Couple of Newbie Questions

[Gnimi]

<div>Just rolled a new bruiser (level 14 now - go FD!) and am having a great time with him.  Had a couple of questions though.</div><div> </div><div>1.  Shields and mitigation.  I've read that we can use shields/bucklers, but for some reason I can't find any that I can use.  Am I just having bad luck at the broker and with drops or is there something I'm not understanding?  Right now, I'm dual wielding since I don't have a shield, but it seems like there would be times I'd really like the extra mitigation.  On that note, how important is the extra 50 mitigation at lower levels anyhow?</div><div> </div><div>2.  Missing.  I am dual wielding and seem to be missing a LOT.  I don't have a parser, but watching combat I seem to connect at most 20% of the time and this is with blue mobs.  Is this normal or am I missing a ton because I am dual wielding?  Seems like as a melee tank I should be hitting most of the time instead of missing most of the time.</div><div> </div><div>Thanks in advance.</div>

[ShinmaRyche]

<div></div><p><font color="#ffff00">1. Shields are automatically built in to our avoidance which is why you cant use on on top of that.</font></p><p><font color="#ffff00">2. Its been a while since i was alevel 14, but i dont remember missing as much as you say you are. What kind of gear to do you have? It may pass once you hit 20, or as you get higher than that. </font></p><p><font color="#ffff00">Enjoy FD. I know we all do. Heh.</font></p>

[IPCDoll]

<div></div><div>If your combat skills are not up to snuff with your level, particularly if you skipped several levels by doing collection quests, this missing can happen.  Either way, it will resolve itself shortly and you can count on a much lower miss rate.</div><div> </div><div> </div>

[Pnaxx]

<div></div><p>As far as missing goes...did you buy a weapon that needs higher skill than what you have?</p><p>Try bare handed and see if you miss as much. It should not be the case i wouldn't think. Are you getting killed by these blues?</p>

[Gnimi]

<div>Nope - weapons and skill are level appropriate.  I'm dual-wielding and maxed out in crushing for my level.  The blues aren't killing me - I'm just missing all the time.  So I was wondering if there was a dual wield penalty or something - kind of like you hit less if you dual wield or something. </div><div> </div><div>So do all bruisers pretty much dual wield then if we can't have shields or is there a reason you'd wield just a 1h primary with something else?</div><div> </div><div>Thanks again for the feedback.</div>

[Quae]

<div></div>Dual wield or 2-handed weapon.  I can't think of any reason why anybody would want to use a 1-hander with a bruiser.  Bare-handed at the lower levels might be ok, but I prefer dual wielding weapons.

[ganjookie]

I'd go 1hd just to duel somebody and upset them<div></div>

[Quae]

<div><blockquote><hr>ganjookie wrote:I'd go 1hd just to duel somebody and upset them<div></div><hr></blockquote>By 1hd are you referring to using just bare fists?  I think he was talking about using an actual 1hd weapon. </div>

[ganjookie]

I mean a single handed club, non duel weild<div></div>

[Halsy01]

<div></div><p>What race are you? I tried a troll and ogre bruiser up to 20'ish before and just didn't like it. It always seemed - and seem is the operative word - that I whiffed a lot, but connected for bigger damage. Then I rolled a Kerran bruiser and it's been nothing but laying the beats down ever since. You couldn't pay me to play another race as brusier. Also, bruisers definitely seem - again seem - to do better with fist weaps (wraps/knuckles) than clubs/batons (although they look cooler in combat).  Unless you're flush in gold I'd blow off going master on Fiery Fist, and wait for Lava Fist. Lava Fist at master is your bestest friend in the whole wide world. Some mobs shrug it off - but it's minimal - which is why you need to carry weapons on hand, but overall, bare fist + lava master = roxxor joo boxxors.</p><p>I've experimented with all the weaps out there, and I definitely think that as weaps go, fist weaps are the way to go for bruiser - if you're using weapons. Do not go unarmed before firey fists! Thee best weap you can get early on - sorry can't recall level - are the spinebreaker knuckles. If you can afford them (most usually sell for 15-20g, managed to snag a set for 5g each, yay me!) kick [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] for the earlier levels.</p><p> </p>

[Nophie]

iksar is great also<div></div>