It's not over 100 extra AC, it maxes at 42. Also, there has been strong speculation and evidence to suggest that this bonus AC was always bugged or not working optimally, being worth less than normal AC in some way. Whatever the case, it's a fairly minor amount, especially on a non-tank who doesn't benefit from it in every aspect of gameplay. I don't see how you could possibly claim that this small amount of bonus AC makes iksar better than ogre, the latter having probably the most powerful racial ability in the game, and with iksar being unable to wear a number of items, one of which is among the most valuable shaman items in the game at that time.

You're hilariously wrong. It makes it a bit easier - it doesn't come remotely close to tipping the scales from impossible to possible.

Also, unless you worded that oddly, you seem to believe that only ogre shamans have the ability to move back to where they were after a knockback to channel spells? Wrong again.

Actually that's possible for anyone. If you begin and finish casting at the exact same /loc, the spell succesfully resolves even if you moved during the cast. It's almost impossible to do in any kind of ordinary environment, but try standing in a corner and begin casting, then run forward and back into the corner before it's finished. There's pretty much no way anyone could do that with any degree of consistency when getting knocked around in actual combat, of course, and either way it has nothing to do with being an ogre. Trying to counter melee push by moving will just get your spells interrupted for sure.

It is, I had three different race shaman up to level 50+ on Live classic (1999-2000). The Iksar had equivalent level armor (most from kunark (seb armor, cant really remember but it had high AC and iksar could wear) and plane of hate iksar only armor). By the time I was level 53 or so my iksar had over 100 extra total AC...for example my troll had 950 AC and my Iksar had 1050 AC. This isn't raw AC it's total. If played right, that 100 extra AC becomes important. It essentially creates more mana for the iksar as he takes less damage and therefore needs to be healed less often than an ogre, troll, or barb.

I would like to add in that it would be a good debate to see who is the second best shaman: iksar or ogre. It's extremely close, and although I did say iksar earlier I can understand how some will say ogre being the second best shaman (the JBB = free damage).

My ogre doesn't have to move at all, even while being hit, to channel spells. I've never been interrupted by a mob. I haven't been hit by pushback or stun spells while casting yet though, so maybe those affect it...

But I know that my troll characters are interrupted by puny 1 dmg hits and such, although they definitely channel better than pure caster types.

I'd like to point out that Reiker, or whatever his name is, posted a nice analysis of JBBs a while ago that basically successfully makes the argument that it's often more efficient to spend mana to do damage and then to cannibalize than to use a JBB. He was essentially saying that the item, while useful, is not quite as much of a godsend as people think, particularly as you get higher level. If anyone could dig up the post and post a link here, that would be cool.

I am just wondering as the server goes on and grows, am I going to be one of 50 million shaman competing for a group.

I have never played a shaman and so wanted to try it out for group and solo ability, but after doing some /who all I am starting to think grouping may be a lot more difficult than I imagined.

Not to mention skillups in dodge, etc. DOT/meleeing blues lets you keep these skills close to max and helps out later on IMHO...

Regards,
Mg

I don't care what is considered the BEST....when Kunark comes out, i WILL be playing an Ikky Shaman. Just want I want to.

I love playing a barb shammy. Fearghus is only level13 (maybe 14?) but I've had a blast. I plan on leveling him all the way up. I'm not a min-maxer, though I do want to be as bad ass as I can be.

I like helping people. I like buffing noobs, PLing guildies, assisting folks in transfers and that kinda thing. I also like the crafting and trading game and making plat. So for me playing a barb makes doing the things I like doing a bit easier. Having access to the good cities for their banks, merchants and crafting stations is really nice. I know I could do all of this as an evil character, but it is so much easier to run to Freeport for items or cash in the bank then it is to run to Neriak.

Come POK, shared banking and the bazaar, this point is pretty much moot, but as it is now playing a barb is much more enjoyable for me then any other race.