Third most challenging class to play SSF

[Troxx]

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

Kind of depends on the era. Hybrids are actually easy SSF. I think I'll go Ranger just because they are shitty indoors and start being terrible at face tanking in the 50's. This limits what items / camps you have available to you.

I'm actively leveling one ... currently 55. Not SSF by any means but I will say that the easy thing about rangers is you can kill anything you can snare. Bow + cheap arrows (summon, bought or self crafted) puts any dark blue on your menu.

The same can't be said for a paladin that is truly SSF.

DPS is low and for solo and if truly self found for gear - even with a full mana bar to root and back off and heal ... it's gonna be painful.

[Keebz]

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

I'm actively leveling one ... currently 55. Not SSF by any means but I will say that the easy thing about rangers is you can kill anything you can snare. Bow + cheap arrows (summon, bought or self crafted) puts any dark blue on your menu.

Bow kiting is inevitable for sure, but it's dicey indoors. My biggest gripe with my Ranger was the poor indoor toolkit in general, but outdoors you kind of rule. Curious how 55-60 goes. That's really when face tanking becomes rough. But as I said before Panic Animal is a thing now so maybe that's the ticket.

Meta question in relation to OP's phrasing—what should we consider "most challenging"? Are we just looking at raw time played leveling to 60 as fast as possible? Ease of killing specific mobs? Is loot acquisition or dungeon crawling a factor? Overall "fun" level?

[Rader]

SK's clearly ahead of the three with FD snare and fear on all mobs
Ranger v Paladin is almost a tie, but in the end, ranger heal sucks and animal mobs very few and far between in 50's you are bound to get into a battle where it is close and you stick with it only to get sucky RNGs on your attacks and die; paladin DPS does blow and it will be slow AF but probably just a bit less challenging

[Baldwooky]

Its not ranger, wow.

Solo self found, eh, ever hear of tracking?

As someone that has mained all hybrids, I can tell you uniequivically that SK is far harder than ranger to solo up and way, way harder to self gear. In fact, rangers are one of the best at self gearing.

I love how FD is some OP tool to some of you. Its not, Harmony is a way better tool to a soloist. SK's have literally 1 way to effectively level, and they do it slowly. Rangers can do that same thing all the way to 60, plus about 10 other things.

But the answer is actually Cleric. And I've soloed one before when neccasary. Once you hit the 50s in kunark, mob HP spikes up, and you basically go OOM on a single blue.
No quadding, no mana regen, no nothing but an undead DD and retribution, which isn't mana efficient enough to even kill mid blues.

Paladin has free self healing at 45. They're out.

Its either Cleric or SK.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

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

Its not ranger, wow.

Solo self found, eh, ever hear of tracking?

As someone that has mained all hybrids, I can tell you uniequivically that SK is far harder than ranger to solo up and way, way harder to self gear. In fact, rangers are one of the best at self gearing.

I love how FD is some OP tool to some of you. Its not, Harmony is a way better tool to a soloist. SK's have literally 1 way to effectively level, and they do it slowly. Rangers can do that same thing all the way to 60, plus about 10 other things.

But the answer is actually Cleric. And I've soloed one before when neccasary. Once you hit the 50s in kunark, mob HP spikes up, and you basically go OOM on a single blue.
No quadding, no mana regen, no nothing but an undead DD and retribution, which isn't mana efficient enough to even kill mid blues.

Paladin has free self healing at 45. They're out.

Its either Cleric or SK.

FD is not the sole reason SKs are great at soloing.

For one, SK's get fear kiting. This means they can kill mobs while taking very little damage, constently. Meleeing does more damage than bow kiting, so SK's will be killing faster.

SKs have access to big races like trolls. More stats and extra HP regen right out of the gate.

They get a pet too. It isn't the greatest pet, but the extra damage is more significant when you don't have great weapons.

FD + Snare allows SKs to pull singles just like Harmony, but they can do it indoors as well.

Having both Invis spells (undead and regular) and FD means SK's can bypass more mobs in more areas, including dungeons.

FD is good at saving time, since you don't need to run to the zoneline when you get unintended agro, or lose a fight.

Just about the best weapon any hybrid can get for SSF is https://wiki.project1999.com/Blacken..._Bastard_Sword , which is dropped in a dungeon. SK's are more effective in dungeons.

I agree Rangers can get some good gear at the very end. They can do Forager cycle in TT for Ceremonial Iksar Chestplate, and they can probably get Swarmcaller from Karnor.

But remember that a Troll/Iksar is already going to have +4 or +7 (depending on level) standing regeneration for free when a Ranger is in the level range to farm a Ceremonial Iksar Chestplate. Fear kiting is already filling the role of slow (Swarmcaller) in the sense of reducing melee damage. A SSF character isn't really in the position to do things like soloing a Cliff Golem, where slow would really be needed.

[eqravenprince]

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

Meta question in relation to OP's phrasing—what should we consider "most challenging"? Are we just looking at raw time played leveling to 60 as fast as possible? Ease of killing specific mobs? Is loot acquisition or dungeon crawling a factor? Overall "fun" level?

Generally, most challenging is how hard it is to grind exp, find exp giving mobs. Wizard while boring to some is super easy to find and kill exp giving mobs and to do long exp grind sessions. Rogue was very grindy in the sense that I needed money for poisons, I needed to camp various equipment to improve my character enough to solo, and lower HP/AC than say a Warrior meant battles were a lot more close, had to flee sometimes to do fluky random damage done by the NPC. Warrior is not as grindy as Rogue as I'm doing just fine in banded and a Blackened Alloy Bastard Sword, haven't needed to grind for coin as I was able to make banded off coin I got just leveling, haven't really needed to camp for items yet. I suspect Paladin will be similar to Warrior, although more camps will be possible with spells they have. SK, I've done a few to 40+ (not SSF), it was pretty much facetank, throw a dot or two, lifetap, and face tank, never did fearkiting. Ranger, not sure, never leveled one past 20.

[eqravenprince]

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

the answer is actually Cleric. And I've soloed one before when neccasary. Once you hit the 50s in kunark, mob HP spikes up, and you basically go OOM on a single blue.
No quadding, no mana regen, no nothing but an undead DD and retribution, which isn't mana efficient enough to even kill mid blues.

Paladin has free self healing at 45. They're out.

Its either Cleric or SK.

I thought about adding Cleric to the list, but I played a Wizard to 50 SSF and it was extremely easy. Boring to some yes which I could see how some could see that as a challenging, but it wasn't for me. I just watch a lot of TV or play console games in between pulls.

[Toxigen]

anything w/ root and gate cant be that hard

hard != boring / slow

[Jimjam]

Ranger is fun - skilling up fletching, trying to force a trueshot… making magic arrows to kite the ghoul messenger and get a short sword of morrin. Similar story for an orc impaler. Can use iksar beserker club.

Lots of cool soloaboe gears that make an impact.

[Keebz]

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

Its not ranger, wow.

Solo self found, eh, ever hear of tracking?

As someone that has mained all hybrids, I can tell you uniequivically that SK is far harder than ranger to solo up and way, way harder to self gear. In fact, rangers are one of the best at self gearing.

I love how FD is some OP tool to some of you. Its not, Harmony is a way better tool to a soloist. SK's have literally 1 way to effectively level, and they do it slowly. Rangers can do that same thing all the way to 60, plus about 10 other things.

...

Paladin has free self healing at 45. They're out.

I have also done both SK and Ranger and find SK much easier, but YMMV. As you pointed out, tracking is definitely nice for picking off outdoor loot. I made my fortune with tracking. That being said pet tracking is also a thing here which has its advantages. I solo'd my peggy cloak on my SK for example.

FWIW, SK has more modes than just feat kiting, though that is a great tool. The attack, tap, attack, etc. is the ole standby, but you can also bow kite just fine with snares, strafing, dots and a pet. There are lower skill caps, but eventually you can get a weighted axe.

Regarding the Paladin free self-healing, presuming you're talking about DW Helm—that drops in crypt in Seb, so you're not getting that.

Ranger on the other hand might be able to cheese Swarmcaller in KC, so that's something.

I might be talking myself into Paladin now, but without having played it beyond the teens I can't say.