I'm doubting alot...

[sebula_strings]

I don't like playing in Hibernia anymore, altho the peeps are very polite and nice to me, and i think i will go to either Albion or Midgard. I want to make a stalker class but i don't know which i should make. Any opinions about which class i should pick is always welcome.

Shadowblade?
Infiltrator?
Minstrell?

Please give me wise information, and tell something about your guild ( if you have one) , because i will be joining on then...

I will make the choice next friday so post as many as you can..

Kind regards,

 

[nocte]

come join me on excal/alb m8

i am getting bored of hib a wee bit, but dont wanna delete my chars and start all over again, as i will be returning to hib sooner or later.

 

[andyr00barb]

Only ever played a skald in bgs in Midgard so I'll only really comment on albion (even then I'm basing this on lvling chars as far as 24).

I can't imagine an infiltrator being too different to your ns, only you'll lose those dd spells and get a few extras pts to play with.

A minstrel at higher levels (from what I've read), is considered gimped. Though to me they look great fun and the ability to give your group speed/mana/health and mezz mobs seems far gimped. Maybe they are referring to the minstrels ability to take down an enemy one on one.

The guy that sits next to me a lot when I'm playing daoc has rolled two minstrels for battlegrounds and at lvl 24 you will rock. A minstrel/friar combo when properly played can be used to take on 3 or 4 hibs/mids. Being as you're posting this on a bgs forum I'm assuming that is primarily what you want the character for.

If you're gonna be playing a minstrel and you want to do some skillful fights and conserve those rlm pts, then grp with only one or two others and make sure you guys are on the same page, only hit what your gonna kill. Or group with 7 other armsmen go on a couple of zergs and say bye bye to thid in about 10mins whatever takes your fancy really.

I've had most fun with an inf, a scout and a friar. I'll be rolling a minstrel pretty soon.

HTH...

 

[sebula_strings]

Yes, i was thinking of a minstrell because when i visited daoc.catacombs i saw they could get see hidden... I don't know if this really works but what about high stealth so you will see the stealthers first, and the rest in a weaponskill ( that would be slash ) and some Instruments.

I was wondering if this should really work, should be cool to have chain and high stealth so i can sneak up to others, or wouldn't that be wise?

Cheers

 

[sebula_strings]

Hmmm, i cannot send new posts?!

 

[sebula_strings]

Hmm, now i can again

I was wondering if the idea of high stealth + med weaponskill/instruments would work in de BGs?
Would be fun hunting down stealthers...

Cheers

 

[CliffyG]

RvR minstrels are probably fairly decent but in PvE they can be pretty damn boring from what i've seen. Normaly get invited then just get told to play power song continously with an occasional mez thrown in. So basically, join group, /stick groupmember, start song, then go and do the washing up or watch telly.

 

[sebula_strings]

I don't really care about having fun with my character in PvE ( Ok, i care abit but as long as it can do something in RvR its fine with me) But lets get back to my question "Would if be smart to spec high stealth / med wepskill / med instruments?"

Cheers

 

[CliffyG]

Can't say i've seen many stealther minstrels (i know you're not supposed too ). Their main bonuses are the speed song and mezzes. Although stealthing up to a large group and group mezzing sounds quite fun . Wouldn't have thought you'd need too high stealth for that though.

 

[sebula_strings]

What do minstrells auto train, stealth or instruments?
Because then i was thinking of without the auto-train )

-17 stealth
-15 instruments
-17 slash
Or 17instruments for next DD and 15 slash. I'm guessing i will easily get +stealth/slash items

And indeed, group mezzing is very funneh

 

[Col|]

Originally posted by sebula_strings
But lets get back to my question "Would if be smart to spec high stealth / med wepskill / med instruments?"

Cheers

In one word NO.

As with all hybrid classes in this game, the Minstrels defining attribute is his Instruments line. It's where he gets most if not all his best abilities and only getting 1.5x points per lvl you will have to sacrifice one of the 3 you mentioned. Best bet would be to keep your Instruments close to your level if not at max level an then spec some into a style type, possibly thrust, since you do get evade. As for See Hidden, Minstrels don't get this, See Hidden is an assassin only realm ability. Oh and dont bother too much with stealth, an assassin will see you alot earlier than you will him, even if you have the same level of stealth, as this is one of the class definitions of an assassin. Saying that, Minstrels can be fun to play, you get a speed song, best in Albion, you can get yourself a pet to help when you solo, casters will drool all over you for the mana regen song and as the secondary mez class in Albion, you get to mez enemies and unmez friends. I wouldn't say a Minstrel is an easy class to play, you'll find you will have alot of item swapping to do, them instruments can be a pain, but if you stick at it, can be quite rewarding.

 

[andyr00barb]

Minstrels generally have low stealth. I've seen it be of use to get within mezzing range of other non stealthers effectively, don't expect it to be of any use against sbs though (and ns's, haven't forgotten you little guys )

From what I've seen I'd try something like this: -
Saracen/Briton
Thrust 12
Stealth 10
Instruments 24
(I'm not aware of any auto trains).

Thrust 12 gives you Puncture and the follow up Bloody Dance. Minstrels (I'm told) use these moves even at high lvls due to their good dmg and the fact you can use them anytime.

Use an embossed bone gladius that gives +3 to thrust, it's a OTD, so 100% quality and becomes yellow con at 24. Best thrust weap to use in BGs IMHO.

There's plenty of stealth items in Albion, so getting that +5 ain't a problem.

Just make sure you get nice instruments off player crafters

Plenty of other specs out there, but this is very similiar to one I've seen used very effectively.

ttfn...

 

[old.Flamin]

24instrument rest slash. Race Highlander. That's what i would have done if i made a minstrel for the BG.

 

[bishibosh]

i realy dont get where mythic got the idea t have mincers train stealth, guess they needed a 3rd ability..... come on, musicians are hardly quiet and stealthy are they

 

[sebula_strings]

Ok i have been doubting about my dicision since chosen member Dork explained to me why i was bored atm. I think he was telling the truth and i will now continue my champion ( 22 ) so i can be in Murd with you all at the first of decembre. I will not play my NS again, as a matter of fact i have already given my stuff away to the guildies. So from now on it will be Celendil instead of Sebula

P.S i still want to thank you all for giving me advice about the classes, i might come join you lot in Alb/Mid someday if its getting even more bored than it is atm.

Cheers

 

[andyr00barb]

Originally posted by old.Flamin
24instrument rest slash. Race Highlander. That's what i would have done if i made a minstrel for the BG.

Ok just did it and can't hit for toffee. Using a weapon with effective dps 0.1 off my cap. Went a highlander, capped str with items and still can't hit for toffee. Best hit was about 75. Will defo be going saracen/thrust next time round. Average hit at the moment is about 30/40 with an uppercut. This was using a fine alloy bastard sword, a slow weapon, so you'd expect big hits.

Oh well.

 

[old.Hendrick]

Minstrels are rogues. They don't do much damage with their weapon, no matter if it's thrust or slash, because they are on the rogue damage-table and also don't have such a good weapon spec. Your key skills are speed, mez and a DD shout. You are not a melee-person, but a support person. You help others covering the ground between the enemy fast, and mez any that try to escape.

Minstrel is a fantastic and very versatile class, but you can't expect them to stand up to a mercenary or armsman in terms of melee-damage. Talk to some High-Level minstrels and they will tell you what fun the class is to play.

Stealth is just an additional feature to help you soloing in RvR.

Oh and by the way:
It makes no difference what race you choose when you want to go for thrust-weapons. Thrust is based on half strength/half dex.

Look at the stats:
Highlander 80 str 60 dex = 140/2 = 70 base for damage
Saracen 60 Str 90 dex = 150/2 = 75 base damage
Briton 70 str 70 dex = 140/2 = 70 base for damage

Not a great difference if you ask me. And the highlander also has more con so more hitpoints.

Many minstrels I know respecced to slash.

 

[old.Jadow]

And don't bother considering the 50 thrust minstrel experiment. I looked into it for a while but the minstrel stun is on the same timer as dragonfang so it's unlikely to be worth it. Slash gives some nice anytime attacks, but has -negs vs more armour types than thrust (if you like to kill mids that is - and hey, who doesn't!).

J.

 

[andyr00barb]

Maybe it's the negs vs chain that's putting me off then. I've never rolled a thrust minstrel but sit along side a guy that's rolled two. He was defintely doing more dmg that what we're doing now (he's just rolled a slash minstrel as well).

As an aside, are these dmg tables published anywhere?

ttfn

 

[Danya]

Well I had a thrust minstrel and respecced slash...
Slash is better once you get amethyst slash at 29 slash spec. Amethyst is the style that makes slash decent, you can't really appreciate it till you've used it - it's probably the best anytime style in daoc. Before that thrust is better due to both slash and thrust having pretty crap low level anytimes and thrust having better bonuses on most armour.
People use puncture/lunge at high level with thrust because there's nothing else to use almost, the thrust line sucks for anytime styles. Personally I used to use sting - puncture sucks too much end.
Don't spec stealth high for BG, it's completely gimped. You could have 24 stealth and SBs still spot you a mile off due to the way minstrel stealth works (read; it's gimped). Get instruments to 24, you'll horribly gimp yourself otherwise.
For a thruster either go briton or highlander, saracens aren't worth it given the con loss. Minstrels gain more dex than strength with levels but even so it's not that significant. At level 50 I cap dex at 174 and strength at 150 as a briton, that gives thrust only a marginal bonus over slash.
As for the damage, I dunno, it doesn't sound that bad, I'm only getting about 40-50 unstyled on my merc and uppercut gives a piss-poor bonus to damage (it's only worth using to chain in to opal slash). Best hit I think was 153 main / 63 off hit on a zerker with shadow's edge. Having said that, I use short swords not a bastard sword. At high level you can go toe-to-toe with most classes except pure tanks and come out ok. I've outmeleed a few skalds on my minstrel (199 on a skald in epic with amethyst and a sabre isn't too shoddy).

Jadow, 50 thrust works... you just ignore your castable stun as a waste of mana/end and rely on DF for stun. I'm unconvinced though as evade 2 isn't a good basis for DF.

BTW anyone that needs crafted instruments, I can make them to BG level.

 

[andyr00barb]

Thanks for clearing some of that up Danya. Nice grouping with you yesterday BTW.

Finally hit someone for 100 yesterday as well so I'll die happy now . Was against studded armor type I think, and I got a rlm pt, so he wasn't rez sick.

I recently respeced my polearm armsman to SnS, and I'd agree amethyst slash is a damn good anytime style. I won't be taking Simply past lvl 24 though, so future minnis will still be thrust I think.

Had good fun yesterday though, it's great how you can be right in the middle of an ememy retreat and not get hit whilst mezzing anything you can.

ttfn

 

[Danya]

Yes, minstrel is the ultimate chase class (followed by skald), speed plus a running mez is just superb for chasing people down.

BTW res sick doesn't affect damage taken, it just affects how much damage you can dish out.

 

[decline]

The premier BG1 class is a critblade (when played right.)

 

[old.Cyric]

Originally posted by sebula_strings
Yes, i was thinking of a minstrell because when i visited daoc.catacombs i saw they could get see hidden...

eek no.