help me roll a new SK - suggestions?

[toxic8]

help me roll a new toon.. tired of my pure caster!

thinking an ogre SK. on one side I wanna be big and dumb as possible, the no stun from front think and STR/STA stats make it seem a no brainer. prolly be shitty in dunjuns though, and nowhere as leet looking as a DE, which IMHO fits the SK perfectly.

decisions decisions ... such is life .. I got him a poison wind censer so far, a 7str/int necklace, and a werewolf hide cloak.

I believe that procs at 50?? I also read somewhere the censer damages yourself, is this true? what ya guys think of this wep as a twink weapon (I'd be starting at level 1)

Anyway I'm not terribly rich but I do currently have an offer for 46k for my toon so I might come into some money.. any quest suggestions & twink/items I should pick upwould be appreciated.. maybe a medium range pick and a high range pick for items would be cool. I'm not shopping for CoFs or anything.

[Doors]

Grab a dark reaver for like 100-200 and go dark elf with full darkforge. Looks sick imo.

[Slave]

Dark Elf SK has a large mana pool for keeping aggro, and can inherently use Ring of the Dead on P99 no matter what else the developers do to it.

[toxic8]

oh yeah I forgot to ask: I really don't know which stats to dump my points into.. I figured STR/STA was key and INT would take a backseat.

So let's say I go DE VS Ogre, dump em into what?

[toxic8]

btw

http://common.allakhazam.com/images/0/0/009fe114fd4012a4dd1329a5b4389882.png

[Taryth]

All wave spells can hit PCs, so yes, that proc has a good chance of hitting you if you're not fighting 4+ mobs, and standing in just the right spot.

Mace of the Shadowed Soul (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=2664) is more appropriate, imo.

[toxic8]

All wave spells can hit PCs, so yes, that proc has a good chance of hitting you if you're not fighting 4+ mobs, and standing in just the right spot.

Mace of the Shadowed Soul (http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=2664) is more appropriate, imo.

yes but I think for a cheap twink weapon it will do fine till 50. ratio seems awesome..

[Doors]

Probably go all points into stam, maybe 5 into str.

[Malkav]

if you go ogre or troll dump all points into int, make sure you have above 75 agility though imo. dark elfs, erudites and humans you should spread your points around to where you atleast have 75 or more in str, stamina, dex and agility. if you're a weaker race and cant afford expensive equipment start off with banded till you build up your str to where you can carry heavier equipment.

[Slave]

I heard someone say that Iksar SKs have the most damage mitigation of any class except a Defensive warrior in Velious. Buuut that sounds a little outre considering their lack of ability to wear most plate. I would say that Ogre is easily the most powerful of all SKs for pure melee work but they have a large exp penalty to level and can start to flag compared to a superb DE generating massive aggro in an exp group or just finishing off mobs solo via much more mana.

And they look VERY cool.

[loopholbrook]

You may want to use a Dark Elf since they have more intelligence and you're used to playing a caster. All and all, it doesn't really matter the race. Go with what looks appealing to you. Every race is balanced for the most part.

Also, all the stats into stamina, if you have any left dump it in int.

[toxic8]

thanks guys. I'm gonna go with DE I think .. it wouldnt be right otherwise. Will dump into STA.

How bout obvious SK gear? 5/55 rings and im working on all the darkforge I can - is there anything easy to obtain i shouldnt miss?

[Slave]

7/7 int/str necklace for around 350p is a great buy for this class.

[aresprophet]

SSB (better than DF helm)
7str/7int neck
Dark Mail Gaunts
Crested Spaulders
Hero Bracer

Cheap and good twink items.

[Doors]

Still recommending dark reaver. I've got a mithril two handed sword I would sell. It's a solid two hander for SK's since you can generate insane aggro from disease cloud/other spells. If you want bargin basement though dark reaver is your best value.

[aresprophet]

Still recommending dark reaver. I've got a mithril two handed sword I would sell. It's a solid two hander for SK's since you can generate insane aggro from disease cloud/other spells. If you want bargin basement though dark reaver is your best value.

His Poison Wind Censer (20/28) is better than even a Mith 2H, and by 50 you can look at a Green Jade Halberd or something more spiffy (like a Jade Inlaid Crescent Axe).

Do pick up a reasonably fast 2HS weapon (Nathsar Greatswords should be dirt cheap) to keep the skill up. There aren't many good 2HB SK weapons and having alternative skills in case you get a deal on something is never a bad idea. Keep 1HS and 1HB up too, Ebon Mace/Noc Blade + Atra Shield is one of the best endgame weapon combos.

Dark Reaver is by now a novelty weapon. Nathsar Greatsword or Blade of Xalgoz are better and both are common as hell thanks to HS key and Seb Crypt farming.

[hdawg06]

if you go ogre or troll dump all points into int, make sure you have above 75 agility though imo. dark elfs, erudites and humans you should spread your points around to where you atleast have 75 or more in str, stamina, dex and agility. if you're a weaker race and cant afford expensive equipment start off with banded till you build up your str to where you can carry heavier equipment.

If you are going to play this guy high, then you should have no trouble maxxing out str/sta come velious(probably possible with current gear). I would dump at least 10points in int.

[Troy]

The Censer is like the 2nd best weapon in the game for levels 10-19. RFS is better but monk only, Wu's Quivering Staff is equivalent but without the 5 STR and also monk only. I can't think of a better twink weapon to get to level 20 at least. Then think about something like a Green Jade Halberd or the SK 30 40 2hb (Deathbringer's Rod?) starting at 20.

[Swish]

I would say that Ogre is easily the most powerful of all SKs for pure melee work but they have a large exp penalty to level and can start to flag compared to a superb DE generating massive aggro in an exp group or just finishing off mobs solo via much more mana.

And they look VERY cool.

Definitely not, with an int of 77 I can hold down chain pulls almost indefinitely (or have done up to Lvl 40 at least). Sure, I could have rolled a DE and had a massive mana pool, but a troll's innate strength (as with an ogre) gives more melee dps.

I think the "go INT" argument on a SK only really applies if you want to solo, disease cloud (your aggro spell) is 10 mana - barely a dent in even a big race's mana pool :)

An aside, healers prefer the big races for tanks... in a crisis they have more stamina/HP.

Well, that's my case for the big guy anyway :D

[Hithrohir]

If you choose any race but ogre or troll, definitely consider using a one-handed weapon. Mace of the Shadowed Soul is probably the most affordable of the really good ones, then comes Noctavigant Blade, and then Ebon Mace for the rich. There's also that Shard of Night one if it drops yet, but I wouldn't expect to see one for sale really, plus it looks like a plain little dagger and isn't very intimidating.

Those one-handed weapons are fully on par with two-handers for damage, especially when you consider the increased bash damage from using a shield. Without bash, you'll have no way of interrupting spells and you will get raped by caster mobs. The added AC and stats from a shield are also nice on a tank. I always felt kind of naked playing a melee class with no mashable attack button, and while a darkelf with a two-hander isn't doomed, I'd say you're even better off with something like a MoSS and a Sarnak Battle Shield.

[toxic8]

sweet.. really good advice thank you everyone. compelling arguments for big race as well as DE.. I will have to see which one I go with (been playing DE exclusively since live)

Def like the brute power of the ogre SK .. but it *will* be a bitch not to have slam at least, not to mention -50str/sta off the bat..

other great tips - I didn't think to get alternate weapons (duh) to keep my other skills up, and also the shield consideration is gold ..

at least I got a good weapon, that's half the battle :]