PvE weapons

genericusername

So I'm pretty sure I know what the answer to this question is, but just so there's no doubt about it...

What kind of weapon is best for PvE (solo in particular) leveling?

As I said, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a resounding 'Axe/Hammer' response, but I wanted to make sure.

About those kinds of weapons, I just have a couple brief concerns also...

1) Wouldn't you end up missing obscenely often with such low DEX? I use sword currently and I already find I miss too much... (and please don't tell me how once you reach level 120+ it's fine due to your 4m apiece accuracy buffs, I'm not just concerned about where I'll be in 2 years).

2)If you're soloing and you pull a ton of enemies in order to use your AoEs, wouldn't you take obscene amounts of damage?

Thanks in advance, I apologize if I came across as being rude, I really am just curious.

Nayiro - Sanctuary

actually you won't miss much if you put in 60 dex then have min str for wep/armor and the rest into vit and maybe put in 1 point of dex every lvl.

Yes, but that's what your buffs are for and that's what good armor is for and that's what pots, charms, and diamond sutra is for.

but ya axe/hammers for PvE

genericusername

Ok, thanks.

Although: Money spent on charms ftl

Nayiro - Sanctuary

you wont really need to spend money on charms until 60-70+

At least I didn't

genericusername

Ok, that's a relief lol XD

Nayiro - Sanctuary

Also, put in HP shards, not Pdef shards.

Nothing lower then average or you'll be wasting your money.
Max out golden bell, alter marrow phys, and diamond sutra.

genericusername

Ok, thanks again.

Chanteus - Sanctuary

I haven't played an axe build, but from what I have read about their special skills, it may well be the best for long term leveling. Of course you don't start aoe leveling as soon as you get an aoe skill... wait to get two or three so you have an aoe combo that can do serious damage, by then you will have enough hp to deal with three mobs at once. You can use them sooner if you are working with someone who can split the mob's atk's.

I would recommend 1 vig, 3 str, and 1 dex every level so you don't develop a weak point. Heavy armor, of course, and try mdef trinkets to give more balance, the gain they give will be more noticeable than pdef trinkets would give. Because magic is your weak def, a little bonus goes a long way.

Around level 40 I started to carry extra armor for different armor locations which have only 2 or 3 (larger) mdef. I can switch them based on the element of my foe and boost my mdef even higher at the expense of an mdef that isn't going to be used this fight.

For most classes, the first skill given is a waste, avoid increasing it and phase it out as soon as you have enough skills for a decent combo, then again, the point cost invested for 3 or 4 levels of a beginning skill is trivial in the long run. Never raise a skill over 4 unless you see that you will be using it for a very long time. Some skills are just so central to a character type that they simply must be used and raised. I consider the Farstrike/Drakes Ray pair for Polearm early damage to be one such choice. Get 1 level of everything and try it to see if it can work for you. Then put extra levels into the skills that fit your style. Buy the new skills as soon as possible and learn their good and bad points. You don't really run into spirit shortages until after level 30, by then you are developing your specialization and you shouldn't buy any skills outside your specialization... in this case axe.

As a blademaster, you should be able to grind through foes without using any skills or mana most of the time. Use your healing sutra every 2 or 3 foes to get hp back and you will only have to rest or use pots occasionally. This has worked for me well into the 50's and keeps restocking costs way down. The best time to rest is right after casting the sutra since it seems to boost the recovery. Using mana and pots is for bosses and dungeons when you need to be at your best potential.

This would change for an axe user as you get your aoe combo working. Then the cost in mana is more justified since you are killing several foe at a time. Remember you are trading quite a bit of money for saved time. I have seen what a very high level can do pulling all the mob in an area and then killing them all at once with a couple of spells. It's simply awesome. He couldn't get much exp for each one, but there were so many the exp adds up.

Kisho_Seiko - Heavens Tear

I can personally attest to that. AxeBM AoE grinding burns through HP charms, pots, and mana. I can still level once a day purely on grinding at level 60 easily, but it costs a pretty penny.

Nayiro - Sanctuary

Kisho_Seiko - Heavens Tear wrote: »

I can personally attest to that. AxeBM AoE grinding burns through HP charms, pots, and mana. I can still level once a day purely on grinding at level 60 easily, but it costs a pretty penny.

by lvl 70+ AoE grinding becomes easier considering you can take more mobs, less dmg and the money yo make off drops pays for your charms.

XAsch - Sanctuary

Axe BM AoE grinding 70+:

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/1351/20090114222341lo3.jpg

Easy. Either get a 70+ cleric to tag along, which still evens out a crapload of EXP, and only repair costs for you, while saving your charm, or just spam Marrow / Sutra + really good POTs. Also saves Charms.

genericusername

Ok, thanks again for all info.

So basically what I'm hearing is that it's really good for grinding but quite expensive. So as a curiosity, is there a way of grinding that is perhaps a bit slower but cheaper? (I want to say if there's a build where you don't/rarely need outside heals at all, but since that's probably impossible later on...)

Nayiro - Sanctuary

genericusername wrote: »

Ok, thanks again for all info.

So basically what I'm hearing is that it's really good for grinding but quite expensive. So as a curiosity, is there a way of grinding that is perhaps a bit slower but cheaper? (I want to say if there's a build where you don't/rarely need outside heals at all, but since that's probably impossible later on...)

50 dex max, 3str 2 vit odd lvls, 2 str 3 vit even lvls.
then put all HP shards in your armor and accuracy shards in yer weapon.

Omegasteel - Heavens Tear

I have about 150 st 50 vit and 50 dex and use duel axe and can attest to the fact that missing happens, but not often enough to be a concern. I have HP and Evade stones and mobs miss me sometimes 5 or 6 hits in a row so that more than makes up for it.

Livebynight - Sanctuary

I personally know that axes and hammers are good as long as u have the DEX for them, but i am a spear BM and i do pretty well with hits, i dont miss as much as i did with other weps, and with some of the moves like piercing winds if you get a train going and get em in straight line you can hit em all at once, but claws are also good for pve, not pvp.

DeOso - Lost City

Nayiro - Sanctuary wrote: »

50 dex max, 3str 2 vit odd lvls, 2 str 3 vit even lvls.
then put all HP shards in your armor and accuracy shards in yer weapon.

That's not an axe build, is it? Because if it is, it wouldn't work out. You need at least 3 str per level.

but claws are also good for pve

LIES!

bzbee

Nayiro - Sanctuary wrote: »

and accuracy shards in yer weapon.

Really? As opposed to attack shards? How does accuracy calculate?

I have a dual axe bm and i hate all the misses.