Frenzy (Savage Melee)

[Ukase]

So, you've all heard the discussions before - what's better for this powerset? Scrapper, Brute, Stalker? Tank? 

So, we have 1000 slots. I still have at least 800 left, so might as well try them all. So, I did the brute savage/shield. It was fun, despite my inability to really grasp how to optimize frenzy. 

I know some attacks gave more than one of the 5 units of frenzy. I know also that if I ignore Rending Flurry in favor of other attacks, eventually, it gets primed with Frenzy and I can let lose with Rending Flurry. 

I've tried to sift through combat logs, but as I'm trying, the panacea, perf shifter, etc - they keep firing, and it's kind of difficult to see what's going on, particularly while ensuring my HP isn't decreasing too much. 

So, I look at City of Data 2.0 to see if I can find more information. And I do! 

 

My scrapper is level 29 at the moment, so figured I'd look at level 30 Scrapper. But there's a lot here I just don't "get". 
+5% Damage for 15.1 seconds...am I reading that properly? I mash all these buttons to get more Frenzy for 5% more damage, and a 6% end discount for 15.1 seconds? (at least when I ding 30) 

+20 Global Chance Mod for all affected targets for 15.1 seconds. 
Global chance of what? 


What I'm trying to determine is not necessarily to be "optimal", because I probably lack the speed to mash buttons in any optimal way. But, all other things the same, I want to be fair in comparing these ATs with the same powersets. Just for my own knowledge. 

As a rule, I've always found Brutes to not be marginally better, but vastly superior to Scrappers. So, I have to be open to the idea that there are things that scrapper players know that I do not. Is Savage Melee on a Scrapper already been declared runner up? 
So far, it's underperforming. I got the two ATO sets, and maybe I slotted them in the wrong powers, but Critical hits are very few and far between. Not as reliable as the brute's fury. At least, that's my perception. I want to be fair to the scrapper AT, so if there's something I'm missing, by all means, shed a light please. 

So, are there any "must read" guides to criticals and scrappers I should read? 
And..what's the deal with that Global Chance Mod? 

 

[SuperPlyx]

Here is the patch notes from April 7,2020 which I believe was the last time Savage was adjusted :

 

Quote

• Savage Melee
  • Savage Melee's power set description has been updated to no longer state that Shred is empowered by consuming Blood Frenzy, and instead that it builds Blood Frenzy.
  • Set description no longer states that Blood Frenzy adds a damage buff, it now accurately states Blood Frenzy adds a recharge buff and endurance discount.
  • Blood Thirst description updated to highlight the power increases Bleed DOT to 100%

 

So it does not do damage buff and the global is for recharge.

 

 

Side note: you can "add a tab" at the top of chat box and into that tab add from a list things like, healing received, damage inflicted, etc to make parsing info a little easier

[Ukase]

Thanks. Clearly the patch notes are in error then. It clearly states that Rending Flurry will deal additional damage per stack of Blood Frenzy consumed. If it doesn't deal any additional damage, that certainly explains the underperformance, compared the brute - who builds more fury with each attack, making it appear that Frenzy is dishing out more damage to my uneducated eye. 

[SuperPlyx]

Haven't played my Savage in awhile, so it took me minute to remember. 

Stacks of Frenzy will increase your recharge and end cost. Up to 5 stacks.

Ok, now you have 5 stacks, you can keep them and maintain your recharger and end buff

or

you spend them when you use Rending Fury or Hemorrhage.

Using the stack will buff that powers damage output for that one use.

 

 

I hope I explained that right.

[Ukase]

That is useful, thanks!

[Without_Pause]

I seem to recall the added DoT damage doesn't crit for whatever reason on Scrappers as where it is impacted by Fury, but I'm not claiming to know that 100% either. Scanning CoD isn't helping in that regard.

[Onlyasandwich]

I personally prefer Savage on Brutes or Tanks.

• Brutes because the DoTs are affected by Fury, and that's nice.
• Tanks for ease of aoe use.

 

Scrappers will be fine of course. It's a decent set for anyone as long as you steer clear of poopy old Hemo.

[Razorback]

The Scrapper class mechanic works at cross purposes with Savage's design, whereas Brutes benefit twice:

1. Fast animations with short cooldowns and a recharge buff help build Fury
2. DoTs scale with Fury

IMO, Savage is strongest on a Brute, and especially with a secondary that packs some offensive punch. It *used* to be strongest on a Stalker, but crit Hemo got... fixed. Snip-snip.

[Thrax]

Savage leap proc’d out and critting is a lot of fun. I enjoy hemorrhage. Good spot for the chance for crit increase. 

[aethereal]

What's that CoD screenshot from?  It's not for Blood Frenzy, which doesn't add damage (it adds recharge time and endurance discount.)

 

The global chance mod that it gives is for "shred recharge," I don't think it does anything?  Maybe there was at one point a mechanic, now discarded, that insta-recharged shred when you went to 5 Blood Frenzy?

 

Here's the CoD page for Blood Frenzy.  https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=temporary_powers.temporary_powers.savage_melee_blood_frenzy_stalker&at=scrapper

 

Blood Frenzy stacks up to 5 times, so you don't just get 6% endurance discount etc., you potentially get 30%.  It's still not a great deal.

 

Savage Melee is definitely better on Brutes than Scrappers due to the fairly significant effects of Fury on the Savage bleed.

 

Scrappers in general are kinda meh compared to brutes until they get to level 50, get the superior ATO, and slot it somewhere useful, at which point they get just insane numbers of critical hits.  The scrapper +50% ATO is maybe the single biggest biggest game changer for one slot in the game, and the superior version is 50% better than the non-superior version.

[ScarySai]

Savage is a rare case where it outperforms scrapper on a brute.

 

This is largely because there isn't really a good rotational spot for the ATO. Nothing quite like shatter or follow up. Both options being vicious slash and leap having significant downsides to them.

Edited February 23, 2022 by ScarySai