NS off-hand weapon?

[Hollomere]

Just a quick question for all you NS players out there ....

I'm specced Pierce with GS for main - what would you all recommend for the offhand weapon?. I'm torn between the CTD or waiting for my Champ weapon (which looks and stats nice)

Oh btw I have specced for Venom / Lifebane as I really fancy the idea of a poisonshade - dunno it just feels a little more 'assassin like'

Feel free to post your ideas

 

[Ivynoxia]

I want to know too what the damage is like with GS + champ wep, they both debuff thrust and GS is 4.2 spd, so there's definately potential for some good damage. Is anyone running this combo?

 

[Punishment]

Just a quick question for all you NS players out there ....

I'm specced Pierce with GS for main - what would you all recommend for the offhand weapon?. I'm torn between the CTD or waiting for my Champ weapon (which looks and stats nice)

Oh btw I have specced for Venom / Lifebane as I really fancy the idea of a poisonshade - dunno it just feels a little more 'assassin like'

Feel free to post your ideas

Well Gs is a nice mainhand weapon with nice stats ... and with lgm nerf inc(and imo lgm offhand debuffing for offhand is a waste of time anyway) i reckon ctd or champ is your best bet ...

Pierce templates are by there very nature hard to make ... but with the melee bonus/overcaps using Gs mainhand champ offhand i reckon making a template will be alot easier and maybe u can strive for a 320+hp template

Unfortunately though slash damage is becoming fotm ... its being forced on shades and all assasins by the current+upcoming patches which imo is unfortunate as everyone plays by there own liking

I myself have used blades since rr2 on shade regardless what others said and i don't regret it 1 bit and now pierce is becoming the lower damage spec


All and all i can see Gs+Champ being ure best bet

P.S. Poisinshade will be hard to pull off with all rr5+ assasins having remedy and 99% of tanks having purge 2 ... but thats your lesson to learn .

P.P.S. Lol its u Card ... if u need any help/advice pm me on Deception ingame anytime <3

 

[Neffneff]

after the nerf patch to armour tables, if i was going to ever go pierce again, i have seriously considered GS+Champ weapon, if you are going to use perma GS mainhand, then i would definately go champ offhand for thrust debuff fun.

even without GS main all the time, champ offhand is a very good choice.

 

[Punishment]

after the nerf patch to armour tables, if i was going to ever go pierce again, i have seriously considered GS+Champ weapon, if you are going to use perma GS mainhand, then i would definately go champ offhand for thrust debuff fun.

even without GS main all the time, champ offhand is a very good choice.

YesYes But Malice main+Champ off = Win !!!

 

[Ivynoxia]

Some nerfs to piercing

The introduction of the 3 second reactionary window in 1.82 meant that the evade stun chain is shortened, sometimes Diamondback -> Hamstring is not even possible to pull off, so there the first most obvious advantage in going pierce is lost.

The Str/con poisoned was also changed to debuff WS/con, pierce users' weapon skills, which are str/dex based, now get debuffed the same amount instead of half; another advantage pierce users had there is gone.

The armor table changes in the upcoming patch, with leather vulnerability being reduced to 5% (from 15%). In effect when you fight a malice+champ weap wielding assassin with heaters in the new patch, you'll be 10% less effective than before. This is another nerf to what used to make the pierce line viable against superior artifacts in the blades line.

so yeah malice + champ is definately better than GS + champ.. uber timered charges can win fights for you

I made a max hits temp some time ago that uses the Golden Spear main with Dochar Nightshade Steel, might as well post it here for you.

Stats
Str: 85
Con: 101
Dex: 79
Qui: 43
Hits: 396

Resists:
Body: 15 Energy: 8 Crush: 26
Cold: 17 Matter: 11 Thrust: 26
Heat: 26 Spirit: 19 Slash: 26

Skills
11 Piercing
11 Critical Strike
11 Stealth
4 Celtic Dual
3 Envenom

Cap Increases
11 Dexterity
10 Strength
26 Constitution
200 Hits

TOA bonuses:
8 Melee Damage
10 Style Damage
10 Melee Combat Speed
26 AF
4 Fatigue

Pieces used:

Spoiler

Piece Listing

Chest
Name: Guard of Valor [Nerfed]
Level: 51 Quality: 100
AF: 102 Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 40 Hits
Effect 2: 18 Strength
Effect 3: 4 Melee Damage
Effect 4: 4 Style Damage
Effect 5: 15 Dexterity
Effect 6: 5 Strength Cap Increase
Effect 7: 5 Dexterity Cap Increase
Utility: 32.00

Arms
Name: Tempered Lightning Etched Leather Sleeves
Level: 51 Quality: 100
AF: Bonus:
Effect 1: 4 Critical Strike
Effect 2: 18 Strength
Effect 3: 48 Hits
Effect 4: 2 Melee Combat Speed
Effect 5: 72 Hits Cap Increase
Utility: 44.00

Head
Imbue Points: 37.0 of 32 (100 Qual) Overcharge: 38%
Gem 1: 4 Critical Strike - 99 Flawed Heated Battle Jewel
Gem 2: 3 Piercing - 99 Rough Dusty War Spell Stone
Gem 3: 25 Constitution - 99 Flawless Earthen Essence
Gem 4: 60 Hits - 99 Precious Blood Essence
Utility: 66.67

Legs
Imbue Points: 37.5 of 32 (100 Qual) Overcharge: 38%
Gem 1: 4 Piercing - 99 Flawed Dusty War Spell Stone
Gem 2: 3 Envenom - 99 Rough Dusty Battle Jewel
Gem 3: 7 Heat - 99 Imperfect Heated Shielding
Gem 4: 76 Hits - 99 Perfect Blood Essence
Utility: 68.00

Hands
Imbue Points: 37.5 of 32 (100 Qual) Overcharge: 38%
Gem 1: 4 Piercing - 99 Flawed Dusty War Spell Stone
Gem 2: 7 Heat - 99 Imperfect Heated Shielding
Gem 3: 28 Quickness - 99 Perfect Airy Essence
Gem 4: 3 Critical Strike - 99 Rough Heated Battle Jewel
Utility: 67.67

Feet
Imbue Points: 37.5 of 32 (100 Qual) Overcharge: 38%
Gem 1: 28 Dexterity - 99 Perfect Vapor Essence
Gem 2: 7 Heat - 99 Imperfect Heated Shielding
Gem 3: 3 Energy - 99 Rough Light Shielding
Gem 4: 5 Stealth - 99 Imperfect Airy Battle Jewel
Utility: 63.67

Right Hand
Name: Golden Spear
Level: 51 Quality: 100
DPS: 16.5 Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 12 Strength
Effect 2: 12 Dexterity
Effect 3: 7 Crush
Effect 4: 7 Slash
Effect 5: 7 Thrust
Effect 6: 4 Melee Combat Speed
Effect 7: 4 Style Damage
Effect 8: 15 Unique Effect...
Utility: 58.00

Left Hand
Name: Dochar Nightshade Steel
Level: 51 Quality: 00
DPS: 16.5 Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 4 Celtic Dual
Effect 2: 7 Strength
Effect 3: 9 Dexterity
Effect 4: 4 Melee Damage
Effect 5: 4 Style Damage
Effect 6: 5 Strength Cap Increase
Effect 7: 6 Dexterity Cap Increase
Effect 8: 0 Lifedrain
Effect 9: 10 Unique Effect...
Effect 10: 30 Unique Bonus...
Utility: 30.67

Neck
Name: Paidrean Necklace
Level: 50 Quality: 100
Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 10 Body
Effect 2: 10 Crush
Effect 3: 10 Spirit
Effect 4: 10 Thrust
Utility: 80.00

Cloak
Name: Shades of Mists
Level: 51 Quality: 99
Bonus:
Effect 1: 3 Stealth
Effect 2: 15 Strength
Effect 3: 15 Quickness
Effect 4: 4 Fatigue
Effect 5: 10 AF
Effect 6: 5 Melee Combat Speed
Utility: 35.00

Jewel
Name: Eerie Darkness Stone (1.81)
Level: 50 Quality: 100
Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 5 Heat
Effect 2: 5 Matter
Effect 3: 4 Crush
Effect 4: 5 Cold
Effect 5: 5 Body
Effect 6: 4 Slash
Effect 7: 5 Energy
Effect 8: 5 Spirit
Effect 9: 4 Thrust
Utility: 84.00

Belt
Name: Malevolent Darkspire Tempered Belt
Level: 42 Quality: 100
Bonus: 30
Effect 1: 18 Constitution
Effect 2: 6 Thrust
Effect 3: 6 Matter
Effect 4: 44 Hits
Effect 5: 6 Constitution Cap Increase
Effect 6: 6 AF
Effect 7: 80 Unique Effect...
Utility: 47.00

Right Ring
Name: Ring of Moirai
Level: 50 Quality: 100
Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 24 Constitution
Effect 2: 40 Hits
Effect 3: 4 Spirit
Effect 4: 8 Constitution Cap Increase
Effect 5: 64 Hits Cap Increase
Utility: 34.00

Left Ring
Name: Ring of Dances (1.81)
Level: 50 Quality: 100
Bonus: 35
Effect 1: 3 Stealth
Effect 2: 15 Strength
Effect 3: 15 Dexterity
Effect 4: 5 Crush
Effect 5: 5 Slash
Effect 6: 10 AF
Utility: 55.00

Right Wrist
Name: Malevolent Darkspire Tempered Bracer
Level: 51 Quality:
Bonus:
Effect 1: 18 Constitution
Effect 2: 6 Slash
Effect 3: 6 Cold
Effect 4: 44 Hits
Effect 5: 6 Constitution Cap Increase
Effect 6: 32 Hits Cap Increase
Utility: 47.00

Left Wrist
Name: Malevolent Darkspire Tempered Bracer
Level: 51 Quality:
Bonus:
Effect 1: 18 Constitution
Effect 2: 6 Slash
Effect 3: 6 Cold
Effect 4: 44 Hits
Effect 5: 6 Constitution Cap Increase
Effect 6: 32 Hits Cap Increase
Utility: 47.00

 

[Ivynoxia]

It's a tough template with some hard to get Darkspire items and a Moirai ring :/ but at least it shows, like Punishment said, with the champ wep you can do a pretty good template with close to cap (8/10/10) toa bonuses, and MAX hits!

 

[Hollomere]

Thanks for all the input everyone - its certainly put my mind in a whirl about what to go for !!

I think that even with the piercing nerf I'll stay with GS and by the consensus out there my Champ weapon. The double debuff (it definitely stacks yes?) should offset some of the disadvantage, though the thought of malice / champ does sound tempting.

Ivynoxia - Thank you for posting the template. Its a nice template but you are damn right about a few of the items being hard to get hold of!!. At least I have 2 parts of it already (GS & SoM) The only thing is I would have to rework some of the items to get my Envenom back to 50, though I could probably do that with some mule items when reapplying poisons.

Punishment (Hi! btw) I see what you are getting at when it comes to choosing lifebane / viper combo. I am hoping that the ML ability that sticks poisons will help get round the problem of Remedy / Purge though from what I have read the chance of the Poison staying is only 15%. When I get some more of my template done (and finally to RR4) I might have to seriously consider what is fun to play vs actual effectiveness.

I know that I am not ever going to be an uber/l33t player as I am more a casual/lightly serious DAOC player (lack of time really) so any time I get I want to be effective. I may be asking you quite a few questions in the future if thats OK about how to get there

Once again, thanks for all the input and I appreciate it. Time to go get farming then

 

[Ivynoxia]

From a grab bag, it indirectly answers the question of stacking debuffs:

"Q: Do instant debuffs from casters stack with the same type of casted debuff from champion levels?

A: CW: "No, the stronger debuff (which will almost always be the caster's debuff) will overwrite the weaker one. They work the same way as other debuffs in this fashion."

So, no i think.. but has anyone tested?

 

[Hollomere]

Daft question - does purge or remedy cancel debuffs?

 

[luribeauty]

purge should i think,but remedy only block poisons from weapons it did use to block proc's but that got an unfair nerf imo anyway as it was no more op than dt is on a merc.

 

[Theseus]

I am i big fan off LGW's myself because you can use any dmgtype available in the game, even thrust (GS).

I have a Blade Template with CW mainhand , Malice Offhand. This worked quite well vs some targets, but vs infils i was struggling a bit. Also the speed was awful, but that might have changed now with this 4 second window thing or whatever...

I used CW in mainhand because i like to reapply poisons every other swing and i had PC weapons with the same stats and speed as the CW for that.

I would say that if you go physical dmg only.. go blades with malice / cw or malice/ctd for the speed...

I have only just returned this week, so im not up to date on the incoming nerfs etc... just my 2cents

 

[Yurka]

I've just switched from lgms to blades (malice+ctd) and the swing spd is pretty nasty (20%+10%+248quick) when off hand isn't hitting. Infils dont really have this problem as such due to higher spec points. I'm tempted to try a alacritous blade, or at least stick to a quicker off hand than ctd. Yes ctd proc is nice, but the spd is really annoying me, prefer to have a 3.3 spd weapon instead.

I'll admit i dont have that much CD (27+3) which is putting me at about 45% chance to hit with off hand so I'm not having a 50/50 chance of swinging.

 

[Frozodo]

I've just switched from lgms to blades (malice+ctd) and the swing spd is pretty nasty (20%+10%+248quick) when off hand isn't hitting. Infils dont really have this problem as such due to higher spec points. I'm tempted to try a alacritous blade, or at least stick to a quicker off hand than ctd. Yes ctd proc is nice, but the spd is really annoying me, prefer to have a 3.3 spd weapon instead.

I'll admit i dont have that much CD (27+3) which is putting me at about 45% chance to hit with off hand so I'm not having a 50/50 chance of swinging.

he he im still old style ns got me Malice // battler i dont have plans bout changing it yet but if i do i will go back to me old piercer template

 

[Yurka]

gotta say im tempted to go back to piercers