Originally Posted by UberDrivel

Hi, sorry if this has already been asked, but I was wondering what the ideal way to start (and sustain) a Mutilate cycle was.

Right now, before a boss fight, I...

1. Stack HfB to three stacks and pool energy to max, Tricks of the Trade the tank.
2. Garrote if the pull puts the boss' back to me, but if I have to spend too long getting in position, I'll just Mutilate. Should I be ambushing? (DWing Paper Cutters at the moment.)
3. Start up Slice and Dice immediately with whatever combo points I've just gained, hoping for a Ruthlessness/RS proc.
4. Mutilate, and hope for a crit, which will bring me to 4 combo points.
5. Rupture if I have 4 cps, Mutilate and Rupture if I don't yet.
6. Cross my fingers and hope I can Envenom in time to refresh SnD.
7. Refresh HfB, Rupture and SnD as needed. Pew pew.

Essentially, my main question is what my opener should be - Garrote, Mutilate or Ambush. Generally, does one do a large amount of damage compared to another? (I would think the difference is pretty negligible in overall dps.) Or, as I suspect, is the real difference the number of potential combo points? Garrote awards 1 cp, period. Ambush awards 1 or 2 if it crits, and Mutilate has about a 50/50 chance of awarding two or three. Since I use these points to SnD, essentially Garrote = shortest SnD timer, Mutilate = longest, and Ambush is somewhere in between.

Now, SnD duration is somewhat trivial with Cut to the Chase, but if I want to build up a 4-5 pt Rupture, and some bad luck (no Ruthlessness, no Mutilate crit) means I have to spend ~50 (Mutilate w/ Overkill discount) + 60 (second Mutilate) +25 (Rupture) + 35 (Envenom, refreshing SnD) more energy before I can refresh SnD, It doesn't happen too often, but it sometimes does.

This could all just be nitpicking, but of course I want to min/max with my rotation, as well as my gear.