Curse

SevenMothers · Jan 20, 2008, 10:00 AM // 10:00

Considering how the skill changes over time have mostly relegated the sin to a pressure role, MS/DB is practically a hegemony. One thing I've noticed, however, is that in actual play it is not uncommon to run up against enough defense that you begin throwing unconnecting attack skills enough to start running down your energy. As the pressure comes from having every attack be a skilled attack, as soon as you start missing beats the steam really runs out of what you're trying to do. I've been playing around with a few different versions of bars with multiple dual attack skills to not only make sure that you always have enough energy and recharge to avoid missing beats, but that you'll occasionally have options as to what the most appropriate attack skill is.

Assume each bar goes along with:
A/Mo 13CS/13DM/7DA

Siphon Speed
Black Mantis Thrust
Wild Strike
Trampling Ox
Moebius Strike
Death Blossom
Mending Touch
Rez Sig

Chain knockdowns are fun, effective, and make people rage. The upside of this bar is that pretty much any time your MS hits a <50% target you'll get 2-3 extra KD's off of it. The downside is that this ability relies on having a cripple on the target, so even if the condition doesn't get removed, you pretty much have to exit your MS/DB cycle from time to time and reenter your chain to reapply the cripple. Those times when it pays off are fun, but there are probably better things you can do with a bar overall.

Siphon Speed
Black Spider
Critical Strike
Moebius Strike
Death Blossom
Restful Breeze/dDagger
Mending Touch
Rez Sig

This bar is a simple twist on the MS/DB engine. It uses periodic huge slugs of energy from Critical Strike (typically 14 energy) mixed into the MS/DB chain to make sure you don't run out of gas while liberally applying Siphons and throwing dDaggers. It's a clean, utilitarian build, and the one I enjoy playing the most.

Siphon Speed
Black Spider
Critical Strike
Moebius Strike
Death Blossom
Twisting Fangs
Mending Touch
Rez Sig

I had played off and on with a MS/DB with TF, but found that having a 10 energy attack skill on your bar often tended to increase the problems with energy that could occur against good defense opponents, and ultimately decided that the hotness of having TF in there way outweighed by this. This bar with CS on it took care of a lot of those issues and allows TF to be used much more often. When you have the ability to re-deep wound targets as soon as the previous one has been removed, monks start feeling the pressure. While lacking the utility slot of the previous bar, this one does have teeth.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with bars along these lines?

Ares Ainia · Jan 20, 2008, 10:43 AM // 10:43

I do occasionally play a 2-dual bar, but only if i know that I'm in for a long fight. I also used to run 2 chains in 1 bar, 1 anti block and 1 damage chain (usually each is 3 skills), but as I said (before i get told to gtfo) i USED to, when I first started.

If I do run 2 dual bars i usually pack something like

[skill]Way Of The Lotus[/skill]

to keep my energy topped up

ps - whats the coding for the skill pics? Ty

Tyla · Jan 20, 2008, 01:59 PM // 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ares Ainia

ps - whats the coding for the skill pics? Ty

[skill]
[/skill]

I always use them, but I like it most when you can use any of them at any time (sorta like the AoD shock bar)

X Cytherea X · Jan 20, 2008, 02:29 PM // 14:29

@SevenMothers: those are all good bars. i run something similar to the 3rd one. but with remove hex instead of death blossom. (moebius without blossom? blasphemy! lol)

i also suggest you lower your deadly to 3+1 and add another point to dagger.

Bobby2 · Jan 20, 2008, 04:21 PM // 16:21

I run something similar to your first build, only not with Wild Strike, but Exhausting for earlier shutdown. Works for me. Second the DM buff to 14, I run 2 Deadly and feel just fine.

Bowstring Badass · Jan 20, 2008, 07:20 PM // 19:20

I still play offhand-dual-offhand-dual with the help of falling spider/lotus and mark of instability...

Turtle222 · Jan 20, 2008, 09:15 PM // 21:15

^ same here,

For some reason lately ive been using MoS a lot

fireflyry · Jan 21, 2008, 04:24 PM // 16:24

Just gotta have CS to keep up the DB spam.

It's like cowbell.

tzavong · Jan 21, 2008, 08:49 PM // 20:49

I sometimes run Golden Fox Strike - Wild Strike- Death Blossom -Moebius- Horns of the Ox, usually just damage them till past half health with DB and knockdown lockdown with horns after that.

Terraban · Jan 21, 2008, 08:58 PM // 20:58

[skill]Falling Spider[/skill][skill]Horns of the Ox[/skill]

[skill]Twisting Fangs[/skill][skill]Scorpion Wire[/skill]

Sir Pandra Pierva · Jan 23, 2008, 08:49 PM // 20:49

I would rather go
[skill]Assassin's Promise[/skill][skill]Mark of instability[/skill][skill]Black Spider Strike[/skill][skill]Twisting Fangs[/skill]

[skill]Blades of Steel[/skill] and critical agility and rez

I know this was posted already but I felt like putting it in pictures and it does work