Should we learn Awakened Laser Cutter?

[Soane]

Many players, including myself, have ignored Awakened Laser cutter (ALC) for a long time. After all, why would we choose to waste our precious bubbles on ALC instead of our beloved Laser Ray, right?

However, with the recent patch, damage boost only comes with the awakening, so if you don't learn it, Laser Cutter ex will become weaker when compared with all other skills that got boosted. So, taking that into consideration, I decided to give ALC a try.

It took me a few time to get used to it, but after some rotation tests, I think I kind of get what they were thinking when they first designed it. Based purely on numbers, our main source of bubbles is Nine Tails Laser (NTL), which gives 27 bubbles per cast. Since we can cast it 3 times, thats a total of 81 bubbles. More than enough for 2 Laser cutters and one Laser Ray. So, in theory, you can cast 3 NTLs, 2 ALCs and 1 Laser ray only by properly distributing the NTLs between each skill, instead of wasting everything in a 3 cast NTL combo. Like this:

NTL > ALC > NTL > ALC > NTL > Laser Ray (Or Eraser first, if you want to increase Laser ray's duration)

Normally, you would need to use at least 2 NTLs, or one NTL + filler skill to get the bubbles you need to cast Laser Ray. However, by casting one ALC before the second NTL, you decrease the bubble waste, and earn an additional skill on the field, since you still have 7 bubbles remaining from the first NTL. After that you can either imediately cast Laser ray, or extend the combo with an additional ALC before it. All this with little bubble waste.

Everything that I have just said, made sense in my mind when I first thought about it. However, when I went to test it, an obstacle had just appeared:

Distance

Everybody knows that light speed is around 300,000 Km/s. Except when we are talking about Nine Tails Laser. When casted at its maximum range, it takes some time to reach the target, and that time is enough to greatly delay your combo, because you need to wait for NTL to fill your bubbles before starting ALC casting animation.

Casting NTL at point-blank could decrease this delay, but ALC usually misses some hits when casted at this distance, unless you use Class mastery III.

So another option is to use this travel delay as an advantage. But how?

If you have 0 bubbles, at mid to maximum range, start with 2 NTLs. The second NTL will fill the delay of the first, and by the time you finish it, you have bubbles enough to cast ALC before the second NTL reach the target. This approach will ensure that you will have no delay between each skill, as the second NTL will imediately refill your bubbles.

The second option is to start your combo with at least 20 bubbles. That will ensure that you will be able to imediately cast ALC while NTL is traveling. You will even notice that you can cast Laser ray after ALC, because your last NTL will refill your bubbles in time. Like this:

(no bubbles/mid range) NTL > NTL > ALC > NTL > ALC > Eraser > Laser Ray

(20 bubbles/ mid range) NTL > ALC > NTL > ALC > NTL > ALC > Eraser > Laser ray

I have made a video showing this:

But how about ALC DPS? Is it good? Is it worth to extend you combo to add it?

As ALC is way more spammable than normal Laser cutter ex, I decided to test ALC spam under Beyond time to check its potential. The result was quite unexpected. Not only it managed to reach the same DPS as when I used laser ray, but also it didn't fall during the whole time. The video is also below:

With all that said my conclusions are:

Pros:
.Spammable
.Decent DPS
.Does not prevent your Laser ray cast with proper bubble management
.Sustained DPS for longer time
.Excellent synergy with beyond time
.Deadly against large bosses

Cons:
.Requires longer DPS windows
.DPS increases in a slower pace when compared with Laser ray
.More complex gameplay due to bubble management
.Terrible against small and agile bosses. (Both because ALC will miss some hits, and because it's harder to hit with NTL)
.Terrible in nests with enraged Shooting Stars and Flurry guildmates

[WildMist]

I'll be more convinced if you make 2 videos in raids or 4-man nest, one with your ALC Combo, and the other one without it.

Then show us the DPS results from those 2 videos.

[Mr.Shovels]

hmmm... I am not aware of what skills or the skill rotation, proper usage of skills of a smasher class, but i did notice that some of her abilities has very slow casting animation, from which should be fast and in an instant since we are talking about light rays and stuff here, but then again this is DN.

I am not playing the Smasher Class, but i do have used it a bit at level 93 cap since i had a smasher once... and i deleted it because i don't take interest on INT based class now (i do have a crusader and a saint, although i changed my Crusader's main attribute focus from INT to STR now since i saw considerable changes in attack power and effectiveness of its DPS in PVE when i changed my jades into STR, also had my magic attack power higher than before)

Here are some of my thoughts regarding changes to Smasher's abilities or improvements:

• Linear Ray, Nine Tail Laser Should have a faster casting time, Linear Ray should have all summoned Laser orbs in an instant to shoot lasers to the front, Nine Tail Laser should have a faster projectile speed same as Tracking Arrows of the Artillery Class, since they have the both same projectile properties, and also Tracking Arrows have a faster landing time than NTL
• Awakened Laser Cutter should have a reduced bubble usage from 20 to 10, should also have just increased the damage boost from 60% to 100% and just reduce the cooldown from 20 seconds to 12 seconds instead of removing the cooldown since Laser Cutter has a fixed direction and spot to where you will cast it, its undeniably a pain in the bottoms if you cast your ALC at a wrong direction and spend and waste your bubbles which should have just been used for Laser Ray
• Spectrum Shower is a strong DPS skill 2nd to the ALC, but since it makes your character idle for the moment, there should be drastic changes to this skill after attaining the Spectrum Shower EX
  • Changes: When Casting Spectrum Shower, a Magical Orb is Summoned above your characters head and shoots laser onto the ground to deal damage and explode, using the Spectrum Shower instant would summon 2 Identical Magical Orbs that will shoot laser onto the ground and deal damage and explode, this way you can move around after that happened.
  • Changes: you can still cast Spectrum Shower and see your character spin around flawlessly and majestically, but you can force her out of that spot by using tumble (Blink) to dodge and change position
• Force Mirror has a description that says "Protect's Oneself" so Force mirror should have atleast a buff that could give damage reduction buff to oneself and all the party members around the ** coverage area of the FM EX by 30% for 10 Seconds, the Force Mirror Attack should be removed and instead add that buff, OR rather push away the enemies or mobs once you summon the Force Mirror
• CM III for Shockwave to Laser Cutter should be like this:
  • When using Shockwave, Laser Cutter will instantly Summon be summoned in an area infront of the character, instead of dealing damage there over time, the full damage of Laser cutter is instead dealt in an instant for 1 hit when you use Shockwave following Laser Cutter, this way, the bubble usage for ALC won't be for waste if it rather the bubble usage and damge increase would remain the same (60% increase in LC, 20 bubbles needed, removed cooldown)

Well that is all that i could think of, its a bit lavish or overpowered suggestions i think? but that would make Smashers climb up to the DPS ranking once in a while and players would enjoy playing Smasher more since Lasers are fun

[Soane]

I'll be more convinced if you make 2 videos in raids or 4-man nest, one with your ALC Combo, and the other one without it.

Then show us the DPS results from those 2 videos.

My point is not to prove that ALC has better DPS, as i don't believe it either. Laser Ray is still faster and easier to use and I also prioritize it on real fights whenever the boss gives me an opportunity to do so.

The message that I wanted to give is that ALC could have its possible applications, and is not totally useless. However, I admit that it is situational, and will not be used always. I felt that when testing myself.

Agaist small and mobile bosses, it's hard to ensure all NTL hits, which results in poor bubble management, so in those cases, I simplify the combo and focus on landing laser rays.

In general, I would only use that, when I have a large DPS window, when i'm confident that I can land enough NTL hits for both ALC and an incoming Laser ray, or when I can't use Laser ray because of a certain boss mechanic or reaction, like for example triple stomps, random stomp/aerial wave (Guardian boss), Mist Nest triple safe area etc.

[Fabulous]

Yes, you should take ALC. We can look at three types of situations for example.

1. Golem. This represents your ideal rotation. You should spam double ALC under Beyond Time, and Laser Ray otherwise.
2. Rune Dragon Nest. Since most bosses in here are small and mobile, you won't get much out of spamming ALC. I would just use one and then redirect my efforts toward Laser Ray.
3. Dragons and other large bosses. These types of bosses are basically golems. You should spam ALC under Beyond Time, and Laser Ray otherwise.

The buffed Smasher is simply making decisions about spamming LC or LR. However, you should take ALC without a doubt. Please refer to my video playlist for more examples.

[TheAyikita]

Haven't tested my smasher into raid/nest but its btg dps doesn't really vary too much from my majesty's dps using the same gears. I don't get why people put smasher in God-tier dps list.

[NearLawlet]

Majesty' main dps skill (Triple Orb) is highly affected by the enemy's size and mobility. BTG Golem is both large AND immobile, which make it perfect as a target practice for Majesty.

Meanwhile, Smasher's Laser Ray can be aimed freely with decent range, practically negating enemy size and mobility factor. On top of that, its hit count can be further increased with action speed buff, greatly improving its damage.