Dual spec. character discussion

[AbsolutePally]

I dont get where you got any of that from except the third maybe. Part of the strategy in endgame is not just what you spend your skill points in, but your attributes as well. The exact amount is your choice for now, and I think thats a good thing.

Ik my views of pvp are pretty radical. But I do believe that playing other classes helps you get better BC you learn strengths and weaknesses of other classes when fighting. For example I was a pally, all about pally since Nov 2010. I learned to play the class well, and found out how birds can defeat pallies. So with my bird i'm thus able to take down a pally BC I know how I was taken down. I think everyone needs to experience all.aspects of pvp from many perspectives. I've grown from a pally, to being able to use all classes with a high degree of proficiency. My mage can take down bears, my bird can beat mages/warbirds, my bear can beat dex birds. More often then not that is.

[Elyseon]

45 dex mage
66 int bird
Would be cool if you added sets designed for certain specs like an item that took dex and int or something
Int and ursan
Idk would be more work tho

[Htiek]

Here my triple spec warrior

[Fastcast]

Ive played dual dex/int mage since I started this game I run through maps using Sharp scepter sets for mobs/tanking and when I get To the boss I change loadouts To my Flying Recurve set for boss pwnage dex mage has high crit skills when it comes to the boss and for the fast bow shots it usually takes any boss down quickly. Some of you know what im talkin about when it came to sewer days when whole party switched to Custom recurve set and the end of every map to pwn the boss in a instant. PvP has become a Bit tuff with all the str/dodge folks running around but if you got skills you can make it.

[Ixillicus]

There are a few main reasons why people choose to go dual spec.

1. Bears dual spec with str and dex otherwise their hit % is too low. A pure str tank would be very hard to kill, but would miss so often it probably wouldn't kill you either.

2. Birds dual spec with str so they don't get mowed down as easily. A pure dex bird can pump out damage but has low armor and no buffs to improve its ability to take damage.

3. Mages are generally pure because they have it all. (Suitable hit %, armor.dmg, skill dmg etc).

4. The next reason is as Fast mentioned... That by being dual spec a character can use two sets. A tanking set for the mobs and a DPS set for the boss.

Some of the perks to a hybrid set mix are nice too. Like using beastly armor helm and buckler with a flying talon on a bird or bear gives high dodges and armor while having high DPS from range and hit%. The downside to these mixes is that there is no set bonus.

[dudetus]

Yap.

Items class specific so we don't have nub warbirds anymoar.

[Mage till the end]

Yap.

Items class specific so we don't have nub warbirds anymoar.

Comeing from the int bird

[Zapoke]

1. What advantages does your dual-spec. build out offer?
- If there are no advantages, what do you find compelling about this build out?
My duel spec. build gives me more hit, weapon damage, nuke power, and attack range. Also, it lets me use the best designed weapon in-game! (Death shotgun)

2. Is this spec. particularly viable at certain level ranges?
- If so, which levels?
My spec. is very good at levels 22-60 on mages, then again at 66.

3. Is the spec. more advantageous in PVP or PVE game types?
- If so, which game type is it better for and why?
I feel my spec. is best in PvP, but usable in PvE.

4. Which abilities do you invest most in with this spec.?
Damage skills and buffs first. (drain, frostbite, fire over lightning and ice storm)

5. What type of gear makes this spec. more viable?
- Does the gear tend to have Str, Dex, or Int stat requirements?
Dex usually, but at 66 and pre-50 I also tend to use Int gear with dex.
- Do you prefer defensive or damage stat's on this character's gear?
Damage.

6. SHOW OFF!! Do you have any screenies of your character?
- I'd love to see them, especially if your character looks unique, has unusual stat.'s (DUH - see thread name ;P) or is just totally SWEET!

[wvhills]

hi techno, is this because of the email I sent u? hehe.

Well, here's my take on things:

At endgame pvp:
bears: will always be dual dex/str otherwise their hit % will be 66 since str doesn't add hit. Without a high hit % their beckons miss too much and they are useless. The good tank bears (what few we have left) will run str sets because bow bears become to squishy to cc unless they are on elixirs or have a good group of mages and birds who debuff and kill before the bear is taken down.
imo, in pve the best mages are pure int and the best birds are pure dex. You will see an occassional warbird and pally running around but the added str (while increasing their survivability) greatly reduces their damage output and they can't contribute to the group as much as pure. A pally and warbird may argue that they can stay alive and keep aggro but I haven't seen one yet that keeps aggro when a pure dex bird or pure int mage is in the group. The only plus for a pally, imo, is they can stay alive to rev the group.

in endgame pvp:
Bears will still always be hybrid dex/str but will run in str sets.
Birds will compare the dex and str sets and go with whichever one gives them the greatest chance of success. In humania I felt like it was the phantom crossbow with it's dodge. With blacksmoke there are lots more going with the str set.
Mages will compare between int and str. i'd say 75% of mages at endgame pvp now are str.

low level pvp:
Bow bears rule from levels 10-29. It's hard to fight against level 6 rage. Once you get to 30 you start seeing more of a diversity of builds until you get up to the sewers and then you start seeing alot of the same as I explained in the endgame pvp section.

[MightyMicah]

Comeing from the int bird

Hehe int bird is many things but it isn't nub

[Kraze]

Nerdy bird ftw! Talons being available and worth using are hit and miss where as wands are always reliable

[Suentous PO]

pure str bears are supposed to taunt and draw attacks to their awesome armor while the pure dex birds stay back and shoot high dps and the mages heal and debuff... it wasn't designed for PvP but for group play, so they figure if PvP is all bird v. bird it's ok

Even in group play it doesn't work well unless you have some dex to hit.
Sory to derail what's supposed to be a discussion on duel, I just saw an opportunity to point out this oddness to TE. Pure is viable for all but bears.

[GoodSyntax]

My two main toons are a Pally and Bow Bear. I've had a few other twinks that employed weird builds, but I don't use them much anymore, so I can't comment on what other builds are effective.

PALADIN BUILD:
In all honesty, I started moving towards a Pally build for my mage during the Sewers expansion. Between the huge mobs and those darn fire-traps, my squishy INT mage did not have the armor or HP to survive. Then, during the Nuri's expansion (pre-nerf of course), I committed more STR to my toon because the mobs hit so hard that even a hybrid INT/STR build was not enough. During the Mt. Fang expansion, I noticed that the INT Crafted set added a lot of armor and dodge. I didn't change my attribute allocation, thinking that Mt. Fang was an anomaly, considering that every other expansion did not bring much armor to INT sets. When Humania came about, between the Angel sets and the Offensive/Defensive sets, I was still seeing that armor and dodge was high for the class so I have stopped allocating STR to my build - mostly to increase my skill damage. It may sound strange, but right now, I am comfortable enough with my (almost) Pally build to run with the Sea Devil set most of the time. Because of my high STR allocation, I have enough armor, hp, hp regen and dodge that I can offset the damage losses from lower INT attributes with a staff as my primary weapon.

I am a bit concerned with the new Blacksmoke sets because even now, my Sea Devil set offers more armor, damage and crit than a comparable level 75 set. I am hoping that the introduction of crafting will bring damage and crit back up to Humania sets if not surpassing them.


BOW BEAR:
I started my bear as pure STR, but with such a low hit %, I was missing more often than hitting. Then, with the Forgotten event coming about, I looted a bunch of low and midrange level bows and decided to go with a 50/50 DEX/STR build so I could equip the bows. After the base requirement update on the Forgotten items, I reallocated to a 60/30 DEX/STR build so I could continue using the bows.

Frankly, and I know that you've heard this a million times over, the FBows are very overpowering. They're great for PvE, and essentially a requirement for PvP, so I have stuck with the build. The added DEX ensures that my Beckon usually lands, as does my Stomp. The added damage and crit coming from the bows ensures that I can actually kill mobs and control them too. Granted, the lower armor hurts, but maxing out Rage helps to somewhat mitigate that, as does the added Dodge.

Ultimately, the problem with pure STR bears is that their hit % is so low, but the armor, hp pool and hp regen are so high that they essentially become punching bags - so they usually can't be taken down, but they also can't really kill anything either.

[Yich]

low level pvp:
Bow bears rule from levels 10-29. It's hard to fight against level 6 rage. Once you get to 30 you start seeing more of a diversity of builds until you get up to the sewers and then you start seeing alot of the same as I explained in the endgame pvp section.

Da hail? Bow bears get pooped on by birds and half decent mages at these levels... Bear is just a more common and traditional character for low level.

[TANKKAAR]

pure str bears are supposed to taunt and draw attacks to their awesome armor while the pure dex birds stay back and shoot high dps and the mages heal and debuff... it wasn't designed for PvP but for group play, so they figure if PvP is all bird v. bird it's ok

Taunting doesnt work if it misses half the mob, along with the fact that bears are supposed to be crowd control... They have more use then just "taunt", such as tuant, beckon into a wall (or other confined area),Hell scream to reduce the mobs hit%, and then stomping them into a stun while other squishy toons get all the glory for the kills. Long story short have you ever tried to do any of thes when half the skills you fire off miss? Applying max dex to any strength bear is the only way to be an efficiant tank bear (even if it does open you up to recieving a little more damage) in either PVP or in PVE.

[Superduper]

PvP pally with str is ridiculously hard to kill. Especially with the new 75 str set 40+ dodge. Absolutely ridiculous.

[DocDoBig]

My bird has 50%Dex-50%Str

[Techno Email]

Very interesting discussion, guys!

I added a poll, because polls are cool. ;P I added a couple options to the poll that I think are pertinent to the discussion, despite not being dual spec..

[GoodSyntax]

Very interesting discussion, guys!

I added a poll, because polls are cool. ;P I added a couple options to the poll that I think are pertinent to the discussion, despite not being dual spec..

You forgot to add full INT to the poll

[wvhills]

PvP pally with str is ridiculously hard to kill. Especially with the new 75 str set 40+ dodge. Absolutely ridiculous.

yes, yes to super you should listen.