Earthquake and you a discussion about scaling the #1 melee skill

I want to talk about Earthquake for a minute as there seems to be some confusion on how to best scale it when it comes to certain weapons. I've been playing EQ for a few leagues now and this is how I look for improvements when making a character. If something I posted is wrong please feel free to show me with math if you can and ill correct the information in the OP.

Here's a graph that shows EQs breakpoints next to some other melee skills without reduced duration.


What this shows us is that EQ has some soft caps at different APS intervals, We can overcome these caps by using Reduced duration, Rapid Decay, The EQ helm enchant and Warped timepiece amulet. I think that's about as much reduced duration as you can get as a 2h melee but realistically no one is using warped timepiece over a well crafted rare amulet or a unique amulet with better utility. This means that with ALL sources of reduced duration EQ is still limited to about 2.94 APS before you hit its true softcap (your hitting the ground more times than the secondary effect is going off).

To get the most damage from EQ you would only want roughly 2.94 APS everything else should be about boosting your x-y damage range.

Take Onslaught Song for example 812.63 Pdps 1.65 aps 358-627 phys damage

Vs

Gale Song 785.65 dps 1.53aps 350-677 phys damage

Most people only look at the DPS numbers 812 vs 785 but that's not how you should approach EQ. Gale song has the better x-y range than onslaught song and hitting the 2.94 aps mark it really easy with any weapon that isn't Marohi. Gale song is the better staff for EQ.

If we apply the same rules to RT Brimstone Bane is the #1 axe for EQ despite its flat phys being 417-708 Vs
Pain Sunder 423-726. What puts brimstone bane over the edge is the +49 strength with will add into your flat phys and provide more damage.
This was taken with a typical RT tree the top is Brimstone Bane and the bottom is Pain Sunder


In closing when looking for weapon upgrades for an EQ build. Looking only at the weapon DPS is very misleading and will most likely result in a less than optimal build. Instead focus on the X-y damage while maintaining the APS cap that's appropriate for the amount of reduced duration you have.

Wait wat?!
I've been told there's a disfavour-like 2H vaal axe with 710pdps and bleeding mod is the BiS 2H Axe in RT EQ. like
Can you explain why u claiming its not? or i missed about something?

"

aphrodite_1289 wrote:

Wait wat?!
I've been told there's a disfavour-like 2H vaal axe with 710pdps and bleeding mod is the BiS 2H Axe in RT EQ. like

Can you explain why u claiming its not? or i missed about something?

Maybe you should use crit weapons, when it comes to weapons of such high power level? Crit staffs can out-damage non-crit axes by a MILE!

this guy is einstein

"

aphrodite_1289 wrote:

Wait wat?!
I've been told there's a disfavour-like 2H vaal axe with 710pdps and bleeding mod is the BiS 2H Axe in RT EQ. like

Can you explain why u claiming its not? or i missed about something?

Geez. Can we just leave all the drama in just one thread and not spread it everywhere?

To OP:

I agree with your calculation. But those are only theories. There are usually many other temporary factors that are not easy to control but can affect EQ in real mapping like Blood rage, frenzy charges, headhunter, party member buffs and map debuffs. Any of these can break the cycle badly when you are to close to the attack speed break point. I was trying to achieve the break point you wrote here but when I was mapping there were so many factors that can affect my EQ cycle and it's really annoying. Another way is to move after each attack so that all your EQ can proc second stage. In this case the faster you attack the better. But then there are problems with this attack style as well. Do you have any suggestions?

"

aphrodite_1289 wrote:

Wait wat?!
I've been told there's a disfavour-like 2H vaal axe with 710pdps and bleeding mod is the BiS 2H Axe in RT EQ. like

Can you explain why u claiming its not? or i missed about something?

When a new league comes out gear can be very limited at first. Most people who use Earthquake will start out with weapon progression similar to this Voidheart was nerfed in leagues so it isnt always a viable option unless your ascendency class give you extra bleed/poison chance or you can make it up elsewhere (2 voidhearts maybe)

However when we get into standard league where legacy voidhearts are plenty there would be a final step in the weapon progression which would be

We can easily spare a ring slot for even as a crit melee character when we get to the final stages of gearing a character well have enough resistances on other pieces to use voidheart even without extra endurance charges. If your stuck as RT you really need the highest x-y damage you can get on your weapon.

"

LBJames wrote:

To OP:

I agree with your calculation. But those are only theories. There are usually many other temporary factors that are not easy to control but can affect EQ in real mapping like Blood rage, frenzy charges, headhunter, party member buffs and map debuffs. Any of these can break the cycle badly when you are to close to the attack speed break point. I was trying to achieve the break point you wrote here but when I was mapping there were so many factors that can affect my EQ cycle and it's really annoying. Another way is to move after each attack so that all your EQ can proc second stage. In this case the faster you attack the better. But then there are problems with this attack style as well. Do you have any suggestions?

When I set up my characters I like to figure out sustainable dps/aps that means when I go for the 2.94 aps im considering bloodrage + frenzy charges being up as, in my experience I am able to permanently sustain those buffs. If you were a pathfinder you could probably take into account flask buffs as another example as those would be easy to sustain at all times.

When it comes to party play some buffs like haste vaal haste can certainly put you over your 2.94aps which isnt really a bad thing its just not as efficient as it could be were they running a Hatred aura for you. When we go over the 2.94 aps we dont loose dps our damage efficiency just begins to taper off and since we didnt invest in the attack speed that put us over the mark I dont see it as a detriment to the build.

There are times when the delayed secondary effect of EQ can be beneficial but I find when I get to the final stage of gearing ive usually either taken Vaal pact or I have Acuities for instant leech. In my experience being near the bosses leaching faster because your at the 2.94 aps mark is better than trying to avoid damage by delaying the secondary effect.

"

Dethklok wrote:

"

aphrodite_1289 wrote:

Wait wat?!
I've been told there's a disfavour-like 2H vaal axe with 710pdps and bleeding mod is the BiS 2H Axe in RT EQ. like

Can you explain why u claiming its not? or i missed about something?

When a new league comes out gear can be very limited at first. Most people who use Earthquake will start out with weapon progression similar to this

Spoiler

Voidheart was nerfed in leagues so it isnt always a viable option unless your ascendency class give you extra bleed/poison chance or you can make it up elsewhere (2 voidhearts maybe)

However when we get into standard league where legacy voidhearts are plenty there would be a final step in the weapon progression which would be

Spoiler

We can easily spare a ring slot for

even as a crit melee character when we get to the final stages of gearing a character well have enough resistances on other pieces to use voidheart even without extra endurance charges. If your stuck as RT you really need the highest x-y damage you can get on your weapon.

Oh yes, Voidheart is the KEY!!

"

LBJames wrote:

Geez. Can we just leave all the drama in just one thread and not spread it everywhere?

I'm pretty sad that u said this.
One guy told me Brimstone Bane is best (I tend to think this one is best), yet another said Hate splitter is best.

I want to figure it out which is the real best, and it happens to have this place allow us to discuss. Anything wrong?

"

Dethklok wrote:

"

LBJames wrote:

To OP:

I agree with your calculation. But those are only theories. There are usually many other temporary factors that are not easy to control but can affect EQ in real mapping like Blood rage, frenzy charges, headhunter, party member buffs and map debuffs. Any of these can break the cycle badly when you are to close to the attack speed break point. I was trying to achieve the break point you wrote here but when I was mapping there were so many factors that can affect my EQ cycle and it's really annoying. Another way is to move after each attack so that all your EQ can proc second stage. In this case the faster you attack the better. But then there are problems with this attack style as well. Do you have any suggestions?

When I set up my characters I like to figure out sustainable dps/aps that means when I go for the 2.94 aps im considering bloodrage + frenzy charges being up as, in my experience I am able to permanently sustain those buffs. If you were a pathfinder you could probably take into account flask buffs as another example as those would be easy to sustain at all times.

When it comes to party play some buffs like haste vaal haste can certainly put you over your 2.94aps which isnt really a bad thing its just not as efficient as it could be were they running a Hatred aura for you. When we go over the 2.94 aps we dont loose dps our damage efficiency just begins to taper off and since we didnt invest in the attack speed that put us over the mark I dont see it as a detriment to the build.

There are times when the delayed secondary effect of EQ can be beneficial but I find when I get to the final stage of gearing ive usually either taken Vaal pact or I have Acuities for instant leech. In my experience being near the bosses leaching faster because your at the 2.94 aps mark is better than trying to avoid damage by delaying the secondary effect.

Yep I agree. To be honest, using EQ with a good weapon basically means you can one shot all the trash mobs. And the problem only arises when you are against bosses. IMO, once you have instant leech, other skills like ground slam/sweep are actually better against bosses than EQ. With EQ sometimes it's too slow to leech back your health against faster attack bosses like hydra & chimera. And map mods like Temp chain and chill ground only make it worse.

"

LBJames wrote:

Yep I agree. To be honest, using EQ with a good weapon basically means you can one shot all the trash mobs. And the problem only arises when you are against bosses. IMO, once you have instant leech, other skills like ground slam/sweep are actually better against bosses than EQ. With EQ sometimes it's too slow to leech back your health against faster attack bosses like hydra & chimera. And map mods like Temp chain and chill ground only make it worse.

Yea the chill/tc are all reasons I like going Juggernaut, melee feels really bad when your slowed down. Ive been playing around with sweep a bit but I still prefer EQ but if I was playing as a slayer theres a good chance sweep is better for faster leaching.