[X] My Assistant

Hey guys,
So I've kind of been casually going to the HV until recently and have since seen that my "balanced" plan really isn't working well. The recently I've just been doing Grindfests on easy so I can try to pick up some etherial weapons. Is it too soon for me to be worrying about this? As it is now, I still haven't passed Dark Skies in the Arena and have thus not unlocked Growing Storm.
Can I get some stat/general advice as I'm searching for better weapons? Obviously my armor isn't up to snuff either, I pretty much plan on replacing any and all of my equipment but if there's something that is actually terrible I could look in my inventory for a backup.

Thanks for the help!

Hey guys,
So I've kind of been casually going to the HV until recently and have since seen that my "balanced" plan really isn't working well. The recently I've just been doing Grindfests on easy so I can try to pick up some etherial weapons. Is it too soon for me to be worrying about this? As it is now, I still haven't passed Dark Skies in the Arena and have thus not unlocked Growing Storm.
Can I get some stat/general advice as I'm searching for better weapons? Obviously my armor isn't up to snuff either, I pretty much plan on replacing any and all of my equipment but if there's something that is actually terrible I could look in my inventory for a backup.

Thanks for the help!

Please make a screenshot of your eqiupment, stats, aura, and then post them here. I think too many grandmaster waiting to answer your question.

Please make a screenshot of your eqiupment, stats, aura, and then post them here. I think too many grandmaster waiting to answer your question.

Oy, can't believe I forgot to include those (I thought I did...) thanks for the catch (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

That's a very good mace you got there (though the rapier it's indeed ass lol!), it's no surprise that you ripped RL apart! :>

Funny thing, i bought it out of the bazaar. I guess some high-level didn't think it worthy to sell on the WTS forums, fortunately for me, it's really helped out on the RoB fights.

I have other rapiers to use, but none of them pack nearly that much accuracy in. Even with the club being "of balance" still doesn't help the overall accuracy much. I even have an ethereal rapier... too bad it's lv 34, terrible compared even with the superior, AND old soul element eth, instead of being void. (Which would be the exact same gripes about my ethereal wakizashi. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) )

This post has been edited by RajaNagaSoz: Dec 13 2011, 12:07

Oy, can't believe I forgot to include those (I thought I did...) thanks for the catch (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

First off, stick to one armor type. If you're going melee, use light or heavy armor. If you're mage, use cloth (Shade Arcanist gear is an alternative, but you wouldn't get the full benefits of a mage setup then).

Second, for melee types, focus on Strength and Dexterity and take some points out of Intelligence. Intel is useless for melee characters, since you'll be better set to just hit stuff rather than cast spells that won't do nearly as much damage as they might. You'll need your Mana to heal and buff anyway, so keeping your Wisdom high is perfectly fine.

For mages, the opposite is true; Wisdom and Intelligence over Strength and Dexterity. Regardless of play type, Agility and Endurance are a must, since they help you survive longer.

As for your weapons, if you're dual-wielding or sword-and-shield, try to get your hands on a club. The stun they can proc means enemies can't fight back and you deal more damage. It's generally suggested though that you should get your hands on a 2-handed weapon, especially a mace for the same reasons that you would use a club. Maces and other 2-handed weapons also have the benefit of being able to hit more than one enemy at a time, which is very helpful at higher levels when you're facing stronger enemies.

This post has been edited by DragonRanger: Dec 13 2011, 17:13

First off, stick to one armor type. If you're going melee, use light or heavy armor. If you're mage, use cloth (Shade Arcanist gear is an alternative, but you wouldn't get the full benefits of a mage setup then).

Second, for melee types, focus on Strength and Dexterity and take some points out of Intelligence. Intel is useless for melee characters, since you'll be better set to just hit stuff rather than cast spells that won't do nearly as much damage as they might. You'll need your Mana to heal and buff anyway, so keeping your Wisdom high is perfectly fine.

For mages, the opposite is true; Wisdom and Intelligence over Strength and Dexterity. Regardless of play type, Agility and Endurance are a must, since they help you survive longer.

As for your weapons, if you're dual-wielding or sword-and-shield, try to get your hands on a club. The stun they can proc means enemies can't fight back and you deal more damage. It's generally suggested though that you should get your hands on a 2-handed weapon, especially a mace for the same reasons that you would use a club. Maces and other 2-handed weapons also have the benefit of being able to hit more than one enemy at a time, which is very helpful at higher levels when you're facing stronger enemies.

Awesome, thank you so much for this (will add karma as soon as I recharge)

I do have some quick questions though, as some of this information seems contrary to some of the stuff I've seen around here. These contradictions may well be due to reading outdated information so please do correct me (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

1)
a)Does the suggestion to only use one armor type outweigh having decent armor in other types right now? ie. should I make having matching equipment a priority over having slightly better equipment? Obviously in the end I'd like to have great equipment in that one class, but what about now?

b ) At the beginning of this thread, people were suggesting against using all Heavy armor due to the huge interference and burden. Obviously my interference and burden are pretty high right now, but that's with no heavy armor on my "fast/theif/rogue" setup. Are interference and burden not as big a deal now? If not, it would make sense to always go for heavy armor for physical players, right?

2) Great. I'll take 1/2-3/4 of my points out of intelligence and throw them into Strength and Dexterity (maybe a few in Agility and Endurance). If I ever feel like switching over and playing Mage, I'll just move those points over again.

3) So I switched over from my Fine Axe of the Vampire (with 20% Bleed for 4 turns/263 damage and 23% Siphon Health for 70.7) to my dual wield daggers because of the 5% increase in hit chance and 2 point increase in Action Speed. Would a club not carry the same limitations as my Axe? I liked the idea of daggers/short swords/rapiers for the speed and thought dual wield was the way to go with those. Would a 2 handed weapon by faster (and better) then these too? Would a two handed weapon be best with Heavy Armor and Dual Wield or Shield and Sword be better with light armor?

4) Should I train my proficiencies more than my levels at this point? Some of my proficiencies seem kind of low for my level...and that may have to do with the rate I'm traveling through the levels (if I travel more slowly I'll attack/get hit/cast cure more and thus gain proficiency faster). Should I take AP out of the EXP boosts and play on Easy to boost my proficiencies or does it not really matter?


Thanks for the help, again I don't mean these questions to be insulting or argumentative; I'm just curious.

This post has been edited by jewboy606: Dec 14 2011, 00:53

Awesome, thank you so much for this (will add karma as soon as I recharge)

I do have some quick questions though, as some of this information seems contrary to some of the stuff I've seen around here. These contradictions may well be due to reading outdated information so please do correct me (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

1)
a)Does the suggestion to only use one armor type outweigh having decent armor in other types right now? ie. should I make having matching equipment a priority over having slightly better equipment? Obviously in the end I'd like to have great equipment in that one class, but what about now?

(IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) At the beginning of this thread, people were suggesting against using all Heavy armor due to the huge interference and burden. Obviously my interference and burden are pretty high right now, but that's with no heavy armor on my "fast/theif/rogue" setup. Are interference and burden not as big a deal now? If not, it would make sense to always go for heavy armor for physical players, right?

2) Great. I'll take 1/2-3/4 of my points out of intelligence and throw them into Strength and Dexterity (maybe a few in Agility and Endurance). If I ever feel like switching over and playing Mage, I'll just move those points over again.

3) So I switched over from my Fine Axe of the Vampire (with 20% Bleed for 4 turns/263 damage and 23% Siphon Health for 70.7) to my dual wield daggers because of the 5% increase in hit chance and 2 point increase in Action Speed. Would a club not carry the same limitations as my Axe? I liked the idea of daggers/short swords/rapiers for the speed and thought dual wield was the way to go with those. Would a 2 handed weapon by faster (and better) then these too? Would a two handed weapon be best with Heavy Armor and Dual Wield or Shield and Sword be better with light armor?

4) Should I train my proficiencies more than my levels at this point? Some of my proficiencies seem kind of low for my level...and that may have to do with the rate I'm traveling through the levels (if I travel more slowly I'll attack/get hit/cast cure more and thus gain proficiency faster). Should I take AP out of the EXP boosts and play on Easy to boost my proficiencies or does it not really matter?
Thanks for the help, again I don't mean these questions to be insulting or argumentative; I'm just curious.

1a At your level is alright to mix/match but once you reach 100, the benefits from a full suit will give you corresponding bonuses that should outweigh the mix/match http://ehwiki.org/wiki/proficiency

1b Interference/Burden has always been the drawback of heavy armor players. I'd say it's more significant than in the past, hence why most high level players prefer not to use heavy armor - although there is the occasional high level heavy player.

2 Keep INT:WIS at a 1:4 ratio in exp expense if you're melee

3 2 Handed weapon will increase your damage output since it gives you "splash damage". Going 2 Handed mace will allow you to stun multiple targets to decrease incoming damage.
2 Handed is best for large quantities of enemies
Dual Wielding is the greatest offensively against single monsters (ie bosses/ring of blood)
1H + Board = safest bet in terms of tanking ability

4 The greater the difference between your level and proficiency amount, the quicker the proficiency will grow. As long as you're faithful to the proficiency category, it will naturally go up. I generally view proficiency as a *bonus* and it will naturally approach your level if you keep playing (since leveling becomes more and more difficult due to the higher exp requirements giving the profs more time to develop)

Some players prefer to sit at a certain level and build up their profs. You can probably search the thread for methods of how to do so. try searching things like "farm proficiency" or "increase proficiency" etc (without the quotations)

Generally, sticking to one armor type grants bonuses to your stats depending on the armor type. Refer to http://ehwiki.org/wiki/Armor for details.

Use of Heavy armor really depends on whether you like playing defensively or if you want to strike hard and fast. If your current playstyle is more focused on speed, go with light armor. Of that, you can use Kevlar for mitigations comparable to heavy armor for much less compromise, or you can use Shade for boosts to attack power and accuracy. Shade armor also has relatively low compromise even among light armor, and Shadowdancer equipment has no Burden. FYI every point of Burden above 20 reduces your action speed by 1, and Interference above 25 reduces your magic proficiency.

Use of weapon styles can depend on battle type. If you're doing a lot of grinding, item world or arenas, you'll want to go 2-handed, since you'll end up facing several enemies at once. One-handed or dual-wielding is generally more usable in the Ring of Blood since you'll be fighting one enemy at a time.

You won't have to worry too much about proficiencies if you stick to one equipment set; proficiency gain is much faster as long as there's a wide gap between proficiency and your current level.

so i got a question about spirit shield (for future reference)... and dont point me to the wiki page.

lets say i have 100/100 hp, and 100/100 sp (or enough to trigger spirit shield). and a monster hits me for 150 hp. i have spirit shield on and maxed ap. i lose 25 hp, but how much sp do i lose? is it (.2)*(150-100) or (.2)*(150-25) or something else.

question 2, once again 100 hp and 100 sp, and 10 monsters hit me for 10 hp each, does spirit shield trigger?

i know these numbers arent realistic but whatever.

This post has been edited by qqaaqq: Dec 14 2011, 01:54

HP = Health Points
BS = Base Spirit = Spirit Points / (1 + (n° Spirit Tank ticks)*0.03 )

DR = Damage Received = HP / 4
DA = Damage Absorbed (may vary)

DM = Drain Modifier = 0.4 at the beginning, 0.2 when Spirit Shield is maxed (it's a 5-tick ability)

SP drain = DA/(HP-DR) * DM * BS

DA/(HP-DR) is capped at 1.

So DA (damage absorbed) would be everything beyond 25%, so in the example it would be 125? or is it random?

In your example, HP = 100, BS = no idea, DR = 25, DA = 125.
And to answer the second question, no, SS only triggers for hits that do more than 25% of your health

ok thanks that clears up a lot things.

Hey guys. I'm trying to understand this whole Action Speed thing. I tried reading up on it at the HV Wiki but I'm not sure if a higher or lower Action speed is better. Currently I have a 116.7 action speed with a interference of 110 and a burden of 75.1. after reading the wiki I see that interference has no real baring on my tank build but I'm trying to figure out a was to reduce or increase my action time so that I can do better in grindfest. Since I spent 40 hath and 100K credits (bankrupted myself) on a bunch of Exquisite and Superior quality gear that's lvl 250-300+ so i wont have to worry about that in the future.

Since buying the gear I've gone from only being able to make it to round 30-35 in Grindfest before mana potions ran out to being able to make it to Round 70-75. But I figure if I can bring my Action Speed up, then I should be able to last longer.

Any info or advice would be very appreciated. Thank you for your time my Masters. ^^

How long your actions take is "500 - Action Speed", so a higher Action Speed is better since it will subtract more from the 500.

You can't reduce the burden from your gear, and since you seem to have spent quite a bit on your gear, perhaps changing all of your gear is not your preferred course of action.

The only other alternatives (aside from reaching the Destined or Godslayer rank, which is quite a ways off for you) is to either: 1) Cram a load of EXP into AGI to increase your Action Speed or 2) Get an Ethereal weapon(s) to reduce overall Interference and Burden while keeping your presumably Heavy Armor set.

X-Item and X-Attack will also help. They show up at Level 80 and 90 respectively, IIRC.

This post has been edited by HaliZorat: Dec 14 2011, 11:23

Oh ok. So the only thing for me to do is cram exp into AGI. I already have a Exquisite Ethereal weapon. well this kinda sux. Overall would you say that making it to round 70-75 at lvl 70 on hard difficulty is good atleast?

It's always better to have higher Action Speed.

Using your character's data, you will have the actual action speed of (116.7 - (75.1 - 20) = 61.6
It means that if you want to make a normal attack, you'll need (500 - 61.6)*(1.) = 438.4 to do so.
If you have higher action speed (says 20), you'll need less time to finish an attack.

And interference has great effect on tank build.
Basically it lowers your proficiencies, so you'll need to cast your buffs more often.
It may not seem very important at first, but when you progress in levels you'll start to use more buffs, which you'll then see its effect.

So I guess I really need to find some gear of the same quality at around lvl 100 so that I can reduce the interference and burden til i get closer to lvl 250-300.

It's a difficult question.
Usually it's not that easy to find some good equipments at around 100-150, simply because the players at that level doesn't have the ability to play difficult arenas/GFs to get better drops.
You may then need to choose between lowering your burden/interference or lowering your equipment's stats.

I (having not spent a lot of time here looking at stats), am not that sure if there's any strong correlation between equipment level and it's Interference / Burden, but if there is, it probably isn't that large. For instance, the difference in burden between my Level 262 and Level 359 Shade Breastplates of the Fleet is a mere .3 (although this could just mean that my Level 262 one has absurdly high Burden while my Level 359 one has absurdly low burden). However, the difference in Interference is immediately noticeable with a difference of 2.21.

Additionally, equipment stats (minus Interference and Burden) scale to your level. So having that high-level equipment doesn't necessarily put you at a disadvantage unless it sucks AND it'll "level up" with you, while gear at your level stays at your level unless you go through the item world.

Long story short, stick with your high level gear unless you get one around your level as a drop that is better (tradeoff being that, as stated, it'll remain at it's level and won't get any better without a tedious trip through the Item World). Heavy Armor has loads of Burden and Interference regardless of level, and from what I see, optimizing Action Speed isn't truly necessary for survival until much later on level wise.

This post has been edited by HaliZorat: Dec 14 2011, 11:57