Most and Least useful Epic weapons?

[EQBallzz]

All the epic weapons are pretty cool in their own way and I'm sure everyone playing their respective classes would like to have their epic but some epic weapons are so class defining they have no equal or alternative. Cleric epic comes to mind.

There is also the element of epic weapon quest difficulty. The difficulty in obtaining each classes weapon are vastly different so there is also the element of whether the usefulness of the weapon is worth the effort to get it. Mage epic comes to mind.

So with all that being said I have two questions for people:

1) What classes do people think the epic weapon is either so hard it's not worth the effort and/or there is another weapon alternative that makes the effort not worthwhile (aside from the satisfaction of completing it of course)?

2) Which epic weapons do people think are absolutely necessary to perform the class role effectively? (I know some will say it depends if you raid etc..so just assume a casual type of gameplay style with dungeons/grouping being the focus but maybe some light raiding.)

[Baylan295]

1) What classes do people think the epic weapon is either so hard it's not worth the effort and/or there is another weapon alternative that makes the effort not worthwhile (aside from the satisfaction of completing it of course)?

Every epic is worth the effort, but some are more worth it than others. Necro epic is underwhelming considering the effort, and the availability of a better click in VP, but every other epic is a stat bonanza. Mage epic makes people cry because of the Earth Staff, but it's an exceptional item. Bard epic literally changes the way you play the game. Warrior epic gives some of the best agro in the game. Enchanter is a little underwhelming, but has incredible stats. Most epics are BIS or close enough to it that it doesn't matter.

2) Which epic weapons do people think are absolutely necessary to perform the class role effectively? (I know some will say it depends if you raid etc..so just assume a casual type of gameplay style with dungeons/grouping being the focus but maybe some light raiding.)

Cleric epic is the single most important item for the end game. CH is also the single most important spell in the game. It makes everything else possible. Everything else is an afterthought. Warrior is great, bard is great, monk, rogue, shaman, etc. are all great items.

[Cen]

The bard epic is the most godlike epic beyond epicness with a huge gap between it and anything else there is. All bards should be striving to obtain it to completely change how they play the game. The cleric epic and mage epic are next in stupid powerfulness.

Most other epics are pretty damn cool and awesome, minus the druid and necro epics, which are neat toys for little more then masturbation :p

Monk and Rogue epics are so easy to do that everyone will have them.

The Paladin epic probably looks the best ;D Also its sort of the most iconic epic, and is sort of the first one that goes into the game.

[douglas1999]

Shaman epic is cool because you can buy it from some guild and go on a really awkward impersonal raid with a bunch of strangers who are being paid to help you do it.

[Balimon]

Wizard epic has the most thought out effect in my opinion. A free skin spell with a mana regen component is exactly what wizards needed. The only other thing to do would have been a free nuke. I think they were afraid to give wizards a free nuke, but then added a bunch in Velious so who knows /shrug.

The difference in playing a wizard with epic and without is pretty huge. It's also easy to do after the Velious revamp. It has saved me from dying hundreds of times.

Mage epic is the one that bothers me the most. They give the most powerful, class defining pet to a quest that is almost impossible to finish. It should have been a level 60 spell, or added in Velious as a spell and given a different effect. A clicky root nuke or dot would have been appropriate I think.

[Solist]

I mean that’s such an open question, raiding? Soloing? For xp? For farming? For one group content?

For general best, bard hands down. It transforms what the class can do.
Raiding: cleric
Xp: shaman
Farming: shaman

For the most part epics are irrelevant except cleric. Now you can offhand the red blade the war epic is nice if VP and NTOv is out of reach. It’s a nice high HP reasonable aggro offhand, and BIS dps offhand with blue blade. It’s a dogshit mainhand compared to feverblade though.

[Zelbor]

Mage epic is the one that bothers me the most. They give the most powerful, class defining pet to a quest that is almost impossible to finish. It should have been a level 60 spell, or added in Velious as a spell and given a different effect. A clicky root nuke or dot would have been appropriate I think.

The mage epic quest destroyed my desire to play my mage back in Classic. I had to farm burning embers for something like 53 hours before they finally dropped, and then I killed Innoruuk and, later when it moved, the Magi more than 20 times combined without ever seeing a staff drop. It was just so goddamn frustrating knowing that my class-defining ability was impossible for me to obtain that I couldn't enjoy the character anymore. I ended up sinking all my savings into a shaman twink and discovering that I liked that class more anyway.

[RipVanFish]

Why is Bard so good? How does it change the way you play?

[Tecmos Deception]

Why is Bard so good? How does it change the way you play?

It procs a haste so you don't sing haste anymore. It acts as an instrument while also being a weapon so you can melee without having no modifier for your songs. It modifies songs that normal instruments can't modify ("singing" songs). Besides the amazing stats.

[Evia]

Why is Bard so good? How does it change the way you play?

No more need to instrument swap I'm pretty sure? Since epic acts as a instrument modifier and weapon. As a rogue grouping with epic bards, i love when the weapon procs and you and every other melee swing like wild madmen for a handful of seconds.

[Balimon]

The mage epic quest destroyed my desire to play my mage back in Classic. I had to farm burning embers for something like 53 hours before they finally dropped, and then I killed Innoruuk and, later when it moved, the Magi more than 20 times combined without ever seeing a staff drop. It was just so goddamn frustrating knowing that my class-defining ability was impossible for me to obtain that I couldn't enjoy the character anymore. I ended up sinking all my savings into a shaman twink and discovering that I liked that class more anyway.

Yeah I totally get it, when I play my mage I just know I'll never get the epic, and I'm fine with that. I was fortunate to find out how bad it was before I put in time like you did.

[enjchanter]

1) mage / warrior
2) cleric / rogue

[Cen]

The bard epic acting as every insturment is what makes it godlike. You don't need to swap and can fight while doing all actions, when previously your whole life you had to switch from Defensive spells + melee or offensive with instrument vs defensive with instrument. With the epic, you can just roll with whatever, and can always be adding your melee DPS where it wouldn't be allowed before.

[mcoy]

Being able to just rez everyone without having to med is huge for me. Otherwise rezzing a full group means 20+ minutes of medding. When I'm running around and hitting up places like Unrest and Mistmoore and other zones that frequently have a minefield of clickable corpses - those are the times I appreciate my epic the most. Thank you once again to all those that made it possible for me to have mine on Blue!

-Mcoy

[Canelek]

Coolest looking yet most useless is SK epic. I mean, it is fine and all, but not really worth the pain in the ass to acquire.

Bard, cleric, mage are best.

[Tilien]

Cleric epic is the weakest grouping epic, providing nearly 0 utility to most groups and 0 unique abilities.

Cleric epic is the strongest raid epic, with the ability to camp a rez stick and log back when wipe is over and get the raid moving again.

[Scoojitsu]

The mage epic quest destroyed my desire to play my mage back in Classic. I had to farm burning embers for something like 53 hours before they finally dropped, and then I killed Innoruuk and, later when it moved, the Magi more than 20 times combined without ever seeing a staff drop. It was just so goddamn frustrating knowing that my class-defining ability was impossible for me to obtain that I couldn't enjoy the character anymore. I ended up sinking all my savings into a shaman twink and discovering that I liked that class more anyway.

In my opinion what's class defining for a mage is being able to choose the best pet for a given situation out of 4 very cool choices. Each with their pros and cons.
The epic takes this feature from the mage and you'll be using the epic pet exclusively.
That being said, the quest is too damn hard. Such bottle necks shouldn't exist in quests. Also they should have given the mage epic another clicky. Not sure what tho.

[DMN]

In my opinion what's class defining for a mage is being able to choose the best pet for a given situation out of 4 very cool choices. Each with their pros and cons.
The epic takes this feature from the mage and you'll be using the epic pet exclusively.
That being said, the quest is too damn hard. Such bottle necks shouldn't exist in quests. Also they should have given the mage epic another clicky. Not sure what tho.

Does it actually out dps the water pet backstabbing?

[zanderklocke]

Here’s a non-classic question.

Which class epic carries into the latest expansion without getting replaced by something else prior to epic 2.0’s.

I’m guessing bard and cleric?

[EQBallzz]

Here’s a non-classic question.

Which class epic carries into the latest expansion without getting replaced by something else prior to epic 2.0’s.

I’m guessing bard and cleric?

Druid. No other leaf blower in game.

[branamil]

Cleric epic is more useful than all other epics combined. Think of it as "summon level 60 raider from any zone" with no reagent. It is the item that made killing Kerafyrm possible.

[Jimjam]

Worst are the ranger epics because a ranger is required to hold them.

[RipVanFish]

Worst are the ranger epics because a ranger is required to hold them.

Hahaha savage.

[Ligma]

Does it actually out dps the water pet backstabbing?

Easily, and I believe the proc rate here is too low. On live the epic pet would do the 143 damage proc basically every round. Although there is the benefit of having the upgraded epic since original epic hit for 66, it was upgraded to 81 in luclin since mages didn't get a new pet for a long time at that point.

Epic pet did more damage than the PoP pets if the proc landed.

[RipVanFish]

Easily, and I believe the proc rate here is too low. On live the epic pet would do the 143 damage proc basically every round. Although there is the benefit of having the upgraded epic since original epic hit for 66, it was upgraded to 81 in luclin since mages didn't get a new pet for a long time at that point.

Epic pet did more damage than the PoP pets if the proc landed.

I was told water pet out damages the epic pet. I hate how much contradictory information floats around on this game even after 20 years of it being out haha.

Not a statement against you or anything, I just want the correct answer to stuff and it so often seems like people can’t agree on it around here.

[Solist]

Water pet does more damage from behind on High AC targets, as backstab on the pet does not get mitigated by mob AC at all. Hit distribution is hell interesting on water pets and raid mobs. Shits on epic for dps.

Low AC mobs the epic pets pretty equal. From front epic is best all situations.

[Ligma]

Proc rate is too low here. It was seriously like 50% proc rate on live. Even the PoP water pet didn't out damage epic when procs were landing.

[Dreenk317]

Why is Bard so good? How does it change the way you play?

Bard epic is hands down the most game changing epic, for its class.
An epic bard can keep the effects of 6-7 songs up with the proc and breath of harmony clicky.
It acts as every instrument type with a modifier of 1.8 iirc, and this also includes singing. It's the only item in the game that mods singing based songs.

When a bard gets there epic, they go from just sitting on the sidelines and instrument swapping to being the best, most useful melee class you could ever hope for in your group.

[Kaedain]

Bard epic is pretty sweet looking too, which after all is almost more important then actually being good.. second the shadowknight epic being the coolest looking