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What does Gambit of Steel do?

AuthorMessage
Ensign
Jan 22, 2013
18
I have just been looking at the Gambit of Steel power, and it says “Enemies may react”. I have looked at another thread and it says that if you hit someone with it, it will trigger them to have an epic hit. Has this changed (the thread I looked at was from 2009) and if it hasn’t, why don’t you just use Dance of Steel because they both do the same amount of damage (If I’m not mistaken)
Thank you in advance

Serious Cole Frakes, Level 70 Musketeer
Seth, Level 51 Swashbuckler In-training
Gunner's Mate
Dec 25, 2015
285
AlphaStream on Nov 9, 2017 wrote:
I have just been looking at the Gambit of Steel power, and it says “Enemies may react”. I have looked at another thread and it says that if you hit someone with it, it will trigger them to have an epic hit. Has this changed (the thread I looked at was from 2009) and if it hasn’t, why don’t you just use Dance of Steel because they both do the same amount of damage (If I’m not mistaken)
Thank you in advance

Serious Cole Frakes, Level 70 Musketeer
Seth, Level 51 Swashbuckler In-training
It triggers them to use vengeance strike. Which you will then first strike and riposte because of.
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
AlphaStream on Nov 9, 2017 wrote:
I have just been looking at the Gambit of Steel power, and it says “Enemies may react”. I have looked at another thread and it says that if you hit someone with it, it will trigger them to have an epic hit. Has this changed (the thread I looked at was from 2009) and if it hasn’t, why don’t you just use Dance of Steel because they both do the same amount of damage (If I’m not mistaken)
Thank you in advance

Serious Cole Frakes, Level 70 Musketeer
Seth, Level 51 Swashbuckler In-training
"Enemies may react" means if they have First Strike or Vengeance Strike, they will attack. I don't believe that an epic follows from this power ( they may get an epic just because of their talent ), but not from your use of this power.
Ensign
May 31, 2016
11
Swashbucklers rely on dodging and using Riposte (very damaging epic in comparison to, say, blade storm or cheap shot). Using Gambit of Steel, especially in the later games, can cause enemies to "react" with one of their epics - like vengeance strike, perhaps.

It is indeed a "gambit," as you're betting on your dodge being high enough to avoid their attack - getting you a few extra hits in. So yes, enemies will possibly react (doesn't always happen), and you're taking that risk in hopes that you can dodge.
Community Leader
Gambit of steel triggers enemy first strike, vengeance strike, and other reactive epics upon use. These epics do not necessarily get epic/mega/super hits, although they can. Since bucklers have high dodge, the point is that you are banking on the fact you will dodge one or more of these hits, allowing you to get extra damage off with your riposte chains. This is why it is called a gambit. Unlike dance of steel, you are risking taking damage, but you can potentially do much more damage. In addition, it can be used in pvp to ruin an opposing swashbuckler or buccaneer's hidden if they are adjacent to a targetable object (a box, a barricade, a companion, etc). I agree that Gambit of Steel should have marginally increased damage (25-33% increase) though.
Writer, Editor, Administrator, and Pirate PvP guy at FinalBastion

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Ensign
Jun 12, 2012
47
Gambit of Steel allows enemies to react with their talents such as First Strike, Vengeance Strike, and Riposte, which allows you to react back with a chain. Dance doesn't do that. While Gambit and Dance do the same initial damage, Gambit allows you to deal more overall damage due to chaining against the enemies's talents. Dance is a safer choice if you don't want to waste talents off the bat to the surrounding horde of enemies or don't want to initiate a chain that could end you killed (particularly against a mirror match).

So in the end you can use either one depending on your strategy. Want a safer choice? Go with Dance. Want to be more aggressive? Use Gambit instead.
Ensign
Jan 22, 2013
18
Ok, thanks for all your help! I understand now why you would use it, but before I thought it would trigger an epic hit, which you can’t dodge.
Anyway, thanks again for your help!

Serious Cole Frakes, Level 70 Musketeer
Seth, Level 52 Swashbuckler in-training