Sampire DCI

[Mikeltin5]

So I've ran my sampire for probly 8 months now (built probly 6 or 7 suits as I learned all the crafting details) and have now changed my entire template to remove macing for swords and changed skills a bit.

I see a couple posts where people reference keeping DCI on the low end (I will be using DF so at least +10 to counter the -10) but not higher then 20 so that counter attack goes off more thus hitting more and healing more.

To this point, all of my prior suits have had 45 DCI on them and there wasn't much I couldn't solo so I have an idea of how I operate as a 45 DCI suit char, but anyone who has done this similar transition, is there a noticeable difference by having a lower DCI to allow the counter attack to go off more frequently?

 

[Mikeltin5]

I may have just found my own answer :/ my new template doesn't have parry as my other builds in the past have had. So with counter attack being determined by a successful parry, I guess I can mark that spell off my list

 

[DJAd]

I don't think I've ever used the counter attack Bushido move on my sampire!

 

[A-tron]

I personally love counter attack. I keep two sets of jewels. For one on one fights ie peerless champs I run 20 DCI for counter attack, and for mobs and champ spawn levels I run 45 dci in mobs I don't use CA much mostly evasion, confidence. Curious DJ which are your most used Bushido spells?

 

[Mikeltin5]

Lemme pose another question...the new temp I'm going to run is 120 bush/chiv/swords/resist/tactics, 100 necro, 20 anat (+30 to anat and probly play with chiv a bit to add more natural to anat and supplement chiv on jewels).

Would it be reasonable to keep 120 parry on a stone and stone on/off resist for bosses that don't have magery? It would mean having a duplicate set of jewels minus the DCI that's on 1 of em (tangle, robe, sash, ring = 30 - DF(10) = 20). So my ring would stay the same and my bracelet could have additional mods.

This would also mean (since I'm having to put 5DCI on (2) pieces of armor) that either the armor would get swapped out for a different 2 pieces or adjust a 2nd ring so the ring and bracelet are the only 2 pieces to get moved when I swap skills.

There's so much involved with making this type of transitionable char...is it really worth it in the end? I mean the difference in having parry (for non-casting bosses) vs. having resist 24/7 in the real scale of the boss is probly what...3 minutes MAYBE in death of a boss?? So the extra work and suiting up and at some point forgetting to grab the right jewelry for the right skill selection...big ole PITA.

Could I get some concurring/opposing/enlightening views to help make up my mind? I've got the suit to be built all written down on paper ready to be crafted, but I want to make sure I get the most out of this new build and by default this new suit. Thanks!

 

[DJAd]

Curious DJ which are your most used Bushido spells?

Mainly for honor. I then use evasion and confidence. I'll cast evasion and while that is on a cool down I will use confidence. I don't bother with lightning strike because I can chain AI back to back and this does lots more damage. I used to momentum strike for a while but then found it better to just swap to my double axe and use whirlwind when mobs around me. What are the main benefits of Bushido? I just have it because all the other sampires seem to run it! (120)

 

[A-tron]

Mainly for honor. I then use evasion and confidence. I'll cast evasion and while that is on a cool down I will use confidence. I don't bother with lightning strike because I can chain AI back to back and this does lots more damage. I used to momentum strike for a while but then found it better to just swap to my double axe and use whirlwind when mobs around me. What are the main benefits of Bushido? I just have it because all the other sampires seem to run it! (120)

Haha I run 120 bush too and I am not totally sure why.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Could I get some concurring/opposing/enlightening views to help make up my mind? I've got the suit to be built all written down on paper ready to be crafted, but I want to make sure I get the most out of this new build and by default this new suit. Thanks!

Various factors;
Do you enjoy coming up with the template, planning the suit, setting up the macros, testing and tweaking, adapting for the encounters you put yourself into...
Or
Do you enjoy the actual encounter, fighting the monsters, feel like every fight could go any number of ways...

For me it's the former, because the latter just isn't the case for me, fights haven't changed and don't generally change. Fighting anything now is the same as it was 5 years ago, and 5 years before that. Monsters have set attacks, they may have; melee, magery spells cast 2 at a time, necro spells cast 4 at a time (when combined with magery), spellweaving, mysticism, healing, breath, mortal, bleed, ai, ... whatever behaviours they've got by the time you've killed 10 of them you should know everything they do and know how to counter it. If you're not the type of person that this occurs to then every fight is like a new adventure and game mechanics are forever a mystery. I have friends like that and there's nothing wrong with it. But it shapes the way you play...

If changing your setup is a chore, then the first way, despite better equipping you for certain fights, will end up pissing you off.

Ultimately it comes down to a choice, either build a generic all purpose character that is eventually 'done' that you use everywhere, or change when/where needed. Neither is necessarily better or worse, the end result of encounters, providing you live and the monster dies is the same. It just comes down to a matter of preference.

I know fully well that when I make a template for a specific purpose, say the Void Pool, that it would be useless at say Blackthorn Masters, if I start playing there more than at the Pool I'll rebuild it.

I personally think you give yourself an easier time of it if you build a generic character and don't change it. But at the same time it too has limits, and becomes boring. If I'm honest, I'm slightly envious of people that can be content with 'all rounder' setups, but I always get bored or see someone doing it slightly different and want to change.

 

[DJAd]

Haha I run 120 bush too and I am not totally sure why.

I've got 60 parry on my template but would like to give 120 parry a try. I just don't know what skill to remove / lower to fit it in.

 

[A-tron]

I've got 60 parry on my template but would like to give 120 parry a try. I just don't know what skill to remove / lower to fit it in.

I was actually thinking of going the other to raise chiv and anat and resist when I use it

 

[Kuzan]

I went from a 20dci suit which counter attack didn't seem to want to go off very much so I tried a 45dci suit and it goes off very quickly now
I run 100 bushido and 120 parry

 

[DJAd]

I run 100 bushido and 120 parry

Whats your full template?

 

[Mikeltin5]

I like the suit building part and then testing it and killing stuff with it, so im kinda both. But i enjoy the killing just a little more cuz of the drops and the suit building gets expensive over time. Plus the fact that most the time my main suits use the same arties...so u cant really sell it wen ur done since most ppl want the whole deal.

I guess i'll stick with the resist and pretend counter attack doesn't exist. Theres also the option of making 2 samps and use both skills

 

[A-tron]

I went from a 20dci suit which counter attack didn't seem to want to go off very much so I tried a 45dci suit and it goes off very quickly now
I run 100 bushido and 120 parry

That's very odd because the way the defensive checks work parry is the final check and parry sets off CA.

 

[Kuzan]

Whats your full template?

120 swords 100 bushido 120 parry 99 necro 65 chiv 120 tactics 110 archery or resist depending on hunt

 

[Kuzan]

That's very odd because the way the defensive checks work parry is the final check and parry sets off CA.

Ya it doesn't make since to me either

 

[CorwinXX]

All 75 is better then all 70 for PvM even if you don't use Counter Attack. It also leaves you more room on jewels.

Here is my experience with CA:

I don't know how formulate this in English in short way:
- usually a swing without special move does low damage
- to do special with CA you need press a hotkey for the special in the interval [between normal swing and CA] and in the interval [between CA and next normal swing]. if you are lucky both intervals are 0.6 sec but usually on of them less than 0.3 sec - behind your ping+reaction.
- casting CA deactivate Special so you need reactivate it after CA. to do this you need to have perfect timing, good connection and probably FC/FCR

As a result instead of 5x 150 damage you get 6... but only 4 of them 150 (AI) while 2 are 50 (normal swings)... may be 5 150 and 1 50 sometimes = is not worth so much efforts.
Yes you do more swings but not more damage.

 

[CorwinXX]

Lemme pose another question...the new temp I'm going to run is 120 bush/chiv/swords/resist/tactics, 100 necro, 20 anat (+30 to anat and probly play with chiv a bit to add more natural to anat and supplement chiv on jewels).

You can have 0 necro and 120 anatomy. HLL on weapon usually is enough.

 

[A-tron]

All 75 is better then all 70 for PvM even if you don't use Counter Attack. It also leaves you more room on jewels.

Here is my experience with CA:

I am gonna have to disagree with you there. If I chain 5 AI with CA activated and it goes off regardless of the special activating or not that is more damage. CA swings don't count on your swing timer so that any damage triggered by CA is inherently bonus damage. CA doesn't trigger often enough to not be able to make a keystroke to activate your specials.

 

[Mikeltin5]

You can have 0 necro and 120 anatomy. HLL on weapon usually is enough.

Would there ever be any reason 100% HLL wouldn't be enough? For the most part I don't see it too difficult to reforge those weapons (except in the case I need 100% fire or cold - in which case I suck it up enough to roll hammers until I get one if the 2 100%'s are even possible) seeing as I don't need SSI on my weapons, but to not have it in the build and need it in more cases then not would be a complete waste of weapons to have to re-outfit.

So could you enlighten on any bosses you either have encountered or could see issues with not having VE? Thanks

 

[Tuan]

Would there ever be any reason 100% HLL wouldn't be enough?

VE leeches 20% every hit.

HLL leeches between 0 and 30%, randomly.

A statistically improbably event (aka: bad luck) could EASILY cost you.

 

[CorwinXX]

Would there ever be any reason 100% HLL wouldn't be enough? For the most part I don't see it too difficult to reforge those weapons (except in the case I need 100% fire or cold - in which case I suck it up enough to roll hammers until I get one if the 2 100%'s are even possible) seeing as I don't need SSI on my weapons, but to not have it in the build and need it in more cases then not would be a complete waste of weapons to have to re-outfit.

So could you enlighten on any bosses you either have encountered or could see issues with not having VE? Thanks

Most of my Double Axes have only 81 HLL/81 HML and I don't feel like it's not enough. It's pretty enough for Slasher. I surmise it would be not enough for Stygian and Shimmering but they are really tough for a melee char.

 

[CorwinXX]

I am gonna have to disagree with you there. If I chain 5 AI with CA activated and it goes off regardless of the special activating or not that is more damage. CA swings don't count on your swing timer so that any damage triggered by CA is inherently bonus damage. CA doesn't trigger often enough to not be able to make a keystroke to activate your specials.

I didn't understand what you disagree with.
Every time CA trigger you need to reactivate it ... and you get a good chance to don't press AI key in time and make a hit without AI.
Well it depends on connection and micro so I suppose that some persons are able to hit the key in time mostly... but I am is not able to do.

Could you make a short video against UEV? So we could see how much additional damage you get from CA.

 

[A-tron]

Corwin, I never have used a video grab program. Can you recommend one?

 

[CorwinXX]

Corwin, I never have used a video grab program. Can you recommend one?

I use fraps but it's not free.

 

[Ender]

Check out Open Broadcasting Software. I think it supports recording as well as broadcasting. Pretty sure.