Lu'Sun's Stifling Dragon is insanely great

[bonesbro]

I mentioned this in the <a href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=6&message.id=7665" target=_blank>Monk Training Choices thead</a> but it's fantastic enough to deserve its own post. I just /respecced to drop Phin's Open Palm Stance to get this and I'm tremendously happy with it.Level 20: Lu'Sun's Stifling DragonPower: 48Casting Time: 0.6 secondsRecovery Time: 0.5 seconds<b>Duration: 4.9 secondsRecast time: 10.0 seconds</b>Stifle targetInflict 127-211 crushing damage on targetLu'Sun's is a 4.9 second stifle on a 10 second timer. Stifle means that the mob can't cast spells or use almost any its combat arts. This means that you can keep your target from using spells/styles <b>half the time</b>. Forget the 14 agi from Phin's. We all know that most of our damage taken is from mob special attacks, and why risk having to deflect them when you could keep them from using them at all?When soloing now, I do the following: Lu'Sun's, Diving Dragon, Darting Sparrow. If Sparrow stunned them, I do Winter's Talon then Pouncing Tiger, then Rushing Bear for another stun. Otherwise I do Bear first then the other two. By now Lu'Sun's is up again so I stifle them again. Now the mob is about half dead and it's gotten off one style so far. I just finished a fight with a blue solo mob and he took one swing each from Crush, Wild Swing, and Crushing Blow the entire fight.When tanking, you'll be saving yourself a lot of damage. When DPSing you'll know that you're really saving the healers a ton of power, and you will crush the offensive power of casters. Keep em stifled/stunned until they've been power drained! Amuse your friends! Confound your enemies!At level 50 it gets even sweeter, as you get Silent Fist as another stifle without sharing a timer.

[grumm]

<DIV>Thanks for the Heads up on that Bonesbro, I always went the way of Phin's before. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now delete your post before a Dev sees it and nerfs that skill :smileywink:</DIV>

[Dovifat]

An attack to keep your opponent almost 50% of the time from using attacks and spells sure seems way overpowered. Even more so at lvl 20 only. Is this really what it always does, or merely the maximum stifle time ? How often is it resisted ? If it lands more often than not and sticks the full duration, a nerf is inbound and more than justified.

[bonesbro]

It's a kick. Whenever the kick lands, they're stifled. So far soloing blues/whites I haven't noticed any time when I kicked them but they could still style. Note that it's not a stun - they still get their autoattack damage.Guardians get a stifle at 31 and an AE taunt/stifle at 36. Bruisers get one at 32 and 47. SKs get one at 41. Casters get them in their teens. It's a common tool... but the level 20 training is our first and best shot at getting it.

[Yama Seish]

I have used Lu'Sun's for many levels now. I think it is a great skill. It does decent damage, it recharges quick and will not use inordinate amounts of power.However, I am not sure that the stifling effect lasts five seconds. It may be the case, I cannot prove this, but I've noticed many times that I need to use it right before the casting of a spell attack on me begins or its stifling effect will not save me from getting hurt by the spell.Still, couple this with grappling, rush and the lvl 30 upgrade to plodding tortoise (something or other sparrow? which interrupts casting) and you are in much better shape to fight casters.My small two cents in this matter.Peace

[Momolicio]

I have been using this since I first got it.There are a few things you will need to know though.A caster mob kicked mid casting will not stop casting, thus eating up stifle time. Usually all of the stifled time. Timing is critical. 2 monks though...A melee mob is much more susceptable to the stifle effects, and it really can draw agro (I rarely am a tank)(I have not tested post attune patch) You used to only be able to effectively stifle the first mob you engage within an encounter. All secondary an tertiary targets of an encounter would impart some manner of immunity to the stifle effects after the inital tarets death.

[Winn]

<DIV>It's a great skill but not useful past your 30s.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Your skill in that is already starting to blue/green out and you'll notice more and more as you get through the levels completely shrugging off your stifle effect.  Because the stifle portion is a spell effect that must be applied, it is based on the art's mastery level, meaning mobs higher than the mastery level will con yellow/orange to it, and we all know how effective non-debuffed mobs resist nukes & dots when they are orange. Same applies to Lu'Sun's.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>