From what I can gather from officiall spiel and a bit of googling the Orc mystics main function is buffing their party/raid.
Would you say that's a fair summary?
How are they for dealing damage alongside their buffs? Either magic or physical.
How well do they far in PvP?
Finally, on the 'chant' skills like Chant of Fire, Chant of Shielding which "increase party members [x] temporary" are these aura based, as in one cast and everybody in party gets it or are they targetted, as in, target each member and cast (like "Might" human mystic buff).
I play an Overlord, and my buffs are clan/alliance oriented. That is, anyone in my clan or alliance that is close to me, will receive buffs. My understanding of the WarCryer is that he is party focused on his buffs, i.e., you'd have to be in the party to receive the buffs. Orc mystics do not target buff in general, like prophets or SE.
Well looking over the OL and WC abilities the key difference seems to be whether it buffs party or clan.
I presume for big game play, like taking or bosses or sieges etc one would want clan buffs to buff a wider range of people?
I play with just me brother at the moment, we're pretty much brand new so my instinct is to go with just WC for party buffs. Problem is, if I join a clan in the future or want to siege or take out bosses I'll wish I was OL.
Am I missing anything?
I suppose me and my brother could make a clan purely so my OL buffs would reach him? Is there any prohibitive cost to forming clans? Minimum number of people?
Another question, aside from their Damage over time, my understanding is that Orc Mystics do their DPS with melee attacks with the help of buffs to attack buff etc. Is this correct?
Finally, can you share any PvP experiences. I'm under no deillusions that Orc Mystics are going to find success in the PvP field like a Necro, Hawkeye, TH or Spell Howler might, but just how well do they fare? Are they more just for buffs in group PvP? How about 1v1, do their DoT's and buffs/stuns allow them to win match ups?
Thanks for any more info you can give. Just trying to find my niche so I can get stuck in. I tried human fighter with an eventual eye to DA but I don't really like the mechanics of the human tank. Just plodding away. Meh.
From what I can gather from officiall spiel and a bit of googling the Orc mystics main function is buffing their party/raid.
Would you say that's a fair summary?
How are they for dealing damage alongside their buffs? Either magic or physical.
How well do they far in PvP?
Finally, on the 'chant' skills like Chant of Fire, Chant of Shielding which "increase party members [x] temporary" are these aura based, as in one cast and everybody in party gets it or are they targetted, as in, target each member and cast (like "Might" human mystic buff).
Thank you!
Orc Mystics are half Buffer, part Melee and a touch of Debuffer, Nuker and Healer.
BUFFS - When a Warcryer buffs, each buff applies to every member of his party at once. When an Overlord buffs, every Alliance/Clan member in range receives the buff. Their Heal spells apply in the same way. (One heal skill for each class. Three for the OL if you count the CP heal skills.)
Warcryer = Melee Buffs
Overlord = Caster Buffs
MELEE - Orc Mystics have better physical stats and also get the stun skillsets. They also get All armor masteries. (Robe/Light/Heavy) They will never match a true 'melee'. But they will outclass all mystics in melee except a summoners actual summon. (Depending on which summon is used.) Since a round of buffs eats so much MP at once, most OL/WC carry a melee weapon to wack away with once the buffs are done. Also, despite the high MEN stat, regen on an Orc Mystic is truly pathetic. Without Clear Mind or Higher mana gain every cast you make is felt heavily.
DEBUFFER - Both OL/WC get a ranged version of Confusion and Fear. Overlords also get some point blank AOE debuffs.
HEALER - OL/WC each get one heal spell. Both are DoT Heals (C5 will modify this a bit) and the WC heal takes much longer to cast but heals more at equal char levels. OL heal casts very fast and applies to all alliance members in range. Neither heal is quite fast enough or effecient enough (high cost in MP) to replace a dedicated healer, but they are very useful. WC also gets the VR buff at higher levels, so arguably in a melee group they are a much better 'healer'.
NUKER - Both WC and OL get a Poison skill and a Bleed type DoT skill. The WC's skill is single target ranged, while the OL is AOE with no real 'range'. At higher levels the 'Flame' DoT's can cause some hefty damage.
The main limiting factor in how you play a Orc Mystic is how much MP you are commiting to each one of these facets. If you are doing full buffs you won't have much MP left for heals or DoTs. If your an OL doing AOE, your probably not spending all your MP on buffs or heals. And if your soloing, the WC can nuke/sleep or drain+melee like the OL....
...it all depends on how you want to play these chars.
What's the difference between clan/alliance? Or are they the same thing?
Colour me noob. :D
A clan is the group you belong to. A alliance is a 'pact' between two or more clans to work together. In the case of Overlords, being in an alliance allows their buffs to affect people from other clans who are in the same alliance.
Well looking over the OL and WC abilities the key difference seems to be whether it buffs party or clan.
I presume for big game play, like taking or bosses or sieges etc one would want clan buffs to buff a wider range of people?
I play with just me brother at the moment, we're pretty much brand new so my instinct is to go with just WC for party buffs. Problem is, if I join a clan in the future or want to siege or take out bosses I'll wish I was OL.
Am I missing anything?
I suppose me and my brother could make a clan purely so my OL buffs would reach him? Is there any prohibitive cost to forming clans? Minimum number of people?
Another question, aside from their Damage over time, my understanding is that Orc Mystics do their DPS with melee attacks with the help of buffs to attack buff etc. Is this correct?
Finally, can you share any PvP experiences. I'm under no deillusions that Orc Mystics are going to find success in the PvP field like a Necro, Hawkeye, TH or Spell Howler might, but just how well do they fare? Are they more just for buffs in group PvP? How about 1v1, do their DoT's and buffs/stuns allow them to win match ups?
Thanks for any more info you can give. Just trying to find my niche so I can get stuck in. I tried human fighter with an eventual eye to DA but I don't really like the mechanics of the human tank. Just plodding away. Meh.
If its just you and your brother....go Warcryer if he is anything but a Nuker. (VR, haste & Crit buffs) If he's going Nuker you may as well go Overlord. (Zerk and *much* later Empower.)
At the moment for PvP, both OL and WC are pretty much one trick Drain till it's dead ponies...sure you could toss a debuff in. But your of more use healing and buffing others outside of 1v1's.
FYI - OL buffs are useful more because they apply to everyone at once, not so much because they have the buffs everyone wants. Also OL buffs come at much later levels than a Warcryers...whose buffs come much later than a regular buffers. (AKA OL's only get Empower and Death Whisper at L77 and their WW1 doesn't come until L58!)
My personal opinion (and I do play an OL) is that you will probably be happier if you go Warcryer.
Are they more just for buffs in group PvP? How about 1v1, do their DoT's and buffs/stuns allow them to win match ups?
1v1 at the high lvls, no one can compare to the WC/OL. They can beat any class with the right setup. In group pvp OL is a support defbuffer/healer You do very little dmg, The WC will deal a bit of dmg possibly killing 1 or 2 people becuase they can only use their mp for drains and DoTs.
In Mass pvp (seiges) The WC becomes healer/buffer mana wasted onm nuking isn't worth it. OL same as group pvp
The other thing that people don't touch on much is that OL's in their upper levels are a pain in the butt to level. Without a good clan / alliance behind you, it is very difficult to attain the higher levels.
The WC on the otherhand is not tied to a clan at all for leveling. The WC can and does seem to get party easier and their buffs are the bomb for solo. I play an OL, and I do level nicely, but it takes a good party to make my leveling really good and at times, the "group looking for DD..." etc because quite dishearting.
One last note, should you have the end game in mind, as an OL, you can sub-class as anything besides an Artisan. As a WC, you can NOT sub-class as an OL. Nothing else can.
Thanks all for the responses. Just the sort of info I was looking for.
One final question then
If the OL has clan/alliance buffs but the WC only has party buffs, doesn't the WC get left behind in siege, raid or mass pvp? i.e. Who'd take a party buffer when they can have a clan/alliance buffer?
Or do they get taken along anyway, just to buff whatever party they're in.
WC does sound the way to go for my play situation which is duoing or small party, mostly pve but not adverse to pvp where I find it.
They sound quite good, great support, can do moderate damage and can take a punch. And casters who melee. They sound a lot like WoW Shaman to me.
If the OL has clan/alliance buffs but the WC only has party buffs, doesn't the WC get left behind in siege, raid or mass pvp? i.e. Who'd take a party buffer when they can have a clan/alliance buffer?
PvP situtations tend to be fluid. Its Rare to have your whole force in 1 spot for rthe OL to buff it. In addition the OL misses 3 required buffs for melee/archers. DW (increase crit dmf), focus (increase crit rate), and haste(increase atk spd) so the WC still has to do a bit.
The WC can usually put out moderate lvl nuker dmg for the short amount of time PvP lasts
Would say that the moderate nuke damage in that case comes from the DoT's? They don't have any direct nukes that I can see?
What about armor and weapons? Do Shamans tend to wear Heavy, Light or Robes?
In buffing mode in our duo I'd be tempted towards robes for the casting associated bonuses but then in PvP or hairy PvE situations i'd be tempted towards the heavy for phys protection.
Is shield and one hand best? I read fists were once popular with shamans.
What's the difference between two hand caster items and the one hand? I can't see any statistical difference?
Would say that the moderate nuke damage in that case comes from the DoT's? They don't have any direct nukes that I can see?
steal essence is a nuke, regens our HP by 80% of the dmg done and has the same power as nukers primary nuke. It does less dmg becuase we will never approach nukers m atk. But the DoT is our primary atack.
What about armor and weapons? Do Shamans tend to wear Heavy, Light or Robes?
Tend toward heavy til 52 as there are not alot of buffs yet, use steal essence to regen and melee it.
52-61 is Bw light, good mp regen good pdef, good cast speed a Good balance
61+ is your choice, Most gravitate toward robes tho
In buffing mode in our duo I'd be tempted towards robes for the casting associated bonuses but then in PvP or hairy PvE situations i'd be tempted towards the heavy for phys protection.
Robes are only needed for crowd control (aka sleep), light works fine if u need the mp regen of robes. remeber these are party buffs only have to cast em once per 20 mins.
For PvP there are 2 setups, Heavy for defense and use a dagger with soulcry to melee
or use robes and drain/DoT them to death. Remeber each drain regens ur HP so while I might take moire dmg in robes I cast alot faster in robes and regen 700+ hp (for me) per nuke
Is shield and one hand best? I read fists were once popular with shamans.
ehh shield and 1H blunt or sword is good til 40 after that duals or 2h sword gives the best balance.
What's the difference between two hand caster items and the one hand? I can't see any statistical difference?
2h usually cheaper or have more m atk than their conterpart 1 handed. A shield is always a great bonus :)
Please understand that an OL, while having some nice buffs, will always be only "secondary" buffer. Well maybe except 77+ with nukers - but leveling an OL so high is an enormous task - and next to impossible. They are not easy to level at all. They can buff some basic buffs - but still another buffer for other buffs will usually be required.
WC on the other hand have almost all buffs other players will want. They have the buffs that are vital for physical combat: haste buffs and critical enchancement buffs. They even get Vampiric regeneration, which in some cases sets them above Prophets - and they buff whole party at once and can fight too!
It should be noted however that both orc shamans get their (correspondant) buffs MUCH later then other buffers - that is the price they pay for area of effect buffs and combat power.
In 1vs1 pvp they are actually both excellent. But don't have enough mana to take many targets on.
Group and mass pvp they rather take the support role - though an OL in mass pvp (sieges!) can also wreak havoc in enemy lines with his aoe effect seal debuffs. But to get there... well, it's only for the toughest ones. And WC is an ideal party character.
Oh and about shield - OL can make better use of it, since he has shield buffs. As WC I would probably skip it for the Damage dealing capability.
Oh and about shield - OL can make better use of it, since he has shield buffs. As WC I would probably skip it for the Damage dealing capability.
That's for pve, in pvp shield helps big against archers. ANd in next cronicle there will be B and A grade one handed mage blunts in B and A grade, and having acumen SA (+15% casting speed, stacks with all other cast speed bonuces).