18 réponses à ce sujet

[bluebullets]

Its timing seems off (i miss blows) and it doesnt do very much dmg.

 

the only time I see it being useful is vs dragons.. Do you guys use it as a 2h dpswarrior?

[actionhero112]

Yeah it's really good. Any defensive technique that completely removes damage from attacks is going to be worth having on a melee fighter that can't drop aggro. Though obviously you don't need it on a champion because you spend so much time invulnerable. 

 

Though apparently everyone sucks with the timing. (common complaint I think)

 

The basics of it is learn the tells from melee strikes when they are about to attack you. When you see them wind up, pause, target that enemy, use block and slash, your inquisitor will face that direction and activate the technique. 

 

Honestly on hard or normal you don't really need it, but it's still really useful for avoiding melee damage. Do you really need another damage ability when you already just use dragon rage for damage anyways?

[Reman]

Just get the timing down. It's a great technique to knock down opponents and block damage.

[DomeWing333]

It's very useful for dealing with those big shield guys who otherwise block your hits or for enemies with large wind-ups. The thing to remember about it is that it isn't a parry, it's a block. You need to pre-empt the strike, not meet it. I found it to be more handy towards the beginning of the game when you don't have many other uses for stamina and can afford to hold it a couple seconds early.

[sethroskull79]

It's really fun because it makes that metal on metal sound.  I use it a lot.  But only 8 slots...so if there is something you like better than go with that.

[RazielTheUnborn]

In the camp as everyone else. Great skill, causes knockdown, and if you upgrade it, it builds guard as well. I suck with its timing but i give it to any 2H AI warrior I run with. They have superb timing with the skill.

[McPartyson]

No. It is not a great skill. It only blocks melee (some melee strikes cannot actually be blocked), sucks your stamina and stops your DPS. Ranged/Magic attacks are a 2H warriors primary concern and they have no way of really battling that weakness. Melee can just be knocked down and dispatched with abilities quickly. You don't want to stop DPSing, that just sucks.

 

Compare it to Shield Wall, the ability which blocks everything...which I also think kind of starts to suck later on...especially since you stop dpsing...lose stamina...etc...just a bummer to use.

 

Knight Enchanter's Spirit Blade(with upgrade) + Fade Shield = All range attacks get deflected and damaged back to the enemy...and you don't need to block, you don't really lose much mana and you don't stop DPSing because fade shield will stay up while you Spirit Blade everything down to death.

 

Bioware messed up with the Warrior class....

[sethroskull79]

I think it's good to have for an AI skill.  If your warriors have it and its set to preferred, you hear them using it a lot.  Which is nice.  I did use it a lot with my warrior in the beginning.  Got me used to the game controls.  But once I got Whirlwind it just doesn't deal enough damage.

[OrionAnderson]

It's amazing. The timing takes getting used to. Once the enemy is swinging their sword at you, it's too late. Some posters said to watch for the wind-up. I wouldn't even wait that long. Throw it up preemptively as soon as you know the enemy is going to attack you. If the enemy is running right towards you, you probably have him aggroed. Hit block as soon as he reaches you and stops running. Pay attention to your enemies behavior to make sure you know who they are going to attack; that's more important than watching for when they attack. 

 

You can't block ranged attacks, it's true. And ranged attacks are the biggest problem for 2handers, also true. However, it does generate enough guard to soak up a couple arrows. Block can generate guard way faster than the other guard skill if you use it right. It also does pretty good damage, so it's effectively free hits on melee enemies even when you're under archer fire. The listed 150% damage is decent, but not great for the invested time, but remember that it knocks down. If you have coup de grace (battlemaster passive) or mighty swing ready to go, that's a huge damage spike. 

[WillieStyle]

While it is an effective skill, I much prefer Charging Bull and Combat Roll. I'd rather avoid damage by moving and those other skills are faster and come with very valuable utility.

[AxholeRose]

Bread and butter skill if you roll a 2H, imo.  One of the very, very few twitch based skills in the game that define the class, and make it fun, unique and interesting to play.  Not really necessary in lower difficulty levels but I've been using it in NM, in an under-geared party and have kept my companions alive with it.  My favorite aspect about this skill is that you can even use it if you're standing behind the target.  The block will trigger as long as you're close enough.  It only works against regular melee, true, but many enemies attack like that and when they do, instant guard generation + knockdown.

 

I've never used the rogue's parry but the Block & Slash is a persistent skill, meaning you can activate it and keep it active while waiting for the incoming blow as long as you have enough stamina.  The AI however is very smart, and if you activate it too early, it actually has a threat reduction effect and will cause the mob to attack someone else.  Best time to activate it is when you have a feeling they are going to attack.  Different mobs have different attack speeds and for most of them it is too late to activate when they have already begun their attack animation.  The slowest mobs are skeletons and corpses and they are pish easy to block as their attack animation takes forever.

[CottonMacabre]

Bread and butter skill if you roll a 2H, imo.  One of the very, very few twitch based skills in the game that define the class, and make it fun, unique and interesting to play.  Not really necessary in lower difficulty levels but I've been using it in NM, in an under-geared party and have kept my companions alive with it.  My favorite aspect about this skill is that you can even use it if you're standing behind the target.  The block will trigger as long as you're close enough.  It only works against regular melee, true, but many enemies attack like that and when they do, instant guard generation + knockdown.

 

I've never used the rogue's parry but the Block & Slash is a persistent skill, meaning you can activate it and keep it active while waiting for the incoming blow as long as you have enough stamina.  The AI however is very smart, and if you activate it too early, it actually has a threat reduction effect and will cause the mob to attack someone else.  Best time to activate it is when you have a feeling they are going to attack.  Different mobs have different attack speeds and for most of them it is too late to activate when they have already begun their attack animation.  The slowest mobs are skeletons and corpses and they are pish easy to block as their attack animation takes forever.

It seriously has threat reduction? so i can just spam block and slash until my tank gets all the aggro?

[AxholeRose]

It seriously has threat reduction? so i can just spam block and slash until my tank gets all the aggro?

 

Thats my theory.  When you activate it too early against a melee enemy who hasn't begun an attack, he won't attack you and get countered like an idiot, instead he will hesitate then eventually turn around and attack someone else.

 

Also it works against those huge shield enemies and their stampede move that knocks you down.  B&S stops them in their tracks and knocks them down instead.

[Bigdawg13]

I don't think "threat reduction" is the proper term.  If you are standing there, with block and slash enabled, you aren't doing any damage.  No damage, = no threat generation.  Mean while everyone else in your group is damaging the enemy.  Of course they will eventually exceed your threat level and then the melee enemy will turn to them.  There is no evidence it actually reduces your already accumulated threat.

 

Block and Slash is one of many skills to help avoid damage.  They all have pros and cons to them.  Block and Slash will provide total avoidance in many situations, do some damage, generate guard, CC anything that can be knocked down.  The downside is it requires positioning and timing.  It also cannot block all attacks (giant's leap, giant's bolder, bear knockdown), etc. 

 

Alternatives include charging bull, combat roll, shield wall, or guard-generating abilities.  All of these will either help mitigate or avoid damage.  They all have advantages and disadvantages. 

 

The reason why so many people advocate block and slash and charging bull, is they provide multiple benefits.  They generate guard, do damage, knock down enemies, and can be used to avoid attacks.   They both have short cooldowns, and if timed well use very little stamina.

 

Combat roll and shield wall are lackluster.  They both avoid/mitigate damage, but neither does damage or provides control via knockdown.  Combat rolls main advantage is being able to recover from a disabling effect (something the 2H lacks).  But it still is fairly lack luster considering the versatility of charging bull and block & slash.

 

Personally it's fun to use and I like it.  I like the "twang" and the controller vibrate/feedback.  I like knocking down the shield guys with it, especially considering they block charging bull and turn if you try to use combat roll to get behind them).  It works great against dragons.  My main complaint with block and slash is when fighting giants.  It doesn't do squat.  I'd rather have combat roll when fighting giants.

 

I'm tempted to swap it out for combat roll when fighting giants, but that seems like a waste.  I'd have to sink 3-4 skills into the battlemaster tree just to get combat roll, just to deal with the occasional giant.

[stop_him]

It's good early on. You can take down all those guys with giant shields.

[DanteYoda]

It's good early on. You can take down all those guys with giant shields.

Pommel strike is better

 

For me block and slash is useless its no good on anything bigger than a human. And nothing worse than blocking as the enemy goes and attacks some else

[Bigdawg13]

Pommel strike is better

 

For me block and slash is useless its no good on anything bigger than a human. And nothing worse than blocking as the enemy goes and attacks some else

 

Except to get pommel strike, you have to already pick up block and slash.  And if you are that early in the game, you have plenty of room with 8 skills.  And if you are late in the game, you don't need either one.  Also, pommel strike doesn't work on anything except peons.  Every boss mob, dragon, giant, etc pommel strike doesn't stun.  But block and slash works most of the time, assuming you know how to predict your enemies attacks.

 

Obviously don't stand there for 2+ seconds holding block and slash.  Instead, when your enemy starts to telegraph their attack (super easy to see on dragons, and most melee mobs, especially the 2H guys) use block and slash (or combat roll, or charging bull).

[Deebo305]

Useless imo, does laughable damage

[Bigdawg13]

Useless imo, does laughable damage

 

Compared to the what other defensive skill?  The huge damage of combat roll?  It's damage is equal to charging bull (more if upgraded).  

 

Dead dps = no dps

 

If you get knocked down, how much DPS are you doing again?