Killing mobs 20 lvls higher and genie questions

Honestly, if you want to grind for money, I would suggest killing stuff 2-4 levels lower than you. At 3 levels below, the drop rate is reduced to 90%. At 5 levels below, the drop rate is reduced to 80%. But you kill the lower level mobs a heckuva lot faster. If you fight stuff 20 levels above you, it'll take you like 2 minutes to kill each mob. In that same time, you could kill 6-8 mobs that are slightly lower than you. Yes each one will have less loot than the higher level mob, but you'll kill so many of them that you'll easily get more total loot.

The genie color only really matters for stats you want to increase past 45 (or 43). If you have a green genie and want to raise magic past 45, it'll cost you 2 points to increase it to 46. It starts with 5 magic, and 5+40 = 45 before diminishing returns kick in. If you had a white genie, since it starts with 15 mag, diminishing returns doesn't kick in until it passes 15+40 = 55 mag.

Because of this, most genies will probably end up being generalists. Dex and mag seem to be the most desired stats. 40 dex (for increased debuff effects), 40 mag (for the extra skill slot and higher energy regen), and extra points dumped into vit (extra energy) and whatever else you want. So unless you get really lucky with luck points, the color genie won't really matter until you reach about level 60.

I'd suggest just keeping the genie you have and playing around with different skills til you find some you like. After you're comfortable with how the genies work and have a better idea of exactly what stats you prefer, then you can think about leveling up a new genie. When you reach level 30, you'll get access to crazy stone - a daily quest which takes 10 minutes and gives you a ton of exp. You can use that to help level up your genie.

At your level I would discourage going with heavy fox. It's a complicated build which acts pretty much like a gimped blademaster with a pet but no special skills. Everyone agrees that an arcane build does the most damage and levels quickest, and it's a really simple build to do. After you've reached level 60 or 70 or even 80, then you can think of restatting to heavy. At the lower levels, you're upgrading equipment so frequently that it generally isn't worth the time it takes to collect the equipment needed to make a heavy fox worth. If you absolutely must play as a melee character, you're probably better off creating a blademaster or barbarian alt.

I have an LA fox at 63 at the moment.
What I've done is level basically just ironwood and venomous, the other points have gone to debuffs and fox form skills, none of them maxed except fox form and melee mastery.
I can use spells when I want and melee when I want. Using this build lets me care less what resistance the monsters have.
Another bonus is at lower levels fox form is great to regenerate mana. You can use Soul Transfusion and spam Leech Life till you fill up your hp. Low hp isn't that risky because your pet has the aggro.

I would say if you wanted to do a pure fox it would be EASIER than either BM or Barb simply because you don't ever have to get hit. You also have amazing veno skills..
Your magic attack does suck if you want to try leveling with current level heavy armor. You will be using magic weapons under your level. Strength makes up for this and eventually a heavy build will do more damage than an LA.
The pet heal is not terrible and still does the job - but you won't be soloing TT anytime soon with a heavy fox build.

Now as far as LA - what most people don't get is that LA magic attack is not much lower, if at all, than an arcane veno in a lot of cases. This is simply because the points we have to put into str and dex for armor, an arcane veno would put into vit for HP.
That, and there is also a much nicer critical stat for LA. LA still uses a current level weapon.

If you want to do light armor, go for it.
If you want to solo bosses as soon as possible, neither light or heavy builds are for you. Do 9 magic and 1 str per 2 levels just like everyone else.
LA/HA are principally pvp oriented builds.


On a side note, as far as just general damage for leveling, I believe that a heavy fox veno could do just as much damage as an arcane veno with 9 mag/1str.
You're more dependant on equips and you lack the range and utility of an LA/arcane veno, but the raw damage is there. Melee mastery is the strongest mastery in PWI and foxes have the 2nd fastest weapon. The only thing that sucks is the fox skills don't add a bonus attack percentage. You do, however, get a super spammable aoe debuff.
Also eventually you can raise magic high enough to wear current level weapons.. and that's what they're talking about in the guide up there.

Yeah that's pretty much what I wrote.

FlappingPix - Heavens Tear wrote: »

A light armor veno still will never match a full arcane build in spell damage department my other veno is a level 50 arcane. That is simply from having to put more of your point into strength and dex should you want to use the best armor available. Which would mean that a heavy veno would have no where near even light armor in spells should they need to use them much less that of an arcane veno. So really going heavy armor you rely much more on your melee skills and debufs than any of the three builds.

That isn't actually correct about a HA/Arcane build. A HA/Arcane build has the same magic as LA will have higher armor than LA even if the level of armor isn't same level. The main differences between LA and HA is HA is more tedious to gear for, and HA will have lower accuracy and evasion while having higher physical attack.

Using a weapon in fox form you are more concerned with the physical damage than magic. Without looking I'm not sure what the physical damage is on the FB19 pataka since I chose not to use it. I got a good deal on a Mirage Sword that was already +2 from the acution house and it seems to be quite good with 143 - 203 physical damage. If you don't have the money to get one stick with the FB19.

The HA/arcane armor set up is only good if you already know which pieces to use. I haven't gone that route simply because it seems like more trouble always switching something out due to replacing items early on.

I'm a pure fox form player using light armor and if played well you should be able to tank mobs same level as you easily enough due to using the skills. Soul Transfusion is an amazing skill allowing you to use your mana like a second HP bar when needed since the fox skills use less mana than arcane. Also I should mention using your skill, pet skills, and genie skills you can stack up your debuffs to a point where the mob is taking 40% extra damage and with mist max along with sand storm the mobs accuracy is 0. Add in pierce stacked with hollow fist their phys def is down to about 50%. If see what I'm getting at your armor choice; LA, HA or HA/arcane is less imporatant than know how to use your skills given.