Fixing something that went horribly wrong

[Dacovind]

So I guess this needs a background: I just came back to Atlantica like, a week ago. At that point I thought to start anew and do a new char to say so, start on a fresher note and see what new things were happening in the game. Suffice to say, it worked out quite well, but I don't know, there was that feeling in me, something nostalgic appealing to my senses, to come back on familiar grounds.

It wasn't until today that I decided to come back on my lvl67 gunner - the fact that I heard they didn't horribly sucks these days was also a big plus in this decision. Oh, how it would feel great to handle again the char I was most familiar with! Oh, how I would delight with the merc team I amassed eons ago! Surely they must be happy to not feel neg-

Oh god what is this

:malehero::swm::spm:
:arc::art::vik:
:mnk::sha::exo:


...The what of the hell? What is that spearman doing here by his lonesome? Why is my gunner tanking? (Is it because my monk has SoP instead of Protect?) What is this exorcist doing in a PvE build?

So, yeah, I need some help. For now I need to fix this mess and get a competent pve build, though something that could also handle pvp would be very coo too. So far I know an inventor and a janissary are a necessity, though anything else, I'm not sure.

[Fantine]

A competent PvP build may sometimes not be the best PvE build.

Your build is actually... okay for a PvE build.

If you're looking to PvE for quite some time, I'd suggest a formation like this... (And you'd have to bench both your spear and your exorcist)

:swm::vik::bst:
:malehero::witc::art:
:arc::mnk::sha:

Also, don't diss the power of the exorcist. It becomes somewhat useful for awhile in PvE. ;P

Basically you'll just be changing two mercenaries. You'd lose the lack-luster AP drain and gain AoE damage. You'd be a little bit weak in terms of MDEF so you might want to rethink the Viking or put him in the back, but you'd have yourself some firepower.

For PvP... ask someone else for now. I'm still in the process of looking at my own build. (: But definitely, if you want those two guns in your build, they'd be good for PvE -and- PvP.

[Dacovind]

Good to see there's not much to change! Now to get one of those overpriced merc room licence...

Also, since you mentioned AoE power, would it be better to switch the archer with a gunner, or is it best to have at least one merc who can snipe? Saying this since I have a gunner in my merc room.

[Locksley]

1. AP drain is not lackluster when you have two spearmen! like me :P
2. swordie and viking switch places. the viking in middle would take the brute of axe swings, and he's not as durable as swordie. he'll never be.
3. gun main+arty can stun if you are careful with AP management. 1 more gun just makes it easier
4. the below is a suggestion for pvp. it should work early on. but at lvl 100s...AoE starts to fade in power. but still doable.

:vik::bst::exo:
:malehero::witc::art:
:sha::mnk::arc:/:gun:

BT+witch for AoE. stun pressure with ranged mercs. exo to mana seal when necessary. personally, b4 you get your hands on a mount+clothes+lvl 80 main rings, I wouldn't put the main in front for pvp, or risk being spiked to death. I like my exo safe at the back so he can mana seal, and speedcast.

however, that build might be rather squishy in pve and you may struggle to keep the frontline up. trust someone here who's crazy enuff to run a spear-viking-spear frontline. and keep his exo in pve. and swap his cannoneer in front of his main for alcatraz dungeon. but do nicely in pvp.

[Dacovind]

however, that build might be rather squishy in pve and you may struggle to keep the frontline up. trust someone here who's crazy enuff to run a spear-viking-spear frontline. and keep his exo in pve. and swap his cannoneer in front of his main for alcatraz dungeon. but do nicely in pvp.

The other char I ran for a while actually had a spear-viking-spear frontline. Did me quite a bit of good too.

Of course, I didn't PvP nor attain higher than lvl50 with it :(

[Fantine]

Sniping is totally up to you. If you want to finish the battles faster, I say go ahead and get a sniper. Stunning enemies in PvE is a really good way to keep them from attacking you though.

And yes, you could get a second spearman if you'd like that. But in the end, even if you have one opponent left, continuous AP draining on him would still make him move each turn... At least that's what happened in PvE. In PvP, that's a different story of course.

[Locksley]

The other char I ran for a while actually had a spear-viking-spear frontline. Did me quite a bit of good too.

Of course, I didn't PvP nor attain higher than lvl50 with it :(

duh, you're not struggling with that yet cuze u didn't go beyond lvl 50 and didn't pvp with that.

I'm lvl 109 btw. and when bosses do 7k+ dmg to all mercs with AoE, have a normal atk which does 5k dmg, and mobs take out 2k (it gets worse when they decide to multi hit), and enjoy ganking you, and the most you have is 10k hp on your spearman, its a different story. and its a lvl 104 questline involving lvl 115-118 monsters.

@ Fantine -> 1 sniper is not going to make battles faster. wat you need is a "snipe build". snipe builds typically like to have bow main+dark archer, and sometimes prophet. rich ones include a pirate. the purpose is simply to punch a hole in formation, silence healers permanently, and starting shooting mercs to death one at a time.

For daco, he has a gun main, not saying you can't do it, but archer+prophet can help him go the "snipe" route. if that is the case, remove witch and replace with prophet.

[Fantine]

@Locksley: If you read what I said, I was saying it was for PvE, as that was his main concern. ^_^ One archer in PvE can actually help snipe, especially in lower levels. But I do agree; in higher levels he will need a second archer.

[Dacovind]

@Locksley: If you read what I said, I was saying it was for PvE, as that was his main concern. ^_^ One archer in PvE can actually help snipe, especially in lower levels. But I do agree; in higher levels he will need a second archer.

And by then I'll probably have the archer replaced with something else like an inventor. I know sniping isn't exactly what I'm aiming for - I was just asking for a build to survive at least to lvl90, and if one sniper can be good at that level, then so be it. I fully expect my formation to change when I get my hand on mercs like lady knight and janissary.

So apart from that ,thought I'd give an update to how my formation goes: now at lvl72, farming enough money to buy another merc room license so I can get my witch out of it. So far it's been going joyfully - my main is still at the front line when fighting mobs, but that's only because with SoP he's a better tank than anyone else. Expecting to get behind tougher tanks once I get higher lvl. Beast master is a bit squishy, most probably because she's wearing the lvl35 armor my exo had. Apart from that, all good, thanks for the suggestions and all!