[SW] Current Builds and Strategies

[Manatikik]

Hey guys just thought i'd ask what builds you guys are currently running in T4 (and with what gear). Just trying to gauge whats working and popular right now. Currently as a 40/34 SW i'm running the basic Skirmisher set-up and mainly BHA>SS on as many relevant targets I can then if I decide to burst one person i'll VoN>ES>SFA spam with BHA and SS already on the target and Flanking Shot if I have position.

So what do you guys run? Is Festerbomb better for lower geared SW? IS EE Spam still rocking or is Skirmisher the normal for well geared Sw's?

[Elftwin95]

I am a 40/56 SW and uses full scout spec/Festering with full Anni, I have also focused on WS and BS and think it works pretty well most of the time, course..I would love to find a good and working Skirmis/Assault spec or something as well. Best of luck my fellow Shadow Warrior!

[dansari]

Hey bud. I love talking SW. I'm not a great player by comparison but it's my main and I enjoy it. I'm currently rr65 (hit it last night!). You can't go wrong with the hybrid skirmish/scout. Your rotation is pretty much what you describe.. double dot (BHA, SS) then plink away. Watch your positioning and get buffhead addon if you don't have it. Learn the destro mdps counter skills to your whirling pin (like fleet footed on the WE) and learn the icon on buffhead.

My current build is http://www.ror.builders/career/shadow-w ... ,3953,3952

But, you can't do this yet so for a solid rotation I would take Fester and Enchanted Arrows instead. Something like this. http://www.ror.builders/career/shadow-w ... ,3959,3953
(On mobile and it won't let me choose PD but take PD.. always.. PD, SS part of every SW spec no matter what. Swap out Glass Arrow for flanking if you want.. some people love it (GA), I don't as much.

However, with this spec you need to be extra careful with your positioning. It takes no time at all for an mdps with charge to reach you from 98ft. If you can build up to m2, however, you have a ton of burst potential. It's a gimmick spec because it can be countered easily by RNG, but when it works, it works.

With my current build, I work targets down with BHA, SS, SFA, rkd, etc. Then flanking and/or FtW to finish. Make sure that if you're moving you switch immediately back to skirmish when you can.. your auto attacks only go off when moving in skirmish and it does add a good bit of DPS to your output.

Get Cleansing Wind and dodge/disrupt for renown abilities.

1v1 encounter tips:
Vs sorc, magus: stay in skirmish, double dot, rkd, switch to scout, get a fester bomb off while they're down (if they're not kiting you can armor debuff too). You should win most fights if you're not fighting really good players and you use your CW and pots correctly.

Vs Squig: stay in assault. When they disarm, detaunt the player, wait for disarm to end (if it makes sense in your scenario to CW, hit it to end the dots early). Engage towards the player while in assault. If you get close enough, disarm them and continue SFA. I beat most squigs with this method (I even beat Seifu/Simtex, one of the best DPS and most respected players on the server, in a 1v1 once).

Vs tanks, continually slow and kite.

Vs healers, don't engage. You'll never kill one because your burst damage is too low.

In a group, you should be paired with burst DPS. I love running with WLs and BWs because SW DPS is very consistent, but not a lot of burst. They provide the extra umph you need to kill targets through good healers.

Wall of text over. Hope that helps my dude.

[Manatikik]

I am a 40/56 SW and uses full scout spec/Festering with full Anni, I have also focused on WS and BS and think it works pretty well most of the time, course..I would love to find a good and working Skirmis/Assault spec or something as well. Best of luck my fellow Shadow Warrior!

I used to run in Assault Spec pretty much exclusively on Live. The only real downside is you need to really have Invader gear to be effective but that may not be the case since we're capped at Conq. The general game plan was to BHA>SS available targets and poke with SFA and then when a melee train gets to you or a WE tries to pop the Clothies you BHA>SS>Draw Blood> Grim Slash> either Disarm/KD depending on the situation > BA. Make sure to reapply SS whenever you need to. This build melts WE's and I always found it fun to hunt them down in ORvR and solo them at melee range to embarass them.


Here was the build: RoR.builders - Shadow Warrior

It requires RR60 but you can put off Exploit Weakness and just stance dance a little to get your knockdown from Eye Shot instead.

[dansari]

Yeah I would love to have an Assault spec it's just kind of lacking with gear available at the moment. You're not going to be as potent as a WL, SL, or even WH.

[Manatikik]

Yeah I would love to have an Assault spec it's just kind of lacking with gear available at the moment. You're not going to be as potent as a WL, SL, or even WH.

I'd say you're more potent than a WH in ORvR and on par with them in SC's if you treat yourself as a WH that defends your clothies but can also drop SS (Arguably the best skill you have) on their front line/melee train as well as RKD on any DoK's that get a little too close.

Yea you won't do as much burst as a WL/Slayer but you can drop Instinctive Aim for Leading Shots and with BHA>SS plus LS for your group you make up for the lesser damage to some degree. But you aren't trying to be straight MDPS trying to melee train people but your melee is your burst potential in earnest. Plus with the build I posted you're doing about the same as a Skirm spec just without Flanking Shot as your burst (plus a little less sustain damage but not much).

Just my opinion though.

Edit: Plus in Assault you can be dropping AA on people and it helps SO much.

[dansari]

That's fair I just don't think you're as potent in melee range as you are in skirmish range. That's all I mean by that.

[Manatikik]

That's fair I just don't think you're as potent in melee range as you are in skirmish range. That's all I mean by that.

Well yea but unless you really mess up you aren't starting the fight from melee range. You should be able to get AA, BHA, and SS plus a few SFa's/Takedown on em before they get to you then with some GS's and BA's with your KD/Disarm you should be at big enough advantage to win against all but the most tanky Mara's/Choppas (assuming you're not trying to melee 1v1 a Tank...). Sure you'll also lose any 1v1's against most Sorcs/SH/Magi because you're gimping your RDPS BUT if you can RKD and then get to them with Counterstrike you can win those fights 60/40 if you can get to them within the RKD before they can get their rotations off on you.

[anarchypark]

have you tried Swift Strikes?
if you were lucky enough to put this skill on channeling enemy it hit like real burst.
targets are healers, sorc, magus, sh casting 3sec spells in melee range, they underestimate melee SW

[Manatikik]

have you tried Swift Strikes?
if you were lucky enough to put this skill on channeling enemy it hit like real burst.
targets are healers, sorc, magus, sh casting 3sec spells in melee range, they underestimate melee SW

My biggest issue with Swift Strikes is that it is reliant on the enemy channeling AND it has a pretty heavy AP cost at 60 for it all. I'm all for using it if you have extra mastery points for it but I don't think its necessary for a successful Assault SW.