I’ve been binging this game since the early access started, and have done nothing but play psyker. I also played psyker during the closed beta. I’ve mostly been playing difficulty 4 missions, sometimes 3 when i don’t want to be sweaty.
The changes I’m suggesting are based on a lot of time playing heresy difficulty missions.
Psyker, as it stands right now, is not an ‘elite-killer’ like FatShark said in their psyker class exposition post. Veteran objectively does that role better. Right now, psyker is in a better spot as a horde clearer or disabler, basically a utility support role. Since the devs stated they want psyker to be an elite killer, and because he was both more fun and better at that role in the closed beta, I’m going to give what suggestions I feel would turn him back into one.
1: brain burst should instakill anything that isn’t an ogryn, mutant, hound, or boss, on any difficulty. Right now, in the heresy difficulty, it takes 2 brain pops to kill a mauler, flamer or rager. Taking about 6 seconds to kill common, fast-moving and dangerous elites like flamers and ragers goes against being an elite killing specialist. It would genuinely be faster to bring out a revolver or infantry lasgun and shoot it, but if you need a gun to be good at killing elites, just play veteran.
2: Warp charges are a pain and barely worth it to maintain. 3% damage from warp charges is rather small on its own. Also, it can be quite difficult to stay at max charges while venting peril in a fight, for little gain. (this is assuming you haven’t taken the 6% peril resistance per warp charge and max 6 warp charge feats which makes it worth it imo) My suggestion to make warp charges a simpler system is to allow kills with a force sword special attack to grant a warp charge. As it stands, it’s faster than brain pop, consumes less peril, and does more damage. It’s only downside is that it is a melee attack. The alternative and simpler change I’d suggest is to let warp charges last longer, perhaps 35-45 seconds compared to the current 25 listed in the feats page(it feels more like 15 in combat).
3: Brain pop targeting should prioritize elite units over regulars. If there is a rager running towards the group in the middle of a horde, clicking brain pop in his direction should target that rager. This would give psyker an area where he is actually better at killing elites than a veteran.
4: nerf veteran. That’s it, nerf veteran. It does the elite killing thing soooo much faster and better than psyker, and if the devs want psykers to be dedicated elite killers, the versatile ranged class absolutely should not be better at psyker’s niche than psyker.
And for a few changes that i think would be neat, make a neglected build more viable, a minor gameplay bug or just quality of life:
<> alt-fire brain burst should deal more damage. The untargeted charge takes longer, costs more peril and actually requires some effort to use, you should be better rewarded for using it.
<> ascendant blaze (the tier 30 soulblaze feat) should have a low chance to grant warp charges when an enemy affected by your soulblaze is killed, not through enemies killed by your soulblaze, since soulblaze deals relatively little damage compared to anything else. This would make gaining warp charges through that feat much more consistent outside of dealing with a huge horde.
<> Equinox mkIII Trauma staff AOE indicator should indicate the maximum damage radius as well as the minimum damage radius. Currently you can deal damage outside the ring that is displayed, minor bug i guess? but showing the maximum damage radius would make it much easier to use.
<> The lightning indicator effect for what enemies would be targeted by the Surge staff should be brighter and easier to see in the middle of combat.
<> Swapping to brain burst while attacking with some weapons takes much longer than it does with others. Main example here is the mkIV dueling sword.
<> The heavy laspistol push should have the same range and time between uses as a force sword push, since it uses up 10% peril. Not the 2-3 seconds between pushes and identical range to other gun melee options that it currently has. I should also be able to use it either while continuously firing or with a short downtime between shots.
<> Force staff melee should be replaced with a force push just like what i suggested for the laspistol push.
tl;dr brain pop needs to 1hko human-sized enemies and warp charges are a pain and barely worth it.
Also nerf veteran, he simply does psyker’s job better.
pls help my beloved psyker