An Anger-Fueled Guide to Rage

An Anger-Fueled Guide to Rage

Hello Everyone. I Am Savage Prototype, and I created this guide last January.

(Warning, this post may be a little melodramatic at points).

In that time, I have not updated, paid attention, or really done anything other than one minor Weapon Mastery Update to it. I posted it somewhere in the thread, but I switched away from Rage for awhile. A very long while. Over the past week, a recent thread really got me thinking on how little this guide does for the community. At least my portion. The community members who have been posting here and helping new Rage players, or maybe even experienced Rage players, with any questions, have been amazing.

So the real question probably is (if you care) why this long winded message to point at the faults in your guide and how everyone else basically spoon-fed the information? Well, yesterday I finally switched my main toon over to Rage for the purpose of updating and continously reworking this guide into something current and actually useful. If you just look through some of the guide, I made many, many mistakes for even back then, and if you try to use some of the information the guide gives you now, you'll probably have a bad time. A perfect example is that Berzerk still says that it only does Precision damage (which is getting changed within the next minute after this post goes live).

So here's my plan: Within the next 2-4 weeks, I plan to have the Power Trees with DPS suggestions, Modding, Weapon, and DPS sections remastered. Over the next 5-8 weeks, I plan to have Tanking, Skillpoint Allocation, Intro, Power Trees with Tank Suggestions, and hopefully one new section that I haven't decided on up and running. So by the end of February, I will have this entire guide remastered into a more current, more relevant state than it has been even at launch. Also, I want to stress that the Community Loadouts don't have to just be ones that I play around with and use, any of the Loadouts you would like to see up there, just reply to the guide.

Finally, to all of you who have helped anyone in this guide with any questions, both during my absence and anytime after, thank you. I know this is only a video game and it is a little melodramatic, but you all have helped keep this Guide at least in a coma. After this remaster, I hope to have it up and walking like nothing ever happened.

Any Suggestions for the guide, please PM me on my forum account. Questions about the guide, or Loadouts for the Guide, send them either through PM or just post them here.

Table of Contents (Highlighted segments are Up to Date

1. Intro

2. Power Trees - Anger and Punishment

3. DPS

4. Tanking

5. Modding

6. Skillpoint Allocation and Skill Point Stat Show

[UPDATES TO GUIDE]
Guide is Currently being Reworked. See the first message posted on this Section.

[POWER TREES]

TREE 1: ANGER

Cooldown for Rage Crash Cancels - 6 Seconds (Tank Stance)

(TIER 1)

Rage Blast – 35% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: You receive healing equal to portion of the damage dealt
Tank – Single Target Taunt on enemies
Uses For DPS: At lower levels is a nice damage ability, but the higher the level that you get, the less useful this ability will become
Uses for Tank: Our single Target taunt. If there are 2 tanks, keep this on your load-out.
Cooldown - 1 Second

(TIER 2)

Channel Hate – 35% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: You receive healing equal to portion of the damage dealt.
Uses for DPS – Nice ranged attack, quick heal. I would not recommend for PvP.
Uses for Tank – Unless you mod with Empowered Channeling (I believe that’s the mod), you will most likely be knocked down. I would not recommend for Tanking.
Cooldown - Instant

Relentless Anger – 35% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Does damage to enemies equal to a portion of your outgoing Rage Combo and Weapon damage.
Rage Mode: Activates Rage Mode, healing all damage back for 8 seconds, after which you suffer from Rage Crash, causing all of the damage healed to be dealt back instantly.
Uses for DPS – I use this as a clip, and the effect is pretty nice. Also, if you are taking some heavy damage, using this can be nice, but just be sure to cancel out with Plasmic Retch or Dreadful Blast.
Uses for Tanks – One of your Rage Mode abilities. Both this and Severe Punishment have a 12 second cooldown, so the cooldown can be treated like a clock. At 6 O’clock, hit your prevention ability.
Cooldown - Ten Seconds

Violence – 35% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Absorb all nearby rage to produce a violent outburst, damaging and knocking down enemies. Once this happen, produces a DoT.
Combo: Hold Melee for Precision version of this ability.
Uses for DPS – I sometimes use this when melee DPSing. For Range, I wouldn’t recommend it. Pretty nice ability in PvP, as you are going to be melee most of the time anyway.
Uses for Tanks – I have not personally tried this in tank role, so I cannot comment. However, in PvP I think this may be a good ability, and will try it out when I get the chance.
Cooldown - 12 Seconds

(TIER 3)

Mangle – 35% Supercharge.
Power Effects: Grants protection against control effects and lowers your enemy’s resistance to control effects for a short time.
Personal Comment – I personally do not like this supercharge. While it is cheap, you are stuck in the animation during it, while you could be using your more powerful abilities.
Cooldown - 2 Seconds

Eviscerating Chain: 40% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Single Target Pull. Prevents Rage Crash, and deals extra damage to enemies below 35% health.
Combo – Hold Melee to deal precision damage, stunning and juggling your target.
Uses for DPS – For melee DPS, I like this ability. Especially when combed, it does decent damage. The under 35% isn’t that great, and at 1k Prec and 2600 Might, the combo does way more damage than the initial tic.
Uses for Tank – Can be used as a Rage Crash prevention move. Also, a single target pull, much like Earthern Grip.
Cooldown - 3 Seconds

Berzerk – 50% Supercharge.
Power Effects: Focus your hate, causing all damage you deal to be dealt again to nearby enemies for a short time.
Cooldown - 15 Seconds

(TIER 4)

Without Mercy – 45% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Pulls enemies towards you , ala Backdraft. Receive healing equal to portion of damage dealt.
Uses for DPS – Nice at lower levels, but in higher levels, I would not recommend this ability.
Uses for Tanks – Use this pull! No matter what, this pull needs to be used, along with Ragebringer.
Cooldown - 4 Seconds

Lacerate – 45% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Creates construct blade, and swings it around to damage and knock down nearby enemies.
Combo: Hold melee for precision based version.
Uses for DPS – Alright damage, but can be blocked. Basically Two-Handed Doom-Spin with might, or Harley’s spin with precision.
Uses for Tank – Mitigates Rage Crash Damage.
Cooldown - 10 Seconds

(TIER 5)

Ferocity – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Increase your precision and resistance against control effects for a short time
Tank: Provides resistance against control effects for up to seven members of your group
Uses for DPS: Gives off a precision boost, although going with Bloodlust may be better for PvE in the end. In PvP, the control resistance may help a bit
Uses for Tank: Give the group resistance to control effects. Useful in PvP, but in PvP I would personally not use it.
Cooldown - 20 Seconds

Outrage – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Swing huge wrecking ball (I came in like a wrecking ball…) at your targets. Prevents Rage Crash damage, and when your health is below 50%, enemies take extra damage.
Combo: Hold Melee to execute a second strike at your target, damaging it and nearby enemies
Uses for DPS: Still decent, but it's not as
Uses for Tanks: Can be used to prevent Rage Crash.
Cooldown - 3 Seconds

Galling Eruption – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Cause plasma burn. Damages enemies in the pool.
Combo: Hold Melee to perform a precision based version of Galling Eruption
Uses for DPS: If you are using a Ranged load-out, you will have to get a little close for comfort to pull off Galling Eruption. Span of the pool is big though, big enough to hit both sparring targets in the Hall of Doom.
Uses for Tanks: Reduces Rage Crash damage. Personal preference on usage, but be aware that some Rage DPS use this ability, and in Tank stance you can override their DoT's.
Cooldown - 15 Seconds

POWER TREES

TREE 2: PUNISHMENT

Cooldown for Rage Crash Cancels - 6 Seconds (Tank Stance)

(TIER 1)

Ragebringer – 35% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Damage your target, and drag them (and up to 3 other enemies) toward you. You receive healing equal to a portion of the damage dealt.
Uses for DPS: At lower levels, this ability can be useful, but in end-game content it starts to lose it’s effectiveness.
Uses for Tanks: Along with Without Mercy, this is a must have ability in my opinion. If you can spec into both, try keeping both on the loadout in the same time, or transfer one in for the other when you need more long ranged cone pulls then PBAoE (Point Blank Area of Effect) pulls.
Cooldown - 1 Second

(TIER 2)

Revenge – 35% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Rage Crash prevention. Lunges and knocks down opponents
Rage Combo – Hold Melee for Revenge Spin
Uses for DPS – Alright damage, but nothing special. Other attacks lower down the tree would be better for dealing more damage.
Uses for Tank – Other than a Rage Crash prevention, the ability has no real use. You can lunge using your weapon, and that costs no power. Although, this can be used for a fight starter as both a lunge and a taunt.
Cooldown - 2 Seconds

Severe Punishment – 35% Damage Buff.
Power Effects: Gives 10% Control Resistance, and 10% health increase.
Rage Mode – Severe Punishment activates Rage Mode, healing all damage taken for 8 seconds, after which you suffer from Rage Crash causing all damage that you healed to be instantly dealt upon you, unless mitigated or prevented.
Uses for DPS: As a DPS, this is only good for survival. In a 1v1 situation, I could see someone using it, but for PvE content I would not recommend Severe Punishment.
Uses for Tank: One of your Rage Mode abilities. I prefer this over Relentless Anger, but that is just my personal preference.
Cooldown - 10 Seconds

Remorseless Victory: 35% Damage Buff
Power Effects: You receive healing equal to a portion of the damage dealt to enemies from your weapon attacks or Rage Combos.
Tank Role: Reduces Rage Crash damage
Uses for DPS: Basically, this is the more Tank Centric version of Relentless Angers buff.
Uses for Tanks: In lower tiered content, this is great, but in T5 wear you will most likely be blocking a lot more, this ability will probably not benefit more than a quick Rage Crash reduction or clip for abilities.
Cooldown - 12 Seconds

(TIER 3)

Vindictive – 7.5% Supercharge used per second
Power Effects: Heal back all damage taken, and are immune to Rage Crash. Press Vidictive button again to toggle off.
Uses for DPS: Great for leveling. In PvP, if you run a survival load out, this is a great addition, but you need to be careful of how you use it.
Uses for Tanks: Useful in Lower Tiers, but unless you can pull off using your Weapon in T5, it may not be as useful.
Cooldown - 8 Seconds

Ire (Usable While Controlled) – 40% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Free yourself from control effects and healing yourself instantly.
Tank Role: Extends immunity against debuffs and control effect to 7 member members of the group.
Uses for DPS – In PvP, this is your breakout move. Use this before your trinket, as the trinket is the last resort if you are out of power. It gives a minor heal, but in PvP it’s nothing special.
Uses for Tanks: Your Counter Breakout move in PvE. Keep this on any loadout.
Cooldown - 20 Seconds

Infuriate – 35% Supercharge Cost
Power Effects: Increase yours and up to 3 group member’s critical attack damage.
Cooldown - 2 Seconds

(TIER 4)

Frenzy – 45% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Lowers your enemies resistance to control effects. Enemies suffering from Plasma Burn take more damage
Combo: Tap melee 5x for Frenzy Combo
Uses for DPS: Pretty good damage, can be used for quick precision burst damage.
Uses for Tanks: Lowers Enemies control Resistance. Other than that, not really much use for Tanking.
Cooldown - Instant

Dreadful Blast – 45% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Long ranged damage attack. Rage Crash damage is ignored. Enemies affected w/ Plasma Burn take more Damage.
Uses for DPS: Useful for Ranged DPS. Vulnerable to Interrupt
Use of Tanks: Ignores Rage Crash. However, this is vulnerable to interrupt, and the Empowered Channeling mod will not help ignore that.
Cooldown - 2 Seconds

(TIER 5)

Plasma Retch – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Causes Damage over Time, inflicts Plasma Burn, and ignores Rage Crash Damage.
Uses for DPS: Plasma Retch can hit any enemies in a Cone Area up to the max range. In melee range, this hits in PBAoE. Basically, great damage move for any DPS load out.
Uses for Tanks: This and Outrage are my go to Rage Crash prevention ability. I prefer Outrage due to it being Vulnerable to Interrupt.
Cooldown - 1.5 Seconds

Redirected Rage – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: Shields you, and reflects damage back at enemies
Uses for DPS: Nice at lower levels and for survival in PvP, but in high-end content this is not going to be as useful anymore.
Uses for Tanks: Great Shield, can give healers room to breathe, and redirects damage. Basically, our version of Reflection.
Cooldown - 20 Seconds

Bloodlust – 50% Damage Buff
Power Effects: 45% Precision Buff (PvE) or 18% Precision Buff (PvP). Buffs Critical Strike Chance for yourself and up to 3 group members.
Tank Role: Rage Crash damage is significantly reduced.
Uses for DPS: Amazing ability for DPS in both PvE and PvP.
Uses for Tanks: It reduces Rage Crash Damage. Useful in PvP as group buff, in PvP, leave it for the DPS IMO.
Cooldown - 12 Seconds

DAMAGE

[PRIMARY STATS]

DPS have 4 main stats you will want to focus on (not listed in order of importance):
MIGHT – Yellow Numbers. These come from the initial hits of powers.
- 0.45% per point of Might at Level 30
PRECISION – White Numbers. These come from Combos or Weapon Attacks
- 10 Precision = +1 DPS
CRITICAL ATTACK CHANCE – Increases the chance of your attacks critically damamging the opponent
- Each point spent in a skill tree that offers this (Rifle, Staff, 2-Handed) boosts this stat by 1%
CRITICAL ATTACK DAMAGE – Increases damage when critically attacking an opponent
- Each point spent in a skill tree that offers this (Martial Arts, Dual Pistols, Brawling, Dual Wield) will increase your Critical Attack Damage by 4% per point spent.

[POWER INTERACTIONS]

In Damage role, you have a main priority for Power Interactions: Plasma Burn. Plasma Burn is inflicted through:

Galling Eruption
Plasma Retch

Your main abilities that will utilize this are:
Dreadful Blast
Frenzy

Outrage
Eviscerating Chain

CLIPPING - Using Beneficial Powers/Trinkets/ Any Consumables to cancel the animation of a Power or Weapon Attack that is not Channeled or has a Cast Time

Clipping ABILITIES

Relentless Anger (Anger)

Severe Punishment (Punishment)

Ire (Punishment)

Redirected Rage (Punishment)

Bloodlust (Punishment)

Remorseless Victory (Punishment)

Ferocity (Anger)

Basic Starting Loadouts:

> = Next Ability in Rotation
/ = Clip
C > Full Combo

Ranged

LOADOUT - Eviscerating Chain/Galling Eruption - Plasma Retch - Infuriate (50% Supercharge) - Bloodlust -Dreadful Blast - Robot Sidekick

Tips: - Always Jump Cancel Plasma Retch
- Use Plasma Retch to Boost Eviscerating Chain's damage when you first start the rotation.

Rotation:

Galling Eruption: (Get just in the Range in Group Content) - Galling Eruption/Bloodlust > WM > Dreadful Blast > C/Plasma Retch > WM > Dreadful Blast > C/Plasma Retch > Dreadful Blast > C/Galling Eruption/Bloodlust

Eviscerating Chain: Plasma Retch > WM >Eviscerating Chain/Bloodlust > Dreadful Blast > C/Plasma Retch > WM > Dreadful Blast > C/Plasma Retch > Dreadful Blast > C/Eviscerating Chain/Bloodlust

Melee

LOADOUT - Outrage - Relentless Anger - Berzerk - Eviscerating Chain - Galling Eruption - Bloodlust

Rotation:

Galling Eruption/Bloodlust/Relentless Anger > WM > Outrage > C/Eviscerating Chain > C > WM > Outrage > C/Eviscerating Chain > C > Weapon Attack > Outrage > C/Eviscerating Chain > C/Relentless Anger > WM > Outrage > C/Galling Eruption/Bloodlust

TANKING

TANK PvE

While tanking in PvE, Rage Crash is going to be your main mechanic.

The two abilities to do so (Relentless Anger and Severe Punishment) both have 10 second cooldowns, so time your ability to prevent or reduce the damage of Rage Crash by starting the ability where 6 is on an analog clock.

[RAGE MODE]

THE BUFF

In Rage Mode, you gain 0.6 Health per point of Dominance, and then add the number again for each enemy that is in range whenever a power is used. (special thanks to Lacedog for pointing this out)

RAGE CRASH DAMAGE REDUCTION ABILITIES

Galling Eruption (Anger)

Lacerate (Anger)

Violence (Anger)

Bloodlust (Punishment)

Remorseless Victory (Punishment)

RAGE CRASH PREVENTION ABILITIES

Dreadful Blast (Punishment)

Plasma Retch (Punishment)

Outrage (Anger)

Revenge (Punishment)

Vindictive (Punishment)

Eviscerating Chain (Anger)

THE PULLS and SINGLE TARGET TAUNT

Rage Tanks have 3 pulls

PBAoE: Without Mercy (Anger) (Backdraft from Fire)

Ranged Cone: Ragebringer (Punishment) (Inescapable Storm from Ice)

Single Target: Eviscerating Chain (Anger) (Earthern Grip from Earth)

Rage Blast (Anger) (Single Target Taunt)

Rage Blast will only Taunt a single enemy, compared to every other power in your loadout that taunts EVERY enemy.

[MODDING and SKILL POINTS]

MODDING:

DPS –
For DPS with Synthetics:
Precision x4 and Might x 2 in Reds
Health in Blue Sockets
Power in Yellow Sockets


For those running in Crafted Mods mods, mod using:
Prec/Might x6 in Reds (Hands, Waist, Feet, Back, Rings for DPS)
Prec/Health x2 in Blues (Chest and Legs for DPS)
Prec/Power x2 in Yellows (Head and Shouders for DPS)


Tanks:
Synthetic Users:
Dom x3 and Health x 3 in Blues
Power in Yellows (mainly for Redirected Rage)
Precision in Reds

For those running Mixed Mods, go:

Dom/Health in Blue (Hands, Waist, Feet, Back, and Rings for Tanks)
Dom/Power in Yellows (Chest and Legs for Tanks)
Dom/Prec or Dom/Might based on Preference for Reds (Head and Shoulders for Tanks)

Home Turf Modding:

DPS PvE:

Weapon: Blast Adapter

Neck: Escalating Might

Back: Berzerker

Feet: Your Choice: User Choice

Chest: Penetrating Strikes

Hands: Max Damage

Tank PvE:

Weapon: Absorbtion Adapter

Neck: Fortified Blocking

Back: Breakout Regeneration

Feet: Deadly Block

Chest: Quick Healing

Hands: Player Choice

SKILLPOINT ALLOCATION:

STATS IN SKILLPOINTS (all +X is per point)

Tier 3/Weapon Mastery Innates

Tier 3/WM innates are universal, and all Weapon Trees share the same innate

+25 Might/+25 Precision,+30 Restoration, +50 Health/+7 Dominance, +25 Power/+8 Vitalization

BOW - WM into Dual Pistols and Martial Arts

Tier 1: Critical Attack Chance, Defense, Power/Power Heal Crit, and Critical Healing Magnitude

Tier 2: Health, Restoration, Precision, Power

BRAWLING - WM into Martial Arts and Two Handed

Tier 1: Critical Attack Damage, Dominance/Power Heal Crit, Health, Critical Healing Chance

Tier 2: Restoration, Power, Vitalization, Might

DUAL PISTOLS - WM into Hand Blasters and Dual Wield

Tier 1: Critical Attack Damage, Critical Healing Magnitude, Defense, Vitalization/Power Heal Crit

Tier 2: Dominance, Health, Power, Precision

DUAL WIELD - WM into Bow and Brawling

Tier 1: Defense, Dominance/Power Heal Crit, Critical Attack Chance, Critical Healing Chance

Tier 2: Might, Vitalization, Power, Health

HAND BLASTERS - WM into Brawling and Bow

Tier 1: Critical Attack Chance, Critical Healing Chance, Health, Dominance/Power Heal Crit

Tier 2: Vitalization, Power, Restoration, Precision

MARTIAL ARTS - WM into Hand Blasters and Dual Pistols

Tier 1: Defense, Critical Attack Damage, Critical Healing Chance, Power/Power Heal Crit

ONE HANDED - WM into Dual Wield and Hand Blasters

Tier 1: Critical Attack Damage, Health, Critical Healing Magnitude, Vitalization/Power Heal Crit

Tier 2: Dominance, Restoration, Power, Precision

RIFLE - WM into Dual Pistols and One Handed

Tier 1: Critical Attack Chance, Health, Critical Healing Chance, Vitalization/Power Heal Crit

Tier 2: Dominance, Restoration, Power, Precision

SHIELD [REQUIRES LAST LAUGH DLC] - WM into Two Handed and Dual Pistols

Tier 1: Power/Power Heal Crit, Health, Precision, Critical Healing Magnitude

Tier 2: Dominance, Power, Might, Vitalization

STAFF - WM into One Handed and Rifle

Tier 1: Critical Healing Magnitude, Defense, Dominance/Power Heal Crit, Critical Attack Chance

Tier 2: Restoration, Health, Power, Precision

TWO HANDED - WM into Martial Arts and Bow

Tier 1: Critical Attack Chance, Health, Vitalization/Power Heal Crit, Critical Healing Chance

Tier 2: Might, Power, Dominance, Restoration

Reserved

[BUGS CURRENTLY KNOWN WITH RAGE POWERSET]

1/29/14 - FIXED
Currently, Hate (or Agro) Tables are messed up, causing Ragebringer and other abilities to not draw as much hate as they normally should. This is affecting all Tank powers.

Ways Around: Hit an enemy with first, then use a power. This should fix the problem. (Thanks to CntBeSrs)

Reserved

Reserved

Reserved.

Two More, just in case I have overflow in anything (most likely wont)

Reserved

Reserved. All right, inserting text now, feel free to post.

V you should ask to get those two post from that other guy removed.

I appreciate the effort but it's a little hard to read at the moment.

i appreciate the effort, but a couple things, other than the typo. its plasma retch, not plasmic, and severe punishment gives you a 10% increase to your health. any other power, including severe punishment, will activate the tank buff of 0.6 health per point of dominance, per enemy. just a couple details that made me stop reading the guide almost immediately. im not to familiar with the dps side, but i know from the developer discussion thread, other powers also use the plasma burn pi as well.

I added Lacedog's comments (helpful w/ the dom thing btw, thank you). I can update the power interactions more tomorrow, and will work on Color coding it and adjusting certain text sizes so that it will be easier to read.

If there are any more suggestions regarding reading the guide itself, just send me a PM through this account so I can edit it tomorrow night.

Also, regarding Tank buff, I tested it out. Only Severe Punishment and Relentless Anger were giving me my Health Buff, even when in range of enemies.

Some interesting loadouts, I'm going to have to try some of them. I'm still trying to find a good DPS long range combo for dealing damage to raid bosses at a distance.

tons of content, thanks for post, but it would read better if your powers and their descriptions and uses were not double spaced from each other. See Nova's Sorcery guide for formatting, it's among the best on here.

Hmm... Ok, I'll work on that along with the color for titles tonight.