SB descision problems..

[PaqMan]

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I am fooling around with a ToA template right now. As sb I have a big 'wish list' in what stats/values I like to cap or increase but its tricky.. I have had great help from Hroft in some areas but I guess I am still uncertain on a final template that i let you who read this give your input.

Consider the below options for a sb with 34CS, 44Weap, 39LA

+11 in CS, 10 energy resist, 60 qui
+0 in CS, 24 energy resist, 76 qui

I think I read somewhere +1 CS raise cap on PA with 9 or so damage so I be missing ~90 damage with no CS in suit. I don't think I be doing only PA's as start so need to balance to fight when PA miss to(as I believe will happen alot due to positions, fumbling, moon phase and so on..) or when someone else jumps me wich will happen more then I want I think.

Then I also read 'somewhere' people running around with energy weapon (or spirit, got 5% on that one 'ouch') just because they know their enemies cut down on those resists.

The qui cap... 60 vs 76 qui? Speed caps out if I got +60 I think(Got only 5% speed ToA bonus yet) but still affects evades, how significant would that be?

Also... I got 23+ str cap but only 40+ hp and 12+ con cap, consider this against 18+ str, 19+ con and 120+ hp. Would the difference in my hp be 1 to 2 hits on me or so?

No rocket science involved but input on caps/resists/skills+ 'needed' and how it affected you, if you play or played SB/infil/NS, in your gameplay vs enemies stealthers and regular enemies would be most welcome. Im not interested in the 'I/he pwned him/me' or 'Do this' with no arguments, just some nice little stories how different setups affected the gameplay for you based on above info.

I havent included all the other ToA bonuses like charges, proc's, AF bonus and so on, hoping what I have will be enough.

// Thank you

 

[Leel]

Cut back on qui, the important thing is that you get ~250 qui fully buffed and with any aug qui if you so choose. +CS isn't all that important, but depends on your play style of course. Pa'ing is fun, but it prolly won't make or break a fight for you whether you have +11 or +0 CS. At least if you're not gonna use CS styles like garrote, achilles heel, hamstring and leaper. About resists, it's a matter of preference. Can you stand losing to infil with sun weapons now and then, or would you rather stand a good chance vs the bulk of the people you meet? It's a choice YOU have to make.

 

[PaqMan]

Cut back on qui, the important thing is that you get ~250 qui fully buffed and with any aug qui if you so choose. +CS isn't all that important, but depends on your play style of course. Pa'ing is fun, but it prolly won't make or break a fight for you whether you have +11 or +0 CS. At least if you're not gonna use CS styles like garrote, achilles heel, hamstring and leaper. About resists, it's a matter of preference. Can you stand losing to infil with sun weapons now and then, or would you rather stand a good chance vs the bulk of the people you meet? It's a choice YOU have to make.

Thanks for the response.

I am aware of that its my choice in the end. Problem is I feel I don't know where the breakpoint in 'loosing now and then' vs 'a good chance' is and where the 'Certain death' is. Maybe I'm searching for percentages, maybe I am trying to dig to deep into this 'stat and numbers' thing. Its possible those small numbers even out at the end of the day when i for example won 2 and lost 4 fights, in experience and fun.

No matter if I win or loose one or another or even the third fight, I feel that I like to have fun fighting those I meet and I actually also want my enemies to feel 'That was fun/interesting/cool/whatever' when we fought, regardless if I die or win. Walking from a fight feeling like you might as well could killed an incapacitated, linkdead grey con can't be fun. It gives the rp's but surely no fun.

EDIT/ADD: Im not fishing for comments like 'do exactly like this and you are ok', instead I search for info that will help ME make MY choice easier instead of wobbling around with different sc configs.

 

[Brevis]

I would recommend the +11 cs no matter what.

My spec on my sb is 44 sword, 43 LA, 34 CS.

With +11 to all above skills Garrote + Achilles heel do more dam than any other style(s) I have. And the utility on them is great too. Garrote stops people from running and achilles heel has the attack speed debuff.

Making a punchy PA is quite a nice ability in my opinion.
I use my LA styles snowblind behind of stunned targets. Use comeback + frosty gaze to get stun.

If I have gotten the stun I switch to hamstring + leaper combo from CS. Very high damage output.

Anyway, my template currently gives me 309 str, 305 con, 361 dex, 268 quick buffed.
Next try im going to get +str, con and hits, but I would think that +18 str con and 120 hits pays of more than +23 str and less con+hits.
I might leave out dex completely from suit so I end at roughly 300-310 buffed, and lower quick so I end at 250 roughly.

Thats just my opnion

 

[bahamot]

roll a hunter

 

[PaqMan]

roll a hunter

Check my sig...

 

[Runolas]

I have 34CS with +0 CS from items and it works for me. I only use PA/CD and BS2/TC for from the CS line. I had +11 b4, but I cannot say I've notice any _big_ difference. I can still 2 shoot casters, or kill'em b4 the stun goes away. I use disease in off-hand, thus I don't need garotte that much.

It goes with the story that I use Malice/Traitor's (Battler 4 debuff only), but with any other compo I migth have had gone for more CS. As for Energy/Spirit weapons I can't really say that many use them, cuz you still have to fitt them into your template and often at the expence of other stuff.

 

[illu]

To be honest, "most" SB specs are ok - whether you go 5-spec or shadowzerker or soulblade or any other weird and wonderful combination.

Basically decide whether you like to sneak around and PA people (critblade), or whether you like to bash them (SZ) or a bit of both (5-spec).

Then go out there and get a few nice items like SoM.

Then while you are low RR, you are better off duoing with another SB or a Hunter or adding on a few fights till you can take care of yourself (once you have Purge and MOP etc).

Make sure you cap your crush thrust slash resistances and heat, and get the others as high as you can - but the fact is you won't have many even or fair fights or wow that was a really good fight until the early hours of the morning when the zergs are in bed, and 1v1 and 2v2 fights occur. (Or 1 v FG Hibs seems to happen at 3am - go to bed hibs!)

So enjoy your assassin, it's a tough class to play as you get chewed up quite a lot, but there is always that satisfaction of killing an archer (who doesn't have FZ) or a solo cloth caster that is just fun :>

Oli - Illu

 

[bahamot]

Check my sig...

nice

 

[PaqMan]

Thanks all for the info and help.

And thanks bahamot for noticing the little sig there ,-)