Which Blade Combat Glyph's do you use?

First let me start off by saying we all know this is pre-alpha and things will change (maybe in r34?). However, what Blade Combat Glyphs do you use in your deck?

In my 23 minimum UNLOCKED Glyph deck I currently use 25 Glyphs (15 combat cards 10 heals and buffs, 1-5 Combat Glyphs 6-0 heals and buffs):

5x Thrust
4x Riposte
4x Double Slash
0x Rend
0x Whirling Blades
0x Coup De Grace
2x Ignite Weapon (fire skill, providing this info for completeness)

I am thinking of making changes to my current deployment.

Briefly I initially chose these because they were less situational and I did not have to crawl down the entire blade tree. Now that I am a GM in Blades and unlocked each skill (40-80 in each), time to rethink what I am doing.

I rarely combo and rarely stack beyond x2 (please do not turn this into a debate about combo's and 3-4x stacking )

So what Blade combat glyphs are you currently using (not using) and why?

 

Thrust is far and away the best skill for me... does a ton of damage and doesn't cost much focus. I have one locked in spot 1 and other thrusts unlocked on spot 2.

My second favorite glyph by a wide margin is Whirling Blades. Does good damage and especially good for AOE killing of multiple wolves, spiders, skeletons. I have it locked in spot 5 and other Whirling Blades on spot 4.

Third is Rend but because our does not work against undead I have another deck with to post instead. I have Rend unlocked in spot 3 so I can combo with Whirling Blades for Sawblade.

I have Body Slam unlocked in spot 6, 7.

I have Coup de Grace locked in spot 8 and unlocked in spot 9... this is very situational but great against Trolls, Liches, other bosses.

I rarely use Double-Slash as it takes too for the attack to occur and the cool down is too long.

I've GM'd 5 blade skills and have 872 in the tree.

 

~Whirling Blades Get's Them Every Time~

~Time Lord~

 

@Sara Dreygon

Why Rend? Why do you prefer it 3rd in your tree?

Body Slam question, is it a question of a level 40 slam being in-effective (as it appears to me when I used it, it did nothing to mages or archers) and I need to level it to some point for it to be effective?

And I notice you mention you use locked and unlocked Glyphs, why use any locked Glyphs at all (if you are using the unlocked system)?

 

You're clearly much deeper in the tree than I am. Is it worth mixing in flame and / or ice fist for the combos?

 

I use very few combos. Another player/thread may give you better information than I can.

What I do know is that every combo as a hidden modifier. For example Thrust and Double Slash gives you Quadruple Slash. However what is not explained is that Quadruple Slash has a modifier that makes it less effective against armored targets.
Now since most mobs where the same clothes and which animals are lightly armored. Not saying they do not have uses or that Combo's can not provide real value, however until there is a clear benefit and clarity to their capabilities and penalties I rarely use them.

Others may/will have a better understanding than I have I refer you to these two threads for more information:

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...o-modify-it-for-your-needs.58341/#post-622226

https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f.../begginers-guide-to-draw-deck-building.52341/

 

5x Thrust
4x Coup de Grace

I have a magic aoe, and little room for whirling blades, but it was in my alpha build

 

Why Rend? Why do you prefer it 3rd in your tree?
When you level it up, it actually does a good amount of damage if you use at the beginning of a battle. Also, using Rend to combo with Whirling Blades gives me two DOTs I can put on mobs and with Sawblade, the DOT is an AOE DOT! I prefer it in spot 3 because it is right next to Whirling Blades in spot 4 for easy comboing.

Body Slam question, is it a question of a level 40 slam being in-effective (as it appears to me when I used it, it did nothing to mages or archers) and I need to level it to some point for it to be effective?
It was broken for all of R32 but is working again as of R33. Each level gives an additional .5% success rate but as you use it the mob also gets an anti- crowd control buff making the next Body Slam less effective. Even at level 60 is has a high success rate. Having a plate chest that adds 20% stun time ups the duration from 3 to 3.6 seconds!

And I notice you mention you use locked and unlocked Glyphs, why use any locked Glyphs at all (if you are using the unlocked system)?second!
I've actually found for skills above 80 where you have 5 glyphs, the locked glyph next to the unlocked glyphs means you have more of that skill to use than had you just had unlocked glyphs in both spots.

 

@Sara Dreygon
I want to thank you for taking the time to reply to my post! Some very helpful information... especially knowing body Slam now works is great news.

Looking forward to other peoples comments as it would be great to hear multiple points on this topic

 

Slots one through four cycle between thrust, double slash and whirling blades. Slot five is ignite weapon. Slots six through eight are self heal. Slot nine is any of my glyphs-- this is where rend might appear. Slot ten is light. I do not have coup de grace.