The new, top minstrel song was just tested on Pendragon by Claithe. It's a 100 hp, 100% ablative absorption buff that pulses every 6s. Kinda like a ghetto 6s pbt. Only works on melee damage.
Seems to be good for pve and marginally useful in rvr.
My favorite change was the stun length duration; I sort of have a single-target insta-mez now.
The song sounds nice, but I'll only have the second one. But I spec'd a weapon to use it...not stand around and play the drum. Besides, on the whole, it still seems my best RvR mode is to hit SoS and try to mez anything that's moving.
I, like scouts, want my rogue-ish abilities fixed.
One of the main themes of the TL report was that a lot of the minstrel abilities did not complement each other, and in fact negated each other. The new song continues this problem, which means it's either the way Mythic wants it, or they don't read/don't care about the TL reports.
Side note: a minstrel v. paladin duel could now last almost as long as a paladin v. paladin duel, if played defensively.
I like to hear paladin excuses about why I lay them out with full hp, while chatting on /o and /gu and twisting when I feel like it... Breic begged me to duel him last night, he seemed to think his dragon sword was going to save him. "Cmon man, paladin duels never end" I said. Then after I won I said "Hm, I guess some paladins duels do end." It was a private comedic moment.
Here's a link to the rogue boards with some extensive testing done to the new Ablative song:
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=44722623&replies=42
I was on Pendragon yesterday, playing with my new pets and looking for the hat merchant (side note: new pets, pretty cool; hat merchant, not to be found). I ran across a minstrel from Lancelot (also looking for the hat guy. At speed. For an hour or so.) and we tested out his new hp buff. He seemed to like it. Plus, it looks like a big shiny egg when he casts it. So you've got your PBT bubbles, and your minstrel eggs. Bubbly eggs all around.
Yes, it's a great addition for the AFK minstrel.
I don't think it's bad, but it doesn't address the real problems that the minstrel has. It's just another band-aid fix for the class.
Almost the same thing clerics got, improvements to a line that doesn't really need help. If mythic forgot, it's smite that took a hit, not enhance... I guess all the smiters converted into buffbots are complaining now? heh.
At least minstrels got the reduced costs for shouts they've been asking for, it's something.