A/N: It feels absolutely surreal to see that one and only hit from the United Kingdom whenever I upped something in The Skald and His Goddess. Not to mention that very hit appearing at times for Tueur de roi and My girlfriend born in 1986. I'm not gonna speculate whether it's the same person, let alone entertaining stupid questions like this. It's not always fun and games to be mentally unhinged, be it Lovecraft, van Gogh, or just me.
Add A/N: On an unrelated note, I was too ill to focus on Boro's match against Stoke less than halfway through. A good thing as well because we played like a Championship team against a Premiership team. Think I'm gonna avoid Facebook as much as possible until Boro starts winning matches instead of just a match. Also, it means I may have done this for nothing.
Final A/N: This entire post took me like a few days to edit and finish. Not because I was born to be meticulous, but because I was born this way below.
I need this song above to turn my mental screw back to normal. Period.
Okay, enough about my paranoia and a Cthulhu imagined
This post is all about how I may be planning the whole artifact weapons set allocation. Before I start, let me just say a few things concerning some of my observations so far.
Something about Throne of the Dwarven Gods and Prophecy of Madness first
Just now, I've had a go at both skirmishes. This was due to me wanting to cash in on the 2 x shards of power event that will run until next Monday (S'pore timezone). So far, I've only run the Corruption of the Throne (for Throne) and Demonic Incursion. My first impression is very simple. The devs seemed to have done something to the phase timer so that it felt as if it's running faster than usual. Which is nonsense of course since we're not talking about impressing the khaleesi by destroying the rival(s) to her three kids (unless the devs did something which I've yet to witness, the 10 second rule behind taking down Tiamat still applies. Also, someone mentioned it's NOT a bug unlike what others say).
Basically, this means either or both below.
1. The score meter is progressing at a slower rate while depleting at a faster rate.
2. AI has just gotten tougher.
Corruption of the Throne, in particular, seems to be a baiting game. In the early to mid stage of the first phase, the mob wave is quite okay. Nothing to make noise about. Once you reach the late stage of the first phase, that's where the mindflayers and their duergar BFFs start popping up at a faster rate.
On the Demonic Incursion, it seems that the only way to get gold is to have 4, if not all, party members to open the rifts. In round two, opening purple rifts 70% of the time will no longer work. I think only 3 party members or so of my team were in charge of opening the rifts. On the flip side, however, the demons now hit you at a lower dps. At least for now since we should already know that the devs have implemented a difficulty level review system (quite contrary to the common opinion that it's only been done recently, it has already been in place since mod 7).
Making legendary dragon keys 100% relevant?
It's a no-brainer that the lockbox keys made up of 90% of the in-game economy. Plenty of stuff purchased from the zen store can be sold at the auction house. The most in-demand stuff, however, were the lockbox keys. This is due to all the highest end rewards coming from there. Not to mention as well that the lockbox content is the only source of Tarmalune trade bars available (iirc it used to be worse, though. When I first played the game at mod 4, they actually put the trade bars in the zen store).
Suffice to say, this was not an effective business model. The reason why being that those who with good technique and equally exceptional tactical sense can make do without a legendary mount. On the other hand, Cryptic couldn't push the players' buttons by forcing us to get a legendary mount. Yes, the active power is a great bonus. But still, you can't deny the fact that an epic mount is all you need to gimp enemies of the highest end.
This current mod highlights a radical change in the business model. Yes, the lockbox keys are still very annoying when it comes to the rng. But rewards in the second chest of any instances have a higher chance to drop much better stuff. At the same time, normal instances with only one chest also have a chance to drop Waters of Elah'zad, Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue, or Lantern of Revelation. Yesterday, I actually scored an Apprentice Healer via Prophecy of Madness via a chest drop. Just now, I got a Lantern of Revelation via the Dread Legion skirmish.
Basically, the current mod is all about encouraging players to focus on more than just a specific range of party instances. At the same time, the devs are also out to make the legendary dragon keys relevant. Note that I never say "more relevant" because those keys are basically useless elephants in white prior to this mod.
So yes, the lockbox keys are still an integral part of the money making scheme. On top of that, we have the legendary dragon keys as well. However, it must also be stated that The Cloaked Ascendancy is 100% F2P. Which means there's nothing there related to the zen store. What this means is very simple: The gamers are no longer forced to throw a D20 in the vain hope of rolling a 20. Instead, we're now given another option. Namely another set of keys which have a higher rng when it comes to the better/best loot. Please note, however, that some of the better/best loot are bind to account or even bind on pickup. Julee happened to be one of such moments.
It remains to be seen how the new business model direction will pan out, but at least it's heartening to see Cryptic doing something drastic to address an otherwise problematic business model. Not that they're gonna take away their pay-to-win, though.
A wee bit on Baphomet
[The Prince of Beasts was deceptively fast, his attacks consisting only of simple thrusts and crude slashes. Yet, a cunning unmistakably true showed its hand. Baphomet exploited his greatest strengths. Bestial constitution, unholy strength, and the agility of a cat. No matter how hard Drizzt Do'Urden and Arylos tried, they could never cripple such a monstrous foe. As for the humming Maze Engine, it just kept churning out phenomena both natural and otherwise.]
Okay, I think it's official. Baphomet has gotten faster and hit faster. At the same time, Baphomet also hit harder. Which means Baphomet has gotten harder.
Currently, the Prince of Beasts has got two melee attacks on top of whatever abracadabra being done through the Maze Engine. Basically, it's just a simple thrust and a powerful slash. The former is used to either push back a melee opponent or as the primary tactic against ranged opposition. The later is all about high damage, high execution speed, and only a brief startup animation.
At the same time, Baphomet is now able to take it more while dishing out plenty more.
Apart from all of the above, however, I don't think the devs did much to up his challenge level. Whether it means a decent rise in the challenge level, you'll have to fight that thing yourself.
Note: One of, if not the most effective way to kill Baphomet is to have an effective damage over time game. It always works, trust me.
Add note: In case you're too dumb to realize what the first paragraph is all about, it means Baphomet's mobility has gotten a Korean treatment. If it doesn't look like a big deal to you, it means you need to start thinking like a play-to-win tactician instead of a pay-to-win gamer. Also, no offense intended to any Korean.
 |
| Pretty sure no plastic surgery was involved in the process of pwnage |
And now on the main topic...
Let me just get the plain and simple out of the way first. Below are my current choices of Ascendancy weapons set for Arylos, Cyrea, and Myrreas.
Arylos: Fey
Cyrea Durothil: Lifeforged
Myrreas: Aboleth
Fey weapons set:
[The laughter resonating in Arylos' mind was anything but diabolical. It was the opposite of Nostura's mirth, one which defied the cruel barbs loosed by reality. It represented an innocence lost, the kind of joy separating the Or-tel-quessir from others. Something taken for granted by those around him, the very luxury he could never afford. Yet, he now held a power better suited for him than for Nostura. A force of nature which might provide answers to his future. Not what he should have been, for he already knew the answer to that. Rather, it was who he would eventually be.]
[The laughter resonating in Arylos' mind was anything but diabolical. It was the opposite of Nostura's mirth, one which defied the cruel barbs loosed by reality. It represented an innocence lost, the kind of joy separating the Or-tel-quessir from others. Something taken for granted by those around him, the very luxury he could never afford. Yet, he now held a power better suited for him than for Nostura. A force of nature which might provide answers to his future. Not what he should have been, for he already knew the answer to that. Rather, it was who he would eventually be.]
On the first glance, people would call me stupid and barking mad for making such a retarded decision. After all, the Fey set is for healers, right? Wrong. Yes, the 6% outgoing heal bonus is quite a big deal, but it's not the biggest deal. Let me first hammer home the fact that...
1. Aboleth set gives you +4% damage buff on top of its rng property.
2. Lifeforged won't give you any damage buff. Instead, it just adds a flat bonus to your power based on your defense rating.
3. Both Mirage and Fey sets give you +3% damage buff on top of their respective bonuses.
4. Unlike the other three, Fey set has three aspects of buffing instead of two.
The reason why the Fey set has three buffing aspects instead of two lies in the fact that the overcharge bonus for the Lightender set is nothing to shout about for healers. And that includes healadins on top of all the DC healers. In short, the Fey set is the only one out of the four Ascendancy sets having actual strategic value in the long run.
So does that mean anything for other builds? The most important aspect of the Fey set has got nothing to do with the 6% outgoing heal bonus. In fact, there's a reason why the devs gave Fey set three buffs instead of just two. It is to give every player the freedom to decide whether the 10% AP gain per second is worth it.
Because every Ascendancy set effect lasts for 10 seconds, what this means for the Fey set users is that the AP gain by end of effect would have hit 100% (albeit that's not considering any AP drain effect). Unless there's another way to calculate the mathematics, such AP buff is outright insane (then again, every Ascendancy set bonus is certified insane, which is why the devs have to give a lower-than-expected item level of 140-160. No pun intended towards the Far Realm btw).
What this means for Arylos (and pretty much every melee HR) is less to zero reliance on Marauder's Rush. So long there's a hantu slotted in your daily powers tray, you don't have to worry much about closing in. Yes, the great weapon fight will still be faster than you. But the AP increase should make your life easier, if not better.
As a result, I'm now weaning off Marauder's Rush in party instances. The reason why being that I'd want to get myself used to killing stuff without burning 1 encounter power slot for Marauder's Rush. After all, usage for MR is extremely limited. At the same time, Oak Skin can be a very useful encounter to use as it gives bonus defense on top of healing over time. And because Oak Skin is HoT effect, it means you can just execute it to proc Feytouched (i.e. the Fey set effect, not the epic enchantment) without compromising the healing aspect. And yes, I know the dps would be compromised. You think I'm really that stupid like those Fujiwara wannabes?
At the end of the day, using the HR is all about positioning and reading the situation in front of you. As such, a melee HR can be surprisingly good in assassinating a red wizard (that is provided there's no trickster rogue in the party). Not that it will be a one-shot fatality, but definitely good enough to prevent that Thayan baldhead from casting fireballs and nukes.
Add info: Using the Fey set for the 100% AP boost also means one thing. Namely, a two-hit combo involving Forest Ghost and Disruptive Shot. Don't trust me, try it out yourself. I don't profess to be a god of tactics and strategy, though.
Lifeforged set:
[A sudden warmth roared inside Cyrea, the Ar-tel-quessir taken aback by the sudden surge. Images of Ilyath's death and her family's callousness towards the dead invoked an inner fire unquenchable. Kavatos may have poured scorn on the master-apprentice romance between Kabal and Braga, but there was nothing worthy of scorn for a woman who was never forced to spend the remaining embers of her life in solitude. Some people have that second chance in life, but surely not all. Braga was right, that Cyrea was far more blessed than her.]
Lifeforged is definitely every tank's dream come true. In fact, I won't be surprised if Lifeforged is to be every oathbound paladin's BFF (not to mention the so-called off-tank guardian fighter build). However, it is also very useful for devoted clerics in an overall sense. If the Fey set is for the virtuous and faithful DCs, then Lifeforged is for every DC.
The thing with healers is this: Not only is healing important, surviving is even more important. Which means the impact of the Lifeforged set should not be ignored. For a righteous DC, this is even more important as this is a paragon tree focusing on offensive buffs and debuffs more than healing (read: both virtuous and faithful DCs have a better healing game than a righteous DC unless the Tiamat set bonus is being accounted for).
If you're out to play a dps DC (which means you're surely going to the right side), then you're better off using a Mirage set. If you're more of an all-rounder righteous DC, then go for Lifeforged.
Add info: DCs tend to rely more heavily on power than other classes. This is due to the power state affecting heals as well. And we all know Lifeforged effect increases power as well according to the defense rating. Not as good compared to healadins and tanks, but that's why I say it's more for righteous DCs.
Aboleth set:
[A sense of ominous purpose assaulted Myrreas' senses, the intent to annihilate every obstacle telling the Dalelander that it's the right thing to do. Only a strong will prevented that damning voice from dominating him. Drizzt Do'Urden once mentioned the debilitating impact of Baphomet's lingering influence concerning Arylos' emotional state. How ironic that such information was only leaked after Bruenor Battlehammer declared a day of feast and merrymaking in remembrance of a seemingly great victory over a demon lord. Then out of the nowhere, a name of an infamous figure whispered itself before the human rogue. It was a name countless years ago, yet it was also one he heard of during his years as a Harper. Minsc once mentioned that person before, it now seemed that Jon Irenicus was never truly dead.]
It's official. I respec'd Myrreas into an executioner TR. The reason why being that...
1. I wanted to experiment with a dps option rather than a defensive CC build. In this sense, I believe scoring goals win you games more than a goal or none conceded.
2. I don't profess to be some kind of tactical genius, but I like to mess around every once in a while.
First thing I did is to do away with Impossible to Catch because trying to do an executioner spec with that encounter power being slotted reads something like #IMPOSSIBRU for the most obvious reason (read; if you're going executioner, it means you're more likely to dodge 2-3 times in a row depending on the situation and your stamina). Secondly.... well, the aforementioned statement is considered moot since we should be talking about the Aboleth set.
Now the good thing about Aboleth set lies in the 4% damage bonus for the next 10 secs upon proc. Not only that, you'll also get to proc a rng. Either you get 2500 lifesteal bonus (which translates to slightly over 6% bonus lifesteal chance), a damage over time effect (which is the best option for any dps build), or making suicide bombers out of the dead (very good for any hdps build, best for any executioner TR). As such, it goes without saying that Aboleth set is my ideal choice for Myrreas. Or just about any executioner TR or thaumaturge control wizard for that matter.
Add info: Actually, Myrreas is currently only counted as mid-dps level due to a lack of level 140 gear. Once I get that part out of the way, it's possible that using the Seldarine set and a Ring of Vanishing Presence +4 may be nothing more than a moot issue. After all, this combination can easily reduce reliance on dodge while adding a stand-and-fight dimension to the dps.
P.S: I know I may have made the whole post sound a wee bit like some advertisement for feminism. After all, it seems that Cyrea is the mentally/emotionally strongest out of the three listed. Let it be known to every feminist that I do think like a conservative when it comes to certain things. However, this doesn't include endorsing Brock "the slammer is for grown-up idiots instead of 12 yr old idiots fyi" Turner and M.C Babi.
Add info: Using the Fey set for the 100% AP boost also means one thing. Namely, a two-hit combo involving Forest Ghost and Disruptive Shot. Don't trust me, try it out yourself. I don't profess to be a god of tactics and strategy, though.
Lifeforged set:
[A sudden warmth roared inside Cyrea, the Ar-tel-quessir taken aback by the sudden surge. Images of Ilyath's death and her family's callousness towards the dead invoked an inner fire unquenchable. Kavatos may have poured scorn on the master-apprentice romance between Kabal and Braga, but there was nothing worthy of scorn for a woman who was never forced to spend the remaining embers of her life in solitude. Some people have that second chance in life, but surely not all. Braga was right, that Cyrea was far more blessed than her.]
Lifeforged is definitely every tank's dream come true. In fact, I won't be surprised if Lifeforged is to be every oathbound paladin's BFF (not to mention the so-called off-tank guardian fighter build). However, it is also very useful for devoted clerics in an overall sense. If the Fey set is for the virtuous and faithful DCs, then Lifeforged is for every DC.
The thing with healers is this: Not only is healing important, surviving is even more important. Which means the impact of the Lifeforged set should not be ignored. For a righteous DC, this is even more important as this is a paragon tree focusing on offensive buffs and debuffs more than healing (read: both virtuous and faithful DCs have a better healing game than a righteous DC unless the Tiamat set bonus is being accounted for).
If you're out to play a dps DC (which means you're surely going to the right side), then you're better off using a Mirage set. If you're more of an all-rounder righteous DC, then go for Lifeforged.
Add info: DCs tend to rely more heavily on power than other classes. This is due to the power state affecting heals as well. And we all know Lifeforged effect increases power as well according to the defense rating. Not as good compared to healadins and tanks, but that's why I say it's more for righteous DCs.
Aboleth set:
[A sense of ominous purpose assaulted Myrreas' senses, the intent to annihilate every obstacle telling the Dalelander that it's the right thing to do. Only a strong will prevented that damning voice from dominating him. Drizzt Do'Urden once mentioned the debilitating impact of Baphomet's lingering influence concerning Arylos' emotional state. How ironic that such information was only leaked after Bruenor Battlehammer declared a day of feast and merrymaking in remembrance of a seemingly great victory over a demon lord. Then out of the nowhere, a name of an infamous figure whispered itself before the human rogue. It was a name countless years ago, yet it was also one he heard of during his years as a Harper. Minsc once mentioned that person before, it now seemed that Jon Irenicus was never truly dead.]
It's official. I respec'd Myrreas into an executioner TR. The reason why being that...
1. I wanted to experiment with a dps option rather than a defensive CC build. In this sense, I believe scoring goals win you games more than a goal or none conceded.
2. I don't profess to be some kind of tactical genius, but I like to mess around every once in a while.
First thing I did is to do away with Impossible to Catch because trying to do an executioner spec with that encounter power being slotted reads something like #IMPOSSIBRU for the most obvious reason (read; if you're going executioner, it means you're more likely to dodge 2-3 times in a row depending on the situation and your stamina). Secondly.... well, the aforementioned statement is considered moot since we should be talking about the Aboleth set.
Now the good thing about Aboleth set lies in the 4% damage bonus for the next 10 secs upon proc. Not only that, you'll also get to proc a rng. Either you get 2500 lifesteal bonus (which translates to slightly over 6% bonus lifesteal chance), a damage over time effect (which is the best option for any dps build), or making suicide bombers out of the dead (very good for any hdps build, best for any executioner TR). As such, it goes without saying that Aboleth set is my ideal choice for Myrreas. Or just about any executioner TR or thaumaturge control wizard for that matter.
Add info: Actually, Myrreas is currently only counted as mid-dps level due to a lack of level 140 gear. Once I get that part out of the way, it's possible that using the Seldarine set and a Ring of Vanishing Presence +4 may be nothing more than a moot issue. After all, this combination can easily reduce reliance on dodge while adding a stand-and-fight dimension to the dps.
P.S: I know I may have made the whole post sound a wee bit like some advertisement for feminism. After all, it seems that Cyrea is the mentally/emotionally strongest out of the three listed. Let it be known to every feminist that I do think like a conservative when it comes to certain things. However, this doesn't include endorsing Brock "the slammer is for grown-up idiots instead of 12 yr old idiots fyi" Turner and M.C Babi.
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