Dual-Blades Dps Specialist

vonqball

I just started leveling a specialist. The idea is to focus on the dual blades powers, and take WotW as the passive. A few levels in, I realized that the specialist used the Guardian Spec instead of Warden. I had been planning to boost my combo with warden mastery, and the crit specs, to serve as my main dps power. Now, it seems that I need a damage spike.

So... what about sword cyclone with butcher's blades? I know it is a bit of an energy hog.. but, it does have some decent dps right? I've never really played around with this advantage. So, is butcher's blades worth using? And, if so, how much energy management do I need in order to use it?

flowcyto

So, are you looking for an FF build based on the Specialist but w/ Warden? Or keeping the AT w/ Sword Cyclone?

And yea, Sword Cyclone takes much energy- even mroeso if you take Butcher Blades. You likely won't have the energy to use it often, but it can be an okay alpha strike on clumped mobs.

vonqball

Well... I have limited FF slots, so I was planning to use the specialist AT. Trying to figure out if I can use butcher blades as my main damage source.

flowcyto

Prob not as a regular attack, no. BB costs a ton of energy to charge, and spamming it takes ~62 energy per sec at base (for ref, FC w/o an energy form is ~90 eps at base; new TGM is ~55 eps at base and after the initial activation).

vonqball

So... blade tempest is the specialist's best reliable single-target dps? Too bad warden isn't an option.

flowcyto

Butcher Blades may outdo the combo, but that is looking at sustained dps on paper and not accounting for the lack of energy avail to actually carry that out for BBlades w/ the AT.

Bullet Beatdown w/ Furious and Nw/oI adv could outdo Blade Tempest, but that's not as easy to work in w/ the AT, and may make you forgo Blade Tempest for Burst Shot to get Furious anyways.

Here's how I'd make a Specialist that's mostly using DB attacks:

(Unnamed Build) - The Specialist

Super Stats
Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)
Level 10: Ego (Secondary)
Level 15: Strength (Secondary)

Talents
Level 1: The Specialist (Str: 10, Dex: 10, Int: 8, Ego: 10)
Level 7: Martial Training (Str: 3, Dex: 3, Ego: 3, Rec: 3)
Level 12: Martial Focus (Str: 5, Dex: 5)
Level 15: Shooter (Dex: 5, Ego: 5)
Level 20: Professional Athlete (Str: 5, Ego: 5)
Level 25: Quick Recovery (Con: 5, Rec: 5)
Level 30: Impresario (Dex: 5, Rec: 5)

Powers
Level 1: Gunslinger
Level 1: Blade Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Holdout Shot (Rank 2, Stim Pack)
Level 8: Way of the Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Form of the Tempest (Rank 2)
Level 14: Eye of the Storm (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Strike Down (Nailed to the Ground)
Level 21: Two-Gun Mojo (Rank 2, Rank 3, Accelerated Metabolism)
Level 25: Steadfast
Level 30: Parry (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Masterful Dodge
Level 40: Lead Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Adv. Points: 33/36

Travel Powers
Level 6:
Level 35:

Specializations
Dexterity: Gear Utilization (3/3)
Dexterity: Power Swell (2/2)
Dexterity: Deadly Aim (3/3)
Dexterity: Expose Weakness (2/2)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (2/3)
Vindicator: Mass Destruction (3/3)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Locus (2/2)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Mastery: Dexterity Mastery (1/1)

Skipped Sword Cyclone, cause you have short channels of EotS for close-up AoE dps as is, and LT is nice for grinding scattered mobs with. Blade Tempest can still do fine on its own. W/ Dex Mastery, I'd replace any severity rating on gear w/ bonus heal for Stim Pack. If you wanted extra burst, you could take Lock N Load, but that means giving up MD as an AD. TGM is mostly just there to use in short bursts if ur staying at range for w/e reason.