GOS = Grimswarm hunting OHB/Shield

[Enuch]

So I have always been a voln guy. All I have ever hunted from early 20s and on was undead up until the fire folks in Teras but that was LONG ago and alot has changed. Since I have come back about a year ago, I have gotten to about 26 on a character (wizard...bad beat) and have decided I would like to go up bard alley. Got him to 8 and am thinking about my societies and Grimswarm appeals to me for the warcamp aspect. I am curious if my build will be viable in the future for handling warcamps and dealing with grimswarm in general. I have pretty much followed the Whirlin guideline with the exception of perception (which burns my hide but I am up against it for TP)

(at level 8), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use....................... .| 45 9
Shield Use.........................| 45 9
Combat Maneuvers............. | 45 9
Blunt Weapons................. ..| 90 20
Physical Fitness................. | 45 9
Dodging........................... .| 45 9
Harness Power...................| 45 9
Elemental Lore - Air............| 45 9
Perception.........................| 20 4

Spell Lists
Bard...............................| 9

your Combat Maneuver training is as follows:

Available Combat Maneuver Training Points: 9

I am debating going .5x Air lore and then 1x percept and filling in air lore when I am able to plink in an extra one, but I am figuring the pay off of continuing at 1x air lore and staying roughly .5x percept outweighs going .5x air lore and 1x percept. I know I am killing myself with TPs going blunt versus OHE but thats a character choice since my dwarf wants to smash things in not stab/slash them.

To note, regarding my stepping into a warcamp for the questions below, I most likely won't do it unless I need to or after I hit 20 so bare that in mind (for the techniques aspect) and ideally I would like to be using at least sonic weapon as one of my spellsongs in the camp.

So my questions are, what are some worthwhile CMANs to train in for preparation of Grimswarm. I am debating getting shield bash but is it better to just invest in the defensive capabilities to avoid manuveurs due to the swarming?
Are there any good techniques to employ in handling Grim?
Will an OHB/Shield be able to handle Grim in a group...or more importantly SOLO?
Is this going to be a worthwhile venture or will this be more struggle than triumph?

[JNewhall]

I have found shield bash to be heavily size-based. So on orcs could be useful, but as a dwarf it'll be less useful on trolls and Giants. However, grim do shield bash so a few ranks are good for defense. I have a few ranks of bash and tackle for defense only.

I found grim camps easier at lower levels because the spells and maneuvers were more limited / lower train. But I've never played a bard.

Warcamps are definitely doable by any profession, just expect that you'll die sometimes from an open roll or an open implosion. It happens. The risk makes them more exciting.

[Enuch]

That was my assumption, I don't mind some strife, but if its an 80-20 in their favor I probably wouldn't. But yes the idea of it seems fun as heck, going into a camp and culling the tribes!

[JNewhall]

You asked for general tips on grimswarm camps. The most common strategy is to stay by the entrance path and escape as soon as you feel overwhelmed. But since you're a hard, you'll want to use your mass attack spells, which are more likely to set off the "shroud" at the entrance. So for mass attack spell use, move towards the inside of the camp. (I don't use mass attack spells, but that's my understanding.)

Grim camps offer one of the only non-rp uses for invisibility: Being invisible is the only way to move through with zero roundtime. (Shadow mastery is good, too, but not zero.) They'll sniff you out right away, but if you're just running through you can get past a crowd that way.

Also, Grim spawn inside buildings but don't go through doors. So crowds are more manageable if you're in a hut or tent in the camp. The spawn rate is fast, but where I really get f*ed is when I take a swing, and in roundtime two more spawn AND five or more grim walk in from another room. That second part doesn't happen inside the huts and tents, which keeps the crowds more manageable.

[Maerit]

Level 8 means get a full wizard spellup and you will be able to just go in swinging with next to zero risk and can stand in the middle of the swarms. You could probably master with this strategy by level 15. I have mastered probably four different characters using this strategy starting at level 5 and mastering the society by level 13ish.

The downside is that you have to keep hunting them while fried and just non-stop grim camping until you master, but it makes mastering a great deal easier. They start to e-wave, cast nasty spells and use maneuvers in the 20s if I recall correctly.

[Enuch]

good to know, I may just go ahead and do that then! Finishing up fletching and then will probably just Grim grind thanks for the tip!

[MrMortimur]

To free up some TPs you could 0x dodge and 2x shield instead. It would take a little math to see if this helps you right from the start or not, but 2x shield 0x dodge is a solid build as you manage to get air lore (and surplus mana)

[Enuch]

Appreciate the Insight Mort! I have done some tweaking, to keep SOME dodge but I have it now more at a .5x level and have shield use at 1.5x and it looks like my training is going to balance to let me 1x air lore! Thanks for the info! I think this adjustment will help me out greatly! That 1x air lore is pretty much my life blood for the future.