RDM, Corps-a-Corps, and Clipping

[Lynesse]

I notice a lot of RDMs weaving Corps-a-Corps after Enchanted Riposte, but when I do it, it usually results in a small clip. Is this normal?

It feels like it shouldn't be this much of a problem at my ping (around 100ms).

Double weaving anything can randomly cause my GCD to clip a little depending on how temperamental the connection is being. Should I worry about this? Is this going to prevent me from playing optimally?

[Rongway]

Corps-a-corps only takes the standard 0.7s that 99% of instant actions take and shouldn't be a problem. Displacement takes slightly longer and will eat into the next GCD if you try to pair it with another oGCD.

But keep in mind that the Enchanted skillchain has significantly shorter GCDs than your spells. There's only time to use one oGCD each after E.Riposte and E.Zwerchhau, and two oGCDs after E.Redoublement as long as none of those oGCDs is Displacement.

[Lynesse]

Not for me. At 100-120ms, Corps-a-Corps clips after Enchanted Riposte. Lag spikes are unpredictable and happen often enough that I simply can't weave it or anything else after Enchanted Riposte/Zwerchhau.

I don't have much of an issue double-weaving Fleche + Contra Sixte or anything else. Corps-a-Corps often clips after Fleche but can be doable when the connection is stable.

My question is more: Does moving Corps-a-Corps behind Redoublement hurt me in the long run?

My other question is: Those times when double weaving does clip, is it a substantial enough DPS loss to worry about?

[Rongway]

E.Riposte and E.Zwerchhau each have a 1.5s recast. Someone with negligible latency can follow them with any one oGCD except Displacement:

E.Riposte 0.7s + anythingButDisplacement 0.7s = 1.4s
1.4s < 1.5s

E.Redoublement has a 2.2s recast, so similarly you can fit two oGCDs after it:

E.Redoublement 0.7s + anythingButDisplacement 0.7s + anythingButDisplacement 0.7 = 2.1s
2.1s < 2.2s

If you personally are having trouble fitting Corps-a-corps after E.Riposte or E.Zwerchhau, you will have trouble fitting any oGCD after E.Riposte or E.Zwerchhau and you will have trouble fitting any two oGCDs after E.Redoublement.


But your other question, "Does it really matter?"

Even if one of your oGCDs delays your next weaponskill slightly, it's still a gain to use your oGCD because otherwise you will end up losing oGCD uses over the long term, as RDM oGCD attacks have such short recasts.

[Lynesse]

Edit #2: I learned that we only use Corps-a-Corps three times before Manafication comes off CD. It falls just short of being usable a fourth time, no matter what. Displacement, on the other hand, can be used up to four times comfortably.

The verdict is pretty much this: as long as we use Corps-a-Corps three times and Displacement four times before Manafication comes off CD, we achieve the highest DPS. Delaying Corps-a-Corps a few GCDs is fine.

That said, it's usually impractical to use Displacement on CD, so we might argue that the second or third Displacement is a bonus. Any use of Displacement is a bonus, depending on the content.

Manafication happens to be a great equalizer in this case. That's impressive design, SE, if that was intentional.

This is also under ideal conditions, so it doesn't really matter. Performance matters a lot more in the end.

[MoroMurasaki]

On the subject of you finding small amounts of clipping with oGCDs in general - forgive my lodestone stalking but if I'm looking at the right character you've got something like 1.3k Spell Speed right now so reducing that will help you with clipping overall.

At BiS RDMs have around 550 SpS right now, so if your GCDs are that much shorter double weaving even things like Fleche+Contra can get messy. I have avoided the Shisho-Kai for this very reason, going back to that much SpS bloat feels bad even though I understand WepDmg/Int should trump it. One day I'll get my Diamond Tuck xD

[Lynesse]

Yep, that's it. You nailed it. Thank you!

I'm curious about the nature of SpS. It seems, after researching, that RDMs prefer a GCD of 2.47-2.48. Mine is 2.38. If I've done the math right, that puts me ahead one GCD per minute. It makes me question conventional wisdom.