13th Level Brawny Rogue -- which Encounter Power to lose?

[Sagiro]

If Low Slash is going unused, you are playing too conservatively. Use it earlier. It's damage should at roughly equal SA damage, so would be kinda silly to waste it.

Well, sort of. Obviously it's a waste if the encounter ends and I never used it. But consider these two possible scenarios, both of which assume I have combat advantage:

Scenario 1:
Round 1: Miss with at-will attack, follow up and hit with Low Slash
Round 2: Hit with at-will attack

Total damage: 1 normal hit, 1 low slash hit, 2 sneak attacks

Scenario 2:
Round 1: Hit with at-will attack, follow up and hit with Low Slash
Round 2: Miss with at-will attack

Total damage, 1 normal hit, 1 low slash hit, 1 sneak attack

Assuming I ever miss with my main attack in a round, I'm better off saving Low Slash for that eventuality, so I'm inclined to keep it in reserve. But of course, if I *don't* ever miss, Low Slash goes to waste.

SSquirrel, I love the Knockout/Bloodbath combo!

 

[keterys]

Perhaps, but consider it from the healer's perspective...

Round 1: Hit with an at-will attack, follow up and hit with Low Slash - monster dies before it gets to attack, saving the party from taking 20 damage

 

[Saeviomagy]

Or even:
Round 1: hit with at-will, hit with low slash, move 2 squares away.

Monster: move 2 squares towards you without attacking.

 

[Sagiro]

Or even:
Round 1: hit with at-will, hit with low slash, move 2 squares away.

Monster: move 2 squares towards you without attacking.

In my experience, this is more likely:

Round 1: hit with at-will, hit with low slash, move 2 squares away, ABSORB OPPORTUNITY ATTACK

Monster: move 2 squares toward you, AND THEN ATTACKS ME ANYWAY.

The more I think about it, the more I'm coming to think Low Slash is probably the one to (very reluctantly) lose. There have been plenty of times when Dazing Strike has been the only reason I've gotten Sneak Attack damage in a round. And the 4-5 point debuff from Imperiling Strike is just too good to lose.

Side note: Low Slash does cause Slow, and that will get me Sneak Attacks once I take Expert Sneak. But my plan is not to take that until 18th level; as the party's de facto Defender (sob), I'll be taking Improved Defenses and Defensive Advantage with my next two feats.

Still haven't made up my mind yet!

 

[SSquirrel]

as the party's de facto Defender (sob), I'll be taking Improved Defenses and Defensive Advantage with my next two feats.

One of the 4 strikers in the party should take one for the team and roll a real defender.

 

[keterys]

In my experience, this is more likely:

Round 1: hit with at-will, hit with low slash, move 2 squares away, ABSORB OPPORTUNITY ATTACK

Monster: move 2 squares toward you, AND THEN ATTACKS ME ANYWAY.

For clarity, Low Slash slides... so you wouldn't take an opportunity attack, and you could be more than 4 squares away from the monster such that even a move and charge does not reach you. Against Reflex, it also hits more often than Dazing Strike.

That said, if your group works better with Daze, then keep Daze. It does seem odd that you're having to work that hard to get combat advantage though. Odd group makeup, I guess

 

[Sagiro]

For clarity, Low Slash slides... so you wouldn't take an opportunity attack, and you could be more than 4 squares away from the monster such that even a move and charge does not reach you. Against Reflex, it also hits more often than Dazing Strike.

That said, if your group works better with Daze, then keep Daze. It does seem odd that you're having to work that hard to get combat advantage though. Odd group makeup, I guess

Good points about sliding and such, though typically I find I don't want to disengage from the monster. I want to stay next to it because it increases my odds of gaining flanking the next round, and also because, as the party's "Defender," I often want it to attack me, and not someone else.

And, yes, our party makeup is odd. Of our four strikers, one is a Sorcerer and one is a hit-and-run Ranger, neither of whom are typically around for flanking considerations. The other striker is an Avenger, and that's usually where I get my flanking, when I get it. Meanwhile the wizard is blasting, and the shaman is healing, both from as far away as they can get.

SSquirrel mentioned that someone should ditch a striker and reroll a defender. While no one wants to do that (since we love role-playing our current characters too much), both the Avenger player and I, without consultation, prepared Goliath Wardens against the (likely inevitable) day when our lack of real defender results in our death.

 

[keterys]

Does sound like hybriding, so you can keep the same character but shift somewhat defendery, might work out well for you, if it's an option.

 

[SSquirrel]

SSquirrel mentioned that someone should ditch a striker and reroll a defender. While no one wants to do that (since we love role-playing our current characters too much), both the Avenger player and I, without consultation, prepared Goliath Wardens against the (likely inevitable) day when our lack of real defender results in our death.

We had a minotaur warden in our Dark Sun game and he worked out great. Piles of enemies around him that can't get away, taking consistent damage from him and my wizard would pretty freely drop aoe attacks centered on him and he'd just deal w/the damage or pray my War Wizard feat helped me miss to reduce the damage

 

[Saeviomagy]

In my experience, this is more likely:

Round 1: hit with at-will, hit with low slash, move 2 squares away, ABSORB OPPORTUNITY ATTACK

Ah, sorry, perhaps I should have spelled out where low slash slides the foe 1 square away.

Monster: move 2 squares toward you, AND THEN ATTACKS ME ANYWAY.

You're totally right. Under my combo, and assuming that you move in the opposite direction to where you slid the foe, you need to move 4 squares, leaving you 5 squares away from a foe who can at best move 2 squares and then charge 2 squares.

Side note: Low Slash does cause Slow, and that will get me Sneak Attacks once I take Expert Sneak. But my plan is not to take that until 18th level; as the party's de facto Defender (sob), I'll be taking Improved Defenses and Defensive Advantage with my next two feats.

Defensive advantage might not be the best plan if you're having problems getting CA. Two-weapon defense, shield proficiency or an armor proficiency might serve you better.

By defacto defender, do you just mean "the guy that all the monsters attack because noone else is in melee"? Or have you actually taken something to boost your defenderyness? There are some paragon paths that can boost a rogue up to defender-like levels of survivability (death dealer for a strength rogue - temp hitpoints every time you hit a bloodied foe) and some feats that give you defender-like stickyness (multiclass warden + grasping roots, that 'slow on a sneak attack' one etc). The avenger might do better in this department though (depending on what type of avenger he is...)