Help with Iksar traditions and traits...

[Solu]

<p>So I'm nearing the end of my buddy key trial and decided to reactivate my EoF era account.  After trying this and that, reading here and there... I've settled on an Iksar bruiser starting in Freeport.  Partly because I like the race look, partly the racials, partly the min/max in me and so on.</p><p>Problem as I see it is the 'choices' along the way not really knowing the game in any real depth.  I want to play this bruiser mostly solo, some group dungeons nearly never multi group raids.  That in mind I want to pump my self sufficiency and dps, I think.  And here is where I need help.  The traditions for Iksar are:</p><p>Poison DoTAGI +5Deflect/Defense +5Underwater breathingReduce fall dmg -25%Max HP 3%Disease MitMelee crit 2%, Parry +5Chemistry +5Tailor mp cost -10%</p><p>I won't be a tailor so Whipstitch is out and though I will be an Alchemist(from memory they make fighter skills) how much of an advantage is 5 chemistry for a casual crafter?  On that note, last time I played again from memory, crafting bumped up in successful combines pretty badly by 30s.  Is it still the case that I can make 10 CAs at level 5 and level but at 30 I need to churn out 100 for example?</p><p>Either way, we're talking 8-9 skills that I like on paper(iffy about DoT), its just a matter of when they make the most sense gameplay wise.  Sample, underwater breathing opens up possibilities... if they exist at the level I take it <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />" width="15" height="15" />  5 AGI is another 'when' choice.  Early its a large increase, but how effective is it compared to say +5 defense/deflect or 2% crit/parry.  My last chars were Kelethin toons so Rept Grace would have been nice right away but for the Freeport/Neriak/Butcher areas when does falling start to come into play?</p><p>Lastly the 8/18/22... traits.</p><p>What are the solo friendly dps choices for stats/resists/(hp/mp) along the way keeping the Iksar traditions in mind?  Thanks.</p>

[Pnaxx]

<cite>Solude wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>So I'm nearing the end of my buddy key trial and decided to reactivate my EoF era account.  After trying this and that, reading here and there... I've settled on an Iksar bruiser starting in Freeport.  Partly because I like the race look, partly the racials, partly the min/max in me and so on.</p><p>Problem as I see it is the 'choices' along the way not really knowing the game in any real depth.  I want to play this bruiser mostly solo, some group dungeons nearly never multi group raids.  That in mind I want to pump my self sufficiency and dps, I think.  And here is where I need help.  The traditions for Iksar are:</p><p>Poison DoT<b>AGI +5Deflect/Defense +5Underwater breathing</b>Reduce fall dmg -25%<b>Max HP 3%</b>Disease Mit<b>Melee crit 2%, Parry +5</b>Chemistry +5Tailor mp cost -10%</p><p>I won't be a tailor so Whipstitch is out and though I will be an Alchemist(from memory they make fighter skills) how much of an advantage is 5 chemistry for a casual crafter?  On that note, last time I played again from memory, crafting bumped up in successful combines pretty badly by 30s.  Is it still the case that I can make 10 CAs at level 5 and level but at 30 I need to churn out 100 for example?</p><p>Either way, we're talking 8-9 skills that I like on paper(iffy about DoT), its just a matter of when they make the most sense gameplay wise.  Sample, underwater breathing opens up possibilities... if they exist at the level I take it <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY<img src=" width="15" height="15" />" width="15" height="15">  5 AGI is another 'when' choice.  Early its a large increase, but how effective is it compared to say +5 defense/deflect or 2% crit/parry.  My last chars were Kelethin toons so Rept Grace would have been nice right away but for the Freeport/Neriak/Butcher areas when does falling start to come into play?</p><p>Lastly the 8/18/22... traits.</p><p>What are the solo friendly dps choices for stats/resists/(hp/mp) along the way keeping the Iksar traditions in mind?  Thanks.</p></blockquote><p>Hey fellow Iksar! I got my Bruiser pumped up to 78 right now...I'll give input as much as I can.</p><p>I would go with the % stuff first so it levels with you. But rally, you will keep getting these choices...so maybe at this young age, the +5 is better. You may have to do the math on that. But stick with the combat oriented stuff first. But I love Underwater Breathing...I gotta say. I drowned alot...lol.</p><p>Also, stick with things that are permanent instead of the buttons you need to push for the thing to work. The recast is too long fer me on those...so i always stuck to things that are passive and permanant.</p><p>And in closing...STR and AGI are what you want to boost the most when you can. So when you see those choices, take em...but not to the detrament of def. Stay balanced. But as far as the Iksar tradition...yea...Underwater Breathing is one right there. You will get a chance for stealth...avaiod it...it sucks....eats your power away fast and so u can't keep it on long at all.</p>

[Fonil]

Single best Iksar racial imo is the Venomed strike or what ever it is, range on it is amazing and does decent dps I would say 20-30 extra dps.

[tanus]

The regular character traits, the +stat or +resist stuff.  I always have picked sta or +%hp.  Remember, at end game your hps are your resists...and the more you have the easier it is for you to tank without worrying about dieing lol.

[Solu]

<p>If I follow you tanus you are suggesting for instance 8-4STA, 10-3% hp, 18-2.5% hp, 22-insert resist choice... and repeat top cap hp?  Or is that the more tank choice?</p><p>On that note, later on solo wise is it better to select the %hp, hp regen, %mp or mp regen?  Right now obviously I never run out of power but later I imagine OOM becomes a reality?</p><p>Also what stat if any affects crit?  What AA line compliments the unarmed line?  Thanks.</p>

[Splor]

You'll have no problem managing power if you do 3 things. First off get a phantom handle for your weapon that has the slowest delay. Second get your manastone. third buy mana regen potions. You should be able to push yourself to you max as far as your power goes. if you run out of power with that setup you either won't have the life to keep fighting or you just screwing around with a level 40ish epic x4.

[Solu]

So looks like STR, MP regen and rotating resists is my best bet for dps, balanced resists.  In the final tier we get to chose a melee resist, which one is the most common? Slash, Pierce or Crush?  Come to think of it, is there a magic resist that is more handy/common that I should focus on trait wise?  Spell types that can really [Removed for Content] a bruiser type thing?

[Pnaxx]

<p>I had a cheap respec for my traits, so I went ahead and put the Venomous Strike in...yea...it is noce.....I really over looked that. It has a great range to it too....hits for alot of damage and then the dots. So nice call on that whoever pointed that out....nice extra strike fer me.</p><p>Now I have a nice ranged attack by using that Tele Punch, which hits for over 1K, plus the Ven Strike, which hits for around 800....and before the mob gets to me it has been dropped for colose to 2k of damage! Not too bad!</p>

[Solu]

<p>So my bruiser is cruising along, hoping to make 20 tonight or tomorrow but...</p><p>I've been looking over the forums and found the /weapon command and then I frowned.  Turns out the numbers i get for weapons in the character sheet unarmed aren't two nice weapons, they are 1 meh weapon.  Now I'm also poor since my previous main from EoF is only 33 and i don't really want to rob from him to feed the new main too much.  So STR AA seemed like the obvious choice when I thought I was dualing unarmed.  So is it that the double attack, mit debuff and added str close the gap over say the INT lines crit which effects auto and ca dmg?</p><p>Assume that this toon will likely never be geared well, using solo quest and inexpensive AH gear for a good long while.  Current plan is STR then INT then AGI.  In case my memory is foggy thats DA,Crit,Reuse before going into Bruiser tree for yellow and red, sorry forget the line names.  Good plan, bad plan, looking too far ahead?</p>

[narcoleptic_l]

<p>solude,</p><p>FORGET the crafting choices unless you're making this toon as a primary tradeskiller... having said that, they aren't really going to do much for you even then. If you leave those out, at level 80 you will have every single other racial ability on the list. The order you pick them in doesn't matter so much, but here are my opinions:</p><p>the DoT strike is simply awesome at any level. 50m range, and the damage scales with your level. VERY good for pulling. I've had it crit for over 1k. It is also considered a melee attack, so any proc's you have that work from melee damage have a chance to proc.</p><p>Water Breathing will keep you from EVER having to do the fishbone earring HQ. I would suggest this as your second or third choice.</p><p>the +5 defense/deflection is awesome, as is the +5 parry/+2 melee crit. these I would focus on as soon as you have the others.</p><p>+3% to base health... this along with the +5parry/deflection/defense is what made me reroll my bruiser from ratonga to Iksar.</p><p>After that, I took the falling damage, then the +5 agi, which isn't doing much for you. last choice will be the disease resist.</p><p>BRUISER training...</p><p>We already self buff str/agi as bruisers, and STR is way to easy to come by on gear. iksar don't start out with the greatest sta. hitpoints are king. pick STA every chance you have, as we can't buff sta on our own.</p><p>More power will do you no good if you are dead, nor will power regen, or health regen for that matter. pick max health every time.</p><p>I rolled up my new bruiser right before RoK was released in light of the racial changes. At 79, w/o any raid gear or instance gear, I'm sitting over 10.6k health w/ 600 sta when solo, and DPS is fine. Your AA build will define your DPS alot more than the class abilities or racials. If you want to max DPS, do this through AA and gear. If you play to 80/140 and do decide to pick up a mirror, the max health build above will set you up nicely and you can switch between DPS mode and tank mode w/o any drawbacks.</p><p>a phantom adornment will do you wonders if you're having power issues, and I have yet to run into any of those on this toon.</p>