Best PvP stigma build for Gladiators.

[Nidormaen]

This is copied over from AionUltima.com (minus some small changes), where I wrote this up for the Gladiators in my legion.

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Now that I know more about Gladiators, I have decided to update my stigma choices to something a little better than my last build. The premise is still similar, but these small changes will help out in the long run.

Old build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

New build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

Let's start off with discussing some of the bigger things I changed. Draining Blow and Precision Cut being included instead of Lockdown and Assault Posture are the main new features of this build.

Well, Draining Blow is a no brainer. I didn't pick it up last time because I wasn't aware that stigma skills scaled off of attack power. I assumed that it would only hit for 440ish damage each time (except for crits), when it actually can - and will - hit for 1.1k or more. Considering this is almost as much as Improved Stamina, and only has a cooldown of 30 seconds; it's a remarkably good skill. Not only that, but it's great for just grinding on fort guards as well.

On to Precision Cut. One of the reasons I didn't pick it up last time was because of the remarkably situational uses for it. These uses still apply - but I wasn't aware of the amount of them that there were. For instance - Aerial Lockdown. At the moment, I currently use Body Smash in the downtime between when I launch them in the air and then use Crashing Blow to knock them down. Precision Cut fits perfectly in-between this time. You are at no risk of being interrupted, so it's basically a free time to just smash on them.

Another use for it would be if you Ankle Snared, popped rage and a shock absorption scroll (to stop interrupts), and cast it then. With the 30 second cooldown, it's possible to be used two or three times in a fight - especially in the Abyss with the damage reduction. Now, you may be asking - if it's that good, why not get the next big damage dealer in the chain (Severe Demolishing Blow)?

First off, the cast time makes it unusable when you have Aerial Lockdown up (removing a good chunk of it's situational use), and you have to sacrifice all of your other abilities that actually prevent you from dying. This includes Draining Blow, Improved Stamina, and more. Not to mention, there is no way you will ever get a situation that allows you to use two cast time abilities in a row, or even remotely close to each other. You'd have to chose between one or the other, and that means you essentially would have wasted a stigma slot with Precision Cut if you only used Severe Demolishing Blow.

Now that we have discussed the good uses for the new stigmas, let's discuss why I think this build is better than my last one.

Assault Posture - a VERY good ability... and even more situational that Precision Cut. I talked to a couple level 50 Gladiators, and they said it adds about 100 extra damage per ability. Very good, considering that can be the difference between finishing off that last bit of health or dying to your opponent. However... it has a three minute cooldown. Precision Cut can be activated about six times within this. Using simple logic, we can deduct that using it six times simply won't happen. However - just using my above situational uses, it can activated at least two times.

Not including attack power or crits (which can make it do 3k damage or more), it will do at least 1,405+1,405 = 2,810 damage. 2,810 damage divided by 100 damage (per hit of Assault Posture) means you would have to do at least 28.1 hits in the 30 seconds that Assault Posture is up. This will NEVER happen. Even with stacking every bit of attack speed, you'd never be able to do a hit per second; and like I said, I'm not factoring in attack power or your 44% soft cap crit chance for Precision Cut.

Whew, that was fun. Now that the whole damage thing is solved, let's do something different. Instead of discussing why one ability is better, let's discuss why you should chose something that is great, instead of something that is also great - but must be given up to get something even greater. Wait, what?

I'm talking about giving up Lockdown in exchange for the new build. Lockdown - a 3 second silence on a 12 second cooldown. It's incredibly good - considering the silence godstone is one of the best for Gladiators, and it only silences for 8 seconds with a 5% proc chance. It would open up the chance to use Precision Cut very often, with almost no risk of being interrupted - (three second silence trumps 1.7 cast time).

However, there isn't space for it. The only stigma you could give up without completly breaking the new build is Ankle Snare - and that removes the chance for the use of Lockdown in the first place. Your opponent is not going to stand there when silenced, they will run away - thus removing the chance to cast Precision Cut. Not only that, but you would still have to pop Rage and Shock Scrolls - because auto-attack is still active. There is the small chance you will get knockdowned (when fighting a fellow Gladiator), or Knockbacked (when fighting a Ranger), and that interrupts Precision Cut.

Hope this helps out, enjoy.

[Gutz]

My build is pretty much the same as your new one, only diff is i have lockdown instead of draining blow.

[Kapla]

My build will be exactly the same as your new build

[Finrod]

My understanding was that Lockdown only works on melee? It isn't in fact a lockdown or a silence is what I have read. So it doesn't stop a caster from casting or a healer from healing. If all it does is disarm melee opponents it is very useful against those classes, but worthless against the classes we need the most help against. I have never tested it myself, so I am talking second hand here.

[Nidormaen]

Originally Posted by Finrod

My understanding was that Lockdown only works on melee? It isn't in fact a lockdown or a silence is what I have read. So it doesn't stop a caster from casting or a healer from healing. If all it does is disarm melee opponents it is very useful against those classes, but worthless against the classes we need the most help against. I have never tested it myself, so I am talking second hand here.

EDIT: It is actually just a disarm according to someone who tested it.

[b4dmojo]

Your new build is hot stuff. I agree with most of your reasoning behind it and will give it a shot.

Lockdown silences ? tested?

[Styphen]

Originally Posted by Finrod

My understanding was that Lockdown only works on melee? It isn't in fact a lockdown or a silence is what I have read. So it doesn't stop a caster from casting or a healer from healing. If all it does is disarm melee opponents it is very useful against those classes, but worthless against the classes we need the most help against. I have never tested it myself, so I am talking second hand here.

lockdown shares cds with ther abilities you can use instead on classes it isnt an advantage on. personally, I rather enjoy lockdown for tanking elites and avoiding abilities I dislike of theirs and also to duel/pvp templars with and watch them cry their abilities are broken.

And yes lockdown is a melee silence you can use on them making them unable to use melee abilities 3 seconds out of every 12 seconds.

[b4dmojo]

Originally Posted by Nidormaen

Lockdown is a silence. Plain and simple. No class can use abilities with it up.

This is what I'm asking about.

I have never tested this. Like others, I assumed this was a melee silence only.

Is this quote truth?

[Finwe Leralonde]

Originally Posted by Nidormaen

This is copied over from AionUltima.com (minus some small changes), where I wrote this up for the Gladiators in my legion.

------------------------------------------------------

Now that I know more about Gladiators, I have decided to update my stigma choices to something a little better than my last build. The premise is still similar, but these small changes will help out in the long run.

Old build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

New build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

Let's start off with discussing some of the bigger things I changed. Draining Blow and Precision Cut being included instead of Lockdown and Assault Posture are the main new features of this build.

Well, Draining Blow is a no brainer. I didn't pick it up last time because I wasn't aware that stigma skills scaled off of attack power. I assumed that it would only hit for 440ish damage each time (except for crits), when it actually can - and will - hit for 1.1k or more. Considering this is almost as much as Improved Stamina, and only has a cooldown of 30 seconds; it's a remarkably good skill. Not only that, but it's great for just grinding on fort guards as well.

On to Precision Cut. One of the reasons I didn't pick it up last time was because of the remarkably situational uses for it. These uses still apply - but I wasn't aware of the amount of them that there were. For instance - Aerial Lockdown. At the moment, I currently use Body Smash in the downtime between when I launch them in the air and then use Crashing Blow to knock them down. Precision Cut fits perfectly in-between this time. You are at no risk of being interrupted, so it's basically a free time to just smash on them.

Another use for it would be if you Ankle Snared, popped rage and a shock absorption scroll (to stop interrupts), and cast it then. With the 30 second cooldown, it's possible to be used two or three times in a fight - especially in the Abyss with the damage reduction. Now, you may be asking - if it's that good, why not get the next big damage dealer in the chain (Severe Demolishing Blow)?

First off, the cast time makes it unusable when you have Aerial Lockdown up (removing a good chunk of it's situational use), and you have to sacrifice all of your other abilities that actually prevent you from dying. This includes Draining Blow, Improved Stamina, and more. Not to mention, there is no way you will ever get a situation that allows you to use two cast time abilities in a row, or even remotely close to each other. You'd have to chose between one or the other, and that means you essentially would have wasted a stigma slot with Precision Cut if you only used Severe Demolishing Blow.

Now that we have discussed the good uses for the new stigmas, let's discuss why I think this build is better than my last one.

Assault Posture - a VERY good ability... and even more situational that Precision Cut. I talked to a couple level 50 Gladiators, and they said it adds about 100 extra damage per ability. Very good, considering that can be the difference between finishing off that last bit of health or dying to your opponent. However... it has a three minute cooldown. Precision Cut can be activated about six times within this. Using simple logic, we can deduct that using it six times simply won't happen. However - just using my above situational uses, it can activated at least two times.

Not including attack power or crits (which can make it do 3k damage or more), it will do at least 1,405+1,405 = 2,810 damage. 2,810 damage divided by 100 damage (per hit of Assault Posture) means you would have to do at least 28.1 hits in the 30 seconds that Assault Posture is up. This will NEVER happen. Even with stacking every bit of attack speed, you'd never be able to do a hit per second; and like I said, I'm not factoring in attack power or your 44% soft cap crit chance for Precision Cut.

Whew, that was fun. Now that the whole damage thing is solved, let's do something different. Instead of discussing why one ability is better, let's discuss why you should chose something that is great, instead of something that is also great - but must be given up to get something even greater. Wait, what?

I'm talking about giving up Lockdown in exchange for the new build. Lockdown - a 3 second silence on a 12 second cooldown. It's incredibly good - considering the silence godstone is one of the best for Gladiators, and it only silences for 8 seconds with a 5% proc chance. It would open up the chance to use Precision Cut very often, with almost no risk of being interrupted - (three second silence trumps 1.7 cast time).

However, there isn't space for it. The only stigma you could give up without completly breaking the new build is Ankle Snare - and that removes the chance for the use of Lockdown in the first place. Your opponent is not going to stand there when silenced, they will run away - thus removing the chance to cast Precision Cut. Not only that, but you would still have to pop Rage and Shock Scrolls - because auto-attack is still active. There is the small chance you will get knockdowned (when fighting a fellow Gladiator), or Knockbacked (when fighting a Ranger), and that interrupts Precision Cut.

Hope this helps out, enjoy.

Your new build is exactly the same I will have at end game. Tried Assault Posture in Dredgion , if you dont have GS with solid accuracy, you will miss alot, especially against sins or rangers.Imho thats why precision cut is better.
Lesser CD (30 sec) and if you use it smart, its pew pew time, while *** posture has to many penalties, lasts 30secs, cd 3 minutes... matter of opinion ofc, but i would take precision cut always over *** posture.

[xetech]

i like the build but what are ur thoughts on subbing in piercing rupture for ankle snare or improved stamina ;p more aoe ftw \o/ especially for world pvp no? ankle snare kinda gets dispelled anyway and yes i know there is only one class in the game that can dispel but that class features in almost any group pvp so meh..

[Delolith]

Originally Posted by xetech

i like the build but what are ur thoughts on subbing in piercing rupture for ankle snare or improved stamina ;p more aoe ftw \o/ especially for world pvp no? ankle snare kinda gets dispelled anyway and yes i know there is only one class in the game that can dispel but that class features in almost any group pvp so meh..

Piercing Rapture (stigma) + Piercing Wave (50lvl ability) = same cooldown. So not enough gain by slotting this.

[Breakin]

I change AS for ADW and it's the perfect build for both PvP and PvE.

[DoomBuggy]

New build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

Same build here, great reasoning as well

[Phydeaux]

Lockdown is effectively a 'disarm'. Your target can still cast and heal with the debuff on. Not saying it isn't useful, but it's not a universal silence.

But besides that, I have the exact same build as your new one.

FYI: I have never seen this mentioned before specifically... To new people, Normal Stigmas can go in the advanced Stigma Slots. Somehow I missed that fact for a very long time. >.<

[Nidormaen]

Originally Posted by Phydeaux

Lockdown is effectively a 'disarm'. Your target can still cast and heal with the debuff on. Not saying it isn't useful, but it's not a universal silence.

Then there is really less uses for it than I thought, and even better to replace with another stigma.

Originally Posted by Breakin

I change AS for ADW and it's the perfect build for both PvP and PvE.

Yup, it's very useful for people that enjoy to do both those activities.

Originally Posted by DoomBuggy

New build: Aion Armory - Gladiator Stigma Calculator - By Terhix

Same build here, great reasoning as well

Originally Posted by b4dmojo

Your new build is hot stuff. I agree with most of your reasoning behind it and will give it a shot.

Thanks. ^^

Originally Posted by Phydeaux

Lockdown is effectively a 'disarm'. Your target can still cast and heal with the debuff on. Not saying it isn't useful, but it's not a universal silence.

But besides that, I have the exact same build as your new one.

FYI: I have never seen this mentioned before specifically... To new people, Normal Stigmas can go in the advanced Stigma Slots. Somehow I missed that fact for a very long time. >.<

Thanks for fully explaining what lockdown does, and yeah - it's good that normal stigmas can go into any slot, otherwise people would be locked into chosing a specific build and only that.