Do people use the Barbaric YAWP!?

[Lampros]

Initially, I thought the Barbaric YAWP! was a "must" skill for the Hellion: Stuns are nice enough, but AoE stuns are invaluable and frankly ridiculously powerful on a main DPS class. But the Hellion has so many nice tools that I now wonder if equipping this skill is even optimal on a Hellion. The Hellion is, after all, a DPS juggernaut. So a Hellion not DPS-ing is a Hellion wasting her turns. What else would I equip? I am increasingly using the Hellion to tank a 3- or even a 4-DPS group, so she sits in the front, and she has Iron Swan. I can also see Adrenaline Rush as viable in a 4-DPS team, if she really needs to heal. (Has anyone used this skill extensively? - if so, how do you find it?)

Anyways, I haven't been hooked to a game like this in a long time. The versatility of each character class - and thus the multiplicity of legitimate options that exist - creates an almost infinite replayability.

[Brassqund]

I always get the scream when I take a hellion.
It can always be useful in a lot of situation...
and also, this is a good way to get some heal...

I try to stun those in front after those in the back are dead,
I heal/kill one of them, restun, heal etc... until their stun resist become too high
or all my character are healed. (or I fell too many time XD)

This is REALLY good to be sure to be always at your maximum
(so you can deal with bad luck)

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Brassqund:

I always get the scream when I take a hellion.
It can always be useful in a lot of situation...
and also, this is a good way to get some heal...

I try to stun those in front after those in the back are dead,
I heal/kill one of them, restun, heal etc... until their stun resist become too high
or all my character are heal.

This is REALLY good to be sure to be always at your maximum
(so you can deal with bad luck)

I agree it's a great skill. I think the title is misleading! ;) It should have been rather: "Does anyone NOT use the Barbaric YAWP!?"

I was actually wondering whether I am alone in not using it - and whether I was totally nuts or playing inefficiently.

[CloudSeeker]

I never used it. I mostly go for Wicked Hack, Iron Swan, If it Bleeds and Adrenalin Rush to clear dots if you get to many on you.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

I never used it. I mostly go for Wicked Hack, Iron Swan, If it Bleeds and Adrenalin Rush to clear dots if you get to many on you.

Interesting. So no AoE? The other skills are the same as I use, but I don't use Adrenaline Rush.

[Borealis]

I have been managing fine without using break-thru. IIB, Hack and Swan are all more than enough to get the job done. I use adrenaline rush to get rid of dots if I get more than 1 stack or a critical stack. Yawp could have its uses, but she parties with a vestal and MAA, both of which I would rather use to stun since Hellions damage is just too good.

[Baywatch]

Barbaric YAWP! is a great skill. I don't use it for the reasons you've already mentioned. IMO her damage kit offers too much value to bother with utility but, I know there are people that bring her along for this skill alone and I can't fault them for it.

[Earl Komrad]

It took me a while to begin using Hellions. When I first used one I kept YAWP and used it constantly as a first or second turn stun. But, after reaching mid level and leveling some other Hellions I began to stick with other abilities.
You see, I manly use hellion in the second position with the Basic atack, if it bleds, adrenaline rush and the aoe (breakthrough?).
The reason why is that Hellions for me always end up having 25-32 crit chance, so a stun with debuff seems just a complete waste of 20+ damage and a dam fine chance for a stun.
Iron swan can work well it you can consistently keep her at the front, or else it's useless.
If it bleeds isn't even all that worth, personally, as you are trading away 6% crit (max level) for 4 bleed pts/a turn, but can be a good finisher.
I rarely use adrenaline rush. I really only use it if all enemies are stunned, I know I can get away with the buff (30% for 4 turns might not always we worth 1 wasted attack), first round of boss batle, or if I *must* heal/remove bleed and there isn't another option available. Plus, it's her only skill wich works on dead turns.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by staracino:

Yawp could have its uses, but she parties with a vestal and MAA, both of which I would rather use to stun since Hellions damage is just too good.

Yeah, that's what I thought, too. But people not using the AoE is news to me. Perhaps I should try and replace that with Adrenaline Rush. But do you guys really need the heal or the debuff clear? My Hellion is never in danger of dying. I guess the damage buff from the Rush is useful, but a turn buffing is a turn wasted for such a high DPS character.

[Borealis]

I just use it when there is one enemy left and he is being stunned. That way the vestal can single heal for faster heal-up, and the hellion can take care of herself. I regularly end medium runs with ~10 stress on everyone, and long runs with 0 stress, with all of my quests ending with 100% hp.
Edit: I will occasionally use breakthru, but most times I have better luck using proper single target attacks.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Earl Komrad:

Iron swan can work well it you can consistently keep her at the front, or else it's useless.

Indeed. But I am finding it the best way to ensure the pesky 4th row guy dies instantly (sometimes with an assist from a true ranged friend).

Originally posted by Earl Komrad:

I rarely use adrenaline rush. I really only use it if all enemies are stunned, I know I can get away with the buff (30% for 4 turns might not always we worth 1 wasted attack), first round of boss batle, or if I *must* heal/remove bleed and there isn't another option available. Plus, it's her only skill wich works on dead turns.

But how many "dead turns" do you have on the Hellion? Almost never for me.

[Earl Komrad]

I find that nuking the 4th row doesn't justify the skill slot. Guess you could put it to use with the help from a shuffle skill (changin the corpse position so the skill remaing revelant).
Ye, the Hellion shouldn't really have dead turns anyway. The only real dead turn I can see is when not ending the fight with the Hellion can be beneficial.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Earl Komrad:

I find that nuking the 4th row doesn't justify the skill slot. Guess you could put it to use with the help from a shuffle skill (changin the corpse position so the skill remaing revelant).

I've opted not to invest in stress resistance at all on any character, so instantly nuking the 4th row is something I need to do for those Goblet spams, etc. (Though I guess in a Crusader Inspire-spam parties, I don't worry about those either.) Damn, the Hellion has so many useful skills - I wish I had this problem with, say, the Leper! ;)

[CloudSeeker]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

I never used it. I mostly go for Wicked Hack, Iron Swan, If it Bleeds and Adrenalin Rush to clear dots if you get to many on you.

Interesting. So no AoE? The other skills are the same as I use, but I don't use Adrenaline Rush.

I have other characters for AOE.

[Songbird]

I never use it but then again I hate the hellion.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by CloudSeeker:

I have other characters for AOE.

I see: Highwaymen and Arbalests. Are there others?