How are we doing?

Illiyana · August 20, 2015, 09:35:38 PM

I took a little break from my Beastlord to level up a Mage, but it just isn't as fun as a Beastlord, so I am back to work on my TDS Hunter and complete my AA's.

How are you other Beastlords doing? Did the recent Skill Damage Modifer to Beastlords have a noticeable affect on you?

Since there are no BSTs on the new progression servers yet, what are you doing to fill the time until the next expansion come out?

Zorthaz · August 21, 2015, 03:24:38 AM

I haven't parsed the changes on my 105 beast yet. I did parse the changes for a 70 beast and a 70 bard...been playing with a progression guild on test to fill the time. Have done complete parsing yet, but from the quick test I ran the bard seemed to gain more then the beast. Burst/burn is roughly the same DPS for the beast as it was before the patch. Auto attack DPS has increased 100 - 150 DPS, which is a bunch when you started at 400ish DPS. Auto attack DPS is just turning on attack, no spells no discs, no special abilities.

Illiyana · August 25, 2015, 04:01:03 PM

Unfortunately for me, I am still regularly grouping in an unconventional group, me and 2 or 3 necros. That was why I started playing the Magician, but I prefer the BST over MAG. Thus, I cannot really parse my melee DPS, I stand back and let my pet tank while I nuke and pet heal once in a while to back up the Healer merc.

Now that I think about it, I am like a MAG, with lower DPS :-D . The big difference being the BST's higher survivability when things go pear-shaped.

Zorthaz · August 25, 2015, 09:55:09 PM

So...why aren't you tanking the mobs?

-Z-

Illiyana · August 26, 2015, 04:03:04 PM

Honestly? Because I did not think I could. Sometimes I play around and jump into melee, and watch my health bar to make sure the healer merc can keep up. If my health drops to around 40%, I step back to give them time to catch up, then jump back in, but I was never really serious about it.

I am basically in group gear ( I have a few raid pieces, but they are RoF era), so I am not sure how well I can tank. Do you have group gear or raid gear on your 105 BST?

Illiyana · August 31, 2015, 08:43:31 PM

So, for fun I have been trying tanking in TDS T3. On yellow con mobs, it is a bit dicey with 1 healer merc, but with 2 I can tank no problem. I can tank with 1, but have to watch my health and step back if the merc gets behind in heals.

Zorthaz · September 08, 2015, 08:29:39 PM

Don't be afraid to break out a shield to tank. Use a lifetap weapon with a lifetap aug with the shield. Rotate your defensive disciplines/AA and use clickies.

Protective spirit (yellow con +)
Monkey Spirit (white cons and below - higher levels and named strike thru this disc)
protection of the warder (pet shields you)
Bloodlust AA (with lifetap weapons this can offset a bunch of damage)

Gift of the warder (LOH type heal when things get rough)

Clickies
Necromantic Dragon Bone (draining 22511 health from your target and increasing your own health by half the damage inflicted- can recast every 180 seconds)
Diplomatic Papers (2: Mitigate Spell Damage by 25%, 50000 total,7: Mitigate Melee Damage by 25%, 50000 total)
Blood Drinker's Coating (Effect: Vampiric Aura )

I keep an entire hotbar for tanking and click down the list as the fight goes. I was in Combine Dredge last night with some friends camping Frachessa the Feared for the AC aug. We are all group geared and I had my bard singing full AC songs. The 105 Paladin was tanking so I started by slowing the named on my beast and then switched to the bard and put him in full burn mode. Once bard was cranking I started burning on my beast. About this time the Paladin went down. Aggro immediately fell on the beast, but since I had bloodlust running with 3 lifetap procs, I was able to survive the tank switch. I then started working down my hotbar of defensive buttons and proceeded to tank the named from 75% down to zero. It was dicey at times, but I don't think I fell below 30%. This was with a single merc cleric and my warder with his heal proc. Necros can help with the healing with their heal proc thingy that goes off when they cast/fart/blink.

-Z-

Illiyana · September 16, 2015, 08:21:58 PM

great ideas, thank you Z. I guess I have to find myself a shield.

Zorthaz · September 16, 2015, 09:46:33 PM

...and then get an AC aug to put in the shield. I am using a player made shield with an old HoT aug that is like 28AC. Someday a better shield and AC aug will drop... You really want as much AC as possible with the shield and aug as it goes over the cap.

-Z-

Illiyana · October 01, 2015, 06:03:41 PM

To see what was available for beastlords I went to Raidloot ( http://www.raidloot.com/Search.aspx )and here are the top 10 groupable BST usable shields:

Zorthaz · October 05, 2015, 01:55:27 PM

am using the Hearthshield since I have tons of currency from helping folks level up alts. I am using Nesalie's Spell Gem in that shield. It is quick and easy to get from Archmagus Nesalie in SS or you can buy it from the vendors in tainted west karana with the CoTF currecy. I am sure their are better but it is a quick way to get a decent shield setup.

-Z-

Illiyana · October 05, 2015, 07:13:00 PM

I have enough alt coins for either the Hearthshield, or the Enormous Shell Shield, but not enough Pieces of Eight for the Indigatoris Guard (Does anyone? The prices for TDS equipment is ridiculous). I am just torn as to which to buy. I cannot see myself using Marks of Valor anymore,since I have equal or better equipment already. I also think I may use Pieces of Eight because I refuse to work to but TDS equipment, I may just wait for TBM equipment.

Unfortunately I am already using the Nestalie's Spell Gem in ,y Range item so I would have to move it and find something for my Ranged slot.

Maybe I should just keep my eye out for new goodies in the new expansion.

Zorthaz · October 09, 2015, 10:23:51 PM

Go for the cheap setup. The benefit comes from using the shield, not that it has 10 more AC or 100 more HP then another shield. Another great option to the shield is to get 2 lifetap weapons and then get 2 lifetap augs (one for each weapon). With bard fierce eye and heal crit song going you can offset a lot of damage with all the healing from the lifetaps. Make sure you have the heal proc on your pet. Have focused paragon and growl running to maximize hitpoints and boost regen. If things get hairy, hit bloodlust...lifetap procs are a wonderful thing.

-Z-