What makes the BEST warrior?

[WizardEQ]

I've been having discussions with lots of people about his, and I'm curious not ever having played a melee class. So here's a question to all you mid- to high-level warriors out there.

What makes the BEST warrior? Is it holding aggro at any expense for your group. Is it dealing out the most damage? Is it looking the best (ha ha)?

As a wizard, what I look for is when can I start burning down a mob without gaining aggro. With an SK I can usually do it around 80% or so. With a warrior, usually around 50-60% or so. Do warriors make up for this with weapons that proc?

Also, what's the best weapon for lvl 40-50 warriors in the 10k or less range?

[Ektar]

in a group setting the warrior wants to hold agro... if that's his priority then that's the extent of a skillset you can want.

perhaps recognizing when he may be about to lose agro and ready to hit taunt... but as is the commonly held belief, situational awareness, reaction time, and knowing what to do in such a little nuance are all not a possibility in eq :p.

and just sayin? you can nuke at 100% with a paladin tank. sks~ laf!

[wrxBRAH]

What makes the BEST warrior?

Gmuk hands down

[YendorLootmonkey]

The best warrior is the warrior that does his job the best. So what is a warrior's job? Some say its to hold aggro. I will take it a step further and say:

A warrior's primary job is to create the most efficient mana-to-hp conversion for the group/raid.

This encompasses holding aggro so no one is wasting mana healing non-tanks, having a large amount of HP so the cleric gets more bang for the buck out of the Complete Heal, and minimizing the damage taken over time (which needs mana to replenish) with AC/discs.

In most group cases, due to a knight's snap aggro, they can reduce the damage taken to the rest of the group (therefore using less group mana for heals) and allowing the group to engage full DPS sooner, therefore killing the mob faster and reducing the overall damage taken over time. However, in some raid scenarios it becomes more efficient to have the warrior, at the expense of having to hold back on raid DPS since aggro off the tank could mean instant death and severe reduction in DPS.

[Taminy]

The best warrior is the warrior that does his job the best. So what is a warrior's job? Some say its to hold aggro. I will take it a step further and say:

A warrior's primary job is to create the most efficient mana-to-hp conversion for the group/raid.

This encompasses holding aggro so no one is wasting mana healing non-tanks, having a large amount of HP so the cleric gets more bang for the buck out of the Complete Heal, and minimizing the damage taken over time (which needs mana to replenish) with AC/discs.

In most group cases, due to a knight's snap aggro, they can reduce the damage taken to the rest of the group (therefore using less group mana for heals) and allowing the group to engage full DPS sooner, therefore killing the mob faster and reducing the overall damage taken over time. However, in some raid scenarios it becomes more efficient to have the warrior, at the expense of having to hold back on raid DPS since aggro off the tank could mean instant death and severe reduction in DPS.

Midnight mallet = no aggro issues on raids :)

[Ektar]

yendor you're a clever monkey and I like you, but you just said this:

some say a warrior should hold agro; but I would go further and say a warrior's job is to hold agro.

[Arkanjil]

You're all wrong. Warriors need to look pretty....duh :cool:

[YendorLootmonkey]

yendor you're a clever monkey and I like you, but you just said this:

some say a warrior should hold agro; but I would go further and say a warrior's job is to hold agro.

No... because a warrior geared up with 2500 hp is not doing his job of providing for the most efficient conversion of mana to hp compared to a warrior geared up with 2800 hp and diligent about maintaining his buffs to get to 3500 or whatever, given they hold the same aggro. Cleric has to CH the latter warrior less often.

I agree its nitpicky, but more of a complete answer.

[greatdane]

Everquest's classes are so primitive that general game knowledge accounts for much more than class skill, and this is especially true for warriors. There just isn't much to the class, and how well you perform has much more to do with how well you know the zone, the game mechanics, and how to gear your character. This is why most experienced Everquesters can pick up pretty much any class, even ones they haven't really played before, and do just fine. There are no rotations, no builds, and really nothing to any class that you can't either plainly realize from its spells/skills or easily figure out from having grouped with them.

As for warriors, gear is by far the most important thing. 95% of a warrior's repertoire consists of targeting a mob and auto-attacking it, but getting good gear is the "challenge". High AC/HP is the most difficult part, because you really don't need the best weapons in the game to hold aggro, you can do it with Ykesha clubs or Sarnak Warhammer and Silken Whip of Ensnaring, both of which cost a few thousand. Almost all weapons have the same proc rate, and for the most part, what you pay for when you buy a rare, insanely expensive warrior weapon is the slightly better ratio. You don't actually get 100k worth of upgrade by getting a 10/22 ringed mace over a 9/24 ykesha club. Maximizing your tanking stats is what really costs, and especially doing so while maintaining reasonable resists.

You don't need the best of the best weapons to tank properly. There's not much of a difference between the widely recognized tank weapons, and you'll do fine with any of the following: Ykeshan War Club, Sarnak Warhammer, Silken Whip of Ensnaring, even plain old SSoY will suffice until the very endgame. If you're just tanking low-health XP group mobs, you can easily use a Throneblade of the Ykesha or Truncheon of Doom as well since their high delays give you a much better change of proccing on your first couple of swings. On mobs that die in 15 seconds, one early proc is enough and you don't need the long-term sustained threat generation of the more expensive, faster weapons.

[Ashimar]

The best warrior is a warrior in Full Cobalt And/or Indicolite, with a Cloak of Flames - that uses twin SSOY/Ykeshian Clubs/Sarnak hammer, presses taunt often, stands face to face with the mob when its rooted, uses assist macros when attacking mob with other mobs hugging it, uses mob pulling macros, and uses disciplines wisely (my favorite is Evasive)

Thats about it really.

[Oncedark]

Warriors need to be better than hybrid tanks.

Better:
1) Research everything. Know your class.
2) Pay attention to everything around
3) Be first to incoming mobs.
4) Communicate to your group
5) Best aggro weapons possible
6) Work a lot harder than hybrids.

Warrior last night. Telling him to get a procing weapon. SSOY for example. Warrior in mid 40s.

SSOWhat? asks the warrior who isn't tanking a thing because his weapons are very poor choices.

[Kassel]

The one who pays attention

[Taminy]

The best warrior is a warrior in Full Cobalt And/or Indicolite, with a Cloak of Flames - that uses twin SSOY/Ykeshian Clubs/Sarnak hammer, presses taunt often, stands face to face with the mob when its rooted, uses assist macros when attacking mob with other mobs hugging it, uses mob pulling macros, and uses disciplines wisely (my favorite is Evasive)

Thats about it really.

SSOY and its close variants (other than RoMY) are junk in Kunark - if you have enough of a guild to get you a CoF you should have better weapons.

Some other choices (unfortunately the best 4 don't drop any more):

Blade of the Black Dragon Eye
Ringed Mace of the Ykesha
Warding Star
Rod of Mourning
Sarnak Warhammer
Silken Whip of Ensnaring (only offhand it).
Bloodfire (offhand it - proc only generates about half the aggro of other weapons).
Blade of the Green Dragon Eye
Sebilite Croaking Dirk
Jade Mace
Lamentation

Yeah the last 5 weapons I listed don't have procs (or only a minor aggro proc) - but people underestimate warrior dps and speed of attack as contributing aggro factors too. Yeah if you're using an SSOY and you proc 4 times you'll hold aggro - but next fight you get no procs and your aggro is garbage. Yeah a jade mace isn't going to be high aggro but it will be at least manageable and fairly predictable. I also had to list weapons more attainable for people without a CoF :p

I mainhand bobde and offhand bloodfire for what it's worth. Once bloodfire procs I switch to snare whip.

[Dantes]

Pay attention.
Be at the keyboard.
Pick targets quick.
Have awesome proc weapons.
Have fucktons of DEX.

The "worst" warriors, or the ones people complain about most tend to be those who frequently AFK, don't pay attention, tab to other windows, etc. You can't really do that and be the tank. Just like being a chain puller, you pretty much have to give 100% of your attention span to your group. It's not like you can sit on your ass and med through a fight while you are downstairs looking for the cheesy poofs.

[Taminy]

It's not like you can sit on your ass and med through a fight while you are downstairs looking for the cheesy poofs.

If I get enough procs I can! :p

[Dantes]

Also be resourceful. Have invis potions or a Larrikan's mask. Have IVU potions. Have SOW potions or jboots. Know your way to camps. Have an OT gate hammer. You are a burden to your group if they have to fight out to get you or fight out to let you leave. There's a lot of utility we can gain from having the right items in inventory.

Have some decent magic resist. When you are considering Cobalt vs Indicolite, look at the pieces that have DEX and Magic Resist - consider how useful that is. AC only helps us with melee hits. Have MR gear in a bag, swap out when/if you are fighting in a camp with lots of casters and your group isn't stunning everything efficiently. You are not helpful to a group if every nuke, root, poison or slow is sticking to you.

[Slave]

Some of the best warriors will go berserk and stay there because they have the best clerics healing them. Preferably under 20% life so mobs frenzy on them and never leave from the first hit. Then use Mighty Strike. Watch everyone poop.

[Delik]

The best warrior is a warrior in Full Cobalt And/or Indicolite, with a Cloak of Flames - that uses twin SSOY/Ykeshian Clubs/Sarnak hammer, presses taunt often, stands face to face with the mob when its rooted, uses assist macros when attacking mob with other mobs hugging it, uses mob pulling macros, and uses disciplines wisely (my favorite is Evasive)

Thats about it really.

Press taunt often? Warrior should only be pressing taunt when agro is not on him, as it boosts him to the top of the agro chart +1. If he/she is pushing the button often it will not always be available when its needed and is therefore ineffective. You dont want to mash buttons as a warrior.

[YendorLootmonkey]

Hell, hit Disarm and Beg and sit a few times, too.

[Ihealyou]

I make the best warrior.

For people not as awesome as me, there's some good tips in here.

[Taminy]

Some of the best warriors will go berserk and stay there because they have the best clerics healing them. Preferably under 20% life so mobs frenzy on them and never leave from the first hit. Then use Mighty Strike. Watch everyone poop.

Sucks MS has a 1 hour cooldown now like on Live.

But yes, that's why warrior + shaman is basically as good as monk + shaman. If you're smart, keep the warrior berserk the whole time and you'll have close to monk dps. You just lose FD pulling.

And yeah I have over a full 10 slot bag of resist gear.

Tranix and Froggy Crowns.
13 MR rings
7 all resist rings
BD earrings
Indi boots
Runed Bone Fork
BS mantle

etc

[Maurk]

The best warriors wield nothing but their Courage.

Courage: The ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.

"Warriors wield what they wanna" - Some guy on the forums.

[Dr4z3r]

Everquest's classes are so primitive that general game knowledge accounts for much more than class skill, and this is especially true for warriors. There just isn't much to the class, and how well you perform has much more to do with how well you know the zone, the game mechanics, and how to gear your character. This is why most experienced Everquesters can pick up pretty much any class, even ones they haven't really played before, and do just fine. There are no rotations, no builds, and really nothing to any class that you can't either plainly realize from its spells/skills or easily figure out from having grouped with them.

True for every class except Bards. Hell, half the bards out there don't even know what bards do!

Back on topic, Blood Point is pretty good for warriors: Good ratio, high aggro, great proc because it both causes aggro and heals the warrior. Don't underestimate what a pair of those can do.

But what really makes the BEST warrior: Being a gnome. /thread

[Seaweedpimp]

No... because a warrior geared up with 2500 hp is not doing his job of providing for the most efficient conversion of mana to hp compared to a warrior geared up with 2800 hp and diligent about maintaining his buffs to get to 3500 or whatever, given they hold the same aggro. Cleric has to CH the latter warrior less often.

I agree its nitpicky, but more of a complete answer.



Mang i got 2800hp buffed on slippery dawg. And yes i tank protector ~

[Ashimar]

The best warriors wield nothing but their Courage.

Courage: The ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.

"Warriors wield what they wanna" - Some guy on the forums.

Just like everyone else who read that thread i made long ago, you are missing the point. It was a joke. Warriors wield what they wanna, when they are soloing. Does that make sense?

[Motec]

As a cleric I don't care if a warrior loses aggro, as long as dps never suffers. If everyone is 100% hp then noone is regaining hp = no free heals and less cleric nukes.

I'm a hardcore min maxer, and holding aggro instead of doing max dps is a waste of time if it doesn't affect group dps. I can heal 2000+ hp in a single mark of Karn if some melee share some damage intelligently.

But for the most part a wars job is maximum aggro generation. It's usually done by doing maximum damage anyway.

A good war is one that adapts to the group and environment faster than I can, and I'm Fu*king fast.

Good warriors:
Eabon, laminin. Maybe ask them to post, im taking a shit ATM and am iphoning it up.

[Ennoia]

Gmuk hands down

I lol'd.

Warriors want to hold aggro and stay alive. As much as I love Dark Elves, I have to concede that the frontal stun immunity makes Ogres king shit when it comes to tanking.

[Arkanjil]

Ogahs are just plain bad ass....period. Frontal stun immunity is simply amazing for any class.

[President]

A good first start would be to not drink as much as I do. I got called the "worst warrior ever" a few weeks back.

[Skope]

A good first start would be to not drink as much as I do. I got called the "worst warrior ever" a few weeks back.

QFT. He is horrible

[deneauth]

I am still using SSoY's and with the new aggro what have you I proc way less, but they still hold aggro better than most weapons. That being said with high lvl shaman buffs my hp is upwards of 3.9k and after using evasive discapline I can probably tank 4-5 mobs easy without a single heal.