Slayers: When should i go full berserk?

[froztybeard]

The reason i put up this topic is just to hear how other slayers are handling the rage meter, as im curious about it, it feels somehow like its quite divided on how people play around with the rage meter.

Do you guys go full berserk and stay in the red zone until you get focused? or do you dump the rage asap on exhaustive blows for the 75% damage increase?

The way im playing atm, with 2h and Giantslayer Path, i try to stay a while inside the yellow area, when im about to hit red, i use a exhaustive blow and then rinse and repeat. If i want to secure a kill, i usually go past over to berserk just to get the enemy dead and then exhaustive blow straight after the enemies death.
in SC i usually do equal damage compared to fellow slayers and sometimes more, even if both me and the other slayer/slayers are in combat often (its hard to not make it sound "big headed" ).

(Also worth noting, im currently R 30 / RR 29, fully specced in renown for distrupt / Dodge, Parry and Init for my current RR level)

[roadkillrobin]

At t1 using the yellow rage mechanic to increase damage works perfectly.
Late game it makes very little sence except for when getting focused or poping Rampage.

In aoe spec your highest output come from non finishers such as Flurry and Inevteble Doom.
In ST spec majority of damage comes from auto attack so dropping rage is in generally sonething you want to avoid.
If you run a finisher build it also makes more sence to use the tactic to never exhaust it as it opens up for spammeble spell breaker aswell as not dropping rage after KD to finish target faster while still kd'ed.

That said, Rampage is a complete nobrainer in any build. Its a 10/20 sec ability that completly ignores Tank m2 and melee m1 with less CD and no morale build up. Yeah it's an ability that hardcounter morales which is just bad design.

[szejoza]

You can see extra damage breakdown here for 2.4 speed weapons and GCD at 1.5s (some people say it is possible to get lower global cooldown up to 1.2 but let's use hard numbers here) in 20 seconds span

Being in red and using Power Through tactic gives the biggest bonus damage, even more for auto attacks if you slot Push for More (35lvl required)

Spending rage immidiately affects mostly your auto attack damage, the average bonus for skills remains the same, the difference here isn't that big theoretically but sometimes you will be required to drop as many exhaustive skills as possible (rampage, no escape, devastate, spellbreaker etc. so imo you shouldn't pay too much attention to it.

Once you get Push for More you will want to stay in yellow (or even red) as long as possible as it will greatly affect your ST damage

[Toldavf]

Playing a slayer in any group is about propped rage management. If you hold it to long you will die and if you drop it to early you willl kill nothing.

My advice is to run as much in the red as possible while on the offensive, don't waste ap attacking while in the green. That said feel free to be yellow lot green while closing with a target but always be aware to put out any real power you will need to run red.

Play positionally and keep an inevitable doom on target it"s the best backload available to the class, and keep a deep wound up to because it's hard hitting, has a low ap cost and is a first rate heal debuff.

You will I think find that power through in small scale will be detrimental for your health. That said it is amazing for solo play.

[Stinkyweed]

Never go full beserk...never...


https://youtu.be/1Y3FzVQi-R8

[Fallenkezef]

I ran a 2h slayer with the rage tactic and just went hell for leather.

Red all day

[Darosh]

If you play against any proper opposition, you'd normally time your transition into red to coincide with proper CC and such (i.e. to go along with proper hardswaps and focus) to minimize the timeframe in which you are essentially a freenown pinata - depending on how the hardswap/focus plays out, you either drop rage or keep on the pressure to build upon the momentum.
There is little point - if any - to stick in red 24/7, especially if you aren't running with a (very good) group.
A single good (solo) dps (e.g.: someone with general awareness, proper gear, yadayada) can completly screw you over, two good dps can annihilate you even through guard without a strip ~ disarm/kd in red = dead.
If you however have a very, very good group to carry you, you could - and should - consistently apply pressure and limit your ragedrops to a bare minimum (e.g.: have your tanks take care of knockdowns, only ever drop rage if it is absolutely necessary).

If you pug get used to dropping rage the very second someone looks your way ~ make sure to keep an eye on your buffs/debuffs, your HP and the general movement/actions of your oppodition. Any good dps will swap target to you if he spots you derping about with a red glow, slightly bigger than your fellow midgets ~ that is if you aren't 24/7 assisted on because you are unguarded.
Play defensively (e.g.: concentrate on peeling for your backline), if you engage your opposition make sure you let other dps' and tanks take the brunt of the initial clash ~ stick in red while your allies facetank, drop it if you start to draw attention and leg it if you are actively being focus'd by a dps/assisted on multiple dps or preemptively if necessary. There is no point playing semi-aggressive whilst being forced to drop rage consistently (again: every good dps will CC you out of your ragedrop capabilities and punish you for staying in red longer than you <need> to), rather leg it to drop attention entirely and re-engage properly.

Learn to read engagements, most (i.e.: 9/10) swaps and general bursts are being telegraphed well in advance, giving you an opportunity to preemptively drop rage, leg it, drop attention, rebuild rage and re-enagage with little to no downtime/risk.

E: Typos, format, yadayada.

[Tesq]

Always drop before go red as default for beginning then when they stop try kill you and you feel ignored lenough let the meccanic kick in especially if you are KD immunity

[tionblack]

Slayer is good as its team,else you really need to play defensively and forget about red zone tactic.

[Hogtooth]

I tend to go full Beserk when I'm not guarded or focused healed.
To answer your question it depends on the stage of the fight, are you working with a group in coms and the skill needed for the situation. Rampage you want to pop in yellow early and keep up for most of the fight. If I have a solid group that I'm working with I don't worry about it so much but still keep an eye on it to take pressure of my tank and heals. Incapacitate is a great finisher even if your target is immune to the knockdown, the damage delivered can be enough to get the kb