Sword and Board -- How viable is it?

[Hjarki]

I've HEARD this (ie: rumor status only) that doublestrikes that occur during an animation that triggers a glancing blow attack ALSO trigger a second glancing blow.

There are 6 possibilities:
1. No doublestrike, no glancing blow
2. No doublestrike, glancing blow
3. Doublestrike, no glancing blows
4. Doublestrike, glancing blow on first but not second
5. Doublestrike, glancing blow on second but not first
6. Doublestrike, glancing blow on both.

From a quick test, I saw all of these possibilities occur (using an actual 2-handed weapon, though) except for 5.

So without more comprehensive testing, I think it's safe to guess that glancing blows occur on doublestrike just like they occur on the primary attack. Which makes them... no better than outlined above, where that result was assumed.

A more interesting question is whether you can automatic shield bash on doublestrike. I just assumed you could, but maybe you can't.

[Xianio]

Which makes them... no better than outlined above, where that result was assumed.

A more interesting question is whether you can automatic shield bash on doublestrike. I just assumed you could, but maybe you can't.

First, while 100% true, I think it's important to note the significance of glancing blows being affected by doublestrikes. While your example absolutely shows this, if someone isn't particularly inclined towards grasping statistics what that means in a practical setting may be lost.

After all, it is significantly easier for S&B to achieve a very high % of doublestrike, while Two-handed weapons have much difficulty. This significantly improves the expected DPS from S&B via a relative comparison to Two-handed.


Second, I don't believe that doublestrike can proc. a shield bash UNLESS shield bashes can occur without an animation (like a doublestrike). I however, have never seen one and my toon regularly has over 40% doublestrike, so I suspect that shield bashes cannot ever "double proc" like a main-hand weapon can.

An important point; that may not mean that shield bashes cannot be proc'd BY the doublestrike though. That's much trickier to test without setting out to do it specifically, which I have not done.