Are people using Whirling Blow?

[Asazi]

I just turned level 30 and am leveling as Kinetic Combat and I've gotta ask, does anyone use Whirling Blow? Any spec, I'm just curious because it doesn't seem to hit very hard for me and I'm wondering if it's a gear issue, spec issue, underpowered or if I'm just crazy. I'm not crying for buffs or nerfs, just honestly curious.

Thanks.

[covertpetersen]

It hits for half the damage double slash on all targets around you. I'm tank spec so when I start a fight with a mob of 4 regs I spam whirling blow 3 times to get threat, use force breach because in combat technique it's an aoe, then burn them down individually. After 3 blows and a breach all 4 of them are usually at 50% health for me, so it makes the fight easy as all hell. It's an aoe, it hits multiple targets. If your using it on only 2 targets your doing it wrong because your wasting your force. It cost 40 force, double slash cost 25 and does double the damage.

[scoobyrex]

im infiltration, i normally quest with tharan cedrax as my pocket healer so i throw a whirling blow in to keep agro off him in packs of npcs > 2

[paratroopc]

I play a balance shadow and I use it quite a bit. Start off with force in being (I think but force in something) while running in, hit force breach (while in combat technique) for more aoe and then get in add a whirling blow and most of the regular mobs are just about down for the count.

[grandmasterub]

I open with it. But thats about it.

 

Its usually.

 

Force pull farthest target

 

Force breach

 

Whirling

 

Proceed to DS spam and tab projects on PA

[thefishdude]

It's not bad if you're trying to prevent ppl from planting a bomb in Voidstar or capping a turrent on Alderran. But it's such a resource hog vs damage done to be used in a regular rotation imo. Edited January 13, 2012 by thefishdude

[Jeckll]

Since you asked for any specc. The infiltration PvE specc includes "situational awareness" with reduces the force costs of WB by 10. That way, it's a good AOE abilitiy, especially as long as Shadow's Respite is up.

 

As mentioned, I use it in PvP to interrupt multiple targets at once.

 

For Kinetic, I understand that it's you're standard ability for aggro generation on multiple targets.

[Pharlan]

Any pack of mobs over 3 I use it. Does a decent amount of damage on standard mobs when questing.

[kckkryptonite]

It's great for voidstar.

[dronepilot]

yeah I still use that often, it helps get NPC's off my companion or another player at best. I finished them off with mind snap and clairvoyant strikes then.

[Varcan]

Great for nodes, and if you're really quick with it, you can knock stealthers out of stealth.

 

On even the small chance that its an Op, its well worth the 40pts to get them out of stealth. Your AoE knockback will take to long to fire.

[Suitmonster]

I was excited when I got it, but really I don't use it much anymore.

 

I find that I use it only in pretty specific circumstances. A pack of 3 or so guys in range of the strike, I'll pop it off somewhere mid rotation when other things are on cooldown to improve my threat and keep things off my healer. I have Force in Balance for more effective ranged AOE, and too often I find that what I am tanking is standing at 30m shooting at me and cannot be effectively relocated to a group for maximum use of Whirling Blow.

[Asazi]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

So for Kinetic, it's extra aggro generation after Force Breach, Infiltration it's cheaper and Balance it seems to add up well with Force in Balance for extra aoe damage. And it seems all around useful in pvp to prevent captures. It seems like it would be useful to proc the techniques as well since each enemy would count as a hit.

Thanks!

[MithrilSoul]

Pretty standard in my PvE rotation, assuming there are 3+ mobs within melee range. I typically stealth in and/or run in, pop Force Breach (AoE), then start spamming whirling blow. It's not necessarily the FASTEST way to kill everything, but on 3 or more targets it is a more Force efficient melee approach than attacking them individually with Double Strike.

 

Then once PA pops I will usually toss a Project, as the mobs get low in health I start using Spinning Strike to finish them off, etc.

[Turlinde]

Same as some others, as Infiltration, I mainly use it to guard nodes and find someone n stealth. It's not useful DPS for me generally.

[richardya]

I hate it. I would rather do 200 points of damage on one person than 100 on three. I know it says it's instant but for some reason it does not feel instant Maybe the delay from my brain to finger is too long. Force Wave is superior in 20 diff ways. Edited January 13, 2012 by richardya

[kckkryptonite]

It's more of a utility thing, not for DPS..

[PiToREpsilon]

PvE Kinetic Shadow here and it is one of my most important attacks.

 

Slow Time and Force Breach have priority over it regardless of the number of targets I am facing in melee range, but when they are on cooldown, it isn't time to use Project (because of particle acceleration) or Telekinetic Throw (because of 3 stacks of harnessed shadows and a need to heal), if I have any energy to burn and, there are three or more targets in melee range, which is often the case, I'll use Whirling Blow as it delivers the best total damage/energy of my remaining attacks and has the greatest chance of granting particle acceleration (as each of its multiple hits has a chance to trigger it).

 

(Double Strike is used almost exclusively on boss fights, where I don't face packs of mobs, and on the last few survivors of a normal group when the others are dead).

 

Probably less important in PvP where players tend not to bunch up as much as PvE mobs.

Edited January 14, 2012 by PiToREpsilon

[GFreeGamer]

As a Balance Shadow, I use it when I can hit 3 or more opponents to trigger Force Strike.

 

With the proc causing Mind Crush to be a free skill, the Force I regen whilst casting a free MC means I can maintain this when outnumbered. I run with the Force Master PvP set too, so each tick of MC regens my health, and when accompanied by Focused Insight's small heals, it adds up to buying me lots of time whislt waiting for backing to arrive at the point I'm defending.

 

Once backup comes, I focus on Double Strike to get my kills.

[Draemos]

It needs to hit significantly harder and be on a cooldown.

 

It's rarely worth the global, much less the energy, the way it is right now. And Tanks have a a couple other AoE abilities for maintaining aggro.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Draemos

[Tirani]

I use it in my opening on 3+ mobs. slow time, force breach, whirling strike

[dronepilot]

I have to say this skill is either one that you love or hate. You can generate a high amount of threat with this skill, I use it some times in the thick of things, and it DOES do lots of damage, and on the weaker enemies finishes them off. I have seen this skill take down two NPCs at once, so it can't be that bad. I think maybe you need to look else where at what your doing, and see what your crit chance is, and damage ratings are too.

[theMeldo]

it procs accelerated project so if you have a lot of mobs on you its like a guaranteed proc. I also use it for tanking but as dps it is kind of force intensive and counter intuitive to focus fire.

[PiToREpsilon]

It needs to hit significantly harder and be on a cooldown.

 

It's rarely worth the global, much less the energy, the way it is right now. And Tanks have a a couple other AoE abilities for maintaining aggro.

The other abilties are on cooldowns, and a good tank who's constantly being attacked by many mobs - in other words a situation where Whirling Blow may shine - has a significantly increased force generation over other Shadows assuming he is properly geared and talented.

 

Those 2 extra force for every attack avoided or shielded really add up, and so does the 30% extra normal force generation.

 

It would be significantly harder to tank multiple mobs or solo-kill mob packs without Whirling Blow for the Kinetic Shadow.

 

It is thus very valuable to the class as a whole as it is right now, though it is understandable that it is less attractive to the single-target dps specs or to PvP players for whom burst damage is more important, but there's nothing wrong with that.

[Aerithel]

It hits for half the damage double slash on all targets around you. I'm tank spec so when I start a fight with a mob of 4 regs I spam whirling blow 3 times to get threat, use force breach because in combat technique it's an aoe, then burn them down individually. After 3 blows and a breach all 4 of them are usually at 50% health for me, so it makes the fight easy as all hell. It's an aoe, it hits multiple targets. If your using it on only 2 targets your doing it wrong because your wasting your force. It cost 40 force, double slash cost 25 and does double the damage.

 

As a Kinetic Combat myself, this is close to what I do. I usually start out with Force Breach and Slow Time, then I'll pump out three Whirling Blows, so long as there are 3-4 targets. As covertpetersen indicated, from there I'll just take them down one at a time. It definitely makes fighting regular groups of mobs efficient and easy, especially because they will indeed have no more than half health by the time you start taking them one at a time.

 

I'll reiterate what covertpetersen said, don't use Whirling Blow if you don't have three or more targets, else it will be a waste of Force points.