I can't concentrate ...

[Oakleafe]

Hi, I've a fairly new and shiny troubador (level 27) that I'm trying out and have a few questions that I'm hoping you can help me with.  This is one of them ...I've 8 spells that I can cast (i.e. the group buffs that remain until cancelled) that use 1 slot of concentration each, and obviously I only have 5 concentration slots.  So far, I've assumed that there are, sort of, 3 flavours of these spells; generic (i.e. good for all classes), melee beneficial & caster beneficial.Am I correct?If so, are there clear set ups that you'd do depending upon whether you are being asked to benefit the tank/melee types or the casters?At the moment I'm picking the ones that benefit melee as I'm soloing and have the mobs in my face, but would like to know so I can plan for the future and can adjust depending upon groups I join.Thanks in advance. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[Oakleafe]

Think my spelling must have been haywire when I tried my original search on this subject!  Anyway, I've found some old threads now and will link them in here (and will add if I find more):<a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=193835" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=193835</a><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=381558" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=381558</a><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=406560" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=406560</a>On a side note, I started the thread 3 weeks ago and I'm only level 29!  What a big time slacker!  Think the time I've spent in tier one zones trying to find the butterflies and moths that the annoying lass on the Thundering Steppes docks wants is part of the reason though! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[vladsamier]

Here is a combination that works a majority of the time for regular grouping...1) Dehate buff2) Haste buff3) STR/STA buff4) Spell proc buff5) Mana Regen buff

[Jenguro]

One of my favorite things about Troubadors is their versatility <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  You can change the songs you are playing for a variety of different situations to meet different needs.  This is how I usually approach my song choice:Normal Group:- aggro+ power regen+ attack speed+ spell proc+ strength/staminaIf there is at least one mage in the group, I would always use + spell proc.  If the mage is below the level of what you're fighting, or the tank is a Paladin or Shadow Knight and is, I would use + casting skills.  If the healers are struggling, I would use +defense or +health regeneration or both.  If the tank is a higher level than the dps, or has other good aggro control abilities (e.g. amends), I would drop - aggro and use something else.  So it all depends on the group's makeup and what they're struggling with.

[peepshow]

Depending on where you are running / grouping / Raiding.Pretty much always run these:-Aggro+Spell proc+Haste+Casting skills+Strenght/StaminaIf we are short of an Illusionist and its my group getting the short end, I just swap the +Strenght/Stamina with +Power

[Oakleafe]

Many thanks for the replies.  From those responses and from the other threads I'm going to give the following a try ...Solo:1. Haste2. Spell Proc3. "Casting skills" (seem like a "must have" to me)4. STR/STA5. Health regen / Power regen (based on circumstances)Left out: Health regen / Power regen & + defence & Hate debuff & mitigation * 2 (I only have one but the AAs seem to suggest a second)Group: 1. Haste2. Spell Proc3. "Casting skills"4. STR/STA5. Hate debuffLeft out: Health regen & Power regen & + defence & mitigation * 2Raid: 1. Haste 2. Spell Proc 3. "Casting skills" 4. STR/STA or specific mitigation debuff 5. Hate debuff or Health or Power regenLeft out: Hate debuff / Health regen / Power regen & + defence & mitigation & STR/STA / MitigationHave to see how it goes. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[Enoa]

<p>Casting skills is not a must have.   While leveling up I only used it for mez/ nuking a heroic named.   If you're fighting an orange mob it may be reasonable to use it.   Health regen is okay to pop on when you need a break and have a mob mezzed.   other than that it's useless.   Do what slamdam said for 95% of your group/solo/raid experience.  </p><p>Arias (ALWAYS)</p><p>Alins (ALWAYS unless you have a pally with good amends target or are soloing)</p><p>STR/STA (always)</p><p>Haste (ALWAYS) </p><p>Power regen (almost always unless other power regen in group)</p><p>Optional:</p><p>Arcane/ elemental buff (not really needed at all till higher level than OP)</p><p>Defense (good for soloing i suppose)</p>

[Oakleafe]

<cite>Enoa@Kithicor wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Casting skills is not a must have.   While leveling up I only used it for mez/ nuking a heroic named.   If you're fighting an orange mob it may be reasonable to use it. </p></blockquote>I'm doing the bone collecting live event, so am fighting a lot of even con mobs.  While doing this AND having the "casting skills" buff on, I am still getting a fair number of certain spells/attacks resisted.  If I did not have the buff on, the number of resists would be a lot higher.  It seems to me that making sure an attack/taunt/heal/whatever is successful is fairly important, as it makes all those AAs spent by folks on their crits etc. worthwhile.I'm not trying to pick a fight here!  lol  Just want to know what am I missing?Is it an assumption that if you are grouped there are enough buffs from the various group members that the resist/fail rate is reduced enough anyway?Is it a level thing?  I mean, at level 80 most people would have AAs that improve their resists etc. anyway, but at level 32 (woo, 5 levels in one and a half months!) it'll be a lot different.

[Enoa]

<cite>Oakleafe wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Enoa@Kithicor wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Casting skills is not a must have.   While leveling up I only used it for mez/ nuking a heroic named.   If you're fighting an orange mob it may be reasonable to use it. </p></blockquote>I'm doing the bone collecting live event, so am fighting a lot of even con mobs.  While doing this AND having the "casting skills" buff on, I am still getting a fair number of certain spells/attacks resisted.  If I did not have the buff on, the number of resists would be a lot higher.  It seems to me that making sure an attack/taunt/heal/whatever is successful is fairly important, as it makes all those AAs spent by folks on their crits etc. worthwhile.I'm not trying to pick a fight here!  lol  Just want to know what am I missing?Is it an assumption that if you are grouped there are enough buffs from the various group members that the resist/fail rate is reduced enough anyway?Is it a level thing?  I mean, at level 80 most people would have AAs that improve their resists etc. anyway, but at level 32 (woo, 5 levels in one and a half months!) it'll be a lot different.</blockquote><p>Well i just ran Veksar with a group with two mages and no troub (no casting skill buff).   The congy and necro's to hit rate was 99% (though we did have a brigand with us so there is considerable debuffage).   How much you going to improve on 99%. </p><p>It's been awhile since level 32 though... maybe things are different back then.  </p><p>Are you using your snare/mental debuff?   IT's a must have and should be cast ASAP on any mob target.   It will improve your hit rate more than anything else imho. </p><p>Generally speaking ... for the troub going down the troub aa line to decrease resist rate on your debuffs is a poor choice.  There is just better stuff in the other trees.  but that's for another thread.</p>

[Oakleafe]

<cite>Enoa@Kithicor wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite></cite><p>How much you going to improve on 99%. </p></blockquote>Erm, 1%? <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Thanks for the reply Enoa.  At my level it's still worth using the "casting skill" buff, but I know have a mental note to try losing it as I go up the tiers (probably just become a nice to have when you need to mitigate against the resists caused by levelling up i.e. while I level the various stats up by the 5 points).Oh, yes to the snare btw.

[Redsun86]

when soloing I always useDmg Proc.HealthDef.HasteSta/StrAlso when I was that low a Lvl I was mostly focused on Melee atk, I am sure theres a thread on Soloing as a troub you can read up on. like S&B aa set up will help a lot.Grp/Raid Songs Dmg Proc --- Never take offDe agro--- Never take offPower --- only take off if there is no Illy (the reason I keep up is because our debuffs take power over time. this buff will cover 2 of them)Haste --- Mostly keep upSta/Str ---Will swap out for resist buff/ward~Redsun/Lillybeth

[Rayche]

I've read in a few places that the Defensive buff is worthless. I don't know, but that's what I've read. In my experience I haven't found it to make much difference.Here's what I run with while soloing:HP RegenPower RegenHasteSpell ProcStr/StaWhen I'm grouping I'll swap -Aggro with the HP Regen.If I'm going to solo a tough/heroic caster I'll swap the +Haste with Arcane Chorus.

[Bozidar]

<p>In a situation where your group is in a dungeon and the mobs are high-yellow/orange to you..</p><p>wouldn't the defense for the tank (and anyone else pulling aggro) be more useful than the STR/STA buff?  I guess if you have a melee priest, yourself, tank, and 3 rogues/assassins.. maybe the str will help.</p><p>I dunno, maybe the defense buff is less useful than i thought.</p><p>When i'm solo questing i rarely have the power regen on, and always have the health regen on.  dmg proc, str/sta, defense, and haste.</p><p>I always run out of health faster than power, especially in t8, the power regen is useless to me unless i'm raiding or in a group dungeon trying to tear through content -- at which point the health regen becomes useless.</p>