Another Duo recommendation thread!

[Crede]

If those classes listed are your only options for classes, then definitely go Druid/enchanter. They will complement each other nicely either by charm killing or charm fear kiting, etc. however I say "if" because enc/cleric is way more powerful 40+ when mobs hp start to skyrocket and you really want cheal to keep up with the heals. And huge hp buffs/rezzes are great to have.

Also, I wouldn't bother with shaman/enc unless you have to play a shaman. Reason being you guys seem pretty casual and shaman/enc will really only pass/equal the power of enc/cleric at 60 with torpor which is so hard to obtain for casual people.pre 60 I'd take a Druid partner over shaman if I'm the enchanter just for more versatility especially travel. People speak of shaman tanking but realistically not necessary unless you're both 60 trying to take down crazy stuff.

[kentaris]

We are not brand new to the server... We have played for about a month getting the various options I listed to the low to mid-teens.. Now we have given all the possibilities on what each of us would like to play a try and came down to those toons listed in the original post.

As we have limited time and resources (plat) based on advise regarding the Shaman and equip costs we took him out of the running.

Due to the short play sessions we decided one of us would play a druid for ports..the other is either Enchanted or Bard.

From the suggestions it seems the enchanter is considered better than the bard but no one really had much to say about the bard.. Does anyone have any thoughts on a Druid /Bard duo?

We are leaning toward Druid / Enchanted but just thought I would ask.

Some people were discussing plat - we have managed to bonechip/lightstone/bandedmail our way to over 500 pp to equip each.. We have a pair of the 4 ac/+45 hp rings for each on top of that.

Thanks again for all the replies and input.

[Jimjam]

If you are under level 20 it might be fun to head to Lake of Ill Omen for xp.

Go to the field between the windmill, the goblin ruins and the lake. Lots of xp mobs spawn there. Occasionally you will see sarnak couriers spawn there. These are good to kill; very rarely they drop a ring which is instant cast invis vs animals. This can be used as a method to 'instabreak' charm, useful for both the druid and the enchanter.

Suggestion: if you go bard/druid you could have the bard aggro kite huge swarms of mobs while the druid uses his point blank area of effect direct damage spell to quickly kill them all.

[kentaris]

We tried the PBAE with a bard/ wizard duo. The bard isn't 18 yet so doesn't have the better range dot. I was still using the 2nd level one. We could do it but running the razor edge of insta death was a bit too tight. I didn't realize the druid had PBAE. That would be a nice option to have.

[Triiz]

Enchanter is obvious choice for one of you, but what hasn't been mentioned is bard is arguably the least gear dependent class in the game and has a ton to offer in a duo situation while leveling.

Regen, mana regen, snare (great for fear kiting with charmed rogue pet), slows, DOT's, super speed, lull's, mez, charm, some melee DPS, great ability to get aggro, track, and obvious AOE's. Bard can do all of this fairly well butt ass naked with 100pp-ish in instruments.

Since Enchanter's don't get any PBAOE DD's if you wanted to bust through some hell levels in 1 hour with swarming you'd need a PBAOE class but you'd have no problem finding someone to fill that role.

Enchanter + cleric or enchanter + shaman with a few hundred thousand plat in gear is obviously going to be far stronger at 60 farming whatever, but for 1-60 the enchanter + bard combo would be smooth sailing imo, especially outdoors. Druids are in abundance on p99 and ports are never hard to find, having selo's to get you to and from druid rings makes travel a non-issue.

[Vexenu]

Bards are a good class. But you have to really, really enjoy playing a Bard to get the most out of them. If you aren't totally in love with the class I wouldn't recommend playing one. Twisting songs for hours at a time becomes drudgery and often physically painful, so it's not for the faint of heart.

Bard/Druid would be an unorthodox duo...you could probably find a way to make the kiting + PBAOE work. That would unquestionably be your best XP, but locations for that would be limited and it would very much be a one-trick pony.

Enchanter/Druid is much more versatile...you absolutely destroy anywhere with animals where you can double charm, and even in non-animal zones the Druid's support (SoW, snare, heals, nukes, DS) makes Enchanter charming extremely safe. Snare is very powerful combined with charm - it allows you to safely keep pets hasted even in tight quarters like dungeons. A snared pet turns a charm break from a catastrophic, potentially fatal event into a mere inconvenience.

Druids just pair very well with Enchanters all the way from 1-60. Clerics and Shaman also duo well with Enchanters, but really only from 50-60 and at 60, respectively.

[kentaris]

I played a bard main in live. I cant remember what level, high 50's if not 60th. I had my epic..I generally received a lot of compliments. The only reason I didn't just go bard again was wanting to pair well and I hadn't really experienced the other classes beyond 20th. I may end up hating anything else and going that way eventually.

[Lhancelot]

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

I played a bard main in live. I cant remember what level, high 50's if not 60th. I had my epic..I generally received a lot of compliments. The only reason I didn't just go bard again was wanting to pair well and I hadn't really experienced the other classes beyond 20th. I may end up hating anything else and going that way eventually.

I think you will find the opposite actually.

If anything, I find nearly every class extremely interesting and fun to play.

Comparing to newer MMOs, EQ1 really has a niche for each and every class, making them rely even more on one another for success.

I like that and find each different class fun to play. Except for monks and bards. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Jimjam]

The PBaoe druid/bard combo will be come stronger once you can spam slow/snare on the bard to keep aggro / control of the train.

I think bard / druid would hardly be a one trick pony though. Both classes have a lot of abilities for which to create some interesting synergies from.

[kentaris]

Thanks for the input guys. We are going to go with Druid / enchanter and give it a try.. They are both in their mid teens. So we already have a nice start to them.

Any suggestions on must have druid gear to save up for? I know start out with +mana +hp then wisdom but was wondering about specific items. It looks like I will eventually want a luminecent staff and some of the elder spiritist armor pieces. Any other must haves?