Dodging Strike
Dodging Strike is a One-handed Melee skill that can serve as an alternative to Perfect Guarding. Charging the skill causes the character to dash backwards, spawning a Decoy that lasts for the dash's duration. If the Decoy is hit during the dash, a Counter is triggered. This causes Dodging Strike to charge faster, consume less EP, and deal more damage.
Additionally, Counters cause the player to become invulnerable to damage until the skill charges to the maximum level. This can be used to avoid certain projectiles, such as Cacute Thorns.
Unlike most skills and spells, the initial cost of 15 EP is consumed upon dashing backwards, and cannot be recovered by cancelling the skill.
Overview
Countered: 9 (Very Short)
EP Cost: 15 / 20 / 35 / 55 EP
Countered: 15 / 15 / 20 / 30 EP
Upon pressing the skill button, your character will immediately jump backwards a short distance. When you release, you will dash back to your starting location, dealing damage to anything in your way.
You will leave behind a Decoy Shadow of yourself at the starting location. If an enemy strikes the shadow before the backdash is complete, your attack will be Empowered. The empowered attack deals more damage, charge quicker and cost less additional energy.
If you use another skill within 1 second of an Empowered attack, that skill will instantly reach the same charge level as this skill.
Unlike most skills and spells, the initial cost of the spell can not be recovered by cancelling the charge.
Deals more damage, and has more breaking power, increasing the chance of knocking back your opponent. All enemies hit have a chance of getting stunned for a short duration.
If an enemy triggered the Decoy Shadow, the stun is guaranteed unless the enemy is immune to being stunned.
Deals even more damage, and like Silver Charge the attack has a chance of stunning opponents that are hit.
Additionally, if an enemy triggers the Decoy Shadow, a Reaper's Blade will spawn above it. The power level of the summoned Blade will match your own level of that spell, but the minimum level is 1.
Mechanics
Dodging Strike relies heavily on Counters. Without them, Dodging Strike loses most of its power; it may even be worthwhile to cancel the skill charge and try again.
Your direction and movement ability is locked while charging the skill. Once you reach your current maximal Charge Level, you regain your ability to move around and change direction.
Unlike most melee skills, Dodging Strike does not benefit from Melee Interrupts on Perfect Guarding.
Damage
The skill scales based on ATK', and the Charge Multipliers for each level are as follows:
- Base and Uncharged: 100%
- Silver: 200%
- Gold: 300%
The Weapon's damage multiplier doesn't affect Dodging Strike's damage.
Empowered attack gain additional damage based on the Skill Level and the Charge Level. The Empower Multiplier is calculated as follows:
- Empower Multiplier = 150% + 20% * Charge Level + 2.5% * Skill Level
If you fail a Counter, Empower Multiplier is set to 100%.
Finally, the skill's Base Damage is calculated with the following formula:
- Base Damage = (ATK + 2 * Spell Level) * Charge Multiplier * Empower Multiplier
Counter
Counters happen when the Decoy is hit before the backwards dash completes. This gives you about 14 frames to predict when an attack will hit and act accordingly.
If an attack is Countered, the skill's charging time is reduced by 65%. Additionally, it will consume less EP than usual, and you will become invulnerable to most attacks until the charge completes.
At Silver Charge and above, Empowered attacks have a 60% chance to stun enemies hit for up to 3 seconds. Against the enemy that caused the Counter, the stun is improved to 100% chance for 4 seconds. The chance is improved by the Crippling Blast talent, and is reduced if the enemy was recently stunned.
At Gold Charge, releasing the skill also casts a Reaper's Blade on the enemy that caused the Counter. The Blade is cast for free, and will usually get partially filled from the Empowered attack that follows.
Charge Bonus
After an Empowered attack, the next skill will start charging at the same Charge Level as Dodging Strike, provided prerequisites are met.
If the boosted ability is a melee skill that benefits from Melee Interrupts on Perfect Guards, Dodging Strike will grant the skill said interrupts. This means that melee skills cast after Dodging Strike are likely to interrupt most enemies.
Tips
- Dodging Strike has a weak start due to the low damage it deals at Bronze Charge. Consider using it directly at Silver Tier, if possible
- Due to its risky nature, Dodging Strike is best kept as a secondary skill
- While Gold Charge Dodging Strike is strong in theory, keep in mind that you can only get a second Gold Tier Skill with heavy grinding at Lost Ship story progression. This means that for most of the game you will not benefit from instant charging to Gold Charge
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