Merc charge usage vs reload mana use

If I get one bolt skill use vs e.g. insta arrow skill, and they both cost mana at that use time, then perhaps using a charge should only count during with the bolt reload(mana use time). We have a stat stacking meta currently, probably gonna see nerfs. But even without stats; me and my friend play both, sans HOWA or Astramentis or Ingenuity; my friends raw ability to out dps me as ranger cuz of the delay on my skills is strong.

There are actually alot of things perfectly balanced with Merc class, if they actually worked. I run a Rapid Fire build, just random diy basically, many experiments. I tried to recently spec it using Frenzy charge spirit reserving skill, where I thought that MAYBE when I reloaded rapid fire it would give me 40% skill speed for the clip. Unfortunately it only works for 1 measly bolt out of 97. Now reverse this, if for some reason I had this build for 1 bolt, or 4, or 19 even...still, for none of those numbers does it work really. 1 bolt is worthless for it, and it doesn't proc for multiple.

Every time I try to be clever with this class I get blocked. The only build is a meta galvanic based build, no matter the iteration. Can I use other stuff, sure. Does it work well? not really. I'm committed to my build(or armour break one I've tried many times)and patiently wait to acquire an astramentis which will double my dps. But I'd rather be clever...

p.s.
Would love to not have certain supports block my potential creativity. Armour break for expample, well...I could have High Velocity Rounds proc poison, to me a secondary effect at that point, and have that poison break armor. I still have to spec +1 or +2 into poison stack to effectively break armor(passive usage). Then HVR consumes it and does more damage. But...it won't let me. I can see why you don't want me to directly consume armor with the armor break support gem. But using poison as a secondary effect. Cmon. The skill doesn't even do that much dps even with the armor break compared to other things. It would take some massive creativity on my part for it to even be worth it...if the said interaction above even worked, but it doesn't.

p.s.s
This game is kind of not co-op friendly. I had a pleasant surprise the other day on breachlord. I died, stayed to watch fight, friend killed. It dropped my first breach book, but I'm dead, BUT, I clicked out of death screen, then tried a portal. To my pleasant! surprise I was able to walk in and grab my book, even tho I died. More content like that please. Also I'd like to stop running into my friends as much during maps. It causes screen glitching and effects similar to desync.

Thanks for your time GGG and co

If xbows are going to be this slow, they need a HUGE base damage increase in the low and high ends as well as less damage variance or a 'non-crit xbow attacks count as lucky' node on the skill tree.

for a class that is portrayed as a crossbow user, they sure made us jump through hoops to actually use the crossbow effectively.

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Doomhammer5#4010 schrieb:

If xbows are going to be this slow, they need a HUGE base damage increase in the low and high ends as well as less damage variance or a 'non-crit xbow attacks count as lucky' node on the skill tree.

That is the main issue. XBows need a nice and healthy 25% base damage boost.