Newb Q: Crushing, piercing, and tips for raising skill level?

[Gi]

<p>My little Sarnak coercer is 30 now, with 31AA.  I've killed a lot of mobs and quests both, but I haven't melee'd much at all.  My crushing is around 50/150; my piercing is around 10.</p><p>Oops? I'm not sure whether it's important to raise these, or even <i>how</i>.  I've been trying to melee a little since noticing this a couple days ago, but it seems my skill never goes up.  Any advice?</p><p>thanks!</p>

[Sunlei]

<p> Takes a while to skill up, if you've fallen behind. Keep on trying to hit the monsters without dieing <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Some people carry a bag of all the weapon types and switch out every lvl, to keep skills up.</p><p>Anyways I found a secret place to up my weapon skills, won't be secret anymore hehe. In the arena they have some game where you attack the statues and what ever team 'kills' their totem first wins.</p><p>You can make a arena game and chop chop, stab, stab ,stab a statue and get skill-ups. You'll be alone but beware, sometimes some lvl 70ish comes in the arena and sees you chipping at a totem and they one shot kill you dead.</p><p>now soe will prolly take away my training skillz arena cause i placed this here <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>...it's ok my knife and  crushing skills are maxed. <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Gi]

Thanks Sunlei, I'll check it out.  Lips zipped. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Obsidiann]

There is no reason to level these up unless you plan on using the STR line, and that isn't really recommended these days.

[Gi]

<p>Despite Obsidiann's comment, I decided to raise my crushing skill so I could make better use of the Nullifying Staff skill.  I found the arena trick has been "fixed"... alas, no more raising weapon skills there.  But the approach was a good inspiration.  I found some barely grey mobs (so they couldn't hurt me) and a fast, very low-damage crushing weapon (so I wouldn't kill them too fast) and just let my toon whack on them while I watched TV.  It's not fast but it works, and my staff actually hits now.</p><p>thanks!</p>