Level 41...in a rut. Possible to change hunting strategy?

[Viekn]

I've been in kind of a rut with my wizard main. He's been a pure bolter since level 25 and for the past 4 levels he's more or less been stuck hunting lesser/greater moor wights and baesurkha in the Black Moor in Illistim. I've tried forest trali but the shaman can easily kill me with spike thorn. I've tried shan but they're a pain in the ass with getting hit with sounds and the warrior maneuvers. I recently up-hunted in the Fethayl Bog in Vaalor and did fine but was shocked at the poor loot. I've tried RR but really dislike some of the mechanics in place in the Miasmal Forest (dispel from wights and some other stuff) and the Rotting Chimera in Marsh Keep can really do some damage if you fail any of their multiple poison attacks. I've also done forest bendith and wood sprites and they're fine I guess, but really not much different than what I've been doing.

But maybe it's bolting I'm just not having as much fun with anymore also? I primarily just 903/904/505 stuff until dead, usually 3-5 shots. At level 41 though, not sure if it's viable to switch to either being a UAC warmage with 1 sec kicks or if there's any CS setup that would be viable for me at that level yet.

Would appreciate any thoughts people have.

[kutter]

I have the answer for you, it was what I did with my mage at about 60 trains, he is a pure bolter as well, so, I rolled another mage, he is a UAC, 40 trains now and still a lot of fun, but I mix up playing my alts so I never seem to get to bored with one thing, when I want to ambush, rogue, wrecking crew, paladin, be a goofball, bard. You get the idea.

[Viekn]

Thanks Kutter. I have a level 23 UAC cleric that I have fun with and I also recently started a rogue. I think my issue is that I more or less try to play all 3 at the same time, spreading out my play time among them all throughout the month when I should probably just be focusing on one at a time to really mix up the flavor. I appreciate the input.

[Methais]

Try pyros/thraks on Teras. Thraks are super easy and swarm regularly.

[Stumplicker]

I'm not positive on the bolty wizardy part, but Kiramon are everywhere, and were super easy to punch to death between 40-50. Might be worth a look.

[audioserf]

Been a long time since I had a mage at that level but what about the raptors/leopards near Trali? You'd have to skin to get any loot but I remember them being easy exp when I had a polearm warmage in the mid 40s.

[yesicj]

I would second the kiramon thing, if you're planning to stick to bolting. They go down very quickly to 904, and you can stay out and keep hunting if you feel like it without having to worry about loot weight because they only drop gems.

I did ok with Shan, but I had help, so that made it a little easier. Sheruvians (monks and initiates) were also a pretty good time and had decent loot. If you're in Voln and have access to wands, you could also try taking a stab at lesser vruul (just make sure you can either rescue yourself or let people know you're going there).

[SonoftheNorth]

I think I did frozen corpses in pinefar, their heads explode real good to minor fire.

[Maerit]

My level 40 wizard is decimating Shan... (been hunting there since 37ish)

909 Evoked - stomp, 917, 516 (if they don't die immediately) - rinse and repeat - about 25% of the time I have to cast 917 a 2nd time. Don't bother with the warriors. Don't stand in swarms.

I hunt open-handed, self-spelled with COL. 917 is fairly impressive, and you never have to leave guarded stance.

[Viekn]

Thank you all for the help. Lot of good suggestions here.

I enjoyed being on Teras during the anniversary event. Lots of good people there, so I definitely think I'll head back and try the thraks/pyros for fun, but can also go back to doing Kiramon there.

Also, I never really try to mix anything up other than using 901/903/904/505, so I think trying out 909/917 on Shan is definitely worth a shot.

If none of that really improves my outlook, I'll just focus on other characters for awhile then circle back to my wiz.

[Methais]

Thank you all for the help. Lot of good suggestions here.

I enjoyed being on Teras during the anniversary event. Lots of good people there, so I definitely think I'll head back and try the thraks/pyros for fun, but can also go back to doing Kiramon there.

Also, I never really try to mix anything up other than using 901/903/904/505, so I think trying out 909/917 on Shan is definitely worth a shot.

If none of that really improves my outlook, I'll just focus on other characters for awhile then circle back to my wiz.

917 will rip most squishy things to shreds. On more heavily armored stuff, not so much.

[Orthin]

Phantasmas in Varuna (43) and warhorses (37). 502 handles business on the warhorses for sure

[audioserf]

Watch out for the skeletal lords though, same area and they disarm.

[khorpulent]

Icemule/Pinefar is real easy for a wizard around that level. The treasure's not great, but 906/908 destroys everything. Greater ice giants usually have pretty good loot, but they're not super plentiful. Glacei and frozen corpses right outside the Pinefar trading post are really easy with 908, though not especially profitable. Even though the glacei wound your hand when you search, they won't go beyond a level 2 wound. My wizard just went around with a broken hand all the time for several levels. You do need some acantha or something for the HP loss, though.

You could probably do miners pretty easily in the GY.

Kiramon are easy, too, and you can find them in WL, EN or Teras. The Kiramon in Darkstone don't gen that fast, though.

Keep in mind you can just use an ebladed runestaff in areas with disarm mechanics.

[Askip]

<< Also, I never really try to mix anything up other than using 901/903/904/505, so I think trying out 909/917 on Shan is definitely worth a shot. >>

For anything that can be stunned, 502 is now a great option.

:D

[Dintarl]

Pure wizard is possible without bolting, as well. I have torn through everything from level 1 with 1700 (I stopped using this when I became able to land 516 pretty much all the time - level 25), 502, 516, and the occasional 505 for a stun or 512 for lockdown, though I generally just walk away from swarms.

Here's how I've trained, as a Burghal Gnome Wizard, with stats set for 100:



Lofe (at level 54), your base skill bonuses, ranks and goals are:
Skill Name | Actual Actual
| Bonus Ranks Goals In-Game Time to Goal
Physical Fitness...................| 156 56 56
Arcane Symbols.....................| 156 56 56
Magic Item Use.....................| 156 56 56
Harness Power......................| 154 54 54
Elemental Mana Control.............| 156 56 56
Elemental Lore - Fire..............| 30 6 6
Elemental Lore - Water.............| 150 50 50
Survival...........................| 156 56 56
Perception.........................| 156 56 56
Climbing...........................| 114 28 28
Swimming...........................| 114 28 28
First Aid..........................| 156 56 56

Spell Lists
Major Elemental....................| 54 54

Spell Lists
Minor Elemental....................| 33 33

Spell Lists
Wizard.............................| 53 53


You'll have to do a little experimentation to find what works best on any given critter, but as a fire-attuned mage, I either attune element if fire works well (undead, trolls, cold stuff - he frequently kills the slushes out by Illistim in 2-4 casts) or attune random if it doesn't. If you decide to kill kiramon for a while, you'll want to use random (unless you're non-fire, in which case, go with your element), as fire is the weakest element against them.

[Tenser]

Dintarl, 917 should work great for Lofe too. Do you use that?

[bunnymustdie]

My level 40 wizard has been using a 909/917 to hunt for the past 20ish levels. I find it safer and less frustrating than bolting. Often with an evoked 909 as setup, by the first damage cycle of 917 the critter is already stunned and unable to hurt you. Being able to always stay in guarded/defensive is also a plus.

I still bolt, but only use it to finish stunned & prone critter's who are on the edge of dying after a 917 cast. Because of this you don't even need to have MnE and MjE ranks to be as high as a bolting wizard, which allows you to put further ranks in wizard spells to help with enchanting and more 917 killing power.

edit: I noticed you mentioned the miasmal forest in RR, where I've also been hunting for the past few levels. I find it very easy hunting there with 917. Greater moor wights doesn't even require a 909 setup, a single cast of 917 will stun them quickly and kill them before the end of the spell. To this day I don't know what exactly they can do (dispel?) because they always just die nice and quick when I cast at them. Swamp hags would require 909 as an opener and the cold version of 917, but then they die even quicker than the wights. Once again, other than seeing them drop those small black kettles, I don't know what they're capable of in combat. Greater bog trolls can often survive through a 909/917 cast for whatever reason, so I just ignore those. This is just to give you a comparison on bolting vs 917 in the same area.

[Dintarl]

Honestly, I haven't. He will likely start to use it a bit more once he leaves the Gossamer Valley. 502 fire is simply too strong to move away from in there.

Also, re: Greater Moor Wight dispel. Use 520 Water in there if you're getting peeled. That version of the spell is sweet for places that like to strip spells.