1. internal cooldown (ICD) mechanic
Cadence has an internal cooldown (ICD) mechanic. Whenever you gain a charge, you must wait for ICD to get next charge, or to consume the charges and launch the 3rd Cadence attack.
ICD for melee Cadence is 0.35 seconds now (in v1.2.1) and was 0.5 seconds before.
ICD scales with Attack Speed (AS). At high AS, character attacks faster, and ICD become shorter as well. So high AS won’t reduce charges or reduce frequency of Cadence in theory.
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2. base-Cadence and WPS-Cadence
When character keeps 2 charges and starts a new attack, the game will check whether the ICD has been over. If ICD has already ended, then, the next Cadence will use “Cadence animation” (hereafter called base-Cadence).
For 1-hand or 2-hand, Cadence does have its own special animation, but it does not for dual-wield. “Cadence animation” for dual-wield actually means base attack animation, 25% for left-hand base attack, 25% for right-hand base attack and 50% for double swing.
On the contrary, when the new attack starts within ICD, “Cadence animation” is forbidden and “WPS animation” can be used (hereafter called WPS-Cadence).
So, we have Markovian-Cadence, Zolhan-Cadence, Belgothian-Cadence and many other WPS-Cadences.
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3. fast charge for dual-wield
ICD works between the 1st charge and the 2nd charge, and between the 2nd charge and the 3rd Cadence attack. However, from the 3rd Cadence attack to the 1st charge of the next round, there is no ICD, meaning that you can gain one charge immediately after the 3rd Cadence attack, or even at the same time if two hits occur in the same frame.
Specifically, when the Cadence is dual-wield WPS-Cadence or double swing base-Cadence, a fast charge is generated for next round.
Base-Cadence has only 50% probability for a fast charge (50% for single hand attack and no fast charges, 50% for double swing and one fast charge), while WPS-Cadence has 100% probability, so higher probability of WPS-Cadence means more frequent Cadence, which is the key of dual-wield Cadence Builds.
In previous versions (v1.2 and before), ICD was 0.5 seconds and longer than the recovery time (interval time from Hit Frame to Start Frame of the next attack) of most WPS. Characters with 100% WPS can keep the loop of “WPS → WPS-Cadence → WPS → WPS-Cadence” for a long time (nearly 50% attacks are Cadence), much more frequent Cadence than normal loop of one Cadence per 3 attacks (33% attacks are Cadence).
In v1.2.1, the shorter ICD makes things different. Some WPS with hit frame at late time can still guarantee the next Cadence to be WPS-Cadence, while WPS with early hit frame cannot. See the following sheet.
WPS easily followed by WPS-Cadence
- Nec Edge, Smite and Korvaak Brand (yellow backcolor), their hit frame is late, and the following Cadence has a high probability to be WPS-Cadence, thus high prob for a fast charge. Very few exceptions in hours of tests.
WPS hardly followed by WPS-Cadence
- MA, Execution, Zolhan, AQC and Reaping (blue backcolor), their hit frame is too early and the ICD will have already ended when the next attack starts, so the next Cadence can only be base-Cadence, with only 50% probability for a fast charge.
WPS in between
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Whirling and Bel’s Shears (green backcolor), their interval time is close to 0.35 seconds. I tested at various Attack Speed, and reached different results. Sometimes their following Cadences were mainly WPS-Cadences, but sometimes were mainly base-Cadences.
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One possible reason is that Animation frames must be integer. When the theoretical interval frames are decimal, the actual interval will round to integer and therefore may become longer than ICD. For example, 8.5 frames round to 9 frames.
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Another possible reason is random delay (or called random pause). When I slowed test videos frame by frame, I found that there might be short pauses between attacks. The duration for pauses were not fixed, sometimes a little longer (3-4 frames of 60 fps video), sometimes shorter (1-2 frames) or even no pauses. On average, pauses with keyboard are usually shorter than pauses with mouse (LMB or RMB).
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Both reasons can make the actual interval longer than theoretical interval, and also longer than ICD.
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I also found Vertical Sync having an impact. There are significant fewer WPS-Cadences when Vertical Sync is on.
Here is a video comparing 0.35 seconds ICD and 0.5 seconds ICD. Dual-wield Blade Master with 20% Zolhan, 20% Shears, 20% AQC, 20% Whirling and 20% Execution.
GT link:Blademaster, Level 32 (GD 1.2.1.2) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
In left part, ICD is 0.5 seconds (v1.2 and before). The number of WPS-Cadence is high and about 46% attacks are Cadences.
In right part, ICD is 0.35 seconds (v1.2.1). Only a few WPS-Cadences, and about 39% attacks are Cadences. That is the gap between two different ICDs. (p.s. In this video, only Whirling leads a following WPS-Cadence, and Shears does not. But in some of my other tests, Shears could do.)
Assume that base-Cadence deals 550%+100%=650% Weapon Damage, normal WPS is average 150% per hand and 300% for twice hit, and WPS-Cadence is 550%+150%=700%. Average Weapon Damage of dual-wield Cadence is about 480% for 0.5 seconds ICD and 440% for 0.35 seconds ICD.
In conclusion, shorter ICD reduces the number of WPS-Cadences, and thus reduces fast charges and frequency of Cadence. It is a nerf for dual-wield Cadence.
Cadence icon bug
- By the way, here is an icon bug. When double hits of WPS-Cadence are in the same frame, triggering Cadence and fast charging, the Cadence icon won’t disappear, though charges have been indeed consumed and charging for next round has started. Attack Jump WPS (MA and Execution), Triple Hit WPS (AQC) and double swing attack have hit frames at different time, avoiding this bug. Other types of WPS all hit twice in the same frame, causing this icon bug. This is just a display issue, no actual impact on Cadence.
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4. failed charge and failed Cadence
When a late-hit attack followed by an early-hit attack, like “Nec Edge → Reaping” in v1.2, the internal between two hit frames is shorter than ICD, meaning that the second attack will fail to charge, and one more attack is needed to trigger Cadence. If the first attack is the second charge, then the second attack will fail to trigger Cadence, and Cadence will be delayed until the third attack.
In v1.2.1, the ICD is shorter so failed charge problem becomes much rarer. In previous versions, when ICD is 0.5 seconds, the problem was more common, especilly for Death Knight (like Leviathan Cadence DK and dual-wield Warborn DK).
a rare situation of failed charge in 1.2.1 (ICD 0.35s)
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In v1.2.1, failed charge problem can occur in specific situation, “double-swing base Cadence → Reaping or Markov or right-hand base attack (if not 100% WPS)”. Double-swing base Cadence will consume charges and trigger Cadence at the first hit and generate a fast charge at the second hit. However, the hit frame of its second hit is really late, and only 0.1 seconds are left before the next attack. Additionally, Reaping, Markov and right-hand base attack have an early hit frame. The theoretical interval is 0.333 seconds, shorter than ICD, thus failing to charge.
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This situation is not stable. As mentioned above, some reasons can make actual interval longer than theoretical interval, and then successful in charging. But I did observe failed charge several times.
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On the plus side, only dual-wield Cadence may meet failed charge problem now, no longer for 1-hand and 2-hand Cadence to meet it.
Here is another comparing video. Leviathan Death Knight with 25% Markov, 25% Zolhan, 25% Reaping and 25% Nec Edge.
GT link: Death Knight, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.2) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Comparing left part and right part, the character does 2 or 3 less Cadences every 100 hits at 0.5 seconds ICD than at 0.35 seconds ICD
As above, assume that Cadence deals 550% Weapon Damage and WPS is average 150%. Average Weapon Damage of 2-hand Cadence is about 270% for 0.5 seconds ICD and 280% for 0.35 seconds ICD.
In conclusion, shorter ICD reduces failed charge and failed Cadence, especially for 1-hand and 2-hand Cadence. It is a buff for 1-hand and 2-hand Cadence.
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5. better ICD
1-hand and 2-hand Cadence like shorter ICD, while dual-wield Cadence prefers longer ICD. There is no perfect ICD for both sides. 0.43 to 0.46 seconds might be a better choice with the smallest losses for both sides.
0.43-0.46 seconds ICD for 1-hand and 2-hand Cadence
- For 1-hand and 2-hangd Cadence, the interval of “Nec Edge (the latest hit frame) → Reaping / MA / most base attack (the earliest hit frame)” is about 0.47 seconds, longer than 0.46 seconds, so no failed charge problem. Only two rare exceptions (1-hand, “Nec Edge → 30% of base attack” or “Smite → 30% of base attack”) can cause the failed charge problem. If the total chance of WPS reaches 100%, there is no base attack so that no failed charge problem.
0.43-0.46 seconds ICD for dual-wield Cadence
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For dual-wield Cadence, 0.43 seconds is long enough for most WPS to guarantee a following WPS-Cadence. MA, Execution (and other Attack Jump WPS) and Zolhan can guarantee their next Cadence to be WPS-Cadence. Only Reaping and AQC (and other Triple Hit WPS) are exceptions.
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Furthermore, higher probability of WPS-Cadence also reduces the occurrence of such situations where double-swing base-Cadence is followed by an early-hit attack, causing failed charge problem, as base-Cadence itself is less common.
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I admit that performances of Zolhan were not stable in my several tests of 0.46 seconds ICD,. When using keyboard, it seemed that Zolhan could ensure its following Cadence to be WPS-Cadence, but when using mouse, it was sometimes WPS-Cadence and sometimes base-Cadence. Sadly, I can’t find a better ICD, as 0.47 seconds or more may lead failed charges into 2-hand Cadence.
In theory, 0.43 to 0.46 should be similar. Take integer animation frame, random pause between attacks and mouse lag problems in consideration, I suggest to use the maximum value, 0.46 seconds.
Here is one of my test videos of 0.46 seconds ICD.
In this video, dual-wield Blade Master uses more WPS-Cadences, and Death Knight meets neither failed charges nor failed Cadences. It’s acceptable for both sides.
0.46 seconds ICD can be a more balanced value for all of 1-hand Cadence, 2-hand Cadence as well as dual-wield Cadence.
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Summary：
- Longer ICD is good for dual-wield Cadence to trigger more WPS-Cadence and to generate more fast charges.
- Shorter ICD is preferred by 1-hand and 2-hand Cadence to aviod failed charge and failed Cadence problem.
- 0.46 seconds may be a better ICD with the smallest losses for both sides.
Hah, of course it would be~
