Noob Shadowknight question

[ethvia]

<p>Hello all.</p><p>I just started up a Shadowknight and absolutely love it...he takes things down so much faster than my Zerker yet only has one weapon.  The one thing I don't like about being a Shadowknight is being evil...sorry, but I've always played good characters.</p><p>So here's my question.  I play on Antonia Bayle (PVE RP server).  Can I do the betrayal quest from Freeport to Qeynos and still stay as a shadowknight?  I did alot of searching before posting, but everything I found was at least 2 years old.  </p><p>Has anyone done this or can anyone verify that I can stay a Shadowknight in Qeynos?</p><p>thanks!</p><p><img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Writer Cal]

<p>Not completely, no.  To entirely finish the betrayal/citizenship, you would have to change to Paladin.</p>

[Maamadex]

<p>The only crusader you can be in Qeynos is Paladin. With AA's and such, just having one weapon isn't that big of an issue, Knight's stance under TSO (a main aa for both crusaders) adds a significant amount of dmg to using 1 weapon and a shield as well. Shadowknights are an awesome class, if you really dislike being evil and wanna move, paladins are pretty decent at dps, survivability and hate.</p>

[Simon]

<p>I as well am starting a SK, and am fairly new to the game as well. What is the best weapon choice while leveling? A sword and shield? Dual weilding 1h weapons (can SKs even do that?), or a big 2h weapon?</p>

[VikingGamer]

<p>As mentioned, you have to be a Paladin to be a good crusader. The shadowknight fixation of disease and death is bad. Biological warfare is ebil, mkay.</p><p>But it is not so bad. I betrayed at lvl 20 from SK to Paladin and so far I am very pleased with the switch. I was worried at first that I might be gimping myself but that is not the case at all. The Paladin seems to do really good dps as well. The big difference is that you don't rely as much on reactive heals but rather on using wards and direct heals. The result is that you have to watch yourself and choose when to start healing. You have to think about it where the SK it just happened. On the other hand, from what I am told, aggro is much more hands off with the Paladin than the SK so it is really just a matter of choosing what you will have to think about.</p><p>Besides Qeynos is a much nicer city. Freeport is a dump. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>The betrayal questline is also kind of fun. After betraying you will be hated by both sides for a while and have to live in Haven. But it only takes a few hours in 1 evening to get enough Faction to make the switch over. If you do it, work on getting <strong>Kelethin Faction first</strong>. It is much easier since all their repeatable faction quest give 3000 faction, which is about 20 quests. If you do Qeynos directly, you will either need to do quests that give 1000 each, so 60 quests, or go directly into the city to do quest that give 2000 or 3000 factions. But now with lvl 95 guards the 3000 faction quest will be difficult. Work Kelethin instead and then when you switch over you will be simply given 55k faction with Qeynos by default and then you can switch you home city fairly easily.</p>

[VikingGamer]

<p><cite>Simonzi wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I as well am starting a SK, and am fairly new to the game as well. What is the best weapon choice while leveling? A sword and shield? Dual weilding 1h weapons (can SKs even do that?), or a big 2h weapon?</p></blockquote><p>I am using a Mastercrafted 1h that I got at lvl 12 and already have the lvl 22 one ready to go when I get there. They are rediculously powerful compared to the quest rewards I have seen so far.</p><p>I am new to the game as well though, so I can't say if crusaders usually go with 1h or 2h but the 1handers were what a guildy sent me to get me started so I have simply trusted his judgement.</p>

[Writer Cal]

<p>At lower levels, it's not -that- big of a deal which type of weapon you use.  I switched around between 1-hander/shield or a 2-hander, depending on whether I was fighting tougher stuff and wanted the shield for survivability or easy stuff where a two-hander worked fine.  Crusader's can't dual-wield.  So!</p><p>But as Maamadex said, once you get Knight's Stance from the TSO AA tree, it's 1-hander and shield all the way.</p><p>Both crusader's are adequate.  It's more a difference in style and preferences.</p>

[Exordus]

<p>What AA line should a new SK start down for maximum survivability?  I'm questing and have 75% Exp going towards AA atm.</p>

[kanecha]

<p><cite>Exordus wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>What AA line should a new SK start down for maximum survivability?  I'm questing and have 75% Exp going towards AA atm.</p></blockquote><p>well becareful there is max surv as tank tank tank and a really good drain/dps line I think I'm still learning.</p><p>But it be nice if someone made a nice guide up for new players say 1-50 or 1-100.</p><p>There was one back in the day but things changed like where we don't use INT.</p>

[ykaerflila]

<p>The starting AAs have'nt changed much, what use to be the int line is the only exception.  Starting out with your sk you want STR line ( line one from left to right)  for the final ability and Double Attack.  the STA line ( in the middle) for Crit thats now consolidated, and from the Shadowknight tree you Want Reaver. Get all 3 asap but Final ability in STR and Reaver will likely make the most difference in your toon.</p><p>Get those 3 first then after you can put your points into Trample for aoe autoattck or finish the STA line mentioned above for a damage stop, then move on to other trees.   With the Crit consilidation lower level SK's lost about 40 spell crit but you will get that back and more once you reach end game loot. </p><p>As far as wepon choice goes you can kill more with shield + 1h than with a 2H but that generally depends on your gear.  e.g. if you pick up a falbed 2h and only have a treasured 1h swing your 2h.  Delay is something you want to pay attention to as a SK. Longer delay weapons hit harder but with out high crit may not be as effective to use as a medium delay weapon.  try your best to keep a weapon that swings at 2-3 seconds (after haste buffs are calculated). so the more haste you have the longer delay of a weapon you can use.</p>

[ElsaRat]

<p>You can betray Freeport and build faction with Qeynos, but unless you change your class to a Paladin you can't finish the betrayal.  What this means is you'll be able to walk around Qeynos and the guards won't attack you, but you won't get the call to qeynos ability, you won't be able to buy housing in Qeynos, and you'll have the title "Exiled" applied to your name. Haven will remain your true home, and most annoyingly you will not be able to use shared banking with other toons.</p><p>I'll just add I've betrayed several characters to Qeynos, and enjoy doing the faction building quests for Qeynos, sneaking into Freeport through the sewers, evading the guards, and so on.</p>

[Writer Cal]

<p>Were I leveling up my SK now, after the AA changes, I would go Reaver first, Str line second, Stam third for survivability/leveling.</p>

[Exordus]

<p><cite>Llort@Befallen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p> if you pick up a falbed 2h and only have a treasured 1h swing your 2h.  Delay is something you want to pay attention to as a SK. Longer delay weapons hit harder but with out high crit may not be as effective to use as a medium delay weapon.  try your best to keep a weapon that swings at 2-3 seconds (after haste buffs are calculated). so the more haste you have the longer delay of a weapon you can use.</p></blockquote><p>Yeah, found this out real fast.  I was using a 1H mastercrafted and didn't realize it had like a 4 second delay.  I was hitting like 3 CA's between swings. It was driving me crazy!  I'm so used to playing my monk, getting 1 CA between swings.  Switched to a cheap Fabled 2H with like a 2.3 delay and was much happier.</p>