Using skills effectively

taratulip

Hi, I hope I can word this right so that it makes sense. I am a level 45 very Noob BM. And, I do understand that everyone has their own play styles but, I am looking for more specific advice other than "use what works best for you".

First, I use all axe/hammer right now. I will restat later in my career later for fists, if I decide to go there. I feel like every class has a certain skill they USUALLY open with. Some skills are better at gaining Chi than others, some stun better than others, some do much more damage than others but cost a LOT of Chi. Some skills have a long cool-down, some are instant.. etc.

I'm basically looking for opinions and examples of just regular fighting, doing quests and things. I have been playing around with different skills and the order of using skills. I almost always start out with Aolen blade (sp), I'm not sure why, maybe because I got it at such a low level, and just got used to using it.

What do people use to build Chi to make sure you have a spark available? I only have 1 Spark, and it is precious to me at this point. Also, I am going thru magic potions like CRAZY. Is that normal at my level? I have read the guides and descriptions of all the skills. But, I am looking for examples and opinions of what people use for normal, every-day fighting and grinding.

Also, is there an EASY way to tell if a creature is Physical or Magical? I mean, I know if they are shooting lightning at me, it's magical but, anything else?

Thanks, and sorry for the long post. I was trying to make my questions clear.

somegirly

it's that closely guarded secret?

DudeLupus - Raging Tide

If you need chi, use skill that don't take chi until you have enough. It's literally that simple.

Using axes and hammers you won't always have a spark available unless you just use regular attacks a lot.

As for magic vs physical mobs, if they hit you and it really really hurts, it's probably magic. Physical mobs hurt less for HA folks, so that's one easy way to tell.

T_i_m - Dreamweaver

Spam marrows and bell before combat and use cloud eruption (level 1 only) before combat to max chi. In combat use fist weapons to build chi if you need it. Invest in a plat mp charm and you won't have to worry about mp for a month.

Faeble - Heavens Tear

For me (though, due note I am fist/axe/pole)

Chi:
Cloud Eruption is good for getting quick chi, however, genie cooldown takes a bit of time. I use fists so I'm rarely at a lack for chi. Or you can get God's Tea and other Chi pots that give you chi instantly (long cooldown again)

With Cloud Eruption I can demon spark + heaven's flame for myself. Without cloud eruption I can do hf + gs which is nice damage combod up.

As Tim said, spamming your marrows and bell is a good way to make chi or if you guys aren't in combat yet or even tell a friend you need chi then duel them ---remove your weapon so you don't kill them, it's just a chi duel---- which is my favorite way because then I'm not killing my mana by using the skills. Note with spamming marrows... BE CAREFUL...always funny to see the BM who spams for chi, forgets his phys marrow is on, runs in and gets 1 shot by a magic attack.

About Mobs:
There aren't many that I've run into that don't have a magic attack hiding in them. Until I fight a few and figure them out, I don't marrow. Be careful with AOE attacks too because some are phys, some are mag and finding out the hard way is never fun. Usually, a way to test, hit the mob then run away, if it doesn't chase you and it begins casting, it's obviously both. If it chases you to get up close to you and hit you it's phys. (May be some exceptions so don't hold me to it 100% of the time)

Mana Kill:
Axe/Hammer is a mana drain straight up. When I'm in FF (I use fists on bosses but axe aoe on mobs since that's the BMs job lol) I am constantly going through mana. A MP charm is not good in my opinion. At level 95 I have 1809 mana and JUST demon bell alone cost me 625of that to cast. And I don't want my charm draining every time people die and I have to rebuff them. But that's just me. It's one reason I'm glad not to be pure axe lol.


Everyday Skills:
I really only aoe attack in FF so I will talk about that for axe, I can't speak for 1vs1 fighting because I use my fists cause it goes twice as fast to me anyway. Basically, HF is amazing once you get it. You want to see mobs drop? Use HF. My combo: Roar -> HF -> HC -> Fissue -> Sweep and then from there I just use whatever skill comes out of cooldown first (usually is HC)

Going Fists:
Void this if you have a higher alt you plan to use for Nirvana.
If you plan to use your BM as your main you should know that Nirvana runs are done with people who are 3.33 aps or more. A axe bm cannot reach 3.33. You'd have to go fists or make another character to do your nirvana farming. Like most pure axe bms have a 5.0aps sin to do their farming. (that i've run into) It's up to you what you want to do and I'm not trying to push you one way or another. Just saying that going fist/axe opens you up to doing more rather than limiting yourself in the game. Again, void this if you have a higher alt to do it or plan to make one.

T_i_m - Dreamweaver

I prefer a mp charm to pots for a couple reasons, even if bell spam always ticks it:

1) Saves inventory space and the need to check if I'm running low on pots.
2) BM's don't use much MP compared to casters (yes, AOE's are costly per cast but mp-over-time is far lower than other classes).
3) MP regen and total MP is low for BM's; a charm negates this.
4) They're not *that* expensive and really do last about a month.
5) Some bosses (in Nirvy for example) will drain your mp at a critical moment, like right after you've sparked and are about to HF. A charm negates this issue and since your mp is not that high to begin with, a couple drains is no big deal.

At lower levels a plat mp charm may last even longer since you don't have to worry about mobs draining it.

Faeble - Heavens Tear

T_i_m - Dreamweaver wrote: »

I prefer a mp charm to pots for a couple reasons, even if bell spam always ticks it:

1) Saves inventory space and the need to check if I'm running low on pots.
2) BM's don't use much MP compared to casters (yes, AOE's are costly per cast but mp-over-time is far lower than other classes).
3) MP regen and total MP is low for BM's; a charm negates this.
4) They're not *that* expensive and really do last about a month.
5) Some bosses (in Nirvy for example) will drain your mp at a critical moment, like right after you've sparked and are about to HF. A charm negates this issue and since your mp is not that high to begin with, a couple drains is no big deal.

At lower levels a plat mp charm may last even longer since you don't have to worry about mobs draining it.

Hm, well, I can't say for Nirvana, other than I'm not looking forward to that boss. I can understand that. Mana drain is a pita. I personally haven't tried using an MP charm on my bm (have on cleric) only use HP which drains in FF, and I've heard MP drains like crazy in FF too. Maybe that's just cause FF is a charm ticker. And I am being biased toward being in FF cause it's been FF and BH recently since I don't feel like questing atm.

I will say, running out of MP is a pain. I always find out last minute too when all my skills are darkened cause I don't have enough mana (I watch everyone else's hp and mp....but my own. Bad habit) I just don't like using charms because I'm the guy who when someone else is being attacked, I'll steal aggro and just die just so they don't. 'Take one for the team' ? Lol. And dying often is a bad tick off the charm xD can spend 2m better elsewhere. But that's just me. I know many others who use charms and swear by them, so I can see a charm being nice if you have the money to spare.

taratulip

okay, thanks for all the responses. The thing I don't like about charms is how they tick SO EARLY. I think I would feel like they were more woth it, if they didn't tick until you were down to like 20% mana or something.

Now... about Fists. I am only level 46. The reason I don't use fists is because, I thought at lower levels, HP would serve me better than Dext. I had planned to reset my stats at a higher level in order to use fists. Is my logic flawed? Should I go ahead and start using fists even at this low level?

thank you again.

Joshcja - Sanctuary

taratulip wrote: »

okay, thanks for all the responses. The thing I don't like about charms is how they tick SO EARLY. I think I would feel like they were more woth it, if they didn't tick until you were down to like 20% mana or something.

Now... about Fists. I am only level 46. The reason I don't use fists is because, I thought at lower levels, HP would serve me better than Dext. I had planned to reset my stats at a higher level in order to use fists. Is my logic flawed? Should I go ahead and start using fists even at this low level?

thank you again.

Yes your logic is off, neglecting your single target grind weapon in the levels where you need to single target grind a lot is just silly

Also my clawbarian has almost 7k hp buffed on 2 legs and 8.5k in tiger at 60 with mostly +2-3 refines...with things like +stat gear you can reset uneeded points to vit and get gobs of hp. (not as much as the barb but still a respectable amount)

Faeble - Heavens Tear

taratulip wrote: »

okay, thanks for all the responses. The thing I don't like about charms is how they tick SO EARLY. I think I would feel like they were more woth it, if they didn't tick until you were down to like 20% mana or something.

Now... about Fists. I am only level 46. The reason I don't use fists is because, I thought at lower levels, HP would serve me better than Dext. I had planned to reset my stats at a higher level in order to use fists. Is my logic flawed? Should I go ahead and start using fists even at this low level?

thank you again.

Personally, I restated at 20 and LOVED it. I kill faster meaning the mob does less damage to me and I'm not constantly missing with my axes. If the mob attacks 1 attack per 2 seconds and with axes your fight lasts 4 seconds longer...you got hit two more times than I did. But, that's just what I noticed at 20 when I restated for fists.

Having low vit does suck, but with good gear and good sharding there isn't really an issue. I never was able to not do something a axe bm could do. Axe bm probably puts less strain on the cleric b:surrender but I could still manage to do it.

DudeLupus - Raging Tide

I've used axes and fists since I started my BM, and I use the fists/claws FAR more often than the axe. And since I manufacture all my own weapons, they hit harder to begin with, so the fists and claws (with their naturally high aps) kill things much faster than my manufactured axe would.

Having lower HP isn't really a problem because of diamond sutra. I have to use it every 3 mobs or so, sometimes 2, but mana pots go a long way when you have a small pool to begin with. And you get mana/health potions in stashboxes too, so I've never had to buy pots before lvl 55 or later.

Even later when you don't get free stashboxes, you are usually making your own apothecary stuff and low lvl mana boosts help a lot.

The biggest difference I've noticed between my cleric, barb, wizard, and bm is that when I'm playing my blademaster, I literally NEVER meditate. Makes all those lvl 40 quests where you have to kill 50 of this and 50 of that go by much faster. Although, if I'm using focus powder the wiz and cleric never have to med either so

Oh, and life powder is lvl 1 apothecary...goes a long way in grinding. Pop one of those and use fists and you're the golden boy XD