I was talking about how either Domain Weapon option shapes the paradigm of Ling Qi's actions. The offensive sword provides support to Ling Qi, yes, but it does so in a way that requires her to take non support actions to capitalize on it. I don't care what the sword is doing turn to turn. I do care about what Ling Qi does with her time in combat. The offensive benefit of the two options dictates Ling Qi's actions, or else is negated through disuse. The debuff option doesn't dictate her options to as large a degree, leaving her freer to do more other things with her time than attacking.
Your belief that the 'Eerie' option is 'freer' with LQ's time ignores the fact that FVM and FSS both have techs that do damage without needing any attention paid to them - FVM's Dissonance and FSS's Echoes of Absolute Winter. The Eerie option doesn't enhance Dissonance at all, for that matter, and Echoes is very much a tech we don't want to use in a teamfight unless it's an army combat simulator and we're told 'hold this ground'.
As such, this makes the action incentive near identical between the two options - 'Coherent' doesn't need to pay any special attention to anything in particular so long as Dissonance is up, and 'Eerie' doesn't need to pay any special attention to anything in particular so long as we've got allies in the vicinity paying attention.
Here's a deeper look into why:
Against Peers (Imperial-style cultivators), our Domain Weapon will be grinding against theirs. Therefore, it doesn't matter which option is taken unless our Domain Weapon wins that battle and starts helping us out directly. Until that time it's occupied with no chance to cause damage to enemies to trigger its special effect. Ergo, it only matters if it wins - until that time, we act as we do already.
If it is free to hit things, and is actually hitting critical things, we use FSS. Period, dot. Because in that situation, FSS is the right move to
end a fight. It doesn't matter which variant we pick for this purpose - it helps us
win. TRF, HDW, etc? All those help us
not lose. They keep us in the game, allow us to keep fighting.
Against
non-peers, like spirit beasts, spirits, gnawing ones, barbarians, or what have you? Coherent doesn't encourage FSS or FVM more than Eerie:
We want FVM up unless we
know we have no chance of getting it up and keeping it up. FVM generates a field AoE that hinders enemies and helps allies, complete with an IFF option to exclude multiple friendlies from the effects.
- FVM's Dissonance is directly improved should the 'coherent' option hit.
- The Finale of Traveler's End is directly improved should the 'eerie' option hit.
- We want FVM up anyway for the perception filter, constant damage, and Qi drain effects.
- FVM is not in competition with itself - it's largely a 'spool up, do other things' tool until the time comes for the Finale.
FSS
is rather more situational, in particular the AoE hindering effect of Echoes. We basically don't want to be near allies when we're using Echoes, and
not using Echoes reduces the functionality of all other aspects of FSS... however, SEA is still a solid AoE debuff and self-buff effect that grants us Qi. SEA also doesn't do damage without Echoes
and doesn't harm allies. In fact, SEA does the same thing as the 'eerie' option, except
better, because it siphons the Qi of 'failed attacks' into our own dantian instead of simply removing it.
- FSS's Spring's End Aria is a field effect much like the one generated by FVM. In this case, it debuffs enemies and siphons Qi. SEA is always good to activate, and SEA works very well with both variations.
- Echoes of Absolute Winter is much more variable. In a team-fight situation, where we are in close proximity to allies, we do not want to activate it, as it works against all AoE attacks used by others within or overlapping its area of effect (as far as I can tell). In a more solo situation, the Damage of Echoes is improved by both Coherent and Eerie.
- Hoarfrost Refrain doesn't care which option is taken, it hits harder in both cases - Coherent by improving Damage and Penetration, and Eerie by reducing the target's Spiritual Armor.
- Call to Ending does prefer Coherent for the extra damage. However, if we're in a situation where we can either use CtE or a team-buff... use CtE, no matter which option is taken. CtE is a finishing move and should be used as such, not willy-nilly.
To put it simply, the Singing Mist Blade encourages the use of FSS techs whenever it hits critical targets, whether we're alone or in a group, provided it's in a situation to hit.
If it's not in a situation to hit, we act the way we would without it - whatever that means.
