Specing longbow?

[Smartypants]

I play a scout, and I wonder if there is any point in traning your longbow so much, that, with items, you get a spec that is above your level?

So, at level 25, is there any point in having 30 in longbow? And at level 50, is there any point in having 55 in longbow. Will it give you anymore, than having just 50 (with items of course)?

Thanks,

 

[Jupitus]

I did quite alot of research on this and as I understand it, you would actually do more damage with a longbow skill over 50 (ie maxed and then add items) but the actual amount of extra damage is not proportional to the increase in spec, and common theory is that it is not actually worth it considering how the spec points could be spent elsewhere.

Of course, if you're mad you could still do it...

My scout spec to be:

LB 50
Shield 50
Stealth 28
Thrust 6 (I think)

I'm mad

 

[old.Tyraette]

thats mad

the ol'boys lost it

 

[Tranquil-]

The normal specs nowadays usually goes something like this:

Between 39 to 50 Longbow

Between 21 to 39 melee

42 shield for shield slam, 9 sec stun is pretty much a fixed spec since it's a nice getaway card. There's no need for it if you're doing any 'crazy' specs like 50 thrust for dragonfang(stun off evade) or the like, but 98% of scouts get it.

Stealth speclevel really depends on how you are intending to play your scout.

There are still snipers(very low melee, 42 shield, high bow, high stealth.) out there, but the snipers are pretty much extinct since almost every class has some anti sniper tool of some sorts.

To mention one class you'll definately get intimate with later on, is Assassins. They have access to the Realm Ability See Hidden which detects all non-assassin stealthers when they are stealthed. This was implemented to remove the snipers.

Most specs are between 30 to 35-36 stealth(you can get 50 stealth with items and realm rank bonuses later).

Or you can decide to be a grouping scout at all times or a fighter specced one with lower stealth than what I said up there.

Here's some templates you'll atleast never go wrong with:

29 slash/thrust
46 longbow
42 shield
33 stealth

34 slash/thrust
42 longbow
42 shield
33 stealth

35 slash/thrust
40 longbow
42 shield
35 stealth

29 slash/thrust
44 longbow
42 shield
35 stealth

etc..

Slash or Thrust you say, well, some people wouldn't trade slash away for their own grandmother and some likewise with thrust. Slash has generally better styles and the famous Amethyst slash which is the bread and butter style at speclevel 29 in the slash line.

Thrust hasn't got any medium/high level anytime styles that can compete with the Amethyst slash, but people manage to play without the 'luxury' a good anytime style is.

Thrust however, get's you a higher weaponskill number because it is modified by half dexterity and half strength compared to slash which is modified by strength only. Rogues normally won't get high strength so, there will be some bonuses by going thrust in that compartment. Higher weaponskill means you won't get evaded/blocked/parried as much.

Slash is strong against Midgardian leather and studded leather so there's benefits there, but then again Hibernian leather is strong against slash and neutral to thrust. So it might even out.

The most normal specs are these or variations of the ones I presented above. But, you won't play any good with a spec that you feel you don't like. A good player can have a bad template(seen from a cookie cutter perspective) and still kick just as much butt simply because of experience. You know others weakness and hide your own as much as possible in all situations.

With good player I don't mean just skills with the button clicking, but tactics, overview, spot weak spots in other people/groups etc.

To see what all these specs give you of goodies either look at the style library on the Camelot Herald (Official DAoC info site) or you can check them out in the character builder at the Catacombs.

The style library at the Herald is more up to date and has all the right(almost) effects from the different styles, but the character builder at the Catacombs is great to see what different spec templates you can come up with.

Happy hunting

edit: a bit here, and a bit there.

 

[Eleasias]

just retire your scout and play friar

 

[inuyasha]

mhm

or air theurg =)

 

[Smartypants]

Heh, I have both a friar and a theurg (usual earth though)...

But in RvR my scout is the one I want!

Thanks for all the info, very interesting reading!

 

[Dorin]

spec bow 27 or 36, no need for more.

 

[Tranquil-]

If you don't have buffs like a ranger you'll want the extra weaponskill on bow with medium/high spec. That's why Rangers normally have lower bowspecs than scouts, their weaponskill is still just as high because of the buffs.

And that's why some people claim that scouts shoot generally harder than rangers, they encounter buffed scouts who has higher weapskill again than the rangers who specs low bow.

Archery is identical on all archerclasses, the only differance is the availability of different speeds on the bows. Since rangers can get the same spd/dps as scouts they will do exactly the same damage if they have identical gear and stat placement.

Most rangers place more specpoints than scouts into offensive melee because they get more frontloaded damage for the specpoints. That makes high melee more worthwhile on a ranger than on a scout.