Curse

swordfisher · Apr 12, 2006, 06:21 AM // 06:21

This is a variant on everyone's favorite melee fighter, the Thumper. However, this time we'll be using a sword instead of a hammer, and actually foregoing on energy attacks for the most part. Here we go!

Expertise: 8+1
Beast Mastery: 10+3+1
Swordsmanship: 12

Dragon Slash, 10a
If Dragon Slash hits, you strike for +34 damage and gain 4 strikes of adrenaline.
Standing Slash, 7a
If it hits, Standing Slash deals +5...17 damage plus an additional 5...17 damage if you are in a Stance
For Great Justice!, 10e - 45s
For 20 seconds, your adrenal skills charge 50% faster.
Tiger's Fury, 10e - 10s
All your non-attack skills are disabled for 5 seconds. For 11 seconds, you attack 33% faster than normal.
Charm Animal - - -
Charm target animal. Once charmed, your animal companion will travel with you whenever you have Charm Animal equipped.
Brutal Strike, 10e - 5s
Your animal companion attempts a Brutal Strike that deals +33 damage. If the attack strikes a foe who's health is below 50% that foe takes an additional +33 damage.
Disrupting Lunge, 5e - 5s
Your animal companion attempts a Disrupting Lunge that deals +11 damage. If that attack strikes a foe using a skill that skill is interrupted and is disabled for an additional 20 seconds.
Comfort Animal, 10e 1 1s
You heal your animal companion for 98 points. If your companion is dead, it is resurrected with 55% Health and all your skills are disabled for 8 seconds.

Expertise reduces all those 10e skills to 6 energy (and disrupting lunge to 3e), while a consta-fury (11 seconds of TF at 10 second recharge) should provide ample energy through zealous. FGJ! allows you to kick into overdrive for 20 seconds, and by my math, using Dragon Slash under FGJ! instantly charges Standing Slash (4+1*1.5=7.5). At any rate, you're a whirlwind of death and mayhem.
And so's your pet! Dragon Slash and Final Thrust don't play well together, but the pet equivalent- Brutal Strike- does, and it recharges in 5 seconds to boot. At 14 BM it does +66 damage if the target is under 50% health.
Right now I've got Comfort Animal for the Rez and Heal and Predatory Bond for the self-heal. I'm pretty iffy on Predatory Bond, as it's the sort of dribble healing that doesn't save you in a pinch- I think I'll switch it for disrupting lunge, for that nasty skill-disabling didn't-see-that-coming element.
I'd really love to have a runspeed boost, and Run as One may be viable...or it may be better to go with Rush or Sprint. Depending on the makeup of my team, I'd either drop Disrupting Lunge (but I love it so) or Comfort Animal (if someone else is bringing revive animal).

Please tell me what you think of it!

swordfisher · Apr 13, 2006, 12:47 AM // 00:47

OK, if you wait to use For Great Justice! until you've got Dragon Slash charged (and that makes the most sense to me), then you'll be able to

dragon slash (SS to 7.5a, DS to 6); standing slash (7.5 DS); attack; attack (10.5 DS, 3.0 SS); dragon slash; standing slash - repeat. With Tigers Fury up, six attacks (four attack skills) take a little less than 5.5 seconds (.87 seconds per attack) and deal a total of +136 damage, plus the autoattack values. Just those two skills are netting 22.6 DPS, actual weapon damage aside.

For spiking under FGJ!, you'd want to charge both skills, then Standing Slash, Dragon Slash, Standing Slash + Brutal Strike. If you meet the condition of Brutal (<50%, same as final thrust) the four skills will do +168, and the last standing slash will be executed simultaneously with the brutal strike.

Essentially, half the time this build is pressure, half the time this build is insane.

SnipiousMax · Apr 13, 2006, 03:24 PM // 15:24

Why not switch Sun and Moon slash for standing slash? Then you'd be able to do the combo two or three times under FGJ. I'd try and work Final Thrust in there, so you could unload a Final + Brutal combo of destruction once they drop below 50%.

The Real Roy Keane · Apr 13, 2006, 04:32 PM // 16:32

Hammer R/W's are only viable because expertise allows them to spam Crushing and Irresistible Blow, making them decent for pressure builds. There's absolutely no point in choosing a thumper over a Warrior if you're relying on adrenal skills.

SnipiousMax · Apr 13, 2006, 05:22 PM // 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Real Roy Keane

Hammer R/W's are only viable because expertise allows them to spam Crushing and Irresistible Blow, making them decent for pressure builds. There's absolutely no point in choosing a thumper over a Warrior if you're relying on adrenal skills.

This is just a modified beast master build. Nothing wrong with Using a Ranger if you're planning on using a pet as well. Far from uber, but far from pointless.

I would drop Disrupting Lunge for Rez sig.