Just started playing a week or so ago and have a newb question. Does Mortal Blow ever start to hit with any regularity or should I just save my sp from now on? So far the "Blow" part of the skill name has pretty much summed it up.
Mortal Blow isn't a skill you can just spam at will. When it hits it does Incredible damage...as balance, it doesn't always 'hit'. You can increase the hit rate by attacking from behind and various buffs/SA's but it still won't be a 100% hit rate.
The melee skills like Fatal Strike have a 100% hit rate...but damage is pretty pathetic. Damage is roughly equal to a SS hit at best. a SS crit does more damage than those skills. Skill like that are usually used as 'openers' or as final hits againt evasion targets, or maybe just for the overhit XP...and not much else. (And adding SS to these skills doesn't add a significant amount of damage.)
Thanks for the response. Maybe I just had a bad run for the last few days. Although its not always this bad, I counted one string of 12 consecutive misses on green and white mobs tonight so I was starting to get a little disheartened.
Try using this skill from behind. Either when you hunt in party, position yourself behind mob, or you can use it as an "opener" when soloing non-agro mob.
Thanks for the response. Maybe I just had a bad run for the last few days. Although its not always this bad, I counted one string of 12 consecutive misses on green and white mobs tonight so I was starting to get a little disheartened.
That kind of rate isn't uncommon. It's on the low end...but not unknown.
Those of us who have played the game for a long time have noticed that L2 is awfully....streaky, when it comes to 'random numbers'. It even seems to favor some 'characters' more than others. (Not classes) It may be all just a matter of being lucky 'now', but it's frustrating when your on the losing side of the random roll.
As a tip though, when it comes to the 'attack' skills for melee, whether it's for a dagger or a Knight, don't expect to be able to constantly use them as soon as they refresh. The new 'instant' potions that refresh MP are wonderful things to help you use them more, but just like the landing of the skills they tend to come in 'streaks'.
It makes more sense to open with a few to lower your MP, so picked up pots aren't 'wasted'. But once done, you should regulate your use of them so that you don't blow all your MP killing one mob and get burned by a bad streak of misses. Use it once per mob as an opener, (From behind if possible) then just rely on your daggers crit rate to drop the mob. If you get lucky...GREAT! If not, you don't lose much or get too low on MP that you can't 'go for the gusto' when you get too much aggro. If you get extra MP pots drop, then throw a few more out, but try to only rely on your normal attacks/crits to grind. I usually use the toggles/skills until I go below 1/4 MP then I don't use them until I get some more pots to drop or I regen, usually up to about 4/5 before I start using them again. Warning! Some toggles, like Vicious Stance! use far more MP than it's worth, to use them constantly while grinding. Use these sparingly or for when you have to increase your damage and MP bursting isn't an issue. (Like too much aggro or during pvp. Although they can be fun to blow your MP on every so often. =P)
Once you get used to their land rate and how (and how often!) to use the skills, the game is much easier and less frustrating. And daggers are good damage dealers in this game. (C5 was good to them as well.)
And if you find the land rate just ticks you off too much, go with a Knight or Warrior class instead. (I assume your still below first class change.) You might find however, that the massive amounts of damage that result from successfully landing a 'mortal blow' are much more satisfying than landing a warriors 'Strike' all the time. (Or having stun break all the time!)
if you feel like its useless, use vicious stance istead, dont know at what lvl you get it, but it will add more damage to your criticals. that way you will a little more steady damage-output.