[Blader] Quick Slots for PvE, PvP, BM2 and everything else.

[cadacus_ater]

EDIT: I'm posting a slight modification of my bars (this time the skills aren't all darkened lol). The basic uses of them remains the same, except now I can chain combo with dps skills on bar 1. Original entry may be found on post 48 of the contest thread or here: http://i54.tinypic.com/30k6nua.png. Full-size: http://i55.tinypic.com/t8xe3a.png

Here is a link to a video showing my BM2 retargeting on a pluma as well as showing my favorite combo in pve:
http://youtu.be/OmhbiJJr_a0

I have kept the default setup except for changing 'Select my Character' to 'Middle Mouse' (for retargeting) and changing the zoom in/out to 'ctrl+scroll up/down' to keep my camera stable while I retarget. My primary combos and attacks usually use slots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A+2, A+3, and A+4, other slots I usually select by right clicking on them (except dash and fade). The 'neutral' position of my hand is such that my pinky rests on 2 and my thumb, curled under my hand, rests on the left alt key. In bm2, I switch to have my middle finger on 1 and my index on 2 using my battle mode bar.

All my skills are at max level except for Blade Scud and Lightning Slash, which are both level 9 (and my magic on skill bars 2 and 4 are not all maxed either, just put them at 9)

Character: Cadacus
Server: Venus

[zhuai]

I like your setup Seems like you are not wasting slot space (when you take ss of your bar next time, target a dummy so they are all lit up!)

Just wondering is it hard to press hp pot that far away from combo (key1) in bar 1 and 3?

About the separate thread.. I think this is the proper way since they did not mention posting under that specific thread.
After all they are counting comments for the win..
Logically its easier to count and compare comments of individual threads than observing one big thread for its constituent..

[Chippo]

I'll make a more detailed comment later, but for now I have one suggestion for your bm2 bar. As you know already, there are 4 or 5 skills allowed to be used in Grappler. They are: Impact Stab (correct me if I'm wrong on this one), Double Rising, Vital Interfere, Blade Scud, and Death Tempest. Fitting all these in your bm2 bar would be more beneficial, since claw is only for a single target. All these skills have somewhat of aoe, although the piercing effect from impact stab is questionable.

[cadacus_ater]

@zhuai: Yeah I should have targeted something, lol. I usually use my mouse for potions; I find that times I'm using potions I am 19 times out of 20 able to afford using my mouse to do it. If need be though, I can move my keyboard hand over to it and back to my neutral without too much trouble during skills that have a combo cast time of over a second.

@Chippo: Hmm, I'm not sure if Impact Stab is usable in bm2 or not, but then again, I don't really think it would be that useful (its dps out of combo is pretty bad). VI though I might wanna put on there (forgot about that). When I made it I primarily put the skills there for use in attacking as bm2 canceled.

I did use DR at one point, but I ditched it (I suppose it is arguable that it is more useful than Fatality Increase though lol) and have gotten used to going without it; its dps is horrible compared to my other skills (except maybe Twin Moon Slash, but that is in there for range).

[Chippo]

Impact Stab can't be used in bm2. I just checked it on my 58 blader for fun. XD
Anyway, I'll still leave a few more comments later.

[Chippo]

Chain combo, for me, is when I start a combo, then press the Combo Start skill only during the combo so the skills in my quick slot at that time are used in order and cool down timing. I'm looking at your quick slots again, and I see a bit of a problem that is preventing you from using chain combo.
To your Quick Slots!
http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...verything-else.

In your thread-starter, your skills are mostly level 20.

...
All my skills are at max level except for Blade Scud and Lightning Slash, which are both level 9 (and my magic on skill bars 2 and 4 are not all maxed either, just put them at 9)...

I borrowed this chart from your http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...l-Levels/page2 to see your chain combo.



I initially thought the cool down time for the skills was too long to chain combo, but that shouldn't matter. Then again, perhaps your current skills in the main bar (default 1 to = buttons) may not be in the best order with sufficient cool down timing.

This is a chart to show you why your chain combo is broken after 8 combo. Cycles 1 and 2 make up the 8 combo and the cool down times are provided as well, except for Force Kick (96 seconds would make the other lines microscopic ><).



None of the skills is cooled to follow IS after Cycle 2.

This is the problem I'm seeing. Your current PVE bar has three or four (if Twin-Moon Slash counts as one) vital skills in the Expanded Quick Slots. Chain combo only uses skills in main Quick Slots. I tried to chain combo with skills in expanded slots, but they didn't register in the combo from only pressing Combo Start button. I recommend you reposition the shorts and Crushing Blow (you don't need this in there) in your PVE bar with those four skills, then you can chain combo. Same go for your other non-buff bars. If you want to chain combo, keep the desired skills to be used in a combo in main slots (not Alt plus button slots).

However, Combo Start can be in an expanded slot. I tried chain combo with Combo Start button in an Alt bar, and all the skills in a main bar were executed flawlessly. Chain combo is only affected by main slots.

By the way, you can keep doing chain combo even if you were to deviate from it by picking specific skills during the combo. Let's say you start a chain combo; the keys pressed would be: Start Combo, Start Combo, Start Combo..., then you press a skill that hasn't been executed yet or is already cooled. You can still keep the combo going linearly from where you broke that chain by simply reverting to repeating Start Combo.

I think having buffs in all bars seems redundant. Buffs should be contained in one bar and nowhere else. I suggest you put skills, shorts, fury potions, sharpness/amp potions from or not from war, and vital/sp kits from war in place of the redundant buff slots or leave them blank if there's no need to fill them.

[cadacus_ater]

I applaud your comments sir My primary combo for reference is LS, DS, BS, VI, LS, DS, SG, DT, VI, LS, BS...an alternate combo when LS is cooling is BS, VI, LS, DT, BS, VI, LS, DS, SG, BS, VI (or whatever i want to end on). I also 'freestyle' sometimes, throwing Impact Stab, Force Kick and/or Assault in to gain back hp faster with vamp. As for Twin Moon Slash, to be honest I almost never use it unless I'm rooted or in very specific circumstances...I really have wanted to get rid of it but I hate not having any ranged options.

I have vitals next to hp pots on all my bars, except bar 4 it is by intuition, along with my sp packs. As far as shorts and buffs go, I have tried to put shorts on all bars before, but I've had a few bad experiences where I short accidentally that have made me reluctant to do that lol. But I probably should replace them with at least FoF, AoF and IB, so that I know when they are cooled no matter what bar I am on. That wouldn't leave much room for buff potions...then again I don't use them very much at all (I usually let other people get them in war cause I'm a lowbie in T5 and I like to let stronger people have them lol).

So as far as chain combo goes, it sounds like it automatically goes to whatever skill is cool on the 1 to = bar. I'm going to pose a hypothetical combo, assume skills in parenthesis are done via chain combo and that FK is cooling: (LS), (DS), (BS), VI, (LS), (DS), (As), (IS), (BS), VI, (LS). Is this possible and if so, can I do it with my skill bar as is, or would I need to change it?

EDIT: I just tested myself and changed up my bars a little based on some of your suggestions. I can now auto combo LS DS BS LS DS VI...with fast skills mixing in LS and BS when cool. I like the new setup.

[Tenmetsu]

I'll make a more detailed comment later, but for now I have one suggestion for your bm2 bar. As you know already, there are 4 or 5 skills allowed to be used in Grappler. They are: Impact Stab (correct me if I'm wrong on this one), Double Rising, Vital Interfere, Blade Scud, and Death Tempest. Fitting all these in your bm2 bar would be more beneficial, since claw is only for a single target. All these skills have somewhat of aoe, although the piercing effect from impact stab is questionable.

Actually assault is also able to be used in BL bm2

[Chippo]

Actually assault is also able to be used in BL bm2

You are absolutely right. I forgot about Assault in my previous comment, although I do use it in bm2. lol
So there are 5 usable skills in BL bm2: DR, As, VI, BS, and DT. Only Assault lacks aoe.

[cadacus_ater]

You are absolutely right. I forgot about Assault in my previous comment, although I do use it in bm2. lol
So there are 5 usable skills in BL bm2: DR, As, VI, BS, and DT. Only Assault lacks aoe.

I recalled that Assault was usable in bm2 too, lol. I decided I'd post a slight revision of my entry to show some of my changes and allow the attack skills to be shown lit up. Basic use of my bars remains the same, with the exception of my being able to chain combo with my fast skills now; I can also easily hit up to slot 6 manually with my keyboard hand if I want.