Sleight remains as one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) hate management tools in the game. No other ability has can reduce (or increase) a character's hate positions as drastically and as easily as SoH. That said, the inability to visually distinguish (without a network of 3rd party programs...) the complete hate list and a large potential penalty for using the skill 'through the mob' where it is strongest (effectively 'racing' the fighter and coercer), prevent the skill from being seen as useful. However, these are player skill gaps rather than problems with the skill directly (we're bad). If anything were to be changed regarding SoH, it'd be a clause that nullifies the effect if the target's target is a fighter (to not punish slow casting with a raid wipe). SoH has always been awesome, we've just always been bad.
I'd say it is an issue with the design of the ability that it requires something so far beyond the information provided from simply playing the game + the parsing of logs by ACT/Guild Connect whatever basic parse programs are out there Theorycraft is an interesting exercise in what is possible, but what is technically possible when using what I would call Dev level godmode input should not be the measuring stick for the worth of an ability, and if an ability requires such a level of data, it is badly implemented
My measuring stick is close to the ideal case. Basically it involves players who are high on the hate list (and don't want to be) saying "hey guys, I don't want to be high on the hate list" in vent and getting SoH cast on them. Is this better than complete clairvoyance? Certainly not, but it is effective. I'll advocate the next time I support 'theorycraft' on these forums, as it is implied I do it all the time rather than speak from experience.
Mr theorycraft I could maybe see setting up a cast on last tell person macro, but i'd force people to make a specific tell so I could do an ACT trigger. Getting threat to a tank? No thank you, I only do that on Crumbling Emperor so my group gets named. Saving guildies? Only if Pris De Fer AND one of the two good detaunts are up. Basically any real use for it beyond a personal detaunt requires a whole extra level of information we don't have access to unless using one of **those** programs. That or crystal clear communication on top of calls / saves / what ever else is going on in vent
I won't quibble with your numbers or assessment, as you're probably closer to right than otherwise. I'll just say that Katanallama is one of the more skilled & experienced Swashies around. If it took him 5-6 years to finally find a real "omg that was excellent" moment with SoH, that tells me that the skill level required to make it actually function is quite beyond the range of most players. That tells me it's in need of reworking to make it more useful for a wider variety of players. It may well have always been awesome, but if it's too difficult to use because of the amount of information needed to make it work properly -- as you allude -- then that's an issue.
Katana-bunnylover pulled off the risky play (swap someone who was tanking) and dropped down positions immediately after. This is a really flashy play, and is difficult to perform (you need to be confident that your reaction is faster than every other positional taunt/detaunt in the raid, then actually be that fast). I'm totally for making this play more forgiving if the swashbuckler fails (they weren't actually that fast) by making it not swap a fighter if they are #1 on the mob's threat list. That would make it a much safer skill to use, as there isn't the looming danger of swapping a fighter from #1 to position #19 while you tank the raid boss. However, the equally effective, safe play is just as strong where SoH functions as a super-sever hate. It isn't flashy, it doesn't look rewarding, but it is still very powerful, and it takes the same amount of information that sever hate requires (presumably a swashbuckler with 1~2 detaunt procs, a transfer, and two dehate positionals is lower than the target). This play is rarely made/acknowledged, which is why SoH is considered bad. ='(
Do swashies have a spell that will move them behind the target? A friend who understands the numbers much better than I do is helping me improve my swashie, and asked me this question... I've tried doing some research but haven't come up with anything as I'm not sure what to call this. I enjoy playing her very much. TIA!
Well, I guess I should clarify it's port *to* enemy lol. Tho tov beta it did port behind! But devs feared people would break game geometry with it or something lol. I might have been in a rush this afternoon with other things Backside finding beyond that is really just taking into account who the mob is targeting :3 But yea, port to mob yes: port behind mob not so much.... maybe walk the plank to turn mob away from you?
Well, I may get thrashed for the necro of this older thread but I swear it's actually on topic. I'm curious if Katanallama or any of the uberswashies have changed much on their swash gear/spec with AoM content. Still wearing all WDB gear? As I've looked over a variety of scouts I'm seeing a mix of choices being made pretty much running the full spread of options from all WDB to all pot/CB/Abmod to a mix of both. I wish we knew more about the upcoming changes to CA damage. Swash doesn't have super AAs to support the new poisons but they are still pretty darn nice of course (other than cost.) I did respec to add Potency in the Swash tree and Poison Mastery in the shadows tree but that's about the extent of what I have changed so far. Still recommending left side for most content? Any other major changes?
Errrr sorry. *ahem* Left side / uber auto attack setup is still pretty win for single target / nameds with only occasional add spawns. What I've brought up before is that we're the only class not balanced for single target dps, only AE junk. On single target named raid mobs, auto attack / wdb / flurry to the max! **HOWEVER** We do have more AE raid content these days. Huge trash blobs that you actually HAVE to kill, a few AE spam named mobs... Most named are single target, but some are uber AE parses. I currently maintain two equipment sets. One had a ton of DPS mod and 100% in combat flurry, the other had some 33k ability mod and much higher CB / POT. My fortunate situation, I have the dreadlord gear for most slots, in this AE spam fest equipment set I use dreadlord helm, gloves, shoulder and boots. I also still maintain some 50-60ish solo in-combat flurry. Essentially I don't fully abandon my auto attack. My sympathy goes out to new swashbucklers who don't have the fancy stuff from ToV. We are pretty much required to maintain both an auto attack and CA equipment loadout, I'd hate to be dealing with that junk now.
