Gladiator and Energy Stone Usage

From the C5 release notes:

10. Energy skills have been changed as follows:
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The remaining force is reduced by as much as is necessary for casting the skill.
In the case of Gladiators, the necessary force to use a skill is increased by 1, and the recovery time has been decreased.
Ranged skills now consume energy stones without consuming force.
A skill’s critical effect now apply at a predetermined rate: Skill damage x 2.

Ok, so ranged skills consume energy stones without consuming force. Does that mean the skills "Sonic Blaster" and "Sonic Storm". Before these release notes I had only heard that the skills "Sonic Buster" and "Sonic Storm" would consume energy stones without consuming force. This would be AOE skills, not ranged skills (one of which happens to be a ranged skill.)

Having said that, I think the update is bugged in this regard. I cannot use Sonic Buster or Sonic Storm without have my focus charged to level 2. Reading the skill descriptions reveals that they require a focus charged to level 2 AND 3 energy stones.

Is this a bug?! (I hope!)

[EDIT]
Ok, after playing around with it I think I have it figured out. You have to have focus to level 2 but when you use those skills it doesn't consume the 2 levels of focus - only the three energy stones. This isn't clear in the release notes.

glad can use their skills alot faster with this new system.

As a HE I was nearly beaten in olympid VS. a glad cause all he did was his range skills, and 1 Tss on me.

Glads are very fast with the right gear set up.

And can really push out their skills.

The new system may not be good to you, I think the skills useage is automacitly set to lvl 2 focus. so if you focus 2 times it double the atk dmg.

but listion o a glad that plays, not me... *looks around for husje*(not sure his name spelled right)

this is really going to help the glads in pvp

It's **** COOL ... now I can have a ton of energy stones and then just fire off my sonic blaster over and over again :)
and then still have Forces charged to launce a TSS :)

Actually I havent tried it yet... but this is how I understand it is working.

I wondered that too yesterday... but your findings doesnt seem to work for me... if I use a sonic blaster or sonic storm, I load up 2 Forces and it indeed consumes the 2 forces (even if I have energy stones with me).

Can anyone confirm that?

Regards,
Rin

I wondered that too yesterday... but your findings doesnt seem to work for me... if I use a sonic blaster or sonic storm, I load up 2 Forces and it indeed consumes the 2 forces (even if I have energy stones with me).

Can anyone confirm that?

Regards,
Rin

Sonic Blaster consumes 2 charges yes. It's only the Sonic Storm and Sonic Buster that use 3 stones. You shouldnt drain any focus's away when using AOE's, and it wont let you use them without the stones.