Troub AA specs for pvp and pve

[Alazarz]

<p>For a lvl 90 troubador with 250 aa...</p><p>What's the best pve/raid spec?</p><p>What is the best pvp spec?</p><p>Thanks in advance</p><p>regards,</p><p>    alazarz </p>

[Artalis the Elder]

<p>AA specs are largely based around what your group composition is,  there are many ways to spend those points none of them necessarily bad but based on people valuing different things more or less.</p><p>Anyone posting the zomgbestspecevar is just plain wrong. No such animal. </p><p>In the spirit of helpfulness though, here's my current raiding spec. Not what I'd use for pvp but I'm not from a pvp server.</p><p><a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02p184a144a@54aa11@336@168212k@44@15555555@15355 @155@11115@15@155121p@25@15@455@31@155@315@1555511">http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02p18...155@315@1555511</a></p>

[Aaramis]

<p>Yep, what Kiki said is pretty much the rule for AA building - there's no set-in-stone defined path, and it often comes down to what works best for you and what your particular guild requires of you.</p><p>For example - in Kiki's case, clearly a lot of raiding is done where a Dirge can fill the multi-attack needs, thus freeing up the Stamina line in the Bard section and allowing for a lot of points to be spent elsewhere (it's hard to justify spending 18 AAs if you're the only person who benefits from it).  However, if you're still levelling up or find yourself in small 6-man groups, then this might be something you want to keep as +10% multi-attack is quite useful.</p><p>I'd say the essentials, no matter what, would be to: (1) get to the endline of the TSO tree for last 2 abilities, and (2) fill in the Bard tree to get to RO/VC;  and (3) fill in the right side of the Troub tree for the wards, as well as for Resonance.  Those are the abilities pretty much define us these days.  Also, I don't know of any Bards that haven't filled out the Don't Kill the Messenger Bard and TSO abilities - that's one thing that separates us from the Dirges.  They can bring 15% multi-attack to the group;  we bring 12.5% crit chance (to us as well as the caster pets).</p><p>Other than that, everything else is gravy and you'll figure out what abilities you want/need.</p><p>*edit* - also keep in mind you can get an AA mirror, so you can have a solo/group spec as well as a raid spec.  Very, VERY useful <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>*edit #2* - you know, it's sad that the more I think about our abilities, the more I can easily trim out a ton of "must have" AAs at endgame.  Do we need the extra 5% for DKTM in the TSO line?  Probably not.  In fact, do we need DKTM at all?  These days it's highly questionable.  10-15 AAs for 7.5 - 12.5% crit chance which probably just benefits the Conjuror's pet cat = Meh.</p>

[Jemoo]

In response to the DKTM, I find that having the 12.5% extra means I can focus on more crit bonus/pot etc gear instead. This goes for me and my group in the raid, if they know that I give 12% then they can go for less than 100% solo (which may not be the best for when they're grouping but /shrug)

[Aaramis]

<p><cite>Jemoo@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>In response to the DKTM, I find that having the 12.5% extra means I can focus on more crit bonus/pot etc gear instead. This goes for me and my group in the raid, if they know that I give 12% then they can go for less than 100% solo (which may not be the best for when they're grouping but /shrug)</blockquote><p>Depends on one's gear, I guess, but I find I hit 120+ % Crit Chance without even trying, in which case the buff is redundant for me.  And most people in my guild are already at 100+ as well.  So it really only benefits pets :/</p><p>Fortissimo, on the other hand, you can at least make the argument that eventually having 100+ multi-attack will be quite useful.  DKTM, though?  Unless they throw in something else to the buff, I think it's going to be made redundant very soon, if it's not already.</p><p>Only problem is, if you take points out of DKTM and Fortissimo...where else do you put them? :/ </p>

[Jemoo]

<p><cite>Aaramis wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Jemoo@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>In response to the DKTM, I find that having the 12.5% extra means I can focus on more crit bonus/pot etc gear instead. This goes for me and my group in the raid, if they know that I give 12% then they can go for less than 100% solo (which may not be the best for when they're grouping but /shrug)</blockquote><p>Depends on one's gear, I guess, but I find I hit 120+ % Crit Chance without even trying, in which case the buff is redundant for me.  And most people in my guild are already at 100+ as well.  So it really only benefits pets :/</p><p>Fortissimo, on the other hand, you can at least make the argument that eventually having 100+ multi-attack will be quite useful.  DKTM, though?  Unless they throw in something else to the buff, I think it's going to be made redundant very soon, if it's not already.</p><p>Only problem is, if you take points out of DKTM and Fortissimo...where else do you put them? :/ </p></blockquote><p>Very true, gear in your group is very important for a bard of any kind.  My trouby runs in our alt raids so most of the people aren't in the best gear (myself included) and a lot of people switch in and out so having DKTM is a better choice for me personally.  One of the hardest things I find about the bards is how each group needs something different so if my group is canstantly changing based on who can make it, its very hard to get an "optimum" spec so I just go with what is the most generally helpful.  This means Fortissimo is out right now with a full gorup of mages since they don't use the multi-attack.</p><p>Bottom line is that its all based on who you run with (which is the advice I get from every troubador I ask, and I ask a lot since mine is a third toon for me).</p>

[Laiina]

<p>My Troub Raid setup <a href="http://www.users.on.net/~beetny/eq2aa/?k02n1444@1444@548a14aa1@388212n@4515455555@15555@ 155@11115@15@155121o5@35@455@31@155@2515@14@15511" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a></p><p>To do it over again, I would move a couple of points around to better equalize the reuse timers on Bump/Nightstrike/Dancing blade.</p>

[Artalis the Elder]

<p><cite>Laiina wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My Troub Raid setup <a href="http://www.users.on.net/~beetny/eq2aa/?k02n1444@1444@548a14aa1@388212n@4515455555@15555@ 155@11115@15@155121o5@35@455@31@155@2515@14@15511" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a></p><p>To do it over again, I would move a couple of points around to better equalize the reuse timers on Bump/Nightstrike/Dancing blade.</p></blockquote><p>You know that the hard cap on haste is 200 right? And that there are serious diminishing returns after 125?</p><p>Between group-wide rapidity assuming you have an illusionist in your group for 68 haste, Standard raid-tier gloves for 40 haste and CoB from your dirges for 54 haste you should be well into diminishing returns before even running Allegretto.</p><p>Lose the points in the Int line (except for Rhythm Blade/Precise Blades of course) and do something else with them.</p>

[Laiina]

<p>If I always had the perfect group, and always had a raid full of max AA dirges, you might be right, but I seldom get over 175 total even in raid for haste. Even with the diminishing returns, there is not a lot of good choices to move points into.</p><p>A few more in Agility or other lines might help a bit, I will have to take a closer look at it next time I am in a raid and see exactly what the stats are up to now.</p><p>I have a little bit better gear now than when I first made that one, so I might be able to tweak it a bit, but was kind of waiting to get some idea of what Velious might bring.</p>

[Artalis the Elder]

<p>Try <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02s144a@144a@144a@148a11@46@128212f@44@15555555@ 15355@155@11115@15@25121r@35@25@255@31@155@2215@15 55511" target="_blank">this</a>.</p><p>If your group has enough crit, you can even move some more points into Intoxicating Notes from Harbinger's Chorus. </p><p>Edit: 175 haste is way more than needed. Remember Haste only effects autoattack, and autoattack is a relatively small amount of our overall dps.</p><p>Edit2: AA has nothing to do with the amount of haste granted by Chime of Blades.</p><p>Edit3: If you don't need Fortissimo try <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02p1a@3a4a@5aaa1a@47@118212f@44@15555555@15355@1 55@11115@15@25121u@35@25@255@31@155@2515@1555511" target="_blank">this</a></p>

[Laiina]

<p><cite>Kiki@Guk wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Try <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02s144a@144a@144a@148a11@46@128212f@44@15555555@ 15355@155@11115@15@25121r@35@25@255@31@155@2215@15 55511" target="_blank">this</a>.</p><p>If your group has enough crit, you can even move some more points into Intoxicating Notes from Harbinger's Chorus. </p><p>Edit: 175 haste is way more than needed. Remember Haste only effects autoattack, and autoattack is a relatively small amount of our overall dps.</p><p>Edit2: AA has nothing to do with the amount of haste granted by Chime of Blades.</p><p>Edit3: If you don't need Fortissimo try <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02p1a@3a4a@5aaa1a@47@118212f@44@15555555@15355@1 55@11115@15@25121u@35@25@255@31@155@2515@1555511" target="_blank">this</a></p></blockquote><p>Good point on the haste only affecting autoattack - one of things you "know" but tend to forget. However, in parses autoattack seems to be around 30-40% of my damage - on the other hand, I am trying to come up with the ultimate mage group spec (my fortissimo one is mirrored). If I drop haste down I might lose 1-2% personally, but if I can get the group dps up by 2%, that is a pretty good increase - 2% x5 is more than 2% x 1.</p><p>The group I am usually raiding with has changed in the past couple of days, now all casters with no melee at all so haste is less important than it was when we were raiding easy mode stuff. Now my focus is to absolutely maximize caster group dps and nothing else.</p><p> The one thing I don't follow is the 10 points in Messengers Letter - a small hit bonus, but also a hate increase, which is not usually what I want.</p>

[Laiina]

<p>I am pretty much always in a totally mage/caster group now on raids, so this is what I came up with for my new Bard spec <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02n184a1545@54aa15@387@262">http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02n18...@54aa15@387@262</a></p><p>Seems to be working out somewhat better. The Bladedance is a lot of points, but with the HM stuff we are doing now, it seems like half the mob spells cast are aoe's.</p>

[Artalis the Elder]

<p><cite>Laiina wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I am pretty much always in a totally mage/caster group now on raids, so this is what I came up with for my new Bard spec <a href="http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02n184a1545@54aa15@387@262">http://www.beetny.com/eq2aa/?k02n18...@54aa15@387@262</a></p><p>Seems to be working out somewhat better. The Bladedance is a lot of points, but with the HM stuff we are doing now, it seems like half the mob spells cast are aoe's.</p></blockquote><p>Recommendations:</p><p>If you Jcap yourself you only need 3 points in the Bladedance reuse aa to cap it at 5 mins. </p><p>8 points in precise blades.</p><p>10 In Poison Concoction gives it a about a 30% chance to proc on any attack, initial application of the poison hits much harder and I've seen some very nice crits on that.</p>

[Kunaak]

<p>going from 5 to 10 AA in poisons, I got maybe 100 DPS out of it, I tried at the begining of the expansion, it wasnt worth much then, ran with 5AA in it for the last few months, then recently tried it again, after scouring over other similar raid troubs, and personally, I get about 1000 DPS out of it with 5AA, I got about 1100 DPS out of with with the other 5AA into it, and I ran that for a week.</p><p>this is with everything, killing yael once or twice that week (depending on timers) the usual kill 4RT, clear labs, and all the raids in between. on no zone wide, did I see a noticable increase in DPS with poisons at 10.</p><p>yet that 5 AA is worth a hell of alot more then another 100 DPS from a proc.</p><p>I did increase my AA in poisons from 5 to 6 however, in the tiny effort to get a small amount of extra DPS from it, but still, I'd rather have everything possible to max out a VC, then a small increase from 1 proc, that barely adds up to anything on a zonewide.</p>