Questions about the class.

[ToxicMan]

Firstly, do any of you bruiser folks have any pictures of your bruiser? if so i would love to see them, so feel free to post a picture of your character. I've recently started playing EQ2 again, and i'am going to start on a new character i think. One of those on my list is the Bruiser, but i got some questions i would like to get an answer on. - Soloing, i've heard every class can solo, but how well dose the bruiser solo? - Grouping, are bruiser wanted in groups? if so, what are our role? - Bruiser's can only use blunt, thrown, fist, barehanded weapons, i'am wonder what is the most used weapon for the bruiser? - PvP, how good are bruiser's at both 1on1 pvp and group pvp?(not going to play on a pvp server, but i would just like to know) - Do we have any fancy/funny skills/spells we get? - Are the bruiser able to do damage to more than 1 enemy at once? thinking of AOE. - Feel free to add some info you think i should know about the class. Thats what i can come up with for now, hopefully someone can give me some answers.

[Agaxiq]

We're pretty good soloers for fighters.  SK's might have an edge with all of their lifetaps in survivability though.  In short fights we're the quickest of any fighter classes.  If it gets longer, it takes some skill, especially against heroics.  You'll need to use your mez and fear quite a bit to elongate the fight further so that your knockdowns are back up. Grouping - we're rarely "wanted" in a group, except to fill as a tank, and even then many will question it.  Some bruisers love tanking, some don't want to tank at all.  I personally love tanking. Bruisers and Monks have some very unique weapons which are specific to the brawler class.  I've never seen a bruiser-specific weapon though.  They can also use 1H/2H staves and hammers which other classes can use.  By end game, most people are dual-wielding.  It doesn't matter anymore what the weapon class is. We're pretty good at PvP.  With all the knockdowns we have, squishies won't really stand a chance, and in many cases we can take out scouts with ease.  SK's are really tough, as well as most healers who know what they are doing.  Can't comment on the group PvP. Our Dreadknaught Kata at level 20 shows some fancy animations, but the other two we get don't do much at all. By default, our AOE damage is lowest among all fighters, maybe shy of a guardian (and obviously a monk).  We do get our 50/70 skill which adds another AOE, but its on a fairly long timer and can generally be used once every fight or two.  Its currently one of our largest deficiencies - AOE agro control.  We have the fewest buffs to put on groupmates (Guards get like 3 or 4, we get 1) so when we lose agro to someone like a warlock its much tougher to get it back.  The Brawler WIS line can help here a bit, especially with the end ability. agressiv

[Novusod]

I have a level 70 bruiser main on a PvP server so here is what I think: - Every single class can solo. Is what a bruiser can do best is train down to a named or quest mob, use FD and pick it off without clearing a tonn of trash. When it comes to actually taking the mob down the bruiser is not particularly strong. - Bruisers play a mixed role in groups. They can fill either a tank role or a dps role. As a rule it is genuinely harder for a bruiser to find a group than plateheads, healers, or casters. This can really become a problem in the high end if you want to raid. - It is really a matter of playstyle of what weapon is best for bruisers. I prefered fist based weapons over anything else but that is just me. - For pvp the bruiser really needs a group to survive. I was never very successfull as a solo pvp bruiser at any level range. I mostly hide in instances and get my pvp done with my twinks. - The only radical spell a bruiser gets is Devistation Fist which will one shot any non-heroics. I have had it hit for over 24000. - The bruiser AoE has a very long recast and does very little damage. It you want AoE's go swashbuckler or warlock. - Overall I think the bruiser is over-rated. When EQ2 first came out it was not very solo friendly and bruisers were really the only class that could solo. As time went on the content was nerfed and so was the bruiser. The bruiser only survives through this legacy of past glories. I would highly recommend playing some other class.

[ganjookie]

A quick search for pics on bruiser forum gave me <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/search/search.m?clean=1&query=pics&keywordType=&searchTerms=all&author=&userType=&exactMatch=true&forum=44&sortBy=relevance&sortDir=DESC&category=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> THIS</a>

[Madmoon]

<p><b>I have quite a different take:</b></p><p>- Soloing, i've heard every class can solo, but how well dose the bruiser solo? <b>No fighter can keep up.  High end, properly geared and AA-ed berserkers can, but we do it for all 70 levels.  Between the rapid-recharging self heal, Feign Death and nasty damage, we can take on quite a number of targets, alone, that othr similarly equipped and specced fighters can't touch.  I have competed with necromancers and wiards.  They can do it faster, but if one thing enters the equation unexpectedly, it all goes up in smoke for them.  Soloing, in all it's aspects, we are among the best, if not the best.</b> - Grouping, are bruiser wanted in groups? if so, what are our role? <b>I have no problem finding groups.  We can perform as either main fighters or damage dealers.  I have worked the hardest group areas in Norrath in both roles.  "Off-tank" is probably the easiest, but we can do all three - "tank," "off-tank," or "DPS."  W are great in groups.  Our role in raids is weak, though they are in the midst of giving us a utility that may fix that.</b> - Bruiser's can only use blunt, thrown, fist, barehanded weapons, i'am wonder what is the most used weapon for the bruiser? <b>Until you get to 70, use the STR AA line, which is bare fists.  Not barhanded weapons, like handwrap - bare fists.  Nothing equipped in either weapon slot.  After that, it's the best weapon you can find/afford - 2 dual-wields or a two-handed.</b> - PvP, how good are bruiser's at both 1on1 pvp and group pvp?(not going to play on a pvp server, but i would just like to know) <b>Dunno.  Don't PvP. </b> - Do we have any fancy/funny skills/spells we get? <b>Sonic Fists followed by Devastation Fist is THE most spectacular feat in the game.  Bar none.  OK, maybe that Warlock combo where they get a huge crowd around them and they all slowly die.  But even then...   We also get Drag, the AA teleport thingy, the Kata, Safe Fall, Feign Death... I know I am missing some.. our knockdowns..</b> - Are the bruiser able to do damage to more than 1 enemy at once? thinking of AOE. <b>Yes, and specced WIS AA line, you are an AoE machine.  Berzerkers will always hold the crown there, among fighters, but WIS specced, we are a good second.</b> - Feel free to add some info you think i should know about the class.</p><p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: times new roman,times">No other class bleeds attitude.</span></p>

[McDade]

<cite>Novusod wrote:</cite><blockquote>I have a level 70 bruiser main on a PvP server so here is what I think: - Every single class can solo. Is what a bruiser can do best is train down to a named or quest mob, use FD and pick it off without clearing a tonn of trash. When it comes to actually taking the mob down the bruiser is not particularly strong. - Bruisers play a mixed role in groups. They can fill either a tank role or a dps role. As a rule it is genuinely harder for a bruiser to find a group than plateheads, healers, or casters. This can really become a problem in the high end if you want to raid. - It is really a matter of playstyle of what weapon is best for bruisers. I prefered fist based weapons over anything else but that is just me. - For pvp the bruiser really needs a group to survive. I was never very successfull as a solo pvp bruiser at any level range. I mostly hide in instances and get my pvp done with my twinks. - The only radical spell a bruiser gets is Devistation Fist which will one shot any non-heroics. I have had it hit for over 24000. - The bruiser AoE has a very long recast and does very little damage. It you want AoE's go swashbuckler or warlock. - Overall I think the bruiser is over-rated. When EQ2 first came out it was not very solo friendly and bruisers were really the only class that could solo. As time went on the content was nerfed and so was the bruiser. The bruiser only survives through this legacy of past glories. I would highly recommend playing some other class. </blockquote><p> <b><span style="font-size: medium">I agree 100% except I prefer whatever weapon works best for the situation regardless of type.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium">You hit the soloing thing on the head.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium">As far as AOE's go though, our second one "Savage Bruising" does seem to do nice damage even though on a long recast it usually shows up on parse around 5% - 7% of my zone wide damage as my highest or second highest combat art.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium">Morris</span></b></p>

[tt66]

<cite>Madmoon wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>- Are the bruiser able to do damage to more than 1 enemy at once? thinking of AOE. <b>Yes, and specced WIS AA line, you are an AoE machine.  Berzerkers will always hold the crown there, among fighters, but WIS specced, we are a good second.</b> </p></blockquote>I agree with everything you say, apart from this. Having the WIS proc doubled to 16% has helped a lot, but our AOE still seems very bad compared to most. We have decent AOE every 3 minutes, I suppose <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> In 1on1 PvP, with our cooldowns up, we're really rather good. We've got a better than average chance of whomping anyone we come across. Well, except swashbucklers, but every class has to have it's kryptonite.. Not really done any group pvp action. Bruisers are very fun to play, great at soloing and in groups. But we are simply not wanted on raids at the moment. There are changes on the way to try to fix this, but there is no way of saying how effective they're going to be. If you're not planning on raiding then this might not be an issue, but I just don't want you to have a nasty surprise when you hit lvl 70.