Zayahoue
Total Newbie
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 40
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 Posted: 10/21/02 - 14:24 Post subject: Confessions of a level 41 zealot.
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After doing most of the vaults, and earning a bit of exp/loot on my own, I've compiled a little summary of the zealot.
--The good news
Disable rocks! I do love this skill, it hits pretty hard, lands almost all the time, and stuns for up to 8 seconds, making it my zealot favorite skill. My enemies in PvP hate this skill with a passion =)
When I think zealot, I think quick damage, and they've been able to maintain this feeling. Onslught/blur combo is pretty good damage (to mobs at least) even with my crappy claws. In a really good encounter for me, which happens 25% of the time, I'll get the kill. This means I was able to stay on the monster the entire fight, either through healing or luck and he spawned close to us meaning the archers didnt have 2 minuts to pound it. Stoneshadow plains where a lotta people hang out I attack the dillos while they chase people and I can get the kill 90% of the time since there's 30+ people around and he usually doesnt attack me.
Specilization skills land a lot more than regular melee tree skills, I'm assuming because of the additional help of zealot adept. I can usually count on a 80% hit rate with almost all my zealot skills, which is pretty good.
--The bad news
First, prepare to craft hardcore, or have a crafter friend who does. If dropped handblades arnt changed, you are in for a world of frustration if you dont. At level 41, I'm using 2 ancient weapons (which were recently nerfed to 120-160). This SUCKS! Berzerkers and reg melee skill characters are using 180-230+ weapons, at level 37!. Also, most people have 100-150 armor by that level, more if they have self buffs (which all humans do). I'm hitting people for 15-30 reg attacks, 80-100 with skills, while getting hit myself for 200+ per hit, usually ranged attacks.
Second, prepare to die a lot. We get no vigor restore spells, no armor increase spells and an unreliable regen spell that is only good for downtime, since it lasts 2 min and has 5min refresh and it does nothing unless you arnt being attacked and standing still. Since zealot is a spec, you have to spend a ton of points for your skills, which means you cant get acumen or anything else in the buff line. Hell, I cant even get 1/3 of my zealot skills. I want serpentine evasion and screen, but cant come up with the points. I dont use ride the anger much, as 80% of my damage comes from skills, and I dont notice an increase in the time skills are executed with this haste on me. I could be wrong, not sure. Wish I had the points to spend.
Third, since archers can buff armor and weapons, they arnt weakened by the fact that they dont have melee paragon. Sure, they dont evade as much but I can only hit them for 20 with regular attacks. Lol. blur/onslaught hit for about 80-100. Fire/Gated arrow combos on you get really annoying, fast.
Fourth, backbreaker is nothing special. As the end game skill for my tree I expected a little more. Blur outdamages it, easily. 300ish damage without buffs to mobs, 100ish to players, plus 30-40 dot damage for a few rounds similiar to what archers get in their REGULAR archer tree at like level what? 20? Lol. Might untrain backbreaker to try the other top 3 zealot skills and see if there's any difference. I'm guessing no, which is unfortunate. Not sure why we have 3 skills at 40 that do the exact same thing.
Fifth, as with a lotta melee's, you are almost useless in boss fights. Mobs tend to attack the closest thing to them which is often you if you want to damage them. With 31 points in melee paragon, and some pretty dam good armor (121 no buffs, with the quest 72ar damage reflect armor chestpiece - about 50 less if I go robe) I still get hit 1/2, which at 300+ a pop damage, 500 for the really high level boss mobs this just aint no fun. If a boss mob hits me 3 times in a row, gratz death unless a healer is chain group healing (which is very inefficient). Single target healing dont work since health updates on fellows are way way behind. Vs high level shreth and dillos, I start the fight with disable (more on that later) and if it lands, I'll use a few skills on them, then run outta the fight. With the stun/root/ect rules I have to wait 1 minute before I can do this again. Even with boss mobs lower level than me, hitting them for the full length of the fight is almost always a mistake. If there was something to keep the mob off me, I'd be able to do a lot more. Please dont say advert eyes, at skill level 33 mobs evaded it 85% of the time, so I dropped it.
--Suggestions
Why are my handblades from mob loot so crappy? Please explain this someone! Is there a good reason why? If not make them in line with other standard weapons, please.
The high end skills (backbreaker ect) need something, or people just arnt going to get them. Lower the damage, but ignore armor perhaps? Stun/snare component? Lower max health? Bloodletting stinks for being a level 40 skill effect. You'd think breaking someone's back is gonna have a pretty good effect. Either its a boss mob and I'm scared to melee him or its a pvp/reg mob fight and the fight is over way before the effect makes a difference. Maybe if I land it and they want to run right after, I suppose its useful. I'm already thinking of dropping them since blur/onslaugh combo over and over outdamages them and using the points to pick up acumen. Least then I've got a group advertisment =)
Fix crafting. This would fix my first suggestion. Teir 4/5 claws need shark skins, and we know what that means. Archers need them for their bows, but without crafted weapons I'm really sol as a zealot since mob dropped handblades are stinky. Please fix the drop rates, or bring back the gold requirement. It was much easier to raise 1800 gold then to find 1 shark skin.
Zaya Va'Dayn
41 Zealot
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