Rapid Fire is taking twice as much endurance as a regular shot.
Using a full endurance bar with Tireless1:
- 6 Rapid Fire shots
or
- 16 Regular shots
Using a full endurance bar without Tireless
- 5 Rapid Fire shots
or
- 10 Regular shots
Damage-wise, at 50% of the draw speed of a regular shot, Rapid Fire is doing exactly 25% of the damage.
Combined with the extra cost of the endurance, Rapid Fire is doing 12% of the damage of a regular shot over the cost of a full endurance bar. According to the patch notes below, it should be doing 50% damage at 50% speed while costing normal endurance, which over the cost of a full endurance bar nets a total of 50% damage, not 12% damage. These are multiple bugs related to the one ability. Please see patch 1.62 notes below for details.
Lower damage also noted on this bug report;
https://tracker.playphoenix.online/issues/22d731dd-1084-49b7-935b-58a9004cddbf
According to patch 1.62;
http://camelotherald.wikia.com/wiki/Patch_Notes:_Version_1.62
"Rapid Fire
The three Archers now also receive a new ability called "Rapid Fire", which allows them to release their bow shot before the normal bow timer. Here's the details:
- When an Archer has this skill, at any time after halfway through their normal bow timer they can release the shot.
- If you release the shot 75% through the normal timer, the shot (if it hits) does 75% of its normal damage. If you release 50% through the timer, you do 50% of the damage, and so forth - The faster the shot, the less damage it does.
- Rapid Fire shots takes the same endurance as a normal bow shot, but do less damage.
- Archers receive Rapid Fire 1 at 35 specialization level in their particular bow skill, and Rapid Fire 2 at spec level 45. The difference between the two is how much endurance they take - RF 2 takes less endurance than RF 1.
- Please note that you cannot use Rapid Fire with Longshot or Volley."
Some additional info about how Rapid Fire works from Kaber's site;
http://kaber.bladekeep.com/bow.htm
"Rapid Fire is an ability gained at 35 and 45 bow spec. It is an utility ability, so it's purpose is not to increase damage output. To turn this on you simply click the toggle button, then draw and fire like you would for normal shots. To turn the ability off you click the toggle button again. Loading a Crit Shot will automatically turn Rapid Fire off, so make sure to toggle it back on after firing a Crit.
While it is on it allows archers to fire much faster than they normally would be able to, at the cost of doing reduced damage. The amount of damage you do depends on when you release the shot. The fastest you can release a shot with this is a 50% of your drawtime, which will allow you to do 50% of your normal damage. If you released at 52% of your draw time you would deal 52% damage, at 66% drawtime you would deal 66% damage, and so on (in other words it is linear, drawtime directly correlates to damage dealt).
However with each shot you release you use the same endurance you would have for a normal shot. While you are not losing damage output while Rapid Fire is on, you can wind up only doing half as much damage with a full endurance bar. Rapid Fire II at 45 spec uses slightly less endurance, but will only allow for around 4 extra shots to be taken with a full endurance bar."
Using a full endurance bar with Tireless1:
- 6 Rapid Fire shots
or
- 16 Regular shots
Using a full endurance bar without Tireless
- 5 Rapid Fire shots
or
- 10 Regular shots
Damage-wise, at 50% of the draw speed of a regular shot, Rapid Fire is doing exactly 25% of the damage.
Combined with the extra cost of the endurance, Rapid Fire is doing 12% of the damage of a regular shot over the cost of a full endurance bar. According to the patch notes below, it should be doing 50% damage at 50% speed while costing normal endurance, which over the cost of a full endurance bar nets a total of 50% damage, not 12% damage. These are multiple bugs related to the one ability. Please see patch 1.62 notes below for details.
Lower damage also noted on this bug report;
https://tracker.playphoenix.online/issues/22d731dd-1084-49b7-935b-58a9004cddbf
According to patch 1.62;
http://camelotherald.wikia.com/wiki/Patch_Notes:_Version_1.62
"Rapid Fire
The three Archers now also receive a new ability called "Rapid Fire", which allows them to release their bow shot before the normal bow timer. Here's the details:
- When an Archer has this skill, at any time after halfway through their normal bow timer they can release the shot.
- If you release the shot 75% through the normal timer, the shot (if it hits) does 75% of its normal damage. If you release 50% through the timer, you do 50% of the damage, and so forth - The faster the shot, the less damage it does.
- Rapid Fire shots takes the same endurance as a normal bow shot, but do less damage.
- Archers receive Rapid Fire 1 at 35 specialization level in their particular bow skill, and Rapid Fire 2 at spec level 45. The difference between the two is how much endurance they take - RF 2 takes less endurance than RF 1.
- Please note that you cannot use Rapid Fire with Longshot or Volley."
Some additional info about how Rapid Fire works from Kaber's site;
http://kaber.bladekeep.com/bow.htm
"Rapid Fire is an ability gained at 35 and 45 bow spec. It is an utility ability, so it's purpose is not to increase damage output. To turn this on you simply click the toggle button, then draw and fire like you would for normal shots. To turn the ability off you click the toggle button again. Loading a Crit Shot will automatically turn Rapid Fire off, so make sure to toggle it back on after firing a Crit.
While it is on it allows archers to fire much faster than they normally would be able to, at the cost of doing reduced damage. The amount of damage you do depends on when you release the shot. The fastest you can release a shot with this is a 50% of your drawtime, which will allow you to do 50% of your normal damage. If you released at 52% of your draw time you would deal 52% damage, at 66% drawtime you would deal 66% damage, and so on (in other words it is linear, drawtime directly correlates to damage dealt).
However with each shot you release you use the same endurance you would have for a normal shot. While you are not losing damage output while Rapid Fire is on, you can wind up only doing half as much damage with a full endurance bar. Rapid Fire II at 45 spec uses slightly less endurance, but will only allow for around 4 extra shots to be taken with a full endurance bar."