BST/Dru/War + ?

[JurrelFV]

Alright, I've recently aquired a second laptop and am now able to two-box very well on both laptops. My main is a 79 BST on FV and I currently have a druid alt I use for mostly healing, but also ports and some DPS.

My partner recently quit EQ, but has allowed me to take over his two accounts. From his accounts, I now have a 66 Warrior to gear/AA/level up. He has an open character slot on FV on his second account, and I'm torn between adding a ranger or a shaman to my current three-box. Here are my thoughts:

Pros (ranger):
-Ranged/Utility DPS
-Back-up tank if things go sour
-Attack buffs

Cons (ranger)
-small back up heals might not do much good if druid goes down
-already have track/snare/root

Pros (shaman):
-Additional heals to help druid
-Panther to help DPS along with DoTs/nukes
-Stat buffs

Cons (shaman):
-Already have slow/focus/heals


If anyone has any suggestions as to which to pick or have pros/cons for either that I may have missed, please let me know.  :-)

[Praxxis]

I would probably go with a Cleric for better heals on the tank, more HP buffage, & rezzes.  Or maybe a puller class like monk, bard, or SK.

[JurrelFV]

Won't play a cleric. They bore me to death.  :-P I have to like the classes I play, even if I'm boxing them, hence my choice between ranger/shammy. I also HATE boxing two melee classes (which is why BST/dru is on one comp and War/other is on a different one). Currently, I have no problems with pulling - I hunt in outdoor zones, have pet offtank adds or have druid root them away.

[Khauruk]

Shaman, or mage is my thought (wiz good too).  Ranger won't provide enough dps to be worth the spot imo.  Mage pet can offtank very very nicely, and mage can provide much more dps/utility.

[Kenusten]

Make the shaman your main healer.  Use their group panther when they have it.  Don't forget to keep their pet up too once they have pet affinity.  Switch your druid from healer to DPS.

I group with someone who boxes a shaman and druid.  Until I added my cleric, the shaman was always the main healer.  Shamans are a much better healers than the druids, especially once they get the AAs and their HoT line hits 60+. Druids DPS better than they heal.

Sometimes there are things only shamans can slow with their disease based slow line.  Our slows check against magic.  And when there is something that does not slow, it is nice to have two healers.  Definitely work the druid's and shaman's HoT AAs.

Do the 68 DoDH spell arc for the druid's Skin of the Reptile if you haven't.  There isn't an upgrade until 79.   Even with the shaman being the main healer, that spell is worth having on the tank.

Also consider Skylance 3 for both the shaman and druid.  If I recall correctly, they both get their first group hot from there.

[Khauruk]

SotReptile line has been nerfed, and is almost worthless now.  Very few druids ever use it now (thanks, Prathun!) :(

[sicshift]

Reptile if used in the normal sense (not a bunch of grays/greens, an exuberant amount of mobs etc) is not nerfed. I use it on every encounter.