this trait also replaces the reset chance of RoA (Or rather the cooldown reduction aspect), so unless this damage is comparable to the potential number of free resets you would normally get, it seems like quite a nerf.

Plant Feet
30+ Tier

Every 1.5s you do not move gain a tier of Hold Ground; Max 5 tiers, expires if you move for more than 3s, or are out of combat for 9s, Tiers down on Critical Strike:
+2% Evade, Damage, and critical chance

|| Removing on crits means this is hardly ever going to go above tier 2.. Could you just allow it to stack to 5, make your next skill a gauranteed dev, then remove all stacks and prevent rebuilding for 5-10s?

[Perks]

the last update i will make here is to bowmaster.

Only the updated traits or trait sets are listed here.

The changes to this trait tree are far less and have the following goal: bowmaster is the traditional back-line archer with skills that deal devastating damage because of careful aim and concentration. bowmaster can move, but is rewarded with greater efficacy when stationary and making the most of their induction skills.

bowmaster

gains the skill: Barrage
gains the passive trait: Needful haste
-.8s swift bow induction
-25% attack duration
+10 max range for all ranged skills

swift release
5 rank set trait bonus

33% reduction to barbed arrow and swift bow inductions

draw weight
5-10 tier
5 ranks
+3% induction bow damage and +3 induction bow critical multiplier /rank

swift and true
5-10 tier
6 ranks
+6% swift bow damage/tier
and
tier 5: Quick shot has a 25% chance to reduce the induction of swift bow by 100%

shoot to kill
10 rank set trait bonus

+10% ranged damage
+2.5% critical magnitude

deadly precision
10-15 tier
3 ranks

+33% chance to gain +1 focus on a critical hit/rank
reduces the cooldown of penetrating shot by 1s per rank

archer's mark
15 rank trait set bonus

20% chance on critical to increase incoming damage on the target by 2.5% for 10s can occur once every 60s. (benefits all players hitting the target)

bow of the righteous
20-25 tier
no other changes

relentless barrage
replaces bodkin arrows
25-30 tier
2 ranks

rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of barrage 1 and 2 by 1s
rank 2: Removes the cooldown of barrage 1, 2 and 3
barrage 3 becomes:
+280% barrage damage
+400% barrage power cost
cost: 2 focus
adds barrage 4
damge+bonus damage
[9320 power]
cost: 2 focus
cooldown 12s

storm of arrows
replaces hail of arrows
25-30 tier
2 ranks

rank 1: Rain of arrows becomes hail of arrows
fires two volleys of arrows that strikes up to 10 targets within 10 meters of your target. Costs 7 focus
first volley deals current value of rain of arrows, second volley deals 66% of the first volley

tier 2: Hail of arrows becomes storm of arrows
channeled skill 6s
costs 2 focus per second
hits up to 10 targets within 10m of original target, applies a 10% slow and deals damage every 2 seconds while active.

plant feet
30+ tier

every 1.5s you do not move gain a tier of hold ground; max 5 tiers, expires if you move for more than 3s, or are out of combat for 9s, tiers down on critical strike:
+2% evade, damage, and critical chance

marskman
35 rank trait set bonus

marksman
5% bypass mitigation for all focus bow skills
on critical hit, reduce cooldown of upshot, merciful shot, and heart seeker by 1s
on devastating critical hit, reduce cooldown of upshot, merciful shot, and heart seeker by 2s

current thoughts on the potential change to bowmaster for option #1.

Discuss?

stop with the mit pen, destroy it

[Pharone]

It may not read that well, but the melee inclusion here is more additive to the trait tree rather than intrinsic. It should, for the most part, leave the traditional use on landscape and solo untouched. While giving a more active flow in group settings where you'd want to maximize your DPS to compete with Bowmasters.



Volley is passively applied affecting your next induction skill while Exsanguinate is an active skill play. Now, we could give it a VFX that lets you know that it is active - that would be a bug level fix.

I like they way you are setting up the blue spec.

Along the lines of adding some more melee options to the blue hunter, could we get an AoE snare+fear. Just some way when you are in close quarters and get say 4 or 5 mobs coming at you, when they get to you, can hit that melee ability (with a long recast timer obviously or it would be OP), and it would fear the mobs away from you and snare them at the same time, so they don't run off too far and get more adds to join the fight.

Just some sort of "oh ####" ability for when you are soloing and pull too many mobs in a close quarters kind of area.

[Hephburz-2]

...and it would fear the mobs away from you and snare them at the same time, so they don't run off too far and get more adds to join the fight

This actually sounds appropriate for all fear type abilities actually - they should only run max 20-25m away, (Basically out of the radius of all aoe skills) and then they should stop, feared enemies should also not awake/activate other mob packs.

[tanlis]

Entirely possible it does not remain, for the exact reason that it should be the realm of debuff to grant these.

Can you guys just hire Zipfile? He's guiding the development of all the classes as it is. :P

[SSG_Orion]

Can you guys just hire Zipfile? He's guiding the development of all the classes as it is. :P

Zip is certainly vociferous. But there are plenty of other voices.

[Agrandir]

I'd like to propose a change to True Shot in Bowmaster to also affect melee and tactical crit chance against a target as it currently only benefits ranged damage so only other hunters and the stray ranged warden.

[Michaleo]

Huntsman's identity is mid-range mobile harasser. The intent with this change would be to enable them to move in an out of melee fluidly to maximize their contributions to group DPS, without impeding their landscape/solo efficacy.

Once again, we're considering changes that will make life more difficult, confusing, and inconvenient for noobs, causals, and solo questers in order to do something for group play. Blue hunters accepted the bizarre barrage cooldown, shorter range, and less overall damage so we could survive without a tank or healer by kiting and staying away from mobs.

Being solo in medium armour, melee will only be a last resort if I can't move away and all my (more powerful) ranged skills are on cooldown. Please don't make blue worse for noobs, casuals, and solo players to add a new option for group play.

[Joedangod]

Once again, we're considering changes that will make life more difficult, confusing, and inconvenient for noobs, causals, and solo questers in order to do something for group play. Blue hunters accepted the bizarre barrage cooldown, shorter range, and less overall damage so we could survive without a tank or healer by kiting and staying away from mobs.

Besides the removal of Barrage (something they're still kicking ideas around) these changes are mostly just additive to what is already there. i.e. you could play precisely as you are with basically no difference, but if you wanted to do even more damage than you are currently doing, you could mix in some of the new melee.

Being solo in medium armour, melee will only be a last resort if I can't move away and all my (more powerful) ranged skills are on cooldown. Please don't make blue worse for noobs, casuals, and solo players to add a new option for group play.

Of the 3 medium armour classes Hunter has the highest mits. And some pretty solid self healing. So yeah, Hunter can happily be in melee, squishier specs manage it.

[tanlis]

Zip is certainly vociferous. But there are plenty of other voices.

I know, just having a little bit of fun at Zip

[IanMacLyr]

Agree… this would create more of a Legolas analog.

I really like this idea. I've always wanted a playstyle in Lotro similar to this where I could actually make practical use of both bow and sword, and if it could be made group viable and still keep the practicality of its current landscape ability then even better. It also provides a better contrast to the other two trees' playstyles. So this concept going forward, maybe with one or two more melee skills in blue for filler/focus building, is something I personally am in favor of.

If you guys don't want to do a ranger like class then this sounds about like the closest thing we'll be able to get to it.

[Laerthan1997]

The last update I will make here is to Bowmaster.

Only the updated traits or trait sets are listed here.

The changes to this trait tree are far less and have the following goal: Bowmaster is the traditional back-line archer with skills that deal devastating damage because of careful aim and concentration. Bowmaster can move, but is rewarded with greater efficacy when stationary and making the most of their induction skills.

Bowmaster

Gains the Skill: Barrage
Gains the Passive Trait: Needful Haste
-.8s Swift Bow induction
-25% Attack Duration
+10 Max Range for all ranged skills

Swift Release
5 Rank Set Trait Bonus

33% Reduction to Barbed Arrow and Swift Bow Inductions

Draw Weight
5-10 Tier
5 Ranks
+3% Induction Bow Damage and +3 Induction Bow Critical Multiplier /Rank

Swift and True
5-10 Tier
6 Ranks
+6% Swift Bow Damage/tier
and
Tier 5: Quick shot has a 25% chance to reduce the induction of Swift Bow by 100%

Shoot to Kill
10 Rank Set Trait Bonus

+10% Ranged Damage
+2.5% Critical Magnitude

Deadly Precision
10-15 Tier
3 Ranks

+33% chance to gain +1 Focus on a critical hit/rank
Reduces the cooldown of Penetrating Shot by 1s per rank

Archer's Mark
15 Rank Trait Set Bonus

20% Chance on Critical to increase incoming damage on the target by 2.5% for 10s can occur once every 60s. (Benefits all players hitting the target)

Bow of the Righteous
20-25 tier
No other changes

Relentless Barrage
Replaces Bodkin Arrows
25-30 Tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of Barrage 1 and 2 by 1s
Rank 2: Removes the cooldown of Barrage 1, 2 and 3
Barrage 3 becomes:
+280% Barrage Damage
+400% Barrage Power Cost
Cost: 2 Focus
Adds Barrage 4
Damge+Bonus Damage
[9320 power]
Cost: 2 Focus
Cooldown 12s

Storm of Arrows
Replaces Hail of Arrows
25-30 tier
2 Ranks

Rank 1: Rain of Arrows becomes Hail of Arrows
Fires two volleys of arrows that strikes up to 10 targets within 10 meters of your target. Costs 7 Focus
First volley Deals Current value of Rain of Arrows, second volley deals 66% of the first volley

Tier 2: Hail of Arrows becomes Storm of Arrows
Channeled Skill 6s
Costs 2 focus per second
Hits up to 10 targets within 10m of original target, applies a 10% slow and deals damage every 2 seconds while active.

Plant Feet
30+ Tier

Every 1.5s you do not move gain a tier of Hold Ground; Max 5 tiers, expires if you move for more than 3s, or are out of combat for 9s, Tiers down on Critical Strike:
+2% Evade, Damage, and critical chance

Marskman
35 Rank Trait Set Bonus

Marksman
5% Bypass Mitigation for all focus bow skills
On Critical Hit, Reduce Cooldown of Upshot, Merciful Shot, and Heart Seeker by 1s
On Devastating Critical Hit, Reduce Cooldown of Upshot, Merciful Shot, and Heart Seeker by 2s

Current thoughts on the potential change to Bowmaster for Option #1.

Discuss?

Just no. This is too many changes at once for a spec that isn't broken. You should focus on yellow and blue and leave red alone for now.