first-time player

[Tycho]

The last part seems not true. That wouldn’t explain the fact that Falcon Swoop (for example) does trigger and deals way more damage on the third hit.

Falcon Swoop is a devotion proc, not a weapon pool skill. Cadence’s third hit only obviates WPS, not devotion procs. (If Cadence’s 3rd hit refused to trigger devotion procs the skill would be complete garbage.)

[eisprinzessin]

Next up, blade arc is NOT a basic weapon attack and CANNOT trigger weapon skills like markovians advantage. Blade arc is actually a spell which uses your casting speed.

Oh and forcewave with the transmuter to remove its cooldown is like blade arc. It uses casting speed instead of attack speed

Blade Arc is actually a weapon attack skill and does scale with attack speed.

I was speaking only of Forcewave earlier, which is a path dmg type skill and is treated like a spell.

AFAIK Forcewave is the only skill, which looks like a weapon attack skill, but is using cast speed instead - see [post=207636]medierra’s explanation[/post].

Does WPS skills include stuff from gear? Or do you mean just passives?

Yes, the dual wielding talisman relics all have a WPSs. You also find other items like Soulthief and Marauder’s Ammo Belt, which provide you with WPSs - look out for “Activates off of default weapon attacks.” in an item’s description.

[system]

With only 35 points in the mastery bar you probably lack health. IMHO it’s only worth to have 10 points in Military Conditioning, if you have a lot of flat physique and health stats. I’d remove at least 5 points from the skill and put them in the bar.

What are you using as main attack skill?

• If Blade Arc, then you do not benefit from Markovian’s Advantage. Get Laceration instead.
• If Cadence, then unlearn Blade Arc (you already have Forcewave) and put more points in Cadence and activate its modifiers.

Put a point in Blitz and Blindside for utility.

As a shield bearer you should put some points in Shield Training and get shield related devotions like Anvil or Targo the Builder.

I just use my weapon as my main attack skill, i.e. left clicking. I right-click with Forcewave (coupled to Falcon Swoop) as often as I can, since it’s devastating. I also use Fireblast, Shield Slam, Blade Arc (coupled to Elemental Storm) and War Cry (hotkeys #1-4) as often as possible, and in a close fight I use Overguard (coupled to Turtle Shell).

[system]

Ya i also suggest taking quite a few points of out your damage abilities and putting them into your mastery bar. You could also get an exclusive soldier skill, both are very good. This will get you a TON of hp and really help with your dying issues.

Next up, blade arc is NOT a basic weapon attack and CANNOT trigger weapon skills like markovians advantage. Blade arc is actually a spell which uses your casting speed. So to focus your build a bit, you have some choices:

1. Use blade arc a lot and dont use weapon pool skills
2. Use blade arc with the transmuter which gives it a cooldown, and use weapon pool skills still
3. Remove all points from blade arc and use cadence and weapon pool skills

Cadence is a basic attack which CAN trigger weapon pool skills, except on the big 3rd hit

Is cadence the only basic attack for the Soldier class? I guess I can move my blade arc points into cadence and use that as my basic attack skill.

What do you mean by weapon pool skill? What’s a transmuter?

Thanks,
Rob

[system]

Oh and forcewave with the transmuter to remove its cooldown is like blade arc. It uses casting speed instead of attack speed and CANNOT trigger weapon pool skills. You dont have it that way right now but just so you know. Plus blade arc and forcewave are both aoe hits, having both is a bit redundant and you should probably choose only one and put the rest of your points in the mastery bar and an exclusive skill.

Last note, 16 points on the heal at less than %hp skill is really excessive. It doesnt do THAT much more with 16 compared to 3 to 6. Your points would be better off elsewhere, perhaps in another classes skill

By transmuter do you mean attaching the devotion effect? Would forcewave trigger weapon pool skills if it wasn’t attached?

OK, I’ll take some points out of Mehnir’s Will.

Thanks,
Rob

[Blissey1]

By transmuter do you mean attaching the devotion effect? Would forcewave trigger weapon pool skills if it wasn’t attached?

OK, I’ll take some points out of Mehnir’s Will.

Thanks,
Rob

any skill that has the greenish icon and is offset above or below a main skill line is a transmuter skill. So the transumter skill for forcewave is the one that removes the cooldown which lets you use it as a regular attack. but forcewave will never trigger any “% chance on regular attack skills” becasue it isn’t actually a regular attack

[system]

I want to thank you all for your help… I’m now level 66 Elite in Act 3 and am having a relatively easy time. I’ve got maxed out Menhir’s Bulwark and legendary Thornhide Legguards, plus lots of retaliation, so many enemies go down without having to click on them. And Blitz/Blindside is terrific fun. I keep armor/trinkets for different resistances in my inventory if I come across an area that I need help, but with all my buffed-up legendary and epic gear, most of the time I just use my standard loadout. I’ve even stopped showing yellow drops.

Thanks again,
Rob