Curse

Nexus Icon · Jan 02, 2007, 11:16 AM // 11:16

I've been taking a look at [wiki]Rampage as One[/wiki] and trying to find an effective build to accomodate it.
Why?
It's an IAS and speed buff in one that is neither a shout nor a stance. Pretty heady stuff.

One major downside of course is the energy requirement. A cost of 25 means that basically, it can be the only energy-cost skill on your bar aside from Comfort Animal.

And there's the next negative: you have to have a pet, and that pet has to be alive for Rampage as One to work.
The high energy requirement dictates that any build using it MUST use a zealous weapon. 2 pips just ain't enough to keep it up.

With that in mind, equipment is an important consideration too.
I'm lucky enough to have access to the Chimeric Prism, which at Strength 8 and above, gives me 16 armour and +5 energy.
This means I don't have to run a +5 energy weapon, but that I lose out on 30 health from my shield.
For people without the Prism, I'd suggest a zealous +5e weapon of fortitude +30HP and a +30HP, -5/20% shield, req. 9 strength.

Armour HAS to be radiant, no argument.

So straight away we have 3 skillbar slots taken up, 2 of which are pretty bloody redundant. Add a res sig for half the skillbar gone :|
So you're left with 4 slots, probably best filled with either 4 attacks or 3 attacks and a utility.

As Rampage as One lends itself to anti-kiting, I'd suggest an axe build like this:

[card]rampage as one[/card][card]dismember[/card][card]agonizing chop[/card][card]axe rake[/card][card]executioner's strike[/card][card]comfort animal[/card][card]charm animal[/card][card]resurrection signet[/card]

For stats:
9 Strength
15 Axe
11 Beast Mastery

The Prism opens up the possibility of running an effective self heal in the form of Lion's Comfort too. Dumping strength to 8 allows you to pump tactics to 8, giving you a 97 point heal. Almost as much as Heal Sig at 8 (100), but faster and safer (although no usage outside of combat, natch).
Ditching either Agonizing Chop or Axe Rake is probably the best bet if you're thinking of doing this.

In practice, the major consideration is energy.
Blocks and evades will dent energy gain from Zealous, as will blinds.
E-denial cripples such a build, and because the requirement is so high, even a small amount of e-denial could piss on this build's chips.
Damage output isn't the highest due to lack of slots and no weapon elite.
If your pet dies, you're up the creek, and keeping your pet alive can be expensive at 10e per use of Comfort Animal. This will effectively kill Rampage as One if you have to use it often.

On the plus side, your IAS and speed boost can't be stripped. Sure, you can be hexed and crippled, but they will still be there.
You also don't open yourself up to double damage a la Frenzy, and you don't have to choose between a speed boost OR an IAS. If someone starts kiting, you can give chase whilst keeping attack speed high.
At 11 Beast Mastery, the pet's extra damage output when added to your own will be a welcome addition.

I'm not claiming this to be an uber-build, just something for consideration; and naturally, it's more PvP focussed than PvE.
Thoughts and ideas?
I'm guessing one major change would be to use a Ranger primary instead, and I will have a look at that. Straight away, with high expertise Rampage as One becomes a LOT more viable.

Muk Utep · Jan 02, 2007, 11:43 AM // 11:43

It looks like a fun build, but I really don't think it'll be better than anything there already is. In fact I think it'll be quite a bit worse than most of the common PvP and PvE builds.

Quote:

Blocks and evades will dent energy gain from Zealous, as will blinds.
E-denial cripples such a build, and because the requirement is so high, even a small amount of e-denial could piss on this build's chips.
Damage output isn't the highest due to lack of slots and no weapon elite.
If your pet dies, you're up the creek, and keeping your pet alive can be expensive at 10e per use of Comfort Animal. This will effectively kill Rampage as One if you have to use it often.

That's a lot of drawbacks and counters for an already non-optimal build. It would probably be terrible for PvE, and while it might work for PvP, as you said it's just too easy to shut down. On the other hand, the build is strange enough that people might not realize how they can easily disable it. Could easily be mistaken for IWAY and people might actually avoid killing your pet.

My only suggestions is to consider dumping Axe Rake, unless you want it for the extra damage. You shouldn't be in dire need of a cripple when you have a permanent movement speed buff. There's not a whole lot else you can do to change the build since warriors don't have much in the way of energy gains, and you're already very limited in skill selection. It'll function, but you know it probably won't rock anybody's world.

Nexus Icon · Jan 02, 2007, 11:57 AM // 11:57

Oh yeah, I knew it wasn't going to be super, but your IWAY comment had occurred to me as well.

Saying that though, having just tested a similar build on a ranger primary, it performs MUCH better there.
Also, you can swap out Axe Rake for Poisonous Bite or another pet attack on a ranger due to reduced energy costs.

Ah well, worth a shot

At least it's made me seriously consider running an interesting new Beast Master build for my rangers...

Edit: If yer interested, here's the ranger build

Axe 12
Beast Mastery 11
Expertise 12

[card]rampage as one[/card][card]dismember[/card][card]executioner's strike[/card][card]agonizing chop[/card][card]poisonous bite[/card][card]comfort animal[/card][card]charm animal[/card][card]resurrection signet[/card]

Other skills to consider instead of Poisonous Bite are [wiki]Feral Lunge[/wiki] and [wiki]Predatory Bond[/wiki].

Narayanese · Jan 02, 2007, 06:09 PM // 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muk Utep

That's a lot of drawbacks and counters for an already non-optimal build. It would probably be terrible for PvE, and while it might work for PvP, as you said it's just too easy to shut down. On the other hand, the build is strange enough that people might not realize how they can easily disable it. Could easily be mistaken for IWAY and people might actually avoid killing your pet.

It's a whole lot better than most other builds used in PvE. The 25dps or so from the pet under RaO is more than any warrior elite unless you're fighting very well armoured high-level enemies (pets do armour-dependant damage, and for example quivering blade does like 8dps armour-ignoring under IAS), and a constant IAS (unlike flail and frenzy which have to be canceled occasionally) is nice. With a zealous weapon the warrior will only barely be able no keep up RaO, and there'll be huge energy problems if the pet ever dies. Pets don't get DP in PvE though, so it might not be such a big problem. But ranger primary is better, less energy problems that way (but myself I use to run RaO at 9 expertise).

Coloneh · Jan 03, 2007, 02:02 AM // 02:02

RaO is basically useless without expertise or energy storage. Rao Tumpers kinda kick the crap out of TF thumpers

Arkantos · Jan 03, 2007, 03:25 AM // 03:25

This build sucks. Sorry, but I don't think you've heard of a thing called energy management. People will kill your pet until you have no energy left, and then they'll just own you. Even with your added energy, theres no way you can keep it up for long.

Nexus Icon · Jan 03, 2007, 07:44 AM // 07:44

Well Arkantos, no need to be offensive; as noted, this was an experiment.
If you had cared to read my notes, you would have realised that I was fully aware of the energy problems.
You of all people should not lambast experimentation, but rather encourage it.

-.- · Jan 03, 2007, 07:46 AM // 07:46

Too many downs to even consider using this build.

Arkantos · Jan 03, 2007, 07:49 AM // 07:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus Icon

Well Arkantos, no need to be offensive; as noted, this was an experiment.
If you had cared to read my notes, you would have realised that I was fully aware of the energy problems.
You of all people should not lambast experimentation, but rather encourage it.

I wasn't trying to be offensive, but there's no other way to describe your build. If you already know about the energy problems, why bother posting such a bad build? I'm fine with experiments, as long as they work.

Jeff Highwind · Jan 03, 2007, 07:50 AM // 07:50

Switch to Ranger Primary and we might have a concept, but the reason RaO Thumper overtakes this axe wannabe is because Thumper has KD disruption with Hammer Bash.

Thom Bangalter · Jan 04, 2007, 02:56 AM // 02:56

Nexus, I've played the exact same build in RA, only I was a Ranger primary. It's pretty good (on a ranger primary) and slightly underrated. You get pretty hot DPS, but a lack of disruption.

Your build sucks for the reasons Arkantos pointed out.

Nexus Icon · Jan 04, 2007, 08:06 AM // 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thom Bangalter

Your build sucks for the reasons Arkantos pointed out.

...which I had already pointed out myself after further experimentation.
I swear that most people on these forums only post in an effort to one-up somebody else :E

Morgenstern · Jan 04, 2007, 08:26 AM // 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

I'm fine with experiments, as long as they work.

Isn't the point of an experiment to see if things work?

But on a more constructive note: Yes, the build for Warrior primary doesn't work. I've used the Ranger version and it's quick good in RA until people learn to kill your pet. It's also out gunned by the Thumper and Touchie build

LightningHell · Jan 04, 2007, 11:30 AM // 11:30

No reason to do this when you can R/W Hammer. It's just too powerful compared to this.

Thom Bangalter · Jan 04, 2007, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus Icon

...which I had already pointed out myself after further experimentation.
I swear that most people on these forums only post in an effort to one-up somebody else :E

It's actually just to artificially inflate my post count.