Few SK questions?

[Whatyastarinat]

I was reading a SK thrd and they say Blessing is beast til 55 tap veins. Well I don't remeber lvl but I got Infernal Pact, and I replaced blessing with it. Was that a good move? On another nots, along same lines, sometimes as I lvl I get newer versions of old spells/cas are there any older ones I should keep for a while, or is it good to replace older with newer pretty much everytime? Thanks for any and all help.

[MaCloud1032]

Always upgrade to the new teir.  Especialy on a pvp server.  On pve servers you can get away with app4s but in pvp if your anything less than add3 your just going to get resisted.

[Nor]

<cite>Whatyastarinat@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>I was reading a SK thrd and they say Blessing is beast til 55 tap veins. Well I don't remeber lvl but I got Infernal Pact, and I replaced blessing with it. Was that a good move? On another nots, along same lines, sometimes as I lvl I get newer versions of old spells/cas are there any older ones I should keep for a while, or is it good to replace older with newer pretty much everytime? Thanks for any and all help. </blockquote><p>I'm going to try and translate this so I can understand it better....</p><p><i>I was reading a shadowknight thread and it said that "Infernal Blessing" is best until "Tap Veins" at level 55.  I don't remember the level that I got "Infernal Pact", but I replaced "Infernal Blessing" with it.  Was that a good move?</i></p><p><i>On another note along the same lines, sometimes as I level I get newer versions of spells I already have.  Would it be best to always use the newer versions, or keep the older ones?  Are there any that don't upgrade?</i></p><p>Now, assuming my translation was correct....here are my answers!</p><p>Infernal Blessing is replaced every 14 levels.  This means that at level 26 you will get an upgraded version of the same spell.  Spells in the same line, such as your single target taunt (be it the splitpaw version or the one you get as you level) do not stack.  In other words, once you cast a spell/combat art of the same type, all of the upgraded versions will not be useable because of the same timer.  Clear as mud, I hope?  That being said, the level 12 version of Infernal Blessing upgraded to an Adept III will be slightly less powerful than the level 26 version (Infernal Pact) that is upgraded to an Apprentice IV.  So to answer your second question, delve or examine the spells and compare them.  If you don't have a spell that is higher than an Apprentice I version, your older, lower level version might actually be better.  Always upgrade your spells as much as you can though, it will increase your effectiveness by A LOT.</p><p>Tap veins is not the same thing as your infernal line.  tap veins is an area effect lifetap spell.  Depending on how many mobs in the encounter, how high you have it upgraded (Master I, etc) will depend on which one gives you the most life at any given time.  The infernal line is kind of a heal over time, just because you have to be damaged before any healing takes place.  Tap veins, as long as it isn't resisted gives you the health all at once.  So, as far as tap veins being "better", I guess it depends on how you look at it and what you are considering "better" to mean.</p><p>As far as I know, all spells upgrade at least once between level 1 and level 80.  There are a few exceptions.  The splitpaw taunt, the bloodlines debuff, evac, your gate/recall of course, and then the high level spells that don't have 12 levels after when they appear to be upgraded (or 10 if they changed that after level 70 or whatever it was).</p>

[Norrsken]

<cite>Noruh wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Whatyastarinat@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>I was reading a SK thrd and they say Blessing is beast til 55 tap veins. Well I don't remeber lvl but I got Infernal Pact, and I replaced blessing with it. Was that a good move? On another nots, along same lines, sometimes as I lvl I get newer versions of old spells/cas are there any older ones I should keep for a while, or is it good to replace older with newer pretty much everytime? Thanks for any and all help. </blockquote><p>I'm going to try and translate this so I can understand it better....</p><p><i>I was reading a shadowknight thread and it said that "Infernal Blessing" is best until "Tap Veins" at level 55.  I don't remember the level that I got "Infernal Pact", but I replaced "Infernal Blessing" with it.  Was that a good move?</i></p><p><i>On another note along the same lines, sometimes as I level I get newer versions of spells I already have.  Would it be best to always use the newer versions, or keep the older ones?  Are there any that don't upgrade?</i></p><p>Now, assuming my translation was correct....here are my answers!</p><p>Infernal Blessing is replaced every 14 levels.  This means that at level 26 you will get an upgraded version of the same spell.  Spells in the same line, such as your single target taunt (be it the splitpaw version or the one you get as you level) do not stack.  In other words, once you cast a spell/combat art of the same type, all of the upgraded versions will not be useable because of the same timer.  Clear as mud, I hope?  That being said, the level 12 version of Infernal Blessing upgraded to an Adept III will be slightly less powerful than the level 26 version (Infernal Pact) that is upgraded to an Apprentice IV.  So to answer your second question, delve or examine the spells and compare them.  If you don't have a spell that is higher than an Apprentice I version, your older, lower level version might actually be better.  Always upgrade your spells as much as you can though, it will increase your effectiveness by A LOT.</p><p>Tap veins is not the same thing as your infernal line.  tap veins is an area effect lifetap spell.  Depending on how many mobs in the encounter, how high you have it upgraded (Master I, etc) will depend on which one gives you the most life at any given time.  The infernal line is kind of a heal over time, just because you have to be damaged before any healing takes place.  Tap veins, as long as it isn't resisted gives you the health all at once.  So, as far as tap veins being "better", I guess it depends on how you look at it and what you are considering "better" to mean.</p><p>As far as I know, all spells upgrade at least once between level 1 and level 80.  There are a few exceptions.  The splitpaw taunt, the bloodlines debuff, evac, your gate/recall of course, and then the high level spells that don't have 12 levels after when they appear to be upgraded (or 10 if they changed that after level 70 or whatever it was).</p></blockquote>Other stuff that dont upgrade are evacs, waterbreath spells, emergency heals, rezes and some other stuff that make no sense upgrading, like necro FD. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Of those, only evac applies to the sk.

[Whatyastarinat]

Noruh, thanks a lot. That shed alot of light on the situation. Thanks

[MaCloud1032]

<cite>Ulvhamne@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>Other stuff that dont upgrade are evacs, waterbreath spells, emergency heals, rezes and some other stuff that make no sense upgrading, like necro FD. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" />Of those, only evac applies to the sk.</blockquote>forgot rescue

[Norrsken]

<cite>Darksavanna@Venekor wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Ulvhamne@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>Other stuff that dont upgrade are evacs, waterbreath spells, emergency heals, rezes and some other stuff that make no sense upgrading, like necro FD. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img mce_tsrc=" />" width="15" height="15" />Of those, only evac applies to the sk.</blockquote>forgot rescue</blockquote>Uhm. No. Uhm. I were just testing you. Yeah.  Testing...

[Nor]

<p>Ah, right you are.  Ok, here is a complete list...I think!</p><p>5:  City Recall Spell (Gate, if you played EQ1)</p><p>20: Goading Gesture (Splitpaw Single Target Taunt)</p><p>20: Unholy Steed (Summon Lame Horse, 10% Run Speed)</p><p>25: Rescue (Single Target Taunt)</p><p>35: (Bloodlines Spell) </p><p>40: Summon Squire ("Pet" that stands there and watches you die, never helping but looking good.  Henceforth known as a bard) </p><p>44: Shadowy Elusion (Evac Spell)</p><p>50: Hand of Lucan (Fluff Spell)</p><p>58: Death March</p><p>And then of course your level 71-80 Spells...</p>

[Wildmage]

<cite>Noruh wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Ah, right you are.  Ok, here is a complete list...I think!</p><p>5:  City Recall Spell (Gate, if you played EQ1)</p><p>20: Goading Gesture (Splitpaw Single Target Taunt)</p><p>20: Unholy Steed (Summon Lame Horse, 10% Run Speed)</p><p>25: Rescue (Single Target Taunt)</p><p>35: (Bloodlines Spell) </p><p>44: Shadowy Elusion (Evac Spell)</p><p>50: Hand of Lucan (Fluff Spell)</p><p>58: Death March</p><p>And then of course your level 71-80 Spells...</p></blockquote>you forgot 40: Squire fluff pet

[Nor]

Notice how the ones that don't upgrade never get used anyways...should we add the drain str and drain mana spells?

[Nulgara]

mana drain i might agree with adding to that list but i still use it occasionallyStr tap however I dont agree. I use that spell ALL the time. ad3 at lvl 80 it taps 74 str and with my aa also taps 80 stamina. Somehow that doesnt sound useless to me. end result mob hits for less per shot i hit for a little more per shot and I get an extra 240 hp for that fight. far from useless if ya ask me

[jagermonsta]

Tap Veins doesn't upgrade till mid 70s.

[jagermonsta]

<cite>Noruh wrote:</cite><blockquote>Notice how the ones that don't upgrade never get used anyways...should we add the drain str and drain mana spells?</blockquote>Hmm being a MT I don't see how you couldn't use mana drain? I use it ALL the time, at the rate I pull at I need to.