::Blades of Ouroboros:: RECRUITING NEW PLAYERS AND ALTS

[Phew]

I was hoping that ever since maxing out my build with 6 IF I would be able to take more hits from him, but I am still lucky to live past the first. One the rare occasion speed bonus works severely in my favor, and I live past the second hit, I am so shocked I don't even see the 3rd hit coming.

Whenever he's on the other team, I seriously consider just spawning naked, because his overheads usually one-shot me despite 58 head armor and 58 HP. I can't stab, because he gets a free overhead during the stab stun, and I can't left swing or overhead because if I'm in range for those attacks, I'm in kick range (his kicks always land; I can't even land a kick on an AFK). Spamming right swing while backpedaling is the only tactic remaining, and that's no way to beat a good player like Gallon, especially since he can survive at least 10 hits from me. His only weakness is that he does fall for perfect feints, but that only works once (after that he just swings through your feints).

[Penitent]

1hit-hit? 1hand-hit? Huh? 

I have no idea what I was thinking when I typed that, but yeah...I was trying to refer to those overhead 1-shot kills.  You know, when Gallon's razor bec of tears and mourning destroys your helm, your face, and your hopes and dreams for that round.  The expert kicks are the nail in the coffin.

[Jona]

Yeah, kicks are still pretty dumb and never seem to line up properly for me, regardless of what ping I have. I hit an afk guy perfectly, but my foot passes right through him. I am backpedaling (with 8 athletics, mind you) and get kicked by a plate crutch who is standing still in front of me, slightly off to one side or the other. Kicks don't really even have a place in this mod now that nudges have been successfully implemented... they are what kicks should be.

[Phew]

Draeth, please don't trade away the Liuyedao you have in armory now. Or if you do want to trade it, give me first crack at it. That's the 1h I always perform the best with, although I never use one cus of a bias against Eastern gear plus it always seems too cheesy with its ridiculous speed. But now my ISP has decided I should have 100+ ping most evenings, so I need all the cheese I can get. And my bias against Eastern gear is apparently over; my 2h guy is using a +3 Miaodao and both my chars wear eastern boots.

My 2h guy is about ready to retire, and I'm getting cold feet about going cav next gen. I just hate Battle so much, and I doubt being cav will change my opinion. So now I'm thinking of going back to my roots and going pure polearm, maybe with some shield skill. There are just so many cool potential loadouts:
shield+spear+long axe
swiss+bec
buckler+battle fork+long axe
buckler+spear+long maul
etc.

So just wondered if any of you wanted first crack at the +3 Heraldic Barded Warhorse before I traded it for a pole.

[Tojo]

Cav is garbage without armored horse. Hybrids are garbage because everyone is going 21/21 pure builds. I do t even know anymore...

[Phew]

Cav is garbage without armored horse. Hybrids are garbage because everyone is going 21/21 pure builds. I do t even know anymore...

Really not much need to hybrid anymore, since polearm offers so much versatility within the one weapon group. Add in ~3 shield skill, and you can switch to hoplite mode for horse rearing and support, then whip out a 4d polearm for duel situations. People assume bucklers are crap because they look dinky, but they are just as good in melee as a big shield (if not better) and have a decent forcefield against ranged (as long as it's raised and you are facing the archer). Buckler+war spear+long axe/bec/whatever is probably the most versatile loadout possible.

[Jona]

Really not much need to hybrid anymore, since polearm offers so much versatility within the one weapon group. Add in ~3 shield skill, and you can switch to hoplite mode for horse rearing and support, then whip out a 4d polearm for duel situations. People assume bucklers are crap because they look dinky, but they are just as good in melee as a big shield (if not better) and have a decent forcefield against ranged (as long as it's raised and you are facing the archer). Buckler+war spear+long axe/bec/whatever is probably the most versatile loadout possible.

I would go with a 4 shield skill minimum... the shields are way better at the 4 skill level, and it also gives you access to 95% of shields on the battlefield should  your initial one break. You will also be able to use your +3 knightly heater from your main. Also, if you want to go hoplite with a war spear as your main weapon, you don't even need a backup 4d weapon. The war spear is good enough for nearly any duel scenario. It can easily stack up against a long axe since it has both speed and reach.

Something to keep in mind when thinking about going all out with 2 polearms and a buckler is that poelarms are significantly heavier than 1handers, so bringing a backup can easily slow you down a lot more than you realize. Whenever I use my long maul + staff loadout I try and drop the maul rather than sheathe it if possible... it is just so heavy. Not all weapons are so bad, obviously, but when hopliting I never bring my long axe, since the weight of the shield AND the axe is too much for me. Hence I tend to use my spathion with 0wpf or the trusty staff.

(click to show/hide)

But for the record, no backup weapon beats the spammaster's staffmaster's staff. 

[Phew]

I would go with a 4 shield skill minimum... the shields are way better at the 4 skill level, and it also gives you access to 95% of shields on the battlefield should  your initial one break. You will also be able to use your +3 knightly heater from your main. Also, if you want to go hoplite with a war spear as your main weapon, you don't even need a backup 4d weapon. The war spear is good enough for nearly any duel scenario. It can easily stack up against a long axe since it has both speed and reach.

Something to keep in mind when thinking about going all out with 2 polearms and a buckler is that poelarms are significantly heavier than 1handers, so bringing a backup can easily slow you down a lot more than you realize. Whenever I use my long maul + staff loadout I try and drop the maul rather than sheathe it if possible... it is just so heavy. Not all weapons are so bad, obviously, but when hopliting I never bring my long axe, since the weight of the shield AND the axe is too much for me. Hence I tend to use my spathion with 0wpf or the trusty staff.

(click to show/hide)

But for the record, no backup weapon beats the spammaster's staffmaster's staff. 

I can't block 1h swings for sh!t, so I like having a shieldbreaker on me cus I can't last long in those fights otherwise. Even 2 poles+buckler is still lighter than my 1h/shield loadout, so I probably wouldn't notice. The worst thing about polearms is the movement speed penalty due to length (which is worse than the penalty due to weight of an extra weapon), since they all have a long length stat but actual reach is much less. 2h is king for movement speed; the Great Axe has about the same reach as the Long Axe, but the length stat is 20cm shorter. I loved the +3 Great Axe I just traded so much that I considered just staying 2h, but the 2h overhead animation is so crappy compared to pole and 1h (and I love me some overheads).

Gen 1-6 Phew was a +3 GLB/Long Bardiche, 30/9 build, Rus Scale. But everyone else had a Danish back then, so the 'diches didn't seem slow at all. I only switched to shielder cus I was tired of getting chopped up by Balbaroth/Grok/Turboflex and the other pro shielders of the era.

That staff is so absurd with your wpf; you must wreck everyone on duel server with it.

P.S. I use a +3 Heavy Kite. Its stats are overtly better than the other shields

(click to show/hide)

People assume it's 2-slot, but it's 1.

[Taser]

P.S. I use a +3 Heavy Kite. Its stats are overtly better than the other shields

U w0t?

What are the stats?

Plus why a heavy kite phew? Its so.. ugly. Sorry mang.. it is.

[Phew]

U w0t?

What are the stats?

Plus why a heavy kite phew? Its so.. ugly. Sorry mang.. it is.

It's the most durable shield of its weight or below (by a long shot), and it also happens to be faster than many less durable shields (99 speed when loomed). The aesthetics depend on the banner, but I admit that the Knightly Heater and Elite Cav look better. Don't you use a Board Shield? Not exactly known for its beauty, that.

[Taser]

It's the most durable shield of its weight or below (by a long shot), and it also happens to be faster than many less durable shields (99 speed when loomed). The aesthetics depend on the banner, but I admit that the Knightly Heater and Elite Cav look better. Don't you use a Board Shield? Not exactly known for its beauty, that.

Say what? The board shield is the most beautiful shield there is.

(click to show/hide)

Except for the heavy round... that truly is a hbb

[Phew]

Say what? The board shield is the most beautiful shield there is.

I just didn't want to steal your swag; the Board/mil cleaver is your trademark. Like Balbaroth and the brown lion/leet scimi. I'll never have a trademark cus I switch gear too much

Actually, my trademark right now is getting owned by n00bs now that my ISP has decided I should ping the cRPG servers like they are on the moon.

[Jona]

Even 2 poles+buckler is still lighter than my 1h/shield loadout, so I probably wouldn't notice.

True, but I would advise against a buckler. It's only real purpose is for those who can't manually block as far as I'm concerned. The only reason I carry a shield is for ranged. Sure it is useful in ganks, but I try to avoid those as much as possible anyways. You don't carry a shield into battle thinking "Oh boy, I'm gonna be able to take on 5 enemies at once now!" since that will generally set you up for a miserable, very brief round (of battle). Also from my very limited experience with bucklers they seem to have a slightly smaller melee-forcefield compared to actual shields... they are a lot easier to swing around with a long weapon. I love my heavy round, mostly because it

is a hbb

but also since it almost never breaks and has great coverage.

[Tojo]

Elite cav shield is best for banner. I stopped using it last night though because of Gallo, took out my MW Skull crusher (flanged mace) to kill him.

Knockdown proc for 1h is terrible though, idk if it has been changed.

[Jona]

Elite cav shield is best for banner. I stopped using it last night though because of Gallo, took out my MW Skull crusher (flanged mace) to kill him.

Knockdown proc for 1h is terrible though, idk if it has been changed.

Nah, heavy round best for banner, doesn't have that segmented look like the elite cav does. Also I find that I can knockdown pretty well with a +3 spathovaklion (unfortunately the only blunt 1h wep in our armory, I feel like scum using it). Getting knockdown with a 1h is pretty easy since the left swing, overhead, and to some degree the right swing pretty much hit the head 70% of the time. I also find myself using holds a lot more as a swashbuckler than as a polearmer... I think it is easier to pull off since the animations seem a little snappier after the release. Could all be psychological on my behalf, but nothing beats a left swing held attack to the head. Besides, knockdown isn't all that useful since anyone who pulls off a roll is pretty much safe from your "free" hit. Granted it is hard to hit someone who rolls away with any weapon, it is a lot harder with short 1handers... I was only able to get a free hit on someone by switching to my spathion and stabbing them as they got up... they probably had time to block but didn't think I could reach them.