[PC] PvE Help me to understand Sacred Weapon

david · August 2017

So as tittle says, I am using it in my op for both buffing damage and holding agro, but dont quite understand how it exactly works as per tooltip. What does exactly the "..3 following single target atacks..." means, or applies to? which powers do benefit from sw and which doesnt?

Also, it stacks, but in which way? Stacks the amount of buff?, stacks more than 3 hits with same buff level? I´ve been told to do the sw+2xdc+sw combo , but i would like to understand better what I am doing.

Also, how long does it stands if you dont atack? I do the 1+2x+1 thing while runing between mobs, also while waiting at the entrance of the boss chamber while waiting for the CD...dont know if it worths something.

I currently run sloting SW, CoP, TW and trying to spam DJ when got the AP. Shielding strike as at will. I see some big numbers here and there, then suddenly a really big one, but honestly done know from which power it comes nor why it triggered then and not before.

I deal more damage (along the entire dungeon run) with this rotation than swiching CoP with Smite (and I would expect the opposite), so I am not understand nor controling it, and I hate to play like that. I want my best hit to happen as per my will, not ramdomly, you know.

Also I am surprised how well sw works in terms of holding agro, even for mobs, when using it my power share is always at max easy.

Thanks for your feedback.

onodrain · August 2017

If you really want to understand your numbers, you need to get a data parser. I think the only one that works is the Advanced Combat Tracker (ACT).

Your 1-2-1 is explained in posts below.

Sacred Weapons does what the tooltip says. Single target attacks would be your at wills and any encounters that hit a single target. Smite is a single target attack. Templar's Wrath is not. Divine Touch is not. Circle of Power is a buff and multiplies all your damage while it is active and you are standing in the circle.

If you want to know how long a buff stays, then use the alt key and hover your mouse reticle over your buff bar icon for that ability. If there is a timer, you will see counting down on the buff bar.

For my OP, I use Burning Light, Binding Oath and Templar's Wrath as my main encounter powers, since most combat is with groups of monsters and these powers work well with aura of courage and my 170k HP. If I am in an easier area, I will use Circle of Power instead of Binding Oath.

david · August 2017

thanks for fast reply. I dot he 1+2x+1 in order to have 2 sacred buffs up before entering combat, it is really much more damage , indeed.

Then in my rotation, the only powers taht benefits from sw are shielding strike and divine justice, i guess...

hirogarde · August 2017

Check this out for a walkthrough on how the powers work:
https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/1232011/guide-to-paladin-powers
I wrote it up a while back, so some of the numbers/percents might be a bit off.

As for SW:

If you're not attacking it will last longer than it takes to refresh - so there's no loss in keeping it up.
It "can" hit more than three times; but I think those extras are just due to server latency, so don't rely on it happening.
Casting it a second time while it's still up ~~does not~~ will add an "extra stack" with its own (seperate) timer. ~~It refreshes the timer and allows three more attacks to be buffed.~~ Corrected, thanks to @michela123 for pointing this out.
~~The damage bonus is based off the skill you are using - Bane (with AoC) will use a charge, but for miniscule damage; whereas DJ will also use a charge, but for "normal" damage.~~ Just retested this - either they changed it, or there was something else in play on my first testing. SW has the same damage range no matter the skill.

If you're looking purely for damage, SW will only help you with single target. It does work with Relentless Avenger, but the knockback from RA makes it less group friendly. For a "best Damage" line-up on single targets, I'll use CoP/SW/Vow. If the target is highly mobile I'll swap RA in for CoP (these are also pretty good AP building powers). For multi-target encounter I usually won't use SW. Its long animation tends to get interrupted (sometimes be me starting another power), and something like BL usually turns out as a better option.

For Damage, Shielding Strike is a double edged sword. It's the best "raw DPS" At-Will, but because it causes you to absorb damage, you'll build power slower - or not at all. This can be overcome by using Absolution and/or Binding Oath - both of which negate the SS shield(s).

As for ACT - I still prefer to manually parse my combat log (which is all ACT really does). The benefit of ACT is a near instant response and the ease of long-term parsing.

trzebiat · August 2017

SW buff last 8 seconds. If you're running between mobs out of combat it's a good thing to double stack it (SW -> Tab -> Tab -> SW) and initiate combat with RA/Smite/DJ, because you get your Divine Call back fast before entering combat. Don't do it before boss appears. The whole point of using SW twice with 2 charges of Divine Call to get it off of cooldown is to deliver the hardest punch with Smite and Divine Judgement. And on bosses you have to wait few seconds until all other classes (and companions) apply all their debuffs and buffs before hitting with Smite and Divine Judgement. Otherwise it's wasted.

Also SW buffs only single target powers plus Relentless Avenger and Divine Judgement.

Also another note, if you're using Feytouched it's worth to start boss fight with Smite before stacking SW to benefit from 18% buff from Fey for the first hit buffed with SW. So in that case it would be: Wheel (Fire) -> CoP -> Radiant Strike -> Smite -> SW -> Tab -> Tab -> SW -> Smite -> Divine Judgement -> Shielding Strike. Usually the time between the start of this rotation and the first buffed hit should be enough for everyone to apply their buffs and debuffs.

michela123 · August 2017

SW has its proper damage, but it also gains some properties from the skill that procs it. For example, it benefits from the feat Wrathful Strikes if you trigger it with an at-will.
Shielding Strike and Oath Strike trigger it five times instead of three, probably because their fast casting speed bugs out the skill.
If you have two stacks of SW, it hits twice with a single strike, so basically it hits six times with three strikes instead of three times. The buff lasts 10 seconds. Each stack has an independent duration.

kharkov58 · August 2017

Divine Judgement is described as a 10 foot blast, why would sacred weapon work with it?

armadeonx · August 2017

Because you have to target a single enemy to fire it. The DC Daily Flame Strike looks very similar but is actually a true aoe as you don't need to target anything.

Regardless of the logic or reasoning though, DG does get a boost from Sacred Weapon.

michela123 · August 2017

It works with Binding Oath too. No logic, just maaadness

hirogarde · August 2017

Binding Oath?! That's one I never saw happen. I wonder if it's considered Single target damage to self and splash to the mobs.

Does it hit all targets, or just three?

michela123 · August 2017

All targets. Only when you apply it, not when it explodes.

hirogarde · August 2017

I just verified it... and hit eight seperate targets with SW/BO combo (all SW hits also triggered AoC) - and still had the SW buff for more hits.

I'm going to have to play with this and see if an AoC + SW->BO->RA combo is a faster (big) group killer.

EDIT: Played around with it a little now, in RD and Chult entrance (none of the big stuff yet). If you have the survivability to not need TW's temp HPs, it seems like a pretty valid option for multi group pulls (got SW/AoC to proc on 12 seperate mobs this time - so it definately hits everything).
The two best sellers I see are that works well for both "multi-group pulls" and "mini-bosses" (everything in-between felt pretty much the same as my standard CoP/BL/TW), and (with SW as an exception) the powers activate faster to minimize CC effects.

david · August 2017

Thanks all for your replies and info shared here, please feel free to keep asking and adding info regarding this power.

Im amazed how hard it hits, though its not straight forward how to use it. Im 13.5k (p.vorpal) and ive seen smiting shield hits go as high as 500k, thats awesome (with DC in group).

[PC] PvE Help me to understand Sacred Weapon

Comments