Strafe

Magically splits one arrow into several that target multiple nearby enemies.

Strafe is a level 24 Amazon skill (Bow and Crossbow tree, requires Guided Arrow). One shot becomes a rapid volley of arrows that aim themselves at the enemies around the Amazon. The numbers that decide it are the damage, +5% a level plus two synergies, and the volley size, which stops at 10 arrows.

The numbers

• Damage is calc2: Param1 is the baseline of 5, Param2 adds 5 a level, so +5% at level 1 and +100% at level 20; each hard point in Guided Arrow adds 10 (Param8) and each in Multiple Shot adds 5 (Param9). The column shows the synergies at 0.
• Arrows: the row holds two counts. calc1 is min(par3 + lvl − 1, par4) = min(level + 3, 10), and calc3 is 2 + level ÷ 4. The Basin's page uses the same two formulas and reads min(slvl + 3, 10) as the most arrows a volley can hold and slvl ÷ 4 + 2 as the fewest (the table's own comments label them the other way round), with this rule: the volley fires the fewest count or one arrow per target, whichever is more, up to the most. Its example: a level 7 Strafe fires 3 arrows at 1–3 targets, 4–9 at 4–9 targets, 10 at 10 or more.
• The tooltip's "attacks up to" line is min(lvl + 4, 10), one more than calc1; the Basin's page warns that the displayed maximum is off by one and that the minimum is never displayed.
• Attack Rating is ToHit 30 plus LevToHit 9 a level: +201% at level 20.
• Mana is a flat 11 (mana 11 in whole points, manashift 8, lvlmana 0).
• The search radius is Param5 35, which the Basin's page gives as 23 1/3 yards.

The damage, count and attack-rating lines read lvl; the two synergies read blvl.

How it works

Every arrow of the volley is a missile with its own attack-rating check, see Chance to Hit; each can be blocked and can pierce, see Piercing Attack. Each arrow carries 100% of weapon damage (SrcDam 128); the Basin's page records that the 1.10–1.13 game used 75%, and that its notes about leech and cold length being cut to 75% no longer apply in the current game. One volley spends one arrow from the quiver, and a target selected by hand is attacked first.

The Basin's page says the Amazon cannot move until the volley ends, and the volley takes the same time whether the targets stand together or all around her. Its length is a matter of Attack Speed, not of how many hit.

The Basin's page gives Strafe a next-hit delay of 4 frames, so one target is normally hit by one arrow of a volley; scattered targets reduce what pierce can do, since each arrow flies its own way.

Synergies and +skills

Two synergy lines: Guided Arrow, +10% damage per level (Param8) and Multiple Shot, +5% damage per level (Param9), both read as hard points in calc2. No skill reads Strafe's points. +skills from items raise the base bonus 5 a level and lift the minimum arrow count, but not the synergies.

Against players

A player's hit on another player is cut to 17% of its value (difficultylevels.txt PlayerDamagePercentVSPlayer) before anything else, see Player versus Player. The Basin's page says nothing more about this skill against players.

Build notes

• Level 20: +100% weapon damage before synergies, 10 arrows at most, +201% attack rating, 11 mana.
• A hard point in Guided Arrow is worth 10% here and 12% to Multiple Shot; a hard point in Multiple Shot is worth 5% here and 12% to Guided Arrow. Guided Arrow is the stronger feeder for a Strafe build.
• Past level 20 the skill gains only 5% a level and the arrow count is already capped, so +skills matter less here than in the two feeders.
• The flat 11 mana never rises, which keeps the volley affordable at any level.