To go APS or Not?

Lulznotwar - Lost City · June 2011

Hey guys, im currently debating with myself whether to go APS barb at 99 or not.

Im intending to get my bm on the same account to 100 eventually and give the APS gear etc to him but in the meantime im considering swapping my barb to APS mode.

This would be me under current gears remaining as an axe barb:
http://pwcalc.com/5139d156e12fa8de

And me as an APS barb with my current funding:
http://pwcalc.com/26e00a5c79a23271

Obviously i would aim to hit 5aps at 100 once i farmed my NV pants + Orns for the extra -int. and better refines etc etc.

Im just wondering if in the meantime that APS build would be alright for a progressive farm of further gear/refines?

Any advice etc is very welcome! i dont cashshop so CSing gear is out of the question, and i intend to eventually go back to vit barb if i do get my bm to 100 to APS with. I just feel that by going APS it would faciliate me getting better overall gears. But meh ill leave it to you guys to help me decide! Much appreciated!!!

PS: sorry for not staying axes if i decide to go APS fuzzy/freizer

IBaMBii - Heavens Tear · June 2011

no, why would you go to be a 3.33 claw barb for only a certain period of time just to change back to pure vt when you have your bm. tbh, 3,33 claw barb wont cut it for farming purposes.
you either go full claw 5.0 +10 and be commited and be a monster or dont do it all. being 3.33 your damage will still be bad, your hp will hit rock bottom and your defenses will drop horribly.

Sakubatou - Sanctuary · June 2011

I'd recommend going aps on your barb, but not yet.

Aps will increase your valuability a ton, your DD, aggro control, chi growth, safety, and survivability. Honestly, other than TW their is no reason not to go aps if your gear can support it. It adds another dimension to the barb class that is severally missing as a vit/axe only barb. And as an aps barb you can finally "I R tank" again.

Except most barbs switch too early then feel stranded because they switched before they had refines and aps gear and now can't farm it. Wait till you are 3.33 and a minimum of 12-14k hp to switch. Best if you can be 15k hp tiger with aps gear before you switch since you really don't need more than 15k hp to do anything in the game if you are skilled enough.

Fistol - Raging Tide · June 2011

as mention by many..

APS only do decent damage in the 4/5 aps range

After having a barb at 5aps, you will see little reason to go bm 5aps.

not that there is no difference, but not enough of it to actually have another toon for farming purpose.

Also if you are going 5aps,

you will need LA boots and Wraistguard.

Either way you should consider getting a full lionheart first.

Knownase - Heavens Tear · June 2011

Yes, Sakubatou basically said it all. Personally, I think I'm most likely going to stay claw for my Barb, I just love it that much. lol

When I started, I became claw when I was only 3.33 sparked. However, I soon hit 4.0, which is the perm-spark bascially. Being at 3.33 is a choice, if you aim for having aps, and not tank, I advise just staying in a farming party where a 5.0 user tanks.

I only took about 6 weeks after I swapped to claw to hit 5.0, of course I was lucky enough to have the help of a 2x event for farming.

Once you hit 5.0 and have about 13K+ HP and high nice refined claws, you can solo most TT bosses, up to 3-2, and practically all if you have a great cleric.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, just know what you are doing, making a mistake upon switching can definitely hurt. b:shocked

Lulznotwar - Lost City · June 2011

Thanks for the comments so far.

Realistically my intentions to be 3.33 isnt for too long, but it depends on the PWE sales more than anything(i merch) So assuming we get another good sale i should be able to quite easily afford 4.0 with LA orns and potentially better refines.

Im not intending to be the main tank in any squad, but i merely see going APS as the catalyst for me farming the rest of the gear i needed. I was thinking of going 3.33 then with a cleric soloing 2-1/2-2 or maybe 1-2/1-3 to farm HH mats then sell and eventually work up my refines/gear until i hit 5.0 and had the refines to back up being APS.

If i get to 100 atleast at 3.33 im much much more likely to get into a NV squad, i see so many barbs having issues due to their lack of APS in this APS centric world.

TL;DR I dont intend to be a boss tank a 3.33 but i see it more as a stepping stone in the intent of going 4.0/5.0 and farming the better gear i wish for more often than not. It will no doubt be a while yet as with exams coming up i will be busy slowing my leveling down significantly i dont expect to hit 100 for another month at most i guess. But in that time should i aim to hit 4.0 when i swap with around 10-11k HP in tiger? If i can hit 4.0 with about that i would think im reasonably sorted to farm pretty well any HH i want up to 2-3 or maybe even 3-1. I expect it to take time, effort and hard work but i just am trying to find a way to make more money from my barb with what capital i have without completely exhausting my coin supply.

Thanks for all the advice so far it is greatly appreciated

fuzzywuzz · June 2011

Does Fuzzy need to post a reply to this? b:irritated

Fistol - Raging Tide · June 2011

FuzzyWuzz wrote: »

Does Fuzzy need to post a reply to this? b:irritated

no fuzzy, everyone knows your stand on this..
b:chuckle

and no one can complain about full nirvana set as fashion statement either.b:pleased

although what did you do to farm all that might be helpful input in convincing not to switch.

Delta is still great with a old school barb for one,
Grinding at OHT maybe?

Knownase - Heavens Tear · June 2011

Hmmm, 2x for 10 days on Friday, now may be a very nice time to stock up on coins for 5.0. b:victory

Lulznotwar - Lost City · June 2011

Knownase - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Hmmm, 2x for 10 days on Friday, now may be a very nice time to stock up on coins for 5.0. b:victory

Oh i wish i could, so much. I would live in HH for a long long long time.

But due to living in NZ and being at university i currently have exams next week which conveniently now finish on the 25th ie 2 days before the end of 2x.

It doesnt help im in Christchurch where we just had a further set of large earthquakes which pushed my exams back by a day b:shocked

If only the 1* orb sale would make me money by merchanting oh well b:cry

And in re-evaluating my money situation i actually have around 60-65mil ie almost! enough to afford the gold mats for 4.0 Oh well ill get there eventually i guess

Lulznotwar - Lost City · July 2011

Thanks again for everyones advice, I went APS the other day and restatted instantly to 4.0 with 10.3k HP in human and i havent looked back.

Its a whole lot of fun, but takes a little getting used to, especially the feeling of invincibility i once had as a Vit barb. The HP loss is somewhat noticeable, but also somewhat negligible. 2k is a loss, but for all those barbs looking to go APS so long as you can keep 10k+ in human at 3.33/4.0 it is definitely a new light on being a barb. I can tank again, and i feel useful in a squad for the first time in a while.

Once again, ty all. And sorry Fuzzy

(I still Love you XD)

Fistol - Raging Tide · July 2011

welcome to the club

Caratskull - Dreamweaver · July 2011

I'm currently an ax/hammer barb and was debating the whole aps craze. Fuzzie, I'd love to hear your reasons/build to NOT go aps at endgame please. I like my hammers and do all my fighting in tiger.

Rawrgh - Raging Tide · July 2011

If you don't want to farm then by all means don't build for fist/claws. But if you want to be able to farm then you need to go fist/claws. When it comes to farming there really isn't any reason to take an axe/hammer barb over a fist/claw barb.

Aksar_Rain - Archosaur · August 2011

Why no DD barb build i think that sounds better then claw just my opinion just like what my siggy says

GohRaL - Sanctuary · August 2011

What's a DD build ?

All STR, min DEX, and some VIT ? whats the point ?

Nowadays claws are the best choice for a barb unless you are a catabarb. And anyway, if you dont have r9 you stand very little chance to keep your cata under a crystal.

Claws are great for farming, claws are also good for pvp.

Barb's survival skills + claws DPS = pure ownage.

A friend of mine who was 5.0 BM now has made a barb with his BM's int gear. He told me just the other day that he soloed 3-1 GBA boss charmless, and he also soloed AE in 2-3 without cler nor charm.

ever heard of any1 able to solo them without a charm or a cler ?

Fresh_Corpse - Sanctuary · August 2011

GohRaL - Sanctuary wrote: »

What's a DD build ?

All STR, min DEX, and some VIT ? whats the point ?

Nowadays claws are the best choice for a barb unless you are a catabarb. And anyway, if you dont have r9 you stand very little chance to keep your cata under a crystal.

Claws are great for farming, claws are also good for pvp.

Barb's survival skills + claws DPS = pure ownage.

A friend of mine who was 5.0 BM now has made a barb with his BM's int gear. He told me just the other day that he soloed 3-1 GBA boss charmless, and he also soloed AE in 2-3 without cler nor charm.

ever heard of any1 able to solo them without a charm or a cler ?

Most bm's that are 1/2 competent and well geared can do AE charmless and clericless. GBA is even easier if you spark resist his debuffs and purge. Have done both on my bm.

Traz - Dreamweaver · August 2011

I do as much damage on the last boss in nirvana with my axes as I do with my claws...if only chi gain was more....b:sad

GohRaL - Sanctuary · August 2011

Fresh_Corpse - Sanctuary wrote: »

Most bm's that are 1/2 competent and well geared can do AE charmless and clericless. GBA is even easier if you spark resist his debuffs and purge. Have done both on my bm.

If i remember well GBA doesnt channel his debuff purge, is like instant so that's very difficult to predict since is kinda random.

I might be wrong on the channel part, havent been in a TT since quite a few time.

And my friend is like 12.5k HP human/16k HP tiger. Thats like average standards for APS barbs with like +4/+5 refines and flaws/immacs as shards. Thats FAR from well geared char, thats minimum stuff.

To me is like a big achievement, and i have yet to see any1 doing it, nor heard.
I might be wrong again here...eheheh

Fresh_Corpse - Sanctuary · August 2011

GohRaL - Sanctuary wrote: »

If i remember well GBA doesnt channel his debuff purge, is like instant so that's very difficult to predict since is kinda random.

I might be wrong on the channel part, havent been in a TT since quite a few time.

And my friend is like 12.5k HP human/16k HP tiger. Thats like average standards for APS barbs with like +4/+5 refines and flaws/immacs as shards. Thats FAR from well geared char, thats minimum stuff.

To me is like a big achievement, and i have yet to see any1 doing it, nor heard.
I might be wrong again here...eheheh

He talks and gives a specific line before each debuff

Again its like a line of pve competency for 5 aps classes.

To go APS or Not?

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