Fel barrage vs blade dance

[Deeznuts]

Hi guys, I'm wondering if fel barrage is any better than blade dance talent in mythics 12 and higher. Should I use it during fortified instead of tyrannical? What do you think. Raidbots says blade dance but does it take into consideration everything?

[Ielenia]

Hi guys, I'm wondering if fel barrage is any better than blade dance talent in mythics 12 and higher. Should I use it during fortified instead of tyrannical? What do you think. Raidbots says blade dance but does it take into consideration everything?

It's been a long while since I played by DH, so take my two cents with a grain of salt. That said:

Fel Barrage is strong, but it's a channeled ability. I do not recall if you can move or not while channeling, I'm assuming you can't. So that's one strike against it, as having to move would cancel the ability. Blade dance, on the other hand, is not channeled, and also gives you a 100% dodge chance for one second. BD also has a 9-second cooldown against FB's 1-minute, so you can spam BD. So I'd say the talent for BD is better.

[DemonHunter18]

It's been a long while since I played by DH, so take my two cents with a grain of salt. That said:

Fel Barrage is strong, but it's a channeled ability. I do not recall if you can move or not while channeling, I'm assuming you can't. So that's one strike against it, as having to move would cancel the ability. Blade dance, on the other hand, is not channeled, and also gives you a 100% dodge chance for one second. BD also has a 9-second cooldown against FB's 1-minute, so you can spam BD. So I'd say the talent for BD is better.

you can move while channeling.

[Orloth]

It really depends on your group's strategy for Mythic+. I find Trail of Ruin to be better in general, but if you've got a group that is making big pulls and stacking cooldowns then Fel Barrage is better for just being a cooldown. I know that's more of a general answer, rather than Fortified or Tyrannical specific, but I find it stays true across the board.

[AlmightyGerkin]

Blades dance imo. You get more out of it than Fel Barrage considering you're using it more than fel barrage.

[Biomega]

Generally Fel Barrage is worse, because while it's great burst it is still a cooldown, and you use Blade Dance all. the. time.

That being said, it's definitely possible to play dungeons in ways that disproportionately favor Fel Barrage. You'll regularly see top DH players spec it in M+ if the dungeon/affixes/party support that kind of playstyle. If you pull huge packs in intervals that line up with FB's cooldown, it can be massively effective. It's just that most of the time you won't be doing that.

In random PUGs I'd probably never spec it because chances for beneficial CD lineups are just too low.

[apustus]

If you're coordinating with your tank to have fairly large pulls every time it's off CD, go for it. Otherwise just stick with Trail

[OokOok]

It's been a long while since I played by DH, so take my two cents with a grain of salt. That said:

Fel Barrage is strong, but it's a channeled ability. I do not recall if you can move or not while channeling, I'm assuming you can't. So that's one strike against it, as having to move would cancel the ability. Blade dance, on the other hand, is not channeled, and also gives you a 100% dodge chance for one second. BD also has a 9-second cooldown against FB's 1-minute, so you can spam BD. So I'd say the talent for BD is better.

Probably shouldn't of bothered

[OokOok]

It will be fel barrage now, blade dance is being nerfed to 5 targets. FB isn't getting touched so far, which means for high M+ keys that plan to pull mass amounts of mobs still, FB will be your go to.

[sensei-]

It will be fel barrage now, blade dance is being nerfed to 5 targets. FB isn't getting touched so far, which means for high M+ keys that plan to pull mass amounts of mobs still, FB will be your go to.

Sorry to be the one to tell you but Fel Barrage is capped at 5 targets also.

[Kelimbror]

Actual high key and Mythic raiding DH here, Fel Barrage is only useful in aoe fights where add spawns line up with your cooldowns. That happens for 2-3 fights in Nyalotha, so it's the first time in quite a while I use it regularly. That being said, it's also incredibly easy to use wrong. There's almost no upside to using Fell Barrage unless you can guarantee a) you can hit a massive pack with it every minute and b) you AND your raid know how to position adds to maximize everyone's AoE dps.

For most DH's I would not recommend using it, ever. That goes double for M+ content where you will not have any of the advantages of timing and known amounts of enemies unless you are a professional MDI team planning every pull and even then, you will not see those DH's running Fel Barrage b/c Blade Dance has more synergy with everything so buffing your best ability has no drawbacks.

[DeusX]

you can move while channeling.

Maybe with some channeling, but Fel Barrage too? I remember FB stops if you move while channeling. Ideally you cast it under a strong haste effect (like after an eye beam), so the channel ends in less than a second.

[Kelimbror]

Maybe with some channeling, but Fel Barrage too? I remember FB stops if you move while channeling. Ideally you cast it under a strong haste effect (like after an eye beam), so the channel ends in less than a second.

You can move at normal speed while channeling Fel Barrage. You can actually kinda sorta move while channeling Eye Beam if you are pushing 'W' while starting the channel and then continue to hold it down throughout. It's handy if you're just slightly in some bad doo doo but don't want to stop the dps train.

[Lelkowski]

Maybe with some channeling, but Fel Barrage too? I remember FB stops if you move while channeling. Ideally you cast it under a strong haste effect (like after an eye beam), so the channel ends in less than a second.

Haste won't speed up channel, it will make it do more dmg - more missiles during channeling.

[syrencove]

fel barrage is pretty good in dungeons esp in a pinch but for pvp it isnt that great anymore. only times its really better imo is if your gear is abnormally mastery heavy.

[TheRainman]

Maybe with some channeling, but Fel Barrage too? I remember FB stops if you move while channeling. Ideally you cast it under a strong haste effect (like after an eye beam), so the channel ends in less than a second.

I don't know what you are remembering but it isn't Fel Barrage. You've been able to move while casting it throughout both Legion and BfA.

while casting it throughout both Legion and BfA.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

From my experience playing Demon Hunter since beginning of BFA up through the beginning of patch 8.3 (switched classes) Blade Dance with Trail of Ruin talented has always been more consistent.


Especially at higher level keys where trash/AoE typically take longer to kill (regardless of M+ affixes) Blade Dance with Trail of Ruin will generally always pull ahead and be shown to give more damage done over the duration of those pulls.


Not to say that Fel Barrage won't shine in other situations because it can. I sometimes will run Fel Barrage just because it looks cooler, but when I'm in serious mode I mostly will always go Trail of Ruin.