Coercer... maxing dps?

[Turb]

<p>Hi,</p><p>I'm sure I can improve my dps... and would welcome any tips to do so <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>Currently I believe AGI-INT is the best dps spec.    I haven't gone down the Resistences coercer line for Tashiana debuff, because our raid needs other coercer lines (Thought Snap or Mana Ward).   I guess that would help if I did.</p><p>Obviously we have the issue that our reactive damage spells require mobs to land attacks and actually use power to do damage, which often doesn't happen.    My reactives tend to expire before they all trigger, which kind of limits the value of the coersion line.</p><p>What I try to do is land the AEs and debuff, and to spread my two dots and at least Auspex around if there's more than one mob, while fitting in the DD nuke when I can.   I have as much proc gear as I can get my little ratonga paws on.    But I'm coming nowhere close to the 1k people suggest we should be able to do consistently, let alone the 1.5k-2k zonewide I see claimed by some.</p><p>Maybe RoK offers some hope, since I believe we get two AA specs to toggle between via a house item, and 20 extra AA in each tree.    So maybe I can then go STR-AGI-INT and also add Tashiana, though I'm sure our RL would prefer me to have Thought Snap, Mana Ward and Coercive Healing.</p><p>Edit: I am usually in the MT group, with a dirge and templar but no mage/troub buffs. </p><p>Anyways, any DPS advice welcome (except for 'betray to illusionist' that is!).</p><p>Thanks.</p><p>Jal.</p>

[Lord Montague]

<p>Personally, I feel expecting a non-dps class to do dps is much akin to expecting to fit a square peg into a round hole.  I play my coercer for utility, and I have other characters if I want to dps.  That being said, there are a few things you can do that might help, though.</p><p>1. Look into +spell damage items and adornments.  They add up fast and are a nice way to get more damage when you're already at the diminishing returns curve on INT.</p><p>2. Although I know in future equipment these are going away (hence the emphasis on +spell damage), spell proc items are nice too.</p><p>3. If you have the end ability in the INT line, you can force your power to go down to 30% using Run before the pull to get that boost in damage. This is tricky to maintain, and often times I see coercers run out of power using this tactic, nor would they be able to use Mana Flow to be able to toss a little extra power to a healer in need.</p><p>4. Make use of those spell crit potions.</p><p>There is nothing you can do about the mechanics on some of the reactive damage - unless a change is made that Auspex would proc on any attack (successful or not - oh how nice that would be because then the tanks avoidance would not pose a hinderance like it does now).  And the people who think a coercer can break 1k dps, unless they are very [Removed for Content] well equipped, you'll be very hard pressed to do that.</p>

[Turb]

<p>Yeah, I'm not expecting to push out 2-3k dps or more like real dps classes do, but to come closer to middling dps around the 1-1.5k mark, to at least feel like I'm contributing more.   And to also have another target to aim at, to feel I'm improving over time <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Have picked up some tips off eq2flames.com which I'll test tonight.   I have a fair amount of proc gear, but you're right +spell damage is also important and RoK seems to have no proc gear at all so +damage is the future.</p><p>It's tricky to spend cash adorning now when new gear is so close.    There seems to be a taste of new gear in SoF, e.g. the +100 spell damage neck item off the x2 dracoliche and the +40 spell damage shoulder item (which is pretty nice for a 'trash' treasured drop!).    It all adds up <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>ANyway thanks for the comments and any more that come.</p><p>  </p>

[Rumbler]

<p>I still struggle with getting good dps but usually manage at least 1k and upto 1.5k. I have a pretty mixed aa setup mostly geared towards being in MT group so it isn't the best aa spec for dps. I also have part of the str line and actually get about 20-25% of my damage from melee which is probably very weird for a coercer. I don't agree we shouldn't be able to do better dps. I think SoE took away aspects of the coercer class (charm) because they didn't know how to deal with it's misuse and didn't bother to put anything back in it's place. I am raid focussed so anything here refers only to raids for the most part.</p><p>The things I have found are:</p><ul><li>You need to know what you are fighting. If it casts combat arts or spells. If it doesn't you are wasting your time casting our reactive dps spells and should stick to stroke and other direct damage. </li><li>You have to watch your maintained spells list to see when the reactives have triggered and dropped early.</li><li>You need to make sure your two debuffs are on all the time. Wait for breakdown to finish as it goes bang at the end.</li><li>You need to make sure you aren't overcasting your reactives or breakdown as recasting them when they are up does nothing but waste an opportunity to cast Stroke.</li><li>As with any class you need to watch what group members are casting to make the most of short term proccing buffs.</li><li>You have to have master level damage spells - dah!</li><li>Procing gear and +spell damage does help although I would be careful not to let your defences suffer for the sake of a little extra dps.</li><li>The group you are in makes a huge difference to your dps. Get in with a Troubadore and you should have much higher dps. Coercers don't usually get in the mage dps groups.</li></ul><p>PS Our AoE damage is actually pretty good so make the most of it when appropriate. I also try to land Auspex on each mob in the encounter if I have time and think it will trigger. Sometimes you have to debuff them all to get it to land.</p>

[Aule]

<p>I have STR 4 4 8 8 and AGI 4 4 8 7 1+445 spell damage normally(+470 if unable to melee the whole fight)Wielded: Soulfire Staff</p><p>EOF AA lines: Coercive Healing and Manaward</p><p>Proc items normally worn are: Bone-Clasped GirdleNecromantic Orb of the Death RevelerMystical Orb of the Invoker</p><p>None of my gear is contested quality.  </p><p>Typically am in off tank group.  Getting Dirge goodness to go with STR line goodness and a Warlock with Propagations line.   If it's too dangerous to melee then I will swap out a couple spell damage items for more proc's and swap my haste item out with a spell damage item.  Otherwise it's been a DPS loss historically for those slots to wear proc items.</p><p>With all this I normally run 1500-2100 DPS zonewide, depending on various mob factors. </p><p>Hope that gives you an idea.</p>

[Turb]

<p>Thanks, sounds encouraging from both of you <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I'd considered STR-AGI, which seems a nice fit as faster casting means more time for melee attacks, but I assumed with our modest STR (in MT group I see 250-300 STR at best) I would have guessed the melee damage is just token.    </p><p>Do you know how much of your damage is melee?</p><p>Does that spellblade counter spell ability work on epics?</p><p>With 20 extra AA in RoK, it seems that STR-AGI-INT may be beckoning...</p>

[Aule]

<p>Spellblade counter is so useless I dropped it in favor of other stuff.  </p><p>In the normal group I'm in getting 3 melee proc buff's my crush + melee proc's runs 16-20% typically.  Highest single melee crit hit has been 953 at about 335 str.</p><p>And yeah with 20 more AA's I'm looking at trying out:</p><p>STR 4 4 5 8AGI 4 4 8 6 1INT 4 6 4 8 1</p>

[Rumbler]

I still have spellblade but should probably drop it. It does hit epics but it won't protect you from their AoE.

[Turb]

<p>So I tried a revised AGI-INT build in our MMIS/CMF/Cheldrak run last night and with the tips was pushing over 1k DPS, which is a nice improvement <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Cheldrak dropped his shard, and I picked that up for pretty much min DKP bid so will try out STR-AGI for a short while using the shard (I should pull my finger out and finish SoD for the soulfire staff but it's my third toon through SoD and I need to gather some stamina for the MMC/CMM part first!).</p><p>Then post-RoK I'll also try the STR-AGI-INT combo.</p>