Willbender alacrity and dps questions

[Kuya.6495]

So I've been playing willbender in open world and it's not bad IF you're fighting multiple enemies. But I have concerns about alacrity uptime and best condi dps rotation. 

 

For alacrity with using mostly ritualist gear (3 trinkets and 1 weapon are vipers) i can't seem to maintain perma alacrity.  Does anyone know how much boon duration you'll need to have 100% uptime assuming you're always hitting the enemy? I think I have about 30% and that lets me keep alacrity up with about 3-5 seconds downtime.

 

Also I have concerns about alacrity uptime even if you had 100% boon duration. You can't maintain it if you're not attacking the enemy but other alacrity providers such as spectre and renegade don't have this problem. So why would you bring a willbender who can't give you alacrity if he's doing mechanics? Can we get a response from a dev if this is something they're looking into?

 

Now as for dps, anyone know what the best rotations, weapons and utilities are for condi dps willbender? I've been using purging flames, whirling light, signet of wrath and sword/torch. I presume you'd want to take permeating wrath if you're not doing alacrity.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Kuya.6495

[yLoon.5289]

Tried it with full Harrier gear. Its just too much hassle to provide Alacrity as you need multiple hits within 6 seconds. Not efficient at all. It is not suitable for full support role, but could be useful in a DPS + concentration role with multiple attack such as the usage of Scepter. Arena should revert back the CD of Scepter 2 into 5 seconds, only then Willac will be useful.
 

[cat.8975]

1 hour ago, Kuya.6495 said:

Now as for dps, anyone know what the best rotations, weapons and utilities are for condi dps willbender? I've been using purging flames, whirling light, signet of wrath and sword/torch. I presume you'd want to take permeating wrath if you're not doing alacrity.

Virtues 311, Radiance 221, WB 112 (or 122 if solo)
Sw/t + sc if running the typical full condi setup, sw/t + gs if running a grieving+flame legion build.
Utils are whirling light, purging flames, condi signet. If solo, it's worth swapping the signet for sword of justice so you can pump out some vuln. 

[Kuya.6495]

1 hour ago, cat.8975 said:

Virtues 311, Radiance 221, WB 112 (or 122 if solo)
Sw/t + sc if running the typical full condi setup, sw/t + gs if running a grieving+flame legion build.
Utils are whirling light, purging flames, condi signet. If solo, it's worth swapping the signet for sword of justice so you can pump out some vuln. 

Thanks! Any suggestions on the best rotation? I've been trying just purging flames>f1>whirling light>sword2>3>torch 5 and torch 4 whenever it's off cooldown.  But the damage up buff from virtues means you want to keep activating a virtue even if f1 is not up. Do you then use f3 to trigger the traits unscathed contender (i noticed you don't use it tho) and inspiring virtues between f1 casts? Are there any skills you should only use during virtues to maximize dps? 

[LadyKitty.6120]

Nerfing the Phoenix Protocol-trait basically made consistent alacbendering impossible unless there's some ridiculous amounts of Boon Extension action going on. As of now, only way for alacbender to keep up full alacrity requires 100% Boon Duration bonus with 5 attacks per second for whole 8s duration of Flowing Resolve and unfortunately that's pretty impossible to pull off as even Power Dragonhunter can't sustain over 3APS. To make Alacbendering possible again, the alacrity from Phoenix Protocol's alacrity needs to be returned to at least 1,5s.
2s alacrity from Phoenix Protocol would allow using something like Ritualist's equipment with Sigil of Concentration to keep up full alacrity for 5 with decent dps loss on condi Willbender and also using Healbender build which isn't too OP as it's basically core heal guardian with one less spec (and as such, pretty much inferior to heal guardian, not to mention heal firebrand) but as a heal alacrity option. 2s base duration is pretty much required for heal alacribender due to healer's low attack rate.

[cat.8975]

15 hours ago, LadyKitty.6120 said:

Nerfing the Phoenix Protocol-trait basically made consistent alacbendering impossible unless there's some ridiculous amounts of Boon Extension action going on. As of now, only way for alacbender to keep up full alacrity requires 100% Boon Duration bonus with 5 attacks per second for whole 8s duration of Flowing Resolve and unfortunately that's pretty impossible to pull off as even Power Dragonhunter can't sustain over 3APS. To make Alacbendering possible again, the alacrity from Phoenix Protocol's alacrity needs to be returned to at least 1,5s.
2s alacrity from Phoenix Protocol would allow using something like Ritualist's equipment with Sigil of Concentration to keep up full alacrity for 5 with decent dps loss on condi Willbender and also using Healbender build which isn't too OP as it's basically core heal guardian with one less spec (and as such, pretty much inferior to heal guardian, not to mention heal firebrand) but as a heal alacrity option. 2s base duration is pretty much required for heal alacribender due to healer's low attack rate.

It's definitely possible, but very tight right now. I wouldn't mind seeing it bumped back up to 1.5 or even 2s per attack, as you're sacrificing a fair bit of damage to play alac in most encounters (UC is not a viable trait in 90% of PvE scenarios).

[Kuya.6495]

I did some testing and with about 40% boon duration you can keep perma alacrity on a group. Problem is that it's a tight window. I used full ritualist armor with zerker trinkets and weapons and food with boon duration. I switched to strike damage since I found it impossible to make condi alac willbender work. Doing strike damage was easier since I only needed to worry about using f2. 

 

I took strike damage willbender to the aetherblade hideout strike and found that in order to keep close to 100% boon duration on the squad, i couldn't focus on a dps rotation and had to desperately use f2, quickly reposition using a port or a leap and then quickly drop multi hit skills such as symbols and whirling light to make sure alacrity stayed up. My dps was abysmal. I really hope they change f2 to just be a port or a stationary evade because using f2 and then having to reposition is just too much especially if the boss moves a lot.

 

I almost wish they'd just put the alacrity on f3 and raise the base duration because you'd only have to worry to do as many strikes as possible during f3 and once that's over with you can focus on your dps until f3 is back up. This rotation would also synergize with unscathed contender in virtues trait lines. And since f3 is a port, you don't have to worry about the boss moving or you being out of position so much. 

 

Orrrr, increase the radius of f3 and make just standing inside the circle give alacrity so I don't have to have a heart attack about keeping alacrity up while doing dps while doing mechanics. A big reason why you're not going to take a willbender for alacrity is because it can't give alacrity if it can't hit the boss and bosses tend to have invulnerability phases or moments where you can't be near the boss due to mechanics.

 

While we're at it. Make willbender flames cover an area like a carpet. F1 should be a full triangle, f2 a large chunky square and f3 should be a full fiery circle. It would fix the issues in pvp with virtues proc.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Kuya.6495

[523462AE-09F2-4A91-BDE5-3D23BFA48EBA]

2 hours ago, Kuya.6495 said:

I did some testing and with about 40% boon duration you can keep perma alacrity on a group. Problem is that it's a tight window.

 

That seems a little bit off.

 

Testing it in full givers + boon duration sigils just to get a baseline, it regularly drops group alac for chunks of time just because you're never going to have all the available burst windows every f2 press.  Testing it with other people in group a couple times, the not me person(s) never once had even close to 100% uptime. 

 

Its also probably the absolute least fun spec for alac uptime by far.  I would never consider playing it for that in the current state. 

[JPUlisses.8756]

isn't the alacrity only to self? how to you give it consistently to others?

[The Boz.2038]

43 minutes ago, JPUlisses.8756 said:

isn't the alacrity only to self? how to you give it consistently to others?

Virtues: Battle Presence.

But the build don't work; numbers wrong.

[JPUlisses.8756]

4 minutes ago, The Boz.2038 said:

Virtues: Battle Presence.

But the build don't work; numbers wrong.

thanks, how well it works with altruistic healing trait though?

Edited March 10, 2022 by JPUlisses.8756

[The Boz.2038]

AH has no internal cooldown, so.. Well?

[Shiyo.3578]

If the movement on F2 could be opted out of, this wouldn't feel miserable to play. I don't understand why I'm forced to move around with my F2 to give alacrity, it feels so bad. Guardian has ALWAYS been the class that feels as smooth as butter, but I guess not anymore? ;/

[JPUlisses.8756]

On 3/11/2022 at 4:24 AM, Shiyo.3578 said:

If the movement on F2 could be opted out of, this wouldn't feel miserable to play. I don't understand why I'm forced to move around with my F2 to give alacrity, it feels so bad. Guardian has ALWAYS been the class that feels as smooth as butter, but I guess not anymore? ;/

I think the problem is that most pve combat are sort of immobile and moving feels like a dps loss. But that is a problem of pve not the spec.