Basic and lame, just how we like it.

[nothingxs]

:lak::exo::swm:
:spm::malehero::spm:
:pro::ora::mnk:

This is what I plan to run at 95. Right now there's a second swordsman instead of a Lady Knight.

Discuss how lame and awesome this build is.

(PS. The second swordsman gets ditched for :spt: at 100 once they're available. Maybe a Spearman gets chucked for :pra: later, too.)

[aphrodite]

ugh, exo @ front...exo aren't that good of a tank
they're 1 of the top priorities to b killed or disabled, up there w/ monk/oracle
atleast for me
thats the only big thing that i can see

[nothingxs]

At level 97 with Conqueror's Equipment and Guardian Stones, Exorcists are like slightly worse Swordsmen. They excel in the front line then.

[Kiena]

Until higher levels, I'd move your exorcist to one of the sides instead of in front of your main. I'd suggest the left side, personally. Like aphrodite said, people aim for exorcists a lot and if he does fall, it'd be better if he was on the side than right in front of you. Otherwise, looks like a solid melee build - how do you do in PVE versus flyers?

[Locksley]

I do have a *ahem* eerily similar build (a some differences of course), and i count on skills to pve flyers. I do fine, except flyers really do annoy me at times.

sometimes, I really do wonder how I survive against 2-party all flying keyshas. The people I party with usually are very surprised at my frontline. They're like O.o how'd you survive w/o a swordie or a single ranged unit.

:bst::exo::witc:
:spm::spm::spm:
:sha::malehero::mnk:

Axe main too. have yet to figure out where to put prophet, I know i want her. Once I get prophet to a decent level, I might make a return to FL once I'm done tweaking my build.

[Balathorn]

I'm pretty much missing the reason why you have that sword there since he's not your main. You have a Prophet with (probably) maxed concentration, abuse that and use a BT.

[Flexor]

ugh, exo @ front...exo aren't that good of a tank
they're 1 of the top priorities to b killed or disabled, up there w/ monk/oracle
atleast for me
thats the only big thing that i can see

give them guardian and they are good to go

[meloku2]

Exo tank that is awesomenessss but guardian stone go down too fast and too expansive.

[LostCause]

Exo at high lv can tank pretty well but i would still move him to the side and never as a merc right in front of your main. Most ppl that see your formation would just aim at exo cuz of his buff/debuff and is probably the easier one to kill of the 3 front liner. Y give them more of a reason to aim at exo to kill him, dmg your main and hopefully take out your main sooner then later.

[LtKillroy]

Hmm, tis seems like something similar to what I would run. Whoever says the cookie-cutter isn't the cookie-cutter for a reason is a liar. Really quite solid.

[nothingxs]

Re: Balathorn

Because leveling up a D rank mercenary that will eventually get replaced by a Spartan is easier than leveling up a C rank mercenary.

[Balathorn]

Re: Balathorn

Because leveling up a D rank mercenary that will eventually get replaced by a Spartan is easier than leveling up a C rank mercenary.

Fair enough, valid reason :D

[Plum]

its a good build np np....like others i find the exo at the front to be a little shifty.the other 2 chars use shields and if exo 'can tank pretty well' they can tank EVEN better.


but if u wanna go seal-freeze-will then i guess exo is good at the front.id prefer swordies for a straightforward will build cuz of flame sword immunity.

[olmec]

So if all builds come down to something like this, or perhaps gunners instead of spears - where does the strategy come in? Moving your people around creatively? Lucky crits? Choosing which column to focus your stuns?

I'm a week into this game, and enthralled by the notion of a pvp turn based MMO. But from what I'm reading there's still a lot of balance issues regarding mains and merc, so that the only viable competitive builds are very similar, and choices for competitive mains even tighter. For a game that boasts strategy - that's not too good.:confused:

In my mind there should be at least 4-5 SOLID working theme builds that, if played right, could be fun and competitive in PvP. Builds along the lines of archetypical melee based, magic based, multi dmg/AoE, healing/high HP survival based, etc etc. I want mind games and quick thinking, not "he has 2 spears instead of 3?!? CRAZINESS!"

[Balathorn]

stuff

Would you call starcraft as not being a strategy game because every professional player rushes? Or because every protoss/terran/zerg player has roughly the same openings?

[LtKillroy]

@ olmec.
Because, if one strategy is even .00000000000000000000000000000000000001% better than another stategy, everyone will use it because it is better. True, real balance is near impossible. Unless you get into rock-paper-scissors balance, but that starts to turn into the luck of the draw with who you fight.

[Zpirit]

For a game that boasts strategy - that's not too good.:confused:

The only thing that holds people back at the moment are levels and gear, not strategies.

There's a lot of combination to try, pick your poison.

As for the similar end game lineups, the same applies to ANY game in the history of mankind.

For example, when they invented longer tennis rackets, all the pros switched over since it allowed them to serve faster and reach further.

Whatever is the latest finding that gives you the biggest advantage, the competitive players WILL switch to it (unless they can find a counter to that).

[synd]

ah yes. the current melee cookie cutter build. i'm not that experienced in pvp yet, but how do you fare against equally equipped gunner builds (janis, inventor)

and DoT AoE pressure builds with scroll sniping capabilities?