Returning Player - Questions about class selection/solo options

[serjordanmormont]

I'm not a new player but haven't really played in about 6 months and am looking to make a return to Norrath now that I have a bit more time to play.

I don't want to exclusively solo cause the game is obviously more fun in groups, but there are times where I only have a bit of time to jump on and getting a group isn't super worth it.

I've been debating a wizard, magician, or ranger so that I have the option to solo when I don't have a ton of time to play. How well do you think those classes would work for solo? Are they wanted in groups too? Is there another class that may work better for what I'm looking for?

Any help is appreciated.

[Pyrion]

Wizard is the group pariah, stay away from it if you want to group a lot. The reason: Wizard is supposed to be a DPS class, but since all the DPS is coming directly from mana, the wizards sustained DPS is not great. Mix in the fact tha basically all melees are twinked. If you play wizard you will solo a lot (higher level wizards are pretty good at it with quadding). Wizards do have a role in raids, so end game is not hopeless.

Magician is still a nice DPS class, can fill DPS role in groups and can solo pretty well. It's not super wanted in groups due to the unflexibility of the class, but better than wizard by far.

Ranger is a mixed bag. Can tank in earlier levels, does pretty nice (although not amazing) DPS and can solo decently with snare and panic animal. Gets group invites (but isn't a core group class) and is needed for tracking.

The best solo/group class is enchanter. Soloes amazingly well (but soloing is risky) and is very valuable in groups. There is a good amount of enchanters around though.

Bard is another great solo/group class. Bards can do pretty much everything.

Another nice class is necro. Although most people think of it as a solo class, necros can do amazing things in groups if they stop using their solo tactics.

[Subidoo]

Don't forget shaman, they can solo pretty well and are useful in groups.

[serjordanmormont]

Thanks for the feedback Pyrion & Subidoo. I'll stay away from Wizard. Not much interest in enchanter or bard.

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by core group class? Well less what do you mean, and more what classes would be included. I'm assuming Warrior/Cleric/Enchanter?

I'll also look a little harder at Ranger, Magician and Shaman.

[Serowin]

I know its unorthodox but I love to solo on my warrior. I just solo'd all of 38 in the overthere using a combination of bow kiting and zerking.
You need to twink out a bit but nothing beats it.

[Subidoo]

Enchanter, cleric and rogue are loved by all in groups. The only one out of those three that can solo anytime they want would be the ench, a shaman is a versatile class they get slow, haste, a pet at mid lvls, they heal and at lower levels can solo tank with their slows.

[Amyas]

Necro is very underrated in groups

[eqravenprince]

Wizard - a wizard's best group attribute is porting. You can form a pick up group relatively quickly and go to remote locations. A lot of group dependent classes like Warriors and Rogue will love you even though you are a leech on their experience once you get to where you are going. They will be happy to fighting and not sitting LFG, and a lot are super happy to be going somewhere remote and under utilized.

Magician - good soloer and good group. Great class for casual players.

Ranger - If you like outdoor zones, then they are a great choice. I love having a Ranger as a puller in outdoor zones. If they are top notch, they will have the next mob to the group the moment the previous mob drops. If not, they can take a hit or two, root it, snare it. Obviously tracking is very handy depending on what your group is capable of taking down (reds, yellows, white, or only blues).

Sounds like you like damage, so my advice on other classes would be Monk, Necro. Both can solo, both will serve as DPS in a group.

[Lhancelot]

Mage, shaman, necro, enchanter are all very effective group members as well as soloists.

[serjordanmormont]

I know its unorthodox but I love to solo on my warrior. I just solo'd all of 38 in the overthere using a combination of bow kiting and zerking.
You need to twink out a bit but nothing beats it.

I didn't realize warriors could solo. What do you do, BW to reduce downtime and take one mob at a time?

How is tanking in groups? I heard Warriors have a hard time with that until higher levels.

[serjordanmormont]

Enchanter, cleric and rogue are loved by all in groups. The only one out of those three that can solo anytime they want would be the ench, a shaman is a versatile class they get slow, haste, a pet at mid lvls, they heal and at lower levels can solo tank with their slows.

Shaman sounds intriguing. Are they difficult to play?

[serjordanmormont]

Necro is very underrated in groups

I don't really like Iksars much and everybody says if you're going necro and not going iksar it's not worth it. Any thoughts on that?

[serjordanmormont]

Wizard - a wizard's best group attribute is porting. You can form a pick up group relatively quickly and go to remote locations. A lot of group dependent classes like Warriors and Rogue will love you even though you are a leech on their experience once you get to where you are going. They will be happy to fighting and not sitting LFG, and a lot are super happy to be going somewhere remote and under utilized.

Magician - good soloer and good group. Great class for casual players.

Ranger - If you like outdoor zones, then they are a great choice. I love having a Ranger as a puller in outdoor zones. If they are top notch, they will have the next mob to the group the moment the previous mob drops. If not, they can take a hit or two, root it, snare it. Obviously tracking is very handy depending on what your group is capable of taking down (reds, yellows, white, or only blues).

Sounds like you like damage, so my advice on other classes would be Monk, Necro. Both can solo, both will serve as DPS in a group.

Thanks for the breakdowns of the three classes. Looks like Magician and Ranger are more my speed. You're right, I like damage :D

[serjordanmormont]

Mage, shaman, necro, enchanter are all very effective group members as well as soloists.

Hmm mage and shaman keep coming up. Any idea at what level you get a good feel for the classes? Perhaps I should make one of each and see how it goes?

[Mirakk82]

I don't really like Iksars much and everybody says if you're going necro and not going iksar it's not worth it. Any thoughts on that?


I played a DE Necro extensively on live, and an Iksar here. Honestly the 20% xp penalty is a real drag. Play what you want to play. Gnomes have great stats too.

[jolanar]

Hmm mage and shaman keep coming up. Any idea at what level you get a good feel for the classes? Perhaps I should make one of each and see how it goes?

Downside to Shaman is it really does take 34 levels to unlock their potential and really get a feel for what it's like. Tbh they kind aren't all that great at lower levels.

Mage you can basically tell what the class will be like starting at level 4.

[Pyrion]

Shaman is becoming pretty powerfull late game but in order get all out of it you need a crap load of money. Mages are pretty easy, but the mage epic is very hard to get. It seems to be a really great epic though.

[eqravenprince]

I don't really like Iksars much and everybody says if
you're going necro and not going iksar it's not worth it. Any thoughts on that?

Non Iksar Necros
Level faster
Some races allow for easier travel (gnome and human)

Iksar Necros
Slightly less downtime

Unless you are hardcore min maxer, you are just splitting hairs. The health lost from the lich line of spells can be easily made up with a single lifetap. Or you could get regen buff/potions and be better than Iksar since the regen works while standing.

[eqravenprince]

Hmm mage and shaman keep coming up. Any idea at what level you get a good feel for the classes? Perhaps I should make one of each and see how it goes?

Played both to level 20. While I enjoy both, Magician is WAY easier 1-20 in my experience. I like the wide variety of spells a Shaman has.

[Panicsferd]

Non Iksar Necros
Level faster
Some races allow for easier travel (gnome and human)

Iksar Necros
Slightly less downtime

Unless you are hardcore min maxer, you are just splitting hairs. The health lost from the lich line of spells can be easily made up with a single lifetap. Or you could get regen buff/potions and be better than Iksar since the regen works while standing.

I made an Iksar Necro myself when I first joined like 2 and a half months ago and I mainly did that since I wasn't a necro or iksar on live before.

I am now 55 and that innate regen is a godsend, since I noticed myself I can kill a good 2 mobs before I need to use my leach spell on the third to regain my health back from what was lost.

Also and because of the less need for using lifetaps to get my health back as an iksar it can save me mana for a dot or something and what even works wonders is as an iksar getting a regen buff to stack with my iksar regen.

I can't wait till im 56 since then I will only lose like 4hp a tick in lich mode while sitting.

Also like others have stated a necro from what I noticed isn't that priority on groups (it is good for end game though, because of our twitching abilities, or in I guess groups where we can charm undead?) so a necro is mainly a solo class but maybe sometimes you can get in groups?

I think like you I am maybe thinking of when I make an alt myself that I will chose a class that might be more group reliant, but then possibly can solo on the side?

Edit: also for me the xp penalty didn't really factor that much into it I guess, and so far for playing less then 3 months on here and I think I am doing good to have a 55 already, and I never gotten this high before so I figure I am doing pretty good.

[eqravenprince]

I made an Iksar Necro myself

...

I think I am doing good to have a 55 already, and I never gotten this high before so I figure I am doing pretty good.

That is impressive. How much /time have you put into your Necro? Any powerleveling at all? How much do you solo vs group?

[Panicsferd]

That is impressive. How much /time have you put into your Necro? Any powerleveling at all? How much do you solo vs group?

No powerleveling involved, this was mainly soloing here is what I did on my way to 55, I'm not on my necro now so couldn't give a /time.

levels 1-12: soloing in FOB, I think maybe 10-12 I may have grouped in the pit?

levels 12-20: Kurns soloing for like 12-15/16 then from 16-20 I grouped, since was hard soloing the upper areas.

20-23/24: Grouped in Unrest.

24-29/30: fear kited forest giants in Warslik Woods.

30-33: did HHK goblins, was grouped there it was slow.

33-34: did gnolls in Karana, near Paw.

34-37: fear kited/root rotted mountain giants in Frontier Mountains.

37-38: tried OT fear kiting, didn't care for it.

38-40: Did Oasis Spectres, undead fear kite with pet.

40-41: Did OT again, then turned in berserker braids (in skel form)

41-44: grouped in CoM.

44-51: Did Bloodgills, fear kiting.

51-52: Root rotted Felwithe Guards

52-55: Root rotted Nobles in HHK.

55+: Tried HS, grouped in Karnors and still debating where I want to go.

But as you can see I mainly did it mostly soloing except for in a few areas where I had grouped with people. So on my necro most of my time was soloing leveling except in the few rare cases where I was grouped with people in certain dungeon areas that were pact and I guess hard to solo: like in kurns/unrest or others.

[eqravenprince]

No powerleveling involved, this was mainly soloing here is what I did on my way to 55, I'm not on my necro now so couldn't give a /time.


Still impressive, I know I couldn't make 55 in 3 months. I played in a premade group almost exclusively in dungeons for 7 months and made level 40. Granted it was only 2 nights a week for 2 hours each night.

[Spyder73]

Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by core group class? Well less what do you mean, and more what classes would be included. I'm assuming Warrior/Cleric/Enchanter?

The prototypical min/max group would be -Warrior/Cleric/Rogue/Monk/Enchanter/Shaman - SK/Pally can fill in for War with no issue in group content. Maybe sub out the shaman for a second Rogue but shamans have a role as slower.

Anything outside this paradigm will find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to higher level grouping.

Druid/Wizard/Bard/Mage/Necro/Ranger are all fun classes that can bring great value, but they are definitely not "core" in the sense that they are optional....where as lots of times the other classes are not optional or are more efficient. For example, a Necromancer could fill the DPS role for a rogue and the group would be fine, but it would not be quite as fast - so any rog will probably get the invite over the necro.

[jolanar]

The prototypical min/max group would be -Warrior/Cleric/Rogue/Monk/Enchanter/Shaman - SK/Pally can fill in for War with no issue in group content. Maybe sub out the shaman for a second Rogue but shamans have a role as slower.

Anything outside this paradigm will find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to higher level grouping.

Druid/Wizard/Bard/Mage/Necro/Ranger are all fun classes that can bring great value, but they are definitely not "core" in the sense that they are optional....where as lots of times the other classes are not optional or are more efficient. For example, a Necromancer could fill the DPS role for a rogue and the group would be fine, but it would not be quite as fast - so any rog will probably get the invite over the necro.


That's just like, your opinion, man. The real answer to the min/max group is "it depends."

As long as you aren't playing a wizard you'll probably be fine.