Returning Veteran

[Deeogee]

Hello Everyone!

I just pick the game up a few days ago after taking a long break. I started in early 2000 and fizzled out somewhere in mid 2006, and now coming back today. My main was a 70 Dwarf Cleric named Bakanar who I played most of the time. In my spare time, I boxed a 70 Enchanter with a 70 Pally around the Cleric. However, I also had a 69 Magician Twinky that I loved to play around with. After observing the status of my server (Prexus), it seems that it is very difficult to get a group for anyone that is lower than 80-85. So, I have decided to build up my Magician as my new main. With that said, I have a few questions for you all, as I did level my mage to 69, but I believe I didn't learn some of the most efficient ways to solo. Here's where I require a little assistance:

I was an avid reader of the previous Magician Tower and Eq Summoners forums, however reading and actually doing are two different things. When I play my Mage, it was always in a group and I never really solo'd. I have heard of strategies where you just chain cast Pets until the mob is dead. I also have heard of healing your pet and burning the mob to death. My question is, which is the most mana-efficient solution for you? And which pets do you use?

Also, I am having a hard time trying to find an efficient soloing spot for myself. Right now, I'm pretty sure my gear is sub-par for the current expansion. Right now, I am level 69 with 3 AA in Run Speed. My unbuffed hp / mana is around 7k / 8k. I would love to hit level 70 so I can buy the elegant defiant set of armor in the bazaar for starters. I have also heard of a Raging Servant spell that is pretty useful, I think this is a level 70 spell? Anyway, I have tried Split Paw, the mobs there tear up my 66 Air Pet, and the experience there was like 1% regular for every 5 mobs at the zone-in. I tried Grieg's End but most mobs were green / light blue. I was earning an average of 1% for every 3 kills, which was a little better than Split Paw. I tried PoFire, and my 66 air pet did not even stand a chance, even when chain healing, against 1 zone-in mob. So my question is, am I using the wrong pet, or have I not found a good spot for 69 regular experience yet?

My goal is to hit Level 76 as soon as possible (for the new pet), and then grind a few hundred AA (I know I am severely lacking in the AA department). I also just want your soloing tactics, as I'm sure that's what I'm going to be doing for a long while until I either hit 80, or find a guild that wants to group together. I will be able to box a 70 chanter and 70 pally with the mage, however I don't want to have to count on them.

Any information you provide will be invaluable, and I appreciate you taking the time to look at this!!

[Daiou]

Hello Everyone!

I just pick the game up a few days ago after taking a long break. I started in early 2000 and fizzled out somewhere in mid 2006, and now coming back today. My main was a 70 Dwarf Cleric named Bakanar who I played most of the time. In my spare time, I boxed a 70 Enchanter with a 70 Pally around the Cleric. However, I also had a 69 Magician Twinky that I loved to play around with. After observing the status of my server (Prexus), it seems that it is very difficult to get a group for anyone that is lower than 80-85. So, I have decided to build up my Magician as my new main. With that said, I have a few questions for you all, as I did level my mage to 69, but I believe I didn't learn some of the most efficient ways to solo. Here's where I require a little assistance:

I was an avid reader of the previous Magician Tower and Eq Summoners forums, however reading and actually doing are two different things. When I play my Mage, it was always in a group and I never really solo'd. I have heard of strategies where you just chain cast Pets until the mob is dead. I also have heard of healing your pet and burning the mob to death. My question is, which is the most mana-efficient solution for you? And which pets do you use?

At one point the mage pet was grossely under powered and the pet chaining technic was the way to go, now days i'd advise against it. Get a healer merc, the pet aa that allows you to have pet get group buffs and a decent pet focus and burn the mobs. Soloing or in a group air pet is your bread and butter.

Also, I am having a hard time trying to find an efficient soloing spot for myself. Right now, I'm pretty sure my gear is sub-par for the current expansion. Right now, I am level 69 with 3 AA in Run Speed. My unbuffed hp / mana is around 7k / 8k. I would love to hit level 70 so I can buy the elegant defiant set of armor in the bazaar for starters. I have also heard of a Raging Servant spell that is pretty useful, I think this is a level 70 spell? Anyway, I have tried Split Paw, the mobs there tear up my 66 Air Pet, and the experience there was like 1% regular for every 5 mobs at the zone-in. I tried Grieg's End but most mobs were green / light blue. I was earning an average of 1% for every 3 kills, which was a little better than Split Paw. I tried PoFire, and my 66 air pet did not even stand a chance, even when chain healing, against 1 zone-in mob. So my question is, am I using the wrong pet, or have I not found a good spot for 69 regular experience yet?

It's been a while since i was in my 70s but seem to remember reading in the hunting ground section the bottom of the hole was good till 71. I'd say head there get to 70 then build some AAs once your comfy hit 71 get new air pet and head back to splitpaw.

My goal is to hit Level 76 as soon as possible (for the new pet), and then grind a few hundred AA (I know I am severely lacking in the AA department). I also just want your soloing tactics, as I'm sure that's what I'm going to be doing for a long while until I either hit 80, or find a guild that wants to group together. I will be able to box a 70 chanter and 70 pally with the mage, however I don't want to have to count on them.

Any information you provide will be invaluable, and I appreciate you taking the time to look at this!!

For soloing i can't help you, i pull and burn the few times i solo. Mostly play with my wife (chanter) or grouped.

Good luck!

[Deeogee]

Ah, yes I have heard of the "Pet Focus" items. Are there any decent ones that may be bought in bazaar or mildly doable by a solo Magician?

[Brie]

An Elaborate Summoner's Ear Stud can be bought for about 4k from a merchant in Plane of Knowledge. The merchant is in front of the Crescent Reach stone, can't recall his name at the moment.

Good luck!

[Daiou]

Or The Sweeper Who is soloable and very cheap in Bazaar.

Check here to see what level focus does what in power to the pet.

[Runny]

Personally I'd stay level 70 and grind AAs, At that level they come very quickly. I would stay in split paw with a healer merc until you can build up your pet defensive AAs. Other AAs you will want are max theft of essence, under your class tab, and gift of magic. With those two lines of AAs alone, soloing in split paw should become pretty easy, just use the healer merc until you can get to that point. At level 70 I was getting 22-25% AA per kill, this was roughly 1aa per 5mins, which is very hard to beat, especially at level 76. The nice thing about theft of essence is that it has a chance to heal you pet, and give him a buff, every time you use a vs summoned type spell on the mob. Your vs summoned spells are low mana, and difficult to resist, I would mostly chain nuke the summoned line of spells, and when gift of magic goes off just cast raging servant, this tends to tear through mobs pretty fast. Also, before you go on an exp grind, try and get the best shaman and chanter buffs you can get, if you're able to get a c9 at level 70 you will have very little down time, then just have a shaman and possibly cleric buff your pet to hell, works wonders!

Runny

[Baramos]

Get that focus mentioned above. That was great advice and the difference is night and day.

For where you are, your best choice is to continue buying those foci from the PoK guy until you're doing some kind of progression.

Here's another thing. Put Elaborate or Elegant gear on your pet for massive AC and HP upgrades over your summoned gear.

Things you need:

- Spell Iceflame Guard then upgrades. This spell is extraordinarily powerful. It procs a DD, adds DS, and (the important part) a rune that absorbs any amount of damage. Simply a huge addition to our pet tanking arsenal. When you get the 2-rune version even more yay.
- Spell Raging Servant at 70 then the upgrades.
- Earthen Stance when you can. It's good until SoD then diminishing returns destroy it except situationally.
- Fortify Companion when you can. Huge.
- DEBUFF stuff - anything that helps you with Malosinia (manaless) or just use the spells. Always debuff. And (a "secret" that so many Mages overlook) try and get that VT wrist from VT with the 4 slot annul. That annul is a killer. 4 slot annul is unheard of for Mages and it wrecks buffs on hasted mobs which you find variously. I pop this on in zones where I know the mobs have roamers or buddies who like to haste them and its one of those things (annul) that makes you able to do truly OMG things. Sounds too simple, I know.
- Rathe's Strength - Pet Aura.
- Pet Relocation AA. Truly a powerful AA that is underestimated. When your Servant is beating on a MOB, pop your pet to the other side so he has to choose which pet he has stomping him into the ground from the backside. Either way, bummer for him. Chuckle.
- Try, at some point, to get the maximum version of the Aegis of Kilkudran line. The extra rune makes a huge difference. When you hit SoD Earthen stance goes into the dumper and this will be your bread and butter pet defense spell, along with your other AAs, and the gear or super elab and eleg gear or (big hint) REALLY super gear that turns your pet into a growling behemoth with such great defense that your jaw drops.
- Burning Aura line. Don't neglect this line. It is powerful.
- Fickle Fire line. Another big yay.

Many of the spell mentioned above can be researched. I made them every day and gave them away free to Mages on the servers my Mages are on, much to the chagrin of Bazaar gougers.

And Ok, controversial subject but don't always think AIR pet. Normally I don't even tell people this, but today is my last day.

Trust me on this, when you are tanking the truly hard-case mobs, or have multiples incoming use an Earth pet. An Earth pet completely owns Air in Tanking when it comes to multi's or nameds. Earth is mitigation, Air is avoidance. Air pets getting hit on the back do not avoid anything. You'll hear many Mages say I am full of it, but I can't count on 4 hands how many times I have listened to Mages say OMG how did you kill that MOB, I tried it so many times and got my butt kicked. When they tell me that I know they're using Air. Air gets spiky, streaky damage, and lucky rounds, particularly against multiple mobs make you sad, quickly.

Don't get me wrong, Air is amazing, and in UF his stuns seem to work a lot better again. Late SoF and all of SoD he was having issues popping that guy. Anyway, when I know I'm doing hardcase stuff I use Earth. In general Air, and when doing AA's on LBs I use a really nice Water Pet.

When you hit 70 start hitting the Direwind Boneyard. Zone into Direwind, hang the first left, and start killing those Undead. They don't run and there are a LOT of casters in there. If you hit the casters with annul - especially with that wrist - they get so pissed they often (not always) get into a casting loop trying to rebuff, or simply toss spells at you while you are destroying them.

The Boneyard is a good training ground. At 70 you will have difficulty. You will have to learn to split mobs, how to get around safely (buy some IVU pots and potion belt them) and at first you will struggle but after awhile you'll own several camps and at some point you will completely own the whole place. Really, for the solo Mage, one of the best training grounds to help him hone his craft in the game. Get Companion of Necessity (our mem-blur pet) to aid you in splitting and LEARN how to use it properly. It is kind of tricky sometimes, but it will help you to split MOBs, or if you are pulling and get an add you don't want you can pop him off to the add while enticing the other to continue following.

Finally, Valdehalm pit. The mature iceskaters (spiders) in that pit give you 20.5 percent AA xp at 85. I do anywhere from 9 to 15 AAs there a lesson depending on how vigorous I am feeling.

There is a ton more by the way. I haven't said enough, and in a couple places I may have said too much *fear/paranoia/Big_Brother_Nerf*.

Later all.

[Deeogee]

Thank you very much for the replies thus far. Your information is invaluable, and I plan to use it to my advantage.

I have picked up the focus items from the guy in PoK, and the difference is night and day. I am very grateful I found these items. I am currently grinding in The Hole to get to 70, and then I will pick up any spells I do not have and head over to Split Paw to try my luck again!

[Daiou]

I'd suggest you get to 71 since you get Essence of Air at that level. The new Air pet with that focus will make the difference.

[Zatpus]

Go for lvl 71 and get your new pet there.
Than find a nice mage which might summon you a "Skull of the Spire Servant" (or have a look at bazaar). It offers the EMI petfocus in form of a buff on yourself. Have it on you when you summon a new pet. The EMI petfocus works for all pets lvl 71 and above.

The best tradeable apart from this expendable clicky would be "Energized Wire Coil". Sometimes it can be found at bazaar.