Shadow Sride's use in serenity/hatred

[Ziddal_the_green]

I want to bring this into the developer's attention. I am a shadow dedicated player since beta. back in 2012! My main spec is serenity/hatred & currently I started trying infiltration as well. From my experience so far, one important thing came to my attention: the use of shadow stride in serenity is problematic.

 

Shadow Stride is the new ability the shadow/assassin gets in the new expansion. A huge gap closer, paired with the correct utilities a valuable stun breaker & an ability that boosts our dps.

 

In Infiltration every time we use Shadow Stride we instantly get 3 stacks of breaching shadows, meaning Force Breach procs and if used deals a huge ammount of damage. Shadow Stride can be used as easily both during our normal rotation and during our execute phase. Just click it every time you want an instant, maximized Force Breach. Last but not least, during an infiltration opener, Shadow Stride gives us a third maximized Force Breach, cool right?

 

On the other hand in Serenity the usage of Shadow Stride is not that straightforward. Using Shadow Stride in Serenity, gives you an instant Spinning Strike (execute attack). Every time? No, and here things complicate in Serenity. Shadow Stride gives the free Spinning Strike as long as it hasnt been proced from your dots (Crush Spirit passive ability gives a 30% to grant a free Spinning Strike from your dots & a 100% from Shadow Stride) during the last 10 GCDs.

In other words, the usage of Shadow Stride is impaired cause of the dots granting a free Spinning Strike and the internal cooldown of 10 GCDs. In game, during my countless parses in Serenity, Shadow Stride is usable without any problems only during your opener. Then its usage becomes hazzy and its almost impossibel to keep track of the 10 GCDs everytime Spinning Strike procs from your dots, because Spinnign Strike always procs from the dots once or even twice during the rotational circle.

 

Bioware needs to look into this & make changes, because in Serenity Shadow Stride usage is not what its supposed to be.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Ziddal_the_green
typo

[Aelanis]

No, this situation is fine as is. 3 stacks of Static Charge should have been tied into Blackout with a lockout, rather than forcing us to use the ability that's supposed to make up for the jump in Force Speed cooldown. We shouldn't have to voluntarily give up mobility to increase our damage to barely competitive levels (though it used to be pretty strong). No, I'm quite happy with Hatred how it is.

[LudhaninRolgge]

I agree with Aelanis. Serenity is a bit more mobile than Infiltration since it can use its gap closer as a gap closer where Infiltration is forced to use it as an offensive cooldown and can only use it as a gap closer if all the stars have aligned.

The design is wrong for Infiltration, not Serenity.

 

And since you speak about that, Aelanis, is tying the 3 stacks to Black Out really a good idea ? Force management is fine as it is, but I always end up really low on force before my BO - Force Cloak - BO combo and forcing us to delay BO a few seconds could be bad since you would end up delaying Force Cloak more and more on longer fights. And what about the opener ? Would you sacrifice a Shadow Respite in order to have 2 back to back FB ? Or would you delay BO in order to have 2 back to back FB ?

It just doesn't feel right tying it to BO. I don't know what to tie it to, but I don't feel BO is better than SS. Maybe add another offensive CD, I don't know (even if I don't have any room left on my offensive/defensive CD bar ^^).

[Ziddal_the_green]

No, this situation is fine as is. 3 stacks of Static Charge should have been tied into Blackout with a lockout, rather than forcing us to use the ability that's supposed to make up for the jump in Force Speed cooldown. We shouldn't have to voluntarily give up mobility to increase our damage to barely competitive levels (though it used to be pretty strong). No, I'm quite happy with Hatred how it is.

 

I agree with you that there is something problematic here and if this is not serenity, then it is infiltration.

 

Aelanis, I dont see why you give up mobility with infiltration shadow stride, Using it not only you are closing a gap between you and an opponent (boss/add, it doesnt matter), you also get to strike it hard with force breach. And its short cooldown allows you to use it pretty fast soon.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Ziddal_the_green
typos

[Greezt]

Because as infiltration you have to use shadow stride with 0 stacks of breaching shadows to increase your DPS (assuming there's a dps check), so you can't save it to actually close a gap when you need it (for example, after a knockback or other mechanic).

 

As serenity you can use it when you need it.

[Ziddal_the_green]

Because as infiltration you have to use shadow stride with 0 stacks of breaching shadows to increase your DPS (assuming there's a dps check), so you can't save it to actually close a gap when you need it (for example, after a knockback or other mechanic).

 

As serenity you can use it when you need it.

 

true, still there are some "but" in my mind but this isnt the topic here

[Aelanis]

I agree with Aelanis. Serenity is a bit more mobile than Infiltration since it can use its gap closer as a gap closer where Infiltration is forced to use it as an offensive cooldown and can only use it as a gap closer if all the stars have aligned.

The design is wrong for Infiltration, not Serenity.

 

And since you speak about that, Aelanis, is tying the 3 stacks to Black Out really a good idea ? Force management is fine as it is, but I always end up really low on force before my BO - Force Cloak - BO combo and forcing us to delay BO a few seconds could be bad since you would end up delaying Force Cloak more and more on longer fights. And what about the opener ? Would you sacrifice a Shadow Respite in order to have 2 back to back FB ? Or would you delay BO in order to have 2 back to back FB ?

It just doesn't feel right tying it to BO. I don't know what to tie it to, but I don't feel BO is better than SS. Maybe add another offensive CD, I don't know (even if I don't have any room left on my offensive/defensive CD bar ^^).

 

Delaying Blackout at all would be a loss of DPS due to your Force regeneration taking a hit, and we just can't have that. You would simply have to potentially waste a couple of stacks of Static Charge each time you use it. It's not the end of the world. Also, in the opener? Absolutely, I would most definitely waste 4.5 seconds of Shadow's Respite for another Discharge under Recklessness.

 

Besides, while tying it to Blackout is still a little bit clunky, we literally can't tie it to anything better, and the developers adding another ability isn't going to happen.

I agree with you that there is something problematic here and if this is not serenity, then it is infiltration.

 

Aelanis, I dont see why you give up mobility with infiltration shadow stride, Using it not only you are closing a gap between you and an opponent (boss/add, it doesnt matter), you also get to strike it hard with force breach. And its short cooldown allows you to use it pretty fast soon.

 

You're losing mobility because 30 seconds isn't really a short cooldown and most of the time you use it you're already right on top of the boss, beating its face in. You literally don't change position. As for the speed boost tied to using it? If you need that speed boost to keep up with the boss, your group is using a pretty weird strategy for whatever boss that is.

[lord-angelus]

Because as infiltration you have to use shadow stride with 0 stacks of breaching shadows to increase your DPS (assuming there's a dps check), so you can't save it to actually close a gap when you need it (for example, after a knockback or other mechanic).

 

As serenity you can use it when you need it.

 

That is so true, you have to use it when you have 0 stacks, and cant use it with stacks cause it will be dps lost. So for mobility is close to useless. That ability doesnt work as intented for deception