Iksar Shadowknight
 

I have browse the forums to find information on starting a Iksar Shadow Knight and so far this is what I came up with:

Pros:

Sex Appeal
AC Bonus

Cons:

No Slam
Highest XP Penalty
Limited Gear Choices Untill Velious

I would like to be a Iksar and with this list am still thinking of choosing them. Anyone have anything to add why I should? I would choose Ogre or Troll but I can't stand to look at them now since I am forced to look at the helm graphic. I know that is a petty reason but I really can't!

I was told Sebilite gear may be what I am after as a Iksar to start with. Will I have a super hard time tanking? In Velious does the gear flow like wine? Thanks!

You won't have a "super hard" time, but Ogres are better.

if you will end up not liking your character or secretly wishing you had picked a certain race, go with what you know you will never regret.

iksar.

oh, and in velious the gear is readily available without race restrictions on all the top end gear.

My guess is by Velious with decent gear even a non-Iksar is going to soft cap AC and be focusing on HP's. Ikky's have human'ish stats with regen; you have the same penalty as Trolls.

The main boon to me is regen and normal size. Being big is annoying sometimes, even when you can go skelly. Main flaw is the exp penalty.

A few hundred mana here, a few hundred hps there, regen vs slam immunity, slam vs nothing. The game will be fun regardless.

Just think once Velious comes out, you can get the Greenmist :P http://wiki.project1999.org/Greenmist

As someone who's used math to analyze EQ incessantly, ogres are no match for iksar. They are 100% the best sk race come Velious, assuming they code race ac the same as live. Bash immunity is nothing vs taking less damage and perma regen.

Frankly, having what amounts to a second epic weapon makes iksar the best race for everything.

Except warriors, because... NOT CLASSIC.

Iksar SKs don't tank so well compared to their SK counterparts 50+ ...sure it'll change in Velious. Maybe the idea is to get an iksar SK to 50 and take it from there when Velious hits.

The hybrid road is labor intensive though, you'll hit the 40s and feel like your XP bar is broken. If you can enjoy the slowdown and find a regular group/duo/trio then you'll be fine :)

If you can't stand ogre/troll looks and still want good gear there are 2 alternatives to iksar.
1) Human. Why not. At least no xp penalty here.
2) Erudite. Sure, you will have the worst stats. But some take that as a challenge :o).