Balancing the game analysis Day 3: Master Class Skills / Mastery

[Boomhauer007]

This should be a much shorter post; partly because there are much fewer master classes, partly because the skills are pretty terrible across the board. In theory the skills should also probably have their cost cut in half, most master classes aren't even achieve Mastery without grinding. Don't know how good this list will be, having to come up with so many replacements is tough. Instead of tiers, I'm just gonna go down the list.

Warmaster: Quick Riposte is the one good skill in master to me. It fits thematically and lets fists be good on EP. You can't use it over and over, but that's how it should be.

Falcon Knight: Defiant Avoid certainly has a place in an evasion build, but is pointless if you aren't building for that. Instead I would give them air superiority. Although technically niche itself, it skill works against the only classes that can actually catch a falcon knight.

Wyvern Lord: Vantage + Wrath + Defiant Crit is literal guaranteed crits, so that's cool. I used trample last time, but upon thinking about it I think it makes more sense here, and then give wyvern rider lunge.

Motalr Savant: What a weird class to give warding blow. I can't think of a snazzy name, but give it a skill that allows the class to use physical attack strength for the magic damage calc so it can actually the hybrid class it claims to be.

Great Knight: Give it Luna like we all know it should have had. Activation = Dex%

Dark Knight: Tbh I would just axe the kind of pointless dark bishop and just give this class lifetaker.

Holy Knight: I got stuck on this one for awhile, probably because the class itself is pointless. Dark Knight is better at offense, bishop is better at healing. Heck, give it galeforce just so there's some reason to go into this class.

Gremory: I actually think warding blow makes a lot more sense here. Mages generally only engage other mages late game, at least in terms of things that actually counterattack them.

Bow Knight: Give it a skill that triples super effective damage, make it a true flying / monster killer.

Not sure how well this little mini series came out, but I had fun with it.

 

[Anathaco]

Missed out on yesterday's one, but oh well, I'll try track it down after this.

Anywho, my thoughts:

War Master: Agreed. Although, don't they also get War Master's Strike upon mastery as well? I haven't actually had the chance to use it, but it seems pretty good on paper. 

Falcon Knight: They're kind of already a great class anyway, honestly I think leaving them with Defiant Avoid is fine.

Wyvern Lord: Same as above

Mortal Savant: I actually forgot Warding Blow even existed. I like the idea of using the higher of strength or magic. Another one I had was to calculate damage taken using the higher of def/res, but that's maybe a bit much.

Great Knight: I just read through the rebalancing lunatic thread, and someone there pointed out that Wary Fighter isn't in this game. With that in mind, here you go, Great Knight. Considering I probably rank Great Knight as one of the worst Master Classes, I don't think it's too much to give it Luna as a combat art as well, perhaps toned down a little like Astra. Perhaps it only ignores 30% of the enemy's defense, like Heroes Moonbow?

Dark Knight: Yes. Give Lifetaker back to its rightful owner haha

Holy Knight: I think the best way to give Holy Knight a niche of its own is by giving it some serious utility. My best idea so far is like a beefed up version of the Demoiselle skill, like maybe it gives 5 damage and 10 crit to allies within 2 spaces? That kinda makes Byleth's exclusive class mastery skill look like a joke though, but then again, its Byleth. 

Gremory: Agreed, I like Warding Blow here

Bow Knight: Like Falcoknight and Wyvern Lord, I think the sheer dominance of this class doesn't really necessitate a new mastery skill.