Best Place for Crit Proc in SM/EA build?

[Qabal]

I'm playing my first Scrapper build, and I'm still learning the the mechanics.  I know Savage Melee isn't a popular set for Scrappers, but I'm trying to figure out the best place to slot the +50% crit proc. 

 

My original thought was to slot it in Savage Leap then start every fight with Blood Thirst (with Gaussian), Savage Leap, then Rending Flurry (with a possible Ball Lightning thrown in if I feel I need to spec another aoe).  While, I'm sure this would work well for deleting minions, I worry about my single target damage once they're dead.

 

Does Savage Leap's cooldown give Superior Critical Strikes enough of a chance to proc when I'm only hitting a single target?  If not, am I better off slotting it in a single-target attack?  I'm only running Vicious Slash, Maiming Slash, and Savage Strike (with a possible Zapp thrown if I want to take Ball Lightning).

 

I'm only level 21 at the moment, but, whether it's the Savage Melee set or the ridiculous Scrapper damage, I'm having a lot of fun so far.

[Qabal]

Ok, while I still don't have Savage Leap yet, I've been playing around putting the proc in other attacks.  Since it's not the Superior version, it's only 2 ppm.  That said, all my single target attacks are too fast to proc it with any consistency, and I believe that will still be the case at 3ppm.    I get a decent proc rate with it in Rending Flurry (at least in groups), but it obviously won't stay there.  It looks like it needs to go in Savage Leap.  That's one fewer damage proc I can fit into SL, and it lowers the proc rate of the other 3.5 ppm chances down to 73%, so it's not ideal for making SL a proc bomb aoe skill, but I think its the best option.

[Saikochoro]

I personally put it in savage strike. My single target rotation is normally VS>SS>MS>SS repeat. I want to crit on vicious slash so this enables that. Doesnt proc all the time, but often enough. 
 

I have found that proc’d out savage leap + rending flurry is enough to take out the trash and then it’s just down to killing bosses, EBs, and AVs. So I place it based on my single target needs. Plus I don’t want it to take up a slot of savage leap when I want other procs in there instead. 

[Qabal]

19 minutes ago, Saikochoro said:

I personally put it in savage strike. My single target rotation is normally VS>SS>MS>SS repeat. I want to crit on vicious slash so this enables that. Doesnt proc all the time, but often enough. 
 

I have found that proc’d out savage leap + rending flurry is enough to take out the trash and then it’s just down to killing bosses, EBs, and AVs. So I place it based on my single target needs. Plus I don’t want it to take up a slot of savage leap when I want other procs in there instead. 

Are you high enough level to use the Superior version of the proc?  at 2ppm, it rarely ever proccs in SS for me, but that's probably the ideal spot for it if it works.  I use the same single target attack rotation that you do.

 

If I were to slot it in Savage Leap, I'd probably slot the -Res proc from FotG in it as well.  It'd be less of a aoe damage power and more of a set up all my other attacks power.

[Saikochoro]

6 minutes ago, Qabal said:

Are you high enough level to use the Superior version of the proc?  at 2ppm, it rarely ever proccs in SS for me, but that's probably the ideal spot for it if it works.  I use the same single target attack rotation that you do.

 

If I were to slot it in Savage Leap, I'd probably slot the -Res proc from FotG in it as well.  It'd be less of a aoe damage power and more of a set up all my other attacks power.

Yes, it is the superior version. I can’t give you a straight up number of times per minute that it procs. Only more of a feeling. I see it proc fairly often in fights so I have never regretted it’s placement.

 

If I didn’t slot it in savage strike then it would go in maiming slash.  I slot the full critical strikes set in one power because I want the 10% recharge set bonus so I put the proc with the rest of the set. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Saikochoro

[Qabal]

21 minutes ago, Saikochoro said:

Yes, it is the superior version. I can’t give you a straight up number of times per minute that it procs. Only more of a feeling. I see it proc fairly often in fights so I have never regretted it’s placement.

 

If I didn’t slot it in savage strike then it would go in maiming slash.  I slot the full critical strikes set in one power because I want the 10% recharge set bonus so I put the proc with the rest of the set. 

From what I've read, the superior version ups the ppm from 2 to 3, so it's definitely better.  

 

I did some quick dirty math using Mids.  With the full set is Savage Strike, you're proc chance is about 10%.  

 

If you slot it in Maiming Slash with the full set, it gets about an 18% chance to proc, so Savage is somewhat better since you use it twice as often.

 

IF you were to break up the set and run the proc in either attack without any other recharge, you get a fraction over 16% (SS) and 26% (MS) respectively.

 

As for Savage Leap, with no other recharge slotted, it has about a 62% chance to proc when hitting a single target.  

 

I'll mess around with it in Savage Leap when I get it.  If it neuters the damage of the power too much, I think Savage Strike is the best place for it.  This is all assuming the Mids numbers I'm basing my math on are correct of course.

[Qabal]

On 1/4/2021 at 6:02 PM, Saikochoro said:

 

Ok, I got to level 32 and tried the crit proc in Savage Leap.  It's so much better there.  It's basically a proc on demand even with the lesser no-superior version.  I think it will help there with both single target AND group damage.  If you haven't tried it there yet yourself, I highly recommend it.

[Saikochoro]

Glad you found the optimal placement for you!

 

For me, I have found it to work best in savage strike. It procs often enough for me that it is effective. It is not worth it to me to break up the set and lose the set bonus or to lose out on a proc on savage leap.  
 

That’s the beauty of this game. Different people are able to come up with different builds/play styles that work best for their preferences.

[Erratic1]

Would Overwhelming Force: Chance for Knockdown be worth it in Savage Leap? Its only 20% chance and on a radius 360 power...

 

...may have answered my own question.

[Qabal]

7 hours ago, Saikochoro said:

That’s the beauty of this game. Different people are able to come up with different builds/play styles that work best for their preferences.

Agreed.  I didn't mean to suggest your placement was inferior.  I'll probably try it again in Savage Strike when I'm high enough level to use the superior version.  A 50% greater proc rate would make a huge difference.  I may never get that high though.  I keep rolling alts whenever I hit the high 30s to low 40s...

 

3 hours ago, Erratic1 said:

Would Overwhelming Force: Chance for Knockdown be worth it in Savage Leap? Its only 20% chance and on a radius 360 power...

 

...may have answered my own question.

Yeah, I don't think it'd be very effective overall.  Some extra control is nice, but I can't see it being worth taking over a damage proc.

[Saikochoro]

12 hours ago, Qabal said:

Agreed.  I didn't mean to suggest your placement was inferior.  I'll probably try it again in Savage Strike when I'm high enough level to use the superior version.  A 50% greater proc rate would make a huge difference.  I may never get that high though.  I keep rolling alts whenever I hit the high 30s to low 40s...

 

Yeah, I don't think it'd be very effective overall.  Some extra control is nice, but I can't see it being worth taking over a damage proc.

No worries. I know that’s not what you were suggesting. I was just giving my reasoning for keeping it where it’s at. 
 

Also I understand the altitis. I didn’t have a level 50 for a long long time after joining homecoming because I was making probably 3 new alts a day haha. 

[Erratic1]

I ended up with the Crit Proc in Savage Leap and tried out Overwhelming Force in Rending Flurry instead. I have been quite happy with how that's worked out.