Mages vs. Shaman in Kunark

[Huck]

Okay - I know shaman in Kunark are always wanted for groups - which is what made them fun to play. I know mages solo easy in classic, but how are they in Kunark? I never paid about of attention to them back in the day. Can they solo to 60? I know a Shaman CAN, but it sucks doing that. Just want to know what my options are.

[maegi]

any pet class can solo to any level, it's a matter of choice really. Do you prefer grouping and raid scenarios or soloing. Either is a viable option.

[Harrison]

Shamans get VERY powerful in Kunark solo, and group. One word for Shamans in Kunark, Torpor. (Combined with Fungi, Fungi stick, etc. you will be a fucking monster.)

Mages just barely limp in, turned into a utility class. They can still solo, but the entire tactic list you had is useless. Pet chaining is different, more mana intensive, and pet dynamics changed ENTIRELY 51+.

Any mage worth a shit will still be amazing, but your typical mage now will just suck dong.

Aggro kiting in Kunark is your best bet for open-zone soloing I've practiced. If you're in a dungeon you're almost forced to use the earth pet, buffed. (Or lightly buffed for chaining...)

[Odeseus]

I would argue against earth pet all the time solo, though they do get better in kunark since their roots begin to do damage. Air pet is also a viable option as their stuns do damage as well. Basically comes down to situation. Earth for pure melees is best, but for casters the stuns might prove to be more beneficial. Farm some stun whips from the paw and air pet becomes a stun machine.

In all honesty it is a wash, IMO. Better hp/ac on earth pet, slightly better DPS and stuns on air.

Use water when you can agro kite (not that easy without being able to snare or root but doable if you have the room. SoW pots or Jboots FTW) because it can backstab. It is the best pure DPS pet mages get, if used right. If it isn't backstabbing, it is pretty flimsy and doesn't do any better DPS than air. Also use water in groups and learn how to position it. This will be key for any mage who wants to still do good in kunark.

Fire pets get nerfed to hell. Becomes a wizard with a shitty mana pool. I guess it is good for range only fights but you probably won't ever use it.

Shaman get insanely powerful in kunark, solo or otherwise. At 51 you get the best slow that was ever put into the game. Literally when I quit live at level 85 I was still using the AA version of turgur's. And in kunark, there is no mitigation so everything you land slow on will be 75% slow. Basically after 51, with slow, root, pet, heals, canni and decent DPS with nukes and DoTs, you should be able to solo any melee mob with ease. Even multiples aren't too bad as you can root adds. Be smart and shaman is basically unmatched in kunark era.

[Krimsin]

Harrison, I never played a sham prior to p99 but decided to roll one precisely because they were such beasts in kun/vel. Is the fungi tunic/stick combo a necessity for soloing or can they manage to 60 just fine without it?

[mokfarg]

I have a shaman but quit him because I think I really messed up his starting stats. I put all in stamina and he can barely cast anything before he is oom. I imagine also the fungi tunic will be severely camped by the people in the big guilds, that they will be hard to get.

[Harrison]

You can definitely manage without it. But, with it...you're a beast of epic proportions.

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by mokfarg [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I have a shaman but quit him because I think I really messed up his starting stats. I put all in stamina and he can barely cast anything before he is oom. I imagine also the fungi tunic will be severely camped by the people in the big guilds, that they will be hard to get.

Stamina on a shaman is probably just as beneficial as wisdom, which both will be maxed while buffed anyways at 50+.

Your hp pool is directly tied to your mana pool, because of canni. A huge hp pool is awesome, and maxing your stamina might be more difficult than maxing wisdom depending on race.

What it comes down to, is what YOU want to do. It's not a gamebreaker by any means. Starting stats are irrelevant.

[mokfarg]

Originally Posted by Harrison [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Stamina on a shaman is probably just as beneficial as wisdom, which both will be maxed while buffed anyways at 50+.

Your hp pool is directly tied to your mana pool, because of canni. A huge hp pool is awesome, and maxing your stamina might be more difficult than maxing wisdom depending on race.

What it comes down to, is what YOU want to do. It's not a gamebreaker by any means. Starting stats are irrelevant.

That's good to know, I may have to try to play him again. Maybe if I save some money I can buy a little mana gear might help.

[Humerox]

Shaman hands down.

JBB ftw.