Quote:
Originally Posted by Crede
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Yea this was my original suggestion. I think cleric/enc/enc/wiz is more lucrative overall, but repeating classes are lame and cleric/enc/mage/necro would just be a blast. Swapping in a shaman for the mage just adds so much unneeded utility. 3 healers/4 rooters is extreme overkill. Necro heals can easily back up cleric. 100% sure shaman just clicks jbb in this group.
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There are a lot of things the Shaman will be doing besides casting JBB:
1. Healing + Regenerating the Necro so they can use their best lich spell. This frees up the Cleric to not have to worry about that. Also saves the Cleric mana to do stuns, nukes, etc. if needed.
2. The Shaman is slowing instead of the Enchanter. This saves the Enchanter mana, and also frees up a spell slot, which is premium for an Enchanter. This allows the Enchanter to focus on controlling their pets and CCing mobs. Having 2 slowers also means that you can both slow if you are fighting a mob with high Magic Resistance. Better chance of landing the initial slow.
3. Applying DoTs and Pet damage as necessary if the group wants extra DPS.
4. Maloing the mob so spells land easier. Shaman Malo is better than Mage Malo.
5. Rooting monsters as needed, which can also free up a spell slot for the Cleric, Enchanter and/or the Necromancer.
6. Tanking mobs instead of the Enchanter pet. This allows the Enchanter pet to do more damage since it can be behind the mob. It can even backstab if it has the capability. Shamans are much tankier than Mage pets when they have Torpor. Having a player tank instead of a pet is also easier to control, as mobs prefer to attack players over pets. It's also easier for a player to reposition as necessary while tanking.
7. The Cleric and Necromancer can heal the Shaman as needed if their mana pools are full. This allows the Shaman to continue rooting, slowing, casting DoTs, etc. A Shaman's ability to cannibalize pairs well with other healing classes. This can reduce group downtime because you are sharing resources better.
8. Buffing the group and the pet. The pet will do more damage with STR buffs and Avatar. Players will be more likely to survive with FoS, STA, and Aegolism.
The Shaman offers a lot more than a Mage. Utility is generally better than DPS in small groups, because it's easier to wipe when you have less people. That is why Enchanter/Cleric is a strong duo. They have a ton of utility for survival, while also happening to have good DPS with the Enchanter pet. You are already leveling quickly with a 4 man group, so you don't really need a Mage's DPS while leveling. At 60 when you are killing named mobs the DPS isn't necessary either. The player leveling a Shaman will get a lot more out of having a 60 Torpor Shaman than a 60 Mage as well. The Mage gets the worst level 60 character in this group after it inevitably breaks up.