Monk Disciplines

[FatalBagel]

Is there a thread that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the various elemental disciplines?

It seems like pretty much everyone is 100% sold on Air, but it really doesn't seem that amazing to me considering most of the attack speed increase is unstackable with haste.

Are any of the other paths considered strong for some play styles? If not, what about air makes it so amazing?

Thanks!

[SimVerg]

Is there a thread that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the various elemental disciplines?

It seems like pretty much everyone is 100% sold on Air, but it really doesn't seem that amazing to me considering most of the attack speed increase is unstackable with haste.

Are any of the other paths considered strong for some play styles? If not, what about air makes it so amazing?

Thanks!

Air's dps increase is multiplicative, all other stances provide either no dps increase(earth, water) or an additive one(fire).

[Arkat]

What we're trying to say is...Speed kills!

[Dylos_Moon]

Tier4 Air is perma haste.

Tier4 Earth is perma waste (the DR doesn't stack with a level 20 monk's 10/Epic, it just overlaps)

Tier4 Fire is more ki then you will ever want or use.

Tier4 Water gives insane AC while tumbing (oh yay i can look like an idiot and never get hit at the same time!) and boosts a monk's already insane saves.

I think its easy enough to see why people prefer air stance.

That being said, my monk is stunning fist spec'd, and almost always in Water Stance.

[SimVerg]

What we're trying to say is...Speed kills!

[Aerendil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948&feature=fvst

[Cedwin]

No one is pointing out the stat changes, or does everyone just go with what everyone else says? Ok.

Ultimate stances:

Air: +4 dex, -2 con, increased attack speed

Fire: +4 str, -2 wis, increased ki generation

Earth: +4 con, -2 dex, DR, increased blocking, slower movement, generate ki when struck.

Water: +4 wis, -2 str, increased saves, armor bonus while tumbling

I think each stance can have it's uses, anyone who says to just use air and screw the rest isn't playing a monk the way they were meant to be.

[Mobeius]

Air is uber haste that stacks with haste and adds AC

Water is CAN be better AC but definately those times you want a great boost to your AC and also but not limited to boosting your DC's on special monk attacks.

Earth you want for the untyped damage and the burst damage if you crit, will be greater in next update

Fire, about the only reason you want Fire is maybe a str boost to break down doors or hit levers etc... 1st teir is good enough for this and it grants you access to the curative and rez line of monk AP's

[Arvess]

It depends on your playstyle and strategy as well. I primarily try to do stat damage so the faster the better and a portion does stack with haste and you'll notice it when its gone. For the most part, I usually have too much ki. If I don't, its because I need to spam healing curse constantly to mitigate damage (or i abundant step all over the place :P).

I have all stances on my hotbar but may only switch to water when I need massive saves. Fire: maybe if i need ki fast and there's not too many baddies left. I do use fire a lot in early levels tho. But that's a result of my leveling strategy.

Air gives you AC bonuses, To-Hit Bonuses if you took weap finesse, AND attack speed. You trade Fort save 1, concentration, and hit points.

Fire Gives you damage bonus, To hit bonus if Don't have weap finesse and faster KI. You trade AC, DC on special attacks, Will save 1.

Water gives you AC bonus, Save Bonus, and DC bonuses for special attacks. You trade base dmg.

Earth has these cool rocks animation that flake off you after you turn it on. I don't know...maybe if you can't hit anything and your AC is so poor that you get hit all the time, and you need extra hitpoints because you take a ton of damage even with the DR. Maybe its useful. I made an earth monk one time...Dwarf, earth stance, level one...the only toon that ever died defending the crystal on korthos.

[Arvess]

Mobeius makes a good point that you don't have to be in the stance to take advantage of the discipline.