Arbiter of Ash – fire circle feels too binary, possible design improvement

I would like to provide some very specific feedback regarding a mechanic of the Arbiter of Ash, during its transformation phase.

There is an ability where:

a large red circle appears on the ground

after a short cast, the boss releases a frontal fire wave

any player remaining inside the circle takes an extremely high hit (usually lethal)

The issue is not the damage or the difficulty, but the binary design of the mechanic.

Currently:

the circle functions as a strict “all or nothing” zone

the animation suggests a directional attack, but damage is applied to the entire area

there is no meaningful positional counterplay within the circle

the only valid response is to leave the circle completely, regardless of how well the animation is read

This makes the mechanic feel:

unclear in terms of readability

very punishing for slower builds

more like a mobility check than a skill-based encounter

Proposed change (without reducing difficulty)

I am not suggesting a damage reduction or making the skill easier.

The idea would be:

keep the circle as a warning area

make the fire wave truly directional

introduce a very small lateral safe gap, requiring precise positioning and timing

failing the positioning would still result in the same punishment (one-shot)

This would:

preserve the difficulty

remove confusing deaths

reward correct reading of the attack

turn the ability into a true skill check, rather than a simple “move out or die” mechanic

Why this matters

Additionally, since the Arbiter functions as a progression gate for the atlas (for example, access to yellow tablets), clarity and fairness in its mechanics are especially important, as this is not an optional encounter but a required step in progression.

A small adjustment like this would:

not affect the meta

not trivialize the fight

significantly improve the feeling of fairness and learning

Thank you for your time and for reading this feedback.