Difference between revisions of "Specter - Condi DPS"
(9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
| specialization = Specter | | specialization = Specter | ||
| designed for = Raid, Fractal | | designed for = Raid, Fractal | ||
− | | rating = | + | | rating = good |
| focus = Condition Damage | | focus = Condition Damage | ||
| xpac = eod | | xpac = eod | ||
− | | meta = | + | | meta = |
| difficulty = 1 | | difficulty = 1 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
| weapon4 = | | weapon4 = | ||
| healing = Hide in Shadows | | healing = Hide in Shadows | ||
− | | utility1 = | + | | utility1 = Well of Sorrow |
− | | utility2 = | + | | utility2 = Spider Venom |
− | | utility3 = | + | | utility3 = |
| elite = Thieves Guild | | elite = Thieves Guild | ||
| pet1 = | | pet1 = | ||
Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
===Weapon Variants=== | ===Weapon Variants=== | ||
− | You can bring an offhand '''Pistol''' in addition to the dagger to have more CC available on swap. As entering and exiting '''Shadow Shroud''' counts as a weapon swap, you will still gain the benefits of {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Doom}} and {{ | + | The nature of initiative means that you rarely use more than one weapon, so there are a number of options for the second set: |
+ | * If you own Janthir Wilds, '''Spear''' is the strongest weapon, though it is needs to be in melee range, and is significantly more complicated to use. It is worth keeping '''Scepter/Dagger''' in the second set to give you a strong ranged option when necessary. | ||
+ | * You can bring an offhand '''Pistol''' in addition to the dagger to have more CC available on swap. As entering and exiting '''Shadow Shroud''' counts as a weapon swap, you will still gain the benefits of {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Doom}}. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===Utility Variants=== | ||
+ | There are three strong contenders for the third utility slot: | ||
+ | * {{skill|Caltrops}} - Has the highest theoretical DPS, but requires the target to remain inside the AoE for 10 seconds, and ramps up slower. It also becomes less efficient in phased encounters, unlike the other two options. | ||
+ | * {{skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} - The cooldown starts as soon as the trap is placed, allowing it to be precast before the fight or new phase, though the arming time makes it vulnerable to your target moving away from it. | ||
+ | * {{skill|Skale Venom}} - The lowest damage option, but also doesn't require your target to stand inside an AoE for 5/10 seconds. The boonstrip present at the start of many encounters also removes venom stacks, but it can be precast during split phases as long as your allies don't waste it attacking an invulnerable boss. The instant cast time and fact that it has the same cooldown as {{skill|Spider Venom}} also makes it much less disruptive to your rotation than other options. | ||
Line 44: | Line 53: | ||
==Template Code== | ==Template Code== | ||
{{TemplateCode| | {{TemplateCode| | ||
− | code = [& | + | code = [&DQUcGyw3RxUMAQwBBhtVAS8BLwE+AT4BKAAoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADVgAvAAkBAA==] |
}} | }} | ||
Line 51: | Line 60: | ||
==Specializations== | ==Specializations== | ||
{{Specialization|Deadly Arts|bot|mid|top|}} | {{Specialization|Deadly Arts|bot|mid|top|}} | ||
− | {{Specialization|Trickery|bot|top| | + | {{Specialization|Trickery|bot|top|bot|}} |
{{Specialization|Specter|top|top|top|}} | {{Specialization|Specter|top|top|top|}} | ||
Line 72: | Line 81: | ||
| weapon3 = | | weapon3 = | ||
| weapon4 = Dagger | | weapon4 = Dagger | ||
− | | sigil4 = Superior Sigil of | + | | sigil4 = Superior Sigil of Torment |
| weapon3-stats = | | weapon3-stats = | ||
| weapon4-stats = | | weapon4-stats = | ||
| infusion1 = Malign +9 Agony Infusion | | infusion1 = Malign +9 Agony Infusion | ||
| infusion1-qt = 18 | | infusion1-qt = 18 | ||
− | | relic = Relic of | + | | relic = Relic of the Fractal |
| head = | | head = | ||
| shoulders = | | shoulders = | ||
Line 91: | Line 100: | ||
| ring2 = | | ring2 = | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | |||
− | |||
Line 136: | Line 143: | ||
'''Food''' | '''Food''' | ||
* {{food|Meaty Asparagus Skewer}} | * {{food|Meaty Asparagus Skewer}} | ||
+ | * {{food|Plate of Kimchi Pancakes}} if using '''Spear''' | ||
+ | ** {{food|Cilantro Lime Sous-Vide Steak}} is slightly higher damage, but more expensive | ||
Line 146: | Line 155: | ||
==Usage== | ==Usage== | ||
− | ===Rotation=== | + | ===Scepter Rotation=== |
If you're using a pistol offhand, ignore any weapon swaps below. It is also optimal to skip the '''Post-Shroud''' section in this case. | If you're using a pistol offhand, ignore any weapon swaps below. It is also optimal to skip the '''Post-Shroud''' section in this case. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the third skill is variable, just ignore any skill casts that you don't have. | ||
<big>'''Opener'''</big> | <big>'''Opener'''</big> | ||
Line 153: | Line 164: | ||
# {{Skill|Twilight Combo}} | # {{Skill|Twilight Combo}} | ||
# {{Skill|Spider Venom}}, {{Skill|Skale Venom}} and {{Skill|Thousand Needles}}. These are all instant cast, so can be used during the cast time of step 2. Make sure you're within range of allies for the venoms! | # {{Skill|Spider Venom}}, {{Skill|Skale Venom}} and {{Skill|Thousand Needles}}. These are all instant cast, so can be used during the cast time of step 2. Make sure you're within range of allies for the venoms! | ||
+ | # {{skill|Well of Sorrow}} | ||
# {{Skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} if it's available. | # {{Skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} if it's available. | ||
# {{Skill|Siphon}} | # {{Skill|Siphon}} | ||
Line 189: | Line 201: | ||
* You should enter '''Shadow Shroud''' as soon as it becomes available, and use one of the shroud loops below. | * You should enter '''Shadow Shroud''' as soon as it becomes available, and use one of the shroud loops below. | ||
* If using {{relic|Relic of Akeem}}, use {{skill|Mind Shock}} off cooldown while in '''Shadow Shroud'''. | * If using {{relic|Relic of Akeem}}, use {{skill|Mind Shock}} off cooldown while in '''Shadow Shroud'''. | ||
− | * Use {{Skill|Siphon}}, {{Skill|Spider Venom}}, {{Skill|Skale Venom}}, {{Skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} and {{Skill|Thieves Guild}} off cooldown. | + | * Use {{Skill|Siphon}}, {{skill|Well of Sorrow}}, {{Skill|Spider Venom}}, {{Skill|Skale Venom}}, {{Skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} and {{Skill|Thieves Guild}} off cooldown. |
** Triggering {{Skill|Thousand Needles}} can be delayed if necessary, as the cooldown is only gated by preparing it. | ** Triggering {{Skill|Thousand Needles}} can be delayed if necessary, as the cooldown is only gated by preparing it. | ||
** As {{Skill|Thieves Guild}} lasts for 24 seconds, it may be worth saving until the next phase of a boss if the current phase is about to end. | ** As {{Skill|Thieves Guild}} lasts for 24 seconds, it may be worth saving until the next phase of a boss if the current phase is about to end. | ||
Line 220: | Line 232: | ||
[https://youtu.be/CvCn4vQbDuw Video example] | [https://youtu.be/CvCn4vQbDuw Video example] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [https://youtu.be/5mBLfyDqmSo Video example (with fractal relic)] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===Spear Rotation=== | ||
+ | Spear is more complicated than other thief weapons as it employed a combo system where skills 2 and 3 each have three sub-skills that are classified as ''Lead Attacks'', ''Follow Ups'' or ''Finishers''. These flow together in order, with the active skills changing depending on where you are in the chain, and you can switch between 2 and 3 for different effects. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Additional complexity is added by your stealth attack, and skills 4 and 5, all gaining bonuses if they are used after a ''Finisher'': | ||
+ | * {{skill|Ashen Assault}} regenerates 4 initiative | ||
+ | * {{skill|Distracting Throw}} grants a 10-second damage buff | ||
+ | * {{skill|Shadow Veil}} blocks additional attacks | ||
+ | |||
+ | If this isn't enough, {{skill|Distracting Throw}} will also count as a ''Lead Attack'' in this case, which means the next combo will skip the normal ''Lead Attack''. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | <big>'''Rotation Explanation'''</big> | ||
+ | |||
+ | The buff from {{skill|Distracting Throw}} is strong enough that we want to get it as soon as possible, but as it needs to follow a finisher (and cannot follow a stealth attack), we first do a basic combo of {{skill|Mantis Sting}} {{to}} {{skill|Entangling Asp}} {{to}} {{skill|Falling Spider}}. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Your strongest weapon skill is {{skill|Ashen Assault}} as not only does it do great damage, it regenerates enough initiative to maintain a rotation without ever having to rely on autoattacks. Specter lacks a convenient way to access {{tooltip|Stealth}} though, so must rely on {{skill|Shattering Assault}} (the ''Finisher''' on skill 3). Hence your highest damage combo looks like {{skill|Mantis Sting}} {{to}} {{skill|Entangling Asp}} {{to}} {{skill|Shattering Assault}} {{to}} {{skill|Ashen Assault}} (though the first time round we replace {{skill|Mantis Sting}} with {{skill|Distracting Throw}}). This combo is slightly shorter than the duration of {{tooltip|Revealed}}, so the rotation has to be padded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The best way of doing this is to use shroud skills. {{skill|Grasping Shadows}} {{to}} {{skill|Eternal Night}} is all that's needed to make the loop long enough to {{tooltip|Stealth}} again. The cooldown of {{skill|Eternal Night}} is too long to use every loop, so a non-stealth combo is used every other time instead. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | <big>'''Opener'''</big> | ||
+ | # {{skill|Thieves Guild}} | ||
+ | # {{skill|Prepare Thousand Needles}} | ||
+ | # All Venom skills as soon as you're in combat - many encounters remove these as part of the boon strip at the start of the fight, but in some fractals this isn't the case and they can be cast earlier. | ||
+ | # {{skill|Siphon}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | <big>'''Loop'''</big> | ||
+ | |||
+ | When your target is above 90% health, {{skill|Unsuspecting Strike}} is stronger than {{skill|Mantis Sting}} | ||
+ | # {{skill|Mantis Sting}} {{to}} {{skill|Entangling Asp}} {{to}} {{skill|Falling Spider}} | ||
+ | # {{skill|Distracting Throw}} {{to}} {{skill|Entangling Asp}} {{to}} {{skill|Shattering Assault}} {{to}} {{skill|Ashen Assault}} | ||
+ | # {{skill|Enter Shadow Shroud}} {{to}} {{skill|Grasping Shadows}} {{to}} {{skill|Endless Night}} {{to}} {{skill|Exit Shadow Shroud}} | ||
+ | # {{skill|Mantis Sting}} {{to}} {{skill|Entangling Asp}} {{to}} {{skill|Shattering Assault}} {{to}} {{skill|Ashen Assault}} | ||
+ | # Return to start of loop | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Use {{skill|Siphon}} and your utilities off cooldown. You can do this without interrupting your combos, but be aware that the pulsing damage from {{skill|Thousand Needles}} will reveal you if you are stealthed. The cooldown starts when you place the trap though, so you have flexibility when you activate it. | ||
Line 237: | Line 291: | ||
===General Tips=== | ===General Tips=== | ||
− | * Almost all your damage can be done at range, but {{tooltip|Eternal Night}} and {{tooltip|Mind Shock}} are both melee range. If you are not in range to use them, either delay or skip them during the shroud loop. | + | * Almost all your damage on '''Scepter''' can be done at range, but {{tooltip|Eternal Night}} and {{tooltip|Mind Shock}} are both melee range. If you are not in range to use them, either delay or skip them during the shroud loop. |
* While in '''Shadow Shroud''', incoming damage is absorbed by your Shadow Force rather than your health. If you believe an incoming attack will kick you out before finishing the full Shroud loop, it may be worth doing a shorter one instead. | * While in '''Shadow Shroud''', incoming damage is absorbed by your Shadow Force rather than your health. If you believe an incoming attack will kick you out before finishing the full Shroud loop, it may be worth doing a shorter one instead. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
* Avoid staying for too long in '''Shadow Shroud''' as the DPS from {{tooltip|Haunt Shot}} is worse than that of Scepter, and you need to spend initiative to maintain stacks of {{trait|Lead Attacks}}. | * Avoid staying for too long in '''Shadow Shroud''' as the DPS from {{tooltip|Haunt Shot}} is worse than that of Scepter, and you need to spend initiative to maintain stacks of {{trait|Lead Attacks}}. | ||
− | * If there is nothing to attack, you can target allies with Scepter skills to buff them with barrier, and apply stacks of venom via {{trait|Dark Sentry}} just before a new phase starts. | + | * If there is nothing to attack, you can target allies with '''Scepter''' skills to buff them with barrier, and apply stacks of venom via {{trait|Dark Sentry}} just before a new phase starts. |
Latest revision as of 17:58, 12 October 2024
The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good
Focused on: Condition damage
Designed for: Raids and Fractals
Overview
A condition DPS build for Specter. Gaining a defensive shroud similar to Necromancer as well as a powerful ranged weapon in Scepter, Specter can feel much safer to play than other Thief specialisations. It deals great damage, which can be enhanced even further if it is able to pre-cast its venoms (particularly relevant in fractals). At the same time, it provides some incidental group boons whenever it
s and it always has access to powerful single-target barrier, enabling it to act as a support in emergencies.As a torment-focused class, it prefers stationary targets, but the simple rotation and ability to deal almost all its damage from range means that it is able to maintain damage very easily even on mobile encounters.
As a Thief, it has excellent out-of-combat utility for speeding up fractals and raids.
Skill Bar
Weapon Variants
The nature of initiative means that you rarely use more than one weapon, so there are a number of options for the second set:
- If you own Janthir Wilds, Spear is the strongest weapon, though it is needs to be in melee range, and is significantly more complicated to use. It is worth keeping Scepter/Dagger in the second set to give you a strong ranged option when necessary.
- You can bring an offhand Pistol in addition to the dagger to have more CC available on swap. As entering and exiting Shadow Shroud counts as a weapon swap, you will still gain the benefits of .
Utility Variants
There are three strong contenders for the third utility slot:
- - Has the highest theoretical DPS, but requires the target to remain inside the AoE for 10 seconds, and ramps up slower. It also becomes less efficient in phased encounters, unlike the other two options.
- - The cooldown starts as soon as the trap is placed, allowing it to be precast before the fight or new phase, though the arming time makes it vulnerable to your target moving away from it.
- - The lowest damage option, but also doesn't require your target to stand inside an AoE for 5/10 seconds. The boonstrip present at the start of many encounters also removes venom stacks, but it can be precast during split phases as long as your allies don't waste it attacking an invulnerable boss. The instant cast time and fact that it has the same cooldown as also makes it much less disruptive to your rotation than other options.
Template Code
Specializations
- If will be of no benefit, you can take for a little bit more damage.
- For a ~4% DPS loss, you can take to offer some extra healing/barrier to your subgroup.
Equipment
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
x6
x18
Non-SotO Gear
is the best relic for players that don't own Secrets of the Obscure, which necessitates switching some gear toViper
Sinister
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Sinister
Sinister
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
Viper
x6
x18
Consumables
Food
- if using Spear
- is slightly higher damage, but more expensive
Utility
-
- or similar for a cheaper alternative, it should also be stronger if using
Usage
Scepter Rotation
If you're using a pistol offhand, ignore any weapon swaps below. It is also optimal to skip the Post-Shroud section in this case.
As the third skill is variable, just ignore any skill casts that you don't have.
Opener
- If possible, precast such that you can immediately trigger it and place it a second time.
- , and . These are all instant cast, so can be used during the cast time of step 2. Make sure you're within range of allies for the venoms!
- if it's available.
- x2
- Weapon Swap
Opening Shroud Loop
The first two uses of Shadow Shroud are slightly longer than during the rest of your rotation. This makes cooldowns line up better, as well as optimising
triggers.- Grasping Shadows
- Mind Shock (if using )
- Eternal Night
- Haunt Shot until Grasping Shadows is off cooldown
- Grasping Shadows
- Haunt Shot until Grasping Shadows is off cooldown
- Grasping Shadows
Post-Shroud
- x3
- Weapon Swap
- → → - if you're fast, then you have time to fit between steps 1 and 2, and complete the chain here.
- repeat Opening Shroud Loop
Rest of the Rotation
The rest of the rotation has no strict skill order:
- You should enter Shadow Shroud as soon as it becomes available, and use one of the shroud loops below.
- If using , use off cooldown while in Shadow Shroud.
- Use
- Triggering can be delayed if necessary, as the cooldown is only gated by preparing it.
- As lasts for 24 seconds, it may be worth saving until the next phase of a boss if the current phase is about to end.
, , , , and off cooldown.
- Spam to use up all your initiative.
- Try to finish autoattack chains if possible. Unusually, you have a lot of grace time between the chain skills to use other skills without cancelling the chain.
- If you have no other skills to cast, you can use to gain access to . The cast time is very long though, so be sure you won't have to delay other skills in order to finish it.
- Weapon Swap, and will all trigger and . These have a 9- and an 8-second internal cooldown respectively, so if you are able to track these cooldowns you can squeeze extra damage out of the rotation.
- Otherwise just Weapon Swap off cooldown and hope for the best, being sure that you have less than 9 initiative to prevent wasting the effect of in case it triggers.
Normal Shroud Loop
Most of the time when you enter shroud, you want to do the following loop:
- Grasping Shadows
- Eternal Night
- Haunt Shot until Grasping Shadows is off cooldown
- Grasping Shadows
Use
if it comes off cooldown between steps 1 and 4.
Short Shroud Loop
Sometimes you will end up going into shroud just before your utility skills come off cooldown. In this case, do a much shorter loop:
Video example (with fractal relic)
Spear Rotation
Spear is more complicated than other thief weapons as it employed a combo system where skills 2 and 3 each have three sub-skills that are classified as Lead Attacks, Follow Ups or Finishers. These flow together in order, with the active skills changing depending on where you are in the chain, and you can switch between 2 and 3 for different effects.
Additional complexity is added by your stealth attack, and skills 4 and 5, all gaining bonuses if they are used after a Finisher:
- regenerates 4 initiative
- grants a 10-second damage buff
- blocks additional attacks
If this isn't enough,
will also count as a Lead Attack in this case, which means the next combo will skip the normal Lead Attack.
Rotation Explanation
The buff from ⇒ ⇒ .
is strong enough that we want to get it as soon as possible, but as it needs to follow a finisher (and cannot follow a stealth attack), we first do a basic combo ofYour strongest weapon skill is Stealth though, so must rely on (the Finisher' on skill 3). Hence your highest damage combo looks like ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ (though the first time round we replace with ). This combo is slightly shorter than the duration of Revealed, so the rotation has to be padded.
as not only does it do great damage, it regenerates enough initiative to maintain a rotation without ever having to rely on autoattacks. Specter lacks a convenient way to accessThe best way of doing this is to use shroud skills. ⇒ is all that's needed to make the loop long enough to Stealth again. The cooldown of is too long to use every loop, so a non-stealth combo is used every other time instead.
Opener
- All Venom skills as soon as you're in combat - many encounters remove these as part of the boon strip at the start of the fight, but in some fractals this isn't the case and they can be cast earlier.
Loop
When your target is above 90% health,
is stronger than- ⇒ ⇒
- ⇒ ⇒ ⇒
- ⇒ ⇒ ⇒
- ⇒ ⇒ ⇒
- Return to start of loop
- Use and your utilities off cooldown. You can do this without interrupting your combos, but be aware that the pulsing damage from will reveal you if you are stealthed. The cooldown starts when you place the trap though, so you have flexibility when you activate it.
Utility
CC
- can provide more reliable CC on encounters with extra targets (equivalent to 3 basilisk venom hits), or you want to pull targets together
- Mind Shock
- , if bringing offhand pistol
Support
All your Scepter skills and
can be used with an allied target to provide them barrier and . This is a DPS loss, but can be used to save people if a healer isn't going to (particularly helpful on the tank).
General Tips
- Almost all your damage on Scepter can be done at range, but Eternal Night and Mind Shock are both melee range. If you are not in range to use them, either delay or skip them during the shroud loop.
- While in Shadow Shroud, incoming damage is absorbed by your Shadow Force rather than your health. If you believe an incoming attack will kick you out before finishing the full Shroud loop, it may be worth doing a shorter one instead.
- Avoid staying for too long in Shadow Shroud as the DPS from Haunt Shot is worse than that of Scepter, and you need to spend initiative to maintain stacks of .
- If there is nothing to attack, you can target allies with Scepter skills to buff them with barrier, and apply stacks of venom via just before a new phase starts.
Ratings
Comments
Enjoy an ad-free experience & support the website, for less than $1 per month! Upgrade to Premium
We are seeking an experienced Build Admin for Throne and Liberty with a deep understanding of the meta across most weapons and game modes. Get in touch with Galaxian on Discord if you're a good fit for the role or know someone else who is. This is a paid position.