SWA: What You Want...

There comes a point where advancing a tree is so cost-prohibitive that small dips into another tree might provide a DPS benefit.  I already spoke briefly about this in my previous Secret World Academy article.  When grabbing the next beneficial ability takes your build more than 19AP, you might not immediately think to splash into another tree.  Today, I’m going to provide the first part in a 3-part series, where I discuss passives that might give you that extra edge to tackle Blue Ridge.

This particular post focuses on finding something that you’re lacking.  Looking to get Afflicted for your specific build, or looking for a way to guarantee a crit?  This is the post for you – the one that might give you that extra edge in developing an initial build to spring forward from.  The next part will organize the buffs I consider worth splashing for by what you already do, so you can see how you can refine that build into something better.  Pictures and text are taken from The Secret Sandbox Deck Builder.

Penetration

Dark Potency (Blood, Profane, 5 AP) Whenever you apply Afflicted, you gain a single stack of the Penetration Rating effect, which increases Penetration Rating by 30 per stack for 8 seconds. This effect can stack up to 5 times.

Expose Weakness (Blade, Method 5 AP) Whenever you apply Impaired, you gain the Minor Penetration Chance effect, which increases your Penetration Chance by 10% for 8 seconds.

Killer Instinct (Fist, Feral, 5 AP) Whenever you attack, you build a Killer Instinct counter. When there are 4 counters, your next attack cannot be evaded and will reset the count. Also increases damage dealt by 1% per counter.

Hit

Paradigm Shift (Chaos, Theory, 5 AP) Whenever you apply Weakened, you gain a single stack of the Hit Rating effect, which increases Hit Rating by 30 per stack for 8 seconds. This effect can stack up to 5 times.

No Contest (Assault Rifle, Engage, 5 AP) Whenever you apply Hindered, your next hit cannot be evaded.

Afflicted

Mind over Matter (Elemental, React, 1 AP) Whenever you critically hit, the target also becomes Afflicted with a damage over time effect that deals 13 magical damage every second for 5 seconds.

Toxic Earth (Elemental, React, 19 AP) Whenever you apply Hindered, the target also becomes Afflicted with a damage over time effect that deals 32 magical damage every second for 4 seconds.

Critical Hit

Elemental Force (Elemental, React, 3 AP) Whenever you attack, you build an Elemental Force counter. When you have 7 counters, your next attack will critically hit and reset the count.

Hothead (Pistol, Dangerous, 1 AP) Whenever you apply Hindered, you gain the Minor Critical Chance effect, which increases your Critical Chance by 10% for 8 seconds.

Critical Damage

Brawler (Hammer, Grit, 1 AP) Increases Crit Power by 15%.

Movement Speed

Rapid Getaway (Pistol, Dangerous, 19 AP) Whenever you activate any resource consumer, you gain a beneficial effect that increases your movement speed by 15% for 5 seconds.

Damage

Cool, Calm & Collected (Hammer, Grit, 19 AP)  Whenever you block an attack, your attacker generates additional hate towards you and you gain the Minor Ward effect, which reduces all damage received by 7.5% for 8 seconds.  Whenever you critically hit, you gain a beneficial effect that increases all damage dealt by 5% for 10 seconds.

Probability (Chaos, Chance, 19 AP) Whenever you evade, you gain the Minor Ward effect, which reduces all damage received by 7.5% for 8 seconds.  Whenever you hit 3 times in a row, you gain a beneficial effect that increases all damage dealt by 5% for 10 seconds.

Gunsmoke (Shotgun, Control, 3 AP) Whenever you apply Weakened, the target takes 10 physical damage.

Fluid Defense (Blade, Technique, 19 AP) Whenever you receive a glancing hit, you gain the Minor Ward effect, which reduces the damage you take by 7.5% for 6 seconds.  Whenever you penetrate, you gain a beneficial effect that increases all damage dealt by 5% for 10 seconds.

 

Street Fighter (Hammer, Grit, 3AP) Whenever you apply Impaired, you gain a beneficial effect that increases all damage dealt by 10% for 8 seconds.

 

Killer Instinct (Fist, Feral, 5 AP) Whenever you attack, you build a Killer Instinct counter. When there are 4 counters, your next attack cannot be evaded and will reset the count. Also increases damage dealt by 1% per counter.

Buff Effectiveness

Authority (Shotgun, Control, 19 AP) Your group-wide effects are 15% more effective.