Which bard is better?

[Valarouko]

<p>I recently acquired a second account, but really suck at 2 boxing.  Here is the question, which bard's buffs are better for affecting sk's?  The physical of the dirge, or the magical of the trouby?  (I plan on running both, with the bard on afk follow)</p><p>Valarouko </p>

[PureRhyme]

I vote troubie.

[Hugsnkissums]

I've always referred to my SK as a mage in plate armor since most of the damage we deal out is magical. With that in mind, I'd have to vote for a trob too. I've personally never grouped with either so I can't speak from experience.

[t0tallyb0gus]

I can't say about overall survivability, but your dps will be -greatly- increased by a dirge - and hence you will kill things much quicker.Dirges have great disease buffs - and 99% of your attacks are disease based.  In addition, they have plenty of defensive buffs that troubadours do not.  Best bet is absolutely a dirge.

[Mallfoy]

<cite>Valarouko wrote:</cite> <blockquote><p>I plan on running both, <b>with the <u>bard on afk follow</u></b></p><p>Valarouko </p></blockquote><p>Val, </p><p>Two years ago I aquired a Troub from my RL friend who quit EQ2. About 3/4s of the time I do exactly what you plan on doing and that is having my bard auto follow me around Norrath just being my personal buff bot. </p><p>Now to the subject Dirge or Troub? I'd have to say Troub (not simply because I have one) but because you'll get slightly more DPS from the buffs a Troub will have up over the Dirge. HOWEVER.... if you plan on actually playing the Dirge (using CAs & spells) vise just having him as a buff bot then you'll probably squeeze out a little more DPS from the Dirge. So to make this simple;</p><p>Troub if: only buff botting                                                                  </p><p>Dirge if: actually playing as a second toon</p><p><u>Songs I play on my Troub</u>:</p><p>Aria's - procs off all spells casted (52% chance to proc - with AAs).  <i>Also cast Precision of the Maestro to add another spell dmg proc to this one as well</i>  <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Power regen - I have 5 AAs in this and atm I can't think of how much power per tick</p><p>Haste - 32%</p><p>STR & STAM - 72 (I think)</p><p>Health Regen - 132 a tick</p><p>I might occasionally subsitute one of the songs for Ballectic Avoidance to increase my defense.</p>

[MaCloud1032]

you might want to drop the hast for the spell proc spell.  You will get more dps and in theory start a chain proc.

[Wytie]

<p>Troub ftw in raids if i was so lucky to have a troub in my group, it added roughy 350-450 dps without jesters cap</p><p>Precision and Death March equals melted face.</p>

[Littleflame]

Troub ftw, no real question there.

[Hamervelder]

<cite>t0tallyb0gus wrote:</cite><blockquote>I can't say about overall survivability, but your dps will be -greatly- increased by a dirge - and hence you will kill things much quicker.Dirges have great disease buffs - and 99% of your attacks are disease based.  In addition, they have plenty of defensive buffs that troubadours do not.  Best bet is absolutely a dirge.</blockquote>I agree.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Dead Knight]

Troub for DPS, Dirge for tanking.

[Antryg Mistrose]

Illusionist <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I have done a fair bit of dual boxing with SK and Dirge/Troubador/Illusionist (betrayed dirge at 70 to troub for 6 months).Dirge will take more work to get the best out of it.  Troub's melee is less important, especially as you'll hit PotM every time its up, so getting the troub range wrong is not a biggy.But if you can master the more positional dirge it will give superior overall dps in my experience.  The bias of the troub to spells over melee is outweighed by the synergies of two disease debuffing/damage dealing classes.When things do not go according to plan Oration of Sacrifice is a nice big heal.  Mezz, Charm, Rez aren't much use - if the SK dies the bard will follow suit unless you follow the new god BristleWhatsIsName (in which case Dirge rezz is kinda nice - not essentia, you can always tinker)When dual boxing I never run out of power on the SK, its always life, so keeping the fights short (which they will both do with okayish and similar dps) is important, but so is limiting incoming damage - thats why an Illusioniist beats either hands down(Plus, have you ever tried "soloing" a SK with haste, synergy, time compression & illusionary arm ? <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> )The illusionist being a mage is completely non-positional (unless you spec STR).  Group invis is nice for getting around too, although the dungeon speed buffs from both bards are nice for training.I would rank them Illus >> Dirge > Troub.  If you want to raid though, leave the SK at home, and play Dirge or Illus.  Troub is way too tedious, and you'll never get a raid invite on a SK.

[Dead Knight]

<cite>Antryg Mistrose wrote:</cite><blockquote>Illusionist <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" />I have done a fair bit of dual boxing with SK and Dirge/Troubador/Illusionist (betrayed dirge at 70 to troub for 6 months).Dirge will take more work to get the best out of it.  Troub's melee is less important, especially as you'll hit PotM every time its up, so getting the troub range wrong is not a biggy.But if you can master the more positional dirge it will give superior overall dps in my experience.  The bias of the troub to spells over melee is outweighed by the synergies of two disease debuffing/damage dealing classes.When things do not go according to plan Oration of Sacrifice is a nice big heal.  Mezz, Charm, Rez aren't much use - if the SK dies the bard will follow suit unless you follow the new god BristleWhatsIsName (in which case Dirge rezz is kinda nice - not essentia, you can always tinker)When dual boxing I never run out of power on the SK, its always life, so keeping the fights short (which they will both do with okayish and similar dps) is important, but so is limiting incoming damage - thats why an Illusioniist beats either hands down(Plus, have you ever tried "soloing" a SK with haste, synergy, time compression & illusionary arm ? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" /> )The illusionist being a mage is completely non-positional (unless you spec STR).  Group invis is nice for getting around too, although the dungeon speed buffs from both bards are nice for training.I would rank them Illus >> Dirge > Troub.  <i><u><b>If you want to raid though, leave the SK at home,</b></u></i> and play Dirge or Illus.  Troub is way too tedious, and you'll never get a raid invite on a SK.</blockquote>Sounds to me like you're saying, "I suck at playing SK so no raid guild wants me, and thus I roll some slacker utility class so I'm not stuck with incompetent labs PUs all the time and everyone else must do the same."

[Antryg Mistrose]

<cite>Dead Knight wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Antryg Mistrose wrote:</cite><blockquote>Illusionist <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" />I have done a fair bit of dual boxing with SK and Dirge/Troubador/Illusionist (betrayed dirge at 70 to troub for 6 months).Dirge will take more work to get the best out of it.  Troub's melee is less important, especially as you'll hit PotM every time its up, so getting the troub range wrong is not a biggy.But if you can master the more positional dirge it will give superior overall dps in my experience.  The bias of the troub to spells over melee is outweighed by the synergies of two disease debuffing/damage dealing classes.When things do not go according to plan Oration of Sacrifice is a nice big heal.  Mezz, Charm, Rez aren't much use - if the SK dies the bard will follow suit unless you follow the new god BristleWhatsIsName (in which case Dirge rezz is kinda nice - not essentia, you can always tinker)When dual boxing I never run out of power on the SK, its always life, so keeping the fights short (which they will both do with okayish and similar dps) is important, but so is limiting incoming damage - thats why an Illusioniist beats either hands down(Plus, have you ever tried "soloing" a SK with haste, synergy, time compression & illusionary arm ? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" /> )The illusionist being a mage is completely non-positional (unless you spec STR).  Group invis is nice for getting around too, although the dungeon speed buffs from both bards are nice for training.I would rank them Illus >> Dirge > Troub.  <i><u><b>If you want to raid though, leave the SK at home,</b></u></i> and play Dirge or Illus.  Troub is way too tedious, and you'll never get a raid invite on a SK.</blockquote>Sounds to me like you're saying, "I suck at playing SK so no raid guild wants me, and thus I roll some slacker utility class so I'm not stuck with incompetent labs PUs all the time and everyone else must do the same."</blockquote>Sounds to me like you have no clue how little your class offers a raid.  Those 'slacker utility classes' bring double what you can.  There is no class more useless on a raid than a SK - I don't give a [Removed for Content] how uber you think you are.

[Dead Knight]

<cite>Antryg Mistrose wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Dead Knight wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Antryg Mistrose wrote:</cite><blockquote>Illusionist <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" />I have done a fair bit of dual boxing with SK and Dirge/Troubador/Illusionist (betrayed dirge at 70 to troub for 6 months).Dirge will take more work to get the best out of it.  Troub's melee is less important, especially as you'll hit PotM every time its up, so getting the troub range wrong is not a biggy.But if you can master the more positional dirge it will give superior overall dps in my experience.  The bias of the troub to spells over melee is outweighed by the synergies of two disease debuffing/damage dealing classes.When things do not go according to plan Oration of Sacrifice is a nice big heal.  Mezz, Charm, Rez aren't much use - if the SK dies the bard will follow suit unless you follow the new god BristleWhatsIsName (in which case Dirge rezz is kinda nice - not essentia, you can always tinker)When dual boxing I never run out of power on the SK, its always life, so keeping the fights short (which they will both do with okayish and similar dps) is important, but so is limiting incoming damage - thats why an Illusioniist beats either hands down(Plus, have you ever tried "soloing" a SK with haste, synergy, time compression & illusionary arm ? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" /> )The illusionist being a mage is completely non-positional (unless you spec STR).  Group invis is nice for getting around too, although the dungeon speed buffs from both bards are nice for training.I would rank them Illus >> Dirge > Troub.  <i><u><b>If you want to raid though, leave the SK at home,</b></u></i> and play Dirge or Illus.  Troub is way too tedious, and you'll never get a raid invite on a SK.</blockquote>Sounds to me like you're saying, "I suck at playing SK so no raid guild wants me, and thus I roll some slacker utility class so I'm not stuck with incompetent labs PUs all the time and everyone else must do the same."</blockquote>Sounds to me like you have no clue how little your class offers a raid.  Those 'slacker utility classes' bring double what you can.  There is no class more useless on a raid than a SK - I don't give a [I cannot control my vocabulary] how uber you think you are.</blockquote>Point is, any class can make itself useful if played right. If not, everyone woul be a Bard or Chanter. Why the [Removed for Content] do you think NPU has a Bruiser and a Paladin?