Post by Position on Jan 13, 2009 11:26:56 GMT -5
Knight
+ Can use NPC sets until 90-105, making equipping cheaper.
+ Can train effectively with a low stamina/high strength build using Guard, increasing Power Stump damage a good bit.
+ Knight weapons are rather inexpensive.
+ Power Stump stuns, increasing the number of mobs you can tank safely.
- Slow collecting.
- Even with a high strength build, not that fast at killing off a group.
Blade
+ Your damage stat (dex) is also the same stat that keeps you alive (block rate). Blades also max their block rate early and easily.
+ Aside from LGA's and H. Axes, the AoE blade weapons are much less expensive than the 1v1 blade weapons.
+ Only the damage in your main hand matters, so you can use a low level dex awakened sword or axe in your offhand for more damage.
- Sets are rather expensive.
- Your main AoE (Sonic Blade) only hits mobs in front of you, requiring a little extra work in lining up the mobs.
- Sonic Blade is rather slow casting, but it has good damage.
Ranger
+ Dex powers both your damage and your protection (block rate).
+ Very fast training due to multiple DoT's going at once.
+ Fast collection, provided you can avoid the glitch where mobs ignore your hits.
+ Ranger equipment, both bows (aside from the G. Bow which isn't necessary) and sets, are very cheap.
- More complicated training than most AoE types.
- Rangers have a fairly low block rate modifier, so they require upgraded sets and/or speedos at higher levels to max out their block rate.
- Although the basic sets are cheap, upgraded sets are often difficult to find due to the low number of rangers on most servers.
Psykeeper
+ Fast collection with Haste/GT powered wand shots.
+ Crucio can greatly increase damage over time, and also spreads out mobs rage (outside of Azria) so that your healer can keep up with the damage.
+ AoE Psy's can quickly train as a Crucio Psy until 80 or so.
+ Decrease in Magic Motion Time set bonuses and awakenings greatly increase the kill speed.
+ Lower level sets and weapons (besides the G. Wand which is good but not necessary) are inexpensive.
+ The use of shields gives you a good defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ or - No stun, low block rate, and low HP rate; so you will have to tank every mob's hit. For this reason, many Psy's go high int to kill the group before they can be killed. The suidical aspect may not appeal to everyone.
Elementor - Hit & Run
+ Very inexpensive equipment.
+ Able to solo (however Heap and Quick Step are a huge help) very easily.
+ Able to train on mobs over 10 levels above easily, and able to train up to 40-50 levels above with some difficulty.
- AoE'ing a high level gap between you and the mob greatly reduces your drop rate.
- Generally poor weapon bonuses, but green weapons are not necessary until the LG Staff.
- Slow training when AoE'ing mobs near your level.
- Not able to be done at high levels when mobs move too fast (Volcane/Asuras)
Elementor - Tanking or Hybrid
+ Inexpensive equipment, but upgrades are much more helpful than with a pure Hit & Run build.
+ Tanking a group at times to get an extra cast off is much faster training than trying to avoid all hits.
+ Can still do pure Hit & Run, just with less damage due to less int.
- Less able to solo, as a healer is almost necessary to train quickly.
Ringmaster - Merkaba
+ Easy to solo, a healer is not necessary due to Prevention.
+ If you have a build with enough int, you can still support effectively (CW/Meteo).
- Equipment is not cheap; and prior to 105, there are no sets with HP bonuses available.
- You are not able to AoE until 80 at the earliest, though it's not recommended until 105.
- Generally slow collecting and slow killing.
- Int adds very little damage to Merkaba, so you are much more dependent on your weapon upgrades and suit piercings than most other AoE types.
Ringmaster - Mercrack
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Much faster training than pure Merkaba.
+ Burst Crack combines with Stonehand, stunning your group so that you can tank better.
- Equipment is very expensive (mostly due to knuckle costs).
- Collection is rather slow.
- You can solo, but it's difficult. You are strongly recommended to have an FS with you at all times.
Billposter - Bgvur (Int)
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Bgvur combines with Stonehand to stun your group, improving your tanking ability.
+ Billposters have the second best defence and HP mods, also improving your tanking ability.
+ Bgvur is affected by DMMT awakenings, greatly increasing your kill times.
- Very expensive equipment. At lower levels NPC equipment is usable, but greens become necessary very quickly.
- Every cast of Bgvur uses a Skill Poster, so you will have to buy posters (in stacks of only 99 at a time) fairly often.
- Slow collection.
Billposter - Burst Crack (Str)
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Burst Crack combines with Stonehand to stun your group, improving your tanking ability.
+ Billposters have the second best defence and HP mods, also improving your tanking ability.
- Slower training than Bgvur BP's, however you can giant hunt and still have a good Asal without very expensive awakenings.
- Very expensive equipment. At lower levels NPC equipment is usable, but greens become necessary very quickly.
- Slow collection.
- There are no awakenings that can speed up Burst Crack casting.
+ Can use NPC sets until 90-105, making equipping cheaper.
+ Can train effectively with a low stamina/high strength build using Guard, increasing Power Stump damage a good bit.
+ Knight weapons are rather inexpensive.
+ Power Stump stuns, increasing the number of mobs you can tank safely.
- Slow collecting.
- Even with a high strength build, not that fast at killing off a group.
Blade
+ Your damage stat (dex) is also the same stat that keeps you alive (block rate). Blades also max their block rate early and easily.
+ Aside from LGA's and H. Axes, the AoE blade weapons are much less expensive than the 1v1 blade weapons.
+ Only the damage in your main hand matters, so you can use a low level dex awakened sword or axe in your offhand for more damage.
- Sets are rather expensive.
- Your main AoE (Sonic Blade) only hits mobs in front of you, requiring a little extra work in lining up the mobs.
- Sonic Blade is rather slow casting, but it has good damage.
Ranger
+ Dex powers both your damage and your protection (block rate).
+ Very fast training due to multiple DoT's going at once.
+ Fast collection, provided you can avoid the glitch where mobs ignore your hits.
+ Ranger equipment, both bows (aside from the G. Bow which isn't necessary) and sets, are very cheap.
- More complicated training than most AoE types.
- Rangers have a fairly low block rate modifier, so they require upgraded sets and/or speedos at higher levels to max out their block rate.
- Although the basic sets are cheap, upgraded sets are often difficult to find due to the low number of rangers on most servers.
Psykeeper
+ Fast collection with Haste/GT powered wand shots.
+ Crucio can greatly increase damage over time, and also spreads out mobs rage (outside of Azria) so that your healer can keep up with the damage.
+ AoE Psy's can quickly train as a Crucio Psy until 80 or so.
+ Decrease in Magic Motion Time set bonuses and awakenings greatly increase the kill speed.
+ Lower level sets and weapons (besides the G. Wand which is good but not necessary) are inexpensive.
+ The use of shields gives you a good defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ or - No stun, low block rate, and low HP rate; so you will have to tank every mob's hit. For this reason, many Psy's go high int to kill the group before they can be killed. The suidical aspect may not appeal to everyone.
Elementor - Hit & Run
+ Very inexpensive equipment.
+ Able to solo (however Heap and Quick Step are a huge help) very easily.
+ Able to train on mobs over 10 levels above easily, and able to train up to 40-50 levels above with some difficulty.
- AoE'ing a high level gap between you and the mob greatly reduces your drop rate.
- Generally poor weapon bonuses, but green weapons are not necessary until the LG Staff.
- Slow training when AoE'ing mobs near your level.
- Not able to be done at high levels when mobs move too fast (Volcane/Asuras)
Elementor - Tanking or Hybrid
+ Inexpensive equipment, but upgrades are much more helpful than with a pure Hit & Run build.
+ Tanking a group at times to get an extra cast off is much faster training than trying to avoid all hits.
+ Can still do pure Hit & Run, just with less damage due to less int.
- Less able to solo, as a healer is almost necessary to train quickly.
Ringmaster - Merkaba
+ Easy to solo, a healer is not necessary due to Prevention.
+ If you have a build with enough int, you can still support effectively (CW/Meteo).
- Equipment is not cheap; and prior to 105, there are no sets with HP bonuses available.
- You are not able to AoE until 80 at the earliest, though it's not recommended until 105.
- Generally slow collecting and slow killing.
- Int adds very little damage to Merkaba, so you are much more dependent on your weapon upgrades and suit piercings than most other AoE types.
Ringmaster - Mercrack
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Much faster training than pure Merkaba.
+ Burst Crack combines with Stonehand, stunning your group so that you can tank better.
- Equipment is very expensive (mostly due to knuckle costs).
- Collection is rather slow.
- You can solo, but it's difficult. You are strongly recommended to have an FS with you at all times.
Billposter - Bgvur (Int)
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Bgvur combines with Stonehand to stun your group, improving your tanking ability.
+ Billposters have the second best defence and HP mods, also improving your tanking ability.
+ Bgvur is affected by DMMT awakenings, greatly increasing your kill times.
- Very expensive equipment. At lower levels NPC equipment is usable, but greens become necessary very quickly.
- Every cast of Bgvur uses a Skill Poster, so you will have to buy posters (in stacks of only 99 at a time) fairly often.
- Slow collection.
Billposter - Burst Crack (Str)
+ The use of shields gives you a significant defence boost and an extra awakening slot.
+ Burst Crack combines with Stonehand to stun your group, improving your tanking ability.
+ Billposters have the second best defence and HP mods, also improving your tanking ability.
- Slower training than Bgvur BP's, however you can giant hunt and still have a good Asal without very expensive awakenings.
- Very expensive equipment. At lower levels NPC equipment is usable, but greens become necessary very quickly.
- Slow collection.
- There are no awakenings that can speed up Burst Crack casting.
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