Preparing my Warchanter for Vale/Shroud Completions

[AltheaSteelrain]

Pimp my Toon!~

As much as I really try to slow down my gained experience while grinding for plat or +6 generic equipment (ransacking mired in kobolds, grinding stormcleave outpost, running tempest spine) and finding better weapons (paralyzing, vorpal, silver/transmute falchions of good etc.. etc..) I am six levels short of level 20. I am f2p, so please don't mind the quest choice. To help w/ you guys giving advice, here is my adventure pack list so far:

Catacombs
Delera's Tomb
Vale (not yet buying, still waiting for discount to squeeze in Sands, but can already buy one if need be)

Here is my current Toon and equipment load-out

8 bard / 4 fighter / 2 barb
True Neutral

OMG no AC song? The reason why is because I dont have enough Songs per rest to AC song to begin with, and opt to maximize the overall DPS of the group through Fascinate (yes I use them alot more than the ironskin Chant) and Bard Melee Songs. Though I know it'll be problematic later on, I'll be running mostly w/ my guildies or PUGs, so its kinda irrelevant. I chose more HP, Combat DC's for Trip/Stunning Blow, Weapon Specialization since I crit alot (falchion), more To Hit and Extra Feats. I like to use trip/stunning blow simply because its cost effective to disable casters first as melee and mash away rather than swinging madly at them (they jump around, and cast defense buffs more often in my experience and I don't like tough casters). My current Combat DCs for both Stunning Blow and Trip are 24, in rage + barb rage mode.

HP (unbuffed): 266
HP (spell rage): 274
HP: (spell rage + barb rage): 307
SP: 245 (this is to be discussed below) + 100(magi) = 345

Str: 21 +1 (Fighter) +6(item)+2 (rage) +4(barb rage) = 34
Dex: 10+2(item; working on it) = 12
Con: 14+1 (barb) + 3 (item; working on it) = 18
Int: 8 (dump stat)
Wis: 8 (dump stat)
Cha: 10 + 1 (tome) +2 (item; I don't know if Bard's cloak is BtA or BtC, if not then I might beg for one from my guildies running one :P) = 13

AC: 23 (problematic, i need serious help here)
Saves: +17 fort, +14 Reflex +11 Will

Current Gear

Weapon: Main weapon - +5 Icy Burst kit Holy Falchion of Goblinoid Bane (flavor LOL) w/ Force Critical
Undead Masher - +1 Anarchic Greataxe of Greater Undead Bane (I hate mummies :P) / +3 Holy QStaff of PG
Vampire/construct - +3 Metalline Greataxe
Ranged - +2 Returning Silver Throwing Axe

Head: Divine Power (5x CL:7) Headgear (until I can find better ones or another DP googles)

Goggles: Goggles of Divine Power (3x CL:7)/ Goggles of Insight

Armor: Elemental Mithral Breastplate (I wont bind and attune this for +1 dodge since I plan to reuse this for my other toons, though I noticed its becoming rather obsolete, or am I mistaken?) / Deathblock Robe of Spell Resistance 17 (beholder mashing)

Bracers: Ogre Power Bracers +6 / Iron Manacles (for Deathblock robe mode)
Rings: Ring of Stability (left), Charismatic Ring +2 of Acid Resistance (I don't like Melf's arrow)

Boots: Featherfall Boots; still farming for Remlin's Step

Gloves: +2 Dexterous Gloves of Perform +11 / Linen Handwraps (mummy rot @_@)

Belt: x2 Planar Girdles / Belt of Divine power (5x CL:7)/ Health Belt of Balance (Can't find a better Health Belt of Imp. False Life yet)

Cloak: Cloak of Resistance / All Greater Energy cloaks

Trinket: Voice of the Master / Tharaak's Fang (if I know I'll fail my save) (Kardin's eye is so expensive )

Amulet: Nightforge Gorget (never letting this go since I cannot afford Necro Series)

So I think you know by now my current problems, but what I really want to focus on would be my self sufficiency through item heal versus mana heal; If i do the former, I drop my DPS, switching shield + wand healing, while if I do the latter I don't think I have enough SP up until I craft a Concord Op item w/c is irrelevant seeing I'm not even there yet. My solution would be to drop my Stunning Blow Feat and my Second Toughness Feat and re-spec it to Mental Toughness and Imp. Mental Toughness so taking Emp Heal/Quicken spell later would be more efficient.

AC is also a problem, which somehow is related to my SP pool problem. I don't really have problems with AC ,seeing I can use Blur and Displacement. But having SP management problems in the first place, already eliminates the perma displace/haste strategy unless during key portions of any quest (boss fights, lots of shrines, boredom, zerg...). So I'm down to just blur. And this blur is a glass wall waiting to be broken as soon as I get dispelled. I really don't know how to bump my AC up to acceptable level unless I go Icy Raiment + Armor Bracers. Or is there another way?

For my weapon, yeah its **** LOL. I'm still looking for vorpals, paralyzers, Shattermantles, Mettaline of Pure Good. Where can I find them? Do they Drop in The Vale?

I need to prepare myself a lot since I brand my Bard as Melee Specc'd. I need to live up to that name or else reroll :P

Any other ideas, concern, feedback, criticisms are welcome.

PS: Can anyone show a link for Shroud videos? like from part 1 - part 5. TY (browses youtube while I wait)

[Noctus]

AC: 23 (problematic, i need serious help here)

Nope, all fine here ...

You wont be able to reach anything working in these levels anyway, so not wasting resources into this is best.

Keep Displacement up 24/7 and Stoneskin Chant and you have a nice, working defense.

[sweez]

Just did my first Shroud on my splashed Warchanter (16 bard, 2 fighter, 2 barbarian), she did fine, could've done better but that was more of a player's fault than a toon's fault.

Don't worry about AC, mine is non-existant, I get by fine with Displacement/Stoneskin wands (not saying it's impossible to have a relevant AC on a bard, not saying that AC isn't useful, just saying unless you've built your toon to have a meaningful AC from the beginning, you should just ignore it).

Get some mana-increasing items to help you have Displacement/Haste up most of the time (I have 765 mana at level 20 without Mental Toughness with modified charisma of 22, no idea how that compares to other Warchanters but it's enough to keep the party perma-hasted and myself perma-displaced, throwing spot displacements/empowered mass cure mods on other melees).

~440 unbuffed HP, ~500 with temp HP self-buffed (I wouldn't recommend going into Shroud until you break 300). Don't forget Heavy Fort item (seems like you have that covered, although I'd still recommend getting Necro4 for Minos Legens, the stackable boost to HP will help you break 300/400 HP faster). Weapons - for the most part you can get by with just vorpals/DPS (you'll need a boss beater for Harry too, metalline/silver pure good/holy).

Don't forget mass cure mod/heal/fireshield scrolls if you can use them.

Hope some of that helps, I'm relatively new to the game myself.

[sirgog]

All you need on a Bard to be worth a party slot in the Shroud is the following:

Buffs:
Inspired Damage 2 or better (3 is worth taking)

Defenses:
Any ONE of the following if meleeing Harry:
350+ hp
300+ hp and Firestorm Greaves
300+ hp and the ability to cast Fire Shield - Cold on yourself
Plus, of course, the mandatory Heavy Fortification.

Offense:
Any ONE of the following:
A weapon that breaks Harry's DR
A Greater Lawful (or Evil) Outsider Bane weapon (easier to obtain than a DR beater, and much better value - don't use these above Normal, however)
A way to put out meaningful healing in part 4-5 (100% Heal scrolls, or Maximize, both Mass Cures and Superior Ardor 6) - having the bard heal in these parts slows the completion down slightly, but is a little more resilient if things go badly wrong.

[78mackson]

All you need on a Bard to be worth a party slot in the Shroud is the following:

Buffs:
Inspired Damage 2 or better (3 is worth taking)

...
A way to put out meaningful healing in part 4-5 (100% Heal scrolls, or Maximize, both Mass Cures and Superior Ardor 6) - having the bard heal in these parts slows the completion down slightly, but is a little more resilient if things go badly wrong.

Always max out inspired dmg, your song is the only unique thing about the class...

I doubt that this bard will be a healbot enough to solo heal shroud; not getting mass moderate kinda gives that away, so no need to worry about healing for other purposes then keeping your own scrawny behind intact... casting heal scrolls in raids as a form of healing is surely a tactic that would be considered "the last way out"/"The Alamo".. OP's bard will probably be more usefull then an average PUG fighter anyway so stand infront of the big chicken and absorb the healing from the dedicated healer, just like an ordinary f*ck up...

[Irinis]

Bard's Cloak is BTC, the good news is that by getting Vale you will also have access to the Subt raids. Until you get it (which should be pretty quick, it drops a LOT and for the most part nobody wants it!) just grab a +6 cha cloak of whatever.

To get Minos helm as F2P, buy the tapestries on AH or from guildies then ask in trade channel to buy a 30-min guest pass to Necro 4 for plat. Go in and get your helm, then bum around in slayers for a bit (especially if you can get an arcane caster friend along) and get some extra xp for the remaining time. Well worth it.

[AltheaSteelrain]

Always max out inspired dmg, your song is the only unique thing about the class...

I doubt that this bard will be a healbot enough to solo heal shroud; not getting mass moderate kinda gives that away, so no need to worry about healing for other purposes then keeping your own scrawny behind intact... casting heal scrolls in raids as a form of healing is surely a tactic that would be considered "the last way out"/"The Alamo".. OP's bard will probably be more usefull then an average PUG fighter anyway so stand infront of the big chicken and absorb the healing from the dedicated healer, just like an ordinary f*ck up...

Let me get this straight if I understand you; I will do fine w/ max songs and be a better than nothing Fighter, keeping a relative distance between the "cleaving" attacks and trying my best to flank the boss while watching for my HP bar to not reach the Delayed Blast Fireball Death Range?

[AltheaSteelrain]

Buffs:
Inspired Damage 2 or better (3 is worth taking)

I have all song enhancements maxed up to the most possible at my given bard level (bard 14)

Defenses:
Any ONE of the following if meleeing Harry:
350+ hp
300+ hp and Firestorm Greaves
300+ hp and the ability to cast Fire Shield - Cold on yourself
Plus, of course, the mandatory Heavy Fortification.

350 HP = can do
300 HP w/ Firestorm Greaves = I don't have sands yet, so can I get away with wands or scroll casting Fire Shield fire/cold?

Heavy Fort = Got this covered

Offense:
Any ONE of the following:
A weapon that breaks Harry's DR
A Greater Lawful (or Evil) Outsider Bane weapon (easier to obtain than a DR beater, and much better value - don't use these above Normal, however)

I would invest in long term so I'll work on getting a harry beater that works even on epic.

A way to put out meaningful healing in part 4-5 (100% Heal scrolls, or Maximize, both Mass Cures and Superior Ardor 6) - having the bard heal in these parts slows the completion down slightly, but is a little more resilient if things go badly wrong.

I don't think Superior Ardoring my Mass Cure Light Wounds w/ healing enhancements would be efficient but I'll keep this in mind on my future shroud runs.

[AltheaSteelrain]

Just did my first Shroud on my splashed Warchanter (16 bard, 2 fighter, 2 barbarian), she did fine, could've done better but that was more of a player's fault than a toon's fault.

Don't worry about AC, mine is non-existant, I get by fine with Displacement/Stoneskin wands (not saying it's impossible to have a relevant AC on a bard, not saying that AC isn't useful, just saying unless you've built your toon to have a meaningful AC from the beginning, you should just ignore it).

Get some mana-increasing items to help you have Displacement/Haste up most of the time (I have 765 mana at level 20 without Mental Toughness with modified charisma of 22, no idea how that compares to other Warchanters but it's enough to keep the party perma-hasted and myself perma-displaced, throwing spot displacements/empowered mass cure mods on other melees).

~440 unbuffed HP, ~500 with temp HP self-buffed (I wouldn't recommend going into Shroud until you break 300). Don't forget Heavy Fort item (seems like you have that covered, although I'd still recommend getting Necro4 for Minos Legens, the stackable boost to HP will help you break 300/400 HP faster). Weapons - for the most part you can get by with just vorpals/DPS (you'll need a boss beater for Harry too, metalline/silver pure good/holy).

Don't forget mass cure mod/heal/fireshield scrolls if you can use them.

Hope some of that helps, I'm relatively new to the game myself.

So I should not drop my stunning blow and second toughness feats and instead try to find those SP suffix items? I suppose I'll work on getting at least 500 SP @ 20.

[AltheaSteelrain]

Nope, all fine here ...

You wont be able to reach anything working in these levels anyway, so not wasting resources into this is best.

Keep Displacement up 24/7 and Stoneskin Chant and you have a nice, working defense.

So I should start hoarding those stoneskin wands now? :P

[Junts]

So I should start hoarding those stoneskin wands now? :P

stoneskin can be purchased in the twelve

make sure you work in at least a 100 sp, if not a 150 sp, item so you have enough sp to keep up displacement. It should be your 2nd lv 3 spell, and its absolutely necessary.

From the vale and onward, only people who have built from level 1 onward for armor class will typically have enough to matter. Defense for everyone who isn't a monk splashed ranger/cleric/rogue, a monk, or a ac based paladin/fighter is now about dr and displacement. The required ac to not be hit in the Shroud is around 65 starting for trash mobs. You'd never achieve it without a reincarnation.

[AltheaSteelrain]

stoneskin can be purchased in the twelve

make sure you work in at least a 100 sp, if not a 150 sp, item so you have enough sp to keep up displacement. It should be your 2nd lv 3 spell, and its absolutely necessary.

From the vale and onward, only people who have built from level 1 onward for armor class will typically have enough to matter. Defense for everyone who isn't a monk splashed ranger/cleric/rogue, a monk, or a ac based paladin/fighter is now about dr and displacement. The required ac to not be hit in the Shroud is around 65 starting for trash mobs. You'd never achieve it without a reincarnation.

Ohh thanks!~ I'll go check right now

I'll get magi or power X items on my trinket then, instead of Kardin's eye.

[Junts]

Ohh thanks!~ I'll go check right now

I'll get magi or power X items on my trinket then, instead of Kardin's eye.

Well, have both!

For now, a POPX is fine. Wear it going to the quest;/entering, buff, then swap; you'll spend 100 sp easily on buffs.

In time, though, you'll want to look for a larger SP item, and it'll go on another slot. Particularly easy ones to acquire drop from the Hound raid, which you can also run at shroud level (they are lv 17 raid quests). One is a wizardry 6 necklace with some other effects, and the other is a wizardry 7 ring. Neither is very wanted by endgame players, but they are both very effective bridge gear. The hound also drops a few other items you could look for, especially Levik's Bracers: This is a set of +6 str bracers that also give you 20% incoming healing amplification. This really helps keep heal scroll numbers high and makes you easy to heal by others, or yourself if you have the metamagics to actually be a viable healer. Especially as a human, because amplification is multiplicative, these effects get very powerful. All of my humans wear a 20% amplification effect somewhere in their gear.

Especially since you have more feats than other bards (4 fighter instead of just the standrad 16/2/2 splash, or even a pure build), you should make sure you have extend. The shortage of bard levels will shorten your hastes and displacements, and those are your key to your own success. You need to not only attack fast, but be able to dodge monsters quickly, and the 50% miss from displacement will cover you against nearly all non-raid boss monsters. Just hotkey displacement somewhere you can easily hit it fast when you get dispelled. Being dispelled by a caster in melee is one of the easiest ways for a young melee bard to die: you don't have the hp of other tanks, so if you stoneskin and displacement are gone, and you have any aggro, you're going to die very fast.

Remember to keep warsong chant up even if you are using stoneskin. It is very effective insurance against stoneskin wearing out when you're knocked down or being dispelled.


Remember that displacement is also good for nearly every other melee. If they're a two handed or two weapon fighter that isn't using monk robes, there's a really high chance that they have no AC and your displacement will make keeping them alive a lot easier for whoever's got that job.