Finisher Efficiency: Slice&Dice
Last post I made I claimed that in non-static fights where you can't be sure that you'll be able to melee the full duration of a Slice&Dice, it's best for a Sealfate Rogue to trigger it with 3cp. The post was quite long already so I left the reasoning out and promised to get back to it later. Here comes the math.
What does a Slice&Dice cost you?
As Sealfate Rogue you have Relentless Strikes and Ruthlessness. So a finisher has a 60% chance to give 1 CP back and you have a 25% chance of getting 25 Energy restored per CP. This is the average cost of your Slice&Dice:
1 CP SnD costs 20 energy, 0.4 CP.
2 CP SnD costs 15 energy, 1.4 CP.
3 CP SnD costs 10 energy, 2.4 CP.
4 CP SnD costs 05 energy, 3.4 CP.
5 CP SnD costs 00 energy, 4.4 CP.
What's the net dps boost of a S&D?
Let's calculate it for a typical Sealfate Dagger specced epic equipped rogue:
Your white damage does (without S&D) 150 dps.
In that case a S&D is a 45dps buff.
Your average backstab does 1080 damage.
With 3 points in Imp S&D the timers are 13.1/17.4/21.8/26.1/30.5
An average 5pt Evi does about 1200 dmg. (Coldblood included)
Okay, what's 1 energy worth?
1 energy is 1/60 backstab or 18 damage.
What's a combopoint worth?
If you can spend the cps with a 5cp Eviscerate, you'll pay 10 energy and 4.4cp:
4.4cp + 10 energy = 1200dmg
4.4cp = 1200 - 10 energy = 1200 - 10 * 18dmg = 1020dmg
-> 1cp = 1020dmg / 4.4 = 230dmg
Now that we have a more or less accurate idea what energy and cp are worth in terms of damage, let's calculate the net dps boost a S&D gives you over spending the points in 5cp Eviscerates instead:
1 CP = 13.1s S&D buff, -20nrg, -0.4cp = 13.1s * 45dps - 20 * 18dmg - 0.4 * 230dmg = 138dmg = 10.5dps
2 CP = 17.4s S&D buff, -15nrg, -1.4cp = 17.4s * 45dps - 15 * 18dmg - 1.4 * 230dmg = 191dmg = 11.0dps
3 CP = 21.8s S&D buff, -10nrg, -2.4cp = 21.8s * 45dps - 10 * 18dmg - 2.4 * 230dmg = 249dmg = 11.4dps
4 CP = 26.1s S&D buff, -5nrg, -3.4cp = 26.1s * 45dps - 5 * 18dmg - 3.4 * 230dmg = 303dmg = 11.6dps
5 CP = 30.5s S&D buff, -0nrg, -4.4cp = 30.5s * 45dps - 0 * 18dmg - 4.4 * 230dmg = 360dmg = 11.8dps
Conclusion
Regardless of what CP count you have when you trigger S&D the net dps you get is almost the same. If you can guarantee that you'll make use of the full S&D duration, then a 5cp S&D is the best choice, but if you lose only 1 second, you are back on the efficiency of a 1cp S&D. If you lose 8 seconds you have not gained a single damage point through your S&D over a 5cp Eviscerate.
Of course, in many short fights you never have the chance to get 5cp off anway. In that case S&D is most of the time better then losing the cp.
Anyway you'll want to make sure that you don't waste precious seconds of your buff. It's far easier to look 20 seconds ahead than 30 seconds and so the S&D with 3 cp is often the better choice in non static fights.
Sure, it would be even easier to guess how the fight will look like in 13 seconds (1cp S&D) but remember that S&D is not the only finisher you'll want to use. Rotating between 3cp S&D and 4-5cp Eviscerates is managable. Squeezing in 4-5cp Eviscerates between 13 second S&D buffs is not. And you don't want too big gaps in your S&D coverage if it's not necessary.
It's still tough to make the right decisions in a fight, but knowing that S&D is almost equally good in net dps regardless of the cp you spend on it definitely helps.
What does a Slice&Dice cost you?
As Sealfate Rogue you have Relentless Strikes and Ruthlessness. So a finisher has a 60% chance to give 1 CP back and you have a 25% chance of getting 25 Energy restored per CP. This is the average cost of your Slice&Dice:
1 CP SnD costs 20 energy, 0.4 CP.
2 CP SnD costs 15 energy, 1.4 CP.
3 CP SnD costs 10 energy, 2.4 CP.
4 CP SnD costs 05 energy, 3.4 CP.
5 CP SnD costs 00 energy, 4.4 CP.
What's the net dps boost of a S&D?
Let's calculate it for a typical Sealfate Dagger specced epic equipped rogue:
Your white damage does (without S&D) 150 dps.
In that case a S&D is a 45dps buff.
Your average backstab does 1080 damage.
With 3 points in Imp S&D the timers are 13.1/17.4/21.8/26.1/30.5
An average 5pt Evi does about 1200 dmg. (Coldblood included)
Okay, what's 1 energy worth?
1 energy is 1/60 backstab or 18 damage.
What's a combopoint worth?
If you can spend the cps with a 5cp Eviscerate, you'll pay 10 energy and 4.4cp:
4.4cp + 10 energy = 1200dmg
4.4cp = 1200 - 10 energy = 1200 - 10 * 18dmg = 1020dmg
-> 1cp = 1020dmg / 4.4 = 230dmg
Now that we have a more or less accurate idea what energy and cp are worth in terms of damage, let's calculate the net dps boost a S&D gives you over spending the points in 5cp Eviscerates instead:
1 CP = 13.1s S&D buff, -20nrg, -0.4cp = 13.1s * 45dps - 20 * 18dmg - 0.4 * 230dmg = 138dmg = 10.5dps
2 CP = 17.4s S&D buff, -15nrg, -1.4cp = 17.4s * 45dps - 15 * 18dmg - 1.4 * 230dmg = 191dmg = 11.0dps
3 CP = 21.8s S&D buff, -10nrg, -2.4cp = 21.8s * 45dps - 10 * 18dmg - 2.4 * 230dmg = 249dmg = 11.4dps
4 CP = 26.1s S&D buff, -5nrg, -3.4cp = 26.1s * 45dps - 5 * 18dmg - 3.4 * 230dmg = 303dmg = 11.6dps
5 CP = 30.5s S&D buff, -0nrg, -4.4cp = 30.5s * 45dps - 0 * 18dmg - 4.4 * 230dmg = 360dmg = 11.8dps
Conclusion
Regardless of what CP count you have when you trigger S&D the net dps you get is almost the same. If you can guarantee that you'll make use of the full S&D duration, then a 5cp S&D is the best choice, but if you lose only 1 second, you are back on the efficiency of a 1cp S&D. If you lose 8 seconds you have not gained a single damage point through your S&D over a 5cp Eviscerate.
Of course, in many short fights you never have the chance to get 5cp off anway. In that case S&D is most of the time better then losing the cp.
Anyway you'll want to make sure that you don't waste precious seconds of your buff. It's far easier to look 20 seconds ahead than 30 seconds and so the S&D with 3 cp is often the better choice in non static fights.
Sure, it would be even easier to guess how the fight will look like in 13 seconds (1cp S&D) but remember that S&D is not the only finisher you'll want to use. Rotating between 3cp S&D and 4-5cp Eviscerates is managable. Squeezing in 4-5cp Eviscerates between 13 second S&D buffs is not. And you don't want too big gaps in your S&D coverage if it's not necessary.
It's still tough to make the right decisions in a fight, but knowing that S&D is almost equally good in net dps regardless of the cp you spend on it definitely helps.
posted by lithander at 11:21 PM
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