Anyone use Eagle Shriek for soloing?

[Junaru]

I just picked up a Staff of the Flapping Wing and was thinking about switching my AA's from 4,4,8 STR, STA, INT. I'm not setup for tanking and really only do it went needed. I'm one of those "DPS Monks" <img src="/smilies/49869fe8223507d7223db3451e5321aa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. Anyway I like to solo a lot but still group and also raid 2x a week with my guild. I'd like to know if anyone has gone from a STR,STA,INT build to a WIS,INT 4,4,4,4,8 build. I'm thinking for soloing I can keep my HP below 30% and use Eagle Shriek with Crane Flock but I'm worried my DPS will suffer for it while raiding and grouped. Any advise on a unarmed build going to a 2hand build?

[Chojin]

The one time I took Eagle Shriek, it didn't activate at 30% health or below unless I had 2x DW "fist" weapons equipped.  With a 2h staff equipped, I could drop to even 10% or 5% health and Eagle Shriek would never activate.  It had an equipped weapon requirement that it didn't mention in the description. They may have changed this recently though.  It has been a few months... Can anyone verify if this has been changed recently? Crane Flock rocks though.  I had it for a while too.  (Currently I am back to using Mantis Leap, which is the most fun and most frequently usable/used of the current end abilities for monks.)

[PantherXX]

<p>I use Eagle Shriek constantly for soloing.  Get to 30%, drop Tsunami and Outward Calm, then go nuts.  It works very well for soloing and can be useful in groups too.  If you have crane flock to add on top, it would be awesome burst damage.  I almost exclusively use DW weapons, so I cannot answer the question on 2-handers.  Unfortunately, I may respec out of this ability, as it is useless on raids.  It is very hard to get healers to leave you at 30% health.</p><p>BTW, I disagree with the utility of Matis Leap (other than in PvP maybe).  A simple teleport and a single guaranteed crit are a bit of a joke.  It should at least give a 10s crit boost.</p>

[DynamicPerforman]

<ul><li>I disagree that its useless for raiding ^_^.  I think thats the way SoE envisions us doing massive dps.  Coupled with our aoe immunity, and maxing the INT line crit bonus brings you up to 90% crit chance.  If some monks are doing 2k right now, that would boost us to 2.6k yes? Depending on weapons (high max damage weapons would increase more than 30%, low max damage would increase by 30%). And if you group with a mystic who will simply ward you, and you use everburning and intercede on the MT you should be able to maintain it.  I raid with an illusionist every once in awhile who tops the parse by staying below 30% power.</li></ul>For soloing, its awesome.  Mobs die so much faster and you take less damage.  Its hard to maintain now because theres no rhoad necklace but its possible.

[Keshaan]

<cite>Chojin wrote:</cite><blockquote>The one time I took Eagle Shriek, it didn't activate at 30% health or below unless I had 2x DW "fist" weapons equipped.  With a 2h staff equipped, I could drop to even 10% or 5% health and Eagle Shriek would never activate.  It had an equipped weapon requirement that it didn't mention in the description. They may have changed this recently though.  It has been a few months... Can anyone verify if this has been changed recently? Crane Flock rocks though.  I had it for a while too.  (Currently I am back to using Mantis Leap, which is the most fun and most frequently usable/used of the current end abilities for monks.) </blockquote>Err i've been using eagle shriek with staff of the flapping wing for as long as I can remember (guessing about a year) and it has always worked...

[PantherXX]

<cite>DynamicPerformance wrote:</cite><blockquote><ul><li>I disagree that its useless for raiding ^_^.  I think thats the way SoE envisions us doing massive dps.  Coupled with our aoe immunity, and maxing the INT line crit bonus brings you up to 90% crit chance.  If some monks are doing 2k right now, that would boost us to 2.6k yes? Depending on weapons (high max damage weapons would increase more than 30%, low max damage would increase by 30%). And if you group with a mystic who will simply ward you, and you use everburning and intercede on the MT you should be able to maintain it.  I raid with an illusionist every once in awhile who tops the parse by staying below 30% power.</li></ul>For soloing, its awesome.  Mobs die so much faster and you take less damage.  Its hard to maintain now because theres no rhoad necklace but its possible.</blockquote><p> I know you have suggested this a number of times, and beleive me I have tried.  But seriously ... have you?  It is no where near as easy as it sounds.  Not only do you have to make sure your own group doesn't heal you, but no one else in the raid can either.  And then when you DO need heals, it can be hard to get them.  The other trick is most names (esp EOF) have pretty big AOEs, so you are playing with fire sitting at low HP.  Even if the AOE doesn't kill you, your group will frequently require group heals.  Asking healers, whose main job is healing and curing the MT, to pay special attention to the monk usually doesn't go over well.  I will probably continue to play with this, as I don't think any of the other end-line AA's are very enticing (and it is GREAT for soloing), but my confidence is not high.</p><p>And the illusionist thing is far easier.  Just toggle sprint to control power flow.  No one ever died because they ran out of power.  I frequently die when I run out of hit points. <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Chojin]

I would argue that being able to set up a <b>Thundering Fists + Mantis Leap + Master I Flailing Centipede</b> <i>guaranteed critical combo, once a minute</i> is not something to scoff at.  I get to use this end ability very frequently.  You can even use it at point blank range, and it still works.  Mantis Leap is also instant, and the power cost is minimal. <b>I can also use it to cross chasms.</b> Other classes seem to enjoy guaranteed critical hits, and I am sure they wish they could use theirs <i>once a minute</i>. I am glad Eagle Shriek works with all weapons now.  It used not to, when it was first added.  I still don't think it is worth it - it doesn't active often enough, and when it does, it may not be enough to save you from whatever got you down to 30% in the first place. I still have 8 points in the critical bonus on the Int tree, but I stopped there.

[Foretold]

<cite>Chojin wrote:</cite><blockquote>I would argue that being able to set up a <b>Thundering Fists + Mantis Leap + Master I Flailing Centipede</b> <i>guaranteed critical combo, once a minute</i> is not something to scoff at.  I get to use this end ability very frequently.  You can even use it at point blank range, and it still works.  Mantis Leap is also instant, and the power cost is minimal. </blockquote>This is the combo I use most often.  And the results are <b><i>quite</i></b> satisfying.  Satisfying to the point that I wouldn't be able to perform without Mantis Leap.  Its nice to see those 5 crit bonus hits go flying up in addition to the regular damage done by Thundering Fists + Flailing Centipede.  Very powerful.

[DynamicPerforman]

Its easy to get LOW hp too. Intercede the MT while in defensive, then keep everburning flames up to keep it low.  I don't think its any harder on the healers than a lifeburning necromancer.  And the point remains, <b>no matter how difficult it is to achieve, the potential is there for some massive DPS.  </b>I would like to see it improved a bit to be easier to attain.  Perhaps 60% crit, only 1kmit and works below 50% hp? I was doing 2.5k solo last night on yellow solo mobs. And I am FAR from DPS speced.