BladeDancer - Dancing Strikes + Shadow Cascade, 4k+ dodge, fast clearspeed

Hello there,
this is my work in progress build what i want to share with you, leveling was super fun and easy. I hit monolith under 4 hours of leveling. Build / gear isnt optimized yet, because im still testing its possibilities.

VIDEO BUILD GUIDE / SHOWCASE

BUILD MAIN IDEA

Build is using Dancing Strikes with Shadow Cascade on proc, Shift with Shadow Cascade on use + Acid Flask on use, Lethal Mirage with Shadow Cascade on proc. Build is utilizing max dodge, sustainable in-combat dodge is 4k+ ~75%, high movement speed (75-95%), while we are moving all the time we have 25% less dmg taken from rogue passives and 1.5% more damage per 1% of movement speed. Every 5th speacial skill use is 100% critical strike thanks to Flow and Pulse BladeDancer passive and Shadow Cascade has 30% increased melee crit chance on enemies with poison and bleed on them.

SKILLS

DANCING STRIKES Our main spamming ability, it provides 120% dodge rating, +150 dodge, 80% global crit multi, 20% global damage and has 10% chance to proc Shadow Cascade.

https://imgur.com/1FG3YhR

SHADOW CASCADE Our main damage source, huge AoE, 30% increased crit chance against bleeding / poisoned enemies, 40% chance to spawn shadows on kill. We dont use this skill, cause it procs from our other abilities.

https://imgur.com/FOmujgf

LETHAL MIRAGE Our boss / rare nuke ability, it has 9% chance to proc Shadow Cascade so skill points are mainly used for maximum number of mirages + creating shadows.

https://imgur.com/gWvhxlL

SHIFT Our movement / AoE clear ability, it spawns shadow and cast Shadow Cascade in start and end location. Refills our mana, gives us 50% movement speed for 1.5s and casts Acid Flask to start and end location. Also if used under 50% health it uses potion.

https://imgur.com/C1oRqWl

ACID FLASK Our utility ability, reduces enemy armor, applies poison on them, armor shred. In most situations we dont use this skill, cause it procs from our other abilities, but if you need poison on boss / rare and Acid Flask from Shift missed it, use it.

https://imgur.com/1PInrR1

PASSIVES

ROGUE Dual wield, Dodge rating, Damage per % movement speed, Haste chance.

https://imgur.com/yJJuy9S

BLADEDANCER Dodge rating, Dusk Shroud, Health gain on Shadow spawn, Flow, Pulse, Crit multi, Crit vulnerability, Perfection, Armor, Damage on full health.

https://imgur.com/pEryAIX

GEAR

We want to use dagger + sword, we are looking for flat melee phys / %phys / %melee crit. Frailty, Shred, Bleed is welcomed suffix. Rest of the gear slots we focus to cap our resistances, dodge rating to hit 75%, movement speed. On chest / helm increase damage with shadows. Idols, look for phys penetration, increase damage for shadow attacks.

LEVELING

Start leveling with Flurry and Shift + Dancing Shadows skill node then switch to Dancing Strikes + Hidden Blade skill node and Shadow Cascade skill.

Could you post some pics of your skills and passives, maybe a link to Tunklabs for the gear you’re aiming for.

Also, fyi, dancing strikes doesn’t count as moving for the less damage while moving passive. At least, it doesn’t count as moving for the boots that shock you when you stop moving.

Are you 100% sure? The skill has tag “Movement” so the passive should apply.

Hello there, im gonna update this guide today with pics and better video with min-maxed gear.

Like Krumkai wrote, i think that passive works with all movement skills.

Well, I’m going with the fact that if you equip Stormtide boots & use Dancing Strikes, when you stop using it you don’t get shocked, therefore the game doesn’t think you’re moving…

It’s a lot easier to check that than to see if you’re taking 5-25% less damage.

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Good idea, it seems you are right, Eterra’s Path boots doesnt work too, i will ask devs if that passive counts with movement skills.

Yeah, I’ve asked them that too.

What was the answer?

They’re not replied yet.

You haven’t shown Shadow Cascade tree, can you post a screenshot?

Does attack speed apply to dancing strikes?

No, only cooldown reduction.

How does cooldown reduction affect the skill? Dancing Strikes already have pretty low CD 0.7.
Are you sure attack speed does not make it faster?

Yes, attack speed has no effect on Dancing Strikes. But a t5 (I think) cooldown affix on your helm will reduce it to 0.6s which makes it ~14% faster.

haha good to know, does movement speed affect it somehow?

Nope, not that either.

Hello there,
i updated guide and added new video + images

1 Like

Good job that man (or woman, or whatever)!

You’ve even put an order to go for stuff in the skills! Top notch! :slight_smile:

Hey man, thanks for sharing this. Seems like a lot of fun. Is there a loot filter (even temporary) that you are using and willing to share? Would be super appreciated!

i play a similar build that i rly like but its more around free casting spells slike shadow cascade and shurikens thx to the chance to cast shurikens on dancing strike and shift same whit cascade. and i have transformed the shurikens to chakrams thx to a node that multiplies chakrams dmg of how many shuricans you throw.