Damage rotations for the classes

• Tryke wrote on 2011-12-04 14:47
  I was wondering what the best dps rotations are for each class. Sometimes I have bosses knocked down and I use the 4 hit smash by default because they do the "most" damage. However, I know that hammer fiona benefits from spin2win, spear lanns use sprint or 1 hit smashes into glides, etc.
  
  Just wondering, for each class against a knocked down boss, what is the best damage rotation (assume max ranked skills)? Thanks for any advice. :skip:
  
  Edit: Ithought I should add what I currently do on downed or distracted bosses.
  
  Lann
  Sword: LLRL+GF
  Spear: LR+GF or LLLR+GF
  
  Fiona
  Sword: LLLLR or LLRRx2
  Hammer: spin2win :fail3:
  
  Evie
  Staff: MA spam into firebolt (ty rebeccablack)
  Scythe: ???
  
  Karok
  LRLLRR or RRRRRRR... if I have stamina.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2011-12-04 15:04
  For staff Evie...
  
  MA spam until you can't, then launch a fireball as a last strike (it's not worth doing first or in the middle due to the recovery frames, even if you cancel it). Get Ice Spear/Blind Arrow in when you can't MA spam. I'm not sure if they're worth doing in times where you can use MA, but it doesn't seem like they are. Seems like MA spam is the way to go when it's an option, unless of course you want the utility of Ice Spear freezing an enemy for even longer. This is, of course, speaking purely of ideal situations. Saving Blind Arrow for when the enemy is a good distance away from you is probably the best DPS no matter what as it's usually better to do that than chase after it only to have to start running again after two magic arrows.
• Tryke wrote on 2011-12-04 15:17
  See, that's alrdy something new to me. Usually, I just start charging up a blind arrow or something. As for scythe I have no idea.
• MareneCorp wrote on 2011-12-04 15:28
  Sword Lanns, one of the best is, as pointed out, tail piercing into a gliding fury. Another would be the second smash combo, bear blower with rank 9 attack. These don't do as much damage as, say, thousand needles combo (fourth smash), but they are fast and a well-placed gliding and lightning fury far outdamages the time spent on one thousand needles smash.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2011-12-04 15:48

  Quote from Tryke;681047:

  See, that's alrdy something new to me. Usually, I just start charging up a blind arrow or something. As for scythe I have no idea.

  
  I dunno, I'd need to go test it. Blind Arrow would probably be good if the enemy is approaching, but might just lose out if you're already able to start MA spamming for long enough.
• foreignreign wrote on 2011-12-04 16:57
  Blind Arrow has range and is easy to hit with, so that should usually be on cooldown for you. I wouldn't use it on a downed monster since you could start charging one up after the monster gets up and still hit with it.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2011-12-04 17:24

  Quote from foreignreign;681074:

  Blind Arrow has range and is easy to hit with, so that should usually be on cooldown for you. I wouldn't use it on a downed monster since you could start charging one up after the monster gets up and still hit with it.

  
  Yeah, that's my opinion on it as well, but I'm trying to get an idea of whether it'd be good or not under the imaginary (or not so imaginary, with boss locking) assumption that the boss stands still in front of you and never attacks.
• Conor wrote on 2011-12-05 19:52
  I'd like to know about sword Fiona since I've just started mine. When does the Ivy Sweep combo come in handy if ever?
• Spartaaaaa wrote on 2011-12-05 20:43

  Quote from Conor;682104:

  I'd like to know about sword Fiona since I've just started mine. When does the Ivy Sweep combo come in handy if ever?

  
  
  At rank 9, you get a third smash.
• Invertex wrote on 2011-12-05 22:32

  Quote from Spartaaaaa;682169:

  At rank 9, you get a third smash.

  
  
  Incorrect, it's faster to spam Amaranth and HS cancel it repeatedly over spamming Ivy Sweep with all 3 hits. Your attacks slow down when they hit something (Amaranth hits 5 times, Ivy Sweep hits 6). You can't HS Cancel Ivy Sweep, which makes it slower to start a second combo. In addition, you need the last 2 or 3 hits of Ivy Sweep to connect for optimal damage, while Amaranth only requires the kick to connect.
  
  For Sword Fiona.
  Either spam LR repeatedly while walking fowards (walking cancels the recovery animation), this is the most stamina costly option but offers the best DPS.
  LLLLR, Amaranth (HS Cancel) spam works well too, and offers the best stamina efficiency and SP gain.
  You could try LRR spam and HS Cancel and do it again for a middle ground.
  
  For Hammer Fiona.
  Butterfly2win, LLLRRRRRRRR. Do that until you're low on stamina (~20-30 stamina), and then do a Stigma if you have time. You could also just back off to regenerate stamina. If you're already at low stamina when the boss goes down, just charge up Stigma.
• foreignreign wrote on 2011-12-05 23:01
  You actually can HSC Ivy Sweep's kick but there's not much benefit to it, if any.
• Conor wrote on 2011-12-06 03:11
  Darn. LLLRRR is my favorite combo 'cause the kick is so cute. :(
  But, yeah. I didn't even know about the HSC and perfect guard with small shield = 2hit combo until today lol
• Spartaaaaa wrote on 2011-12-06 21:11

  Quote from Invertex;682258:

  Incorrect, it's faster to spam Amaranth and HS cancel it repeatedly over spamming Ivy Sweep with all 3 hits.

  
  
  What about with transformation? Firing 3 sets of lasers is a lot more damage than only one.
  
  Also, having three smashes gives a much larger chance for crits.
• Invertex wrote on 2011-12-06 21:50

  Quote from Spartaaaaa;683353:

  What about with transformation? Firing 3 sets of lasers is a lot more damage than only one.
  
  Also, having three smashes gives a much larger chance for crits.

  
  
  While the slow down from connecting hits is pretty much removed in Trans, I still perfer Amaranth.
  
  The projectiles from trans are relatively weak, and really don't do much besides give you an option if the boss keeps running away.
  Criticals work both ways, but it's just a 50% damage increase. The majority of Ivy Sweep's damage comes from the roundhouse (which is still slower then an Amaranth + HS Cancel), so you're still relying on the critical to occur on a single hit.
  Also note that you get a huge SP gain boost in trans (both stages), which makes Amaranth even better as you'll be gaining SP very quickly, meaning you can get that Shield Charge in faster.
  
  Edit
  I forgot another important thing. Stamina. It takes 28 Stamina for a full Ivy Sweep versus 18 for an Amaranth. 10 stamina isn't a lot, but it's something.