Quick tips and tricks for Illusionist class

[tawek]

<DIV>Guys,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The idea of this thread is to include lots of short posts with tips and tricks for the illusionist class.  A single place full of ideas to get more out of our class, without having to wade through hundreds of lines of other prose.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>To avoid all those hundreds of lines of prose, it would be really helpful if people don't post long discussions or long posts.  Better to create a new thread for them.  Would also be great if people steered clear of controversy.  If you want to debate whether the class is hopelessly nerfed or not, lots of great threads for that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Looking forward to trying out your ingenious ideas,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Cheers,<BR>Elleii, 55 Illusionist, Antonia Bayle</DIV>

[tawek]

<DIV>When soloing a tough mob, root it, debuff it, then cast Construct while simultanteously sending pet in.</DIV> <DIV>Use light DOTs first, so your pets keep agro.  Quick stun and long stun to keep your pets alive longer.</DIV> <DIV>Finally, root again, and let rip with the powerful spells: the Prismatic Strife line, and if 50+ the AOE/DOT/Stifle spell.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If the mob breaks and comes for you, recast the quick stun and long stun, and reroot.  With luck, you'll now have done enough damage to kill it before it kills you <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>Mez/Yell/Invis trick</STRONG>:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You are facing certain death deep in a dungeon ... what do you do?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Stun and root till DoTs have expired, or you've had time to cancel them, then mez the mob with long duration mez.</DIV> <DIV>/yell</DIV> <DIV>Move away and cast self invisible, and run for it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Haven't tried this with group, but presumably could work ... if they were organised and disciplined.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>((I got out of Runnyeye this way after my hunting partner died to a heroic Evil Eye.  Wasn't sure it would work, but the invis held and I escaped.  Felt a bit guilty about my friend dying though))</DIV>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>Mez, yell and regen trick</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You are facing certain death deep in a dungeon ... what do you do?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mez and yell.</DIV> <DIV>Then wait for power and health to regen before killing the mob.</DIV> <DIV>Remez as needed.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>((You won't get credit, but with luck can kill the mob and save your life))</DIV> <DIV>((Trick can work with other classes too))</DIV>

[Miracole]

<font size="7"><font color="#ff0000">SUPER ILLUSIONIST TRICK (<font size="4">PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME<font size="7">) <font size="3">go to character select screen. Select your chanter, then click on "DELETE CHARACTER" button. now you need to stop and make sure it's not one of your more useful alts. then type in the name of you chanter char WITH FIRST LETTER CAPITALIZED. then click DELETE. now, you are alll set. </font></font></font></font></font><div></div>

[Roxxanne]

Personae pulling:  a simple trick, but the personae is amazing for pulling mobs to you over long distances.  Just send him to attack the mob, then tell him to back off once he agros the mob.   The mob will follow the personae back to you over an amazing distance.  Nice thing is that the personae never agros any other mobs, outside the encounter you have told him to attack, at least that I have seen.

[trenor]

<P>On the pull in a group stun the mob dismay and stifle this can be don about in thetime stun ends it really makes the mob alot easier for the tank to handle.  Your healers will love you also.</P> <P> </P> <P>Also if you are in a raid and have a melee in you grp ask them to directly targe the mob instead of assisting mt allowing you to prismatic strife them without swotching everytime to the mt and then back to the melle in your cgroup to prismatic strife them.</P> <P> </P> <P>Learn how and when to use Illusory Allies.  Force your raid leaders to learn the value of this spell.  It may never happen I have tried many times and no good results have come from it yet but im holding faith.</P> <P> </P> <P>If the raid wipes and there are people under a bad [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] mobs foot that need to be rezzzed drop group move as far away from the mob where you can cast ia cast it and back up as far as you can.  This will give the healers time to rez the fallen and get them outa range of the nasty bad [Removed for Content] mobs.  It's a guaranteed death but you just saved a whole hell of a lot of trouble for the raid.  Remember to take your gear offf while doing this so its not damaged more.</P> <P> </P> <P>If you do send ia in just before it is done about 2 seconds start casting stun the mob will be stunned upon completion of the spell with agro wipe and the tank will have more time to land a taunt.</P> <P>Get the bloodline chronicles mana cloak spell!</P> <P>Adept 3 musts:</P> <P>Mana cloak</P> <P>Savante</P> <P>Devitalizing Stare</P> <P>Dynamism</P> <P>Al mezzes</P> <P>Breeze line</P> <P>Do not ever wase a concentratiopn slot on Haste.  It only affects auto attack if you have that much free concentration left ie melee heavy group make a personae it does more dps then all the hastes added together.</P> <P>While raiding always remember to cast consume ego and devitalizing starte whenever they are up.  You will be the first person out of mana if not since our spells are the most mana inefficient of all mages.</P> <P>Do not base your gear on int ever for our class.  You have your won regen tap mob for mana and consume ego for mana.  The only reason for int for us is mana pool.  The damage our spells do is based on an increase percent wise of the base for intelligence.  After 300 its a good idea to think about resists and agilkity and/or stamina and even wisdome.  You want to be well rounded here.  Also you can self buff for around 60 and then another 130 every minute and a half so remember take about 200 off the max 44o and your gear really needs no more then about 250 int.</P> <DIV>I am tired now </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Fiz</DIV>

[jun]

<P>Not sure I would classify this as an 'Illusionist' trick alone, but I personally despise carrying lots of quest books, food and drink around.  So, I leave them in the bank.  When I am in the field, playing solo/group and need to 'read' or refresh my food supplies...</P> <P>I simply hit my 'Enter' key then type:  /bag_open -3 0</P> <P>Viola...a small window opens with my bank chests.</P> <P> </P> <P>To access my 'shared' bank chests.</P> <P>Change the line up a tad by typing: /bag_open -4 0</P> <P> </P> <P>There ARE limits to how you can interact with your bank inventory...but feel free to experiment with it!</P> <P>VR</P> <P>Kailen</P>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>Mez pulling</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Blert's personnae pullng is probably the best we have ... but if in small group with no pet, mez pulling can occasionally be useful.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sneak (crouch) up to a single mob and mez it.  Then sneak back to the safe spot for your small group.  If the tank can't see the mob, get him to use assist on you to target the mob directly.  Then cancel the mez.  The mob will come running, if you use our short-duration stun (no agro) then tank should have no problem taking agro, and there won't be adds as the mob runs to your group.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've occasionally used this to pull to safe areas ... also when adds are wandering into area of fight, to park the mob, move to a safe area, and reengage.</DIV>

[tawek]

<STRONG>Dynamism</STRONG> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When the groups success depends on successful mezzing, don't put Dynamism on the tank or AOE debuffers.  The tank's AOE taunt could proc and wake the mobs, same with an AOE debuff.  I believe bards do a lot of AOE debuffing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Do put Dynamism on classes which use lots of hostile spells, especially Area Effect spells when fighting groups.  It appears that Dynamism can proc on poisons too, and some abilities like taunt.  Experiment to find the best class to use it on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If not mezzing, Dynamism works really well on AoE, with a chance to proc for every target.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dynamism also works well on you, we cast fairly fast, and as it only procs if a spell isn't resisted, and the damage lands before the spell does, a proc on a mez won't break the mez.  The only restriction is not to debuff mezzed mobs.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tanks tend not to use skills as often as most, but as they, not you, get the agro from Dynamsim, if they have trouble keeping agro, every little helps.</DIV><p>Message Edited by tawek21 on <span class=date_text>11-30-2005</span> <span class=time_text>02:06 PM</span>

[Strewth]

Cast Dynamism on self, Mezz target, keep casting mezz till it's dead... Kinda funny to do as Dyna hits first, then the mezz hits so it dosen't break, of course it takes about 19 days to kill a green heroic this way, but hell, for an Illusionist that's not bad, usually takes 14 days to kill one... <div></div>

[zit]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Strewth wrote:<BR>Cast Dynamism on self, Mezz target, keep casting mezz till it's dead...<BR><BR>Kinda funny to do as Dyna hits first, then the mezz hits so it dosen't break, of course it takes about 19 days to kill a green heroic this way, but hell, for an Illusionist that's not bad, usually takes 14 days to kill one...<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>i did a quick calculation and came to the result that its highly recommended to use your lvl 10 mez spell for the lesser power cost.</P> <P>also make sure to either use master power regen or to use some additional regen items or to not chain cast the mez. otherwise you will run oop before the mob dies even if using the cheap lvl 10 mez.</P> <P>best case scenario to kill a lvl 50+ green heroic with this tactics would be 50-60 min (no resists, master Dynamism).</P> <P>happy hunting ! :smileywink:</P>

[Manyak]

<DIV>First, get this group (or similar)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Monk/Bruiser</DIV> <DIV>Templar (52+)</DIV> <DIV>2nd Healer</DIV> <DIV>Wizard</DIV> <DIV>Illusionist</DIV> <DIV>Illusionist</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now, find a good spot with lots of mobs all around (something like the naga in shimmering citadel). While your group is fighting a mob, go run off and pull another mob with a lightning burst (yes the lvl 3 spell). When they get close, mezz. As soon as your group is done with the first mob, they can move straight on to the next. And you can keep on doing this for constant kills.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now, when the groups mana gets low, cast mana cloak, and make sure that no1 uses wards. Pull lots of easy mobs, and have each person in the group take aggro off of one of them, but dont kil it. If the templar uses reverence on one person in the group (regens HP for MP spent) that mana cloak+reverence becomes like the harclave buff. Plus, the healers will easily be able to keep up with healing since they will be getting all the mana they need from the cloak. The group shouldnt go near oop again for another 7 mins or so, exactly 1/2 the recast of mana cloak. Thats when the 2nd illu can pop it up, and yall do the same thing again.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is prolly one of the best tricks to getting fast xp as an illu.</DIV>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>Boost your subjugation skill</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Warlocks</STRONG> and <STRONG>Troubadours</STRONG> have great buffs which boost your casting skills.  A level 59 Dirge I grouped with boosted mine by 41.  That meant that, when calculatiing resists against high level mobs, my effective level is higher than my actual level.  When fighting deep orange or red mobs, the benefit of a subjugation buff is reduced, but it is still significant.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Get items to boost subjugation.  There aren't many, many are high level, but they are for sale sometimes on the broker.  There are others which can be obtained through quests, and of course rare drops.  These include:</DIV> <UL> <LI><STRONG>Stein of Lies </STRONG>(+2 subjugation) - I have constantly used this in preference to the seemingly more powerful Stein of Mogguk HQ item because of the subjugation bonus.  I bought mine off the Broker.</LI> <LI><STRONG>Prismatic Rod of the Scale</STRONG> (+2 subjugation, plus massive other benefits) - reward from the huge tier 5 epicX4 series of quests that end in the Deception quest.  You'll need a good guild or guild alliance to get this.</LI> <LI><STRONG>Orb of Madness</STRONG> (+5 subjugation) - a drop off Spirits of the Lost.  Good luck, I haven't got it yet.</LI> <LI><STRONG>Empyreal Bracelet</STRONG> (+4 subjugation) - from Silent City.  Again I don't have yet.  Good luck.</LI></UL> <P>There are items to boost your Disrpution (damage) and Ordination (debuff), but neither matter as much.  We do a lot of damage indirectly without resists, and have only one debuff spell.   But Subjugation affects our most powerful spells: stun, mez, stifle and construct.  With boosted subjugation, a lower level Illusionist can save their high level group mates in the worst of situations versus heroic mobs.</P> <P><SPAN class=time_text>[Edit: Strewth's post below warned me my previous comments about subjugation were wrong.  Thanks for the correction, I have changed this text to reflect it.  Thanks also to Impetus for the links to SoE statements on the issue: <A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/post?board.id=26&message.edit_id=9331" target=_blank>http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/post?board.id=26&message.edit_id=9331</A>]</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by tawek21 on <span class=date_text>11-30-2005</span> <span class=time_text>02:02 PM</span>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>What stats to go for:</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>There's no right answer.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Option 1: Maximise Int and Power: </STRONG>With power inefficient spells we can go out of power fast.  Lots of power from high int and the power build choices will allow you to burn power for longer, and give a higher, per tic, natural power regeneration.  The higher int will also boost the damage of your spells.  This is the better build for a higher dps illusionist, but not my choice.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Option 2: Maximise Stamina/Agility and Health: </STRONG>Mezzers are the only ones who should be targetting mobs other than the main tank.  As our mezzes are sometimes broken or resisted, we often get agro.  If you are tough enough to remez the mob without help, you'll be a better mezzer for your group.   A big hit point pool also makes it less painful to siphon health for power with our spells and the <STRONG>manastone</STRONG>.  Some players take this to the extreme, treat intelligence as a secondary attribute, and go all-out for survivability.  (In my opinion, hit points are more important than avoidance, as they also protect from spells, and a high avoidance still leaves you vulnerable to spike damage) You'll do much less dps this way, but arguably, be a better mezzer.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Option 3: A balance between power/int and survivability: </STRONG>probably the option most of us go for.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>(And, at higher levels, don't neglect your wisdom for better resists)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>[Edit: There's a rumor that a higher int reduces the chance of resists.  The notes attached to LU13 seem to refute this, but if true, it'd be an argument for a higher int.  But you still have to choose between items with +power or +health.  If you're maximising int, then maximising health might make sense to improve your ability to survive agro]</DIV></DIV><p>Message Edited by tawek21 on <span class=date_text>12-22-2005</span> <span class=time_text>03:05 AM</span>

[Barobra]

The mez while you run and break is a great method for running somewhere quickly. And then ur also able to invis afterwards. Multiple people already posted about it but it really is a great strat. One thing I have done is set illusory allies to work when I press my middle mouse button. Quick way to save someone.... <div></div>

[Strewth]

<div></div><strike>my effective level was over 4 more than my actual level (5 points per level).</strike><hr>This is no longer the case, 5 points on a skill does not actually raise your level as it did in the old world, like tanks used to do with the Defence skill (this is how we used to trivialise epic content like Darathar, Vox, Krathuk etc), it is now really just a basic modifier, improves your chance to hit but less significantly.But any boost is a good boost.<strike></strike><div></div>

[SunT]

<P>On Raids.  Turn your con system to simple arrows.  </P> <P>It will show True Epics as having the big dragon emblems on the sides and Non-Epic Epics will look like heroics.</P> <P>Makes it much easier to judge and plan an encounter when learning new raids.</P>

[tawek]

<DIV> <DIV> <DIV><STRONG>AOE mez macro</STRONG></DIV> <DIV><EM>/g Trying to mez group around %T, please don't wake them</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM>/useability <spell name></EM></DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Single target mez macro</STRONG></DIV> <DIV><EM>/g Trying to mez %T, please don't wake it</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM>/useability <spell name></EM></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mez macro messages are extremely useful.  In a frenzied fight no one has time to read them, but they'll show you are frantically mezzing, and that'll make people more careful.  In a less frenzied fight, the information of which mob you have mezzed could be useful.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>In my opinion a macroed message should only be sent if it is to prompt action from other members of the group.  Knowing to stop AOEing so as not to break mez is important info.  That a mob is stunned is probably not, though there might be situations where it is.</DIV> <DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Below are cases which might be useful:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><EM>/g Casting Savante, for 45% less power for 30 seconds  ((so folk know they can cast spells at reduced cost))</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM>/useability Savante</EM></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><EM>/target_group_member 4   ((if group member 4 is your bruiser ... or monk or berzerker))</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM>/useability Prismatic Havoc</EM></DIV> <DIV> <DIV><EM>/t %T Havoc inc in 2 seconds, fizzles permitting   ((this tells your bruiser to prepare their crushing blows, without spamming the rest of the group))</EM></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've known casters who macro many of their skills with an emote saying precisely what benefit the spell is bringing, such as that such-and-such debuff has had a certain effect.  On the one hand it's good marketing: telling folk the good things we are doing for them.  But I think it's unwise.  It means important information will scroll off the screen, and if everyone in a raid did it, spamming would become a serious issue.</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><p>Message Edited by tawek21 on <span class=date_text>12-24-2005</span> <span class=time_text>03:21 PM</span>

[tawek]

<DIV><STRONG>Mez tricks:</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I usually start with an <STRONG><U>AoE mez targetted through the main tank</U></STRONG>.  This is safer than targetting the tank's target.  Sometimes a tank targets one group then switches to a second; you don't want to mez the wrong group and cause a double-pull.  This is especially useful if the tank is pulling mobs you can't see in a dungeon.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>After an AoE mez, I try to overwrite with single mezzes as fast as possible.  Partly because they last longer, partly to protect my mezzes from AoE spell damage.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><STRONG><U>Tabbing</U> </STRONG>is probably the best tactic where you can't see well, such as in a dungeon corridor.  In the open air, when I can pull back in third person mode, I prefer to look for anything moving (ie not mezzed), and target it with a direct click.</DIV>Sometimes, I use the quick mez, tab to the next mob and use the long single mez, then shift-tab back, and remez with the long mez.   However, tabbing can make you target a non-agro mob, and if you mez it, you cause a double pull, so you need to concentrate, and make sure anything you mez has a group member targetted.  If it's not targetting anything, it's probably not agro, unless it's targetting you ... <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When <STRONG><U>mezzing high levels</U></STRONG> which may resist me, I like to cast the short term buff in the Fleeting series just before the pull.  This buffs our subjugation skill for 30 seconds which should give time to get the mob(s) safely locked down.  I start with the fast (half second cast) mez.  If resisted, I cast the one and a half second cast mez, if resisted again, I recast the fast mez again.  With the Fleeting series buff, three resists in a row is extremely rare, even on an orange.  After that, I just keep refreshing the long mez every few seconds.</DIV> <DIV>If woken the mob will now hate me, and might kill me, so best to <STRONG><U>fix a mezzed mob that hates you</U></STRONG>:  Take Dynamism off tank and yourself, get the rest of the group to remove their proc buffs.  Get the tank to taunt a few times, and before it's woken, cast a root on it.  Alternatively, wake it with your 10 second stun.  10 seconds should be enough time for the tank to regain agro.</DIV>

[MyChatBot]

<div></div><div></div><div></div>Probably the most important thing for working with chanters is that the group understands how to do it. This means If you hit a mez'd mob, with any kind of damage AT ALL, yes that includes DoTS (a dot'd mob can not be mez'd until the dot drops), it will break mez. It will probably agro the chanter. So...don't do it. For any reason. It is critically important that a group understands to STAY ON THE ORIGINAL TARGET. This does not mean, "attack anything the main tank attacks". It means, get the tanks CALLED target (tanks need to be less lazy and actually call the intended target), target THAT MOB (not the tank), and STAY ON IT until it's DEAD. Then the tank calls another target, /assist tankname, and start again. Periodically, a tank will switch targets. A good tank will almost never do it, but occassionally it's necessary. It is not the intent of the tank to have the whole group switch targets. If a tank wants a target switch for the whole group/raid, it should ALWAYS be called, "switching targets please assist". So few people in the game know that typing /assist playername will give you that player's target. Yesterday I told somebody I was questing with, "pick up my target". "How?". "Assist me". So he targets me and keeps going, "Hail <myname>". I say, don't target me, ASSIST me. This guy was level 40, in a guild, and said, "I AM ASSISTING YOU I have you targeted!". No, no, no. The ability to just target the tank and spray 'n pray should be removed from the game. It makes people lazy and screws things up all the time. Let's not talk guilds here; guilds get used to styles of play and teach people how to use them effectively. We're talking average in general pickup group non-guild play (I hate when people say, "my guild makes this easy". Uh huh. Well, work with this group for several weeks and guess what it'll be easy). Incredible how lazy EQ2 players can be. I mean, making an assist macro key, or callout macros, isn't that big a deal, but so many players refuse to do it. <div></div><p>Message Edited by MyChatBot on <span class=date_text>12-27-2005</span> <span class=time_text>08:02 AM</span>