Quote:
Originally Posted by demokatt
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
How does the pet help? SK pets usually die in a few hits from a red mob? All classes can get a sow and use bow, I dont get why SK is better?
|
SK pet is more like a nice constant DOT on the mob as you run around archering.
Well, not all classes can use a bow.
Ranger (very good archer, root + dot + archery is very valid and they get access to high end bows. They also get double damage at 51 in groups, and get trueshot....the strongest pure archer in the game)
Warrior .....no spells means lower utility. They get decent skill with archery (2nd only to rangers) and can critical hit like rangers. The no spells mean they ONLY rely on archery though. And they do not get access to the skydarkener (which is one of the best bows in the game, especially 40-60 for exping). BUT, they do get the bow of the huntsman, which is a fairly decent DPS bow with a proc (war/rng only).....just their lack of spells and ONLY relying on bow damage wouldn't be fun. They also can't team up as well, since they don't have a ranged taunt ....so keeping agro and hate-kiting for a group won't work.
Rogue - Like the warrior, high bow skill, only they get access to poisons (but lose the ability to critical hit). Poison archery is theoretically possible to supplement archery damage ....BUT it is SOOOO expensive. Trying to use snare poisons or DD poisons or anything like that constantly while hunting would bankrupt anyone. They get a nice rogue only bow though, but it doesn't match bow of the huntsman or the skydarkener.
Paladin - Theoretically I could see this working....especially when fighting undead and using nukes to supplement damage (and root + meditating to let them cast more). Their damage output isn't so great though...since their skills with a bow are pretty bad (along with SK). And since they rely mostly on straight bow damage.....it wouldn't be the most ideal. They get access to some hate-kite spells (and blind kiting), so would maybe be ok when grouping up with a magician or something....but no snare.....which makes it harder.
Shadow Knight - Uniquely very suited to archery....which is why I theorized they would even out-perform a ranger given their skillsets (at least to 50, but I'm starting to think they could match a ranger even to 60). Pets + dots give a HUGE boost to damage. They are also able to hate-kite as well as a ranger (disease cloud or shadow vortex are HUGE agro draws, and they have snare spells, making them able to out-taunt most other players or pets). If they get in trouble, FD let's them reset a lot easier (handy for plane of mischief hunting starting at 46~!). Since they get access to the skydarkener, they are able to compete on the high end bows front (and AE kite, like ranger and paladins).
Really it would be a crime to underestimate pets .....sure they miss more often, but later on the pets start to get a lot stronger. Relying on bow damage alone (even for a ranger) isn't the best strategy. You NEED spells or something else to supplement your damage (even AE kiting, a rangers low level AE spell is welcome). But the pets give SKs an edge in mana-free sustained damage on top of their bow. Only place pets break down is on raids with dragons that AE (pets would die too fast)...so rangers win there in terms of raid DPS (trueshot + double damage, and even using BFG if they get lazy).
The only BIG downside with SK is that they don't get the tolans bracer (being able to summon arrows is nice).....and since there are few arrow vendors around, their bad faction makes restocking a little bit more annoying. Still, with some faction work, you can fix that and just carry around a LOT of bags and be mindful of where arrow vendors are. Not really the biggest problem (just becomes more of one on long hunting trips into dungeons or something like that).
So......yea....rangers and SKs....either one is very valid for a primary archer.