Why did you chose a bruiser over a monk?

[Gnimi]

I've never played a tank and am thinking about starting a monk or a bruiser.  One of the things that really appeals to me is the ability to be the puller later on at higher levels.  I also like to solo fairly regularly.  I've already read a lot of the posts here about differences between the two and it seems that monks are better pullers, but that bruisers solo better.  (Please let me know if this is wrong.) 

 

My friend I duo with wants to play evil and start in Freeport so I don't really have the monk option.  Do bruisers pull at higher levels (raid pulling, etc.) or is it monk only pulling at that point with bruisers just being secondary tanks?  Also, the monks are all talking about Tranquility, Outward Calm, invis, and group FD as giving a huge advantage over bruisers.  What balances out the bruiser by comparison?

 

Basically, what made you chose a bruiser instead of a monk?  Is there something that makes bruisers more "fun" for lack of a better word?  Trying to figure this all out and wondering if I really should go with the bruiser or go monk and betray.

 

Thanks for any comments in advance.  This is driving me a little nuts since they both seem very similar and it's hard for a newb to distinguish between them.  :smileyhappy:

[glumlor]

Gnimish,Let me start by saying for a better answer search back within last week for many discussions on same subject.  Now to answer your question.I started a bruiser because my wife and friends wanted to play evil.Now they dont really play so much anymore.Monks and Bruisers are so simliar I wouldn't worry about it much.  Monks do more via auto attack and have haste.  Bruisers CA's generally do more dmg.  Monks have a heal they can use on group members but is on a longer time, bruiser have a better heal but it's self only and usable every 1.5 minutes.We use same weapons and armor, and both are based off same subclass of brawler.  I've dueled a Monk about 3-4 times and each time it was very close.  I personally prefere my bruiser as I think we can solo a bit better

[ganjookie]

monks are [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn]ing wussies.  bruisers will hand an opponent thier [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] on a silver platter. :p

But thats just me..of course one of my alts is a monk...

Message Edited by ganjookie on 01-30-200610:16 AM

[CosmicAcidGu]

I'm Bruise Lee.any questions?Finnster

[ganjookie]

fricken sweetBruise Lee

[Shirlyn]

I wanted to play a Dark Elf and didn't feel like betraying

[Colossaltitan]

Because Bruisers just own.Most people like the rugged, get down and dirty style of Bruiser..  I'd much rather go, "C'mon, Gimme one hit man just one..... *takes hit and gets [Removed for Content] off* .. Ahh their you go *beats the [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] outta that person*." Hmm, Butterbean - [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] anyone? :p.  Then sit their avoiding a mob doing a kata then finally get the mob killed =p.a fighter shouldn't be tranquil, they should be raging with power, anger, and the will to get [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] done.

[Ezariel]

Maybe I am just coming off the high of a great night of grouping but bruiser > all.  And this comes from someone who deleted a 48 monk to start over and become a 32 bruiser now.  Maybe it fits my play style better, I don't know.  But the power is intoxicating. 

 

Some highlights :

 

Group wiped on a bad spawn after fighting a named.  I was still standing and it was down to me and a ^^^ yellow clay guardian.  I could have fd'ed or run away.  Decided instead to solo it.  Won the fight and still had yellow health afterwards.  Then I ran through all of RoV from outside the forge room to the entrance to meet up with my returning groupmates without dying.

 

Asking a ranger guildmate if I was doing ok tanking. Reply was, "good?  dude you are doing awesome.  But I think your insane DPS is making you look good."  Ha!

 

 Later grouping after a higher level guardian had joined.  We were being reckless but we were that good.  Whenever we got an add I took care of it.  Healer didn't even have to watch me.  Several times had to tank 2 mobs of yellow/white con while the guard was tanking another group.  No problems.  Bruisers get the job done. 

 

Now granted my bruiser is kitted out like mad.  He is my highest char on that server but I have 5 level 40 crafters and made myself the best crafted gear possible.  But even so there is no way I could have done the things I did as a monk.  I'm not even sure what a monks strengths are anymore....

 

Message Edited by Ezariel on 01-31-200608:23 AM

[MakhailSamma]

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Ezariel wrote:

 I'm not even sure what a monks strengths are anymore....

 

Message Edited by Ezariel on 01-31-200608:23 AM

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They have none...

 

Sorry, couldn't help myself :smileytongue:

[Quicksilver74]

Monks have group FD.... but you know what else does?   I freaaakin group Full of Bruisers!    WRARAARAR!

[MakhailSamma]

I remember this joke from way back in July on the Bruiser Forums:

 

The deathfist orcs were gathering in the commonlands for a siege against Freeport.  The general was giving the plan of attack to his troops when he heard someone shout over a hill in the distance,"One bruiser is better than ten orcs!"Willing to show the voice wrong, the General sends ten of his troops.  After the sound of much fighting in the distance, everything becomes quiet, until a voice shouts:"One bruiser is better than one hundred orcs!"Angered, the General sends one hundred elite soldiers over the hill.  Fighting ensues, and then silence, until a voice shouts:"One bruiser is better than A THOUSAND orcs!"Furious, the orc General sends his best thousand troops over the hill.  Fighting goes on for hours, then silence.  The General sees someone crawling in the distance, and runs to him.  The dying orc says "ITS A TRAP, there's actually TWO of them."

[ShinmaRyche]

LOL. Awesome. :smileyvery-happy:

[Gaige]

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Ezariel wrote:

I'm not even sure what a monks strengths are anymore....

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Tsunami, Ward, Group FD, Stuns/Stifles, and a lot of deflection which owns agility.

[Ezariel]

no need to get defensive Gaige.  I was kidding.  I know monks rock as well and you have skills :smileytongue:

[Gaige]

I wasn't, I was answering in case someone really didn't know

[Owa]

I played a Monk to the level cap when it was still 50 and when the Combat Update came I rolled a Bruiser and am at the current level cap. Thus, I have some experience of the differences between the two classes - but not with regards 50+ Monk attributes - and with the caveat that the Combat Update may have changed a lot of what I did know about Monks.

The reason for me rerolling was the general consensus on the Monk boards that as a result of the imminent Combat Update Brawlers were going to be made more 'tanky' and would lose some of their DPS firepower.  The consensus was also that Bruisers would be somewhat less affected than Monks and would be the best choice for DPS-orientated fighters.

Personally, I'm very pleased that I took the trouble to level my new character - he had almost the same name and identical looks and stats as my Monk, so comparisons were easy. I always felt  - and still do - that Owain (Bruiser) could kick the living sh*t out of Owen (Monk) and with his more powerful heal, mez and powerful CAs he was/is easier to solo.

However, make no mistake, Monks are equally potent - but with a slightly milder flavour. Their line of stuns is great, their ability to heal and FD group members is always very useful and Tsunami is one of the best fighter skills I'm aware of. Their DPS is nothing to sniff at either - unless your CAs are Adept III or Master, a Monk may very well outdamage you due to the effect their incredible haste has on their autoattack. Plus they seem to be a little better at taking or avoiding damage - although that's just my observations and I can't back it up with any figures (as usual:smileyvery-happy:.)

If you want to go all-out attack and take the consequences, solo difficult mobs and be generally scary, roll a Bruiser. If you're a bit more social, want an easier time tanking and want a slightly more rounded character, roll a Monk.

 

[Actually don't roll a Bruiser - when I started mine there was only a handful of us on Lucan - now the place is crawling with 'flavour of the month' players. C*nts.]

[Jezekie]

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Gnimish wrote:Why did you chose a bruiser over a monk?

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Because Qeynos is the sissywille (tm) and the inhabitants are all really annoying!Bruisers are ebil and all that, monks are just...yah........wait, you mean we have to live in slums? Our super ebil overlord has a hobo city as his mighty impressive empire? Oh...ok... :smileysad:

[WaachBack]

I chose bruiser because I liked being the "more offensive" brawler. I also like the lore behind a bruiser.

[ShinmaRyche]

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Jezekiell wrote:

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Gnimish wrote:Why did you chose a bruiser over a monk?

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Because Qeynos is the sissywille (tm) and the inhabitants are all really annoying!

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Yeah, all the Qeynosians annoyed the hell out of me, to the point where i wanted to kick them in the teeth, so i betrayed, so i could.

[Vorham]

always prefer evil characters, evil is badass and sinisterwanted a character that was in-your-face... but badass enough to use just his fists if needed... I don't dig on armor/swords too muchat the time bruisers were pretty badass dps and light tanks, with decent utility... was pretty much what I wanted... either that or brigand... went bruiser for tankability... LU13 changed things a bit, more of a tank now but still workable... but if our dps was any less id reroll.. or quit the gameMonk was outta the question... not evil and they live in qeynosIll never make another Qeynos character, I made a Qeynos mule for business and the entire town is way too lame and phoney... very annoying, want to punch every NPC there... Freeport maybe depressing but at least theres a level of honesty instead of that plastic phoney goodie goodie happy time atmosphere.

[Mantua1]

When it absolutely positivly has to be beat down in a matter of moments - BRUISERS

 

accept no substitute

[Mentla]

A Monk is a class selection choice with pros and cons much like any other class choice in EQII.  Do some research, see if you like what's on offer.Bruisin is a way of life.  Period.

[Zetnorr]

I didn't , I chose Monk  1st  ( I have  2 ) but always wanted  to try  the  Bruiser  to see the differance  not  just in fighting  skill's  but  all  round type  of  thing.That's  why  I chose  an Iksar  so the races  are identical but alredy noticing   as  power  differance.The Bruiser  hits  harder sooner than the Monk ( but takes alittle more  ) Why do I have  2 Monks  &  now  a Bruiser ? I just  love  the animation's on these  character's  &  I just cannot play anything else  without  falling to sleep.  :smileyvery-happy:

[Mentla]

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Vorham wrote:Ill never make another Qeynos character, I made a Qeynos mule for business and the entire town is way too lame and phoney... very annoying, want to punch every NPC there... Freeport maybe depressing but at least theres a level of honesty instead of that plastic phoney goodie goodie happy time atmosphere.

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Qeynos reminds me of the US, Freeport reminds me of Russia.Fact.

[MakhailSamma]

What part of the US you live in???

Freeport looks more like the US I know of..

[Removed for Content] looks like Disneyland.. great for kids, but makes me want to put a bullet through Goofeys head.

 

[Mentla]

Not looks, NPCs.  All the false smiling and 'have a nice day' crud of shop assistants and such is similar to the false happiness in Q.  In Moscow they are probably ruder than in FP now that I think about it.

[Halsy01]

Monks are punks, bruisers are cruisers - as in you're cruisin' for a bruisin'! Monks are just...well...[Removed for Content]. Now don't get me wrong, I have [Removed for Content] friends. I'm also not a person who generally uses [Removed for Content] in a derogatory manner by which to describe someone or something, but monks really are [Removed for Content].

 

Monks tend to get into tickle and slap fights while bruisers just dish out the beats like nobodys business. Monks engage in drama, whereas bruisers will tell you to save the drama for yo' mama. Monks mince around in swishy little pink silk robes, where bruisers stomp around in black leather chewing gum and kicking [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn]...and they're all out of gum. Monks will fluffily go on about honor and such, while a bruiser won't think twice about giving you a sucker punch to the '[Removed for Content] because we're all about getting the job done quickly and doing whatever it takes to get 'er done. You'll often see monks running away from a fight screaming like little girls, whereas a bruiser will always stand toe to toe and scream "BRING IT ON!". I could go on and on, but you get the picture. If playing some namby-pamby, sissy-girl of a fighter is what yanks your crank than monk is the way to go. If you want a name-takin, [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn]-kickin' machine, than bruiser is the only way to go.

 

Shappa

Level 40 Kerran Bruiser

 

P.S. For those without a sense of humour, the above piece was purely intended as some tongue-in-cheek humour. Except for the part about bruisers being death machines and monks being girly-men.

 

[Ko]

There are a couple different reasons I went Bruiser,

1st - I wanted to go Iksar and they start in Freeport. The Ruins of Kunark was always my favorite expansion in EQLive because of all the lore that the Iksar race got. Not to mention Iksars where one of the only two races that could be Monks in EQLive so it made sense.

2nd - Pre LU13 my main was a level 50 pali and I was tired of buying ebon clusters for 3 plat a pop. 3 plat was just about enough for a full set of rare armor for a Bruiser.

3rd - I just like the idea of a big in your face "Im gonna kick your [Removed for Content]" type of description that the Bruiser has.