Are MLs Really Worth It?

[Jakus Morgan]

Master Levels.

We all love them of course.

But are the rewards (ie the ML abilities) really worth all the stress & hassle & time it takes.
Some of the MLs can be real time sinks it seems.
Then there's the ML exp you need to gain.

Perfector 5 seems worth it, particularly power font. Even when it's nerfed PF will still be well worth having. But higher than that?

Of the other abilities stealth node seems useful, & maybe fault finder. Though I chose the other line with my Warrior cos I didn't fancy being a human battering ram & the other abilities in the fault finder line looked crap.

But the rest of the ML abilities?
Some may be nice but frankly they don't seem worth the effort.

Once I've got PF on my two shammies & stealth node on my SM I'm not sure I can be bothered to do any more.

I could well be wrong though as I'm no expert on MLs.

Any thoughts?

 

[Belomar]

It depends. Casters can pretty much ignore MLs, they are mostly fluff (even if things like Brittle Guards, Summoning Mastery (for pet classes) and Crystal Titan can be very useful to have, as well as some Stormlord storms in standoffs). Any serious RvR Healer pretty much needs ML8-ML9 Sojourner for FZ and Phase Shift, and any serious Battlemaster needs ML8 for Bodyguard, whereas a Banelord Zerker can get by with ML1. So, I'd say the following breakdown is useful:

Banelord: ML1+ (not sure about the other abilities)
Battlemaster: ML8+
Convoker: ML10 (nice but not necessary)
Sojourner: ML9+
Perfector: ML5+
Stormlord: ML9+ (nice but not necessary)
Spymaster: no idea
Warlord: no idea

 

[Gizor]

Spymaster ML9 for the mezz potion

 

[snoz]

It depends. Casters can pretty much ignore MLs, they are mostly fluff (even if things like Brittle Guards, Summoning Mastery (for pet classes) and Crystal Titan can be very useful to have, as well as some Stormlord storms in standoffs). Any serious RvR Healer pretty much needs ML8-ML9 Sojourner for FZ and Phase Shift, and any serious Battlemaster needs ML8 for Bodyguard, whereas a Banelord Zerker can get by with ML1. So, I'd say the following breakdown is useful:

Banelord: ML1+ (not sure about the other abilities)
Battlemaster: ML8+
Convoker: ML10 (nice but not necessary)
Sojourner: ML9+
Perfector: ML5+
Stormlord: ML9+ (nice but not necessary)
Spymaster: no idea
Warlord: no idea

About right but banelord kinda needs ml8 minimum too agony and tendriils kinda rocks.

 

[Inca]

Perfector: ML5+

Ml8 cure rs?

 

[Sycho]

Banelord and battlemaster both need ml8(more is a bonus, banespike real good in 1.70)

Not sure about other ML's, i think ToA sc is better if you do a good set.

 

[Chamie]

Banelord: ML8+ (ML 8 Banelord abilty is the best ML in game no doubt)
Battlemaster: ML8+
Convoker: not really needed but nice if u wanna solo
Sojourner: ML9+ (fz and phase shift)
Perfector: ML8+ (u get ress illness remove abilty at 8)
Stormlord: dont spec this -_-
Warlord: dont spec this either -_-
Spymaster: SB spec dunno much about it

basicly I would say that the best specs are:

casters: SM and RM convoker, bd banelord
tanks: battlemaster or banelord
seers: healers sojourner, shamans perfecter
skald: sojourner
stealthers: hunter sojourner, SB spymaster

well I said 2 things on tanks there cuz it depends what kind of grp u wanna play "offensive grp" or "defensive grp".
Well defensive grps are ownage vs tank grps but since most grps are caster grps now I would prefere a very offensive grp.
for defensive grps u want battlemaster
for offensive grps u want banelord due to the ML 8 1000 radius pbaoe thing that hits for like 40% no matter how buffed the ones u hit it at are.

In my guild grp we play offensive grp atm which I think owns atm.
Our defensive lineup was: 3 healers, 1 shaman, 1 warrior (bm), 1 savage (banelord), 1 SM (supp), 1 RM

Our new lineup the offensive one is: 3healers, 1 shaman, 2 SMs (supp), 1 bd (banelord), 1 RM


The defensive lineup was kinda crap, the offensive lineup seems to work very well tho.
So lets just say for tanks I would prefere warrios and thanes battlemaster, and all others should be banelord if they can

 

[Aldrick]

how did u manage to have a banelord savage?

 

[Nausilus^^]

Ml8 cure rs?

It's single target cure rs only, and in PvE it doesn't restore con loss. Basically if you die in rvr and get rezzes, only some in group could have their rs restored until the timer allows the perfecters to recast it.


Imo.. ML's are shit.
Haven't done any, and haven't felt like I'm missing anything so far. Apart from a lot of stress and time consuming raids ofc
Don't rvr on my savage anymore, but on my ranger I kill as much as I used to pre toa and the only difference from now are a few higher util items that wreck my template regarding magic resists and give me higher dex cap. Only artifact is belt of sun for the weaps. I still die sometimes to infs and sb's, and the occational scout that pops TS infront of apk when a zerg is moving out, but other than that I'd say it's pretty much the same.

 

[Chamie]

how did u manage to have a banelord savage?

ok I mean zerker

 

[Oro]

I'm more than happy for Mids to think they don't need MLs.

Go you

On the other hand, if you know how to use them, they can help turn a fight. Tends to be when you've planned a bit so I guess those that just run in circles round the Emain racetrack won't find a whole lot of use for most of them.

Roll on NF: MLs > RAs

 

[Adari]

FYI: FZ = ML8 sojo and not 9, ML9 = PS and ML10 = group gateway.

That said, the self gateway, summon vendor and underwater breathing buff are very, very nice to have too.

 

[Belomar]

FYI: FZ = ML8 sojo and not 9, ML9 = PS and ML10 = group gateway.

I'm not sure anyone said anything else, yeah?

 

[acasm]

Lo m8,
I have been doing ml's and yes some of em are a pain to do.
But imo they r a part of the game that must be done. The more skills ones char gains the stronger he gets. E ven when u dont know at the sart what u would use the new skill for.
Doing the ml's learns our mids to work together, this isnt a strong point yet here in midgard. Just as ml's all arte quest r imo designed to get the best out of each char. One has to follow a tactic and use his char for what its designed. When doing the ml steps lots of ppl learn new things and learn to work in a grp. Only for that reason i would say all go for ml 10.
A ml 10 char can play, u cant leech your way there imo

 

[Iceflower]

You could also find the trials interstesting if you have a curious mind and want to explore the unknown (to you) parts of the game

 

[Inca]

You could also find the trials interstesting if you have a curious mind and want to explore the unknown (to you) parts of the game

Aye i can't deny the first time i did each ML i quite enjoyed it, was interesting seeing the mobs and the sumtimes different ways you had to kill them. Same with the first time you do arti mobs. That said when you take a 100 man zerg, the actual "method" often matters little and the raids loose interest a bit. As Zeppelin i am ML6 but had to do ML3 and 6 twice due to linkdead/bugs. Then add to that the MLs i have done for my alts/bots and it gets to be a real drag, more often that not just doing the ML for the sake of it.

ML5 is a little more interesting as its 1fg and while not difficult you have to be at least awake, same with 2.10 as thats a 2fg encounter and you do need a level of discpline/organisation. Generally though the MLs are not disimilar to levelling, there just something you feel you need to do. Some1 once said with teh zerg ml's it was like being a leech in moderna, it helps if your at the keys but its not urgent. Very negative but with people regularly slowing the MLs down by not listening, i do appreciate the lack of interest.

 

[Jakus Morgan]

Aye i can't deny the first time i did each ML i quite enjoyed it, was interesting seeing the mobs and the sumtimes different ways you had to kill them. Same with the first time you do arti mobs. That said when you take a 100 man zerg, the actual "method" often matters little and the raids loose interest a bit. As Zeppelin i am ML6 but had to do ML3 and 6 twice due to linkdead/bugs. Then add to that the MLs i have done for my alts/bots and it gets to be a real drag, more often that not just doing the ML for the sake of it.

ML5 is a little more interesting as its 1fg and while not difficult you have to be at least awake, same with 2.10 as thats a 2fg encounter and you do need a level of discpline/organisation. Generally though the MLs are not disimilar to levelling, there just something you feel you need to do. Some1 once said with teh zerg ml's it was like being a leech in moderna, it helps if your at the keys but its not urgent. Very negative but with people regularly slowing the MLs down by not listening, i do appreciate the lack of interest.

I've found that some MLs are much more enjoyable than others. I've preferred ML4 & 5 of the ones I've done so far, probably because they don't have any underwater sections!

Agreed there is a certain 'interest' factor the first time you do a ML but they do seem to become a grind. Especially the repeating for alts & to get ML exp.
It's this time consuming factor that makes me doubt they're really worth it' particularly as so many of the abilities don't seem very good.
I'm not really convinced by the posts saying how important they are.
Not as compared to all the effort/time it would take to get them

The ML5 I did last night was probably the most enjoyable one so far, probably because most of it was Group encounters. That meant that everybody could put some input in & you had to stay more focused. Following a huge zerg means you get bored & don't really know what you're doing or why.

 

[Jakus Morgan]

I'm more than happy for Mids to think they don't need MLs.

Go you

On the other hand, if you know how to use them, they can help turn a fight. Tends to be when you've planned a bit so I guess those that just run in circles round the Emain racetrack won't find a whole lot of use for most of them.

Roll on NF: MLs > RAs

I didn't exactly say that MLs aren't needed.
I just questioned if the abilities gained are actually worth all the many many hours it takes to obtain them.

They may prove decisive in a chess like battle between uber groups but most of us don't get to RvR like that.
Personally I'm far from uber, I have no high RR characters, & thus I doubt lacking MLs will make me loose to such players any quicker than I already do!