Blademaster combat

Ryzack

I'm new to the whole blademaster combat thing, I've got a few things set up for combat, which work for the most part. I was given a few suggestions in-game about what I should do, but I was wondering if I could find out what would be good slash/strike combos to at least have a decent idea as to what I should do for combat for both 1v1 and group. Any suggestions?

Dorn

Good defaults:
Anything/Hands will screw over most physical classes.
Lightning/Temple or Lightning/Chin are effective for mana-burn strategies.
If you have good timing, Pommelstrike can open up pseudo-herblock chains, saving you using Voidfist to, say, secure a pre-impaleslash. For instance, Neck/Throat/Neck/Chest/Neck/Eyes/Neck/Ear can screw with people - heck, just neck/chest looping can disorient the unwary. (I've actually made someone think I had a Monk jumping them with Telepathy mid-duel before because of the Hypochondria spam.)

In groups, you'll either be pinning targets down (Pommel/Hamstring and/or Pommel/Knees) or damage-spamming (Pommel/Sternum or Impalespam). Balanceslash can also be subbed in for Pommel there, they're roughly equal, but I prefer Pommel for the stun and faster balance.

Obviously, on legbreaks, you'll want Knee strikes.

Eld

Dorn said:

Good defaults:
Anything/Hands will screw over most physical classes.
Lightning/Temple or Lightning/Chin are effective for mana-burn strategies.
If you have good timing, Pommelstrike can open up pseudo-herblock chains, saving you using Voidfist to, say, secure a pre-impaleslash. For instance, Neck/Throat/Neck/Chest/Neck/Eyes/Neck/Ear can screw with people - heck, just neck/chest looping can disorient the unwary. (I've actually made someone think I had a Monk jumping them with Telepathy mid-duel before because of the Hypochondria spam.)

In groups, you'll either be pinning targets down (Pommel/Hamstring and/or Pommel/Knees) or damage-spamming (Pommel/Sternum or Impalespam). Balanceslash can also be subbed in for Pommel there, they're roughly equal, but I prefer Pommel for the stun and faster balance.

Obviously, on legbreaks, you'll want Knee strikes.

What's the purpose of eyes in that loop?

Dorn

It's another herb cure, unless I'm remembering wrong. Mostly, they're going to cure paralysis every time anyway, it's just in there to add another thing to try and cure.

The loop can really just be neck/throat/neck/throat rinse repeat ad nauseum, but occasionally using something uncommon can net an edge or even a complete table-flip.

Eld

Dorn said:

It's another herb cure, unless I'm remembering wrong. Mostly, they're going to cure paralysis every time anyway, it's just in there to add another thing to try and cure.

The loop can really just be neck/throat/neck/throat rinse repeat ad nauseum, but occasionally using something uncommon can net an edge or even a complete table-flip.

Yeah, it's ash. I was thinking it would be better replaced with shoulder for an added kelp, forgetting weariness is cured by focus.

Ryzack

I'm only Trans Twoarts at the moment, but I am up to voidfist in Striking, suggestions with what I have? Though I will admit, that bit of information will be rather helpful

Dorn

Honestly, you have every strike you'll -need- except Feet.

Blademaster is entirely viable using just Hands to prep, Neck spam to set up a pre-impaleslash, and Knees on the break to Impale, Bladetwist x4, Brokenstar. Chest and Throat add options, but you'll mostly use them as distractions.

Basic strategy is to set up both legs to one hit from breaking (my counter's a big help for this, but however you do it is fine so long as you do it), pommel/neck three times and impale in the herb balance gap, impaleslash, legslash/knees, impale, bladetwist x4, Brokenstar.

There's alternate methods, most of which revolve around getting more bladetwists or squeezing the impaleslash in after the legbreaks.

Experiment with the tools you have, look for how you kill people, and see how to optimize that result.

Ryzack

Would it be best for me to test things out on a dragon who has artefacts or anyone who has artefacts for that matter? Because I've tested something for keeping someone from getting on their mount, which worked rather well as it kept them off their mount long enough for me to actually break their legs with knees.

Dorn

I'm pretty sure you can't actually keep someone off their mount without Feet strikes? Which you shouldn't have access to yet.

What did you find? I'm interested now.

Ryzack

I actually do have Feet in striking:

You have gained the following abilities in Striking:

Constitution         Maintaining your intestinal equilibrium.

Sternum              A painful blow to the breastbone.

Shoulder             Induce a state of weariness in your target.

Hands                Send a numbing pain into your foe's hands.

Fitness              Control your breathing.

Ears                 Turn your opponent into a clumsy fool.

Nose                 A disfiguring strike to turn even the most loyal.

Knees                Send your target sprawling to the ground.

Alleviate            Cure yourself of pesky afflictions.

Neck                 Cause your opponent's limbs to lock up.

Kidneys              Drive aggressive urges from your foe.

Eyes                 Force your enemy to witness madness.

Hamstring            Cripple your target's movement.

Temple               Send your foe into a stupor.

Feet                 Send your mounted target sprawling to the ground.

Chin                 Envelop your opponent in a restful sleep.

Icefist              Channel Shindo into an icy strike.

Flamefist            Channel Shindo into a fiery strike.

Airfist              Channel Shindo into a blustering gale.

Voidfist             Channel Shindo into a powerful vortex.

Groin                Instil a sense of heroism into your target.

Chest                Afflict your enemy with constant affliction.

Throat               Remove your foe's ability to breathe.

Stomach              Imbue a loss of desire to eat.

Underarm             Force them to secrete a slick sweat.

Deathstrike          Unleash the fury of your martial prowess.

To gain further information on an ability, AB STRIKING <ability>.

In bold are the skills I have, though I'm sure you might already know this, but if you do hamstring and then feet you can keep them off their mount after you have prepped their limbs, giving you enough time to slash once and break both legs as well as doing knees, leaving you able to get the impale should you so choice to.

Dorn

Aha, the wiki lists Feet below Throat, that needs fixing.

Yeah, Hamstring prevents remounting, it also prevents almost everything else movement-related. Including Evade. It's beautiful and a core thing you should be keeping applied - it lasts about 8 seconds, and hitting with it during that duration resets it, so a common thing is to have every 3rd (for safety) or 4th (for more use of other strikes) strike be Hamstring.

Ryzack

How would you suggest I go about doing something like that? Because knowing me I would end up forgetting to land it before it goes away.

Ryzack

Another question I have is when I should use Multislash, and what infuse I should use with it?

Eld

Dorn said:

Aha, the wiki lists Feet below Throat, that needs fixing.

Yeah, Hamstring prevents remounting, it also prevents almost everything else movement-related. Including Evade. It's beautiful and a core thing you should be keeping applied - it lasts about 8 seconds, and hitting with it during that duration resets it, so a common thing is to have every 3rd (for safety) or 4th (for more use of other strikes) strike be Hamstring.

Feet was moved earlier in the skill a while back. I think hamstring is 9 seconds, but wouldn't swear to it not being 8.

Ryzack

I don't get a line for Hamstring or Voidfist being removed from a target, do I?

Dorn

You don't, but you can make a timer pretty easily that'll keep track of it client-side.

Eld

Ryzack said:

How would you suggest I go about doing something like that? Because knowing me I would end up forgetting to land it before it goes away.

I just have a timer that echos when hamstring is 2 seconds from wearing off, which I implement using a tempTimer in a trigger on the hamstring line in mudlet.

Ryzack said:

Another question I have is when I should use Multislash, and what infuse I should use with it?

Multislash is basically useful when you need a large burst of damage. I personally haven't found many cases where it's reliably useful, at least in 1v1, but that's probably more my own failing than anything else. Generally, though, I think you'd want to infuse it with whatever element will maximize it's damage; since infusions don't actually increase damage, just change damage type, that means whichever one the target is likely to have the least resistance to. That'll vary somewhat depending on the target and other circumstances, but ice is probably a good default.

Ryzack

I see, that makes sense, so would you say that Multislash would be good for group combat instead of 1v1? And do you have that trigger set up to start when you do hamstring and use the line you get when you strike hamstring?

Nyboe

Hamstring is 8.5 seconds. Also strike hands is a bit buggy, I did some extensive testing with a monk and a knight class with strike hands and it would say it numbed the hand but they could still use it. I submitted a bug report not too long ago.

Also

@Ryzack, try to find out some of the combat information in-game from doing spars and analyzing the logs or asking your house combat leaders for help. People will like that.

Ryzack

I do, I've had a lot of help with doing it, which is what has allowed me to come up with these questions, I'm just trying to figure out what others use and what would be good for getting the hang of blademaster combat

Eld

Nyboe said:

Hamstring is 8.5 seconds. Also strike hands is a bit buggy, I did some extensive testing with a monk and a knight class with strike hands and it would say it numbed the hand but they could still use it. I submitted a bug report not too long ago.

Also

@Ryzack, try to find out some of the combat information in-game from doing spars and analyzing the logs or asking your house combat leaders for help. People will like that.

Just double checked hamstring, 9s even. Not sure about the alleged strike hands bug, might test if I have a chance.

Dorn

Ryzack said:

I see, that makes sense, so would you say that Multislash would be good for group combat instead of 1v1? And do you have that trigger set up to start when you do hamstring and use the line you get when you strike hamstring?

Multislash is basically a trap ability. About the only time you'll find it useful is in mangle-lock strategies, if you can't outpace your target's limbcuring for whatever reason. It can add a nice big burst of damage at the end of the chain, if you time it properly so they're prone but about to stand when you use it.

Pretty much any other time you use it, you're going to be punished for using it. Heck, when I was a Blademaster, if you used Multislash on me I'd just thank you for the free impale.

Simoln

It's been a while since I played my BM, but strike hands was never effective. The numb doesn't consume their balance on attempt, and the numb only lasts something like .2-.5 seconds, so if the person was spamming to chase balance (assume they are), hands was useless.

Synbios

Ryzack said:

I see, that makes sense, so would you say that Multislash would be good for group combat instead of 1v1? And do you have that trigger set up to start when you do hamstring and use the line you get when you strike hamstring?

Personally, Blademasters make better hindering partners in group combat. Balanceslash, pommel/neck(or hamstring(or knees)), voidfist+anyone with venoms, fast impales - a smart BM working with the group can keep someone in the room for a long time.

Dorn

Synbios said:

Ryzack said:

I see, that makes sense, so would you say that Multislash would be good for group combat instead of 1v1? And do you have that trigger set up to start when you do hamstring and use the line you get when you strike hamstring?

Personally, Blademasters make better hindering partners in group combat. Balanceslash, pommel/neck(or hamstring(or knees)), voidfist+anyone with venoms, fast impales - a smart BM working with the group can keep someone in the room for a long time.

This.

Blademasters make insane hindrance partners, and if you and your teammate(s) know how to synergize, you can very swiftly go from hindering to killing. They have very fast attacks with stun and afflictions attached, sync up properly and ten second kills from a standing start aren't difficult to pull off.

(I had to edit myself briefly there, I said 'we have' instead. You can take the player out of the class...)

Ryzack

Hrm... that actually makes sense, I've had a few others tell me that in game, problem is I need to practice more with them to get a feel for what they are doing and how we can work together better.

Borran

That sounds awesome! That might make Radiancing pretty easy. >.>;

Synbios

Eld said:

What's the purpose of eyes in that loop?

Don't forget that eyes also gives hallucinations. Which, if uncured, includes wonderful random things like sudden prone, and/or stun.

Eld

Synbios said:

Eld said:

What's the purpose of eyes in that loop?

Don't forget that eyes also gives hallucinations. Which, if uncured, includes wonderful random things like sudden prone, and/or stun.

Yeah, it can be great if it sticks for a bit. I was mostly just confused because everything else in the loop (other than neck) was kelp cures.