Am I soloing the right way?

[dreadfa]

<div>Just wondering if you guys would do it a little different. I'm level 40.</div><div> </div><div>singles:</div><div> </div><div>I open with ambuscade from the rear from stealth and quickly follow with cat's paw and kidney blow while the knockdown is still in effect. After this I'll lucky break/tricky display/playful swipe for an HO (my standard HO. I like it because the recast times are matched) followed by the two multistrikes, then cheap shot, and kidney blow again (unless it's a ^ or better then the stun doesn't last long enough for my second positional). By this time my HO will have reset, do that then my melee snare then my frontal attack. After that It's amy CA  that's available till the mob's dead.</div><div> </div><div>Multiples:</div><div> </div><div>I tend to start with chilling blow, sticking to ranged while the mobs congregate around me, then Rakish swathe and deft rush, then my HO cycle, cheap shot, swing around to cat's paw, kidney blow, then my two multistrikes, then maybe a false blade if my HO isn't refreshed, then my HO again, my melee snare, then front attack, maybe a deft rush if it's up, after that, hit HO when it's up and any other available CAs that are available untill the critters are dead.</div><div> </div><div>Just wondering while the servers are down if there are any tips for improvement. Grouping tends to change with class makeup so I just wing it and try to keep my debuffs and DPS up and avoid getting aggro. Fortunately, at my level my frontal attack allows me to flank and hit with it, leaving only cat's paw requiring back position. Not sure if this changes later on.</div>

[ftsha]

<div></div><p><span>For single mobs I usually pull with my ranged attack, use my 2 multi attack, cheap shot then hit em with all my rear attacks.  The mob is usually dead by that time.  I don't bother with HO's on single mobs.</span><span></span></p><p><span></span> </p><p><span>For single heroics or group mobs I sneak up (if I can) and ambush the toughest, use all my rear attacks then use my AoE's.  If I can use a master strike I use it.  I then continue with my multi attacks and what ever debuff attacks I can to get the toughest down.  By that time my AoE's are back up and I use them.  I thorough in a cheap shot in hear and there to get a rear attack or two in every chance I get.  </span><span>In addition I am always using HO's when I can fit them in.</span></p>

[Luk]

<div></div><p>I'm a bit higher, so have a couple of extra sills</p><p>Arctic Blast (67% slow) then HoS for a couple hits, Dazzling Steel (debuff DPS), Gaudy Strike (Debuff INT) Razor Point (parry debuff), then mezz (switch off poison proc), stealth, Brazen Thrust, Lung Puntcure, Pillage, Disheartening Guile if the mob is still alive, then I use multi attacks.</p>

[Keyh]

I always start with my ranged attack, for a couple of reasons:1.Gives you an extra 400-500 damage from the start2.Slows the target, allowing you to kite it to exactly the place that you want it (adding poison procs in between)I can often get a solo even con to 60-70% health before it touches me. I then hit unlucky break and then cheap shot, queue up Snoop. Once snoop hits, use Brazen Thrust, then the 2 back stabs.<div></div>

[dreadfa]

<div></div><div></div><p>The reason I start with my stealth attack from behind is pretty much why you guys start with your ranged lol. With the knockdown, I can hit my back attacks, and it's half gone by the time it turns around. If it's a see invis mob, then yes, I'll start with my ranged attack, also if it's in a crowded area so I can manoevre it to a safer place.</p><p>The main reason I use my HOs? It takes bugger all time with tricky display/playful swipe, ringing blow is bonus damage, and I'll do a lot for a chance at bravo's dance. makes the next fights go that much quicker.</p><p>Just learned I could kill caimans in SS at lvl 40, though my HP is usually in the red lol. I miss a lot because the mobs are orange, but I only occasionally have to evac.</p><p>I keep forgetting about the master strikes lol.</p><p>Another thing, Defensive or offensive? Personally I like offensive, an interrupt proc is kinda hard to live without.</p><p>Message Edited by dreadfang on <span class="date_text">01-12-2006</span><span class="time_text">09:30 AM</span></p>

[Debunkt]

<div></div>Offensive stance is the way to go 98% of the time. Also, upgrade your offensive stance to Adept III if you can, it will add an additional +5 to your melee skills, really raises your effectiveness against mobs that con yellow to orange to you - ie you won't miss as often.

[ArivenGemini]

<div><span><blockquote><hr>dreadfang wrote:<div></div><div></div>Another thing, Defensive or offensive? Personally I like offensive, an interrupt proc is kinda hard to live without.<hr></blockquote>The only time my offensive stance is off these days is right after the /revive evac method.. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Even in nasty fights when I pull agro (oh so innocently, it is never my fault <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ) I dont bother taking off offensive and going defensive...  as you say, that interrupt proc is nice.. plus the extra damage componant as well.</span></div>

[Syrano]

I'm still in the defensive camp.  I notice a tremendous difference in damage I take if I'm not defensive when solo'ing or tanking.  Granted I haven't finished building out my armor, so the extra %10 avoidance really helps.  I can live without the interuppt proc, nothing a well placed cheap shot or admonish can't take care of.  If all else fails, a quick mez/stun works just as well.    I do miss the damage output, but I'll make up for that by trying to get in a swindler's luck.However, both approaches work.  In a group, if I'm not tanking, I'm %100 offensive, even if I take aggro.  My role is DPS, if tanking falls apart I'm a quick fill in but a good group doesn't need me to hold out for very long and I'm usually buffed to high heaven defensively and offensive already.<div></div>

[ArivenGemini]

<div><span><blockquote><hr>Syrano wrote:I'm still in the defensive camp.  I notice a tremendous difference in damage I take if I'm not defensive when solo'ing or tanking.  Granted I haven't finished building out my armor, so the extra %10 avoidance really helps.  I can live without the interuppt proc, nothing a well placed cheap shot or admonish can't take care of.  If all else fails, a quick mez/stun works just as well.    I do miss the damage output, but I'll make up for that by trying to get in a swindler's luck.<div></div><hr></blockquote>Well with a 30% chance of interrupt per swing, that dramatically improves your chances vs caster mobs.. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />But my style on soloing is stealth up, rear attack with stun, my other two rear attacks, then start in on the debuff and frontal attacks, usually the 5th hit is the parry debuff as the mob is -just- turning to face me at that point.. so now my damage keeps going fast and furious.. and unless they are a brawler mob I rarely take more than 30% damage on anything I attack.. brawlers just avoid too much <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />but sure I take less damage per second inbound in defensive stance, but I kill -them- dramatically faster in offensive.. enough to make up for extra inbound damage..</span></div>

[Klantic5]

<div></div><div>I agree with Ariven in the fact that I would use my offensive stance with a caster without a doubt, but pretty much with a warrior and or multiple mobs I will use my defensive stance when soloing.  A 30% chance to interrupt is highly valuable.  Once all of my Combat Arts are used up I will usually though a Disarming Grin in there against a caster to possibly disrupt one of thier spells.  I've seen it work a few times.</div><div> </div><div>Another tactic I use is Disarming Grin (AMAZING skill when you know how to use it!) when dealing with multiple mobs.  Here are the steps I do when attacking mobs:</div><div> </div><div>Target 1:</div><div>1) Ambuscade</div><div>2) Kidney Blow</div><div>3) Unfriendly Reminder / Cat's Paw (if 3<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></div><div> </div><div>4) Hit the tab key to select another target (Target 2) and QUICKLY cast Disarming Grin, then QUICKLY tab back to Target 1 and resume your damage.</div><div> </div><div>Your goal here is to mesmerize the target, without hitting him before (because you don't want him to get poisoned), mesmerize him, then disengage the target before you hit him so that you won't break the mesmerization on that target.  I do this ALL the time.  It causes the target to just stand there for 15 seconds.  It's a life saver.  And, in a long battle, rinse and repeat!  LOL</div><div> </div><div>This doesn't work well in groups because of all of the AoE attacks that cause the mesmeration to be broken, but that's what the tank is for.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  hehehe</div><div> </div><div>I hope this helps!</div><p>Message Edited by Klantic5 on <span class="date_text">02-04-2006</span><span class="time_text">12:22 PM</span></p>

[Keldo]

I used to use defensive all the time when soloing.  In fact I used it all the way to 60 - but after playing a tank I believe it was a mistake.  If you parse the number of attacks you miss when you are defensive stance vs high blue+ mobs, the trade off is simply not worth it.  The only time a defensive stance is worthwhile is when the healer absolutely cannot keep you up without it.  I use offensive stance 100% of the time on my Swash, and probably 90% of the time on my Bruiser, there's about 2 exceptions I can think of off the top of my head.- vs Green mobs, the defense will make it so they miss almost all the time, and the negative offensive skills won't matter nearly as much due to your level- tanking raid mobs / very difficult group mobs (something a swashbuckler rarely does)Other than that I would recommend using offensive all the time.  The increased chance that your attack (with debuff/stun/snare/whatever attached) landing simply outweighs the mob being able to hit you less.and just as a contribution, normally when soloing I have 2 setups that I rotate (due to refresh rates)sneak -> sleath attack -> backstab(s) -> cheap shot -> spam damage CAs = mob deaddisable -> frigid throw while running away -> hos -> cheap shot when they get to you -> mop upvs named solos you could try mezzing the most difficult on initial pull (such as ^ arrow with 2 v v adds), kill the down arrows quickly and daring / short duration dps/attk buffs and blast the named.vs green/blue ^^^ that you are farming, say in cache or whatever - stun poison is your best bet here, you will die sometimes but a lot of the time you can stun lock and not take a point of damage, pretty cool!<div></div>

[Yojimbo99]

<div></div><div></div><p>Pretty much the same here as the rest. When fast chain pulling I switch it up between ranged pull and stealth attk openers.</p><p>Really the only thing that I see myself doing even remotely different is when i get behind the mob soloing (either stealthed. cheap shotted ect) I open with flurry of arms line first then the physical mitigation debuff backstab then finnally the big one. Theroy being that the flurry attk can strike out if one of the attks misses and that is less likely from the back side, plus , by setting up the debuffs first I've gotten 100-150 over the max showing damage for the back stab.(reads max to 790ish selfed and ive consistantly hit close to 900 with it if mitigation debuffs are up first on a mob) .(only 47 atm)</p><p>After, depending on how i begain the fight, I would be setting up a HO  with tricky and the gouge line as the mob is spinning back around. Hit some more Ca's( starting with the highest avail art and going dwn from there ,,ei: the quick dbl up attk, false blade and so on), mez and go around back to hit off another back stab or snoop to stealth attk depending on how i opened.</p><p>Most multi mob solos i'll start with the stealth attk on the hardest guy and start in with the HO using the ae's target the  then really tear into  big guy with cheap shot  flurry/back stabs.( on harder encounters where the ae's dont take out most if not all buddies i'll cycle through and take them out before moving back to the hardest .. might even get fancy and mez his silly [Removed for Content] before moving on to the kill the small stuff)</p><p>If after all that the mob still isnt dead, I more then likely should not have been fighting it to begin with.</p><p> </p><p>Onatia</p><p>Toxxulia</p><p>Message Edited by Yojimbo99 on <span class="date_text">01-14-2006</span><span class="time_text">10:00 AM</span></p>

[Mirthain]

<div></div><p>I'm at 38 right now and the only difference I have is that when I'm pulling with ranged, I'll open with a hex doll.  the added Mit loss to the target is very noticable. </p><p>Killkreig - AB</p>

[Rendoir]

<div></div>Dunno what I do,  just run in and the next thing i know is I'm a bit out of breath, covered in blood and unlocking the chest