I’d really like to see a use for:
-Dragon’s claw
-Impale
-Vapor blade
Currently these auto attacks are not worth using for the most part, Lightning whips auto attack damage is far superior to the other 3 auto attacks, lets look at a pros and cons list.
Vapor blade-
Pros: 600 range, thats +300 more range than lightning whip, applies 1 stack of vulnerability with a base duration of 6 seconds.
Cons: Hits like a small little kitten attacking a giant dragon (Its a very mean kitten). Slow projectile speed making it easy to step out of the way from a distance.
Conclusion: There is not much of a reason to stay in water attunement to auto attack, other than to get that slight range advantage on an enemy who has you immobilized, snared, chilled.
Impale-
Pros: Does not require LOS, 1 stack of bleed which may help vs an opponent which you may not always be able to apply pressure on in the form of direct damage.
Cons: short range making it hard to kite with, only hits one target, doesn’t work with signet of restoration. Additional 1/4s (3/4s cast time on impale) cast time compared to all other auto attacks.
Conclusion: Impale has some great uses in specific scenarios, but lightning whip will usually be a better choice for auto attacking.
Dragon’s claw-
Pros: 3 simultaneous projectiles, 400 range.
Cons: Lightning whip is far superior.
Conclusion: The only thing dragon’s claw has going for it is raw damage and perhaps a chance to remove blind while still doing some damage. Lightning whip is far superior to dragon’s claw when it comes to raw damage.
Lets look at the damage difference between dragon’s claw and lightning whip.
I have 2870 power
34% crit dmg
10% dmg modifier from earth 10 trait
my build = 0/15/10/15/30
I’m testing damage in spvp
I hit a thief with ~2000 armor with dragons claw, when one of the balls crits it hits for ~670. 3 balls critting from one auto attack would = 2010 dmg from one dragon’s claw auto attack. This wont usually happen.
Lightning whip can crit for 1250 from hitting once, it also hits twice per attack, it also hits more targets than dragon’s claw. If I crit with both attacks from the single time I use Lightning whip, it hits for 2500 on the thief I am attacking.
1x dragon’s claw (1/2s cast) with 3 crits = 2010 dmg to theif
1x lightning whip (1/2s cast) with 2 crits (also hits more targets than Dragon’s claw) = 2500 dmg to theif
Lightning whip wins by a landslide, there is very little reason to use dragons claw over lightning whip.
This is what I think needs to be done:
Dragon’s claw should either out dps lightning whip or provide some benefit which makes it really worth using, its hard to land all three of those claws from the single auto atk
unless you are very close up to your enemy.
Impale should get increased range and a1/2s (from 3/4s) cast timer.
Vapor blade’s range should be extended , giving d/d ele some fighting chance vs classes that are kiting. The damage is low, and thats fine. Increase the projectile speed so there is actually a chance of this landing this attack from a distance. Increase the duration of the vulnerability stacks so it serves an all around purpose, to stack vulnerability before bursting. There should be some sort of fair trade off for using the vapor blade auto attack opposed to the other three IMO, I’d say the range was it but due to the slow projectile speed its too easy to sidestep the traveling blade from a distance.
(edited by Grimreaper.5370)