Maximizing HOs

[thedu]

<DIV>For those who are Soloing, or those in group who have enough power and time. The recent's changes are relevant.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/news_ff.vm?FeatureName=combatchanges&section=development" target=_blank>http://eq2players.station.sony.com/en/news_ff.vm?FeatureName=combatchanges&section=development</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <HR> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr> <LI>Higher Intelligence increases your<FONT color=#ff0033> bonus to spell damage</FONT>.</LI> <LI>Increasing your Wisdom improves your resistances to arcane damage types (Heat, Cold, Poison, Disease, Magic, Divine, and Mental).</LI> <UL></UL></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> </P> <P><B>Heroic Opportunities </B></P> <UL> <LI>Heroic Opportunity effects are <FONT color=#ff0033>now scaled based on the average level of spells used to trigger them</FONT>. <FONT color=#66ff66>Completing HOs with low-level spells will have a much lower result than using spells appropriate to your level. </FONT></LI> <LI><FONT color=#ff3300>Triggering Heroic Opportunities using spells and arts that are higher level than the encounter will now produce more potent results</FONT>. Previously the HO results were capped by the level of the target.</LI> <LI>Heroic Opportunity result effects will be evaluated after the initial round of spell and combat tuning is complete.</LI></UL> <P></P> <HR> <P>So when your soloing, make sure to try get your INT as high as possible, either thru gear or thru potions. I've tested this somewhat. What I usually do for HO combinations:</P> <P>1) Disease Dot + Cold Dot</P> <P>2) DD + DD</P> <P>And repeat.  The cold dot has a longer timer to cast and that why I use the disease dot. So while your waiting for the HO timer to reset at least your DOTs are working. Sometime I mix it up and do Dot+DD or DD+Dot, but after I read the above in terms of Level I try to start with higher and nearly same level for trigger. I've been taking average (meaning no up or down arrow) 45 and 46 mobs in DOF, with a quarter of power left, at level 40.</P> <P>Hope's this helps.</P> <P>PS: Of course ward, slows and debuffs first.</P> <P> </P>