Make me uber

[Ekade]

Ok.. it's rather obvious I am having a profession crisis.

For the sake of discussion, let's assume I am retiring (again) from dancing and I want to take up combat professions.

I would like to maintain some semblance of integrity when it comes to my character concept and stick with melee as my primary form of fighting. What do you suggest as a fun, effective, and basically uber template?

I want to compete, I want to melt faces, I want to shamelessly omgwtfpwn!! I am a frustrated dancer with anger management issues. What can I do that is just flat-out fun?


My experience:
- TKM pre-CU
- Master Bounty Hunter pre-CU
- Master Fencer pre-CU
- Master Fencer post-CU
- Master Brawler pre & Post CU
- Master Swordsman post-CU
- Primary Healer class in WoW

I am currently: Entertainer 0044, Master Dancer, Master Brawler, Master Swordsman, FS Melee Defense 4

I do have a respec.


Things I have been considering..
- Melee stacked. Not sure how "different" this would be from what I already have, but at least I would not feel so weak and fragile.
- Melee with Combat Medic. I enjoy the usefulness the "feeling needed" that goes with being a healer. In WoW, I dont have to beg for groups, they beg me.. and franky.. I like that. My playtime is limited and it is cool not having to waste it finding groups. Also, I am a damn good healer in wow, among the best on my server. I could reprise that role here. I don't know a darn think about Combat Medic, so any insight you cold offer would be appreciateed. If it an effective healing class? What are the offensive capabilities? What else does the class offer?


What would be a good fit for me an my character and why? How would you dress your combat-Ekade action figure?

[Hashum]

Hmm.. based on what you seem to enjoy I'd suggest something like this

Master Doc (Can keep your nurturing side and you enjoy this role in WoW) For you I suggest Doc over CM to conserve also having to pick up Novice Marksman for CM.

Master Swordsman- You like to deal damge and this is a good way to go.

Pikeman- x4xx this gives you spin or AoE attacks so that you have more group options open. I think in a group of melee attackers you'd enjoy your role more as you'd probably feel you were really contributing, and could use your high dmg sword for the AoE.

I think this would be a good fit for you. Melee, Protector (RP), Healing. Plus you can speed buff, and rez. All very good qualities in a group be it high end PvP (DWB) or just out grinding with friends.

But that's just my 2 cents, I'm sure there are others much mor familiar with melee templates then I am, I just did this quickly on a prof. calc.

[Shensen]

mSwords/TKM/mBrawler/0040 Medic/0003 Fencer, but I would probably drop the fencer line to take a Doc tree. Either way you will be kickin booty

[Novall]

How many points are you spending for FS Ekade? If its not to many, Pikeman 0040 looks more attractive then 4000. Sweep attacks are nice, but in my opinion...its being able to control the enemy is really a bit more desireable.

Pikeman 0040 gives you Intimidage and Warcry. Intimidate lowers the damage output of a mob and increases your accuracy, and warcry roots it. Pair up intimidate with armorbreak and to me that seems like your going to be able to drop some nice high level stuff solo if you wanted.

[Ekade]

mSwords/TKM/mBrawler/0040 Medic/0003 Fencer, but I would probably drop the fencer line to take a Doc tree. Either way you will be kickin booty

Why? What makes this kick booty?

Is it because my stats are so high that it's just numerically good? Or is there more to it than that?

[Sai'nu]

Now that someone mentioned it... that being able to Rez would make you Gold to groups. Fact is, some of us just can't avoid being slain and/or the tripple incap. To have someone there to 'keep us going' is well worth it; And it would fit into Ekade's spiritual concept... and even give you something familiar to work with from WoW. You like to heal; Bring that back to SWG with you.

Now, just because you retire Dancer doesn't mean you can't return to this concept later. And, keep in mind, a lot of medical things you no longer seem to have to craft. Wound healing to my understanding is an action icon 'without' the use of medpacs now? Yes?

I would still refer you to the PM I sent you as well. You've got plenty of people here willing to give you some advice at any rate; and we love having you in game.

[Ekade]

How many points are you spending for FS Ekade? If its not to many, Pikeman 0040 looks more attractive then 4000. Sweep attacks are nice, but in my opinion...its being able to control the enemy is really a bit more desireable.

Pikeman 0040 gives you Intimidage and Warcry. Intimidate lowers the damage output of a mob and increases your accuracy, and warcry roots it. Pair up intimidate with armorbreak and to me that seems like your going to be able to drop some nice high level stuff solo if you wanted.

I am not sure how many points I will end up with in FS. I am keeping my options open in that regard. I probably have enough FS xp for one or 2 trees. Taking opening up Jedi to get that 2nd character slot (and make a dancer clone) is very attractive option too.

I like what you have to say about warcry and intimidate. Keeping those kiters in place is a good thing, no?

[Sai'nu]

Hashum brought up something in another post as well. In some cases you need to re-learn with each group outting you go on. Find the person drawing all the aggro and simply stand close to them as opposed to trying to run around hit everything.... because everything should be comming to you then.

As a healer, you'll learn this quickly if you decide to go that route; because mobs like to go after the person doing the most healing as well. I'd also like to concede that he was also right about this... it's not that you may only be doing 100pts of dmg while everyone else is doing close to a 1000pts due to Combat Level. Fact is, if your there and hitting a target; your helping.

CU... let's face it... some of it 'is' a numbers game. CL 80 for example. That alone tends to make you able to do the wtfpwn solo play. However, different professions also give you different things.

Pikeman... this is the melee mob controller.
Fencer... does some good rooting and damage over time.
Swordsman... simple and brutal damage.
TK... this is your tanker.

Idealy, you mix these (if you go all out combat) and try to construct something that will give you deffense (TK)... Mob control (Pike)... and sick damage (Swordsman). So, why take Fencer? If you remeber, Vreese's concept was always of a Master Fencer and it was hard to see it changed to not being a spinner with, second to TK, damn good deffenses. I'd still reccomend the Deffense line in Fencer myself in a mix of Melee.

Now, I've been a Pre-CU medic with Vreese as well... and have only played with it recently since CU: I guess you'd have to decide what 'kind' of healer you wanted to be to construct your new concept.

A damage dealing Priestess may depend heavily on Swordsman and Doctor; While a Defensive one went with TK and Doctor. You could also break the chain of the Master concept and just mix and match lines for the best stats. Maybe you can tell us how you see Ekade in Combat?

Also, please go here and pick up this character builder so you can take a look at everything we suggest before using your respec (this is from bloodfin... I thought it was from bria for some reason):

http://swgtales.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5096

[Sai'nu]

How many points are you spending for FS Ekade? If its not to many, Pikeman 0040 looks more attractive then 4000. Sweep attacks are nice, but in my opinion...its being able to control the enemy is really a bit more desireable.

Pikeman 0040 gives you Intimidage and Warcry. Intimidate lowers the damage output of a mob and increases your accuracy, and warcry roots it. Pair up intimidate with armorbreak and to me that seems like your going to be able to drop some nice high level stuff solo if you wanted.

I am not sure how many points I will end up with in FS. I am keeping my options open in that regard. I probably have enough FS xp for one or 2 trees. Taking opening up Jedi to get that 2nd character slot (and make a dancer clone) is very attractive option too.

I like what you have to say about warcry and intimidate. Keeping those kiters in place is a good thing, no?

Yes, very good thing, Ekade. I can do this with Carbineer now rather effectively with a Rifleman with me. Also, I know your not the grinding person... but, you may find that as a CL 80 you do accumulate your max xp a bit faster than you do now. However, do 'not' race to your Jedi slot. You suffer from grind burn faster than some of us I think; but do keep that option open; you get it when you get it. That's what I'm doing with Batak now. And I do plan on making a Batak clone and working out Dancer again.

[MrDooo]

I could see Ekade as a doc rezzer with less combat and KEEPING DANCER. It would fit with the RP (power of prayer / witchdoctor type of med) and be extremely valuable in combat situations. No soloing tho, but who cares - that's no fun anyway.

[Nyvveck]

For the record, intimidate isn't very good (about -100 damage in PvP/PvE...not much). Warcry is very useful in PvP, but it's uses in PvE are not too high (As of now...perhaps when the fix the NPC specials, it will be better.)

Also, I would not suggest going CM if you are a melee template, as CM requires Marksman x-x-x-4. Doctor, on the other hand, is very good. Master Doctors are in short supply nowadays, and if you were to get it then you would certainly be useful in a group. If you were to mate doctor with any melee skill, I would advise Swordsman. With Swordsman and Master Doctor, you will be able to dish out a bit of damage, and heal a bit, good all around.

THE current melee template to beat is Teras Kasi Master, Swordsman 0-4-4-4, and Doctor 4-0-0-4. I was that template for a time (before it became so popular), and it is good. However, if you are mainly looking to be useful to a group, no group will pick up a melee'er if there are Jedi at hand...and there are always Jedi around.

So, I guess I would suggest Master Doctor, Master Swordsman, and the rest of the skillpoints into whatever you wish.

[Orph@N]

TKM, M-Swords, Doc 4000 advantage of not needing armor, CoB, very good offensive specials, PB, very good healing.

[Jaminos]

From what I have seen in battle and show in the end is master swords master doc with advanced COB in tk.

[Jabe Adaks]

Wow... She finally woke up and smelled the coffee!

Ok you are going to get advice from three different perspectives:

1) What people found good in PvP.
2) What people found good in groups.
3) What people found good in between.

You need to first pick what you envision your character will be doing most of and then ask for advice with that in mind. Along those lines, anything that falls in category #3 is usually crap IMHO.

For example: I don't think pikeman moves regarding warcry and intimidate in are very good in a group. Most groups are going to pound the crap out of something regardless if those states were inflicted. Those states don't last that long enough on bigger enemies either and are hard to do again on the same enemy. In PvP? Inflicting intimidate and/or warcry can often be a deciding factor.

I could give you a lot of advice on a stacked melee template but not much else. Seems to me the best damage is in ranged combat, but the defenses of stacked melee counter that, plus melee doesn't get penalties for holding weapons like ranged. With my last template I could do well at PvP as long as I could catch up to the ranged guy I was fighting. And if I did it was really bad news for him/her, if I didn't it was bad news for me.

One last thing I will throw in and its a general rule for my toons: If you go ranged, have master marksman. If you go melee, have master brawler.

Jabe

[Ekade]

What is the difference between Doctor and Combat Medic?

I honestly don't know. I hear people talk about them interchangably when they discuss healers.