What's better: Rain of Blows, or Hesitation Slash?

[Orcus Porkus]

I play an Eladrin Barbarian, MC Fighter, Level 6, with Greatspear, Str 18, Dex 18, and I want to snatch one encounter power from the fighter that's designed for spears.
It boils down to these two. Rain of Blows has some problems, some say it grants only two attacks max, others say it's four attacks if you meet the requirements. Our DM just ruled it's 3 attacks (the first two against one or two targets, and then one follow up attack). That's still good, I can live with it.
But then there is Hesitation Slash. With my Dex 18 I get a +4 attack bonus, and get CA advantage for 1 round. This is a good start for Action Point + daily usage, and also another blow in the next turn. I'm really torn between those two - any advice? Please no general debate on Rain of Blows, unless your name is Mike Mearls or James Wyatt and you officially errata it

Hesitation Slash
Fighter Attack 3

You flick your weapon one way, then the next, slashing your opponent and making it unclear from which direction your next attack will come.
Encounter
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Weapon: If you’re wielding a light blade or a spear, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Dexterity modifier.
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and the target grants you combat advantage until the end of your next turn.


Rain of Blows
Fighter Attack 3

You become a blur of motion, raining a series of blows upon your opponent.
Encounter
Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC, two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Weapon: If you're wielding a light blade, spear, or flail and have Dexterity 15 or higher, make a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: The same or a different target
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.

 

[Simm]

Hesitation strike is strictly better I think.

Assume base chance to hit: 60%
Assume damage bonus: +6 (+4 str +1 feat +1 enhancment)

Hesitation strike average: (0.6+0.2)*(2d10+6) = 20.8 average damage
Rain of blows: (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) = 19.2 average damage

Hesitation strike also gives you CA next round. Higher average damage and an additional effect, I know which one I'd take.

 

[Victim]

Since you have the Dex, Rain of Blows. It's close on pure damage even without the secondary attack the GM is allowing. As an Eladrin barbarian, you should have the mobility to get CA without powers much of the time anyway.

Plus Rain of Blows scales up better, since the Ws remain the same while bonus damage goes up with levels. Also, the extra attacks increase the chance that your critical hit barbarian feature will kick in.

 

[Orcus Porkus]

Rain of blows: (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) = 19.2 average damage

the DM allows me 3 attacks...

 

[Simm]

Okay, that was a little embarassing. I also have made another error (incorect average weapon damage if you must know). I'm really not on tonight.

Let me try this again

Assume base chance to hit: 60%
Assume damage bonus: +6 (+4 str +1 feat +1 enhancment)
Assume that you make one attack with a 2[w] power on your next turn

Hesitation strike average: (0.6+0.2)*(2d10+6) + (0.1)*(2d10+6) = 15.3 average damage
Rain of blows: (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) = 20.7 average damage

Looks like I have to recan my previous position, rain of blows is better

 

[LightPhoenix]

Hesitation strike average: (0.6+0.2)*(2d10+6) + (0.1)*(2d10+6) = 15.3 average damage
Rain of blows: (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) + (0.6*(1d10+6)) = 20.7 average damage

I'm no math whiz, so I could be wrong on this. Since the third attack of RoB is based on hitting with one of the first two, doesn't that change the modifier to hit with the third to Hit% * Probability? I think that would actually lower the effective damage of the third hit to 0.38*(1d10+6), making the overall damage 13.8 + 4.37 = 18.17 average damage. Still better than RoB, but not such a big divide.

 

[Orcus Porkus]

I'm no math whiz, so I could be wrong on this. Since the third attack of RoB is based on hitting with one of the first two, doesn't that change the modifier to hit with the third to Hit% * Probability? I think that would actually lower the effective damage of the third hit to 0.38*(1d10+6), making the overall damage 13.8 + 4.37 = 18.17 average damage. Still better than RoB, but not such a big divide.

At least not in my case, because the 3rd attack is allowed because of the spear, not the result of hitting.

The power is a mess - there are about 3,467 threads on the boards about it and unfortunately conflicting answers from customer service, but no official errata or FAQ ruling.

So I guess now the obligatory discussion of Rain of Blows is about to start...

 

[ObsidianCrane]

Actually I have a simple answer. Given your DM's ruling RoB looks to be the attack more likely to produce damage, so take Hesitation now and try it for a level.

Then next level retrain to RoB and try it out and see how it works out.

Then once you have tried both you will know which works better for you. (And maybe the much overdue update will be out.)

 

[MyISPHatesENWorld]

At least not in my case, because the 3rd attack is allowed because of the spear, not the result of hitting.

The power is a mess - there are about 3,467 threads on the boards about it and unfortunately conflicting answers from customer service, but no official errata or FAQ ruling.

So I guess now the obligatory discussion of Rain of Blows is about to start...

Yep. Do you have a link to contradictory customer service answers? I've only seen the one that supports the RAW (with proper formatting), of two attacks and the possibility of two more attacks, one per hit. The RAW (with proper formatting) of this is clear. The only confusion comes from people who think it is too powerful as written trying to twist it into meaning something else.

As an aside, I can see how you could ignore the formatting to get the automatic third attack answer (though I can see no reason why you would except to get an answer you want rather than the answer that is there), but how can someone twist that power to mean a maximum of two attacks?

As to your original question, Rain of Blows, even with the houseruled version you're using. The third automatic attack does have some potential advantage.

Hesitation Slash is a nice power though, particularly for a Brutal Scoundrel with Fighter multiclassing to get an almost sure hit and a follow up with combat advantage out in the open and/or when isolated. It can also be nice for a STR/DEX sword or spear cleric to get in a good hit, followed by something like Healing Strike to proc a heal.

 

[Zsig]

Rain of Blows, to me it's a no brainer.

Not only it'll deal more damage on average, it also has a bigger chance of hitting (at least one of the attacks hitting that is).