still good?

[Xatos]

Hi guys,

I have been playing Monk/Shammy box for some years both lvl 80 wit hsome Demiplane and crystallos gear.
I took a break just before SoD came out and now after 6 month of not being online, I am thinking of comming back again.

I have read a lot about that Mercaneries and all the SoD gear and O am a bit confused now.

Is the "Classic" Combo monk/Shammy still a good one?
Can they do some suff in SoF and SoD Zones?
Or ist it better to "restart" some other boxing setup?

I am going to add a cleric Merc anyway if needed.


X,

[Arslayn]

Add a Cleric and a Tank merc and you'd have a golden group, youll have to do some progression tho first as the tank merc is a bit on the weaker side up front but still couldnt think of many things you wouldnt be able to do.

[Ughbash]

I would not recommend it.

Unless you are VERY well geared (read raid) you will not be tanking with the monk. True you could use a merc tank to tank but still monks are IMHO sub par now.

I would recommend either a mage (if you want a tank), a wizard (if you want to blow stuff up fast while a merc tanks), or a ranger if you want to pull. Yes a monk can pull also in fact it can pull better then a ranger, but a ranger brings a lot more to a group.

[Bigcat Daddy-o]

You need to look at what core skills are required to do what you want.

I have boxed from between 2 - 5 and am currently boxing 3. I find I can get by with certain of the core skills in some places, but sooner or later it bites me on the ass if I don't have one of them. It doesn't matter HOW you get it, just as long as you HAVE it available.

tanking
healing
runner control (snaring typically but there are a few other possible controls)
quantity control (either via pulling/splitting abilities or mezzing type stuff.)

In any combination I can think of, I see a shaman being in the mix. Just the way I draw breathe in this game. So that is a given.

Merc healer can cover healing.
Merc tank can cover tanking. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Merc tanks are stupider than a rock that has had a lobotomy. I am currently building a SK to replace my merc tank because.. read above.

In your set up I see you have the core skill of pulling. Monks are BRILLIANT pullers. There are few places that I haven't been able to use a monk as a puller (keep in mind that I have a retired 85 monk with 1 k AA, full T5 SOD group gear). Also, monk with snare hammer (from Chardok library) can cover your runner control, and its short term snare capability (the name of the AA escapes me at the moment) and grappling strike to pull him back or position. I have used them for this in the past and it works brilliantly.
Monks however are very lacking in DPS and the reason that I retired mine and only pull him out when I need an amaxing pull.

If you are patient however, and don't mind beating stuff to death slowly, it's a good combo because you are fully independent.

Another strong combo, but weak in DPS is shaman/SK.
Shaman/necro covers all the core skills (pulling is a bit dicey I think though) and would have POWERFUL DPS from the Necro. Again you are outsourcing your healing/tanking to the mercs.

Given a choice of only going 2 boxes, I would take one of those 3 combos.

[shamy60]

hi,i am boxing now shm / mage (shm as main),i had a monk (lv 85).
mage /shaman is a awsome combo..many times i can pull better with my mage (coh) than my monk..
if your melee tank won't be raid geared go for mage (they only need aa's to be very efficient)

[Bigcat Daddy-o]

[Ughbash]

There are situations where a mage and a shaman can pull things that a monk could not (easily). Unmezzable, unlullable, rootable pairs. But 9 times out of 10 a monk or a bard will be the better splitter.

With that said some pulls such as the "shocktroopers" for void E are rather easy with a monk and a mage working together.

[Xatos]

Thanks for the info guys, but things have changed a bit.


Mainly its cause my monk is my real main, I love teh pulling and all. Also I have met some old friends online Tank and Mage so tanking and DPs will be set too.
healing with cleric mercs.

As non of us really kjnows the SoD zones we are a bit more concerned about slowing and the possibilty of crowd contoll.
I know this is the Shammy board... and in that situation im asking now... Is the shammy still a good part in this setup, or is another class with crowed controll or massive more DPS the better option.

you shammies know better what you are able to do than me

[Veril]

Shaman is still the best slower. And awesomely good for boosting the rest of the group with stat buffs, haste, champion, lynx. Provides good healing to backup the merc clerics. With a tank, mage and a monk, a shaman is the ideal partner IMO, better than a chanter, only a bard would compete.

[shamy60]

as an example COH pull in dranik,from xangef camp,i can pull all named (single )from there,even ulkat who is in the far room......
i saw a lv 85 monk from a top 3 guild,trying to pull ulkat and the closer he could be from him and was not even able to solo pull him (there are a lot of mobs in there tho ).he was trying to duo him.

once yu get used of the COH pulling.there are many place i can coh better than my lv 85 monk can...specially if i get a little room to pull.i agree in some occasion i can't beat my monk from pulling.
i got a lot better at COH'ing.
dranik is the easiest to pull since we can root the nameds..pull mobs ,coh,invis go back again,cast coh and aa root ect..
in bloodfield we can't root them but i can pull all named there also,same in korofax.

same in warrens for the task to kill different mobs like scout and catapult thingy npc.that one need seriouss pulling and i duo'ed that one pretty easy,,i guess i could have done it faster with my monk to pull,but i play mage / shm now,and my mage pet tank much better than what my monk can (they got like 1500 aa's each, both don't have raid gears tho ),