Infiltration Shadow PvP Opener

[_Pryor_]

I've read in many threads not to use Spinning Kick as your opener, but save it for after you vanish. So...if we're not supposed to use Spinning Kick to initiate, what ability are we supposed to use?

[Jayshames]

I tend to use Spinning kick, though I guess you can use Shadow strike, it'll chew up your force but that's where blackout comes in handy.

[Xienive]

It's situational. Sometimes you want to open with it and sometimes you do not. Really, you just kind of have to get some experience knowing when to and when not to.

 

But really, the best way for Infiltration is to spec 0/27/14. Then you want to pop force potency, open with force in balance, then project and then force breach. With the stalker set bonus you have 3 stacks so you should be able to get all 3 of those to crit. So many people like to get clairvoyant strike for whatever reason, but it really is inferior in every way. Force in Balance will give you a 30m area attack that will always do more damage than 30% of a project.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Xienive

[Kovaos]

It's situational.

 

That's exactly how I wanted to start this.

 

Here are a couple situations I would open with Spinning Kick

 

1. Enemy healer's health is halfway and casting (I use as much CC as possible for duration of the fight)

2. Team mate is getting focused by a caster

3. An undergeared noob is spotted. (I've had several occurrences where I've killed them before recovering from a SK)

[Altheran]

I'd say that unless you have a specific reason to control your target (stopping a cast, stunning on a firetrap...) you should always open with something that hits hard as you will always have the "surprise effect" which is quite as good as if you'd have contolled them, while not giving them free resolve and letting you control them more effectively afterward.

 

Personally I tend to open with clairvoyant strike.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Altheran

[stavrakas]

It's situational. Sometimes you want to open with it and sometimes you do not. Really, you just kind of have to get some experience knowing when to and when not to.

 

But really, the best way for Infiltration is to spec 0/27/14. Then you want to pop force potency, open with force in balance, then project and then force breach. With the stalker set bonus you have 3 stacks so you should be able to get all 3 of those to crit. So many people like to get clairvoyant strike for whatever reason, but it really is inferior in every way. Force in Balance will give you a 30m area attack that will always do more damage than 30% of a project.

 

This, but leave force in balance for last because if the second project activates it will consume another potency charge and then you lose on a force breach crit (it's more important for your breach to crit than fib). It's a good idea to use your big hitters at the start of the fight so the enemy will be taken by surprise and not have time to pop defensive cooldowns.

 

Exceptions to this case are (like previously mentioned) healers casting, enemies like juggernauts using ravage on a friendly and lastly stealthed deception assassins (you should try to wait out their equivelant shadow's respite first).

[Xienive]

This, but leave force in balance for last because if the second project activates it will consume another potency charge and then you lose on a force breach crit (it's more important for your breach to crit than fib). It's a good idea to use your big hitters at the start of the fight so the enemy will be taken by surprise and not have time to pop defensive cooldowns.

 

Exceptions to this case are (like previously mentioned) healers casting, enemies like juggernauts using ravage on a friendly and lastly stealthed deception assassins (you should try to wait out their equivelant shadow's respite first).

 

Good point, I didn't think of that.

[ArchangelLBC]

I'd just save Project for last on the 0/27/14 opener (FiB > Force Breach > Project), I also like getting the two longer cooldown abilities back asap.

[DemonJin]

This is the opener I use and I find it the most usefull opener than any already posted.

Now when ur fighting scrubs who just playing suck using an opener that's straight forward as the one being posted will work. However when ur fighting really skilled players that tactic just won't work all the time. Best strat I've found in any 1v1 situations is spike-maul- low slash- crushing darkness- then from here you would go into ur normal rotation. Now the reasoning. Reason why I use spike is for 2 main reasons. 1) dumb players will use cc breaker on this and 2) gives us a chance to proc maul for big dmg. Maul will be next used whether it process or not cuz we have lots of force regen at this point worrying about it being procd doesn't matter here to much. Low slash next to force one of 2 things, either they're gonna see you casting crushing darkness and be like OMG he's gonna hit me with that and they'll blow their cc breaker and interrupt you which is good for you cuz now you have ghe upper hand. Or they'll let you finish the cast and now they take a decent dmg that places a dot on them too. Worst case scenario is ur fighting a class like an op or another sin that can cleanse the dot. Yes true they can however remember you just hit them with spike, maul procd or not low slash and the initial hit of crushing darkness. All of this combined you've already done a good amount of dmg to your opponent and they have yet to do anything back to you yet. And best part is you still have yet to use ur strongest moves for that massive dmg we deception sins love to do. Now of course you can't use this all the time like when ur in a big group fight where you got multiple people attacking you. But just be aware of what's going around you at all times and this strat is not too hard to use even when in the fray of things

 

Sorry for any grammer mistakes as I wrote this on my phone while waiting 4 hours at the ER to be seen

[Kajuana]

Stealth > Force Potency (3x) > FiB > Breach > Project (x1.5) > Low Slash

 

That should be 50-60% of enemy's HP. A recruit would be dead.

Can interchange low slash and project for good enemies.

 

Spinning Kick is very situational, and not recommended for use for pure damage purposes.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Kajuana

[SirGusto]

Just like others have said, the openers are all situational. FiB is a great opener if your rushing to save a node with the 30m range, or a group is close together and you can hit all of them.

 

I tend to use spinning kick in more 1v1 situations where no one is going to white bar the opponent for me. Spin kick, a low slash a few seconds later, then the final stun after that wears off will all fit in a resolve bar if in that order. The enemy cant kill you in a stun lock.

[Przemo_No]

I truly admire all those who remember who actually hit you with what skill when you are fighting next to the node and you are in a midst of 7 people hitting, casting and doing whatever moves....

 

In 1 on 1 it's easier, because you can at least make SOME plan, especially being in stealth, but then again...it depends on the situation what you are gonna do actually?

Cap the node? Plant a bomb? interrupt capping?

Depending on the situation you use different opener.

i used to stun people and wait for others to come, or just move further to see who's HP bar goes down to use my project or SS to finish them..

 

Well, to be true it's hard for me to see which opener is the best...

CS x 2 is way too slow to have project crit

Low Slash always helps to keeps some opponents in place.

 

In general it's all WAY to fast