So lately I've been number crunching some of our Wrath spenders, specially secondary skills, after a long post in these very boards about how awful Shield Bash really is.
I've always been a huge Lightning hammerdin guy, but since I have 2 crusaders (yeah, I Know...), I try to test out a lot of stuff just for kicks. I was experimenting with Phalanx- Bowman as a supportive skill for a while now, and always thougth the skill and it's many variations were a bit overlooked (rigthfully so, however, before the buffs).
Anyway, back to wrath spenders...If you're not a Hammerdin, and assuming you don't want to use shield bash, we have two real options, as many of Crusader abilities are limited by cooldown and not resources -> We have Sweep attack and Blessed shield. The other option is Heaven's fury with the rune, which besides the nerf, is a very interesting skill, as it's not part of our Secondary skill lists, but worked like one.
It always bothered me how Bombardment is such a strong skill, much stronger than Falling sword, but there's little beneffit to stacking + Physical to the teeth, as there are not enough skills to work in synergy with it...
Well then. I then realized this little thing about Phalanx - Shield Charge: Assuming my math is correct and the Lord Commander bonus is multiplicative on the overall % damage of the skill, the 20% bonus modifies the skill to become an incredible 450% Weapon Damage / 210% Weapon damage 2 hit-wrath spender for 30 Wrath.
It's AoE, ranged, Physical, and thus beneffit from stacking damage so, and synergizes with other stuff you will pick up (like Lord commander). For comparison, at 30 wrath, it gives a beneffit of 22% Weapon damage per wrath spent - the same as Sweep attack, but as a ranged skill. On top of that, most Sweep attack runes make it a variation of elements and NOT Physical.
Blessed Shield and Blessed hammer are also all different magical elements - no physical options.
Both my crusaders are awfully geared at the moment and thus I can't really test it very far, but the theory sounds valid.
Would love if someone actually tested it with a proper amount of +Physical Damage, Main mouse click with another heavy physical damage skill, Phalanx - Shield charge as Secondary, Bombardment, and whichever other skills you see fit - specially physical damage ones and reported back.
So lately I've been number crunching some of our Wrath spenders, specially secondary skills, after a long post in these very boards about how awful Shield Bash really is.
I've always been a huge Lightning hammerdin guy, but since I have 2 crusaders (yeah, I Know...), I try to test out a lot of stuff just for kicks. I was experimenting with Phalanx- Bowman as a supportive skill for a while now, and always thougth the skill and it's many variations were a bit overlooked (rigthfully so, however, before the buffs).
Anyway, back to wrath spenders...If you're not a Hammerdin, and assuming you don't want to use shield bash, we have two real options, as many of Crusader abilities are limited by cooldown and not resources -> We have Sweep attack and Blessed shield. The other option is Heaven's fury with the rune, which besides the nerf, is a very interesting skill, as it's not part of our Secondary skill lists, but worked like one.
It always bothered me how Bombardment is such a strong skill, much stronger than Falling sword, but there's little beneffit to stacking + Physical to the teeth, as there are not enough skills to work in synergy with it...
Well then. I then realized this little thing about Phalanx - Shield Charge: Assuming my math is correct and the Lord Commander bonus is multiplicative on the overall % damage of the skill, the 20% bonus modifies the skill to become an incredible 450% Weapon Damage / 210% Weapon damage 2 hit-wrath spender for 30 Wrath.
It's AoE, ranged, Physical, and thus beneffit from stacking damage so, and synergizes with other stuff you will pick up (like Lord commander). For comparison, at 30 wrath, it gives a beneffit of 22% Weapon damage per wrath spent - the same as Sweep attack, but as a ranged skill. On top of that, most Sweep attack runes make it a variation of elements and NOT Physical.
Blessed Shield and Blessed hammer are also all different magical elements - no physical options.
Both my crusaders are awfully geared at the moment and thus I can't really test it very far, but the theory sounds valid.
Would love if someone actually tested it with a proper amount of +Physical Damage, Main mouse click with another heavy physical damage skill, Phalanx - Shield charge as Secondary, Bombardment, and whichever other skills you see fit - specially physical damage ones and reported back.