Improving my PvP as a monk?

[Kere]

<p>Anyone got tips for a PvP monk?  I play on Venekor.  I just hit 40 yesterday and my record is like 10 wins, 29 losses or thereabouts.  It's really horrible.</p> <p>I get beat handily by players 5-6 levels below me in 1 vs. 1 combat and if 2 players jump me they can even be 10 or more levels below me and I'm toast.</p> <p>Even if I get the jump on a player who is below me level-wise, I can barely hold my own, and I usually lose.  If they get the jump on me, it's not even close.</p> <p>So what can I do to get better?  I have full MC armor, and have Adept 3 or Master I on nearly all my combat arts.  My jewelry is a bit lacking, but it's not horrible.</p> <p>I used to have about 5-6 more AA's than my character level, but that's slipped now that the xp curve has been jumped so drastically.  Now my AA's are the same as my char level.  I am fully specced in the Crane Sensei line, and am going down the Mantis line next... not sure what else I can tell you <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p> <p>Am I not playing my monk right?  Do monks just have problems at PvP?  What can I change to be able to survive or win at PvP as a monk?</p>

[circusgirl]

<p>you need to go down the int line--get to the ability that gives you 100% critical hits at 30% or below life.</p> <p>Then just focus on staying alive for as long as possible once you hit 30%.  Popping Tsunami and Outward calm will give you 12 seconds of you not taking any damage while you hit your opponent critically on every shot.  Start chain-stunning them once Tsunami wears off.  And save your mend until the last moment possible...that way you spend as much of the battle at low health taking advantage of that critical hit bonus as possible. </p>

[Kere]

<p>Thanks for that suggestion - I die so much, I get below 30% health pretty regularly <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p> <p>*edit* I don't seem to have a Tsunami or Outward Calm skill - they must be higher level.  Are they similar to the "Walk like Mountain" skill, where it ups your mitigation, but roots you in place?</p>

[Ol]

<p>ok first, my monk is sta/int line both end line abilities. then i went down the heal enchancemant will of the void enhancement, tsunami and outward calm and such. these lines seem to be working well for a 55 monk</p><p>Tsunami and outward calm are your bread and butter. outward calm you get at level 52. at ad3 it provides a 4.3k ward, which really is a killer on the casters. always pop this in any fight,even if they are a melee class, for it will ward any MAGIC(important word) damage. for scouts it will ward those posions and procs. Tsunami is achieved at level 55, and you get 100% immunity to all damage for x amount of seconds(varies on rank). these are very important CA's. Also time your stuns/stifles/knockbacks. if your near a ledge KB them off the ledge and kill them! its important to time these, so you can keep them at bay for most of the fight.</p><p>Hope that helps</p>

[Kere]

<p>Thanks for the suggestions.  I got into several pvp scraps this weekend, even managed to win a couple of them <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>My biggest problem is that I'm old... so my reaction time isn't as good as it once was.  And it seems like everyone I fight is a ratonga or other teeny tiny race, and they insist on running circles around me as I'm trying to beat them, which makes targeting hard <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Select nearest hostile hotkey helps with that though.  I'm getting better, but still get beat way too much for my liking...</p>

[dellaripa]

<p><cite>Kerec@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Thanks for the suggestions.  I got into several pvp scraps this weekend, even managed to win a couple of them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>My biggest problem is that I'm old... so my reaction time isn't as good as it once was.  And it seems like everyone I fight is a ratonga or other teeny tiny race, and they insist on running circles around me as I'm trying to beat them, which makes targeting hard <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Select nearest hostile hotkey helps with that though.  I'm getting better, but still get beat way too much for my liking...</p></blockquote><p>Haha I'm old too.  It's hard to compete against those darn wippersnappers.</p><p>I like this class for PvP and I do pretty well.  I'm far from unbeatable though.  My best upgrade I ever made, and this is huge, was to befriend a healer.  Now I can do pretty good damage, can taunt, root, and have tons of heals.  I'm twice the monk now.  Plus he upgrades each level for free.</p>

[sokil]

<p>As far as reaction time.  Program all your keys so they are in the most easiliy reached spot. I have my keyboard set up for pvp and pve is secondary wtih those keys being more dificult to reach.</p><p>All those teenie weenies running around are a pain but here are some tips that may or may not help. I zoom out way out of first person (at all times, except in some buildings) so I can see the whole area even if they are running around me. My pvp targeting buttons are on my mouse so it does not hurt my movement abilty to try to target someone.</p><p>skill will make up the difference between reaction time (and gear). I have my graphics set on max at all times becuase I like the spell effects so often its hard for me to see with all the bright lights and such but I live with that because I want to see the game effects. I will never beat the reaction time of a 15 yr old but I have more skill I hope and the older I get the less I toss my keyboard accross the room when I die in pvp. Once I even laughed when I died.</p>

[Kere]

<p>Just to update everyone (and any new monks who might be reading this as well), I am now level 49.</p><p>I respecced so I could take the Crane Sensei line, and the improved Heal - this has made a world of difference.  Since I routinely get jumped by more than one player, the AE knockdown, AE double attack skills are wonderful.  Even without all my CA's being at AD3 or higher, my record has improved to 48-50 now (EL was a hotbed of pvp activity this past weekend <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />) which is a big improvement over my 10-29 record when I initially posted <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Thanks for all the suggestions everyone gave me, they were quite useful.  And I will try out putting my targeting hotkey on my mouse - good idea!!</p>

[Ol]

<p>Actually, i recently respeced my monks aa's and it did wonders. instead  of my old sta/int i went4 4 8 str4 4 8 wis4 4 8 int that was i get the double attack of the str line, AoE attack of the wis line, and crits of the int line only thing is that the aoe can get tricky, but thats why theres fd. then i headed down and maxed my heal, got the will of the void stuff, and maxed out outward calm. I greatly reccomend this path. i can take down yellows without even having to use my heal. and thats running around 42mced armor/jewels and ap4s-ad1s at level 56</p>

[zaltar]

<p><cite>Kerec@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Just to update everyone (and any new monks who might be reading this as well), I am now level 49.</p><p>I respecced so I could take the Crane Sensei line, and the improved Heal - this has made a world of difference.  Since I routinely get jumped by more than one player, the AE knockdown, AE double attack skills are wonderful.  Even without all my CA's being at AD3 or higher, my record has improved to 48-50 now (EL was a hotbed of pvp activity this past weekend <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />) which is a big improvement over my 10-29 record when I initially posted <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Thanks for all the suggestions everyone gave me, they were quite useful.  And I will try out putting my targeting hotkey on my mouse - good idea!!</p></blockquote><p>          What other posters said about outward calm and tsunami is correct , these are probably your most valuable abilities in pvp and they can both be enhanced through monk aa line.</p><p>I use stamina and int lines for brawler , the mantis leap teleport is also one of my most valuable skills in pvp and I also have killed runners using mantis star stamina debuff many times.</p><p>I dont find the wis line to be that useful in pvp , the knockdown is nice but the damage isnt that great , I may switch back from int to str now that weapons will be enabled with that line in TSO , chi is an amazing skill and will be quite nice with a weapon .</p><p>You will find that once you get into T6 and higher your monk will become alot more powerful and with master level skills you will be hitting pretty hard , you need to use your stunns and stifles as well as your taunts in pvp.</p>