Shield Swipe- How often do you use it?

[Prince_Myshkin]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll use it more often when I'm on a single target that I have enough threat built up.

[Sapphidia]

For me its a 'set it and forget it' macro I add on to my Fast Blade.
Just simple 2 line macro.

I did this until I tanked a couple of instances with it. i'd really recommend not doing so - the problem was that when AOE tanking 2-3 mobs I was blocking so often that Shield Swipe was literally up ALL THE TIME. Thus I could never get any fast blades off because i'd end up spamming Swipe. Now for solo DPS this is really good, it's efficient. However for Tanking it's abysmal because Shield Swipe does -terrible- threat. Spamming it locks you out of using Savage/Halone and your threat dives.

As posters above say, NEVER use shield swipe tanking unless you're happily ahead on threat already or -really- need the pacification.

[Semont]

snip

Just delivery of damage.

Rage of Halone takes about 2 seconds after activation till it actually deals any sort of damage.

Shield Swipe is just as fast as Fast Blade on delivering damage but is more than twice as powerful.

Also it IS worth using on a single target in every chance possible.

Consider 12 turns (4 Halone combos).

100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260

2240 potency.

12 turns with Shield Swipe in every second attack.

100 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 100 > 230 > 200 > 260 > 230 > 100 -> 200 > 230

2340 potency.

Shield Swipe once every attack.

100 > 230 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 230 > 100 > 230 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 230

2500 potency.

Don't forget that if you miss anytime during your Halone combo, you'll lose a huge chunk of damage. Shield Swipe can help fill in your damage and it won't ruin your combo if you miss with it.

[Viik]

While there is slight increase in overall damage with Shield Swipe, as a tank I'm far more interested in threat/enmity generation. After converting those same figures into threat...

Consider 12 turns (4 Halone combos).
100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260 > 100 > 200 > 260
2240 potency.

100>600>1300>100>600>1300>100>600>1300>100>600>1300>
=> 8000 enmity

12 turns with Shield Swipe in every second attack.
100 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 100 > 230 > 200 > 260 > 230 > 100 -> 200 > 230
2340 potency.

100>600>230>100>600>230>100>600>230>100>600>230>
=>3720 enmity

Shield Swipe once every attack.
100 > 230 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 230 > 100 > 230 > 200 > 230 > 260 > 230
2500 potency.

100>230>600>230>1300>230>100>230>600>230>1300>230
=>5380 enmity

[Gourry_Gabriev]

I tend to pop off a few when tanking a group of mobs along with throwing out stuns just for the damage mitigation of not being hit by any weapon skills (not all of them are red aoe marker abilities). Of course this is after I establish a comfortable threat lead.

[Norb]

When soloing I have it macro'd to every attack so it's constantly going off.

In dungeons I swap out the buttons so it's on manual control - as others have stated any attempt to automate it in a dungeon can interfere with threat generation, so I leave it on manual control there (though in some PUGs if the DPS is low enough, you can actually put some of the automated macro's back and still hold aggro).

[ZenBear]

silence can be handy against casters but you need melee mobs to trigger it.

Shield Swipe does not silence, it pacifies. This means melee mobs can't use their abilites, but casters can keep right on casting.

For me its a 'set it and forget it' macro I add on to my Fast Blade.

I don't like to do this because I find that having the GCD out of your control at any point to be a major flaw. When threat is low and mobs are attacking allies or are about to turn away from you, you can't spare the time to SS. You need to get your FB>SB>RoH combo out right away, and a macro like this could ruin that and wipe the party in the right circumstances.

I used to use SS every time it was up, but now that I'm at the higher levels threat management is becoming more difficult so I have to pick and choose my moments. I use it for the cheap damage output when threat is secure, but that situation is becoming rarer with every level.

[Zfz]

I will shield swipe as long as I have adequate enmity lead, and I rarely don't.

Shield Swipe is best spread among all the mobs in a pack because it helps reduce damage done to you (no-ws has diminishing returns). In a long fight (such as chain-pulling in Stone Vigil) you are bound to slowly deplete your TP, and Shield Swipe becomes a very nice balance between enmity and resource. After all, you only need to do enough enmity. (I try to keep all damage dealers at least below 70% though. You never know the good ones are holding back their potential, because they're the good ones.)

[Nayto]

I generally use it when soloing or when I have everything under control and don't need to worry about threat anymore. It a strong attacked with very little TP cost.

Pretty much this. as long as I've got every monster RoH'ed I start popping this every often it comes out until I need to give the mobs RoH again.

I'd like it to interrupt at least though... BRD/ARC's 'blunt arrow' even though it casts silence, it can also interrupt casts as well, why can't pacification interrupt weaponskill charge-ups?

[civilpaw]

I think the fact that everyone seems to feel that Shield Swipe is better as a DPS increase than being used as intended is a sign of the big problem here. It needs to be removed from GCD. Sure, this would mean it would be OP as a DPS increasae, which is why the damage needs to be nerfed all to hell.