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The Secret of Vengeance's Pursuit...

kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
edited February 2014 in The Thieves' Den
Friends, I think I'm onto something here.

Some of you might remember me mentioning something called the "Rolling Slash". It's basically a fused combination of the <SHIFT> key dodge + teleport/melee attack part of VP. This is totally different from just using VP and then dodging. Literally, the action is one and the same. When you activate the 2nd portion of VP, and then immediately input the dodge, what comes out is a sudden teleportation to the target, and then you slash the target as you are rolling in a dodge, in a single, fluid motion. The dodge part and the slashing part is literally fused together.

This got me thinking. Does this principle work with other powers as well?

The answer: YES, it works.

What this means, is you can use any combination of a power with the VP. What this also means, is as long as someone anticipates and dodges away from the VP it self, as long as VP lands, then the "fused" power lands almost simultaneously as well.

Here are some sample combinations I've tested out:

(1) VP + Lashing Blades: Teleport to target, lands both LB damage and VP melee damage at a split-second instant. Seemingly unavoidable.

(2) VP + Deft Strike: Teleports to target, and then instantly travels to the backside of the target. Also deals both damages simultaneously, and also seems to make you immune to enemy attack attempts as you instantly teleport behind them.

(3) VP + Dazing Strike: This was the most interesting. The "jump" portion of the Dazing Strike looks as if it is fused with the teleport, and once you close in and hit with VP, Dazing Strike immediately hits. Feels almost like a motion cancel.

(4) VP + Path of the Blade: Also similar to Dazing Strike. The "activation" animation of PotB seems to be simultaneous with the teleport of VP, thus, as soon as you hit the target PB is in activation.


I'll try and up a few videos. LB's activation is so fast, that the two damages of VP and LB register literally simultaneously. This means landing LB is almost guaranteed with the use of VP.
Stop making excuses. Be a man.
If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
Post edited by kweassa on

Comments

  • beckylunaticbeckylunatic Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 14,231 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    That's pretty cool.

    I've been trying to keep to using VP as though it had a cooldown, because it really seems to me that the lack of one is due to some misflagging as an at-will (discussed in Setherio's build thread).

    I've only PvEed with my Whisperknife, and frequently use the teleport of VP, then immediately stealth and begin a DF rotation. Should be interesting to play around with queuing some different abilities.
    Guild Leader - The Lords of Light

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  • ximaeximae Member Posts: 534 Bounty Hunter
    edited January 2014
    nifty!

    i will have to try that out, have to drop bns for that but it seems to have some potential.

    Btw did u notice lashing critting 100%? Im asking since activation was so instant it might not have registered dropping stealth from the encounter.... it happens to me sometimes with dazing (getting the stealthed activation after just having used another encounter) while running dungeons.
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    ximae wrote: »
    nifty!

    i will have to try that out, have to drop bns for that but it seems to have some potential.

    Btw did u notice lashing critting 100%? Im asking since activation was so instant it might not have registered dropping stealth from the encounter.... it happens to me sometimes with dazing (getting the stealthed activation after just having used another encounter) while running dungeons.


    Unfortunately not. Any activation of VP 2nd portion seems to immediately end the stealth status, regardless of visuals.

    Come to think of it, if it did that, it would be massively overpowered...

    Stealth - VP - VP2(stun)+LB(crit) - Shadowstrike - Stealth SmokeBomb - Duel Flurry ...

    Can't see him, suddenly appears, get hit by crit LB, you are stunned, then stealthed Smoke Bomb lands, you are dazed, can't run away because of the slow, can't dodge/shift, can't activate any powers.. and then get hit by full combo of DF...

    *shudders* Massively OP indeed.
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    As promised, here are some videos of how this works out.


    1. The "Rolling Slash" http://youtu.be/f0sSmgRN0x8

    2. VP + Lashing Blades http://youtu.be/r1FkOGi-qDk

    3. VP + Deft Strike http://youtu.be/HKGU7cPJ_Mg

    4. VP + Impact Shot http://youtu.be/gTaCPPx8oqE

    5. VP+ Dazing Strike http://youtu.be/CyGQwc7gC-8

    6. VP+ Wicked Reminder http://youtu.be/zta6QO0I0cs

    7. VP+ Smoke Bomb http://youtu.be/aALun8i1nZI
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • yogokouyogokou Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Thanks for taking the time to make these. Some people will agree with you, some will disagree, but you can't argue against constructive discussion, feedback and putting out some gameplay material to help others. I will add that queueing a power after a Gloaming Cut hit has a somewhat similar effect of forwarding the animation but to a lesser effect (one-two frames depending on power used, while VP merges about half the power's animation or more).
  • spicenspicen Member Posts: 248 Bounty Hunter
    edited January 2014
    The reason why this is happening I think is that because currently VP is tagged as at-will (yes even though it is on your encounter bar), how I know this? Because VP doesn't have a cooldown currently while it should have like every other encounter does. Expect a fix to this when devs notice this.
  • duhbreothadhduhbreothadh Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Another thing you might like to play around with it the Whisperknife daily. Not sure if it shortens the animation but you can que a lashing blade while still in the back flip animation so it hits just as they start to stand up. It might work with other encounters as well. With the huge gap closer it can come as a real surprise in pvp when they think you are still a safe distance away followed up by an un-dodge-able LB :)
    Azran Graves, lvl 70 SW | Lochavar, CW | Cain, TR | Panthe, HR | Karis Copperleaf, DC
    Axios Guild Officer,
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Another big news....


    Did you guys know that when you "mark" the target, you can see his trail even when he enters stealth???


    Since nobody but myself uses this power in PvP, I'm pretty sure I'm the first and only one who noticed this. Like always, I'll come up with a video of this phenomenon. What happens is that when you mark a target, the hit causes the target to drag a thin trail of blue smoke. I've often wondered why this happens, and always assumed it was from something the HRs or CWs casted.


    Now, what I am wondering --- is this only visible to me?

    ...or can all of my team members see this??!
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • wixxgs1chtwixxgs1cht Member Posts: 430 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    kweassa wrote: »
    Another big news....

    Did you guys know that when you "mark" the target, you can see his trail even when he enters stealth???

    Works with many powers.
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    wixxgs1cht wrote: »
    Works with many powers.

    Yeah, but which one of them belong to TRs? :)
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • regnilo01regnilo01 Member Posts: 13 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I use VP on TR's alot
  • wixxgs1chtwixxgs1cht Member Posts: 430 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    As I've never really paid attention to that, off the top of my head I'd say it's IS and SS. But don't quote me on that, will pay close attention next time, though.
  • shadow5930shadow5930 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 502 Bounty Hunter
    edited January 2014
    Marking from TR? cloud of steel, the VP, uhhh.. dazing might, if you daze em while they're stealthed.

    Everyone on team can see the mark, although you can't target until you get in range. It's one of the ways to negate stealth. Like Icy Rays from CW.
  • toxicknight799toxicknight799 Member Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    you gonna make me want to make a whisper build just to play with this now LOL, looks awesome. since i find myself never using ITC anyway on my current rogue.
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I've tried out some possible applications in actual combat.

    All of them works well, but unfortunately the VP-Dazing Strike doesn't exactly work out as I've hoped it would. :( The thing is, Dazing Strike's "jump" animation immediately self-roots you to that spot, so it does work when the enemy is, ie.. stationary, busy attacking someone else.

    However, if he moves around, even if you use VP from stealth and momentarily stun him, the enemy is stunned at a position that is a bit away from where your Dazing Strike immediately activates.

    This problem is easily rectified, however, by simply moving a little bit forward and then activating Dazing Strike. However, what this means, is that if the 2nd activation part of VP misses, and the enemy is not stunned, then using Dazing Strike will bring out a bad situation.

    So in case of VP-Dazing Strike, it is actually preferable to visually confirm that the enemy is stunned, rather than queueing it up immediately.

    It also means that once VP hits and stuns, then the Dazing Strike is guaranteed! It also means that the "Whirlwind Sneak Attack" feat is applied to Dazing Strike, resulting in a flat 15% damage increase.



    So the most powerful combo in the WK/Scoundrel arsenal that chain-CCs the opponent would be;

    (When action points are full)

    Stealth -- VP "mark" -- VP "teleport" (hits and stuns) -- few swipes from Sly Flourish -- Hateful Knives (enemy is hit and knocked prone) -- Dazing Strike (15% damage increase + dazed) -- going berserk with Sly Flourish -- VP "mark" -- Shadow Strike to end combo, stealth and move away if enemy not dead. Since you've marked him, and your Dazing Strike is back up ready, you have another chance to have a go at him.


    Its actually very interesting to use this. Most MI based rogues don't really use Dazing Strike much, since it is notoriously difficult to land (almost as much as Duelist's Flurry) against targets. Since most of their arsenal is ranged (ie. Impact Shot), even if they stun someone they have problems in closing the gap and landing Dazing Strike within the time... so it is usually.

    It seems the use of VP makes hitting Dazing Strike much easier and efficient. I'm gonna test this out a bit more.

    :D Thanks for all the encouragement guys.
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • kweassakweassa Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    As promised, here are some videos of how the VP-DaS Combo works out. I found this combo to be a significant upgrade in terms of damage and killing power, and it definately seems to be a worthy choice of powers to consider according to situation. (Although not taking Smokebomb or Wicked Reminder means shifting out of the team support role)

    The most interesting part of this is that, like mentioned above, if you can time the VP(teleport) part during stealth, it deals your target a brief stun -- thus, guaranteeing a hit from DaS, which, is at times notoriously difficult to land in combat. Not to mention the Whirlwind Sneak Attack feat from the scoundrel tree adds a 15% damage increase on your first encounter power used out of stealth (10 sec time limit).

    Therefore, as long as you can land VP(TP) from stealth and not have it dodged, then its show time :)



    1. VP-DaS Combo (basic): http://youtu.be/ehnPen40zog

    The prominent rogue, Naissur makes a cameo appearance. :) Had a nice 1-vs-1 session and got a lot of helpful tips. Thank you Naissur!



    2. VP-Hateful Knives-DaS Combo: http://youtu.be/rPmGiM3UXGU

    A combo I consider to me the "Ultimate" for WK/Scoundrel, demonstrated on poor Wilfred. Action Rush grants you crazy fast AP gain, and if you are in action often, you will have plenty of chances to use HK. Now, the basics are the same. You time the VP(TP) part in stealth to stun the target. Immediately enter HK, deal damage, prone the target, and immediate follow up with DaS. Take as many swipes of Sly Flourish during this opportunity, as well as remember to VP(Mark) the target, as well as perhaps re-apply Disheartening Strike. Finish up with Shadow Strike, get ready to hit VP(TP) stun again, and then another guaranteed hit with DaS.




    3. VP-DaS and VP-DaS-HK Combo in Action: http://youtu.be/OIGHIt1CMmE

    The opponents were clearly overmatched, which was fortunate for me, because it gave me an opportunity for a testbed. I've even landed my first VP-DaS-HK combo against a live target! You can see it at 3:52 of the video.



    Enjoy! :)
    Stop making excuses. Be a man.
    If you know something to be broken, stop using it.
    Otherwise, you've got no right to be speaking of 'balance.'
  • pingconcherepingconchere Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Cool, this was the rotation I was thinking about trying! Thanks for trying it out, since it will save me some time. It's unfortunate that DaS roots in place, but at least it can still work. Admittedly, I would be more enthusiastic about DaS/VP/SS if it was a little more fluid/flexible, but I'll still try it out when my little rogue hits 60. I really want to try out many different builds/rotations, but my rogue is leveling painstakingly slow, since I've been very busy.

    Until then, I'll be thinking about other possible rotations. Thanks for the information!
  • h0wl1thh0wl1th Member Posts: 27 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    You are too much of a pro player Kweassa --> I really appreciate what you're doing here.

    P.S. Wanna give me some tips and tricks in-game?? I play on Dragon.
    Cheirisophos (TR WK) - Neverwinter Order
  • lastfenrirlastfenrir Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 9 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    kweassa wrote: »
    Unfortunately not. Any activation of VP 2nd portion seems to immediately end the stealth status, regardless of visuals.

    Come to think of it, if it did that, it would be massively overpowered...

    Stealth - VP - VP2(stun)+LB(crit) - Shadowstrike - Stealth SmokeBomb - Duel Flurry ...

    Can't see him, suddenly appears, get hit by crit LB, you are stunned, then stealthed Smoke Bomb lands, you are dazed, can't run away because of the slow, can't dodge/shift, can't activate any powers.. and then get hit by full combo of DF...

    *shudders* Massively OP indeed.

    Well, if you have Advantageous Position, then you can proc LB's crit hit, am I right? Cause dat gives you Combat Advantage for a few seconds. So, LB with AdvPos + Whirlwind Sneak Attack procs together right? Since, you're out of stealth? If so, then GG. I think lol
  • anymrasanymras Member Posts: 23 Arc User
    edited February 2014
    As far as I can tell, Lashing Blade only gets guaranteed crits from stealth - otherwise, it'd always crit while flanking, while enemy stunned...basically anything that granted Combat Advantage bonuses.
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