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General AA questions (path, def, healing)

Started by Boshintang, March 17, 2007, 04:14:52 AM

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Boshintang

I could use some advice on where to go next with my AA progression.  You can check the magelo profile below to see how I've spent my current 396 points.  Basically, I went for most of my offensives first, and am now going back and dealing with defensives.  A little about my play style:  first off, I never raid.  I've raided a total of like 4 times with this toon.  So I have not trained MGB or suspended minion.  Second, my play time is divided between 2-boxing with my druid (meaning the bst tanks) or playing in a group (bst takes only occasional swipes).

My main question of concern is about getting up my defense.  I have reflexive mastery 5, but no levels of defensive instinct.  I'm not sure if I should go on to the next group of avoidance aa's, or keep avoid/mitigation the same with each other.  I've heard before that bst are an avoidance class, which makes sense, but also that the higher levels of avoidance aa's don't help that much.

Also, would it be worthwhile to continue training healing crits since I have two lifetaps (100 and 125)?  As of now, I just have 2 levels of the archetype ability, and level 5 weapon affinity.  Or, would I be better off finishing up my critical nuke aa's, since that would have essentially the same effect of a crit heal, but also slightly increase dps?

One more question:  is slippery attacks useful?  I'm thinking if I max out that, I could reduce a lot of my incoming damage when I'm tanking.

Basically, my main concern now is keeping my bst alive.  With regular buffs he's at around 12k hp and 1.8k ac and with his aa's and gear mods he does alright, but there are still those times where a mob will just absolutely clobber him down to nothing in an instant.  Like last night, I was tanking some Icefall mobs with him.  The mob was basically missing every time, and suddenly landed 5 hits in a row for ~1k each. 

So, any advice would be great.  Thanks~

:mrgreen:

http://eq.magelo.com/profile/1252143

Khauruk

1 - nice name.  I've thought about making another toon named Budae Jjigae.  I used to have a Kimchi Pija on an emulated server.

2 - Before you think about working AAs to help out lifetaps, get rid of the 2 non-lifetap procs in those weapons.  Why go 1/2assed at the deal?

3 - Suspended minion rocks, imo.  So useful all the time - I use it just as much when I'm not raiding.  Then again, I just hate rebuffing, resummoning when I log in, etc,....

4 - The Omens and DoD defensive AAs add 0.5% per rank - so from RM1-RM5, you've added 2.5% avoidance.  Same w/ mitigation.  You're at the point where I don't think it matters hugely whichever you do.  I'm going to be doing slippery attacks next when I work on more defensives (I have precog5 iirc, but otherwise teh same as you).  None of whatyou have left will be potent enough for you to eyeball an effect.  Basically, you can't go wrong w/ any of them /shrug.

5 - Gear - I don't know if there's any non-raid improved block options out there.  I'd look at that for sure.

6 - Basically, what you're seeing is how Beastlords "tank."  Keep attack debuffs on the mobs you're fighting.  That'll have a much larger affect than any of these AAs.  Damage is always going to be stupidly spiky on you.  Who knows?  Perhaps more dps AAs will help more than anything else you can do :).

No real answers here, but perhaps some guidance /shrug
TURNCOAT!!!!!

Boshintang

Thanks for the reply, Khauruk.

1.  I've never run into a person in EQ who knew what boshintang is until you.   :lol:  I just thought it was kind of a fitting name for a troll beastlord~  So you lived in Korea too?  I'm here now, and it's precisely the reason I don't raid.  Time zone dif.  :(

2.  That's a good point.  I can purchase one more 100-pt lifetap from DoN and there another 100-pt one that drops off an easy mob in TSS.  Do you (or anyone else) know of 125-pt or higher lifetaps that are non-raid?  I tried checking Allakhazam but got nothing. 

3, 4.  Right.. I kinda want suspended minion, and loved it when I had it with my shaman back in the day, but I've been putting off buying it just yet in lieu of some other things.  So, with the def. aa's.. it seems maybe I should put those off until I totally finish up the healing and offensive aa's, huh?  Or at least some levels of healing?

5.  I found a few items with Allakhazam search, particularly the arms that drop in MPG Trial of Endurance.  Also, a sweet 29/21 weapon.. gonna try to pull together some troops to do that trial.  Thanks for the tip.

6.  So it goes..  :-(

Boshintang

ah.. just realized that trial requires a raid force.  Bummer~

Shieara

I think Earth-emblazoned leather sleeves have improved block 2.  I'm not sure what the other stats on them are though and whether they'd be an upgrade. 

If it were me, I'd work on healing aa and I'd also think about feral swipe/jagged claws.  They are very nice dps.

rhaug

if you can farm tbs
to ally faction you can buy very nice armour
with 270 hp mana basic and can upgrade it with powersource and augment

takes maybe around 40 50 tbs missions from katta to ally
and then you also get your bark at the moon

Boshintang

#6
Okay, so I've changed my proc augs, and now have only lifetaps -- 2 for 100pt and 2 for 125pt.  I think this means I should go for max on crit procs, and maybe one more level of healing crits for now. 

About feral swipe, I did not realize it was that much of a boost to dps.  I talked to another more seasoned player about it and he said it was less damage than Rake.  Is this inaccurate?

I really want to get that bark at the moon, but I know very little about tbs since my play time was minimal for awhile after it was released.  I think it would behoove me to join a guild so that traveling to Katta would become easier.  Those earth-emblazoned arms would be nice, but I've killed the Chef in Steppes about 20 times and never even seen a single armor drop.  I could start camping midnight, or the guy in Icefall perhaps. 

Thanks for the advice everyone.  If anyone else has a suggestion I'd appreciate it.  I'm especially interested in Slippery Attacks right now.  Any word from those who have trained it?

~Boshintang of Quellious~

Spiritclaw

Quote from: Boshintang on March 19, 2007, 02:06:39 PM
Okay, so I've changed my proc augs, and now have only lifetaps -- 2 for 100pt and 2 for 125pt.  I think this means I should go for max on crit procs, and maybe one more level of healing crits for now. 

About feral swipe, I did not realize it was that much of a boost to dps.  I talked to another more seasoned player about it and he said it was less damage than Rake.  Is this inaccurate?

I really want to get that bark at the moon, but I know very little about tbs since my play time was minimal for awhile after it was released.  I think it would behoove me to join a guild so that traveling to Katta would become easier.  Those earth-emblazoned arms would be nice, but I've killed the Chef in Steppes about 20 times and never even seen a single armor drop.  I could start camping midnight, or the guy in Icefall perhaps. 

Thanks for the advice everyone.  If anyone else has a suggestion I'd appreciate it.  I'm especially interested in Slippery Attacks right now.  Any word from those who have trained it?

~Boshintang of Quellious~

I camped the Chef in Steppes for 3 weeks without seeing arm mold drop for beasts (though I got 4 plate, 3 chain, and 5 silk...hate the rng).  I finally got them when somebody anounced in our alliance channel that they were rotting.  Then you have to win the power source.  As is I am only missing chest for TSS armor, but only 1 power source in any of my armor.  You may want to work on TBS Katta faction and just buy the armor (hopefully by then they will have fixed the mods).

As far as the Slippery Attacks, it is a huge boon, keeping offhand ripostes down.  I got that a long time ago, and I noticed the decrease in damage at the time.  I'm approaching 1k AAs, and I think I got that around the 100 mark, so I can't give you accurate info, but I do remember that it made self healing during a fight easier.
Spiritclaw Sadiablo
80 Beastlord
AB Server

Khauruk

iirc, Rake and Feral Swipe each came out to about 30dps, and another 30 from Jagged Claws.  90 dps from a soloable disc, and 18 AAs.  It's our best bang for the buck AA.
TURNCOAT!!!!!

hokarz

IMO I'd go with all the healing aa's, and spell crit aa's. They all stack with each other. I get several crit heals for 620 each fight. it effectively adds those heals to your hitpoint totals. If you are tanking with your beastlord, you are going to get hit and get hit for max quite a bit. Lifetaps and the heal aa's and spell crit aa's make you surviving all that much easier and more likely.

Chef gudez does drop the arms, just takes awhile. I have 5 pieces of emblazoned leather and have yet to get a powersource. I have enchanters on my friends list waiting for all the silk arms that I gave away camping Chef.
Savage Lord Hokarz

Spiritclaw

Quote from: hokarz on March 20, 2007, 01:06:10 AM
IMO I'd go with all the healing aa's, and spell crit aa's. They all stack with each other. I get several crit heals for 620 each fight. it effectively adds those heals to your hitpoint totals. If you are tanking with your beastlord, you are going to get hit and get hit for max quite a bit. Lifetaps and the heal aa's and spell crit aa's make you surviving all that much easier and more likely.

Chef gudez does drop the arms, just takes awhile. I have 5 pieces of emblazoned leather and have yet to get a powersource. I have enchanters on my friends list waiting for all the silk arms that I gave away camping Chef.

Just as an fyi, max healing AAs will get you up to 640 crit heals.  I recently finished TSS healing AAs and I heal crit like crazy.  What I really like is the 4100 player heals I get with Improved heal VI ring (I think TBS breastplate has better focus)
Spiritclaw Sadiablo
80 Beastlord
AB Server

hokarz

I still have two levels of the improved heal aa's to get and still need the tss crit heal aa's as well...but yeah, it's a nice chunk of free healing :)
Savage Lord Hokarz

Boshintang

Thanks again for the replies everyone.  I think what I'll go for next is slippery attacks, since that's only 12 more points to max (trained 1 in it the other day).  Probably next the crits and heals, and then finally the dps boost since, like I said earlier, my main priority atm is defense.  Sometimes I also toss a friend's rogue into the mix and make it a 3-box, so dps isn't a huge priority.  But it's good to know I can actually get 60 more dps from aa's. 

btw, I already have a powersource waiting in a bag for when I get arms.  I've gotten very lucky at the pit camps, having been the only leather wearer in group when they've dropped.   :-D