Grim focus: keeping 5 stacks all the time VS using bow proc

Armanie · June 2022

I'm curious how much DPS you lose if you just cast this skill once and forget about it, having +300 weapon damage all the time, instead of using the bow proc every 5 stacks?
Anyone tried to run the numbers on a target dummy?

Snamyap · June 2022

Don't know which is better, just want to add that you get to keep the stack even if you remove grim focus from your bars, until you zone.

ChunkyCat · June 2022

In pvp, my grim focus proc hits for over 10k. So I shoot my load as soon as I can.

True story.

UntilValhalla13 · June 2022

It's honestly what makes the nightblade's dps. Without it, you may as well just play a sorc or something.

grapedog · June 2022

Only keep it during execute. Use it otherwise as soon as its available. The dps "loss" from losing the stacks when firing the bow is minimal and only lasts a very short while if you're weaving well.

summ0004 · June 2022

I just keep the stacks with the extra weapon damage as the skill is generally clunky to use, and I have not noticed significant loss of sustainable damage when I dont fire it. I will fire is on occasion if I need a heal.

I dont play meta endgame mind...

Oreyn_Bearclaw · June 2022

I don't have hard numbers for you, but if talking PVE DPS, I agree with others. If you have no interest managing the spectral bow, I would play sorc. Its the closest comparison. Truthfully, even if you like the way it works, you are still better of with sorc for most things these days. NB DPS could use a buff as far as I can tell, but admittedly, I am not up to date on the latest round of parses with High Isle.

Last patch, my mageblade was significantly behind my Sorc, Necro and DK, but admittedly, I never went full in on trying to min max with DW/2H, which I did do on the others. I like NB for the mobility and self heals, so playing a mageblade in melee range just doesn't interest me too much.

Unless they have recently changed how it works, it is worth being sure you are at max stacks as you hit execute. Once you hit execute, dont cast it again.

In a full parse, however, the spectral bow is usually very high on your damage list. Typically your top 3 are Light Attack>Impale>Spectral Bow. The bow proc can be north of 10k DPS with single hits criting at 110k+. If I had to take a shot in the dark at a DPS loss, I would say 8-10k single target fir a great player, 4-7k for an average player.

MudcrabAttack · June 2022

In long fights where you have to refresh grim,

For melee keeping 5 stacks would drop damage around 3-4%

For ranged with lethal arrow spammable it’s around 1% loss

In moments of bad lag where ranged light attacks aren’t landing fast enough your dps will go up by skipping it entirely, rather than refreshing it too early

Necrotech_Master · June 2022

the stacks will stick until you leave combat, and will stick if you refresh the skill early

as others mentioned i usually shoot it when its available because its a really high burst dmg (especially paired with something like snipe as those projectiles hit almost the same time)

Djennku · June 2022

It's personal preference honestly. The bow proc when it crits hits hard, but keeping the procs and not activating the skill gives you a constant 300 damage buff. Whatever you feel works better for you you should do. If you decide to fire the bow, make sure you stop firing it during execute for the damage boost.

The difference between the two is minimal, so you're not losing out doing one or the other. Play how you want. ^^

blktauna · June 2022

I find the stacks drop off too quickly and the skill never fires half the time, so I rarely use it.

Necrotech_Master · June 2022

blktauna wrote: »

I find the stacks drop off too quickly and the skill never fires half the time, so I rarely use it.

the stacks only drop off if you leave combat

if you are in cyro with a long keep fight, the stacks pretty much never go away even if you have to refresh the skill multiple times

one advantage of being stuck in combat is you never lose the stacks lol

BloodyStigmata · June 2022

You should probably fire it off as often as you can, if you can remember to.

I certainly can't.

Armanie · June 2022

BloodyStigmata wrote: »

You should probably fire it off as often as you can, if you can remember to.

I certainly can't.

I can't either, hence my question. If it's only a few % DPS loss like others said, it's all good I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thecompton73 · June 2022

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

blktauna wrote: »

I find the stacks drop off too quickly and the skill never fires half the time, so I rarely use it.

the stacks only drop off if you leave combat

if you are in cyro with a long keep fight, the stacks pretty much never go away even if you have to refresh the skill multiple times

one advantage of being stuck in combat is you never lose the stacks lol

This isn't the way it works though. It's on a completely different tracking system than the "in combat" system for mounting, gear swaps, etc. If you're building stacks on an Npc or player that gets killed before you fire the bow you lose your stacks. If you get too far away from the Npc or player you built the stacks on, you lose your stacks. I've often wondered how the algorithm for Merciless can be so much better at tracking when I've left combat with someone than the actual "in combat" algorithm.
Bound Armaments is basically the same mechanic but feels much more reliable in PvP combat because I'm not randomly losing stacks like I do with Merciless.