Animists! I need advise!

[Overdriven]

So, okay... I've got a level 42 animist laying around specced in Arb (I have NO reason why I've specced that) and I would like to know a level 50 spec (Pure PvE/PLing/RvR leeching) and why I should go that spec.

I've read the catacomb forums and I've seen like 3 different specs but no real reason why I should spec them.

Anyone who can tell me why I should spec in X and not Y?
What 50 spec I should have?

Would be very appriciated, cheers.

EDIT: Yes, I've never played a level 50 animist before; so...

 

[Raimo]

For PvE and PL go 50 verd!

 

[Adlatus Hellbringer]

go verd with 20 in creeping for pl (u get a sexy aoe debuff for pulling)

For rvr this is ok for leeching as u can spam shrooms and ur basic debuff bombs.

Arb is considered the main rvr spec due to tanglers and the insane dmg ur bombs and lifetap will do.

Hope this helps,

Ad

 

[Maeloch]

Think going 39 verd, 37 creeping just as viable. 2nd best pbaoe and taunt from pet, but high creeping spec means you get focus on red con FnF shrooms, so can spam them much easier. Nice spec for sieges.

 

[Luz]

I dont see how any spec works in RvR except Arboreal. You are a caster and need to do dmg.

In sieges ofc you can leech just fine with shrooms and pbaoe of your pet.

 

[Tallen]

Verdant/creep, forget arboreal. Also be prepared to solo a lot in rvr regardless of your spec.

Lifetap is baseline, not much point speccing a line just to reduce variance a bit in one spell. Bombers are poor, pathing is screwy and they take way too long to hit also often by the time they reach that player may be dead with you contributing zero damage output.

The biggie is bards will hate you in open field if you use the aoe bombers, they are a nasty mezz breaker and because they are fnf, once cast you cant stop them or take them back, cast your aoe, bard lands perfect mezz, your gonna win, wait, no, bomber, splat, mezz immunity for all (hurrah!), your all fooked, /release.

Also Druids>> Ani's for rooting, if you can structure an argument for taking an ani over a druid (or any other class for that matter), please, I'd love to hear it

Basically, unless you want frustration, don't use an ani for anything other than pl or siege defence, and verdant can do both fine.

<edit> Oh, for solo pve with no BB, arb is great by the way

 

[PhiCa]

Im only using mine as a shrooming lord, thereby 50 creep. great for arti and farm hunting, but not for pl ...

 

[Nix]

Im only using mine as a shrooming lord, thereby 50 creep. great for arti and farm hunting, but not for pl ...

Is there any sense in going over 50 modified creep? You'll use (afaik) the least power on level 50 FnFs when you have modified 50 creep, 37+13 in example. So if you want full creeper, your spec should be 39Arb/Verd, 37Creep. Correct me if I'm wrong, never tried a creeper before

 

[Bugz]

A mate of mine played RvR / PL and was 39 Verd / 37 Arb (or the other way around).

Worked very well and bombers can do very good damage in RvR - just never at keep takes ^_^

 

[Aqe]

My Ani is 50 verd, rest creeping, can still hold cap lvl 50 shrooms for 8 min without fop.

 

[Tuthmes]

I'm a compleet creeping path n00b, explain to me this focus thingy!

 

[Luz]

Also Druids>> Ani's for rooting, if you can structure an argument for taking an ani over a druid (or any other class for that matter), please, I'd love to hear it

Maybe because if our group win mez I can kill any 2 targets 99% guaranteed? (that is main tanks included btw)
If extending, rooter pets > all ?

When voideld debuff my bombers (as he do, cheers! ) they hit for 650ish without crits. Stacked, often hit all at once aswell.

If I am bombing a target and have to change to assist someone my first target will still be interupted for 10 ish seconds while bombs keep pounding him.

2-3 shrooms wellplaced vs. certain groups interupt and cause mayhem, makes me laugh.

Oh theres a few reasons, I am still 50 arb

 

[Kaun_IA]

50 verd rest creep is the best PVE specc there is... nothing cant comepete really

 

[Reno]

50 verd rest creep is the best PVE specc there is... nothing cant comepete really

Except that it wastes 2-3 points in verdant that do nothing for you. Spec enough verdant for the last pb ( 47 or 48 verdant, cant recall which atm), the rest in creep as said.

Danita

 

[Tallen]

Maybe because if our group win mez I can kill any 2 targets 99% guaranteed? (that is main tanks included btw)
If extending, rooter pets > all ?

When voideld debuff my bombers (as he do, cheers! ) they hit for 650ish without crits. Stacked, often hit all at once aswell.

If I am bombing a target and have to change to assist someone my first target will still be interupted for 10 ish seconds while bombs keep pounding him.

2-3 shrooms wellplaced vs. certain groups interupt and cause mayhem, makes me laugh.

Oh theres a few reasons, I am still 50 arb

Most tanks will use charge or are high det or both, you won't cc them and they are mostly BL's so you'll likely have to moc and won't do 650 per shot without crits.

Your 5 second cast root pets 1000 range are very situational in open field as groups move so much by the time you have set a GT and cast, chances are the fight has already moved past that spot.

It's ok if you are in a GG that will take an ani and know how to play with one, but there really are very very few of these. Bottom line is arb gives you poor utility and your always going to be the weak link and a liability to your group.

If your assisting on a target and your bombers are reaching them before your MA has hit them (bombers being a meaty 3 sec cast time without considering "flight" time), you need to change your MA or kick your mages in the nuts. If you are the MA you might hit once or twice tops, but otherwise your really not pumping out enough damage as a group nearly fast enough.

Light elds, light mentas, chanters and any other mage really have equal to or better damage all things considered and way more utility.

Void elds won't debuff for an ani in rvr very often considering they out-range you, will outdamage you and if your in a half-decent group anyone your assisting will be dead before you have contributed any significant damage with bombers so why drop the voidies dps/ns if light secondary/dis for a debuff?

If your shrooming in open field, your not assisting, pumping out relatively low dps and may as well not even be there, leave healer protection to wardens (they do it a lot, lot better with TWF/BG/Slam etc etc), cc to druids, bards and mages who have stun (which ani's don't) and interrupts to banelords.

Sorry, but as an arboreal animist (which i am and have been since day 1 of SI for my sins), using anything other than lifetap as your main weapon in fg rvr is really daft as over time it'll always be your best, most reliable, most useful and fastest damage output. Bomber pathing is so unreliable and the HP return more than compensates for the lower damage plus there's the lost dps from bombers never reaching their targets due to them being dead.

Players will (and indeed should) always spec to play the way they want to play, no-one should dictate a spec and im not trying to do that here. But equally quoting high damage output (that you will never achieve on a consistent basis and will be, over time, outdamaged by every other mage) that rose-tints how poor arboreal anis are in fg rvr in general doesn't help anyone. As always, a decently played ani will be better than a poorly played eld (thats goes for pretty much any class really), and there are a few really good ani players in rvr but that should not detract from the fact that ani's as a class really aren't designed for open field fg rvr. If they were there would be a lot more of them, as it is your lucky if you see any doing anything apart from soloing, zerging, sieging or static rvr which is where their real strengths are and where it's prolly better to spec creep or verdant as your main line and arb as a secondary line.

I'm sure some will disagree, but this is my experience of playing an arboreal ani in rvr, maybe im just crap

 

[Hiolo]

50 arboreal id say, 3 - 4 bombers and start life taping with con debuff rox!