Berserker & Monk, Tanking vs. Pure DPS

[ViggE]

<DIV>I'm a new player.  Need some advice, please!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Basically, I want to play a toe-to-toe melee character that won't be called upon TOO heavily to tank.  I'll play solo and grouped.  I don't mind doing some off-tanking, but I don't want to be an MT.  A rogue isn't a good fit...so much sneaking around, poisoning, etc.  Would Berserker or Monk be good options?  Or, are they relied upon heavily as tanks?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks!</DIV>

[t0iletduck]

<div><blockquote><hr>ViggEQ2 wrote:<div>I'm a new player.  Need some advice, please!</div> <div> </div> <div>Basically, I want to play a toe-to-toe melee character that won't be called upon TOO heavily to tank.  I'll play solo and grouped.  I don't mind doing some off-tanking, but I don't want to be an MT.  A rogue isn't a good fit...so much sneaking around, poisoning, etc.  Would Berserker or Monk be good options?  Or, are they relied upon heavily as tanks?</div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks!</div><hr></blockquote>Sounds like you want to go monk if you don't want to tank. If a plate tank and a monk/bruiser is in the group, then the plate tank will generally be called to MT. </div>

[ViggE]

<P>OK.  So Berserkers are pretty heavily relied upon as tanks, then.</P> <P>If I roll, say, a Troll Bruiser and betray, does he then convert to a Troll Monk?  No way to go to Qeynos and remain a Bruiser?</P> <P>Thanks for the help!</P>

[t0iletduck]

<div><blockquote><hr>ViggEQ2 wrote:<div></div> <p>OK.  So Berserkers are pretty heavily relied upon as tanks, then.</p> <p>If I roll, say, a Troll Bruiser and betray, does he then convert to a Troll Monk?  No way to go to Qeynos and remain a Bruiser?</p> <p>Thanks for the help!</p><hr></blockquote>Yeah if you betray to Qeynos as a Troll Bruiser, you will have to become a monk. Brawlers are not a not a neutral class. Neutral classes are Wizard/Warlock, Dirge/Troub,Warden/Fury, and Guardian/Berserker. </div>

[ViggE]

OK.  Looks like the only way to go pure melee DPS w/o tanking often is to stick with a Scout class.  Thanks again.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Taschen77]

<blockquote><hr>ViggEQ2 wrote:<div></div>OK.  Looks like the only way to go pure melee DPS w/o tanking often is to stick with a Scout class.  Thanks again.  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><hr></blockquote>Yeah, I'm thinking the Brigand might also be a bit of your flavor. They have a good array of combat arts that do damage and debuff, allowing you and your melee group members to do even more damage. Brigands, like the other Scouts have offensive and defensive stances that raise their offensive abilities at the cost of decreased parry/def or mitigation and vice versa for the defensive stances. Brigands also have a self mitigation buff, allowing them to have more mitigation that most other classes. These would be the most tank-like scout of the bunch, mainly because they do not require range (like Rangers) or constant stealth and positional attacks (like Assassins) to do their damage and maintain some hate when necessary. This isn't to say Brigands don't need to be behind a mob sometimes, because they do (and are given many many stuns to slip in a few backstabs) , but they are more effective when going toe to toe than any other Scout class (rivaled by the Swashies!). This is just my opinion anywho. I'm leveling my 52 Berserker after dropping my 70 Paladin (low dps, low raid demand) and my 60 Monk (low tanking demand, esp in raids and at the time of quitting, lack of gear in T6 which isn't the case anymore lol) and have no regrets. It'll take some time, but I'm molding him to be a raid quality MT / OT.  Can't wait <span>:smileyhappy:</span> <div></div>

[ViggE]

<DIV>OK, thanks for the advice.  I'm leaning towards Swashy or Monk at this point, haven't tried the Monk yet.  In EQ, they could do massive damage and mitigation tanking(depending on the nerf of the month.)  Can they still do good DPS in EQ2?  Also, are they still used for Feign Death pulling??</DIV>

[arieste]

<P>both a zerker and a monk will do about 1100 dps on a raid if DPSing (some variance obviously - rough figure).  However "tanking" equipment (plate in general) tends to  bee a lot more expensive, you should consider that too maybe.</P> <P>you will find it very diffiicult to find a raid spot as a DPS fighter (people just dont reealize they do same dps and  take less dmg) than you would as a scout.</P> <P>but groups and soloing will be better as a  fighter than scout.  </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

[Zade_]

<P>Is this Vigg of Sullon Zek infamy?</P> <P>The server you are looking for would probably be Venekor in EQ2~</P>

[Ep]

monks are not required in a raid, you won't feel the need for a monk, like there was in eq1 where fd pulling was normal. In that respect monks are there for dps, a buff or 2, and a decent timed monk-heal. But it's not like ppl will call a raid off w/o any monk whatsofever. A swash on the other hand, will always be recognzied as dps and more often than not can and will outdps most brawlers. This is of course in a raid environment, groups are a different story, can tank and dps as a monk in groups with any content really, just don't have a cleric healing, anything but heh.<div></div>

[Robbpilot]

<P>My experience is that brawlers have higher DPS than zerkers, except in situations where it is a group encounter and the zerker has unleashed all of his offensive procs and AoE's.</P> <P>If you don't like tanking then you will be less likely to be asked to tank as a brawler, but it will happen in pick up groups.  I can also say that using monks to pull epics on raids is still alive and well, because they can still FD or just be sacrificial lambs if the pull is nasty.  I've seen a lot of "take one for the team" scenarios that involve brawlers and pulls.  That is something you should consider if you plan to raid... would you mind playing such dangerous games?  I think it takes a lot of skill, and a different mentality than the classic tank might have.</P> <P>I'm a zerker by the way.</P> <P> </P>