Bladestalker - An advanced Bladedancer soloing build

[Khrisovar]

OK, I am trying NB but with Tact instead of Marksman, which is the preset soul.
I thought that Curative Engine would be a lot more helpful as solo questing. So far it's not to bad.
I am in Stonfield now and doing ok.
Thanks again.

[Muspel]

Yeah, definitely don't use the Nightblade preset for leveling. That spec is designed for dungeons, and will not do well in the open world.

Put 4 points in Tactician and 8 points in Riftstalker, then fill out Nightblade.

[Khrisovar]

Want to thank you for all your advice. I will do what you suggest and when I get to 50 I will try your BD spec. I had a ton of fun with it even at lower lvl's.
Stay well and I might even see you in game one day.

[Echidna]

Is this specc still good?

[Muspel]

Is this specc still good?

Yes, it is.

[Muspel]

Just updated this to account for the Bladedancer changes in 3.4. Namely, I removed all reference to mainhand vs. offhand attacks, since QS and PS now scale from your mainhand. I'm calling them "follow-up attacks" instead, for lack of a better term. Also, I updated mentions of the cooldowns and durations of Rhythmic Actions.

The spec has also changed very slightly-- I put 5 points into Blade Finesse instead of Combat Expertise, now that Blade Finesse gives AP/WD.

[Exerion]

Firstly, thanks for making the guide. I'm a fresh 65 rogue so I've been looking for an open world build and this looks promising.

Although, are there any useful macros I should be using?

[Muspel]

Firstly, thanks for making the guide. I'm a fresh 65 rogue so I've been looking for an open world build and this looks promising.

Although, are there any useful macros I should be using?

No. Bladedancer doesn't benefit from macros, because of the way that the rotation works.

[Exerion]

No. Bladedancer doesn't benefit from macros, because of the way that the rotation works.

Ok, no worries, just thought I'd ask. Thanks for the quick reply.

[alarinn]

I tried this build but since it doesn't take advantage of macros it's insanely hard to keep track of the sequences especially in rift events. I feel like I'm Yngwie Malmsteen on my keyboard. I play games to have fun and this spec stresses me out too much. I see the genius behind it since skills aren't available after other skills, namely Keen Strike, have executed. I have no issues doing that rotation but to also keep track of CD on the other skills is hard to do especially since image icons do me no good.

[Slyfin]

I've been using this build to level through 65 to 70. Pros are that it is very survivable, and can deal with multiple mobs. Cons are that it doesn't do too much damage.

Legendaries:
66: Curative Engine
67: Hundred Blades
68: Shadow Blirz
69: Deadly Strike
70: ?? Guarded Steel/Empyrean Bolt/Shadow Stalk

[Maltie]

I've been using this build to level through 65 to 70. Pros are that it is very survivable, and can deal with multiple mobs. Cons are that it doesn't do too much damage.

Legendaries:
66: Curative Engine
67: Hundred Blades
68: Shadow Blirz
69: Deadly Strike
70: ?? Guarded Steel/Empyrean Bolt/Shadow Stalk

Dont take Deadly Strike, take Twin cleave and Empyrean Bolt, 61 is better tho tbh, with the curative Engine Legendary you don't need the extra HP/damage reductions that this build gives anymore, you can tank around 5+mobs and not die and 61 BD does a lot more dps than this variant now because of Fated legendary

[Wickidspliff]

Just coming back after long Hiatus. This is similar to a build I used to use for solo leveling and on paper looks like it should still work. Is there anything that's changed or that I should know?

Thanks for the guide!

[catonmylap]

Just coming back after long Hiatus. This is similar to a build I used to use for solo leveling and on paper looks like it should still work. Is there anything that's changed or that I should know?

Thanks for the guide!

It still works. Almost anything works for open world content. ;)

Obvious breakpoint comes at level 68, where 61 BD / 4+ Tact / (Ranger or Phys) is purely better. Take legendaries Twin Cleave, Fated Blades and Empyrean Bolt (Tact); then you can run Leg. Fated Blades and Blade and Soul Parity simultaneously, Leg. Twin Cleave refreshes your dances, and Leg, Empyrean Bolt once or twice every 20 seconds reduces the CD on Twin Cleave so that you keep up FB/B&SP continuously -- nope, never use any other dance or rotation unless you make a mistake with Empyrean Bolt/TC. It becomes stupid easy vs having to switch dances and rotations every 22 sec. Also, take Defensive Pose and keep it up all the time. Add Leg Razor Beast (Ranger) and whatever (Leg Hundred Blades or more healing) at 69 and 70.

All that said, BD is now a marginal niche build. With lvl 70 quest gear, NB or MM are both better in PVE and useful in raids; BD is more rugged than either NB or MM in PVE, but useless for anything except trash in raids (and everybody skips the trash). BD variants may still work in PVP (haven't done PVP in over a year, don't know for sure).

But I still like the way BD plays, so I still use it in PVE. It's my favorite farming build, along with mage/Harbinger.

[Wickidspliff]

Thanks! I'm only 64 atm but I have 61 mm and 61 bd already specced as other roles. I only wish I had rolled on a NA server. Laethy's was good when I last played but is pretty dead now, queues never pop either so I'm stuck questing or doing IA's. I don't want to reroll because I have 3 60's on Oceanic servers.