Bard pulling science for swarming

[Izmael]

What's the best way to pull, let's say in OT?

I've been playing with swarming a little bit on Blue and used shurikens to pull succulents, cockatrices and sarnaks. The problem is that the range on the shurikens is almost the actual aggro range of the mobs and sometimes they aggro before I get to throw, and sometimes they whack me...

I usually recover easily but still, it's not very pleasant. And doesn't feel all that efficient since I have to run so close to the mob, I literally can plant that shuriken in their bum without throwing.

Am I missing something? I don't want to use songs for pulling since it would probably be even slower and adds a lot of room for error (mistime Selos recast and get owned by the train).

[Videri]

I usually use a snare song to add mobs to a swarm. The range is short, but it's very possible to avoid being hit by the mob (and the rest of the train) as you move onward. You can make sure to hit Selo's right before and after, or squeeze in two Consonant Chain tags before going back to hyperdrive.

[Izmael]

So you twist Selos and Snare every timeyou pull a mob? Sounds tiresome. Oh well, I'll just stick to the shurikens I guess.

[Trollhide]

So you twist Selos and Snare every timeyou pull a mob? Sounds tiresome. Oh well, I'll just stick to the shurikens I guess.
As a lifelong bard main.. maybe the class just isn't for you if twisting 2 songs is tiresome. Just pull with your longest range aggro song.

[Izmael]

When I'm running around in OT looking for mobs, dodging rhinos and tigers and goons, trying to remember where my train is supposed to be at approximatively right now, conning things to avoid pulling useless mobs..


While doing all these things at once, twisting two songs as opposed to just letting Selos run sounds too much for me and I'd like to avoid it if possible.. I love bard as a class but just don't want to do it the hard way when there's an easier way.

[applesauce25r624]

Sounds tiresome

bard is not the class for you

delete your toon

give me your stuff first

[Colgate]

waiting 3 seconds to aggro a mob sucks

throwing items is where it's @

[leFuZz]

Since I'm too cheap to use throwing, I use DD songs. I got good at timing it - I start the cast as I'm entering range, I circle strafe the mob a little to time the DD cast ending right when I'm out of range. Avoiding aggro is the challenge, but it's not too bad.

[Izmael]

waiting 3 seconds to aggro a mob sucks

[Tenlaar]

I love bard as a class but just don't want to do it the hard way when there's an easier way.

Not to specifically call you out or anything, but...this is why most bards don't get past the 40's and most of the ones that do are bad. So very bad.

[Tenlaar]

waiting 3 seconds to aggro a mob sucks


Start the agro song when you're at max range running toward a mob, song lands as you're running past it. Maybe it's not those 3 seconds that sucks...

[Izmael]

Shots fired.

[Izmael]

Not to specifically call you out or anything, but...this is why most bards don't get past the 40's and most of the ones that do are bad. So very bad.

That's ok, I'm not trying to be the best or even a good bard. I'm just playing the game and learning a new class.

[Tingowingo]

Bard's DoTs are some of the longest ranged songs inside the damage-infliction group. They're single, but they're way out of range of mob's aggro radius. Also, yes, play the damn bard. Master all of its intricacies and twist the damn songs. Play intense. It's more worthwhile and fun. From that, you learn to micromanage your twisting to more efficient macros like this for when pulling:

/stopsong
/cast x (DoT)
/pause 33
/stopsong
/cast y (selos)

3 seconds gets lost in the void when you're weaving out of oncoming traffic. Saves hassle from going to town and purchasing stacks of shurikens (I know this pain when leveling my monk) and gets you out on the field more for more fun