Midgard

[Ancient Seagul]

I'm curious what it's like to play a few characters in Midgard on Excalibur

I've played for a bit on Prydwen (Hib and Mid) but bored me senseless.

Are there any Albs playing on Excalibur who have played in Mid on same server ? What's it like compared to Albion ?

Don't have a clue which class or race to go for - but probably not a spell caster as I can't be arsed to have to worry about learning the absurdly complex technical mechanics of today's pure spell casting classes. It seems that unless you have the knowledge of a Level 50 RR 5 RVR veteran, people think you're a n00b and won't give you the time of day helping to explain something you just don't understand. Well, that's what I've experienced from some Albs.

I basically wanna be able to kick ass in RVR and PVE, perhaps have something nice like shield stun (if it exists in Mid), and/or perhaps some stealth ability and some personal buffs / enhancements / rejuvination. Any suggestions ?

 

[Asty]

Tbh sm or rm are the fotms of the future (NF). Also good thing about them is that you get armors cheap.

 

[Ormorof]

runies seem to be the current "fotm" and SM's to some degree too (though possibly because they can be used for PL as well as rvr ), as runie if you are new to casters i well.... normally i would suggest you go in at the deep end and find the most complicated way of playing (how i managed to learn how to play runie anyway ) though it might be simpler to just try 50 dark 20 RC if you just want to nuke away

for shield stun AND self buffs... well only thing i can think of atm is thane which i might add is a very nice class for learning how to play midgard (and it helps you learn patience too ), though i doubt it will kick much ass in rvr unless in an opted group that uses thanes (ive yet to see one but one with thanes and dark SM's could be funny, especially if thanes get grappled then dark sm can debuff energy and let thanes nuke )

 

[Fana]

Thanes will probably rock in NF (or at least be more fun than pure tanks).

Shield > archers (fotm in NF)
AE-dd for strong leaching in sieges
Instas to interupt casters (fotm in NF)
Slam
Guard
Grapple
Bodyguard
New NF purge/det makes them an alternative to full tanks.
Selfbuff con/str if you dont have a bb (+strong dmg add).
Dual Threat and Static Tempest

Im rolling one^^

 

[Ormorof]

Im rolling one^^

i have one already, good fun but i got crap melee damage atm because of dodgy SC'ing (respecced to hammer without thinking about it so i now have 1+13 axe and 42+14 hammer )

 

[Ancient Seagul]

Anyone out there actually think Thanes are worth rolling ? All I'm hearing is that no one will group you in RVR, and that their hybrid arms / magic combo doesn't work well together, takes ages to personalise, and is currently nerfed.

Thanes aside, which combination of race, class, and shield / weapon is the most effective / powerful tank in hand to hand combat ? What delivers the most powerful hit of the 1 handed weapons with shield combo.

 

[Svartmetall]

Svartmetall's Thumbnail Guide To Mid Tanks:


Warriors: probably the most solid, dependable class there is. No real 'spice' to this class, but as a workhorse it's unmatched, with very good defence and very good offence - you can spec the class either way or be a bit of both. A Troll Warrior with 2H will still do very respectable damage indeed (mine took and held aggro from nearly every mob on the last big TG raid I went on) while still having the option of switching to 1H + shield when needed, and you'll have the highest weaponskill in the game. And a Kobbie Warrior is a total defence monster, even if the target is more likely to die of old age than from the damage you're dishing out.
Damage Output: 8
Defence: 10
Utility: 9
Fun Factor: 5
Dependability: 10
Spec: 50 Weapon/50 Shield/28 Parry (maybe 50/42/39 if you plan on using 2H a lot)


Berserker: total offence monster, some people say they're gimped since the massive Left Axe nerf but done right a Zerk can still do pretty nice damage. And Frenzy, while it needs some fixing, is still a lot of fun. Use fast offhand and slowest mainhand weapons for the 'artificial haste' effect of Left Axe, or use paired 4.2 speed weapons + Celerity for sick damage, especially once you get that back style chain locked in on your target. A Hammer-using Zerk is the most fun way I know of disposing of crush-weak targets. Screw subtlety, get in there and hack away. Rawr.
Damage Output: 9.5
Defence: 6
Utility: 4
Fun Factor: 9
Dependability: 8
Spec: 50 Left Axe/50 Weapon/28 Parry


Thane: fun, and having ranged damage is very nice, since Thane's nukes are now fairly useful; unbuffed (i.e. with only selfbuffs) my Thane can put 1,300 - 1,600 damage into an orange-con before it gets to melee range. Again you can spec for offence or defence, both are fun to play - some points into Shield are always good, even if it's just for Guard. If you're concerned about Thanes' melee damage, don't be; my 2H Hammer Troll Thane will pull aggro off Warriors without too much trouble (355 Str with just selfbuffs for teh...er..win). Thanes rock.
Damage Output: 8
Defence: 7
Utility: 7
Fun Factor: 8
Dependability: 7
Spec: 50 Stormcalling/50 Weapon/23 Shield/17 Parry (offense Thane spec, works very well with Trolls), or 48 Stormcalling/39 Weapon/42 Shield/rest Parry (defence/caster spec, good with Frostalfs)


Savage: capable of insane damage but also of missing 10 times in a row; very inconsistent and unpredictable, and since the Savage nerfs in 1.65 there's a lot more downtime and virtually no quad hits. Ever. I actually pretty much shelved my Savage to play my Zerk since the Zerk's damage output was so much more consistent, even if it never quite hit the heights my Savage could sometimes attain. Hand-To-Hand Styles are very nice though (when you can actually land the buggers), the side chain's long stun is excellent, and the off-evade and off-parry chains' animations are the coolest Viking style animations, bar none.
Damage Output: 4 - 10 (depending on current miss rate)
Defence: 9
Utility: 3
Fun Factor: 2 - 8 (depending on current miss rate )
Dependability: 3
Spec: 50 Hand-To-Hand/39 Savagery/18 Parry; some say 44 Weapon/49 Savagery is best spec.


Skald: a very cool class, I'm currently kicking myself for not starting one when I started playing DAOC nearly 2 years ago. It's the complete package in one box: speed, heal, and damage add songs, mez, snare, PLUS decent weaponskill and HPs. Pull from long range with snare, DD it twice when it's close, mez it, then DD it twice again, get in close and kick the s**t out of it with a bit of metal on a stick. Marvellous. Certainly the least solo downtime of all the Viking classes. Always good in a group, since your songs affect anyone you're grouped with. The biggest downside to a Skald is also one of its bigggest strengths, it's the speed - once you have a Skald, all your other characters feel like they're wading....through....treacle.
Damage Output: 7
Defence: 5
Utility: 9
Fun Factor: 9
Dependability: 7
Spec: 46 Battlesongs/44 Weapon/17 Parry (again there are those who recommend other specs, but this is the most common and it seems to work - it's what I'm aiming for with Bayreuth, my Skald)


...hope this helps .

 

[Shanaia]

very informative post Svart ... almost no whining in it too it's almost constructive! i'm both surprised and impressed!

 

[Afuldan]

for anybody who wants to know. pure tanks are obsolete in NF.

Don't roll one.

 

[Asty]

ye, if you're gonna roll a tank i'd advice thane tbh

Will be fun class because you have bg, guard and grapple for normal defense and you can nuke too from keepwalls etc.

 

[Fana]

Anyone out there actually think Thanes are worth rolling ? All I'm hearing is that no one will group you in RVR, and that their hybrid arms / magic combo doesn't work well together, takes ages to personalise, and is currently nerfed.

Reason why noone will grp you currently is that Thanes lack Determination, as well as there beeing few good thanes (strong rvr'ers arent attracted to the class) so it doesnt have much of a reputation.
Thane magic has been steadily increased in potency over the last couple patches, and today it sports the highest delve ae-dd in midgard, a fully functional singletarget dd, insta dd and pbae insta dd (as well as a strong dmg add and self str/con buff). The reason Thane magic wont hit as hard as a pure caster is that Thanes dont get any piety from Acuity buffs, dont raise alot in piety while leveling and nothing in dex, thus making their dps when using magic lower than a pure caster. This can be remedied to some extent with a strong sc, which is also a problem for thanes since they have alot that needs capping.
Their weaponskill is same as a skalds afaik, and skalds can hurt, same with hitpoints.

 

[Svartmetall]

Reason why noone will grp you currently is that Thanes lack Determination, as well as there beeing few good thanes (strong rvr'ers arent attracted to the class) so it doesnt have much of a reputation.
Thane magic has been steadily increased in potency over the last couple patches, and today it sports the highest delve ae-dd in midgard, a fully functional singletarget dd, insta dd and pbae insta dd (as well as a strong dmg add and self str/con buff). The reason Thane magic wont hit as hard as a pure caster is that Thanes dont get any piety from Acuity buffs, dont raise alot in piety while leveling and nothing in dex, thus making their dps when using magic lower than a pure caster. This can be remedied to some extent with a strong sc, which is also a problem for thanes since they have alot that needs capping.
Their weaponskill is same as a skalds afaik, and skalds can hurt, same with hitpoints.

True, but NF guts Det and many tanks are ignoring it altogether to rely on Stoicism alone; and with decent TOA gear your Thane can have ~200 Piety (Nocturno has 197 ATM; Troll, with +10 Pie at creation).

 

[Afuldan]

Aside from a pretty cumbersome cast time...thanes in NF rape.

 

[Fana]

r0x0r Thane spec for NF:

Stormcalling 48 (last single dd), Shield 42 (slam), Weapon 42 (best to put it all in weapon since parry is pretty much worthless in rvr, and you already have base 25% parry since you can spec in it).

Sc template with dex and piety overcap, and dont worry about +qui (not needed for magic, grapple and guard) and +parry etc. GoV for dual bonuses (thanes get both caster and melee bonuses).

Spec Purge 3, Static Tempest and Dual Threat and gogo

 

[Ancient Seagul]

I'm now torn between a Thane, and rolling a Troll Skald hammer Spec (50 weapon / 43 spells / 2 parry). What do Mids think of that as a template ?

Thanks a lot guys )

I'll be rolling from level 1, by the way.

 

[Ctuchik]

Thanes will probably rock in NF (or at least be more fun than pure tanks).

Shield > archers (fotm in NF)
AE-dd for strong leaching in sieges
Instas to interupt casters (fotm in NF)
Slam
Guard
Grapple
Bodyguard
New NF purge/det makes them an alternative to full tanks.
Selfbuff con/str if you dont have a bb (+strong dmg add).
Dual Threat and Static Tempest

Im rolling one^^

thanes cant get grapple afaik.

 

[Rulke]

thanes cant get grapple afaik.

Ofc they can, thanes are overpowered

 

[Tilda]

Svartmetall's Thumbnail Guide To Mid Tanks:


Warriors: probably the most solid, dependable class there is. No real 'spice' to this class, but as a workhorse it's unmatched, with very good defence and very good offence - you can spec the class either way or be a bit of both. A Troll Warrior with 2H will still do very respectable damage indeed (mine took and held aggro from nearly every mob on the last big TG raid I went on) while still having the option of switching to 1H + shield when needed, and you'll have the highest weaponskill in the game. And a Kobbie Warrior is a total defence monster, even if the target is more likely to die of old age than from the damage you're dishing out.
Damage Output: 8
Defence: 10
Utility: 9
Fun Factor: 5
Dependability: 10
Spec: 50 Weapon/50 Shield/28 Parry (maybe 50/42/39 if you plan on using 2H a lot)


Berserker: total offence monster, some people say they're gimped since the massive Left Axe nerf but done right a Zerk can still do pretty nice damage. And Frenzy, while it needs some fixing, is still a lot of fun. Use fast offhand and slowest mainhand weapons for the 'artificial haste' effect of Left Axe, or use paired 4.2 speed weapons + Celerity for sick damage, especially once you get that back style chain locked in on your target. A Hammer-using Zerk is the most fun way I know of disposing of crush-weak targets. Screw subtlety, get in there and hack away. Rawr.
Damage Output: 9.5
Defence: 6
Utility: 4
Fun Factor: 9
Dependability: 8
Spec: 50 Left Axe/50 Weapon/28 Parry


Thane: fun, and having ranged damage is very nice, since Thane's nukes are now fairly useful; unbuffed (i.e. with only selfbuffs) my Thane can put 1,300 - 1,600 damage into an orange-con before it gets to melee range. Again you can spec for offence or defence, both are fun to play - some points into Shield are always good, even if it's just for Guard. If you're concerned about Thanes' melee damage, don't be; my 2H Hammer Troll Thane will pull aggro off Warriors without too much trouble (355 Str with just selfbuffs for teh...er..win). Thanes rock.
Damage Output: 8
Defence: 7
Utility: 7
Fun Factor: 8
Dependability: 7
Spec: 50 Stormcalling/50 Weapon/23 Shield/17 Parry (offense Thane spec, works very well with Trolls), or 48 Stormcalling/39 Weapon/42 Shield/rest Parry (defence/caster spec, good with Frostalfs)


Savage: capable of insane damage but also of missing 10 times in a row; very inconsistent and unpredictable, and since the Savage nerfs in 1.65 there's a lot more downtime and virtually no quad hits. Ever. I actually pretty much shelved my Savage to play my Zerk since the Zerk's damage output was so much more consistent, even if it never quite hit the heights my Savage could sometimes attain. Hand-To-Hand Styles are very nice though (when you can actually land the buggers), the side chain's long stun is excellent, and the off-evade and off-parry chains' animations are the coolest Viking style animations, bar none.
Damage Output: 4 - 10 (depending on current miss rate)
Defence: 9
Utility: 3
Fun Factor: 2 - 8 (depending on current miss rate )
Dependability: 3
Spec: 50 Hand-To-Hand/39 Savagery/18 Parry; some say 44 Weapon/49 Savagery is best spec.


Skald: a very cool class, I'm currently kicking myself for not starting one when I started playing DAOC nearly 2 years ago. It's the complete package in one box: speed, heal, and damage add songs, mez, snare, PLUS decent weaponskill and HPs. Pull from long range with snare, DD it twice when it's close, mez it, then DD it twice again, get in close and kick the s**t out of it with a bit of metal on a stick. Marvellous. Certainly the least solo downtime of all the Viking classes. Always good in a group, since your songs affect anyone you're grouped with. The biggest downside to a Skald is also one of its bigggest strengths, it's the speed - once you have a Skald, all your other characters feel like they're wading....through....treacle.
Damage Output: 7
Defence: 5
Utility: 9
Fun Factor: 9
Dependability: 7
Spec: 46 Battlesongs/44 Weapon/17 Parry (again there are those who recommend other specs, but this is the most common and it seems to work - it's what I'm aiming for with Bayreuth, my Skald)


...hope this helps .

Jeeezz, you have big fingers!

When i first moved mid from alb, on my savage, I foudn mid to be a fairly hostile place, people were reluctant to group etc.
However, now im here again with a great bunch of guys and I couldn't be happier

Tilda

 

[Herjulf]

yeah its all about finding people you mix well with.

Playing solo in midgard is hard, in every way.

best is to play "permanently" with others or find a PvE guild to lvl in.

I can with warmth in my heart reccomend Blooded Fist, some previos TDD members who had a hard time finding PvE action in TDD started it.
I reccomend it, lvling with friends is more fun.

 

[Thegreatest]

I would roll a skald instead of a thane if I was you, but if you wanna spec 50 weapon you can better go sword instead of hammer. 46 bs 44weapon 17 parry is a nice spec for hammer.

 

[Ormorof]

thanes cant get grapple afaik.

thanes can be battlermaster or stormlord