Help me with Dual Blades

[LKN-351]

First off, I have no idea if I put this in the right place. I've kind of been putting off making this post because I couldn't figure out where to post it but I don't want to keep putting it off so here it is lol

 

I'm not sure if this is a me issue or if this happens with others. I like the DB powerset, I rolled it on live and didn't get it very high and I rolled the same character here and got him much higher but not 50. I found myself doing something that bugs me though as I've leveled up the character.... I just stare at the power tray. I don't want to do this every time I play that character but I definitely want to hit the combos.

I thought about creating a macro button or a set of binds where to do X combo I just hit the one key and through bind loads it flips to the next power... like one key for each combo I just have to press it again for each power activation.

 

or like along the same lines I set up two different power trays, one with the macro button for each combo and the first time I press that macro button it changes the second tray to show the powers for that specific combo (just for visualization purposes; IE "oh, that power hasn't recharged/activated yet")

 

Is there any way I can make myself stop doing this? Through binds or macros or something?

How does everyone else play a DB?

Am I just that 'special' that no one else has ever had an issue like this? lol Help me!

[KaizenSoze]

4 minutes ago, LKN-351 said:

First off, I have no idea if I put this in the right place. I've kind of been putting off making this post because I couldn't figure out where to post it but I don't want to keep putting it off so here it is lol

 

I'm not sure if this is a me issue or if this happens with others. I like the DB powerset, I rolled it on live and didn't get it very high and I rolled the same character here and got him much higher but not 50. I found myself doing something that bugs me though as I've leveled up the character.... I just stare at the power tray. I don't want to do this every time I play that character but I definitely want to hit the combos.

I thought about creating a macro button or a set of binds where to do X combo I just hit the one key and through bind loads it flips to the next power... like one key for each combo I just have to press it again for each power activation.

 

or like along the same lines I set up two different power trays, one with the macro button for each combo and the first time I press that macro button it changes the second tray to show the powers for that specific combo (just for visualization purposes; IE "oh, that power hasn't recharged/activated yet")

 

Is there any way I can make myself stop doing this? Through binds or macros or something?

How does everyone else play a DB?

Am I just that 'special' that no one else has ever had an issue like this? lol Help me!

I don't have a ton of Dual Blades experience.

 

If you only aim for two combos like Empower and Sweep like I did on my Stalker. You can lay all the attacks in one tray from 1-6 in combo order.

[Bill Z Bubba]

Some thoughts I had regarding DB this morning. Nothing wrong with just ignoring the combos and after 50, you're better off without them.

 

 

[SwitchFade]

Scrap or stalker?

 

Scrap - combo route: you're not going to be able to use all combos, pick 2 that you want. Once you have that it's easy to set up your power tray. For example, by DB scrap power sequence is  to press button number 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 5, 6, 7.

              - non combo route - there's an optimal attack chain that ignores combo in guides in scrap forum, so, just hit the chain and watch animations.

 

I don't have to look, I watch the animations, and that sequence is the power chain.

 

Stalker - a bit more complex, but incredibly powerful, my DB stalker hits 550+ DPS. You largely ignore combos, but get them built in if you build for 170%+ recharge. The attack chain is BU, AS, AB, Sweep, PS, repeat. Also, don't have to look at the tray, just watch your toon play.

[LKN-351]

2 hours ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Some thoughts I had regarding DB this morning. Nothing wrong with just ignoring the combos and after 50, you're better off without them.

 

Spoiler alert Billz lol I hadn't made it to 50 yet so I haven't found that out

 

11 minutes ago, SwitchFade said:

Scrap or stalker?

 

Neither, Brute. I don't know the differences between the ATs on this powerset so which would it be closest to?

[aethereal]

Brute and Tanker are the same as Scrapper I believe -- only Stalker is different.

[Bopper]

It might depend on how you play, but I use my 10-key numpad for powers. Since the Page 3 update, you don't have to fear misses breaking your combo and instead can keep your eyes on the game. I just know where my powers are and smash that numpad like I'm an accountant.

 

I don't do this, personally, but I would probably do this if I was in your predicament. I would put each combo in my 1, 2, 3 spot on each tray. Then I would use either tray swapping to switch out combos, or set up my keybinds with Alt+(1, 2, 3) and Cntl+(1, 2, 3) to select which combo I want to perform. That limits me to just 3 combos, so if I want a 4th I'll need to incorporate it some other way.

[Shred Monkey]

non-stalker response... 

 

4 hours ago, LKN-351 said:

How does everyone else play a DB?

 

At level 50 I use Blinding Feint + Attack Vitals Combo > Repeat.  I calculate the amount o recharge needed in each power to run that attack chain without any delays. 

 

Keyboard Setup:

5 - Typhoon's Edge

4 - Blinding Feint

3 - Ablating Strike

2 - Vengeful Slice

1 - Sweeping Strike

 

I click:  4 3 2 1 repeat for single target damage and if everyone is in front of me. 

If I'm surrounded by a lot of enemies I click:  5 4 3 2 1 repeat

 

At lower levels before I can run the above chain without delays I alternate between Empower and Weaken combos.  You can't chain these together without any pauses because there's a minimum time between when you start one combo and another.  Both chains are shorter than that time so I use brawl each combo which lets them chain seamlessly.   

 

Keyboard setup:

5 - Brawl

4 - Nimble Slash

3 - Ablating Strike

2 - Blinding Feint

1 - Typhoon's Edge

 

I click: 5 4 3 2, 5 4 3 1, repeat.  (I skip the first brawl on the first target)

 

As an alternate, you could also run Blinding Feint > weaken combo... but if you have enough recharge to do that, you might as well do the attack vitals combo.

 

Edited February 28, 2022 by Shred Monkey

[LKN-351]

1 hour ago, Bopper said:

It might depend on how you play, but I use my 10-key numpad for powers. Since the Page 3 update, you don't have to fear misses breaking your combo and instead can keep your eyes on the game. I just know where my powers are and smash that numpad like I'm an accountant.

 

I don't do this, personally, but I would probably do this if I was in your predicament. I would put each combo in my 1, 2, 3 spot on each tray. Then I would use either tray swapping to switch out combos, or set up my keybinds with Alt+(1, 2, 3) and Cntl+(1, 2, 3) to select which combo I want to perform. That limits me to just 3 combos, so if I want a 4th I'll need to incorporate it some other way.

 

My main issue is that I don't remember which keys I'd hit for the next power in the combo with the current setup. Even looking at the power trays I hit the wrong power sometimes, mainly just forgetting which power starts the combo I intended to use lol

 

Shred Monkey, thats a variation on how I currently run but like I mentioned I forget which key to press next in the heat of the fight unless I'm staring at the rings. It's obviously not the end of the world but I'd like to get it right without focusing on the trays. There's been too many times I look up to find myself near dead or way back there and the teams way up that way... or all the targets are dead and I'm just looking for rings lol

 

Seems to me like my best bet is to set up macro buttons for each combo that load bindfiles and have a seperate keybind button to reset all the binds.

[Bopper]

1 hour ago, LKN-351 said:

My main issue is that I don't remember which keys I'd hit for the next power in the combo with the current setup

That's why I always put starters in the 1 key, builder 2, finisher 3. Easier to remember 1 2 3 

[SwitchFade]

22 hours ago, LKN-351 said:

 

Spoiler alert Billz lol I hadn't made it to 50 yet so I haven't found that out

 

 

Neither, Brute. I don't know the differences between the ATs on this powerset so which would it be closest to?

Scrap.

 

You're overthinking it. DB animations are very unique, you'll quickly get used to which one is which. So set up your tray 1-7 in the chain. Hit 1, then as it is animating hit and hold 2. While 2 animates, hit and hold 3... Etc.

 

Updates mean if your attack missed you still get combo benefit.

 

So on my scrap, I hit one and it starts Nimble. As the power is animating I have already hit and held down 2, ablating. As ablating is animating I have moved on to 3, and so on.

 

Run up to foes, hit 1, hit and hold 2, hit and hold 3... So on. If you kill something mid chain, like on button 4 it's ok! 1 will already be recharged, run to next baddie and start again.

[Greycat]

Honestly, when I ran my DB characters, I just ended up ignoring combos. *shrug*

[kiramon]

1 2 3 4 5 6

Q E V G H 

T

alt+e, alt+q

alt 1-4

ctrl 1-4

 

If anything has more buttons than that it aint gonna work for me.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by kiramon

[Shred Monkey]

17 hours ago, SwitchFade said:

Scrap.

 

You're overthinking it. DB animations are very unique, you'll quickly get used to which one is which. So set up your tray 1-7 in the chain. Hit 1, then as it is animating hit and hold 2. While 2 animates, hit and hold 3... Etc.

 

Updates mean if your attack missed you still get combo benefit.

 

So on my scrap, I hit one and it starts Nimble. As the power is animating I have already hit and held down 2, ablating. As ablating is animating I have moved on to 3, and so on.

 

Run up to foes, hit 1, hit and hold 2, hit and hold 3... So on. If you kill something mid chain, like on button 4 it's ok! 1 will already be recharged, run to next baddie and start again.

I do this as well, only I repeatedly tap the key instead of holding it down.  If the enemy dies, the first tap of the next attack will target a new enemy and the next tap starts the attack. 

 

After years of using the same basic 2-3 tap patterns I rarely have to think about what I'm doing and I'm focusing on selecting target priorities while my fingers just unconsciously keep attacking.

[LKN-351]

I'd probably memorize the keys where for each combo if I played that specific toon consecutively but sometimes I play multiple characters in a day, and sometimes I don't come back to the same character for a week or two.

I put each combo in its own tray and then made a tray with macros to swap the primary tray and que up Power Slice. I ran a Moonfire and did some defeat badges and I wasn't staring at the power trays so I'd say thats a win.

[roleki]

I wanted to find out what DB was about so I wound up taking all the powers needed for Weaken, Empower, and Attack Vitals; I really only use Blinding Feint->Ablating->Vengeful->Sweeping (Attack Vitals), occasionally dipping down to Typhoon's Edge if I'm surrounded by nerds.

 

In any event, in my power tray, slot 1 is Blinding Feint, 2 is Ablating, 3 is Vengeful, 4 is Sweeping.  Then in the tray 2, I have Nimble Slash in slot 1, Ablating in 2, Blinding Feint in 3, and Typhoon's Edge in 4.  If I get bored with tray one, I'll fire off Nimble Slash->Ablating, then either Blinding Feint (for Empower) or Typhoon's Edge (for Weaken).  

 

Also, just wanted to add that I've searched the forums for the mythical better-than-combos attack chain, but all I find are references to its existence, so until someone actually shares their proof first-hand, this fabled attack chain is just a girlfriend in Canada.  

[aethereal]

It's binding feint > ablating strike > sweeping strike > ablating feint > repeat.

[gamingglen]

4 hours ago, aethereal said:

It's binding feint > ablating strike > sweeping strike > ablating feint > repeat.

 

"ablating feint"?  Doesn't exist. 

[Bill Z Bubba]

4 hours ago, aethereal said:

It's binding feint > ablating strike > sweeping strike > ablating feint > repeat.

 

Nah, it's get 383% total recharge in BF and then go BF-SS-AS-repeat.

 

[SwitchFade]

41 minutes ago, gamingglen said:

 

"ablating feint"?  Doesn't exist. 

Darned typos! You know what he meant 😁😅🤪

Edited March 2, 2022 by SwitchFade

[SwitchFade]

10 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

Nah, it's get 383% total recharge in BF and then go BF-SS-AS-repeat.

 

Then eat pie? 🥧

[gamingglen]

15 minutes ago, SwitchFade said:

Darned typos! You know what he meant 😁😅🤪

 

Actually, I don't. Then BZB tells us something slightly different.

 

Anyway, I tried this out on my level 26, after respec to get 6 slots into Sweeping Strike.     

 

meh.

 

So boring repeating a 3 or 4 attack sequence over and over and over and over.  Sorry, but IMO that was not fun. Neither is watching for the colored circles to appear. I think I'll go back to "whatever is the most fun to watch my character eviscerate the enemies" method of play. 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by gamingglen
most important part to me

[Bill Z Bubba]

53 minutes ago, gamingglen said:

I think I'll go back to "whatever is the most fun to watch my character eviscerate the enemies" method of play. 

 

I've been doing this a lot more lately. It's one of the reasons I choose flares over fire blast. Unfortunately, every time I do it, a fight breaks out in my brain starting with, "ya know, you could be killing this guy faster..."

 

And 383% recharge is unreachable solo. So BF-AS-SS-AS is generally the best DB single target chain along with BF-SS-TE for AoE. Now if you can get *enough* recharge above 313% where the pauses in BF-SS-AS still lead to better DPS than BF-AS-SS-AS, as you can with DB/Nrg, then dooooo eeeet.

[gamingglen]

17 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

I've been doing this a lot more lately. It's one of the reasons I choose flares over fire blast. Unfortunately, every time I do it, a fight breaks out in my brain starting with, "ya know, you could be killing this guy faster..."

 

I like the T1 lower damage blaster powers, not just because they still can be fired while mezzed, for Entropic Chaos heal proc (I usually put the whole set there) and Devastation hold proc. You mez me, I mez you back (once in awhile anyway; lmao when a Ruin Mage gets held). 

[Bill Z Bubba]

I'm gonna have to test it but it's starting to look like going BF-SS-AS-repeat, even if there's a larger pause before the next BF, is going to be better than BF-AS-SS-AS especially if SS is actually getting a triple stack of BF anyway.