Curse

Symbol · Mar 08, 2008, 07:56 PM // 19:56

Cripslash:
+ Bar compression (snare and primer for gash in one skill)
+ Strong pressure as part of your regular attack skills
+ Unconditional
+ Good for condition spam in condition pressure builds
- Owned by RC and the new, ridiculous, foul feast.

Coward:
+ Big disruption
+ Not subject to usual melee hate
+ Flexible, can be used both offensively and defensively.
+ KD cannot be countered outside of one or two skills
- Conditional
- Drains adrenaline from your attack skills

The way I see it, coward has more potential in the hands of a skilled player who can consistently land the KD, while cripslash is the safer choice.

So which would you use, and why?

Tearz1993 · Mar 08, 2008, 07:59 PM // 19:59

Coward because even if you occasionally don't land it, the 4 adrenaline is easy to be regained and in many cases it generates more pressure because the monk hesitates about kiting from you, which also leads to more adrenaline gain if you're worried about the adrenaline being taken away from your attacks.

JR · Mar 08, 2008, 07:59 PM // 19:59

Cripslash adren cost is too high right now.

With Frozen as your home map I would take Coward. Otherwise just run Axe or something.

yum · Mar 09, 2008, 02:11 AM // 02:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR

Otherwise just run Axe or something.

QFT.

Cripslash or sword in general is kinda only useful in TA now.

audioaxes · Mar 10, 2008, 06:51 AM // 06:51

i never been a fan of cripslash
give it a damage bonus and 4 or 5 adrenaline cost and maybe ill give it a look

JR · Mar 10, 2008, 10:41 AM // 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioaxes

i never been a fan of cripslash
give it a damage bonus and 4 or 5 adrenaline cost and maybe ill give it a look

Cripslash at 4a was good enough that it had to be nerfed to 6a. Admittedly the main source of that problem was Conjures/Sun&Moon, but it's still an excellent skill.

At 5a I'd expect to start seeing it on Warriors again, particularly with the recent popularity of condition pressure builds. Untill then it's not particularly useful except as bar compression on a split oriented Warrior.

Ariena Najea · Mar 10, 2008, 09:12 PM // 21:12

Typically running a Monk in RA, TA, and HA, I've found cripslash one of the easiest builds to overcome, simply because I can remove the cripple and subsequent deep wound quickly, and still have time to keep up spirit bond or whatever else I'm using.

Recently the only thing that's given me any trouble at all are Shock Axe warriors, with stonefist and the two knockdowns it's impossible to kite, and very difficult to heal my party (or myself). Lately in TA, shock axe warriors tend to engage the monk, then try and trap the monk so the party is out of healing range (which I've never seen actually work) or get the remainder of the party to run out of range, in either case requiring the monk to choose between being kd'd from bulls or abandoning the party.

I'm somewhat curious to see how coward could replace eviscerate as the elite of choice for shock axe, obviously less damage and ineffective in the smaller RA/TA arenas but it sounds to me like it's a better choice in HA. Deep wound is far too easy to get rid of, whether by an RC in HA or whatever else in the smaller arenas.

Coward with stonefist insig.

Symbol · Mar 10, 2008, 09:23 PM // 21:23

Obviously you wouldn't run coward on an axe warrior...eviscerate is just too good. But swords run fine without a swordsmanship elite, so coward is a natural choice there.

How useful swords are is another question. I have a feeling we'll see a small resurgence with the buff to gash and the new popularity of condition pressure.

Teh Jace · Mar 11, 2008, 02:28 PM // 14:28

Run coward until foul feast gets nerfed.

Jam Jar · Mar 13, 2008, 04:56 AM // 04:56

Depends really, but I'd probably go hammer with Coward

.