Single target needs some love

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PolarisOrbit wrote:

Nah, AOE should be dominant over single target.

If you mean "multi-target primary (required), single-target secondary (optional)" then I agree. If you mean single-target utterly useless (not even an option), then disagree. It is a dominance which should only go so far. Even for 1h.

Thanks for sharing, grant :)

The build im running in Warbands is running Firestorm for AOE clearing and Power Charge Generation as well as Incenerate for STD which is quite huge since theres no need to gimp it with LMP/GMP since i have an AOE skill! Then i also run Flame Totem with both skills as well a ball lightning on COH+Flammability+Elemental Weakness/Warlords Mark (Depending and the second curse is next to be taken)!

So by the time my ball lightning gets to enemies the totem is going up and them my firestorm melts anything left while keeping my charges up! The Totem mainly helps to pulling Agro off me just long enough to get the job done without taking damage and also helps to give me time to cast and kite! And then if theres rare the curses with a touch of Incinerate melt them down as if they were White monsters!

The plan later is to get a Romiras since it will not only give me more crit but allow me to use Incinerate for my PC generation but for now im about to swap my Totem up to generating charges for me so Incen and FS both can be maxed out gem wise for maximum damage for both AOE and STD! FT may even eventually get dropped altogether but for right now even with no investment on the tree its damage+utility makes it really nice and hard to take out even with it doing less and less in comparesion to my other 2 main spells!

Its very interesting how Incen cant crit yet hits just as hard or harder than just about any crit spell once you get the right supports and fire pen in there! So its a very ideal option for utilizing a Romiras... we'll see how it goes later! Ive also found running a CODT with Frost Wall works amazing! And the best part is nothing can get to me but i can cast my damage through it! (If you would like to try this keep one thing in mind... Take Frost Wall+CODT out for Corrupted Piety otherwise it will get you killed on her beam when a wall comes out you have to try and run around with her!)

Also undecided as of yet what weapon will be running in the final build but right now its between a Staff or a Spell Dagger and Shield! IF i was to find the right Wand before maps i would still consider going wands and i can on my tree... As you can see ive left my self plenty of options for endgame as of right now! How it turns out from here will depend alot on what drops for me and what im able to trade around with to get some things for endgame!

Malachi in Normal and Cruel were downed... Deathless AND Portalless!!! so its working out so far!
We shall see this afternoon when i get into maps! \m/

Single target skills are so 2012!

But seriously, I always carry a single target skill because I can get twice the DPS of an AoE and get some neat status effect to boot... Makes bosses and picking off the lone mobs that much easier. Neat status effects can include high stun rate, burning, bleeding, etc, which never work as well on an AoE.

Having a single target skill is entirely optional in this game though, but those that don't are missing out.

I am pretty much having to run puncture as a single target skill on a bow build. I am clearing packs very quick with my AoE, but single targets take all day without a dedicated skill.

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ScrotieMcB wrote:

Some of you might not remember the days when people would use things like Dual Strike for single-target damage in a 4L.

Yep, I've been using a 4L Dual Strike on the left mouse button of my Duelist since Open Beta 1.0. Nothing fancy, just DS + Multistrike + Faster Attacks + Melee Physical Damage. That gives me 6.5 APS and with 47 LGoH he can safely duke it out with most any boss, no life leech required. He uses Dominating Blow as well, another underrated single-target attack that benefits greatly from Multistrike.

I refurbished this level-82 Duelist for 2.0, and he's stronger than ever with 3700 HP. Replaced Enduring Cry with Fortify and combined Phase Run with CwDT. Ice Crash + Ice Bite + WEP + Ele Prolif is awesome for crowd control. HoI gives me 20K tooltip dps on Dual Strike, very effective with no fear of reflect. Your single-target melee buff suggestions would make him even better.

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RogueMage wrote:

Yep, I've been using a 4L Dual Strike on the left mouse button of my Duelist since Open Beta 1.0. Nothing fancy, just DS + Multistrike + Faster Attacks + Melee Physical Damage. That gives me 6.5 APS and with 47 LGoH he can safely duke it out with most any boss, no life leech required. He uses Dominating Blow as well, another underrated single-target attack that benefits greatly from Multistrike.

I refurbished this level-82 Duelist for 2.0, and he's stronger than ever with 3700 HP. Replaced Enduring Cry with Fortify and combined Phase Run with CwDT. Ice Crash + Ice Bite + WEP + Ele Prolif is awesome for crowd control. HoI gives me 20K tooltip dps on Dual Strike, very effective with no fear of reflect. Your single-target melee buff suggestions would make him even better.

What is your Ice Crash DPS at?

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ScrotieMcB wrote:

What is your Ice Crash DPS at?

5K dps static, without Frenzy charges. Would be 6.3K dps without Ele Prolif, but I prefer the freeze.

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grant_m wrote:

I quite often will run a single target skill as a main damage option alongside an aoe skill.

Mainly this is because I plan around 4 link gear. Sometimes I'll get ultra lucky and come across a 5 link chest/weapon during a league event, but it's rare.

Anyway, I usually end up using the aoe skill (ground slam/static strike, etc.) for applying status effects, curses, generating endurance charges, life on hit or whatever else, then whack things one by one with a loaded 4 link single target.

The new reactive attacks linked with some of those things help somewhat, but the areas thickly populated by quick mobs are still tough to deal with.

The main reason I use a single target skill usually boils down to not being able to generate enough dps from a 4 linked aoe to survive, unless I find a very good weapon.

I do the same - all my builds have an anti-boss, single target skill as well as a big AoE skill. The AoE skill is always the priority for 5L and 6L tho, because its the one I wind up using far more often. Single target is good with leech gem (or used to be, before these horrible leech changes) and now fortify.