DPS benchmarks and testing (BARD)

[BigErkyKid]

Dear forumites and fellow builders,

I am currently preparing a thread comparing combat styles. It has been suggested that swash + frenzied berserker is a strong contender for top DPS as a bard; I am comparing it to a more standard swash + vistani, and I am not seeing how it can beat it.

The damage formula for SWF for damage per animation is:

BASE component (ability, deadly, seeker, etc.) * double strike * crit chance * expected crit multiplier * melee power + proc stuff

Suppose that the base component is the same across a vistiani swash and a t5 FB, and forget about procs. Then, it comes down to whether:

double strike (attacks per animation) * crit chance * expected crit multiplier * melee power

is higher under vistani + swash or swash + FB, and then it compensates for differences in the base damage (vistani +swash has more base damage).

here are the values I am using for vistani + t5 swash (exploit weakness):
2*0.35*3.57*1.46 = 3.59856

and FB + swash:
1.8* 0.3 *5.6 *1.26 = 3.81024

I am removing vistani DBs (-20%), vistani MP (-20), exploit weakness (+1 thread range, in expectation).

The multipliers are so close that, even under minor differences in BASE damage, swash + vista is pulling ahead.

Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance!

[cru121]

You are not missing anything. In heroics, it's hard to beat the 20% doublestrike and +20 melee power.

If you add let's say 100-200 melee power to the equation, balance changes.

(Though En Pointe with a 17x6 light pick or 15x5 handaxe is tasty)


Hmm, now that I look at the math again, are you only counting crit damage? Perhaps your missing non-crit damage, FB should have one regular hit over dagger.

[BigErkyKid]

You are not missing anything. In heroics, it's hard to beat the 20% doublestrike and +20 melee power.

If you add let's say 100-200 melee power to the equation, balance changes.

(Though En Pointe with a 17x6 light pick or 15x5 handaxe is tasty)


Hmm, now that I look at the math again, are you only counting crit damage? Perhaps your missing non-crit damage, FB should have one regular hit over dagger.

Yep, since the FB only has crit profile over swash vistani. The base damage is superior in vistani, I am not sure though why you count FB as having one regular hit over dagger? PS - So if it doesn't beat vistani swash in crits, it won't beat it outside of crits

That said, both underperform Kensei + bard (just for buckler) + vistani :(

To be clear, what I am saying is that the extra crit you get from FB seems to pale compared to the extra goodies from vistani; unless I am doing something wrong, then I'd love an explanation.