Four days ago I started a new archer as an alt but it quickly grew on me and now I consider it my main but my idea was to go for A2>QS3>SR2 and everyone I know is telling me to give up now (currently A1>QS3) and take other things like Fletcher3 or Wugu2. I don’t know how vital Retreat Shot was for damage and viability so I need some inputs from people actually playing this class. Is SR totally ruined? Should I think of another build or reroll? The hackapell will not require SR3 most likely so I really don’t know if finishing this build will be worth all the efforts.
The nerf was more or less just changing how Retreat Shot works and that is that you can’t auto attack while simultaneously using Retreat Shot anymore. (which also means you can’t slow down Retreat Shot anymore and will need a wall or setting up 2 deploy pavise beforehand in order to maximize Retreat Shot’s damage)
The only build that gets affected the most by this Retreat Shot change is QS due to it currently being able to use Running Shot’s auto attack simultaneously with Retreat Shot.
So is the class ruin? Not entirely. Each class is viable on it’s own QS SR. Before you can use both RS RS together so that during the downtime for both skill you can filler with Concentrated Fire/MultiShot/Wild Shot. Post changes you won’t be able to put all skills on CD without compromising one another/Running Shot’s duration. Therefore you’ll have to start prioritizing your skills and rotations. And that is where QS SR takes the hit the hardest, you’ll lose out on so much DPS post changes. QS SR just becomes average at everything. Average single target since other builds can just burst then running shot away. Average at AoE since you can’t fully utilize Retreat Shot anymore in every situation while other builds don’t have to move an inch.
The gameplay post change becomes clunky. You won’t always have a wall. Your tank may not always pull the boss to a wall so you can use your skill. Boss dies before you pull it to the wall etc…
I wonder if this nerf was really necessary, I mean they left the fletcher untouched…
Would you still recommend the SR to someone else? From what you wrote it seems that if I’m not ok being just “viable” I should reroll.
I’ll recommend SR itself, I just won’t recommend the QS3SR2 route anymore. Mainly you have to put in more effort to do the same of what other builds can already do better and do more efficient.
But if your goal was to farm for materials, QS SR hands down will be farming king for low hp mobs.
If SR itself I’d recommend A3Wu2SR2 so that you become a skill based build as I still love the class and it’s outfit.
The biggest problem is that you’ll not be able to use most of their best skills while mounted (like the Gu Pots), and the poison doesn’t crit so A2/A3 will not be ideal.
But that’s only one skill on a 35s CD and it’s well worth using and then remounting (throw gu pot automatically unmounts). But think of it like this,
A2/A3 skill scales better with STR. Multi Shot, Twin Shot.
Wugushi skills’s poison DoT scales with STR 1:1 ratio.
SR2 skills scales with STR (multi hit)
tl:dr STR maximizes all three classes
Now this is where A2 comes in with swift evasion crit attribute. It’s not for the poison but rather for Twin/Multi Shot and SR skills. Because you went a pure STR route, you’re going to need a source/multiplier of crit in order to compensate for going a pure STR build. From the musketeer in kToS’s video, he was able to achieve 477 crit rate because of swift step on a pure STR build.
I can see your point, well I guess it’s time to decide if going SR is worth a reroll or if I should go QS3>Something>Musk, I hate IMC for being so random about buffs and nerfs…
Any other SR routes you can recommend @Punkd? Reading this thread got me kinda bummed out since I made a A1>QS2 just for SR.
i have an A2 >QS3 and was about to be SR 1 [and SR2 eventually]… but with tis nerf i have to change to A3> QS3 > Musk or Cannon … sad because i wanted a mount fast class ;(
It kinda just depends on if you are willing to go SR2 again or just SR1 for the mounting.
If SR 1 you have a variety of options to choose from. Some like iDreamy’s scout build but A2R1Scout3SR1 or switch it up a bit to A3Scout3SR1
If SR2 there’s always the old A2R3SR2 but i feel A2R1Scout1Rogue1SR2 will perform better.
I however have been a fan of wugushi as of late from leveling one that I plan my future SR2 to be A3Wugu2SR2. You’ll cover your single target dps with Twin Arrows 5x overheat + Wugushi’s DoTs and filler bursts with Multi Shot 15 and Concentrated Fire 10. Your AoE skills will be Throw Gu Pot + WugongGu + Retreat Shot. There’s always the opportunity to get AoE Attack Ratio gear as well to make Concentrated Fire and Multi Shot into AoE skills.