User:Gregedor/GuideStance

Doing the Tango
Dance lessons? This is a strategy session! Well, if you can't stand in the right spot you can't be good. Two left feet will get one of them cut off. Err...I suppose that is enough with my normal cheesecake for now. This portion should be short...ish and sweet and hopefully kind of "duh" to most players.

Face to Face

Mobs have all kinds of nasty moves that are frontal or a frontal cone type attack. Stand to the front of your opponents as little as possible and when you're tanking keep them faced away from people you're worried about getting hit with the moves. Just because it's a melee spam party doesn't mean you should be absent-minded, the mages supporting you are most certainly not.

There is good reason to be in the front though, Overwhelm being the first. I got in an arguement about this with someone the other night actually. Overwhelm does not make or break a Samurai's damage. You should be doing great damage with or without it applied. However, given the choice of shuffling over to the front for 15% more WS damage or sitting still, I'd shuffle over. When you're near ready for TP, head to the front of the mob and get ready. If you're locked on the mob and just spinning around him, you don't lose hits. One hit shy of TP or after you have it, move over and let it fly.

Coupling well with Overwhelm is Trick Attack. Yes, you can Trick Attack from the front. So long as someone is in between you and the mob you're golden. Added benefit of it is GKT weaponskills are primarily one hit so you're giving it all to the tank. (Single or Multi hit WS doesnt matter all hate will be transered from trick attack.)--Ruani 10:55, 8 October 2007 (UTC) You won't see a damge benefit, other than that of Overwhelm, but you won't be dying either.

To the Rear

Why move to the rear? Sneak Attack. Either to be hit with SATA or do to SA or SATA yourself. Here you will see a damage increase as SA is a free critical hit. The benefit is reduced somewhat from the August 2007 update and the September 2007 update. It is still a large boost on HNMs since their defense, VIT and level are much higher. It is a shame Overwhelm doesn't work here, but in a way it's a good thing. Now you have more reason to split your SA and TA with both receiving a damage boost. Use them only with weaponskills.

When to Back Up

When you're on SAM/RNG you have another choice, back up or not? Best ranged damage (and hence Sidewinder damage) is done from a distance, but you can't melee from there. In the old days I would have said melee close, then change gear as you run to the ranged distance, fire and run back. Since changes to the game with food effects and tweaks to the distance accuracy/damage rates, I've changed my tune. Stay near, but not too near. You can actually be a fair distance from the mob and still hit it. This seems related to being a longer, 2H weapon, versus a 1H weapon. You can actually get about halfway out to the max range damage mark sometimes and still melee. Try to find this new "sweet spot" and camp there. Since Overwhelm has no effect on Sidewinder do not concern yourself with mob facing and just park it to the side.

Closing Thoughts

For those that haven't noticed by now, there's still a lot of moving around involved in Samurai. Most of it is true of all classes that /THF, but Overwhelm makes a Samurai more aware. Especially since you can't normally just hang out in front, and you get TP so fast, you'll be doing a lot of spinning around the mob. Try to keep clear for others doing the same, bumping into people slows both down. Also, don't monopolize the front even if there's no harmful AoE moves. Give others that need that positioning a chance to use the spot. If you're doing a skillchain and you know your partner is going to strip hate, run behind him instead of where the mob is currently facing, you'll be in proper position for your weaponskill. It's all part of playing heads-up ball out there. You'll find the skills slipping and the chains getting shorter in long parties, take a break then get back in it.