Is Vulnerable attack worth it?

[Anaeme]

Under what circumstances is vulnerable attack beneficial?

 

It seems to me that taking vulnerable attack causes a massive decrease in speed for a small static bonus

 

Savage attack seems to be a better choice for players seeking to maximise damage

[Guest]

I give it to characters whom either don't switch out weapons (i.e Zahua) or use weapon-based combat as a secondary means of doing damage (i.e. Durance).

[theBalthazar]

I think for the fast - medium speed, vulnerable attack is a good thing for increase damage.

 

For low speed, its not necessary. Melee and ranged.

 

So, like achilles says, a monk fast speed need this upgrade.

[Guest]

I think we're mostly on the same page. The way I have Durance set up, he basically exists to demolish vessels. Some of them have sufficient DR that I want his slow melee attacks to actually do some damage when they connect. He wasn't attacking that quickly anyway, so the extra damage of Vulnerable Attack makes sense to me.

[Jojobobo]

I think it's useful on a tank as normally you're looking more for steady yet solid damage and not necessarily for high DPS. It's also useful when for shield bashing to make some or their normal measly damage get through.

 

I'm currently running a Dex 4 tank on PotD solo with Larder Door and Vulnerable Attack, and with the bash and my weapon I'm still rattling off an attack every 3 seconds or so - which is plenty good enough for me.

[Boeroer]

Any weapon with low damage profits from VA if you hit fast enough. There's a break-even point for every weapon/foe combonation where it makes sense to use it. And it's a no brainer if you have zero recovery even with VA on. Also, for a monk's Resonant Touch it can be important since you have to do 10 DMG to build it up. Same for retaliation: no-brainer. With Twinned Arrows and Blunderbusses it's also good. I mean Penetrating Shot of course.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Boeroer

[Blades of Vanatar]

I use it on Rogues with Stilettos, Sabres, Daggers and Rapiers. I am speeding them up every other way possible so the extra DR bypass is great. I do the same for Barbs and Ciphers using similar weaponry. I attack the biggest meanie on the field with these characters and chop them down asap.

[Guest]

To continue the point I was making earlier, Durance using his staff (or any crushing weapon, but why wouldn't you use his staff?) with VA is going to either entirely negate or negate within 1 or 2 points the DR of Battery Defenders, Battery Priests, Battery Shieldwalls, Flesh Constructs, Unstable Constructs, Death Guards, Darguls, Liches, Skeleton (Fighters, Rogues, and Wizards), Void Seers, and Revenants. He will bypass about 50% DR for Ancient Death Guards, Fampyrs, and Alguls. Durance shouldn't use VA against Wichts or Guls.

 

With Holy Radiance/Brilliant Radiance going and Slaying (Vessel) applied to his staff, he's a monster.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that you should give him Sanctifier also

Edited April 3, 2016 by Achilles

[Boeroer]

I find that Holy (+Brilliant) Radiance alone burns most vessels to ashes. Especially if you play a priest who has maxed MIG from the start and uses Maegfolc Skull & Abydon's Hammer and casts Chamion'S Boon on himself before casting the radiance.
Does the Sanctifier talent also work with Holy Radiance? Never thought about that. It would be the (perma)death for nearly all vessels I think. Even Eyeless should be afraid of that. Who need St. Ydwen's Redemmer when he has a Brilliant-Radiance with +112% damage. What would that be? More than 300 burn damage on lvl 16 with flawless dispositions I guess...

[KDubya]

I use Vulnerable Attack on pretty much any character who uses weapons. I'd skip it on a Wizard who uses the summoned weapons, not sure if it applies to a shapeshifted Druid. Other than that it always does more damage.

 

I think there are instances where having lots of lash damage but not zero recovery might be better without it. Something like a Monk with dual sabres, max Turning Wheel (+50% Fire lash), Lightning Strikes (+25% lightning lash), Chanter (+25% fire lash) and enchanted with another lash (+25%). Here I think it does more damage without the Vulnerable Attack but that is a pretty fringe type of scenario.

 

I've tested in game in Tavern Fight Clubs where I make two targets and have the test subjects attack them to see who KOs the target first. Now these never had more than a single lash effect going but even an Estoc vS 10 DR armor killed faster with Vulnerable Attack than an Estoc without it.

[Blunderboss]

I think it depends if u can have 0 recovery with it or not , on my Bleak walker i can get to 0 recovery with Sanguine Plate ( When Frenzy Proc , Durgan Weapon , Durganized Armor , Gauntlets of Swift Action and Dual Wield talent ) so i dont think it would be worth it

Edited April 3, 2016 by Blunderboss

[Guest]

I find that Holy (+Brilliant) Radiance alone burns most vessels to ashes. Especially if you play a priest who has maxed MIG from the start and uses Maegfolc Skull & Abydon's Hammer and casts Chamion'S Boon on himself before casting the radiance.

Does the Sanctifier talent also work with Holy Radiance? Never thought about that. It would be the (perma)death for nearly all vessels I think. Even Eyeless should be afraid of that. Who need St. Ydwen's Redemmer when he has a Brilliant-Radiance with +112% damage. What would that be? More than 300 burn damage on lvl 16 with flawless dispositions I guess...

It does. As does Scion of Flame. 

 

One more tip: give him the amulet, Unwavering Resolve (+10% Duration, +12 AoE)

[Ichthyic]

I find that Holy (+Brilliant) Radiance alone burns most vessels to ashes. Especially if you play a priest who has maxed MIG from the start and uses Maegfolc Skull & Abydon's Hammer and casts Chamion'S Boon on himself before casting the radiance.

Does the Sanctifier talent also work with Holy Radiance? Never thought about that. It would be the (perma)death for nearly all vessels I think. Even Eyeless should be afraid of that. Who need St. Ydwen's Redemmer when he has a Brilliant-Radiance with +112% damage. What would that be? More than 300 burn damage on lvl 16 with flawless dispositions I guess...

just started the WM2 areas for the first time (started a replay from scratch when I got the expansion pack a couple weeks back).  where do you actually get Abydon's hammer?

 

 

[Crucis]

I use it on Rogues with Stilettos, Sabres, Daggers and Rapiers. I am speeding them up every other way possible so the extra DR bypass is great. I do the same for Barbs and Ciphers using similar weaponry. I attack the biggest meanie on the field with these characters and chop them down asap.

 

Vulnerable Attack is probably best for lower base damage 1H weapons to increase their ability to get some damage past the enemy's DR.  OTOH, if your character is high Might using a big ol' 2H weapon, getting damage past the DR is less of an issue, and Savage Attack is probably the better choice.