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TR Executioner Guide MI and WK (PvE Only)
yourbutt2048
Member Posts: 27 Arc User
This is my attempt at a TR Executioner guide covering both Whisperknife and Master Infiltrator. This is a pure DPS guide since its Executioner afterall. The main focus is making SoD doing the most damage possible. I will only be going over ability scores, powers, feats and then a short comparison between the rotation of MI and WK.
Ability Scores
Strength: Strength for the 1% damage increase, pretty obvious choice for pure DPS, there are diminishing returns so maybe get some CHA as well.
Charisma: For the 1% Combat Advantage damage but only useful if you are Whisperknife since WK has Advantageous Position, not so useful for Master Infiltrator.
Dexterity: For the 1% crit though stealth grants 100% crit so in my rotation, its only useful for Duelist's Flury
Intelligence: For the Recharge Speed increase, I don't use it but I can see its uses
At-Wills
Sly Flourish: Not good, not bad. The 5% damage increase is passable, not a necessity.
Cloud of Steel: The only ranged At-Will unless you go WK but this At-Will can be used repeatedly, good against AoE spamming mobs or when ranged is needed.
Duelist's Flurry: Best At-Will for damage since its fairly fast after the increased increase casting speed and it has bleeds.
Disheartening Strike: Good for DoT damage, guaranteed for all hits to crit if you just use it from stealth.
Gloaming Cut: Useless in Executioner, slow casting time, Duelist's Flurry is much better.
Class Features
Sneak Attack: Useful for mobility but in PvE, mobility isn't the most important thing and stealth uptime is low in my build.
First Strike: Good for a quick burst damage but unless you are guaranteed to use the damage to make the fight end quickly and move on to the next then it is useless since it only works at the start of a fight. Never use this against bosses.
Tenacious Concealment: Useless for Executioner, you already have this as part of Shadow of Demise
Tactics: Useful since TR AP gain is quite slow. I have DC Artifact so I don't really need it though.
Dagger Threat: Very good class feature for the extra damage. For information sakes, this works on Cloud of Steel, Disheartening Strike, Whirlwind of Blades, Blitz, Impact Shot and Shadow Strike only.
Razor Action: Horrible class feature IMO, a 5 target limit with mediocre damage and only when you use a daily.
Advantegous Position: In my build, you are exiting and entering stealth quite often so the guaranteed extra uptime of combat advantage is very nice. If your party has no trouble mantaining combat advantage then replace with Tactics.
Infiltrators Action: Its OK since you don't really mantain combat advantage but 15s is fairly short and only when you use a daily. Useless if your party can mantain combat advantage.
Skillful Infiltrator: Used to be really good but the 3% crit chance and 15% move speed is passable. Deflect is useless in PvE. If you think its good, then use it.
Invisible Infiltrator: I would always have this slotted since I usually use Shocking Execution on bosses and its nice to be able to use both Shocking Executions in stealth since the casting is slow so the stealth refill is nice and the damage is great.
Encounters
Dazing Strike: Very fast casting with good damage, second strongest burst encounter after Lashing Blade. The daze currently grants combat advantage. Used from stealth, it dazes and damages up to 5 targets in a small AoE. I mainly use this since it casts very quickly, dazes and the CA is a nice extra.
Lashing Blade: Strongest encounter but the casting time is long so it limits its usefulness. When stealthed it does even more damage. I only use this when I need burst. Dazing Strike does more damage if you input the cooldowns so LB is only better if I need high burst in a short duration like Malabog's Castle.
Deft Strike: Not useful in a regular fight, only useful when you need mobility which is almost never. Stealthed effect is useless in PvE. Mainly a PvP skill
Bait and Switch: Useless to me, the stealth regen I will never need, the decoy itself isn't useful as an effective tank and the AP gain is minor.
Blitz: Useful skill for both soloing and in dungeons/skirmishes. It hits up to 7 targets in a wide area and the damage isn't bad either. The slow effect is minor though
Impossible to Catch: Has some uses if you aren't good at dodging reds and prefer to just hit the encounter button to reduce damage taken. Useless otherwise.
Vengeance's Pursuit: The damage reduction is minor, damage isn't bad but the total casting time is quite slow and the AoE isn't useful either.
Path of Blades: I would only use this for leveling when I don't have Smoke Bomb. The AoE damage is so RNG since rotates around 3 different targets. As a single target, its no better since it does its damage over such a long period of time and the best way to increase SoD damage is quick burst.
Impact Shot: Mainly a PvP encounter, its a very slow single target damage skill that pushes the target back a bit. Pushes in general aren't useful in a party scenario and the damage is mediocre.
Shadow Strike: I don't really need to refill my stealth, I just let it regenerate but if you prefer to use your stealth more than go ahead and use this.
Wicked Reminder: Useful for a damage buff, the tooltip says crack armor and lower damage resistance but its actually just a damage increase not armor pen. I only use this in a pure single target scenario.
Smoke Bomb: The best PvE skill of all encounters. It hits and dazes ALL targets within the area and the damage is not joke either. It can function well as a single target since it ticks very fast or as a AoE.
Dailies
Lurkers Assault: The 15% damage increase is nice but I prefer Whirlwind of Blades if I am WK since I get damage increase from dagger threat and a slight power increase. The faster stealth regen is passable since in my build, you don't need to mantain stealth. Shocking Execution is better if you are MI
Whirlwind of Blades: Has a 5 target limit but does very good damage and increases power, I usually follow up with Smoke Bomb and Blitz.
Courage Breaker: 90% damage reduction and 90% slow, I don't really use it unless my party is REALLY struggling against the boss but this is a single target debuff so if the adds are the problem then its useless entirely. Damage is OK.
Shocking Execution: The highlight of going MI, does amazing damage and can hit twice, can easily make Shadow of Demise do 100k+ with proper preparations.
Hateful Knives: Very slow casting time with decent damage but huge range. Not useful unless you really need to quickly travel from one point to another like in Malabog's Castle.
Heroic Features
TI
Action Advantage: If you don't do much much CA damage then don't get it, its a quite useful skill otherwise.
Weapon Mastery: I mainly use this as point dump since I don't really need crit
Tougness: Extra HP is always nice in PvE, max it out.
T2
Swift Footwork: If you really need more dodges then get this otherwise its passable.
Battlewise: Less threat is useless, just use stealth and 6% is very little either way
Cunning Ambusher: Very useful since you will be entering and exiting stealth a lot
T3
Endless Assault: More Encounter Damage, pretty obvious choice
Twilight Adept: Usefulness depends on your playstle, I don't really use it but if you like it then go ahead and get it
Lucky Skirmisher: Deflect is useless in PvE, don't get it.
T4
Scoundrel Training: More At-Will damage is always nice
Disciple of Strength: Basically 6% more damage, no reason not to get it
Improved Cunning Sneak: Extra stealth is useless to me since I almost always end stealth almost immediatly, if you feel you need more stealth time to do rotations then get it.
Saboteur Feats (Only going over useful feats)
T1
Flashing Blades: You are often waiting for your stealth meter to refill while using At-Wills so its useful
Shady Preparations: If you often find your encounter barely a few secs off the rotation then get this but eventually it loses usefulness.
T2
Distracting Knife: If you are WK, you will be using Disheartening Strike quite often so the 5% damage boost is nice though its bugged since it only stays up for half the duration of DHS.
Executioner Feats
T1
Arterial Cut: 15% more severity and 100% crit in stealth so 15% damage increase. Very good feat
Grim Pleasure: Sounds good on paper but actually only around a 1-3% damage increase. 5% of 10k power is 500 power which is around 2%.
T2
Vicious Pursuit: 5% damage buff and very easy to mantain, all you have to do is hit the enemy.
Devastating Shroud: If you use Shocking Execution back-to-back then the 10% severity is nice, the 10% crit no so much. Has its uses, get it if you like it.
Determined Pursuit: Useless in PvE, you don't need the interrupt and the slow isn't any better, the cast time of Vengeance's Pursuit is also slow.
T3
Twisted Grin: A weird feat, I don't use it at all since its useless in single target. I guess it would have some uses but I don't really see it.
Last Moments: A 25% damage increase for almost half the fight is no joke, very good feat.
T4
Exposed Weakness: I tested this on Preview server, this is 25% more Armor Penetration so if you get 2500 ArP which you should have for PvE, then this feat is useless, its also only during stealth.
Shadowborn: Good for in between stealth moves but it triggers off DoT's for some reason without actually even increasing the DoT damage, hopefully it changes.
Capstone Feat
Shadow of Demise: Kind of obvious choice, the reason you go this tree in the first place. Basically lets you do 50% of the damage you did again.
Master Infiltrator vs Whisperknife
Master Infiltrator: Master Infiltrator isn't very good IMO, only better than WK in bossfights and only during the last 30%. The main aim is to use Shocking Execution to make Shadow of Demise do a ton of damage along with DF bleeds. Easily able to do around 100k with SoD with optimal requirements.
Whisperknife: Damage is more of a high sustained damage instead of high burst damage near the end and you also get to mantain combat advantage better. The main aim is to use DHS from stealth so it crits and stays up along with DF Bleeds so SoD does more damage.
So overall, its high burst damage near the end vs sustained damage.
Constructive criticism/Feedback is appreciated, feel free to ask any questions.
Ability Scores
Strength: Strength for the 1% damage increase, pretty obvious choice for pure DPS, there are diminishing returns so maybe get some CHA as well.
Charisma: For the 1% Combat Advantage damage but only useful if you are Whisperknife since WK has Advantageous Position, not so useful for Master Infiltrator.
Dexterity: For the 1% crit though stealth grants 100% crit so in my rotation, its only useful for Duelist's Flury
Intelligence: For the Recharge Speed increase, I don't use it but I can see its uses
At-Wills
Sly Flourish: Not good, not bad. The 5% damage increase is passable, not a necessity.
Cloud of Steel: The only ranged At-Will unless you go WK but this At-Will can be used repeatedly, good against AoE spamming mobs or when ranged is needed.
Duelist's Flurry: Best At-Will for damage since its fairly fast after the increased increase casting speed and it has bleeds.
Disheartening Strike: Good for DoT damage, guaranteed for all hits to crit if you just use it from stealth.
Gloaming Cut: Useless in Executioner, slow casting time, Duelist's Flurry is much better.
Class Features
Sneak Attack: Useful for mobility but in PvE, mobility isn't the most important thing and stealth uptime is low in my build.
First Strike: Good for a quick burst damage but unless you are guaranteed to use the damage to make the fight end quickly and move on to the next then it is useless since it only works at the start of a fight. Never use this against bosses.
Tenacious Concealment: Useless for Executioner, you already have this as part of Shadow of Demise
Tactics: Useful since TR AP gain is quite slow. I have DC Artifact so I don't really need it though.
Dagger Threat: Very good class feature for the extra damage. For information sakes, this works on Cloud of Steel, Disheartening Strike, Whirlwind of Blades, Blitz, Impact Shot and Shadow Strike only.
Razor Action: Horrible class feature IMO, a 5 target limit with mediocre damage and only when you use a daily.
Advantegous Position: In my build, you are exiting and entering stealth quite often so the guaranteed extra uptime of combat advantage is very nice. If your party has no trouble mantaining combat advantage then replace with Tactics.
Infiltrators Action: Its OK since you don't really mantain combat advantage but 15s is fairly short and only when you use a daily. Useless if your party can mantain combat advantage.
Skillful Infiltrator: Used to be really good but the 3% crit chance and 15% move speed is passable. Deflect is useless in PvE. If you think its good, then use it.
Invisible Infiltrator: I would always have this slotted since I usually use Shocking Execution on bosses and its nice to be able to use both Shocking Executions in stealth since the casting is slow so the stealth refill is nice and the damage is great.
Encounters
Dazing Strike: Very fast casting with good damage, second strongest burst encounter after Lashing Blade. The daze currently grants combat advantage. Used from stealth, it dazes and damages up to 5 targets in a small AoE. I mainly use this since it casts very quickly, dazes and the CA is a nice extra.
Lashing Blade: Strongest encounter but the casting time is long so it limits its usefulness. When stealthed it does even more damage. I only use this when I need burst. Dazing Strike does more damage if you input the cooldowns so LB is only better if I need high burst in a short duration like Malabog's Castle.
Deft Strike: Not useful in a regular fight, only useful when you need mobility which is almost never. Stealthed effect is useless in PvE. Mainly a PvP skill
Bait and Switch: Useless to me, the stealth regen I will never need, the decoy itself isn't useful as an effective tank and the AP gain is minor.
Blitz: Useful skill for both soloing and in dungeons/skirmishes. It hits up to 7 targets in a wide area and the damage isn't bad either. The slow effect is minor though
Impossible to Catch: Has some uses if you aren't good at dodging reds and prefer to just hit the encounter button to reduce damage taken. Useless otherwise.
Vengeance's Pursuit: The damage reduction is minor, damage isn't bad but the total casting time is quite slow and the AoE isn't useful either.
Path of Blades: I would only use this for leveling when I don't have Smoke Bomb. The AoE damage is so RNG since rotates around 3 different targets. As a single target, its no better since it does its damage over such a long period of time and the best way to increase SoD damage is quick burst.
Impact Shot: Mainly a PvP encounter, its a very slow single target damage skill that pushes the target back a bit. Pushes in general aren't useful in a party scenario and the damage is mediocre.
Shadow Strike: I don't really need to refill my stealth, I just let it regenerate but if you prefer to use your stealth more than go ahead and use this.
Wicked Reminder: Useful for a damage buff, the tooltip says crack armor and lower damage resistance but its actually just a damage increase not armor pen. I only use this in a pure single target scenario.
Smoke Bomb: The best PvE skill of all encounters. It hits and dazes ALL targets within the area and the damage is not joke either. It can function well as a single target since it ticks very fast or as a AoE.
Dailies
Lurkers Assault: The 15% damage increase is nice but I prefer Whirlwind of Blades if I am WK since I get damage increase from dagger threat and a slight power increase. The faster stealth regen is passable since in my build, you don't need to mantain stealth. Shocking Execution is better if you are MI
Whirlwind of Blades: Has a 5 target limit but does very good damage and increases power, I usually follow up with Smoke Bomb and Blitz.
Courage Breaker: 90% damage reduction and 90% slow, I don't really use it unless my party is REALLY struggling against the boss but this is a single target debuff so if the adds are the problem then its useless entirely. Damage is OK.
Shocking Execution: The highlight of going MI, does amazing damage and can hit twice, can easily make Shadow of Demise do 100k+ with proper preparations.
Hateful Knives: Very slow casting time with decent damage but huge range. Not useful unless you really need to quickly travel from one point to another like in Malabog's Castle.
Heroic Features
TI
Action Advantage: If you don't do much much CA damage then don't get it, its a quite useful skill otherwise.
Weapon Mastery: I mainly use this as point dump since I don't really need crit
Tougness: Extra HP is always nice in PvE, max it out.
T2
Swift Footwork: If you really need more dodges then get this otherwise its passable.
Battlewise: Less threat is useless, just use stealth and 6% is very little either way
Cunning Ambusher: Very useful since you will be entering and exiting stealth a lot
T3
Endless Assault: More Encounter Damage, pretty obvious choice
Twilight Adept: Usefulness depends on your playstle, I don't really use it but if you like it then go ahead and get it
Lucky Skirmisher: Deflect is useless in PvE, don't get it.
T4
Scoundrel Training: More At-Will damage is always nice
Disciple of Strength: Basically 6% more damage, no reason not to get it
Improved Cunning Sneak: Extra stealth is useless to me since I almost always end stealth almost immediatly, if you feel you need more stealth time to do rotations then get it.
Saboteur Feats (Only going over useful feats)
T1
Flashing Blades: You are often waiting for your stealth meter to refill while using At-Wills so its useful
Shady Preparations: If you often find your encounter barely a few secs off the rotation then get this but eventually it loses usefulness.
T2
Distracting Knife: If you are WK, you will be using Disheartening Strike quite often so the 5% damage boost is nice though its bugged since it only stays up for half the duration of DHS.
Executioner Feats
T1
Arterial Cut: 15% more severity and 100% crit in stealth so 15% damage increase. Very good feat
Grim Pleasure: Sounds good on paper but actually only around a 1-3% damage increase. 5% of 10k power is 500 power which is around 2%.
T2
Vicious Pursuit: 5% damage buff and very easy to mantain, all you have to do is hit the enemy.
Devastating Shroud: If you use Shocking Execution back-to-back then the 10% severity is nice, the 10% crit no so much. Has its uses, get it if you like it.
Determined Pursuit: Useless in PvE, you don't need the interrupt and the slow isn't any better, the cast time of Vengeance's Pursuit is also slow.
T3
Twisted Grin: A weird feat, I don't use it at all since its useless in single target. I guess it would have some uses but I don't really see it.
Last Moments: A 25% damage increase for almost half the fight is no joke, very good feat.
T4
Exposed Weakness: I tested this on Preview server, this is 25% more Armor Penetration so if you get 2500 ArP which you should have for PvE, then this feat is useless, its also only during stealth.
Shadowborn: Good for in between stealth moves but it triggers off DoT's for some reason without actually even increasing the DoT damage, hopefully it changes.
Capstone Feat
Shadow of Demise: Kind of obvious choice, the reason you go this tree in the first place. Basically lets you do 50% of the damage you did again.
Master Infiltrator vs Whisperknife
Master Infiltrator: Master Infiltrator isn't very good IMO, only better than WK in bossfights and only during the last 30%. The main aim is to use Shocking Execution to make Shadow of Demise do a ton of damage along with DF bleeds. Easily able to do around 100k with SoD with optimal requirements.
Whisperknife: Damage is more of a high sustained damage instead of high burst damage near the end and you also get to mantain combat advantage better. The main aim is to use DHS from stealth so it crits and stays up along with DF Bleeds so SoD does more damage.
So overall, its high burst damage near the end vs sustained damage.
Constructive criticism/Feedback is appreciated, feel free to ask any questions.
Post edited by yourbutt2048 on
0
Comments
I play MI. I concede that WK may be superior but I prefer melee. I'm using Swashbuckling Captain for the set bonus, which works nicely with Duelist's Flurry, and Vorpal enchant.
Here are my rotation notes.
Duelist's Flurry is the melee workhorse. Cloud of Steel is the best #2 for most content, but Sly Flourish is great when doing dailies.
Passives:
Invisible Infiltrator is always slotted. I slot Tactics for team content and First Strike for dailies.
Encounters:
Lashing Blade almost always stays on my bar because I like the stopping power. This is personal preference: Dazing Strike is often better. Use LB out of stealth, especially to follow up Shocking Execution(s) from stealth.
Wicked Reminder for all boss fights, because debuffs are key to team play and it helps set up single-target nova bursts.
I know OP doesn't like it, but I use Impossible to Catch for most boss fights because it helps me stay on target. Being able to skip a dodge here and there keeps the melee burst rotation intact. I'll swap Smoke Bomb in here for some boss fights.
Blitz and Smoke Bomb for dailies and clearing trash in team content.
Dailies:
I use Whirlwind of Blades for groups of mobs and Shocking Execution for single target.
Good guide OP, thanks!