Warhammer Online - Shadow Warrior Advice - October 2010
Lets start with the trees
Scout - Long range / long cast trees, this tree is for those great big wind ups that you blow an enemy away with. You'll be focusing on "Festering Arrow" with Enchanted Arrows and Fell the Weak following it.
Assault - Melee tree, does exactly as it sounds, makes you a melee hybrid where you peck at them from range then close in and dish out some pain.
Skirmish - Kiting/AoE/Short Range Tree, this tree gives you the flexibility of shooting shots on the move as well as AOE. While its range is generally short, you can increase it with Powerful Draw. Your most useful tool comes from here as well, "Shadow Sting" -- just about every spec you do will require this.
Theres many abbreviations involved with talking about skills, so get to know these--
BHA-Broadheaded arrow
SS-shadowsting
FA-festering arrow
FTW-felltheweak
EE-eagle eye
BA-brutal assault
SFA-spiralfletched arrow
FS-flanking shot
PD-powerful draw
BE-bullseye
RS-replenishing strikes
LS-leadingshots
EA-enchanted arrows
NQ-no quarter
As you can see, they're all pretty straight forward, so you will come to learn them over time
Specs:
Scout/Skirmish - You'll want to go up scout, pick up Festering Arrow, enchanted arrows, then go up skirmish and pick up shadow sting, flanking shot, powerful draw. (When you hit rr70 you can drop flanking shot for fell the weak in scout). This build focuses on bringing skirmish up to range with scout abilities using Powerful Draw, you'll primarily stay long range, throwing your BHA, then setting up for a FA/FTW blast.
Assault/Skirmish -- This build will be much more melee focused with kiting at range. You will go up Assault to pick up EW (3s stun) with NR(15%dmg) and SA (armor ignore) then up skirmish for SS and PD (Until you get rr70, you'll have to work without PD or sacrifice EW to be more range oriented with PD). With this build, you'll weaken enemies from afar, applying your dots, smacking them with SFAs and such, then when they're weak to take down, get in close with melee and shred them apart.
Those are the two main specs, theres quite a few smaller specs, like the scout SWs that will take NQ/GT for 1sec EEs or the rare Assault/Scout SW, but these are the most popular I feel. The best thing to do is try out each tree and determine what style you like the most and play around with it.
Tactics: Many many tactics, depending on what you're gonna do.
For all builds--
Replenishing Strikes- I use this in every build I make. AP = good
Leading Shots- whenever you're in a group, slot this, it'll benefit your group even if it doesnt benefit you
Masterful Aim- until you're softcapped (1050 ballistics) this is probably gonna be on your tactics.
Distracting Rebound- AOE detaunt, good for getting out of those melee trains.
Scout --
NQ- 1s eagle eyes, expensive, but useful especially when paired with..
GT- 35% less cost makes NQ basic cost again, these two are nearly paired together all the time
EA- Makes FA/Flame Arrow ignore resists, very useful for maximizing damage
Assault --
NR- 15% dmg when
SA- makes Brutal Assault ignore armor, this is your bread and butter right here.
MS- AP cost reduction for assault.. I dont use it often but others do, up to you.
Skirmish --
Split Arrows- makes SFA aoe, used to be good, but has been nerfed so much its not anymore
KA- longer dot timers, but most importantly, longer stun on VON-Takedown, good solo tactic
Powerful Draw- bread and butter of the skirmish tree, you will most likely aim for this tactic if you go skirmish
Stats by importance:
Ballistics -- cap this at 1050 (some will hover 900-1000, this is ok because there are group buffs that will raise it to 1050)
Ranged Attack Power -- stack this once bal is capped
Ranged crit -- essential for SWs, need atleast 30%.
Weaponskill -- another essential for damage, armor is stacked to the sky, need atleast 450-500WS
Wounds -- need to survive to kill things, lowbies will want to shoot for 6500~ hp, then as you get higher gear, aim for 8k or so
Tou/Init/etc -- the other defensive stats you wont have as much to spend towards these because of the need to stack weaponskill ontop of your damage stats, you get it on your gear so it should be enough. The idea is to stay at range and not get hit anyway.
Most importantly: TEST THINGS OUT, try for yourself. You wont learn as a player if you do what everyone tells you to do without understanding why. Learn why people spec certain ways, stacks certain things, etc.
Scout - Long range / long cast trees, this tree is for those great big wind ups that you blow an enemy away with. You'll be focusing on "Festering Arrow" with Enchanted Arrows and Fell the Weak following it.
Assault - Melee tree, does exactly as it sounds, makes you a melee hybrid where you peck at them from range then close in and dish out some pain.
Skirmish - Kiting/AoE/Short Range Tree, this tree gives you the flexibility of shooting shots on the move as well as AOE. While its range is generally short, you can increase it with Powerful Draw. Your most useful tool comes from here as well, "Shadow Sting" -- just about every spec you do will require this.
Theres many abbreviations involved with talking about skills, so get to know these--
BHA-Broadheaded arrow
SS-shadowsting
FA-festering arrow
FTW-felltheweak
EE-eagle eye
BA-brutal assault
SFA-spiralfletched arrow
FS-flanking shot
PD-powerful draw
BE-bullseye
RS-replenishing strikes
LS-leadingshots
EA-enchanted arrows
NQ-no quarter
As you can see, they're all pretty straight forward, so you will come to learn them over time
Specs:
Scout/Skirmish - You'll want to go up scout, pick up Festering Arrow, enchanted arrows, then go up skirmish and pick up shadow sting, flanking shot, powerful draw. (When you hit rr70 you can drop flanking shot for fell the weak in scout). This build focuses on bringing skirmish up to range with scout abilities using Powerful Draw, you'll primarily stay long range, throwing your BHA, then setting up for a FA/FTW blast.
Assault/Skirmish -- This build will be much more melee focused with kiting at range. You will go up Assault to pick up EW (3s stun) with NR(15%dmg) and SA (armor ignore) then up skirmish for SS and PD (Until you get rr70, you'll have to work without PD or sacrifice EW to be more range oriented with PD). With this build, you'll weaken enemies from afar, applying your dots, smacking them with SFAs and such, then when they're weak to take down, get in close with melee and shred them apart.
Those are the two main specs, theres quite a few smaller specs, like the scout SWs that will take NQ/GT for 1sec EEs or the rare Assault/Scout SW, but these are the most popular I feel. The best thing to do is try out each tree and determine what style you like the most and play around with it.
Tactics: Many many tactics, depending on what you're gonna do.
For all builds--
Replenishing Strikes- I use this in every build I make. AP = good
Leading Shots- whenever you're in a group, slot this, it'll benefit your group even if it doesnt benefit you
Masterful Aim- until you're softcapped (1050 ballistics) this is probably gonna be on your tactics.
Distracting Rebound- AOE detaunt, good for getting out of those melee trains.
Scout --
NQ- 1s eagle eyes, expensive, but useful especially when paired with..
GT- 35% less cost makes NQ basic cost again, these two are nearly paired together all the time
EA- Makes FA/Flame Arrow ignore resists, very useful for maximizing damage
Assault --
NR- 15% dmg when
SA- makes Brutal Assault ignore armor, this is your bread and butter right here.
MS- AP cost reduction for assault.. I dont use it often but others do, up to you.
Skirmish --
Split Arrows- makes SFA aoe, used to be good, but has been nerfed so much its not anymore
KA- longer dot timers, but most importantly, longer stun on VON-Takedown, good solo tactic
Powerful Draw- bread and butter of the skirmish tree, you will most likely aim for this tactic if you go skirmish
Stats by importance:
Ballistics -- cap this at 1050 (some will hover 900-1000, this is ok because there are group buffs that will raise it to 1050)
Ranged Attack Power -- stack this once bal is capped
Ranged crit -- essential for SWs, need atleast 30%.
Weaponskill -- another essential for damage, armor is stacked to the sky, need atleast 450-500WS
Wounds -- need to survive to kill things, lowbies will want to shoot for 6500~ hp, then as you get higher gear, aim for 8k or so
Tou/Init/etc -- the other defensive stats you wont have as much to spend towards these because of the need to stack weaponskill ontop of your damage stats, you get it on your gear so it should be enough. The idea is to stay at range and not get hit anyway.
Most importantly: TEST THINGS OUT, try for yourself. You wont learn as a player if you do what everyone tells you to do without understanding why. Learn why people spec certain ways, stacks certain things, etc.
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