The best expansion for PvP

[magnetaress]

Originally Posted by Vexenu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think Kunark was probably the most balanced PvP era overall. Casters are extremely strong in Classic, with Warriors and SKs being the only melee classes that can even begin to compete in that era. Rogues and Monks have laughable itemization in this era, Rangers have a single decent 2H, Paladins are ok but still Paladins. Meanwhile Druids, Necros and Wizards are arguably at their peak with their extremely strong level 49 spell lines. And resists and HP are low enough in this era that even Mages and Shaman are respectable killers.

Meanwhile in Velious the tables turn. High end itemization by then becomes so ridiculous than melees are essentially unkillable 1v1 by any caster of equivalent skill. Even if casters can land spells against 200+ MR/FR/CR, they don't count for much against characters filled with +100 HP gear in every slot. And whenever you stop to cast you're getting double tapped by massive dmg 2Hers.

In Kunark there was a good balance. Melees received a big boost, but casters got a good boost as well, just not as big. Every melee that could use them had access to decent 2H weapons for jousting. Resist gear was more fleshed out, so melees weren't at risk of being rooted and snared as much. Kunark itself has a nice mix of big outdoor zones and tight dungeons, so every class can find a niche spot to excel in PvP. Wiz, Nec and Dru all get pretty good 50+ spells with Wiz being the best off with the Lure nukes. Mages suffer most but the diehards are rewarded with the Epic pet (which is absurdly brutal in PvP assuming no enemy Bard to charm poof it). Shaman get the Black Fur Boots which are better than their epic itself for PvP. Overall it just seemed like Kunark was the era in which every class brought something decent to great to the table in PvP. Maybe not in every situation, but in Kunark each class had the itemization/spells available to be competitive in its own niche.

10/10 write up. Dr. Someone get this elf a Phd.