Your solo attack 'routine'

[MrJekylls]

<DIV>I figured this might be a fun thread. What series of attacks do you use to solo now that the new combat system is in place, along with a brief explaination of why. This might help people tweak their own style, as well as provide insight into the new system. It's probably a good idea to include your level, as this obviously makes a huge difference.</DIV> <DIV><BR>For myself - level 26 right now, and recently returned to the game. My attack style is as follows for single mobs -</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thundering Fists - before entering combat</DIV> <DIV>Break Through (I think that the name) - provides decent damage plus a dot</DIV> <DIV>Crash - Largest damage attack + knockdown + a long refresh</DIV> <DIV>Rapid Swings - Decent damage + long refresh</DIV> <DIV>HO</DIV> <DIV>Flying Kick - Short refresh</DIV> <DIV>refresh Thundering Fists</DIV> <DIV>Desperately wait for the gems to reactivate <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I also tend to go with offensive stance when soloing, but as I haven't played or experimented much, this might change when taking on different types of mobs. Against tougher, higher dps mobs I might go defensive ... only time will tell.</DIV> <DIV><BR>Anyway, what do you do? <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[Quicksilver74]

<P>I start with a stun(Fierce punch line)</P> <P>spin behind and backstab(Dirty punch line)</P> <P>while still stunned I use crushing fury( 100 hand slap line)</P> <P>then stun again (Crusher/haymaker Line)</P> <P>then while they are knocked down I use Merciless stomp/barbarous stomp</P> <P>Now that they have been constantly stunned for the 1st 10-15 seconds of the fight, I hit up the rest of my Combat arts... usually trying to allow a second or 2 between each ability, to allow an autoattack or 2 to get in there.  If you are using a high delay weapon, then do another CA as soon as it hits.  </P> <P>If fighting multiple mobs, I start out with Savage Blows, then proceed to fear/mez one of them and pound the other.  </P> <P>If fighting a hard mob, I will self heal, and then mez/fear while I wait for it to recharge.   This is more difficult to do now for me, because I had the Astral's unwordly fortitude before the patch, which gave a 60 seconds heal, but 90 seconds is still doable.  </P> <P> </P> <P>If the mob is hard, space out your stuns, each one gives about 4 seconds, with the exception of the meciless stomp line, yielding only a 2 second stun.  try not to let your stun timers overlap.   get every second out of them.  timing is everything for a bruiser when soloing.  in my opinion it's all about getting the mob stalled enough to let Ignore Agony back up.  I feel naked when it's down.  </P> <P> </P> <P>Well, hope that helps!</P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

[Owa]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Quicksilver74 wrote:<BR> <P>I start with a stun(Fierce punch line)</P> <P>spin behind and backstab(Dirty punch line)</P> <P>while still stunned I use crushing fury( 100 hand slap line)</P> <P>then stun again (Crusher/haymaker Line)</P> <P>then while they are knocked down I use Merciless stomp/barbarous stomp</P> <P>Now that they have been constantly stunned for the 1st 10-15 seconds of the fight, I hit up the rest of my Combat arts... usually trying to allow a second or 2 between each ability, to allow an autoattack or 2 to get in there.  If you are using a high delay weapon, then do another CA as soon as it hits.  </P> <P>If fighting multiple mobs, I start out with Savage Blows, then proceed to fear/mez one of them and pound the other.  </P> <P>If fighting a hard mob, I will self heal, and then mez/fear while I wait for it to recharge.   This is more difficult to do now for me, because I had the Astral's unwordly fortitude before the patch, which gave a 60 seconds heal, but 90 seconds is still doable.  </P> <P> </P> <P><FONT color=#ffff00><U>If the mob is hard, space out your stuns, each one gives about 4 seconds, with the exception of the meciless stomp line, yielding only a 2 second stun.  try not to let your stun timers overlap.   get every second out of them.  timing is everything for a bruiser when soloing.  in my opinion it's all about getting the mob stalled enough to let Ignore Agony back up.  I feel naked when it's down.  </U></FONT></P> <P> </P> <P>Well, hope that helps!</P> <P> </P> <P> </P><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>I have some minor differences with the order of CAs but it's fairly cosmetic.  Essentially I concur with Quicksilver - especially the hightlighted  paragraph.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One more thing - remember to resist the urge to unload all your  bombs too early in a tough fight. Most of our best CAs have stuns attached and like Quicksilver pointed out, timing these correctly is the key to successful play.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV><p>Message Edited by annaspider on <span class=date_text>10-04-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:11 PM</span>

[Turb]

Use the Fierce Punch line before the Crash line... it ups the damage done noticeably (i.e. you'll do the higher of the two damage ranges listed for the skill).Don't DoT in adance of Intimidate cos you'll prolly break the mes. But do mes to get behind the mob for the Sucker Punch/Hundred Hand Slap, as it'll hit for more usually.

[Quicksilver74]

<DIV>I actually don't use my mez to get behind them, I do that from a stun.  I use Mez when I need to stall the fight, allowing Ignore Agony and other CA's to reload.  I'd rather waste 1-2 seconds on a stun and use THAT to get behind him to backstab, than waste a mez.   I prefer to get every second out of my Mez, which is about 30 seconds at the moment.  </DIV>

[Turb]

30 seconds? Wow, at L36 I only get 12...

[Redbed]

<DIV>Just a suggestion, you might not want to load up Thundering Fists prior to a fight if you lead off with CAs I find that it tends to interfere with your stunning.  Just an observation, its not 100% interfere its more of a I notice more stun failures when its active then when its not.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also if your gonna Devastate Fist a mob, I find if you mez it and defense debuff (Stamina Doll) it prior it will help it succeeding on some of the Higher level mobs (High Yellows)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>But like everyone Ill usually lead off with a stun on the healer mob in a group and usually stick a mez on their warrior.  Ive stopped leading with an AOE because that is usually unnessary and makes a nice safety catch if additional mobs add.</DIV>