SK + healer duo boxing options

[Miyana95]

<p>Hello all.  After years of playing nothing but mages, I've finally decided to roll an SK alt.  He's up to level 33 / 27 AAs (also 53 armorer) at the moment and I'm having a blast with it.  I will admit he's pretty twinked since I do have the means - adept3/master spells, fabled weapons, mastercrafted or legendary armor and augments in every slot <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p><p>Now I know in the higher levels this won't mean as much, mobs will hit harder and will have more HP and soloing Heroics won't be as easy as it is now.  To that end, I've decided to play a healer on my second account.  This means it's boxed by myself and not duoed by another person.  So the main considerations are:</p><p>- The least amount of clicking the better on the healer</p><p>- Viability for doing instance/named runs by myself (or maybe with a friend warlock for DPS)</p><p>- Doing and completing quests (HQs, Signature, whatever) before they're greyed out.  I love questing and would like to have more AAs than levels before 50.</p><p>Before anyone jumps in and says Fury, yes I have one of those, on the same account as the SK though, but I'll tell you now that I despise playing it.  I've gotten to 52 and can't make the push to get any higher just because I don't like playing it.  I'm aware that the INT buff, ports, and invis are great but I've had the Fury for almost 3 years and just don't have the drive to play it.</p><p>From an RP perspective, I want an evil healer.  So that leaves me Inquisitor or  Defiler.  A warden is too similiar to a Fury so forget it <img src="/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>So I'd like to hear input (pros AND cons) for using an Inquisitor vs. a Defiler.  I've done a search on this but a lot of posts are from 2005/2006 so are before a lot of game updates and tweaks and AAs.</p><p>I'd like to hear some constructive input on this since I'm close to retiring some of my 70s and this combo MAY become my main in the near future.</p>

[Squigglle]

im not a preist but i have heard clerics do well with sk's

[Giral]

<p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=357790" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=357790</a></p><p>this post is like 3 or 4 pages in on the sk forum(if the link dont work<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>but should be helpfull </p>

[Zeuhl]

I duo an sk with my wife who plays an inquisitor. The inquis works wonders with my sk and we are able to pull down mobs no one would believe.

[tanis147]

i have  been  useing  an  inqiz  thye  seem  to  work  best  for  me.

[Miyana95]

Sounds like the best bet from all those posts will be the inquisitor > fury > defiler.   Consensus seems to be that the reactive heals go well with our low avoidance <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I just made a inquisy so we'll see how it goes!

[Kazander13]

Well might as well be the odd man out and say my wife and i duo as a SK/Defiler and I think it just rocks.  All damage and debuffs support each other from both classes, the mob is horribly debilitated, and wards are perfect for my reactive lifetap to consume health while she does nothing but ward.  In fact once reaver was factored into the game, my wife seldom has to heal me at all, she just wards, debuffs, and defiles while I go straight powoerhouse dps.  We just mastered duoing the Acadechism killing the emperor with no problems now and we can duo through almost every instance there is barring Unrest.  I believe number wise the defiler is better since classes with synergetic debuffs and damage types are going to use less power doing their jobs as opposed to those which do not, allowing longer battles and better victories.  Just another option for you to consider.

[Miyana95]

Doesn't the reactive lifetap + ward cancel out eachother?  I mean the reactives come from being hit and the ward prevents that.  Forgive my ignorance but I haven't played a healer since EQ1.  So I don't fully understand all the mechanics of the shaman class.

[Kazander13]

Nope the ward absorbs damage but it still counts as a hit so it triggers the blessing line.  Also reaving while warded is what really keeps hp at high levels.  When low on power the Maelstrom from the Defiler used towards the end of the battle really supplements the power pool a lot and reduces downtime.  It has a bad recast on it but still better than nothing.

[Miyana95]

One point I'd like to reitterate is that I'd like a healer that involves the least clicking.  It's not a 50/50 group really so I'm not looking at the healer as true dps.  It's more like I'll be 80% on the tank 20% on the healer.  Which class will allow me to just 'buff up' the SK the best and ocassionally spot heal when the tank gets low on HP.

[Giral]

<p>the inquistor has a buff that goes on a groupmate for every successfull hit it has a chance to proc and replenishes the inquisitors power </p><p>the inquisitor has a buff that increases intel and damage per second called fanatasim when its on the inquisitor cannot cast any heals/spells but can still auto attack so get the inquis a nice 2hander . </p><p>with both of the above (the Mana regain buff+the dp's/stifle healer) the inquis will be at full power 99% of the time,      if anything realy bad should happen you have a healer at full power ready to go </p><p>a buff that increases resist vs arcane and increases Hp's of the group </p><p>a buff that increases sta and physical resistance of the group </p><p>a buff that can be cast on 3 group members that increase dps and increase there Health + Fanatasim that boosts Intell/Dp's stifles caster until cancelled(clicked off) </p><p>Debuff Intel and str</p><p>debuff that decreases All resists</p><p>decress mental wyle dealing mental damage   </p><p>decrease the offensive skills of an oponent and there allies </p><p>simple pull, just cast the debuff Vs All resists(disease),debuff Offensive,debuff Int/str, cast a reactive and throw on Fanatasism and let the inquis auto attack,        with all the buffs and the 2 dp's increases you could probably do without debuffing easier mobs at all on these you might want to read on the inquisitors attack's,  they have a Spell that works the same as pestilance , when a mob dies it damages any other mobs , etc,,  see what woorks for you ; ) </p>

[juz]

<p>My main is a dirge but i box a SK/INQ and it works great.</p><p>With the INQ just cast reactives and fanaticism. Fury will buff you a lot with Agitate and Vim but the healing might be a bit more hands on than the INQ. A templar would proc heals and buff you quite a bit too but i think kills will be a bit slower than with the INQ. </p><p>Keep in mind that you can setup an INQ or Templar for great autoattack damage. Same with Mystics and Defilers, they should produce a bit less autoattack damage is spec'ed for that.  Wardens could be great at it too, Furies won't be much help in that sense.</p><p>Wards would work great too and one of the 2 shamans debuffs disease, I think it's the Defiler. So honestly all would be good for an SK, Fury seems to be far behind but he's the only one that will buff you casting wise.</p><p>INQ</p><p>Buff hit points, dps buff, haste-int buff(lv50+), damage proc, reactives heals. Great autoattack damage.</p><p>Templar</p><p>Buff hit points, melee skills buff, heal proc, STR buff, reactive heals. Great auto attack damage.</p><p>Mystic</p><p>Wards,  great stat buff. Good auto attack damage. StR buff. Extra STR buff that can be spec'ed to give INT too. Buffs hit points.</p><p>Defiler</p><p>Wards, buff hit points. Good auto attack damage. Damage proc, debuffs disease. STR buff. Debuff proc.</p><p>Warden</p><p>Great melee skill buff, damage shield. Good autoattack damage. Power regen.</p><p>Fury</p><p>2 INT buffs, damage shield. STR buff that procs dps & haste. Power regen.</p><p>I may have miss some things but you get an idea.</p>

[Tarquin1]

I have an sk and defiler combo. And an SK, inquisitor combo. I like both combos because they both do alot for the sk. Defiler has the hitpoint boosts. Inquisitor has also the Sta boost, Chilling Inquest, DPS mo. When I play my defiler/sk combo very rarely do I have to heal, the defiler just autofollows me and I stay in buff range. The inquisitors I have to sometime throw a few heals on, but I like to spam fanaticism alot.

[Hamervelder]

I've grouped with alot of healers, and I've found defiler to be, hands down, the best priest class to group with as an SK.  Myself and a shaman duo POA, HoF, Nest, etc., with no trouble at all.

[Miyana95]

Thanks for all the input!  Finally decided on the SK & Inq combo.  With a little twinking, have the duo to level 30 (SK is 36 mentoring down)  Definitely love the setup and can't wait to get at least 50.   The only drawback I'm seeing so far is yes the Inq's DPS is definitely lacking as far as helping with nukes, but the debuffs are nice and I'm loving reactive healing.  I do wish one of the toons had invis tho, that seems to be the biggest drawback but even a defiler won't help with that.

[MadTexan3]

<cite>Miyana95 wrote:</cite><blockquote>I do wish one of the toons had invis tho, that seems to be the biggest drawback but even a defiler won't help with that.</blockquote>If you're not opposed to crafting or aren't afraid to buy from the broker, there are invis totems out there.