What is the purpose of blinding?
Yes, it can be used to blind a channeling skill. It can also work pretty well to stomp someone in PvP.
Rarely is it the only thing that happens when you use that skill. Many blind skills are instant cast and can be cast in rapid succession with other skills, or aoe repeating casts, tied to another skill or proc., etc.
Blind works for enemies without defiant. It is theoretically comparable to an aegis boon that blocks one an attack, a brief protection boon that reduces damage by 1/3, and regeneration that needs many ticks to heal one hit of damage. Since it is a skill based defense, it works well for high dps characters that can kill an enemy quickly before the skills expire.
Blind is great against non-champ foes — particularly silver foes. You watch for their big attack animation and blind them when it begins.
It’s also great for stomping in WvW — when done right, it will prevent the interrupt most professions have when downed.
Against champs: completely worthless. Blind is only 10% effective against champs, but the worst part is that you have no idea when that 10% will proc.
This should really be looked into — perhaps a mechanic similar to “defiant” should be implemented for champs and the blind condition.
Blind is really good…
that it stacks in duration is a little awkward… intensity would be a bit OP and enable some disastrous effects.
Throwing an idea out there… perhaps if blind instead of making the next attack miss, have each attack miss for the duration, but taking 5 seconds of the duration off for each miss.
Effective use of blinds can completely shut down a Hammer warrior. Luckily not many know how to use them properly.
“…let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die;.”
It’s good with Thief black powder because it pulses. Kinda meh-ish otherwise. It does help a little but not as much as it did in GW1. :P
Its often used as an opener to another attack.
For example, on a GS guardian, I often pull mobs together and blind them so I can WW without taking any damage.
Single blinds are meh.
Blind fields are awesome.
Risen Brute knockdown, and other attacks you don’t want to hit you. On non-defiant mobs it’s an extra dodge.
Blinds are quite hard to use effectively…
but when they are used well they’re pretty ridiculous.
Leader of [GASM] #ELEtism
(Retired) Commander [2500+ tPvP Matches Won]
As stated by others, single-target blinds are effectively a well-timed block, except they block for whoever the mob or player is targetting, not just yourself.
Run a Necro with Plague as your elite and turn on the auto blind – you’re now almost immune to any number of mobs (well, up to the cap) for the duration. There are other pulsing Blind skills that work like this too. They can save entire parties from wiping.
I’m usually really sweet… but this an internet forum and you know how it has to be.
/i’m a lesbiab… lesbiam… less bien… GIRLS/
And then comes the dredge… :[
Blinds are technically better than blocks (not taking into account on block traits) because if a foe uses an single aoe attack, for example the Ettin’s overhead smash, it will actually miss everyone in its area of effect, as opposed to, say, one person blocking it and the other four people getting it.
Edit: Of course, blind is also subject to condition removal/conversion so there’s your downside/upside depending on your perspective.
Kaimoon Blade – Warrior
Fort Aspenwood
best use for single target blind in game: waste target’s elite single hit elite skill. I promise the cooldown on your blind skill is shorter than their elite skill. you can do this forever if you time it right.
see also: free block.
on my guardian, combined with aegis, I can fight any vet (and some slower champs) without having to dodge once.
Thanks for the advice. I should have made it clearer that I was only questioning single-target, single-application blinds. In fact, I’ve been meaning to get a necromancer and use the Well of Darkness skill – with AoE and multiple pulses, it seems like an awesome defense. In the mean time, I’ll save the single-target blinds for neutralizing opponents’ elite skills.
When you get to know your skills well, you end up utilizing blind more often.
Even if you don’t interrupt a large attack with it, you can think of it like a free dodge roll.
And then comes the dredge… :[
Another reason why my Earth Attuned Glyph of Storms Ele hates them so much. XD