Monk MT, Bruiser off tank/dps for small XP group?

[Zenmu]

<DIV> <DIV>So i'm in a small guild with some really good players... people i've leveled up with from early 20's to late 30's (so we know eachother and their play styles really well). My main is a berserker, and i'm the main tank in a regular group that plays almost nightly together. In our little click we have a Fury as the main heal, a Ranger, a Monk, and occasionally an Illusionist.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyways, we've decided to switch things up a bit, and decided to make alts... The fury's making a temp, the Ranger's making a monk, the Monk's making an enchanter... and i'm a little lost on what i should make... I'm cosidering letting the Monk alt be the main tank, because this group is lacking a pure dps class and honestly it would be nice to take a break from being the MT all the time... Currenty however, i'm torn between making a bruiser, a wizard, or a troub to fit into this group...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So anyways... my question is... any of you Monk's MT'd a group that also had a bruiser in it? Is this effective? How would this work in a small group (4 man group). Does a bruisers avoidance buff stack with monk self buffs? Would monk and bruiser skills not stack well in the same group?... and would a bruiser's dps be suffecient in a group with this class mix (temp, illusionist, monk)...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Currently, i'm leaning towards Either the Wizard or the Troub (for obvious reasons.. evac, superior dps and in the case of the troub, buffs), but i'm really torn.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'm also considering a Paladin (as a back up tank, support healer), but that's for a whole nother forum... Anyways, any input would be appreciated.</DIV></DIV>

[Gaige]

I'd go troub out of those choices.

[Wiou]

Go dirge <div></div>

[sysr]

With a Temp, Monk(MT), Illusionist, and you as troub. Your group will still be lacking in the DPS department.  With only a group of 2 melee classes (one being the tank) you wont really see a full benofit out of the buffs/debuffs of the troub (especially with the chanter already giving power regen).  A wizard/warlock or even assassin/ranger would offer more dps.  The troub will make the tanking a lot easier for the group though, with the great sta/str/agi buffs.  And if you ever played without them you would be more desired in a group being a bard.  It really is a tough call to make, and im just offering my 2cents.

[woo]

<P>i agree--go dirge.</P>

[Matum]

<P>Are your buddies' class decisions set in stone?  The reason being is that I would suggest a shaman class instead of a templar reason being after tanking nearly 42 levels I have noticed that monks are hit hard and sometimes macho damage spikes result after a few unlucky rolls in quick succession.  Templar heals often times cannot keep up with massive amounts of damage.  I am not sure of temp debuffs but I know that shamans recieve some pretty nasty slows and melee skill debuffs.  These, coupled with the troub buffs, will prove to make your monk a most efficient tank allowing the shaman to nuke inbetween heals.  I often group with a mystic/wizard trio and can drop double up whites in the Feerot with about 1/2 power left in us all and blues with healer at nearly full when only casting debuffs/wards.  With a troub/dirge, mystic would have it even easier or allow you to fry larger fish.</P>

[bonesbro]

I dunno... I think that Clerics are my favorite healers, trailed narrowly by Wardens.  With the agro bug on the reactive heals it makes tanking a no-brainer.  It's really hard to lose agro when you're spamming yourself with heals.  And even when the big hits get through, a couple of little hits and the reactive will take us right up to full.

[woo]

monk as tank, best healer is shaman followed closely by druid.  clerics are horrible i find.. reactive heals cant keep up since we dont mitigate much..

[bonesbro]

<DIV>I find that against pulls with a bunch of mobs the wards go away really fast, then the shaman casts another one and now they have agro.  And their instant heals are awful.</DIV>

[Wiou]

Shamans are overrated imo <div></div>

[Kharza Xorlarr]

I would go for a ward based class as well.  Sure they might not be the best as it stands right now.. but after Live Update #7 (Moorgard's post on healer changes) going in I bet they become a viable class again and should match up well with the avoidance tanks. Kharza 42 Monk Mistmoore <div></div>

[elitewizurd]

<DIV>i personally like wardens (for more agi/avoidance) and clerics as my healers.  shaman wards seem weak when mobs hit the wards for max dmg/without mitigation. </DIV>

[Zenmu]

<P>In respect to the dps issue then...</P> <P>What do you guys think of a bruiser as the 4th class?... i've seen bruiser's boast that on occasion they can compete with predator's for dps when they focus on strength rather then agility... </P> <P>Again, my biggest concern is skill stacking issues with monks though... or if there are any at all    =P</P> <P> </P> <P>I've kind of ruled out Troub as an option... the buffs, and additional manaregen/haste to go with the enchanter would be nice... but the dps is lacking imo, and with only one other melee class, the haste would be a lost cause, and the damage proc doesn't go off enough to make up for the low dps damage arts. And enchater dot's don't make up the differance. </P> <P>Is a Dirge's dps that much better than a Troub's? Or is everyones suggestion to go Dirge based off of debuffs alone?... One benefit i can see to being a Dirge in this group is their Mental/Divine debuffs would fit with Priest/Enchanter nukes... but i can't really see the healer and enchanter nuking all that often....</P> <P> </P> <P>I've been wanting to play a Paladin, and if the enchanter was a dps class instead, i could justify it (wards, emergency heals, and mit/avoid buffs)... but i'm afraid we'd really be hurting in the DPS department if i played a pally, and everyone elses class decisions are pretty much locked in... i guess that's what i get for being indecisive.</P> <DIV>Wizard really seems like a good fit... evac and solid dps, but no scout class to turn ho's... </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Please keep the suggestions coming!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And thanks for the great input so far though!</DIV> <P><SPAN class=time_text></SPAN> </P><p>Message Edited by Zenmuse on <span class=date_text>03-29-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:15 PM</span>

[bonesbro]

Swashbuckler might be good.  Their utility (ghetto CC, early evac, scout HOs) will help a lot.  Swashi will be the one to save the chanter by mezzing an add hitting him.

[Matum]

<DIV>My main reasoning for the shaman is their debuffs - as far as I know no other class can stack up to theirs.  With the chanter, one moster at a time can be hit with the debuffs minimizing damage taken.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As for you dps -</DIV> <DIV>You will want to buff your monk's agi, I love agi buffs especially in smaller groups. Sure exping can be done without em, but they make it a whole lot more efficient and more safe.  The bard dps may be a bit lower than the other scouts/casters but overall your group will be much more efficient by decreasing amount of hits on the MT therefore increasing the healers manapool allowing less downtime.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If you decide on the paladin you can either ward the monk or MT depending on the situation.  If you MT, the monk can dps rather nicely, but nothing compared to wizards/warlocks.  Pally MT might make higher level named/double ups finghts a bit more reliable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Going wizard you will have the highest dps at your fingertips.  Enough said.</DIV>

[Kharza Xorlarr]

Current pretty regular foursome I play with: Guardian (usually MT but I switch off with him depending on situation) Monk (me) Defiler Coercer Nobody can match the defiler's debuffs they are simply AMAZING. Crowd control and breeze covered. I provide the additional DPS to the group.. but I worry after the balancing adjustment done in the next few patches that I won't be as viable in that role as a scout based class would. I might go for Monk MT and Swash as the DPS in the above group if we had it to do over.. but even with the adjustment I think we will still be a pretty good foursome. Kharza 42 Monk Mistmoore <div></div>

[Wiou]

Wardens over shamans here <div></div>

[Gaige]

Me too, at least until LU#7.

[bonesbro]

<DIV>One of my friends and I both rolled up Sorcs.  I went Warlock and he went Wizard.  We're the same level right now, and I seem to outdamage him by about 20%.  Of course things change a bit between 24 and 50... he envies my DPS, I envy that he'll be getting Evac.</DIV>

[Wiou]

LU#7?<div></div>

[Gaige]

Live Update #7, the priest rebalance.

[kerra]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Gage-Mikel wrote:<BR>Live Update #7, the priest rebalance. <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I am still grouping with a warden since day one and I have no complaints and I am lvl 47 now /shrug and I love troubs they offer a great deal to a party.<p>Message Edited by kerra on <span class=date_text>03-30-2005</span> <span class=time_text>12:14 PM</span>