BG: Shadowblade

K

kimo

Guest
I just started a shadowblade. (lvl 8) and i wonder how i should spece him for the first bg. Im not going to make him higher, just waiting for the pvp server.

My template:

Stealth : 21
Sword : 10
Envenom : 15
Critical strike : 21

Is this good? was thinking fo useing 2 handed sword..

Plz help
 
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old.Krogar_Thane

Guest
looks pretty good to me

however i am not sure of the base mechanic that crit strike works off.

is base damage based on your sword skill and then the added bonus of the crit strike styles pile on that?

if that is the case i would lose points from venom, but again im not sure as my shadow blade was a shadow zerker (who kicked ass incidentally, and was also a BG delete).

honestly mate, 10 in envenom is enough for anybodies needs, because tbh, the envenom DOT is nice, but its the snare which was the uber weapon for me. this may again, come from a shadow zerkers perspective where i meleed them to death in a flurry of blows while they were snared.

the stealth is certainly fine, i would just like the sword question answered as im making a crit blade for BG too (after ive made a runemaster of course).

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
M

Madonion Slicer

Guest
What the differences from SB and SB Zerker?? i have no idea when it comes to Mid Characters.
 
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old.Krogar_Thane

Guest
a shadow blades variants

a shadow zerker is a type of shadow blade as defined by his spec.

there are numerous routes, but the main two are

crit blade, who specs high in critical strike, as well as his primary weapon, for a massive opening damage shot, hoping to one shot casters. usually uses a 2 handed weapon.

shadow zerker, is as the name suggests, a dual wielder, usually two axes, he does not do that massive opening damage shot, because he has no spec in critical strike, instead speccing in axe(sword) and Left axe. these types of shadow blade are killers for destroying other enemy stealthers, as they are brutal in melee.

there are other variants like the soul blade - 5 spec - blad de blah.

ive played a shadow zerker before and he won 99% of his solo fights with enemy infiltrators, additionally he had two extremely fast swinging weapons, added to his DOT meant that he was almost assured of killing casters without them being able to cast on him, once he popped from stealth because his swing time was quicker than almost all spells.

im in the process of levelling a crit blade, to try that different style, but the info above covers most of it.
 
L

lorric

Guest
5 Specs are also very good but only at higher lvls wouldnt work out very well for a BG char.
 
O

Olgark

Guest
I am leveling up a sword critblade and I know that you should try to keep Crit Strike and sword skill at about the same level. This will make sure you hit for more damage when you do a backstab.

My critblade will have a spec of this when she hits the first BG

Stealth 19
Sword 18
Crit strike 20
Envenom 10 ( I am looking for items to get extra stealth and envenom skill as well )

For the opening hit use a two handed and if the fight lasts longer switch to a sword and shield with a disease poison on it. Not sure how this will go but I am going to give it a try.
 
S

Serendipity

Guest
Kinda new to the boards so hi all. I've just levelled my SB up for the BG (although will take her past when I cap) and I've done pretty well with her, I'll admit she is quite twinked up but only carries two items that are purple. Have had a lot of comments about how my template couldn't work but it does.

Umbral Dreamer level 24 Soulblade
Stealth 24 + 5
Left Axe 12 + 2
Axe 12 + 2
Critical Strike 15 + 1
Envenom 10 + 1

Wearing a full suit of Cave Lurker leather and wielding a Fine Alloy Cleaver 99% and a Njeessi Short Cross Tooth axe. Killed more peeps than killed me and it took ganking to take me down.
 
M

matax

Guest
I'm going for a 5-spec SB. My level 24 spec is (although im only 23 at the mo ;)) - in brackets are my additional item bonuses
Stealth 17 (+5)
Envenom 10
Crit Strike 21 (+3)
Left Axe 14 (+2)
Axe 14 (+3 ?)

Many people have commented that this is spread to thin, but it seems to work OK. Also this is not a BG only character and 5-spec is meant to improve as you get higher levels.

CS 21 means I have PA and do good first shot damage. Have see hidden with the stealth and with items its up to 22. My tactics are to first hit with 2H axe PA and then swap to 2 axes and use Garotte. This has the added bonus of being able to use 3 different poisons as well.

As I say only level 23 at the moment, so haven't checked it out fully, but it seems to work OK from my preliminary forays :). Searching for better armour and a 2H axe (anyone know any magic ones?). Njessi's fang or whatever its called is one of my 1H axes.

Edit: Oh and I autotrained stealth to level 20.
 
S

Slipurson

Guest
my advice since u are makin a critblade (points at thread creator) is that u could drop stealth to 19 and put the extra points in sword, and advice to anyone makin a critblade.. be sure to go 21 in crit to get PA :)
 
B

bister

Guest
IMO any SB, regardless of spec, should get a base 19 in stealth. No more, no less. It's easy to get +5 stealth in items, but that's also the cap in lvl 24. I know SB's who have had less and as long as they have 16 stealth to get Detect Hidden that's still ok, but they ARE at a disadvantage against enemy stealthers with higher stealth. Essentially, he who strikes first wins, but you can only strike first if you spot first.

If you want to be a 2h using so called Crit Blade (CB), get 21 in CS to get Perforate Artery (PA), because that stealthed opening style defines your spec in BG.

An orthodox Shadowzerker (SZ) will put no or very few points into CS. Instead he relies on the Left Axe styles, many of which are very nice. He turns into some kind of berzerker that can go stealth instead of going rat boy when things get rough.

A 5-spec will have some CS, but perhaps not as high as to get PA.
It's an in-between spec if you compare to CB and SZ. If you don't bring CS to 21, I suggest you don't bring it much higher than 15. The 18 style called Garrote is very popular among alb and hib assassins but IMO it's a complete waste of endurance for dual wielding SB since there are Left Axes styles that do the job better.

I play a 5-spec and aim for the higher levels - they start to shine late. If I would make a SB for BG exclusively, I would make a CB. But it's NOT true that 5-specs won't do well in BG. If you sacrifice PA for decent Left Axe you will still have the upper hand against most enemy stealthers, just like the SZ. And at the same time you can still have the opportunity to do a high damage, short stun opening strike, not to 1-shot but to get a nice unfair head start.

Rather, both SZ's and 5-spec's share the same problem in BG. Both tend to come out on top in assassin duels, provided the opponent doesn't get PA off first, but then what? What if this assassin wasn't alone? (They rarely are.) A CB can hit and run and since the kill is so fast, he can often get away before the victim's friends have time to react. A SZ or 5-spec needs a little time alone with his victim. He will often win a melee against one opponent, but fighting multiples is rarely a good idea. SBs are both very strong and very vulnerable. They are only strong as long as they are in control of the situation - stealth makes sure you can pick your fights. Now this does not make SZ's and 5-specs bad specs for BG, but it means you have to play differently compared to a CB. CB's can stealth straight into the opposing zerg in a standoff, pick people off and maybe get away. Dual wielders have to use a different approach.
 
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old.Krogar_Thane

Guest
i agree with most points

but i have to disagree on Bister's "then what?" comment about shadow zerkers.

they kill fast, sure not 1 hit fast, but fast enough to make a kill and get out.

the key to playing any stealther is patience. Mack TheKnife had a pretty terrifying reputation on BG1 as i was always patient, waiting for the right opening, i see LOTS of stealthers on there nowadays who will run into the enemy lines, do their PA, and get mezzed, nuked, die, and call for rezz, time and time again, this in my mind is not good play.

Mack would linger, loiter, sneak round the edges (this in itself was an absolute blast, and great for for me, the tingle of nerves as an armsman came close, could he see you etc!)..........i would wait, patiently, move around, judging my escape route, picking out a target who strayed a little from his mates, or sat down with no1 behind him. this way Mack would often score 10 or 15 unanswered kills a night, i would often go days at a time on Thid without a death.

Shadow zerkers are very very viable on BG, and sure yes, they shine best against enemy stealthers and wizards, (and lets face it, there aint nothing sweeter than killing an infiltrator with 90% of your health left) but they can hold their own against everything except a full on tank.

im currently levelling a crit blade norse woman just because i want to see the flip side, but i would have no hesitation in saying that a shadow zerker is a very viable, and totally fun, competent spec for BG. and to all those people making a 5 spec........why not spec as a shadow zerker to BG then start spreading your points in the next 10 levels after that, as RvR wont start for you again properly till the 40s (imho) as the other 2 BGs are almost dead.

anyway, all good points and all good info.

Ph33r the shadow zerker

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
L

Loveless

Guest
That sounds ok, but the temp im going for is:

23 stealth (6 with auto train +4 items)
19 sword
10 envenom
21 crit strike

Gettin Njissi sword so that +4 sword, around +2 CS and +1 Envenom :D
 
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old.Krogar_Thane

Guest
the next DOT

you can afford to save points from stealth, you are capped at 24.

there is absolutely no reason to go above 24 stealth if you have the items, my previous and my next SB will stop on 19 stealth because i have +5 items.

you might be able to get to the next DOT with the points you save.

it all helps.
 

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