best AoE class?

Longknife - Harshlands

Mayfly - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Piercing Winds uses 1 spark.

ur mum uses wun spark oooooooooooooooh

Lenore - Harshlands

Longknife - Harshlands wrote: »

ur mum uses wun spark oooooooooooooooh

You've been awfully trolly lately. Where's the sophisticated satirical criticism Longknife?

Neodaystar - Sanctuary

The best aoe skill is one where you only have to click/press a key once to get the job done, and that is barrage with an archer or db with a wizard.

In the third map:
Archer - Gathers all mobs > open barrage on mob with increased life/defense> maybe use expel but not really needed and that's it.

BM+Barbs - Gather mobs > wait for mobs to get into your aoe range > spam skill after skill while each is in cool down > you also become idle when you are silenced by the mobs.

I don't think there is a class with a longer range aoe than an archer; BoA has a 30+ meter range and a 12 meter radius (which 12 m is probably the max radius for most well known aoe skills - like hf). BoA also get the bonus benefits from Blazing Arrow buff making it deal partial magic damage on a small scale.

DeadSound - Lost City

Neodaystar - Sanctuary wrote: »

BM+Barbs - Gather mobs > wait for mobs to get into your aoe range >

? Maybe your thinking of wizards? mobs are usually directly in a melee chars aoe range when solo/group zhenning.


I dont disagree with you BoA is essential for group zhenning. However the fact that it cancels once the target dies makes it not so useful, and depending on a life increased mob doesn't make it any better.
However if there happens to be a npc nearby... during an invasion...
b:laugh



Edit: My bad did not notice the third map part.

Futurelord - Dreamweaver

b:angryCurse you clerics!!! How dare you ignore siren's kiss, anyone skilled enough to get close enough to the mobs to have the ones in the back hit with it but not close enough to the front ones do melee would pwn more with 3 aoes. Speaking from the standpoint that i have 3 sparks and 99 chi so i could spam all 3 aoes and still have 1 spark left.b:laugh

P.S. Any cleric at lvl100 who dont have enough physical resist to aoe physical mobs sucks, by end game we should be well rounded enough to aoe physical mobs with the amount of healing power and hp we have at such levels. (i heal 750 hp per tick with one Demon Ironheart and thats with a weak weapon and too much vit and dex, and im not even lvl99 yet.)mmm lvl99 weapon healing power...

Nelae - Heavens Tear

^It's not that we can't, it's just not that efficient.

~About archers, sure on the 3rd map on that lvl you really pwn.
But overall bm wins and still they can spam their AoE's played right.

I_sage_i - Harshlands

why are we even having this diccusion? clearly the bm is the aoe class

ArchSaber - Sanctuary

Demon BMs have the best p def. Endgame gear with Jade gems + demon bell and marrow = 30k p def and a 48% damage reduction(or something like that).

Haden - Dreamweaver

To answer the OP's question, there is not a "Best" aoe class, however there are "Aoe" classes which are able to solo Aoe grind, and those that cant. Each class comes with a minimum of 2-3 aoes and are all very substantial. In terms of "Highest quantity of aoes" that would be a BM.

Blademasters posessing the highest ammount (11) of AOE attacks as well as having the most efficent aoe stun. Being able to self Midigate in the middle of an aoe swarm also makes them capable of tendering damage with ease by the use of Marrows, roar of the pride, and Heaven's flame. the 2 most useful BM aoes which will be duely noted are Heaven's flame, and Roar of the pride. A bm without an HP or MP charm is quite capable of handling 10-12 mobs alone, so long as their all the same type.

Sin's posess 2 aoes, both at a very short range and one not to dissimilar to Heaven's flame, Earthen rift and Subsea Strike. Subsea strike is "a Mini HF" not inflicting as high of an aoe debuff, nor having the same range. Earthen rift however is fully capable of dealing good damage, possibly one shotting, possibly dropping enemies hp to half. A sin is capable of delving into a small group of mobs (I'd reccomend no more than 5 if you arent in VOS) as your damage midigation skills probably likely wont be able to keep up (being Bloodpaint, Focused mind, Deaden Nerves). More capable of dealing with mixed groups than a bm, but also not as tough.

Barbarians have the highest damage output aoe of all classes, for a price. Fully capable of rendering large masses of mobs to dust in mere seconds, barbs posess the second highest ammount of aoes(8), but their true AOE strength comes from Armageddon. for half your hp and half your mp you deal monsterous amounts of damage to a large group of mobs. No need to be concerned with midigating damage, you're afterall a barb, thats what you do, just be ready to fend for your life if you miss, which you will.

Wizards have a good quantity of aoes(6), the most noteworthy is The Dragon's Breath. Strike a disco pose, and throw out a carosel of lightning around you dealing constant damage and only stopping once you tell it to, great for camping. decently enough, a wizard can find its way into a Zhen/RB squad readily easy because of this. Note: they also have one of the coolest looking aoes (black ice dragon strike) IMO in the game.

Archers have "situation appropriate" aoes (4 aoes I think I missed one though). One is an aoe knock back, which you'll use if you're fending off large amounts of mobs at a time (Usually, doesnt happen), And aoe debuff that sprays in a fan pattern to decrease mob hp by X% (Sharpened tooth arrow), and Barrage of arrows. the two most noteworthy, and contraversial are STA and BOA. BOA acts similar to the wizards Dragon's Breath, but doesnt posess the "auto-pop" that DB does.

Venomancers are fully capable of midigating damage on their pet while they widdle away at mobs attacking it with a series of small elemental, and dot aoes. (posessing 3-4 aoes again I dont remember) Not as efficent as it should be, but it does get the job done if you get a rythym. Most noteworthy of aoes, is parasitic Nova, very cool looking, and high damage dealing aoe.

Physics posess another large group of aoes(7), posessing aoe skills not to dissimilar to a wizards, posessing an aoe stun much like a wizard or bm, also posessing an aoe heal, like a cleric as well as some potent aoe attacks, like aqua cannon. Not really noted as an aoe class however because of their tendancy to pull aggro. Note: they do posess skills which require them to be struck, and in an aoe situation it would be a godsend.


Clerics posess a very very frightening aoe (tempest), capable of delving damage into the high to mid hundred thousands. However it takes time, and in tough situations where you're multi tasking or tending to team mates using tempest may not be your best bet. Typically seen as a health battery/ harrasser in combat, they do posess great potential in aoe attacks, but you have to be sure that you know what you're up against before you try it. Posessing a large quantity of aoes (9, most are buffs and heals but posessing 3 aoe attacks) they're capable of fending for themselves for sustained periods of time where they rebuild chi.



and the person above me, I have 78k pdef, and Im sage

WarrenWolfy - Sanctuary

Neodaystar - Sanctuary wrote: »

The best aoe skill is one where you only have to click/press a key once to get the job done, and that is barrage with an archer or db with a wizard.

I'd have to disagree. To me, the best AOE skills are going to be whatever kills the most mobs the fastest.

But even if we accept your definition I'd still suspect that any decent BM has AOE macros that fit your 1-click criteria and kill more more mobs faster than any other class. I could be wrong, of course.

Neodaystar - Sanctuary wrote: »

BM+Barbs - Gather mobs > wait for mobs to get into your aoe range > spam skill after skill while each is in cool down > you also become idle when you are silenced by the mobs.

Surely a Barb isn't going to be spamming skill after skill, simply because we can't. Our AOEs simply aren't spammable due to their cooldown times.

So Barb AOE grinding is usually more like: Gather mobs > Gather more mobs > Gather still more mobs > Gather gather gather more more more mobs > Bestial Rage > Triple Spark > Sunder > Surf Impact > Human form > Swell > Slam.

By that point everything is usually dead, and if we've done everything correctly Sunder has healed us and Bestial Rage has replenished our Chi so we can begin the cycle again, but at no point do we get the luxury of just spamming away. Believe me, I'd love it if we could, but we can't.

Futurelord - Dreamweaver

WarrenWolfy - Sanctuary wrote: »

I'd have to disagree. To me, the best AOE skills are going to be whatever kills the most mobs the fastest.

But even if we accept your definition I'd still suspect that any decent BM has AOE macros that fit your 1-click criteria and kill more more mobs faster than any other class. I could be wrong, of course.


Surely a Barb isn't going to be spamming skill after skill, simply because we can't. Our AOEs simply aren't spammable due to their cooldown times.

So Barb AOE grinding is usually more like: Gather mobs > Gather more mobs > Gather still more mobs > Gather gather gather more more more mobs > Bestial Rage > Triple Spark > Sunder > Surf Impact > Human form > Swell > Slam.

By that point everything is usually dead, and if we've done everything correctly Sunder has healed us and Bestial Rage has replenished our Chi so we can begin the cycle again, but at no point do we get the luxury of just spamming away. Believe me, I'd love it if we could, but we can't.

Bramble Rage Roooaaarrrr!!!!

LOKl_ - Harshlands

my favorite personally... Gather chi, collect mobs, alter marrow, roar of the pride, heavens flame, highland cleave, mount fissure, drake sweep, fan of flames, highland cleave, mount fissure, drake, sweep, fan of flames and keep going till everything is dead b:victory

BM's cooldown works so if you time it right... when you get to the last skill the first one's cooldown is up and you can start all over with constant aoe's that build chi.... Then if needed go back to heavens flame or roar of the pride... Or Single spark (not demon yet and chi bars must be full) hit marrow or target one time then heavens flame, highland cleave, mount fissure, and drake sweep (with heavens flame the next 2 or 3 attacks will recieve dble dmg+small percentage from calamity axes= big possible dmg)b:laugh

tweakz

There is no definitive best, and after wading through the first 4 pages I was surprised to find that veno wasn't even mentioned. Many underestimate venos because there's so much variety in their builds out in the wild, and so many lazy venos. Something like an HA or AA Archer is very uncommon as would be an HA or LA Wiz, but every fail build and play style imaginable is fairly common among venos. Just the other day, did an SoT run with one that didn't have a pet, didn't amp and didn't manage to get kicked from the squad! =o

Consider Demon Parasitic Nova:

Summon a toxic parasite array to attack the target and all enemies 12.0 meters
around target. Inflicts Wood damage equals to base magic damage with additional
Wood damage 300% of weapon magic damage as well as another 6606.0
Wood damage. Has a 67% chance to make them chaotic for 8.0 seconds,
in which they are unable to move or attack and suffer more damage.

Demon version makes chaotic enemies take 30% more damage.

Or Sage Noxious Gas which requires no sparks:

A large disease ridden toxic parasite attacks the target causing it
and all enemies 9.0 meters around it to suffer Wood damage
equal to base magic damage plus 200% of weapon damage plus
2296.0. Enemies will also suffer 2296.0 Wood damage
over 9 seconds.

Sage version increases immediate damage and damage over time to 3054 each.

Now before you spout off the stats on Wizard skills, don't ignore the longer channel / cast times for their stronger spells or their often 2 spark requirements which make sustained AoE difficult outside of Dragon's Breath which is limited to fire dmg and is stationary (gotta love those mobs that kite or are fire immune, or are increased mdef).

How many other toons have an AoE skill that can potentially mind break / armor break for 9 secs? -That's 0cast/channel to boot!

Don't forget Sage Purge, Malefic Crush, Befuddling Mist, our auto atk pet that gets no dmg reduction on [?] and w/reflect.

Next time you see a veno standing around in RB, ask them wth they're doing. b:chuckle

RoidAbuse - Sanctuary

One thing about veno aoe grind is that they can easily grab argo off multiple mobs from their pet when they aoe repeatedly. More trouble than it's worth. Probably kill faster using a nix on single target.

tweakz

RoidAbuse - Sanctuary wrote: »

One thing about veno aoe grind is that they can easily grab argo off multiple mobs from their pet when they aoe repeatedly. More trouble than it's worth. Probably kill faster using a nix on single target.

Yes, we grab aggro but we take no dmg while rounding the critters up. Something like Noxious -> Nova -> Noxious works quite well in some areas while the pet finishes off the the stragglers. During double drops, I calculated the amount of coin I managed to make in 1 hour of AoE solo grinding and it was a tad over 1m not including card boss drops (worth ~50k ea), and G15 mats. In one location, Herc does enough damage in one hit and with reflect on [?] mobs, that a single Noxious does the trick.

Nix is fast, but it gets stuck in the ground, sits in front of mobs not attacking, and gets kited. After a while veno should have no problem out dps'ing Nix on single mobs so AoE is far better. Infact a weak hitting cactopod from Eden can far out grind a Nix on some kiting [?] mobs.

Also, Veno can achieve quite a bit of damage immunity / dmg reduction with Bramble Hood or Absolute Domain -> Feral Concentration, or Fox Form.

Neodaystar - Sanctuary

WarrenWolfy - Sanctuary wrote: »

I'd have to disagree. To me, the best AOE skills are going to be whatever kills the most mobs the fastest.

But even if we accept your definition I'd still suspect that any decent BM has AOE macros that fit your 1-click criteria and kill more more mobs faster than any other class. I could be wrong, of course.

Ahh, I forgot about the macro function lol. Being an archer, it's really not need to macro skill spamming -unless it's for pvp xD.


As much as I hate this truth, venos are one of the best grinders for making loads of money. I once had a competition with a veno friend to see how much we can make in an hour's worth of grinding on spiders in Avalanche Canon. For an archer with a moderately refined lunar bow, and stacked interval gears; you can kill a handful of spiders with just normal attacks and with no skills used faster than a veno with a nix can kill - especially when you triple spark and kill 7+ mobs during the spark duration. In the end, she made about 100-150k more than me after several times we've tried this.

With a veno, you can continuously attack the next few targets with your pet and at the same time pick up every coin and item drop. With other classes, you have to stop damaging the mobs altogether to run and pick up all the loots. With other range classes, the further the range you can kill, the more distance and time you have to waste to pick up loots. So the amount of time you actually spend on grinding/killing is interrupted unlike with a veno. For this reason, I don't think the clerics that grind on those spiders can make more than a veno and archer can on those mobs since I see them spend more time flying around and gathering mobs and healing themselves than actually killing them.

When aoe grinding on those Avalanche Crushers in the 3rd map, you use as much time to pick up every coin and drop as you do to grab all the mobs to kill them. But if we are talking about hypering on those mobs for exp and not for coins/drops, I'm not sure if a veno can match the other classes in this. I've never seen a veno pulling every single one of those crushers and aoe on them before.