Report: Merciless slash buff possible issue

[MrRayen]

Helllo,

 

I was playing with watchmen dps rotation and while optimizing merciless slash buff I noticed something strange that's almost game breaking for proper watchmen dps rotation.

 

Merciless slash is 12 sec cooldown ability that when each time applied gives buff that reduces cool down of the next merciless slash by 1.5 seconds. It stacks 3 times.

 

So logically it should be:

 

on 1st MS - next MS should have 10.5 sec cd

on 2st MS - next MS should have 9 sec cd

on 3rd MS - next MS should have 7.5 sec cd

 

But that is not the story.

 

I measured the cool downs with stopper (not relying on CD timer on the ability cause it's tricky)

and came to this conslusion:

 

after 1st MS - next MS will be available in 12.5 seconds!

afetr 2st MS - next MS will be available in 11 seconds

after 3rd MS - next MS will be available in 9.5 seconds

after 4th MS - next MS will be available in 7.5 seconds

 

The merciless slash DOES NOT stack properly. It stacks 4 times (showing 3 stacks) and on 1st stack it does not reduce CD of the ability at all.

 

I thought the issue was GCD and that ability CD is calculated on top of GCD but that is not the case and can't explain last 7.5 seconds of MS cool down.

 

Another issue with rotation is that after applying 1st MS you have 12.5 seconds CD on the next MS. The buff lasts 15 seconds so that means you need to time your next MS exactly when it's ready and you have 2.5 seconds to do it. If you by accident use some other ability in those 2.5 seconds GCD will screw you and you will lose MS buff. This is game breaking. Even a slight LOS or range issue in those 2.5 seconds will hurt your rotation.

 

Fix this issue so it's possible to apply 2nd MS stack in intended 4.5 seconds. My advice is also to increase MS buff duration to 20 seconds. On most bosses you get a CC effect(like kb) or you need to run out from melee and in 99% of this kind of scenarios you will lose MS stacks.

[Eszi]

Interdasting.

And yeah, I do agree that the merciless buff should last longer. Getting more than 1 stack can be painful sometimes

[nachoman_randy]

Interdasting.

And yeah, I do agree that the merciless buff should last longer. Getting more than 1 stack can be painful sometimes

 

Yeah, the first stack is the hardest, you got like a 3 second window for the next MS. But with the free utility moves next patch and with the focused leap on watchman tree, I dont see this being a problem anymore.

[theblackajah]

Does this mean Merciless Slash's cooldown is bugged altogether?

 

If it is as you report, then MS's cooldown is 15 seconds instead of 12?

 

Can someone confirm?

[MrRayen]

Does this mean Merciless Slash's cooldown is bugged altogether?

 

If it is as you report, then MS's cooldown is 15 seconds instead of 12?

 

Can someone confirm?

 

You can look it that way or that MS buff is not properly applied on first stack.

 

Generally, it feels bugged, for example jump from 3rd stack to 4th stack is 2 seconds, 9.5 to 7.5 seconds. That is very weird, but you can reproduce the result yourself.

[MrRayen]

Yeah, the first stack is the hardest, you got like a 3 second window for the next MS. But with the free utility moves next patch and with the focused leap on watchman tree, I dont see this being a problem anymore.

 

You got 2.5 seconds exactly and in the next patch it wont get any easier especially because all proper watchmen dps specs uses already focused leap.

 

This problem really requires some attention.