Kerillian Waystalker feedback

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Gameplay Feedback
1

I started playing V2 after release and playing legend after the kerillien nerfs, with 100+ legend games behind me (mainly playing waystalker, also shade and sienna pyro with fireballs staff). Waystalker class feels underpowered to me compared to other ranged and/or anti-special/elite classes.

Longbow underperforms compared to most of the other ranged class’ weapon selection, and even some of the melee class’ weapons (Handgun, single shot crossbows). It requires charged headshot to deal with specials (multiple in case of strangler) and stormvermin while the others only take a body shot (might need additional weapon bonuses but so does longbow for many enemies) sometimes without zoom.
I’m usually fast at headshoting most elites and ambient stormvermin and even able thin their numbers if pulled, if there is any other ranged specialist or a more agressive melee team I usually fall behind in speed (even if only a split second).
Boss damage is very low (with longbow) compared to bounty hunter, or huntsman, while these classes excell at dealing with both elites and specials, and even with hordes depending on the weapon (volley crossbow, kruber longbow). Shade can deal with both specials and have insane burst dps against boss with repeater crossbow.
Can’t be used effectively in melee against armored enemies like repeater pistol, volley crossbow, or single shot crossbow.
Even with ammo regeneration shooting into hordes can make you run out of arrows.(This is okay it just feels weak compared to other weapons.)
Also i can take care of the special hunting on my own with shade with little to no downside with shade and I think i could do the same with handmaiden (longbow or repeater).

I don’t have much experience with swiftbow and hagbane. Swiftbow was fun but useless (too slow at clearing specials, minimal damage to armor, trash/horde clearing isn’t needed), it has decent boss dps and better at killing maulers. Hagbane requires much more experience to talk about, I was abysmal at clearing specials with it is useless against armor, it has high boss dps and decent stun on enemies.

In melee I mainly use glaive or 1h sword and it deals great damage even against armored targets and chaos warriors. Waystalker’s survival on the other hand is insanely low, having 1/3 effective health compared to any tanks with no defensive option with +20% health and 33% curse resistance(in a 2 grim situation), you can still go down in a period of half a second in bad situation, and most of the time even if you can see something happening if your reaction isn’t perfect you are basically dead (it mainly happens in mixed marauder/fanatic hordes that clip into each other).
This problem is even worse in a melee focused team when you have to look out leftover enemies creeping up on you (they usually make no sound to indicate they are there) and hitting you in the back (it can take out around 2/5 of the health pool from max health, and near oneshot when on 2 grim). In these situations building white health pool can be a challenge (shooting into melee can be hard if you dont want to friendly fire).

Trueshot Volley is okay but falls short compared to burning head in most situations. It can is a oh s**t button for specials in danger with moderate ammount of success (it works as you want 70% of the time). It can also clear specials behind cover and it is homing. The main use I found for it is clearing shielded stormvermin (if they were pulled), and clearing berserkers if agroed. From my experience burning head is better most of the time, the only time it is worse is when you try to quell the number of stormvermin after a bad pull. It has too long cooldown to shoot it into hordes or to clear out trash.

Talents and passives are underwhelming.
No range penalty is meh, it usually takes 1 less shot to clear really far targets, but even that only happens a in few games (every 2nd/3rd game). Health regeneration is close to useless on legend, the main use for it is that it slows down temporary health loss, half health on 2 grim is 1 hit from most enemies (from all enemies if only 1 attacks you).
Attack speed or Crit % is really nice, most classes get something like this. Headshot bonus is close to required to do good(+crit damage is nice with swift bow).
Ammo regeneration is subpar to most of the other ranged class’ ammo regeneration options (that are free). health regeneration is useless on legend (might be useful for tanks and melee in your team but if they fall below half health it is usually healing time).
I personally use -30% cooldown on ult (this is okay but nothing special) i feel +20% ammo is nothing, and gaining some temporary health is meh.

I think some of the waystalkers talents and abilities need some rework and not just buffs. I heard that health regeneration was too powerful if it regenerates to max health (it’s bit hard to belive playing on legend but it might have to do something with shared regeneration). It might need ranged damage boost for the class or some other ranged boost mechanic, as it is now the other elf careers are as good at dealing with threats at range as waystalker (they are a bit less forgiving if you are bad at aiming/headshots).

TL;DR Waystalker is one of the squishiest characters in melee and subpar in ranged compared to other ranged characters, with close to useless or absolutely required class talents.

I hope other players have a more positive view of this class, maybe I wasn’t using the class correctly.

2

I kinda only skimmed everything after this. Not to be a douche but you’re definitely doing multiple things wrong if this is how you feel about her. She certainly doesn’t need a buff at all.

5 Likes
3

I think she is fine and pretty balanced. I rarely have issues with ammo regen with her.
Vauls quiver.
Ammo regen on crit.
Should keep you pretty well topped off.
Hunts bow does have better AP but it most certainly has its draw backs vs. elf longbow.
Checks and balances.
As far as I know her base health is the same as all the other ranged DPS.
In my experience she is certainly a bit better in melee vs. Sienna pyro for example.
Prob only thing that should maybe be changed is have her health regen talent go up to 100%.
Maybe a bit of a buff on some of her other melee weapons.

1 Like
4

I think WS is the most balanced character now, and others should be brought to about the same level.

2 Likes
5

You really should try the other weapons.
(The handgun and crossbows are melee class’ weapons the same way your longbow is a melee class’ weapon)
The only one capable of one-shotting properly is the handgun, which requires +power to do so and will fail the moment damage drop-off kicks in unless you get excessive damage and that will only extend the range a bit. The crossbow needs like 4 perfect +power to one-shot SV and won’t ever take down specials other than the gutter runner. Both of them have less ammo (15 and 12, crossbow and handgun respectively vs 20 on LB), lower rate of fire and cannot rapid fire if they need to (i.e. knocking off assassins)

Boss damage is very low (with longbow) compared to bounty hunter, or huntsman, while these classes excell at dealing with both elites and specials, and even with hordes depending on the weapon (volley crossbow, kruber longbow).

Volley BH is fairly mediocre at dealing with specials imo, shortish range, requires a fair amount of hits, not bad but i also wouldn’t say it’s his strong suit.

Have you ever played bowman? He isn’t that easy, you need good timing, can’t time your shots, get no zoom for sniping and have a lengthy time after the shot where you are unable to switch weapons.
He isn’t much better at dealing with specials, only capable of one-shotting if you stack your power, requiring 3 properties to one-shot SV, 4 properties to one-shot globes/sorcs, meaning you have to pick what to one-shot.
Handgun huntsman on the other hand, while good at sniping specials and killing elites, is fairly mediocre for bosses. The only thing he has going for him is his active, the handgun itself is terrible at it. Before the 20% damage buff, it did identical damage as kerillians longbow on bodyshots and even now it’s headshot damage is still lower, despite it’s horrid rate of fire. Keri’s bow is actually one of the better anti-boss weapons, due to it’s sizable damage boost vs them.

Even with ammo regeneration shooting into hordes can make you run out of arrows.(This is okay it just feels weak compared to other weapons.)

Huntsman requires headshots not to eat up ammo, RV depends on ammo drops/meleeing with his shotty so i would say get the headshot or crit ammo trait and you should be on the same level.

Waystalker’s survival on the other hand is insanely low, having 1/3 effective health compared to any tanks with no defensive option with +20% health and 33% curse resistance(in a 2 grim situation), you can still go down in a period of half a second in bad situation, and most of the time even if you can see something happening if your reaction isn’t perfect you are basically dead (it mainly happens in mixed marauder/fanatic hordes that clip into each other).

This is the same for all ranged careers and even some melee ones (shade/WHC/Slayer without his damage reduction talents). Even handmaiden can’t take more hits. They all rely on damage evasion/blocking to survive. Keri is, in fact, tankier than most of the squishies due to having regen, giving her slightly more effective HP.

No range penalty is meh, it usually takes 1 less shot to clear really far targets, but even that only happens a in few games (every 2nd/3rd game).

The damage of the longbow drops of to half and even less than that vs armor. I don’t think you play enough HM/Shade, because far off blightstormers get suddenly really tanky when they can eat a lot more hits.
Keep in mind that the increased range also applies to the shorter ranged uncharged shots, where this will matter frequently.

Ammo regeneration is subpar to most of the other ranged class’ ammo regeneration options (that are free).

Compared to BH, maybe, but compared to Huntsman or ranger vet, certainly not.
Free ammo regen without doing anything vs 1 shot back from headshotting/killing specials.

It might need ranged damage boost for the class or some other ranged boost mechanic, as it is now the other elf careers are as good at dealing with threats at range as waystalker (they are a bit less forgiving if you are bad at aiming/headshots).

The primary difference between ranged focused careers and melee ones is not increased damage output, the others don’t have that either. Unless you are arguing about buffing all of them.

2 Likes