Pole - Bard

[Savageheart]

Recently returned to cause some trouble here in and I decided to reskill my bard toward Polearms. I'd been wanting to do this some years ago before leaving and decided better late than never.

However, after using my one and only fixskills for a year I'm starting to have reservations. So I'll give my run down and I was hoping for some input.

@31

Armor - 50 (for augmented chain, I feel this may have been a rushed sacrifice at 31 and I am not feeling well defended also the hinderance has been annoying)

Polearm - 64

CM, Dodging, Physical, Harness Power - 33 (basically all combat essentials)

Lore Air - 30 (it seemed like a round number I don't see many builds going past 50)

Bard Circle - 30 ( I see no point in going beyond in the next 30 trains)
Minor E - 2
Climbing 15 (I dont remember why I needed this many ranks I just left it alone)
Swimming 5 (drowning is bad)

Thoughts?

[Celephais]

You're only 1x Polearm? Yikes... I really hope that's 66 ranks of polearm, 33 ranks of the rest.

To me it would seem worth it to back off on the bard circle a bit and pick up 406 ... if you can 414, heading towards 425 obviously. Getting a decent real polearm so you don't have to sing one would be good and then you wouldn't need all that air lore... at your level I wouldn't think it's worth the other sacrifices to sing one (other sacrifices being keeping defensive songs up, and the skill could go into more dodge or some MnE spells).

[Savageheart]

Sorry, trying to do several things at once I 2x'd polearm its sitting at 64

As to getting a decent pole, I like sonics I don't disagree that a decent pole would be a good back up regardless but having a lack of coinage really doesn't lend itself to buying weapons. It's a personal oppinion but I'd say sonics were better than most until you get well into the high end.

On your point on dodge is this something that should be doubled or even 1.5x'd? Not having a huge problem hunting the glacier under my own spells but anything past that is a bit of a stance dance challenge.

As to MnE I know it plays a huge part later but I had been working under the assumption that 30-50 could be handled with mostly physical work.

[Warriorbird]

Talk to Makkah R about polearm Bard stuff. His Noise/Charge combo is pretty sick.

[Davenshire]

I don't see cman charge, where is cman charge???

If you have it try and get as many ranks in as you can.

That skill with a sonic weapon is sick.

[Savageheart]

Actually you bring up an interesting topic I have not used any of my cmans yet... I left before they were implimented and really haven't 'discovered' them as yet.

I think I have 2 ranks in sblock out of randomness when I logged in once upon a midnight ect... I'll unlearn them and use whatever I have current toward charge.

[Davenshire]

cman charge is crazy.

You'll notice crit kills rarely, almost always a stun, I dont know the ratio for knockdown (pretty high???)

the main thing is the hidden RT. you just have to see some teras temple shot of monsters charging poor unsuspecting pogie baiters to trully appreciate the cman.

Please give us some clips. I don't know how many ranks you'll be able to aquire or what is suggested for bards. I had made a gnome ranger pole armer until I learned they didnt gert charge and quickly deleted him.

I am sure same level with three ranks you should see some pretty good shots.

[Savageheart]

Name: Savageheart Warls Race: Giant Profession: Bard (shown as: Spellsinger)
Gender: Male Age: 42 Expr: 1096289 Level: 31
Normal (Bonus) ... Enhanced (Bonus)
Strength (STR): 100 (40) ... 100 (40)
Constitution (CON): 65 (17) ... 62 (16)
Dexterity (DEX): 80 (10) ... 80 (10)
Agility (AGI): 87 (13) ... 87 (13)
Discipline (DIS): 67 (8) ... 67 (8)
Aura (AUR): 100 (20) ... 100 (20)
Logic (LOG): 47 (-6) ... 47 (-6)
Intuition (INT): 47 (-1) ... 47 (-1)
Wisdom (WIS): 70 (10) ... 70 (10)
Influence (INF): 100 (30) ... 100 (30)
Mana: 105

Savageheart (at level 31), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 150 50
Combat Maneuvers...................| 126 33
Polearm Weapons....................| 164 64
Physical Fitness...................| 126 33
Dodging............................| 126 33
Magic Item Use.....................| 25 5
Harness Power......................| 126 33
Elemental Lore - Air...............| 124 32
Climbing...........................| 70 15
Swimming...........................| 25 5

Spell Lists
Minor Elemental....................| 1

Spell Lists
Bard...............................| 30

[Savageheart]

Just had my 4x chain padded apparently I have 8800 (well 4800 now) premie points to blow. That may help a little with not getting dead so often...

Is charge affected by stances?

I only had enough cmans for 2 ranks unlearning 3 ranks of SBash currently which will probably take forever.

[Savageheart]

Aloo?

[Davenshire]

Ooo yeah I am sure you need to be in offensive stance to use it effectively. 2 ranks seems pretty weak, Id have three at least before I grab assed with anyhitng like level, (just a suggestion)

they dont have to be in offensive for it to be effective though, so it is a good opener. only thing is even laying down stunned you still might have trouble hitting critters unles syou can feint. Anyways, up tell about level 50 you can let them swing first and then attack, that works pretty well.

So yes, be in offensive stance when you charge. You can easily try charging in defensive and itll show how badly/mediocre it works. with 2 ranks you can go out and nail mobs 10 levels under you pretty easy I am sure to get a feel for it.

if you have a stable connection go find a table, and hit CTRL-R {rest} over night to get yer cmans transfered faster ; )

Vibration, lullabye, air lore using a sonic lance.... they should all make you pretty successful with the cman.

[Savageheart]

Been hunting Darkstone and you can't charge just about anything there but the gargs and golems are straight melee so its predictable combat.

Charge, I think I am going to need 4 ranks. I am shooting for 2 ranks of precision as well.

The lance is a little slow currently I have a 7sec RT with it however I'm told I can enhance my dex and get that up if I ever want to annoy myself with adventurers guild bounties. Sometimes I use a scythe sometimes a lance depends if I've got too many boxes and don't want to leave before frying

Generally I find I can twist 1007-1010-1012-1019 and still have enough to use lullabye which is apparently insanely useful now. 1008 isn't bad when the creatures can actually be stunned its good for quick interupts on caster types.

Switched back to Brig chain was too heavy and too annoying. Looking to get some forest greens or the link. Currently have the scorched which is somewhat damage padded but meh.

All and all I've found a medium hunting in advance and forward rarely in offensive.

Getting currently 306AS in Off and 276 in Adv

[Savageheart]

Update:

Back to wearing chain, since getting it HCP its lurvly. Sonic Lances are perhaps the greatest thing since individually wrapped cheese slices, and Vibration chant should work on metalic and stone structures damnit.

Pushing my spell ranks down from 1030 to 1020 was kind of a bummer as I lost 1x on my sonics but eh the net gain is EDIII and E-Wave which like lullabye make hunting extremely easy. I can also 'theoretically' open my own boxes though I have not nor do I intend to try. Blowing up is bad.

Precision I would say is the best CMAN ever for using large weapon types.

[Outdrsyguy1]

Can you explain to me why precision is so nice for using large weapons? I have a polearm user currently and i'm curious what the difference could be.

[Celephais]

Can you explain to me why precision is so nice for using large weapons? I have a polearm user currently and i'm curious what the difference could be.
Large weapons usually hit pretty hard, and a hard hitting crush can be devastating. If you can ensure a crush every time, you can aim at the head (easier than the neck/eye) and with a decent hit you'll squash it like a melon.

[Gnomad]

Large weapons usually hit pretty hard, and a hard hitting crush can be devastating. If you can ensure a crush every time, you can aim at the head (easier than the neck/eye) and with a decent hit you'll squash it like a melon.Which would actually make precision a useful CMAN.

Too bad it doesn't work with aimed shots, which are the only time you'd constantly prefer one damage type over another.

[ThatDamnTep]

Which would actually make precision a useful CMAN.

Too bad it doesn't work with aimed shots, which are the only time you'd constantly prefer one damage type over another.


Or, you know, against creatures that aren't vulnerable to certain types of damage. Or happen to be more vulnerable against different types of damage, IE skeletal soldiers and the crush table.

[Outdrsyguy1]

I see, well what cmans do you guys use most as bards? i'm having trouble finding anything decent.

[Celephais]

Which would actually make precision a useful CMAN.

Too bad it doesn't work with aimed shots, which are the only time you'd constantly prefer one damage type over another.
Oh right, woops, I'm an idiot...

Crush is pretty sweet regardless of where you hit if you're going to be hitting really hard.

[Gnomad]

Or, you know, against creatures that aren't vulnerable to certain types of damage. Or happen to be more vulnerable against different types of damage, IE skeletal soldiers and the crush table.Which is why I said "constantly prefer".

If you really want to get a CMAN to be better against about 12 creatures out there, be my guest.

[AMUSED1]

Which is why I said "constantly prefer".

If you really want to get a CMAN to be better against about 12 creatures out there, be my guest.

Lances puncture 90% of the time and crush the other 10%. CMAN prec is VERY useful when using a lance because there are WAY more than 12 creatures out there that are immune to puncture. And there are even more creatures than that that crush damage hits extremely well on. There are ton of undead that you would not be able to hunt as a lance user if you didn't have prec.