New BD Skills crash course

[Coldsu]

I usually don't post on public forums but I did a talent/badge test and figured I'd share the results

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/148qlHhVkpwxRrWMLDifrJXcj48PGpNmtxgh36EN1k64/edit#gid=0

 

This is a single parse of every talent combination using Limitless and Songbird, 3 or 4 parses into the new badge it became clear that Limitless is still better until we get the new badge fuse but it can still be used to figure out which talents are BIS on the ambiguous DPS lines.  It's not exhaustive because I only did a single parse for each combination but the gaps are large enough to figure out which talents on each specific line are better.

 

Line 1 is just straight damage increases that don't affect CDs so deciding which is better is pretty straightforward, and it's Critical Shock (this might be different if your crit is low enough that you're still seeing white quite often as it scales critical damage, but idk.  If that is the case then Thunder Rolls does appear to beat Lightning Strikes).

 

Line 3 is sort of player choice, the max theoretical DPS comes from Turn the Tide, but it requires you to Flash Step on CD to get maximum use out of it and that's not always possible on boss fights, Assail lets you keep Storm Cleave which gains some synergy with Critical Shock, and gives you another Draw Stance enabler which is actually a bit important because you can get away with only using Lightning Draw and Thunder Slash and saving Storm Cleave for when you need to Knockdown or Hongmoon Block in an encounter to get back to Draw Stance quickly.  TL;DR on this is the safer choice is Assail, but if you have no mechs Turn the Tide might get you higher DPS

 

Line 5 annoys me, it looks like it should be a choice but Thunderstruck is just the best choice, Thunderbolts and Lightning is a dead talent entirely with new badge because you'll get a refund on Fatal Blade and Lightning Draw resets so you'll just be sitting at 2 spirits waiting for Thunder Slash to come off CD for your last spirit anyway, the fact that it gives 2 overcaps you and it worthless, even with current badge you'll accidentally overcap a lot and even with perfect play it's nearly identical DPS to Thunderstruck because of the animation taking a day and a half to go off.  Shock Through the Heart makes Fatal Blade hit harder but overall the DPS from the animation taking so long is lower in the long run, if you're memeing in 6v6 and can somehow CC multiple people you can just oneshot them one after another with the reset but it's so hard to setup I wouldn't recommend it.  Thunderstruck is just better in nearly every conceivable situation.

 

TL;DR:

Critical Shock/Assail/Thunderstruck; the other 2 lines are utility, use Limitless until new fuse is available.

 

 

Edit:  If it matters, this is my gear https://bnstree.com/character/na/cold