Builds - Melee DPS

[PsiKoTicK]

I know it's in the other thread, but since servers are down for 4 hours, you get a new discussion thread, woo.

Riftstabber: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MiMp.V0x0h.hVRcxofozbR.Vbxc0q

Ok, the rotation here is mindnumbingly complex (particularly in comparison to the ranged build - which used to out DPS it too)... so here goes..

Keep buffs up. Stalker Phase, Lethal Poison, and Virulent Poison/Hellfire Blade (same damage proc, just a matter of whatever you wanna do).

Stealth opener, I use Dark Malady or Jagged Strike, depending on my mood. Then I use Shadow Assault, then Puncture. That gives me 5 combo points, AND I have Damage and Crits up from the Shadow Assault, so Impale. Then Backstab x 5, Shadow Stalk (Which does NOT give a combo point), Annihilate finisher. Then Puncture, Backstab x 3, Final Blow. Then Shadow Blitz, which only gives the Crit boost (damage is only from the other 2 warps in stalker phase), Backstab/Puncture as possible, and Final Blow. Refresh Impale when you have crits and damage up, refresh Annihilate when you only have crits up.

It's a horrid rotation, but once you get used to it you have the best melee DPS in game (it didn't used to be, but some stuff got changed right before release).

[Tabbran]

I think you'll find better results if you swap backstab for savage strike as your combo builder of choice. Unless there's some scaling point with attack power that enables backstab to pull ahead of savage strike, but I'm not entirely confident it exists because savage strike gets an additional +15% damage from behind and +4% crit over backstab thanks to double cross and improved savage strike.

I've been messing with builds a whole lot and at least for me from the 20's to the 30's, savage strike is worlds beyond backstab as far as damage dealing goes.

EDIT: Tweaked your build a little:

http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MiMp.Vbx.GVRcx0fok0R.VI0c0q0M

Since the 12 nightblade root ability is what we want, I took a point out of fire and death attunement and threw it into improved shadow assault. I shifted things around in the riftstalker to enable you to get improved shadow blitz, which'll be +40% damage to that attack. Since we're not going to use backstab or assassinate to open I move the points from advanced flanking to improved savage strike, and that leaves 1 floating point from backstab to put wherever since we need to keep 32 points in assassin for impale. I chose subterfuge, but it would probably be just as good in Enduring Brew for a quick self heal (+30% heals! -6% damage to the dot!).

[PsiKoTicK]

I think you'll find better results if you swap backstab for savage strike as your combo builder of choice. Unless there's some scaling point with attack power that enables backstab to pull ahead of savage strike, but I'm not entirely confident it exists because savage strike gets an additional +15% damage from behind and +4% crit over backstab thanks to double cross and improved savage strike.

I've been messing with builds a whole lot and at least for me from the 20's to the 30's, savage strike is worlds beyond backstab as far as damage dealing goes.

EDIT: Tweaked your build a little:

http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MiMp.Vbx.GVRcx0fok0R.VI0c0q0M

Since the 12 nightblade root ability is what we want, I took a point out of fire and death attunement and threw it into improved shadow assault. I shifted things around in the riftstalker to enable you to get improved shadow blitz, which'll be +40% damage to that attack. Since we're not going to use backstab or assassinate to open I move the points from advanced flanking to improved savage strike, and that leaves 1 floating point from backstab to put wherever since we need to keep 32 points in assassin for impale. I chose subterfuge, but it would probably be just as good in Enduring Brew for a quick self heal (+30% heals! -6% damage to the dot!).

Backstab outparses Savage Strike at 50. Leveling up you may be correct, I am only going by what we have parsed at 50. We tried Savage Strike, but with gear and levels your attack power does pass it. Savage Strike instead of Backstab does decrease your need for being behind the back, but... with Double Cross you still want it.

Aiming for Improved Shadow Assault is pointless, it adds 8 DPS. Yes, a total of 8 DPS. You want 21 points to get Shadow Blitz and Shadow Assault (plus the reduction of the timer from Shadow Mastery).

Oh, and why use Unstable State? Everything assassin does is physical damage, so boosting nonphysical is pointless. We aimed for 13 NB (not the 12 root ability, though it's a nice addition) because it let's us add 3% damage to EVERY attack with Fire and Death Attunement.

[Tabbran]

It was my understanding that Unstable State adds damage to weapon enchantment procs -- which nightblade and assassin rely a lot on, but I'm not 50, so I haven't run any meaningful parses, and I could be totally wrong. Maybe urge the readers that this isn't a build you level with.

[Yalum]

Do dots applied during Dark Malady/Stalker Phase/Blade Tempo/etc tick for their entire duration with the effect, or does it recalculate after the buff fades?

[PsiKoTicK]

It was my understanding that Unstable State adds damage to weapon enchantment procs -- which nightblade and assassin rely a lot on, but I'm not 50, so I haven't run any meaningful parses, and I could be totally wrong. Maybe urge the readers that this isn't a build you level with.

I'm using it in groups to level, with Rift/Sin where they need to be, and NB being my last spec to put points in. I wouldn't recommend using it to solo (no rift scavenger or pet = ouchies).

The poison/hellfire procs are like a grand total of 80 DPS at 50. So... useful, but not THAT useful.

Not gonna lie and say I tested everything while leveling, so do what you feel is best - we have a lot of testing still to do now that everything is live :)

[PsiKoTicK]

Nightblade build, which is out DPSing the riftstabber by quite a bit.
http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MMiN.0VMcx0b.iItRhqgzoc.Vo

Rotation is (from stealth) Dark Malady x1, Fiery Spike x3, Scourge of Darkness. Fiery Spike x1 (to refresh the stack), Dusk Strike x1, Twilight Force x1, Primal Strike x1, Blazing Strike (which refreshes it again)... rinse and repeat using Blazing Strike to finish... Use Dusk Strike and Twilight Force when they're up, and Scourge of Darkness to finish when it's up, refreshing Fiery Spike afterwards.

I have it macroed like this, to help out with the timing and keep it simple - but keep Dusk Strike and Fiery Spike on their own:

DPS
cast Twilight Force
cast Primal Strike
cast Fiery Spike (if I'm out of range)

I don't put Dusk Strike here because I don't want to waste the combo point.

and

Finish
cast Scourge of Darkness
cast Blazing Strike
cast Flame Thrust (if I'm out of range)

For AE you get Fiery Chains and Weapon Flare, nothing spectacular but it's better than having none.

Edit: I am debating using Final Blow as it does more damage than Blazing Strike... but I'd have to refresh Fiery Spike's DoT manually (which I do anyway after Scourge)... I am not sure which is better DPS atm. I need to do more testing still.

[Vilkata Tasavalt]

Wow looks like a great build... I'm gonna throw it together and mess around with it later!

Question: Is the extra critical hit from Ranger better than say, the extra attack power from Riftstalker?

edit: wait, the Predatory Instincts makes up for it, right?

[PsiKoTicK]

Wow looks like a great build... I'm gonna throw it together and mess around with it later!

Question: Is the extra critical hit from Ranger better than say, the extra attack power from Riftstalker?

edit: wait, the Predatory Instincts makes up for it, right?

Exactly ;) And gives you more (hence why 6 points in ranger, and not 5)

[Yalum]

I haven't done a lot of nightbladery, but I would consider trading Flame Thrust for Puncture. You have Head Shot available as a range finisher, and that gives you a 2-point ability in every set. You could set up a macro for Dusk Strike, Puncture and maybe Splinter Shot, although I would probably forget to stand still for that.

[PsiKoTicK]

I haven't done a lot of nightbladery, but I would consider trading Flame Thrust for Puncture. You have Head Shot available as a range finisher, and that gives you a 2-point ability in every set. You could set up a macro for Dusk Strike, Puncture and maybe Splinter Shot, although I would probably forget to stand still for that.

Flame Thrust will refresh Fiery Spike's dot though... Head Shot does not. That'd be the only reason not to drop it. Need to do testing, it looks like.

[Yalum]

If you wanted to keep Flame Thrust, you could go 4/5 Heat Retention. That puts you at the whim of the RNG, but on average will be a... four percent loss to Heat Retention damage? I think my decade-old statistics education may be failing me, but it won't be all that much.

[PsiKoTicK]

It appears that Ruthlessness and Eagle Eye are not stacking, so we may need to redo that build.

I'll let you know once I figure it all out, but now it's bed time.

[Vilkata Tasavalt]

Interesting that they aren't stacking... wonder if that's a bug or by design.

As far as the build.. wow. I'm burning through mobs at insane rates. It's crazy.

edit: As an aside, which weapon enchantments do you use?

[PsiKoTicK]

Ok, here's what we have as our current melee dps spec:

http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0MiMp.iItMhqgMoc.0VRcx0b.V

same rotation, throw in puncture when ya can~