RA advice (mercs! oi!)

[old.LandShark]

Got any RA advice? Assume an R5 50thrust/50DW/28parry merc...
Bear in mind Purge for 4 pts, IP for 8, and determination 1/2/3 pts, as of 1.53. (or is it 1.52? Dunno)
Also consider it's a saracen, therefore fairly low str.

 

[K0nah]

ull be wanting some Dodger with that..

 

[belth]

With Dodger5 you just might pull DF off every 10 fights

 

[Flimgoblin]

it's 1.53 the new stuff...

I'm weird so I'm getting Prevent Flight

 

[old.LandShark]

stop this deliberate self-gimping just to be original, omg
14pts for a 35%chance to proc a 50%snare...
"woo"
:uhoh:

 

[Talifer]

You've got to get Master of Pain (Level II at least), and since Dualist Reflexes also requires Augmented Dex, you really should spend 4 points on 2 levels of that as well.

I've had Determination level III from the start, don't have purge, it's a great RA but when you are the only thing moving you're dead so it doesn't get you many rps. I'm reconsidering having it at level III, maybe level II will do, since it doesn't help with being 2 shotted by a hib PBAoEr with stun (But they don't use that honest it's useless these days )

I don't have IP and boy do I know it, personally I think it's just too much and kinda spoils RvR but now everyone has it and it's hard to compete if you don't. It's a shame because it means rather than RAs creating diversity in a class like the Merc we all end up having to buy the same stuff, at the moment that's still 23 points, even at RR5 that doesn't leave much for anything else. With the prerequisite being a pretty hefty heal ontop of IP, you'll find it hard to kill anything you meet on your own, even unstealthed assassins, you have to kill them 2.5 times, they only have to kill you once. I WILL be respeccing

At the end of the day it depends on your play style, things like Determination may buy the rest of my group 5 seconds while everyone nukes me to death because I'm beating on that bard, that may be just enough to allow your group to win the fight, but you wont reap the rewards for that. IP will allow you to survive longer and thus still be standing IF you win. MoP and DR, now combined with Flurry, will give you that initial punch that gets you rps before that nuker on the wall takes 80% of your targets health away before your second swing.
You have to ask yourself, will I mainly be in a group where lots of us have Determination or Purge and thus all break as one, or will I be mainly running in larger fights where quick damage is important, or will I be wandering around hoping to find solo targets?

Talifer

 

[Flimgoblin]

Originally posted by old.LandShark
stop this deliberate self-gimping just to be original, omg
14pts for a 35%chance to proc a 50%snare...
"woo"
:uhoh:

it's every hit - you're dual-swinging every 1.5 seconds.
Stops a tank dead in its track, stops a caster dead in it's tracks.

Not so bad imho - were it 10 points most people would have it - for 8 everyone would.

14 is a bit steep but I'm still getting it.

 

[K0nah]

Originally posted by Fingoniel
14 is a bit steep but I'm still getting it.

#37 Fingoniel MacLemming lvl44 20,232rps

u better get farming then boy!

 

[Flimgoblin]

heh only one more point to go

Got a while yet till 1.53 - too busy farming emain with my earth wizzie - does far more than my merc ever did (even with the AF thing.. or maybe it's because of the AF thing? )

Standing inside the milegate, chaincast aoe root on the incoming hibs (which the people standing below didn't see till the last minute) jump out the window, lob a couple of bolts down the hill, aoe dd/snare a fleeing kobold Great fun.

Shame gtaoe is buggered. (it locates stealthers by showing the effect, but doesn't actually hit them)

Fing goes 'aha! enemies! damn, mezzed!'
or 'aha! a charging tank! oh, can't stop him. Damn there goes my cleric.'

That said, for hunting in sauvage I prefer Fing to Ererim - he can at least stay alive long enough for help to get there but Red Rover in emain - wizards are so much better.