Thoughts on the combat changes from a Level 28 necro [Archive]

bluestocking

09-16-2005, 12:31 AM

<DIV> II was honestly worried about the new changes from what I was reading… especially that pre-30 necros were not getting much benefit from the changes. I didn’t solo many heroics before the combat changes, but I’d soloed 95% of my 28 levels. So I hoped for the best and headed out to see how I would fare. I’m a level 28 necro with app IV/adept 1 spells (pets are appIV). I’m a sage so I upgraded all the new spells that I could find in my recipe book. (There were four that are still appI, but I don’t have the list of which ones they were with me). The adept1s I have are the ones that I either looted myself or found for under 2 gold on the broker or the fence. I have a provisioner alt so I had tier 3 food & drink on me for out of combat power/HP regen. All the gear I’m wearing is solo quested for with the exception of Liadrin’s Oracle robe which I bought after dying too darned many times in Varsoon trying to quest for it. The training options I took were Protective Stance and Lifetap. Other choices were pretty evenly split between Int and Stamina, wherever either was an option. I got the feel for my new spells doing crabs and pirates on the Nek beach, (green again to me after the patch). This would probably be a very nice place for a lower 20s necro to solo now. They seemed to drop chests frequently, no spells, but some nice jewelry. Then I headed over to the EL docks. This was not an area I had solo’d in before, but I thought it would be a good “stress test” of the combat changes and it had the benefit of being easy to get to and having a respawn point right there if I died, making CR simple and fast. (and I was expecting to take some deaths while I experimented, honestly) Mobs were yellow/orange (31-34), from 1 arrow down to no arrows, mostly solo with a mix of agro and non agro. None of these mobs were heroic. In 80% of a level, I died once from an agro add during a fight while I was still working out strategy. Once I had the hang of things I managed to survive the same situation later. I was using the app4 Undying Adherent Pet with Protective Brace for the majority of the time. Protective Brace (my Master 2 training choice) was the only pet buff that gave my pet a shot at survival. I tried Boon of the Lifeless and the pet got chewed up completely. I tried Grisly Brace and he was still getting beaten to a pulp. On the upside, the pet’s new AE taunt did manage to pull agro back off me the couple of times I accidentally pulled groups. I played around with some HOs, but wasn’t finding them especially effective. (Rock Blast was one of the spells that was still app1). But that wasn’t too surprising since necros have never been known for our DD spells. What ended up working for me was the following: Send the pet in Send the rats in Darkness Rotten Blast Mend Bones on the pet Bludgeoning earth Petrify Lifetap (my training choice so its Master2) Blight Add another mend bones/lifetap as needed. Soothe servant on the pet once or twice after the fight. I was managing to take down yellow/orange 1 arrow down solo mobs pretty much nonstop. The new refresh time on the rats allowed them to repop just as I was pulling the next mob, right in time to send a fresh set in. Power wasn't usually an issue, despite all the spells I was casting. Level 31 yellow 1 arrow mobs were the sweet spot, they went down like butter. Level 32-33 orange 1 arrow downs were comfortable to do. Level 34 orange 1 arrow down mobs were completely within the realm of possibility for me, although I had to usually add another mend bones/lifetap into the rotation and heal up the pet with soothe servant after the fight. Level 33-34 no arrow mobs were doable with care. An add might well have turned the tide against me. A group of 2 level 31 1 arrow down mobs was also doable with care. I needed a moment or 2 to heal up myself and the pet after the fight, but it was hardly significant downtime. A group of 2 level 33 1 arrow down mobs was probably my limit. I managed to survive the fight by lifetap tanking the second, but it was a close fight and I was rather surprised I lived through it. Both the pet and I only had a sliver of health left afterwards. All in all, I think I can live with the changes. I’m certainly not a fangirl… I don’t entirely agree that the revamp needed to happen and I think that they went about much of it in the usual SOE [Removed for Content]-backwards manner. Do I feel stronger than I was before? No. My pet was always what made me feel strong and I’m definitely working with a weaker pet now. Do I feel more like a necro? Yes. Lifetap is an amazingly useful spell that I always wondered why the EQ2 necro was lacking it. Is my necro still fun to play? Yes. Once I figured out some new strategies, I’m still having fun. </DIV>Message Edited by bluestocking on 09-15-2005 01:34 PM

Anganos

09-16-2005, 01:32 AM

<DIV>Hey Bluestocking,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Great to hear!! Its great to hear an optimistic tune with someone in my lvl range...</DIV>

Delameko Stone

09-16-2005, 04:23 AM

I'm a level 30, and I'm loving it too. I was a bit worried because I hit 30 about a week before the CU and after a difficult 25-29 everything seemed to have really fallen into place for me; good gear, good spells and a decent strategy. I'm glad to see it hasn't changed and that there's even more strategy now. Plus I really like that they've reduced the timer of the Swarm Of Rats :smileyhappy: even tho I keep forgetting to use it coz I'm 'saving it for the tough mob' :smileytongue: <div></div>

Tallika_Runwithbears

09-16-2005, 07:01 PM

<blockquote><hr>Delameko Stone wrote: I'm a level 30, and I'm loving it too. I was a bit worried because I hit 30 about a week before the CU and after a difficult 25-29 everything seemed to have really fallen into place for me; good gear, good spells and a decent strategy. I'm glad to see it hasn't changed and that there's even more strategy now. Plus I really like that they've reduced the timer of the Swarm Of Rats :smileyhappy: even tho I keep forgetting to use it coz I'm 'saving it for the tough mob' :smileytongue: <div></div><hr></blockquote>haha im constently doing the same thing. i keep forgetting about the new shorter recast time<div></div>