wysper:

alakazam:

psiwyrm:

I suppose it depends on your style, but it is true that normal attack does push rather farin terms of repositioning, I can see backstep+cancel being usefulI just didn't think of it as useful for trying to dodge

Hold back after first X.

 

The problem of holding back after first X is that the second X has pitiful range. The reason the bm moves forward is to chain the first hit, which has huge stabby range with spear/pole. If it hit misses however, you are in trouble and right next to the opponent, where backstep cancel can save you.

 

Also saying Saki doesn't know what he (she?) is doing is kinda silly, just check out the pvp rankings on the main page ^_~

 

The point of all those cancels is to combo because they are all really long animation delays that will get your butt handed to you. Furthermore, the more cancels you have the more options you have, and imo that is much more important than a 5-10% damage increase by upping one skill 1 or 2 levels. 

Don't do a strawman argument. I never said don't get backstep cancel. I'm just letting you know you can hold back if you don't want to move forward. In many cases, the 2nd hit does hit (Floating Castle boss, this way you don't inch forward and cause his melee aura knockback).

considering phase shift, I've moved things around and put this together:

http://www.aradsociety.com/planner/?class=battlemage#040:uMe9PbuEgvMkuDkuOkvJbuFmwVbvLewPbuHiuJivIbvPbuGguNdwQbwSb

I'm still wondering though if phase shift buff is useful

phaseshift at lvl 1 is 30sec cooldown, at lvl 10 (max) is 21sec

if 9 seconds is worth 180sp that could go elsewhere, then so be it

I'll see how I fair in pvp with phase shift at lvl1 but still save the sp for it

I will also get fire/water to lvl1 atleast so I can see how I juggle chasers, light/neutral max for sure

thanks for all the help on this thread everyone