Nix Skill for PvE

LadyVimes - Sanctuary

Hi

I am currently running the standard skills for my nix plus flesh ream.

Instead of changing FR for Bash is it worth removing pounce instead?

Peritia - Lost City

Removal of Pounce will severely hinder its PVP usefulness, and is effectively unrecoverable. I'd strongly advise against removing it.

Furthermore, there's no reason to get Bash. A phoenix is capable of generating enough threat just from regular attacks alone that the threat-generating portion of the skill is largely irrelevant.

While a PVE grinding fight probably typically lasts less than nine seconds (full bleed), I don't think that the extra damage from bash will have any noticeable effect upon fight length; simultaneously, it reduces its PVP effectiveness. I also like Flesh Ream more as, on a mini-boss, if I use Flesh Ream right before Pounce, Flesh Ream will not interfere with the 15-second quicken effect (whereas Bash will finish cooldown and interfere).

EDIT: Note that, even if the Stun is resisted, as long as it hits the quicken effect will process.

woyaa

Blood Imbue for Blessing of the Pack.
Nuff said.
P.S Blood Imbue - http://www.pwdatabase.com/my/items/11707

Brael - Dreamweaver

Bash is better than FR for PvE but the difference isn't that large. Since you already have FR just stick with it. Removing Pounce would be a huge mistake, it's not a great buff in PvE but it does have its uses, and is a whole lot easier to hit once every 60 sec vs another once every 8 sec skill.

At 55 your nix has 1795 attack as long as you've been feeding it. Pounce is a 25% speed boost for 15 sec (even though the stun is 80%, the haste is 100%), making it worth 6731.25 damage per minute, plus a bit more with the stun reducing damage intake (about equal to 1/6 of venomous). Bash on the other hand is 200% damage every 8 seconds, for 3590 damage per hit or 26925 per minute. This isn't taking into account how the skill cast time disrupts melee as no one has figured that part out yet. If you lose an entire round on a nix, which is quite possible given the high attack rate the numbers would change to 4936.25 for Pounce and 13462.5 for Bash. So depending on how that works out, and just what Venomous hits for right now (I'm assuming 3k for this next part) you're looking at between 8026.25 and 19693.75 additional damage per minute by changing from Pounce to Bash. I still wouldn't recommend it though as you'll be putting yourself in a situation where you have to buy another nix if you ever want to PvP with it.

Mothergoose - Sanctuary

Pounce may be useless for pve, but nix does so much damage it shouldn't lose aggro even without using skills at all. Bash was used on pets mainly for the aggro, the extra damage just doesn't make that much of a difference. Replacing pounce would be severely gimping the nix in pvp without significant benefits in pve.

tweakz

Pounce isn't useless for PvE, thought it *might not be as useful as bash. If you're not assisting your Nix, Bash could shave about a second off per kill. Pounce isn't as easy to quantify it's value.

When you're attacking a mob and accidentally hit another mob with Noxious Gas, pounce can stop that mob in it's tracks. Nix doesn't always gain aggro right away or even start attacking the other mob timely without.

People disagree, but it appears to me to hasten my attack rate as well as the pet's. 25% speed bonus would be applied to casting as well as channeling making it very valuable considering cost of -Ch equips (if it works as it appears and states). That would be almost like -50% ch. Yes, it has a long cool down, but I find it can be used on every 3-4 mobs or reserved for emergencies. FR also has long cool down, and is sometimes wasted (if on auto).