Adding Mage or Necro

[zunoth]

I currently 2-box a Cleric and a BeastLord, but I find that I'm needing more DPS as the BeastLord gets to 75 to make the exp feel worth it.  My major problem is I don't know if I should add a Mage or a Necro.

The Mage will allow for ds/rods/coh/dps spikes, and the Necro will add dps/fd pulls/mana tap

I know both have decent rage pets, and they both wouldnt really rely on gear as much as the Cleric or the BeastLord.

Either one would be made from scratch, and will probably both be Dark Elf (PoHate stones for the bored days).

I've seen this combo mentioned before, but I'm wondering how it is working out for those that use it.

Until I can get the BeastLord more defensive AA's/tanking abilities(you will laugh when you look at his magelo), the Cleric will be the tank for most of the begining since he buffs to over 13k hp.

[Khauruk]

Mages frankly suck right now at 75, and I would wait at least until SoF's been live a bit to decide.  Utility is still there, but their dps is horrible.

Necros take a lot of work, and you already have rez (fd is nice though, for sure).

CoH and the pet aren't enough utility imo to make them worthwhile over a wizard, which is also the ultimate easy bot class...I'd go for wiz if it's something you'd consider.  Mega dps, easy to bot, ports (yummyummy<3ports), evac (can do evac pull tricks)

[Lupina]

I box a Mage BL combo,  The Mage is a valuable box, pet weapons, CoH is nice when I'm Lazy, Gate Talisman, focus equipment.  Mage DPS is good if you know how to use it, and the Mage pets are the best pets in the game.  The problem I have is single pulling, a Necro would sure help in that or an SK.  I would say it depends on how you play if you pet tank, Mage hands down if you tank with your BL, then a Wizard would be a better choice, more dps and evac option.

Guess I recommend Mage or Wizard, Necro would be a good addition to your duo for pulling and dps but an sk would be another option.

[Khauruk]

Mage dps might be decent for groupers, but for raiders, they're getting outparsed by almost everybody (even warriors) with some frequency....their nuke dps sucks, and we all know just how bad pet dps is.

Sk, Bst, Cleric is a viable (really good) combo though...I'm toying w/ adding Sk to my bst/druid atm.

[Tiroon]

You could do nicely with both but I'd consider a wizzy as well. They really make things go boom once they have their crit nuke AA's. If they have spell casting subtely as well they can also nuke quite soon after the fight starts.

On a different note: Your choices which AA's to buy under General are not the most inspired. Metabolism, ND and Planar Power add way to little to be worth it this early.

[zunoth]

Yeah, the BeastLord was on alt bot status for sometime and when ever he would get the random AA or two I would just buy the first thing that came to mind. Looking back I should of saved all 20-some of them and put them into defensive. But, you live and learn.

[maxawesome]

I duo a necro/bst combo.

My beast can tank summoners (within reason of course), and my necro can apply DoTs and sick rogue pet. With full crit dot aa's on the necro, we're talking an extra 5-6k every tick (without any nukes or anything).

You also get snare, which is very valuable, and in a pinch, the necro can twitch and even heal (gimpy heal, but a heal nonetheless) while bst is tanking.

Also, for undead targets, necros have a 70% slow versus our 65%. Not that critical at higher levels where everything mitigates, but nice to know it's there.

Plus -- both are very very soloable toons, and you can play one by itself if you get bored of playing both for a bit.

[Bulge]

I duo a necro/bst combo.

My beast can tank summoners (within reason of course), and my necro can apply DoTs and sick rogue pet. With full crit dot aa's on the necro, we're talking an extra 5-6k every tick (without any nukes or anything).

You also get snare, which is very valuable, and in a pinch, the necro can twitch and even heal (gimpy heal, but a heal nonetheless) while bst is tanking.

Also, for undead targets, necros have a 70% slow versus our 65%. Not that critical at higher levels where everything mitigates, but nice to know it's there.

Plus -- both are very very soloable toons, and you can play one by itself if you get bored of playing both for a bit.

I loved my Necro in my boxed group. Beastlord/Healer seems to be the most common/viable duo with a beast, but a Necro sure makes a duo into a nice DPS combo, with lots of added utility.  I guess if you can avoid the content that really needs you to have some serious healing, a Beastlord/Necro combo will be a very satisfying experience indeed.

[Zarrites]

I would say go with the mage for sure. The only reason I myself wouldn't go with the mage would be if you weren't able to snare. Most times mobs die fast enough where you don't need snare, or you can just save your nukes towards the end of the fight. as far as
Posted by: Lupina

The problem I have is single pulling

Your cleric can pull np. Lupina, pet pull 4tw, works everytime for me.

[Kitathia]

I now box a cleric (only 67 and 50 AA so far) and my beast. Beast tanks - pet OT and cleric heals/ds/root/paci/cure and if they are really easy mobs ( HOH atm) cleric is using  1hb and bash on the beast's mob. Other times cleric just sit and picks his nose.

Hubby boxes a bard and a mage/shm or ranger. The Shaman WAY out dps the mage with her dots now. Her slow and buffs are pretty useful too, and if I do get the cleric killed.. Well that stuff happens when you have a gimp lil cleric, the shaman can call. We have a pretty strong little group here. Granted as a beast in the gear I have, there are still limitations to what we can take down.

Bards are darn useful to pull/mez/manaregen/dps increase/overhaste etc.

Wizards will take a lot of work to bring good ba-da booms but is useful in so many other areas.

If you only want to pick between a mage and a necro, I'd go with necro myself. The dots they can throw out, the snare mm mmm mmm.

KitKat

[rhaug]

had long time bst druid wiz
it rocks for dps the wiz booms away the mobs and the bst job is to get fast aggro and maintain it
the druid can even nuke on mobs as well if not so hard hitting.

i lacked the ability to pull and in sof mobs hit tougher

now i use bst necro clr

it depends what you like to be able to fight

clr paci and necr fd makes a lot more possible

[sicshift]

Just a note...CoH pulling rules...

[Khauruk]

Mages are nice dps at 75+ w/ SoF now....I'm sure the OP made his choice already, but for anybody else questioning this.  Mages somewhat rock now.