For starters, movement speeds can have a big impact on the performance of melee combat. So, let's start with some numbers. For comparison, Battlefield/front/Planetside 2 move speeds: Forward: 4-ms(meters per second) Strafe/Backward: 3-ms Sprint: 6.5-ms Suggested C/SM move speeds: Forward: 6-ms Strafe: 4-ms Backward: 3-ms Sprint: 12-ms Suggested Howling Banshee move speeds: Forward: 7.5-ms Strafe: 5-ms Backward: 4-ms Sprint: 15-ms Then some weapon statistical readjustments. Ranged: Spoiler Bolt Pistol TTK vs Tactical: 1.4-sec, 8 Bolts(0.2-sec firing rate) vs Assault: 1.2-sec, 7 Bolts vs H.Banshee: 1-sec, 6 Bolts Shuriken Pistol TTK vs Tactical: 0.96-sec, 49 Shuriken(0.02-sec firing rate) vs Assault: 0.8-sec, 41 Shuriken vs H.Banshee: 0.7-sec, 36 Shuriken Bolter TTK vs Tactical: 1.75-sec, 8 Bolts(0.25-sec firing rate) vs Assault: 1.5-sec, 7 Bolts vs H.Banshee: 1.25-sec, 6 Bolts Storm Bolter TTK vs Tactical: 1.4-sec, 8 Bolts(0.2-sec firing rate) vs Assault: 1.2-sec, 7 Bolts vs H.Banshee: 1-sec, 6 Bolts Melee: Spoiler SM Combat Knife TTK vs Tactical: 2.4-sec, 8 attacks(0.3-sec attack speed) vs Assault: 2.1-sec, 7 attacks vs H.Banshee: 1.8-sec, 6 attacks. SM Power Sword TTK vs Tactical: 2.1-sec, 7 attacks(0.3-sec attack speed) vs Assault: 1.8-sec, 6 attacks vs H.Banshee: 1.5-sec, 5 attacks Eldar Power Sword TTK vs Tactical: 1.75-sec, 7 attacks(0.25-sec attack speed) vs Assault: 1.5-sec, 6 atttacks vs H.Banshee: 1.25-sec, 5 attacks Ranged/melee weapon-wise a Banshee should be able to contend with an Astartes. The Banshee Mask could be a temporary(I.E. 0.5-sec) effect, providing directional ranged damage reduction, with a possibility of applying a temporary slow to enemy movement(I.E. -16.7%) and melee attack speeds(I.E. -33.4%). Spoiler I.E. C/SM move speeds Masked Forward: 5-ms(vs 6) Masked Strafe: 3.3-ms(vs 4) Masked Backward: 2.5-ms(vs 3) Masked Sprint: 10-ms(vs 12) SM Combat Knife TTK vs H.Banshee: 2-sec, 6 attacks(2 attacks made at 0.4-sec speed, 4 made at 0.3-sec) SM Power Sword TTK vs H.Banshee: 1.7-sec, 5 attacks(2 attacks at 0.4-sec, 3 at 0.3-sec) You would use the scream to either close with your enemy(vs ranged) or provide yourself with a melee advantage(vs melee). Ranged damage reduction for melee attacks should result in ranged TTK becoming higher than melee TTK, while the weapon adjustments should allow ranged classes a chance(even if not 50/50) of beating melee classes in melee combat so that other effects like recovering HP when you melee an enemy Down can encourage players to participate in melee combat more often. As for Banshees deflecting ranged attacks with their weapons, that should be reserved for Banshees dual-wielding Mirror Swords. Spoiler Whenever the Banshee with Mirror Swords Blocks or Sprints they would hold the weapons defensively across their torso/face, resulting in Stamina loss instead of damage if shot in the deflection hit-box(high Armor Penetration weapons could still deal a percentage of damage through the weapons). By reducing the damage dealt to player arms and legs, Banshees with Mirror Swords, Assaults with Lightning Claws, Khorne Berserkers with dual Chain-Axes, players with the smaller Combat Shields, etc. etc. could Sprint towards enemies and have some protection from the ranged fire, while having two melee weapons could provide them with increased attack speed. As for Fleet of Foot, it could be a temporary, recharging ability all Eldar possess that increases their move speed by ~20% for a second or so. Spoiler I.E. Fleet Forward: 9-ms(vs 7.5) Fleet Strafe: 6-ms(vs 5) Fleet Backward: 4.8-ms(vs 4) Fleet Sprint: 18-ms(vs 15) The faster a target is moving, the more skill is required to hit it. It isn't something you can really show people, they have to learn it(AKA git gud).
How about the ability to do a dodge flip while moving forward. Hold W, press A or D + Jump to do a side flip while maintaining forward momentum.
I think the Devs mentioned that Fleet of Foot would be represented by the general speed and agility of all the Eldar classes rather than an activate talent. It will already be folded in to the way they move and go over obstacles etc. The motion capture stills and videos showed some of the Banshee work but I don't know if whether the dodges/acrobatics will be player controlled or represented by some hidden math based mechanic ( WoW rogues dodge rating for example) as been officially addressed anywhere. Personally I hope they will be player controlled, let us win or lose based on our skill as Eldar, not the games coding. I don't mind if other factions don't have their special skills implemented that way. We are supposed to be better than, more trained more focused EC should let us as players be that rather than just controlling an avatar that has that already baked in.
They could make the wail do suppression too blurring vision and making enemies inaccurate would help a lot with closing in at least at short distances and adding a leap that works the same way as jump packs would solve the problem just that it doesnt go up in the air like the jump pack...maybe even make them scale walls in some way
