Pocket Casting: How to cast Shield Bash with a spear

By using a weapon type specific skill during the endlag of another skill, you can cast it without having to switch weapons.

I haven't seen this talked about anywhere, if this tech is already known under a different name please let me know and I'll update the guide.

How to Pcast

Certain skills like Shield Bash or Cyclone usually need their respective weapon type held in order cast. If you have the required weapon equipped but not held, you'll automatically switch weapons and then cast it, effectively adding additional cast time. This will eat up even more time if you want to switch back to the weapon you were using previously.

Using Pcasting however, you can ignore the weapon swap animation altogether and cast it with your currently held weapon. To do this, all you have to do is cast any other skill, then cast the second skill during the endlag of the first. You'll cast the skill while the required weapon is still in your pocket, saving time and making combat much more fluid.
As far as I'm aware, this only works in singleplayer or as the host of a lobby. More testing needs to be done to see if this is FPS dependent or not.




Pcasting can be particularly useful for Bandits, as 4 of their skills require either melee weapons or ranged weapons. Keep in mind however, Pcasting will only trigger the hitbox of the skill, skills like Pay Day wont lunge forwards if Pcasted, so you'll have to be right next to enemies for them to be effective.

As far as I know, this works with all skills that require specific weapon types.
At the time of writing, this includes: Blood Gush, Lethal Strike, Shield Bash, Cyclone, Execute, Killer Jab, Pay Day, Venom Shot, Volley, and Spread Shot.

[BratBatte]

dw about taking this super far, its a bug if you can't tell by how it all works, it straight up doesn't with rogues dash skills cause you don't dash the hitbox is literally only on top yourself, this isn't handy whatsoever(other than shield bash) but cool guide I did it accidentally before and was wondering what it was

[Wenda]

this will be useful for monk

[DigitalThespian]

Final update: As I suspected, it's something about the charge and release skills that let them still work in low ping lobbies. Still not sure about the FPS part.

[DigitalThespian]

Update: I can get Volley to work pretty consistently with ~50 ping, but at ~200 I can't really get it at all, so far. Will do more testing; it feels like the timing window changes with ping/latency, not sure which. I'm also averaging about 60 fps on the 50 ping server and 45 on a 180ish one.

HOWEVER, even on the low ping server, this is only true for Volley; for whatever reason, I can't get anything else to actually go off, the glow effect just persists if it's part of the skill, and you can't swap weapons or use skills until you either shield or attack. I think it has something to do with the way Volley is targeted. I'm gonna swap to a fighter and test that next.

[DigitalThespian]

I'll do some testing; if this works for everyone, great, but if it only works for the host, that could spell issues for PvP lobbies