Why FAC and not mage?

Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear
Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,175 Arc User
edited February 2009 in Cleric
I can understand people wanting to do the most damage out of a cleric but I don't understand why they don't choose a mage instead?

I'm thinking of becoming a FAC with buffs and healing however should I? I have 30 vit 32 str and rest in mag 5 dex
We're MysticAve my name is not Dave
(Poem in the making - Shall be epic)
Post edited by Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear on
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Comments

  • Enoteca - Sanctuary
    Enoteca - Sanctuary Posts: 110 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I'm thinking of becoming a FAC with buffs and healing however should I? I have 30 vit 32 str and rest in mag 5 dex

    Okay, are those stats for your mage, or for a cleric you've started? I'm kind of assuming they're for your mage, but you can correct me.

    If I were you, I wouldn't become a FAC. Their damage isn't as good as a mage, people are very..critical about them, and they only have metal element attack. Of course there's plume shot which is physical, but that's one attack.

    Thats not saying you shouldn't do it. Apparently they're a lot of fun to play. Personally, I don't see the point, but there are a lot of people who will argue the FAC is the way to go, and if it appeals to you, go try it out.

    If you don't like it, trash it, if you do, than good, you've found yourself a fun to play character.
  • Aavery - Lost City
    Aavery - Lost City Posts: 18 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    I think FAC don't get enough credit, I think they can be amazing damage dealers as long as you get spirits gift maxed and your de-buffs. Just make sure to max iron heart that way you can still be a back up healer when the support cleric needs a little help.
  • Enoteca - Sanctuary
    Enoteca - Sanctuary Posts: 110 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Okay, I read a post you made somewhere else and now I'm thinking those stats are for your cleric.

    I also re-read this post and I think I misunderstood some information, or skipped over some things.

    IF those are your stats for your cleric, unless you start a new one you cant become a FAC. FAC's are full int.
    From what I read in your post I don't think your talking about a FAC. Your going more attack cleric or hybrid. If you read the FAC guide that's stickied, If my memory serves (I can't access acrobat on the comp. I'm on so I can't double check) FAC's only learn Ironheart.

    I hope that made sense, I was reading over my paragraph and some of it is hard to understand:(

    Anyway, good luck whether you choose FAC, FSC, Hybrid, something in between, or just stick with your mage. :)
  • Metraze - Sanctuary
    Metraze - Sanctuary Posts: 139 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Personally, I didn't go FAC to deal the most damage - I did it because it's more versatile.

    A FAC can stand up to 2 or 3 mobs going aggro on them just by stacking Ironheart's ... try doing that with a Wizard :O Being able to buff yourself helps as well. (You may note both of those points are moot if you play in a squad ... a FAC is definitely an awesome solo class).

    I also like being able to help out others with buffing/healing/resing - it's just not my focus (I spend far more time solo then I do in squads). I believe a FAC who's willing to serve as backup healer is a great addition to a squad ... if you're not willing to do that though, you may find it hard getting in a squad.

    I guess some people wouldn't consider me a FAC just because I do play the healing role sometimes (when fighting a boss), and have a decent res (level 4). On the other hand, I am Full MAG, and my focus is attack. It's just a question of how narrowly you define the term ...

    And of course one more reason ... you can fly from day 1. OK, not a reason to pick one over the other, but it is a nice bonus :P
  • Enoteca - Sanctuary
    Enoteca - Sanctuary Posts: 110 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Metraze - Sanctuary wrote: »
    A FAC can stand up to 2 or 3 mobs going aggro on them just by stacking Ironheart's ... try doing that with a Wizard :O

    True, but talk about mana usage :P.
    Than again...survivability...
    I feel like I've repeated this in other threads: It depends on your playing style.

    I consider FAC full int. with ironheart, and if you want res, and vanguard.

    Actually, How useful is Vanguard Spirit for a FAC? Do you bother lvling it up? I think it would help, but I guess you have plume shell...I still think it would help, but I'm not a FAC.
  • Metraze - Sanctuary
    Metraze - Sanctuary Posts: 139 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Enoteca - Sanctuary wrote: »
    True, but talk about mana usage :P.
    Than again...survivability...
    Yes ... I'll take survival over conserving MP anyday :P At least with a FAC, you have the option ... with a Wizard, all you can really do is run ...
    Enoteca - Sanctuary wrote: »
    Actually, How useful is Vanguard Spirit for a FAC? Do you bother lvling it up? I think it would help, but I guess you have plume shell...I still think it would help, but I'm not a FAC.
    Vanguard Spirit is very important - your Physical defense is very low, and this will boost if for 30min. What isn't important is Magic Shell - you already have great Magic defense.

    As for Plume Shell ... I've hardly ever used it. If you think Ironheart is bad for MP consumption ... :O I think it's considered essential for PvP (I don't PvP so can't say for sure), but not for PvE.
  • Tritoryo - Lost City
    Tritoryo - Lost City Posts: 23 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Well in my case Plume Shell has worked well.

    Plume Shot -> Great Cyclone -> Plume Shell -> Shoot to kill...

    And after I did that I just use my level 1 Wellsping surge.
  • SATII - Lost City
    SATII - Lost City Posts: 202 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Plume shell is useless PVE. You should never have to use it. If it's part of your regular combo, you should reconsider your combo, your fighting style or your build...

    edit: I take that back. It's useless PVE UNLESS your up against 3 archer mobs.
  • Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,175 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    I know FAC clerics heal better but they can't take as much damage I know clerics own mages but thats only because of plume shell and physical damage.
    I dunno can a level 50 mage solo FB19?
    We're MysticAve my name is not Dave
    (Poem in the making - Shall be epic)
  • Inna - Heavens Tear
    Inna - Heavens Tear Posts: 67 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I know FAC clerics heal better but they can't take as much damage I know clerics own mages but thats only because of plume shell and physical damage.
    I dunno can a level 50 mage solo FB19?
    \

    a lv50 player of any class should be able to solo fb19.
  • Dark_Arbnger - Lost City
    Dark_Arbnger - Lost City Posts: 57 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    As i have said in other posts, FAC can come extremely close to out damageing all other classes when played and statted right. The only real spell you need is ironheart lvl10. Use enough attribute points for your next Magic Sword weapon and the rest into your mag. You can always put gems into your armor to increase your health so vit is a waste.

    Yes as a mage you get extra elemental spells and great AoE BUT there are alot of mobs / chars that dont have great Metal resistance, hence our extreme power in PvP PvE. The skills i choose to level up make me a hybrid cleric (although the FAC guide says hybrids are useless) with my stats and my armors i am a beast. I will have maxed my buffs (even vanguard) and revive making me more desireable for FB HH runs however i wont level my party effect buffs for the simple reason as it would kill my build and i need the spirit for Wield Thunder and Tempest

    Hope this helps, if not message me in forums and ill be glad to help

    As always
    ~BloodLusT FTW \m/ (>.<) \m/
  • SATII - Lost City
    SATII - Lost City Posts: 202 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I know FAC clerics heal better but they can't take as much damage I know clerics own mages but thats only because of plume shell and physical damage.
    I dunno can a level 50 mage solo FB19?

    Your logic is flawed. Plume shell is useless versus mages. Clerics beat mages simply because clerics have heals, sleep and physical spells.
  • doremi12
    doremi12 Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I can understand people wanting to do the most damage out of a cleric but I don't understand why they don't choose a mage instead?

    I'm thinking of becoming a FAC with buffs and healing however should I? I have 30 vit 32 str and rest in mag 5 dex

    FAC mean low HP. You can't survive many FB with that low HP and can be secondary healer. It also mean you are sensitive with gears.

    Cleric has many utility, with correct use, you kill people faster than mage.
  • Enoteca - Sanctuary
    Enoteca - Sanctuary Posts: 110 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Metraze - Sanctuary wrote: »
    If you think Ironheart is bad for MP consumption ... :O I

    I meant along the lines of ironheart + attacking is a bigger mana usage than just a mage attacking...nothing against ironheart itself.
    Metraze - Sanctuary wrote: »
    Yes ... I'll take survival over conserving MP anyday :P

    100% agreeb:laugh
  • Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,175 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    SATII - Lost City wrote: »
    Your logic is flawed. Plume shell is useless versus mages. Clerics beat mages simply because clerics have heals, sleep and physical spells.

    oh ok never knew that
    We're MysticAve my name is not Dave
    (Poem in the making - Shall be epic)
  • Divnorum - Lost City
    Divnorum - Lost City Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    LOL wait let me say again, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL ok now wait LOL

    a 50% damage reduction is useless versus mages? right ok

    It's only physical damage, isn't it? Or am I confusing that with something else?
    "cleric is <(^.^)> wizard is ('.'(_o_)" - Mysticlifex
  • Seilen - Heavens Tear
    Seilen - Heavens Tear Posts: 50 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    doremi12 wrote: »
    FAC mean low HP. You can't survive many FB with that low HP and can be secondary healer. It also mean you are sensitive with gears.

    Cleric has many utility, with correct use, you kill people faster than mage.
    Only FAC with **** gear have low HP. Its easier get lost HP with stats on gear and gems, then get more magic attack on Vit build as simple +HP came with higher increments.
    And there is no difference between FAC and full mag support cleric, except skills which disapear when you hit high 80's as you learn all skills anyway.

    Yes full mag cleric is gear sensitive and so do Vit build cleric, one is lacking HP other one lack in damage and heal amount without proper gear.
    I didnt have any HP gear until 75 and had only problem with physical aoe bosses in TT 1-3 of last boss in FB69 (can now survive them easily with new HP gear). In other cases die only if something went bad and cleric get agro in which case higher HP not realy save it in most cases.
  • Cysus - Lost City
    Cysus - Lost City Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    I can understand people wanting to do the most damage out of a cleric but I don't understand why they don't choose a mage instead?

    I'm thinking of becoming a FAC with buffs and healing however should I? I have 30 vit 32 str and rest in mag 5 dex

    I know i'm only level 28 and therefore "newbie" but you can really have a *full attack* cleric with buffs and heals... I mean I understand Ironheart (and I have it) but if you have all the other healing spells that's still a support cleric. You're either all attack, or a support.

    Sorry if I missed something in the post lolb:shutupb:surrender
    *EDIT* I also just noticed that on this cleric I seem to be killing the mobs with at least 1 less hit than surrounding mages killing the same mob, but again, it might just be coincidence xD
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Proud member of Sacrifice
  • IShoOtCatZ - Lost City
    IShoOtCatZ - Lost City Posts: 90 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    FAC suck so bad...roll a wizard. You may think fac clerics own early, but later on you do less damage than an archer and a wizard, and less heals than a full support. The reason you do less damage is because people start getting gear rich in metal resistance.
    [SIGPIC]http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/9623/catlauncherqj2.png[/SIGPIC]
    iShoOtCatZ - Lv.7x Archer - RageQuit
  • Siku - Lost City
    Siku - Lost City Posts: 14 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    FAC = FAIL
    why?
    lack numberous of hp even with hp shards
    lack def
    ONE SHOT KOS
  • Seilen - Heavens Tear
    Seilen - Heavens Tear Posts: 50 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Siku - Lost City wrote: »
    FAC = FAIL
    why?
    lack numberous of hp even with hp shards
    lack def
    ONE SHOT KOS
    O realy, did you already fight good FAC ?
    I gues not, as you would find you are not even able do one shot before find yourself dead as they will slep you debuff you and then onehit you and there is nothing you can do against it.
    FAC can have same or even more HP then Vit build cleric and still they also have higher mag.
    Def is for all casters same except that FAC like to use some phy def gear (loose 1% mdef and gain 9% phy def, yay)
    And yes its easy to kill clerics if they dont know what they doing as they are most skill dependant class.
    Wait till lvl 90, duel full mag cleric then and after that if you can win you can start saying clerics sux.
  • Volraith - Heavens Tear
    Volraith - Heavens Tear Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    IMO, FAC and pure INT wiz are two different playing styles.

    Sure, wiz got spells that does huge dam (11~12k dam w/ lvl 10 sandstorm/earth mastery); but those big # comes at the cost of channeling time. So if you don't like kitting (like me), you gotta get the correct sequence of spells to avoid getting hit. Even if you got the right sequence, you still need to be a good distance away from the mob in order to kill it unscratched; and you'll learn to dread magic resist mobs. And for me, -% channeling is the next best thing to what ppl do when the lights are off b:dirty, cept bout as rare as a 40yo virgin and cost bout the same as legendaries (unless you are sleeping w/ lady luck, then you get them for free)

    However, FAC, or clerics in general, don't need to worry bout those issues. Clerics can, in general, PvE with just four spells: elemental seal, wield thunder, plumshot, great cyclone; for metal mobs swab elemental seal for dimensional seal & great cyclone with razor feather. The debuffs got fast channeling n cooldown time, and make the atk spells do lot more dam than they would normally do. And distance doesn't matter as much either since a ironheart or two usually keep your hp bar nice & red

    I suck @ pvp, so I can't really comment on this area. However, from experience, it is a lot easier for cleric to survive in pvp than wiz. Oh, lets not forget that clerics can AoE grind on poison mobs; not possible with wiz on any mob
  • Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,175 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Archer = fail sikub:shutup

    Out magic defence Already owns
    and plume shell will absorb 80% of physical
    I doubt archers are a threat to a cleric =]
    We're MysticAve my name is not Dave
    (Poem in the making - Shall be epic)
  • william1
    william1 Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    mm suck in support and attack, i disagree.
    first off all all heal spells are +% base magic attack..so a full mag heals a lot more HP then a full support...i have my whole support and attack skill tree,
    so im both support and attack Cleric,but i use my attack spells only when im
    grinding..and i can grind fastb:laugh.

    Now the attack... I have Wield Thunder lvl 7,and does 6.5-7 k regular dmg on water mobs, when i crit (i crit not much only 5 dex) then i do 12-14k dmg,
    isnt that enough dmg,ok maybe a wizard can do more but he also have a longer casting time..

    The only CON off a full mag Cleric is his hp, but i solved that for a great part whith hp stones (and IB).
    but im only a 71 cleric....so maybe there are higher clerics who have a other opinion.
  • Conce - Heavens Tear
    Conce - Heavens Tear Posts: 29 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Simple. Mages...Sux. They die easily.Can't do nothing. And unless they use sutra, they will never they more overall damage or spike damage then FAC. Clerics= versatile.
    "Always Outnumbered,Never Outgunned." + "For You My Lover,Pa Que Te Enamores" Co7Vc3 <3 El Romance Letal <3 *Director of CareBears ~ Harshlands*
  • Conce - Heavens Tear
    Conce - Heavens Tear Posts: 29 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Siku - Lost City wrote: »
    FAC = FAIL
    why?
    lack numberous of hp even with hp shards
    lack def
    ONE SHOT KOS

    I dunno wut u are (class),but if u were in my server, id gladly do the honor to one hit u.Even if u are my level u would die in one shot,ir not one , then 2.
    "Always Outnumbered,Never Outgunned." + "For You My Lover,Pa Que Te Enamores" Co7Vc3 <3 El Romance Letal <3 *Director of CareBears ~ Harshlands*
  • Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear
    Mysticlifex - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,175 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Mages just take agro and get themselves killed, same for archers clerics and barbs ftw
    We're MysticAve my name is not Dave
    (Poem in the making - Shall be epic)
  • jemima
    jemima Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Conce - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Simple. Mages...Sux. They die easily.Can't do nothing. And unless they use sutra, they will never they more overall damage or spike damage then FAC. Clerics= versatile.
    Yes, because somehow despite the fact that mage spells do more damage mages still somehow do less damage than clerics.
    Makes you wonder why anyone would ever play a mage, since clerics are better DD's than mages, and they can heal.
    Mages just take agro and get themselves killed, same for archers clerics and barbs ftw
    Because clerics have a magical ability that lets them not take aggro when any other class would.
    Oh wait, I know. The reason mages take aggro more than clerics is because they do more damage.
    Shock horror.
  • Conce - Heavens Tear
    Conce - Heavens Tear Posts: 29 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    @Jemina

    Clerics DO more damage ur right...simple all teh debuffs they have plus there skill alone are enough to outdamage a wiz.Spark it and is gg. And yes.No reason to play mage if clerics are better. Tell that to all the people whi give me **** for dding and not choosing a mage instead.
    "Always Outnumbered,Never Outgunned." + "For You My Lover,Pa Que Te Enamores" Co7Vc3 <3 El Romance Letal <3 *Director of CareBears ~ Harshlands*
  • Kathar - Lost City
    Kathar - Lost City Posts: 33 Arc User
    edited January 2009
    Conce - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    @Jemina

    Clerics DO more damage ur right...simple all teh debuffs they have plus there skill alone are enough to outdamage a wiz.Spark it and is gg. And yes.No reason to play mage if clerics are better. Tell that to all the people whi give me **** for dding and not choosing a mage instead.

    umm you forgetting about Undine Strike? Clerics do not have a 60% elemental debuff... just an FYI...

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