Storm's Path

[Ehayte]

I just wrote a 4 paragraph rant that was very angry, this is my attempt at re-wording it.

Why do I see WAR guides recommending that Storm's Path not be maintained?

I'm not talking about 4-mans or T6-8, I'm talking about content that is actually relevant and challenging, namely FCoB. I've seen 2 or 3 end-game very high quality WARs that recommend against using it or only using it as if it were a CD to mitigate damage from tank killer moves.

WHY!? Its such a great tool to mitigate the raid-wide AEs, the splash damage mechanics that hit the DPS, and just overall output on boss mobs on whomever is tanking. I haven't run into a single threat issue as a WAR OT in FCoB yet. I just don't understand the BB>Eye>BB>Eye recommendations. Just keep the uptime on Path unless you need a threat boost!

Pre-emptive counter-argument to DPS-centric WARs. DPS is great, I throw on DPS accessories and am looking into getting i90s melded, I agree that it works well. I just think the impact of having 10% damage down from the boss/adds is much much more valuable than a .5% increase in raid DPS from you squeezing out 20-30 extra DPS.

I'm really not trying to be combative, I'm just mainly reaching out to see if my logic is flawed in some way - do I understand what Storm's Path does correctly? Is that extra DPS that a WAR can push anything other than e-peen on the parser?

[LichKaiser]

Do as your party need. I ended Fcob spamming storm eye/path. Wen extra dps needed i used eye/butcher. Actualy ot is a resource for the group. Need dps? Do dps. Need less damage on group or on mt? Do path. Remember people act like they says coz other memeber on theyr pt make them play that way.

[Thistledown]

ok if that is true I have been tanking wrong for the last two weeks (which is the time that I picked up tanking). I've been doing BB>SP>BB>SP in most of my main tanking, with BB>SE>BB>SE in things like Titan's Heart phase to extract that little sliver of dps I can get. Otherwise it should be the party NIN's job (of which we have plenty)

[Rbstr]

Path is a valuable tool. But, yeah, it's most useful against tank-killer mechanics. If you think about most raid-wide damage in challenging content that 10% is usually not all that likely to save someone from death (so much is insta-death when mishandled anyway) or result in the use of fewer GCDs on the healers' parts. There are certainly times where it can help a lot but 100% uptime is pretty much just wasted potency.

It's really only valuable if there's peoples' lives or healers' mana to be saved. If the 10% isn't going to be actually useful then there's no reason to use it. More DPS is almost always useful, even if the difference is small.

[SpookyGhost]

ok if that is true I have been tanking wrong for the last two weeks (which is the time that I picked up tanking). I've been doing BB>SP>BB>SP in most of my main tanking, with BB>SE>BB>SE in things like Titan's Heart phase to extract that little sliver of dps I can get. Otherwise it should be the party NIN's job (of which we have plenty)

WAR MT rotation is either SE -> BB or SE -> SP, SP -> BB is never really needed. Something to remember is that each of your combos have a specific use:

Storm's Eye: More damage/more aggro generated.
Storm's Path: Mainly used before big attacks or in fights with consistent large hits (T8 Savage, T12, T13, etc.)
Butcher's Block: Aggro generation, highest potency combo.

If Storm's Path 100% uptime is needed, you can cut BB out of your rotation unless you actually NEED more aggro. With a proper opener you can alternate SE and SP endlessly without ever fear of losing aggro. This is usually never needed, so SE -> BB is optimal, only putting up SP before a big hit.

The NIN will also benefit more from cutting DE out of their rotation than you would from cutting SE out of your rotation, so no matter what the group composition is you should be the one putting up the slashing debuff.

[Ehayte]

ok if that is true I have been tanking wrong for the last two weeks (which is the time that I picked up tanking). I've been doing BB>SP>BB>SP in most of my main tanking, with BB>SE>BB>SE in things like Titan's Heart phase to extract that little sliver of dps I can get. Otherwise it should be the party NIN's job (of which we have plenty)

If you have a NIN in the party you should prioritize getting up Storm's Eye for them. It is a substantial DPS increase for them and not a big deal for you.

Path is a valuable tool. But, yeah, it's most useful against tank-killer mechanics. If you think about most raid-wide damage in challenging content that 10% is usually not all that likely to save someone from death (so much is insta-death when mishandled anyway) or result in the use of fewer GCDs on the healers' parts. There are certainly times where it can help a lot but 100% uptime is pretty much just wasted potency.

It's really only valuable if there's peoples' lives or healers' mana to be saved. If the 10% isn't going to be actually useful then there's no reason to use it. More DPS is almost always useful, even if the difference is small.

My argument is that 10% is a big enough impact on healer mana and Ballad up-time that its more valuable than the extra DPS. When you say its most useful against Tank-killer mechanics I'm not sure how that checks out - it has the same 10% effect on all damage. A 3k raid-wide is going to do 24,000 damage, and you will have mitigated 2,400. As opposed to something like Revelation that does 9000, you've mitigated 900.

I know its widely accepted to put it up before the big AEs like in T11, etc, but IMO it should be mandatory before Wild Charge, Heat Lightening, Prey, Cyclonic Chaos, and any auto attack, as its a free 10% damage mitigation. That's 1/2 of Shield Oath!!!!

[SpookyGhost]

OT rotation for WAR in FCoB should be SE -> SP until everyone has learned the content. SP is more valuable when you and your group are in unfamiliar territory.

[Ehayte]

OT rotation for WAR in FCoB should be SE -> SP until everyone has learned the content. SP is more valuable when you and your group are in unfamiliar territory.

Mmm. Agreed, obviously - I just think that people are overestimating the benefits from doing slightly more DPS and underestimating the benefits from having Storm's Path up 100%. Even on stuff that's farm status it just makes everything easier.

[SirTaint]

SP is very useful in FCoB, lots of raid damage going out. It can makes things like the auto crit nerve cloud in T11 much more manageable.

[Sleigh]

SP was pretty useful learning T10 in i110, definitely made surviving Wild Charge > potential floor DoT ticks easier in final phase, also affects Prey. By now in i120+ it's not particularly useful anymore.

T11, it's nice for mechanics. Nerve Cloud was always survivable with only DK and full HP but SP can save people, quite a bit more useful for the auto-crit one though. Tanks get chunked pretty well in this turn too.

T12, aside from Revelation Phoenix isn't a particularly threatening boss, and the two things it'd be really nice for, Bennus and Flames of Rebirth, you can't put up SP for if you're MTing and/or in add phase. I could see this turn seeing the removal of SP before T11/13.

T13, SP should be up 100%. Even as you gear up it's really nice, it can make you survive Megaflare > tower without heals, and Gigaflare still requires good stuff until you approach i130. Plus the MT gets absolutely wrecked P1/P2, and Akhs are the deadliest sets of attacks in the game currently.