uh... what? Gust sting is literally the fastest thing you can throw out, with the exception of a single normal attack. Having enough attack speed (example, a +8 ~ +10 twinsword) and knowing how to exploit boss openings is more than enough to slip in a Pummel Storm easily, maybe a Twin Edge 450 if the boss is super derp. Even right now without the S2 buff Lann is actually a good character, it's just that most people suck too much with him so he seems bad. That, and almost everyone else is just way better.
Thousand Needles also has one of the longest reaches a Lann can throw out. That in itself should give you some cause to use it because, believe it or not, sometimes damage might not be the single most important thing ever. Find some weird scenarios and try it out.
gust sting is fast? Sitting there and charging is faster than a basic double crecent? Thats fast? Or do you mean the akward gust sting that doesnt even move the hp bar with no charge?
I'm still going off the S1 numbers.
Where Gust sting, even at max charge, has absolutely no point in using.
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You make thousand needles sound like it puts you where you cant be hit, It doesn't. So you might as well use something that actually damages. All I get from thousand needles is that its meant to be a rapid hit that stacks up damage, but its either too weak, too slow, or too high of a stam eater, to even equal a single double crescent.