The Power of Bone Knights!! (With Data!!)

[Ivory]

Originally Posted by Natewest1987 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ivory do you have any comments for efficiency through the leveling process? Obviously it works fine with your current end game setup, but how did this fare before you had access to these toys?

Sand giants is still dark blue at 50.

But the efficiency of bone knight has always been top notch. The power really became obvious when I went to unrest and was non-stop killin the entire yard of even and some yellow and blue cons.

Then I went to permafrost, and the same thing... was able to kill a heck of a lot. Though I was duoing a lot there (with a monk, or a wizard, or sometimes a shaman)

And then cazic thule I soloed the maze and was slayin a bunch too.... and then as I got higher, I was able to take down the pyramid with all the harm touching mobs pretty easily (still very level appropriate).

Then it was guk and slayin everything.

Though as I leveled up higher, i definitely felt the inherent fragility more. Before mid 40's I was outtanking my pet easily. But after mid 40's I had to start letting my pet tank a little more and back up when I was hurt to heal off damage.

The thing is, while I was leveling up in groups... I'd always be tanking in groups (most of the times groups would think I was joking about wanting to tank, until I did it and they saw me tank....lol).

Before 40 I could easily outtank real tanks (since the lifetap dots made up a lot for things). Then after 40 I was still tanking in groups a LOT....especially in situations where the healer was getting low on mana and needed a rest, that was my chance to step in and tank for a while, exhausting my mana to heal myself for a while.... and by the time I needed to rest, the healer had mana again and I could stop using my mana much (so then i could take turns recovering).

I remember one group where the paladin was getting angry that I kept trying to tank, but he was just draining SOOO much mana from the healers and it was slowing everything down. Eventually I got him to stop trying to taunt-battle me... and he realized just how bonkers my tanking was. Since if I stay in lich form, I can melee non stop...and always have my lifetap dot up... and now and then throw out an extra lifetap, without dropping my mana that low (the video you can see some of my pace, I don't really use much mana to fight, especially in a group where the fights are shorter and there are little rests between).

And now that I'm 50. Mobs hit hard and can get a few good rounds off, and I don't have a giant hitpoint pool.... so I gotta take a step back and wait a few ticks for the healing to take effect, or use a lifetap and get back in. Which makes it harder to main tank without backing up and without needing any other patch healing. But at 53 (i think?) necros get a REALLY fast lifetap that will be amazing for staying in the fight and not needing to back up.

I also die fast if I get overwhelmed. I can't be like a warrior and shoulder 3 or 4 mobs for a while... it drops me too fast.

But with FD and situational awareness....and using pet to intercept multiples... it's not too hard to handle a lot of mobs in less brute force ways (when I was leveling, I'd often fight 2 or 3 at the same time, my pet fighting one thing...and me fighting something else, and keeping a 3rd mezzed).

Were you able to tank sand giants when it was level appropriate and you had level appropriate gear?

Also I wasn't that twinked when I was leveling. The only other character I had was Pockete...and a level 20 rogue can only twink so much. Just some weapons and some things like the sleeves or hat. I didn't even have HP rings until 30 or 40.

I met another bone knight recently who was completely outfitting themselves at just level 12!! farming orc belts and funding everything they needed. So with some effort, anyone can do this type of thing. It isn't like a fungi rogue or something super expensive in order to do.

[Jibartik]

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

I also die fast if I get overwhelmed. I can't be like a warrior and shoulder 3 or 4 mobs for a while... it drops me too fast.

isnt it reletivly easy to maintain singles as a necro doing this?

Curious what each fight "feels like"

do you just grab a mob, and facetank it right there? engulf dark, so it cant run, and just kill it on the spot?

I kind of like the idea of like a single 1v1 fight, no pets, no worry about needing space, just a little realistate to melee in, just you and a small hallway?

Sounds super fun, I want to do this!!!!!

[Ivory]

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

isnt it reletivly easy to maintain singles as a necro doing this?

Curious what each fight "feels like"

do you just grab a mob, and facetank it right there? engulf dark, so it cant run, and just kill it on the spot?

I kind of like the idea of like a single 1v1 fight, no pets, no worry about needing space, just a little realistate to melee in, just you and a small hallway?

Sounds super fun, I want to do this!!!!!

Why wouldn't you use a pet?? If I'm trying to exp or kill something hard, I always use a pet....

If I'm just running by and I see something I want to slay (like a hill giant), then I don't use a pet and go melee it.

I also rarely darkness things. Usually things die before they can really run that far (though I'll darkness if I'm right in the middle of a bunch of things and only camping one mob near too much other stuff).

Also single pulling as a necro is SUPERRR easy. You just screaming terror something on its spawn point... that social agros whatever is nearby. Then once they come, FD and stand up (it should clear the one that was terrored on the spawn point)... then if 2 come, screaming terror one while you slay the other.

[enjchanter]

Jorell invented this technique a long time ago and is the champion bone knight of there is one.

Dude lifetap tanked phinny solo ffs

[Maelstrom]

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

Jorell invented this technique a long time ago and is the champion bone knight of there is one.

Dude lifetap tanked phinny solo ffs

Yep. Necro melee dps isn't anything new. Mobs hit harder once Kunark comes out, and other methods may become more effective.

I love your passion though. Keep experimenting!

[Mayge]

Drain tanking is a pretty old strategy. It certainly was not invented on p99.

[Donkey Hotay]

I'm going to call bullshit on you 'this was done a long time ago but good for you' copers. There wasn't anyone doing or talking about this until Ivory started posting here about it and anyone that tries it sees it absolutely dominates over conventional necro play in Classic.

Your overgeared raider larper on Blue in 201-whatever might have tried it for nerd points but Ivory showed it is literally the best way to play this class on Green as it stands.

[Natewest1987]

What kind of gear did you have in the teens?

[Baler]

video of an SK getting real close to soloing a cliff golem, I think they could do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIb859Cg5ZM
(not my vid)

[Oddbaal]

Lol so many doubters. With a keen eye for detail one truth prevails!