Minstrel Questions

[Loveless]

Hey all, im looking for some advice about Minstrels (Looking to make a class with a good speed buff on PvP server when its released, and iv had many skalds so i decided on a Minny )

The only question I really want to ask, is so they REALLY need to spec in stealth or is it just nice to have. Iv been playing with some templates on catacombs, and if i have a useful amount of stealth, my wep skill suffers alot!

So is it really needed ?

 

[katt!]

spec 44 weapon, 44 instruments, 21 stealth and try to get some +stealth items. great if you just plan to use stealth to set up ambushes etc.

btw, i dont think many assassins will get see hidden on pvp.

 

[Belomar]

Better yet...

Best source of minstrel information must be the Powersong website at http://www.powersong.org

 

[katt!]

http://www.bardsofcamelot.com/

use the minstrel forum there.

 

[Duryn]

People will be wanting to spec 45 in instruments soon, but im not sure if respec comes out before or after the new AE mez line is available(45 is best).

 

[Insurrextion]

stealth was useful for minstrels before see hidden, but now 50 stealth or 10 stealth you'll still be spotted by assassins miles away ... scouts will get improved in 1.52 due to 'camouflage' RA but Mythic sort of left the minstrels out of that (hmm u wonder why they call us rogues )

the introduction of the RAs in the new patch gimped minstrels bad time - we aren't the good solo RvR machines we once were ... now it's just look for a group to be a taxi and use SoS every 1/2 hour

seriously if u want a good PvP class with speed stick with the skald, cause the minstrel in it's current state is sort of a gimped skald with a broken charm, a terrible interface and rogue damage table

btw i'm just waiting for 1.52 to respec to 50 instruments and 43/44 slash - and hope i can charm orange mobs and twist speed well enough to be a decent class

 

[Insurrextion]

Originally posted by Duryn
People will be wanting to spec 45 in instruments soon, but im not sure if respec comes out before or after the new AE mez line is available(45 is best).

the respec and new AE mez come out in the same patch (1.52) but the AE mez Mythic gave minstrels (and Albion) is a f00king joke ... they give Hib a new AE insta mez spell; but they put cleric's PBAE on a 5 min timer & give minstrel's a 5 second casting time AE mez

read the US boards - NO minstrel ever use it cause it takes an eternity to cast ... even Mid/Hib ppl think its a joke of a spell

 

[katt!]

see hidden is bad, but saying stealth is useless because of that is dumb.

stealth and hide behind a tree, bush, in water etc. and it still works somewhat fine.

 

[old.Quiblet]

50injs would be very nice, I know If I am still playin by then Ill be respeccing to that. Atm with 44+14 ins I can reliable charm a lvl54 pet (with a tiny bit of work), mostly being those lovely frost stallions in Odins. The lvl55 ones give you a bit of stick tho. Currently have 39 base in thrust and well the dmg output of a minstrel is pathetic at best. Not to mention the fact that after 2styles and 3 shouts you are out of endurance and therefore cant style anymore. Id recommend high ins if you actually want to be able to kill anyone, soon you wont be a be able to kill anyone your on solo :/ tho pets tend to leech your RPs. Stealth can be useful - just not in the same way it was before, dont bother going above 21 - just be a complete waste. Think best spec is 50ins/39weapon/18ste (0 points left over).

 

[Alpha Male]

hmm

I see many posts here saying "this is THE only way to spec a minstrel" etc etc, and the truth is there are a few ways to go, and it depends on how you forsee you playing your char as to which you choose. Your role can vary a lot from being a mana battery/taxi to being a solo killing machine. If you want to play a tank minstral that plays songs for others and occasionally dons a sword and hacks some trolls to bits, then go high instruments and high weapons skill. But if you want to play a sneaky git (yes you still can), then spec medium stealth/weapons skill, and still keep your instruments at 44-45 depending on if you want to use our gr8 AE mez (spot the sarcasm). On the pvp servers you wont see that many SB's etc becuase there is a lot of moving around involved in PvP servers, not the kinda place you can camp one spot, becuase the whole of the realms is available for scraps.

As for the "stealth now sucks" posts for minstrels..im sorry but thats only the case if you continue to play now the way you were playing pre-1.50. I am currently adjusting my playstyle to suit..yes it means i cant sit and camp outside mpk or wander around behind enemy gates in a wall fight...but if you want to solo or grp with other stealthers, then you will still want good stealth and you can still use it as a huge advantage against all non stealthing classes and majority of archers etc.

Personally i am having more fun now, than i was before see hidden patch, you just need to learn to adapt and adjust your playing style to suit...our RA's are such designed to allow you to cope with being seen by the odd assasin in a group.

Nuff said, at the end of the day everyone has their own views about minstrel specs, but its not such a clear cut case as many think.

 

[old.Quiblet]

ooh and minstrels PvP will have an awful time lvlling on a pvp server since both bards and healers are so much better additions to a group.

 

[old.Biohazard]

Drop instruments to 43 and spec weapons to 50
The last shout is not that much worth it with upcomming patches. Might vary about 30 damage overall compared the the second best shout and the 50 weaponspec surely makes up for it.

 

[Danya]

Um, GET THE LAST SHOUT! You will really suffer if you don't. Not getting 44 ins means you swap major cacophany for greater cacophany effectively... and major cacophany does about 65% more damage. 50 weapon spec doesn't make up for it in the slightest. Even with dragonfang since minstrels only get evade 2.

Here's some numbers:
26 Greater Cacophony 69 Instant 31P Enemy 15 sec.
44 Major Cacophony 114 Instant 55P Enemy 15 sec.

 

[old.LandShark]

When respec comes along, i'm going to use that and one of my realm respecs to go to dodger 3 (puts me on evade4, basically) and go 50thrust/43instruments.
The loss of the final level of the AE mezz at 45spec is no loss at all, and the final DD... well, it's a bit of a loss but on the US they're hitting for so damn little that I don't really care. Atm the 44spec DD does about 20 dmg less than its delve value, reliably, and if i don't have it maybe i'll get into a battle with some endurance left for once.
50thrust/43inst/1stealth minstrel here i come

 

[Danya]

Originally posted by old.LandShark
When respec comes along, i'm going to use that and one of my realm respecs to go to dodger 3 (puts me on evade4, basically) and go 50thrust/43instruments.
The loss of the final level of the AE mezz at 45spec is no loss at all, and the final DD... well, it's a bit of a loss but on the US they're hitting for so damn little that I don't really care. Atm the 44spec DD does about 20 dmg less than its delve value, reliably, and if i don't have it maybe i'll get into a battle with some endurance left for once.
50thrust/43inst/1stealth minstrel here i come

You hit for under 100 with you main DD? errr WTF?! The worst I have ever hit for with it was 118 (-129), that's still over the delve value...
Typically I'm getting about 180-220 and 150-180 on my DDs, after resists.