Axe Now Is For Condi Builds?
Best condi build, as far I know, is 30/30/10/0/0 with Scepter+Dagger/Staff.
Have to experiment more tho.
Axe is the last weapon a condimancer should ever use for anything. Dagger generates LF faster, staff applies plenty of conditions and generates LF using 1 and if traited all marks. Also axe generates very little LF.
30/30///* might be the absolute maximum theoretical dps for condi but it certainly isn’t the most well rounded and well rounded means actually achieving that theoretical dps.
A downed glass cannon does very little dps.
I’m In It To Win It.
Well axe is probably super amazing for PVE now, but in sPVP it’s still clunky and unreliable(at least for me and judging by the forums for some other people). Dunno about WWW. With the axe master trait and close to death it is also amazing for life blast. Someone posted about it in another thread here, like you take might+vulnerability and piercing on life blast with those axe traits and pretty much go life blasts/ghastly claws/life blasts/ghastly claws etc. Oh and ofc you take the 50% DS crit chance trait.
Sorry, was talking about a power build.
I’ve never seen a good 30/30 condition build actually. Most generally are 0/30.
I haven’t done any thinking on the necro post 6/25 but will be interested to see the theorycrafting.
I’ve always been using the axe in my staff-build, not for the lf regen though…
30/30 is for hybrid builds with something like Scep//Dagger Axe//Focus. You take bleed duration/condi duration and wear Rampagers + Rabid/Carrion and stack bleeds/poison the swap to axe or DS for raw dmg while bleeds tick.
Axe is a decent hybrid weapon, so if you are running Dumbfire with a hybrid build axe might be fine, but otherwise a pure condi build is unlikely to use it.
I was using 30/20/20 with axe and minions in spvp with success, the vuln. is great for all the different sources of damage thats hitting your target
[Apex] – Zero Entity 80 Necromancer
Blackgate Apexprime.enjin.com
Blackgate Apexprime.enjin.com
You actually can stick an axe on some condi builds to decent effect now, but it is a very short term swapping weapon that is used situationally.
The boon strip ability of an Axe/Focus set, ability to quickly cover a big bleed or torment stack with Vuln and Cripple and the quick burst of direct damage (lots of hits to proc Dhuumfire too) make it conceivable to forego the Fear on stakitten and save the 10 trait points. It isn’t my favorite post-patch build, but the logic is there and it does work reasonably well.
You actually can stick an axe on some condi builds to decent effect now, but it is a very short term swapping weapon that is used situationally.
The boon strip ability of an Axe/Focus set, ability to quickly cover a big bleed or torment stack with Vuln and Cripple and the quick burst of direct damage (lots of hits to proc Dhuumfire too) make it conceivable to forego the Fear on stakitten and save the 10 trait points. It isn’t my favorite post-patch build, but the logic is there and it does work reasonably well.
I do hope with this patch dependency on staff is reduced, I hate staff in this game.
You actually can stick an axe on some condi builds to decent effect now, but it is a very short term swapping weapon that is used situationally.
The boon strip ability of an Axe/Focus set, ability to quickly cover a big bleed or torment stack with Vuln and Cripple and the quick burst of direct damage (lots of hits to proc Dhuumfire too) make it conceivable to forego the Fear on stakitten and save the 10 trait points. It isn’t my favorite post-patch build, but the logic is there and it does work reasonably well.
I do hope with this patch dependency on staff is reduced, I hate staff in this game.
Staff is still highly useful, but I think you have the option to build around it now, where before you were basically shooting yourself in the foot to do so.
Axe is still situational, but for power builds it is a swap to burst and for condi builds I outlined it above. An MM can probably make use of it, but I still don’t like pure MM builds, so meh.
Axe is wonderful for hybrid builds, especially since the aoe boon strip with axe 3 now. It’s great for sPvP when assisting in defending/taking a point and the c/d is very nice. The auto-attack is un-impressive, but it allows you to move back from a fight to heal while still attacking and stacking vulnerability.
I agree that pre-patch 0/30/x/x/x builds were equal or highest DPS in condi builds, but today it requires 30/30/x/x/x if you want to maximize damage… That build is not just for hybrids anymore because of the burning.
Now if you want to talk PVE, or factor in another bleeding class, or another burning class etc etc, you can justify a more well rounded 30 in curses and 20 in death, and 20 in SR. But in PVE I prefer a hybrid 30/30/10/x/x/x build as well.
I think if there was an armor set that had primary condition damage, secondary prec/power, I could get back into a really good hybrid build, but I just dont care for primary precision on gear tha thas no crit damage… it is just bad use of the stats.
Not taking 30 points in spite in a condition build is kicking 800+ dps off your build right at the start, which hurts badly. I have tried it both ways, and even though my fears are not as long, I think I will survive.
That being said, I am going to try and make axe work, and just drop greater marks and staff all together…. Having the 3 trait in SR is great for the new condition too.