Cleric or Shaman?

[vageta31]

zero utility? hmm .. root, stun, memwipe, undead DDs, hp / ac buffs, lull ...

Did I stutter? Yes I said practically zero utility. HP/AC buffs? I already covered that and it's obvious. Root? Most caster classes get that besides mage so it's not special. Undead DD, great but Shaman's get regular DD as well so unless you're in Unrest or Lower Guk it won't help. I already mentioned lull as being a good thing, and memwipe is nice but how often will you really use it?

I knew this would draw fire from clerics but why? My entire response was based on the OP asking for "DUO" in which Shamans have the advantage. The utilities a cleric has are in no comparison to a Shaman, especially when you consider Shamans can make potions and get IVU, damage shields, resists that stack with normal resist line, etc... Did you know the cold resist potion adds another 25sta that stacks with our big stamina spell? I didn't think you did.

And yes Ogre shaman. Barb shaman is the weakest choice unless you just want to be able to be in the good cities. They get the lowest str/sta of the 3 but only 5 more wisdom than an Ogre. And in the world of Shamen HPs > pure wisdom for canni so higher hps is not just a luxury, it's a necessity. My Ogre when self buffed can reach the 255 str cap and can hit for 66 with a 20dmg weapon. He also can self buff to 202 sta without even adding any sta items and not using that potion buff as I mentioned. My Ogre shaman has about 1500hps self buffed at lvl 50 and I don't even focus on HP items at the moment. Who cares about the boat. Just invis yourself and it's a non-issue anyways. Don't choose a race based on where you think you can go safely because once you're 40+ it doesn't matter anyways... Trolls are great too, but they have lowest wis and only mediocre sta/str. They get regen which is awesome, but with self regen spells it only adds so much to what shaman can already get and once Kunark comes out the fungi tunic closes the gap even more. No frontal stun cannot be beaten by anything. Think of all the times you've been bashed during a cast and had to start over. Well with Ogre's that just doesn't happen. You can easily cast through almost anything and no other racial ability comes close to just how badass that is from level 1 to 60.

Clerics are awesome, but for a duo there are better choices. Even if a cleric had some more utility he has to save all of his mana for CH anyways. He won't have left over to be having fun doing DD, stuns and anything else he may be able to cast. Shamans have massive self regen and can add actual DPS to a fight(put a FBSS on him, add Alacrity and watch him go). They can handle taking a beating long enough to root even high level mobs, then step back and let their regen do the healing instead of having to waste mana on heals. Get a Totem of Widdershins and you'll get free Malisement that procs all the time(I know I have one) and smacking mobs for 66 dmg while hasted.

Also consider a Shaman can solo a shit ton better than clerics so when your warrior buddy isn't online you can do many, many things solo.

[Toboggan]

As I remember, there were particular choices that were pretty standard for duos.

Cleric + Warrior
Shaman + Monk

Not to say that these are the only choices for duos, but perhaps optimum choices. What is a warrior but hit points and armor class? What is a monk but a DPS machine?

As a druid, I've partnered with most if not all classes. Some classes work very well in conjunction with mine, others not so much. And as important as the classes, if not more so, is the play style of the people at the keyboard. I've grouped with people and had amazing success, only to try again with another player and be subject to abject failure.

[Taminy]

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

As I remember, there were particular choices that were pretty standard for duos.

Cleric + Warrior
Shaman + Monk

Not to say that these are the only choices for duos, but perhaps optimum choices. What is a warrior but hit points and armor class? What is a monk but a DPS machine?

A well geared warrior is definitely not just AC and HP. They won't be outdamaging rogues or monks, but with the right weapons their DPS can be pretty decent actually.

They are kind of weak in classic, but kunark (and velious) they get much better weapons that aren't raid loot, clicky toys, almost the same weapon skill caps as monks, and if you're smart a warrior/shaman duo will fight weak mobs for exp grinding and keep the warrior constantly berserk for crippling blows. Although it was at level 60, warriors were also the only ones who got triple attack during kunark. Monks didn't get triple attack until it was patched in much later (Luclin?).

I've found there are two types of people who play warriors: those who think the only thing the class can do is tank, and those who tank and also make the best out of their melee abilities with proper gearing. Monks will always do more, but it's closer than most people think - and of course the warrior takes hits better than the monk as well (more efficient on mana). I think what absolutely makes monk + shaman the clear winner over warrior + shaman isn't the DPS difference, it's FD pulling...