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Message: <blockquote data-quote="franzel" data-source="post: 4735880" data-attributes="member: 14808">I don't know that I understand what you all think the problem is.Is the problem that the elemental +damage feats suck compared to just about anything else?  Yep.  That's not a solvable problem on its own.  They should just be removed and implement focus be put in their place.  Period.Trying to distinguish how implement wielders focus on adding numbers/effects to their attacks and how weapon wielders do it (this distinction of focus on tool versus focus on type) will just lead to confusion in general and specifically for classes like the swordmage or the bard or the cleric or the paladin or the avenger...Reality is that all classes can add bonuses based on tool or based on type BUT there are many more ways to add bonuses based on weapon tools than there are based on implement tools.  Hopefully this disparity will be rectified in Arcane Power and Divine Power.That would have been the end of the story except that the designers (NOT CSRs) acknowledged that things get awkward when you are using a weapon as an implement.  That's why they put in the FAQ answer in the first place about weapon focus adding when using a weapon as an implement.  They also put restrictions on what you can use in a weapon when it is wielded as an implement, namely you don't have access to the weapon powers but you do have everything else.The biggest problem with the weapon focus ruling is that it acted as a precedent for all other effects/powers/abilities that affect weapons but could also, in theory, affect implement powers when a weapon was being wielded as an implement.Take the Sorcerer/multi-class rogue/Daggermaster for a moment.The Daggermaster grants the ability to crit on an 18-20 when wielding daggers.  It doesn't say anything about critting on an 18-20 only with weapon powers.  Well, the sorcerer is clearly wielding daggers so the consensus is that you get the 18-20 crit range.Let's say you're wielding two daggers.  And you take two-weapon fighting.  Do you get the +1 to damage when you cast a spell using the dagger as an implement?  The feat only requires you to wield two melee weapons (which you are) and you are using your "main weapon" but you happen to be using it with an implement power.  You wouldn't get the +1 to damage if the dagger were temporarily not a weapon because it is being used as an implement.  Makes sense.  But because of the weapon focus FAQ, we know that it must also be a weapon at that same time or else how would you get the bonus to damage from weapon focus?  Therefore, you must also get the +1 to damage from TWF.And these issues aren't new, btw.  It's just they're coming up again because sorcerers can use weapons as implements out of the gate and when the swordmage was first published, R&D hadn't clarified these issues in the FAQ yet.The real problem is that the word "weapon" is only a keyword when it is referring to the accessory of a power.  It can also be used to refer to an item which is a weapon.  Weapon Expertise neatly avoids the whole problem of weapons used as implements since it specifically says "with weapon powers."  No confusion.  No problem.  What they need to do is go back and in every feat/power/item/etc. add "with a weapon power" for the effects that they only want to work for weapon attacks.  And leave it alone if they don't mind it be using for both.</blockquote>

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