Weapon Augment help

[Justinious]

I am currently swinging the Darkened Mithril Two-Handed Sword from lower guk.

After being away from Norrath for several years, I have leveled back up and am currently a lvl 80 paladin with 500 or so AAs and primarily solo and group when I can.

I missed out on a lot when it comes to augments and I am waaaaay behind most of the folks on this board.

I would like some advice on the best augment for dps for this weapon (Slot 1, Type 4) that can be obtained solo, by group or in the bazaar (so three questions in all).

Thanks in advance and good hunting.

Justinious

[Daldaen]

The only way I see you getting a type 4 damage augment is by group, and the best I can think of is the Green Crystallos Stone (4dmg 1 prismatic damage) which is a zonewide random in Crystallos... however with SoD being released, it is doubtful Crystallos will be very populated. Also since Crystallos is a flagged zone getting flagged will be difficult because of SoD as I already mention, this is if you aren't flagged. Another possibility is The Unspeakable in static Ashengate, this is also a group affair however more of a definite camp as it is a common drop from a namer. The aug is type 4/8 has 3 fire damage and adds a 225 fire DD proc. Other than those two, I am unaware of any type 4 damage augs dropped for 2handers, most are type 8 to my knowledge.

[Normy]

Pretty much Daldaen hit it dead on.

Flagging for Crystallos will be rough unless you have some friends willing to run with you on it. Other than that you are limited to proc augs or elemental damage augs. The one he listed, from the Unspeakable, is probably one of the best that I can think of. Not sure what augs are coming from SoD yet though, but those zones are no joke for the casually geared.

[Justinious]

Quick follow-up....if I go with a DD aug until I can get the damage aug, what is the best DD aug. My weap has lifetap III already. I was inclined to get a lifetap II aug for the weap, but was concerned about whether the two life tap procs will work well together...so, what would be best aug for a primarily solo (sometimes grouping) paladin?

Thanks.

Justinious

[Gordulek]

A lifetap II would be easiest to get (DoN vendor) and would work fine with the innate lifetap III. Alternatively, you could get a Rune III proc aug from a named in Sverag - http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=48697.

[Huurgh]

[Brohg]

It's not type 4/8, it's the special "only goes in bullshit weapons" aug type.

[Huurgh]

[Carmaris]

I currently use the Lifetap II aug in my mithril two-hander, like the combination of damage & healing. That said, may be switching to a 160 DD aug I got from LoN...will have to test things and see what I decide on.

[Justinious]

I picked up a Fire Damage 4 aug from RSS for 2h weapons. Would that be better than the life tap II aug from a dps perspective?

Thanks again for all the input.

Justinious

[knytul]

yes

[Saintsaens]

Yes, but only on mobs that have a lower fire resist. The elemental bane damage checks against that, and won't do as much DPS on mobs that have higher resists.

[AbyssalMage]

Didn't want to start a new post seeings this one was already here so I have another question

I've done alot of reading and seen that Pally/SK are switching to 1H/Sheild Combo becuase of lack of mitigation vs. all the new mobs being introduced in SoF/SoD. Before Pally/SK's used 2H weapons once the gear filtered down and only used the 1H/Sheild combo at the release of an expansion but things change and we move on. So my question is: What aug's are you putting in your 1H weapon? I notice people putting +Damage Aug's in there 2-Handers, but I've seen nothing on the Aug choice for the 1-Hander. DD(Elemental) proc, DD + Stun proc, Anger Proc, Lifetap, +Damage Aug, or is their an Aug type I'm missing.

I would think Lifetap or Anger Aug for a 1-Hander but I'm really confused as to what to use once I grind to level 71 and above. My thought was Lifetap would be primary because you can gain back some of the life you lose from being hit and combined w/Stuns mabye the mob will drop before we do. Anger Aug was my second thought for the reason that being hit for 2k and only healing your self for 600+(On a crit) isn't going to do munch so using an Anger Aug would at least allow you to build agro that munch fasert so the DPS can burn the mob down that munch faster. But I'm seeing alot of posts about Rune Proc'ing weapons and don't really understand the advantage of those except mabye there is no resist check vs. the mob to see if it lands.

Any help for Auging my 1-Handed weapon would be appreciated.

*** Note *** I'm only level 65 and Grinding AA's before I do the push to 71 (Grab my defensive/Tank and a few utility AA's) then to 75 (More defensive/Tank AA's) then to 80 (Ditto) and Finally 85 and hang out there until the next level increase. That should put me around 600 AA's If I've done the math correctly (not saying I did) so I just need to figure this whole weapon Aug thing out.

[knytul]

umm...ok, most of us still use 2hers on everything literally except tanking major raid mobs..

[Brohg]

Until something new comes along, Jade of the Ether is the only good augment for your 1h weapon. +Dmg augs are for dps weapons, Lifesaps are what dps weapons get until +dmg augs are acquired. Chaotic Strike procs are for people who are bothered by the extremity of Enraging Blow augs, which are the highest single target agro but do nothing else either offensively or defensively. Those are the raid warrior tanking choice, obviously. Jade of the Ether adds agro to every mob you're on the hate list for, like healing does, and provides a (admittedly small, but working) bonus to damage taking.

[Normy]

Generally speaking the 1h/shield combo is really only used when you need the extra blocking and mitigation to stay alive. So tanking some named or in a really hard zone when there is plenty of DPS in the group, I will use my 1h/shield. Other than that, you are best off using a 2h weapon and putting out the extra DPS. If your healer can keep up, all you are doing is slowing down the kills by not using your best DPS weapon.

That is why you might indeed see a trend of people using that at the beginnings of an expansion. If I'm testing out a zone, I'll start with my most defensive setup before trying for more damage. But most settle back to the better DPS as soon as possible.

For aug choice, since it should only be used while trying to stay alive, choose with that in mind. Lifetap isn't a bad choice, some form of sheilding or rune is even better in my opinion. I would never ever waste a damage aug in my 1h weapon, since by taking it at all I'll have likely taken it from a DPS person who can and will get alot more use out of it.

[AbyssalMage]

Thanks for all the help and info. On Prexus I see alot of Pally/SK's walking around with Sword/Sheild and I have read some posts here where people haves switched, so figured thats the way things where going for the hybrid tank class. Glad to knw that 2H weapons are still an option at the lvl 85 range vs. group mobs. At least I know what to put in my 1hs weapon now and i couldn't of done it with out everyones help.

[Bruennor]

Has to do with play style. I use sword and board, well, used I guess, in virtually any zone that had any challenge and no undead. I use an ac aug in my sword, but I would switch it out for the jade aug with the rune proc if I had ever gotten around to camping it. Biggest reason I won't use any other augs besides ac is because the reason I use a shield most of the time is on something that is challenging, and I won't be swinging my weapon during that time, due to ripostes, so will just stand there chain stunning and healing.

[frocus]

I also seem to see more SK's than Pallies using sword and board and I think its mostly due to the fact that between lifetaps pets etc there weapon is much less of there overall dps than ours as pallies.

[knytul]

well if u ae agro'd 30 mobs, wouldnt you want highest survivability chance too? w/ sword n board ud be using shield block aa too....

*Edit* Granted..they still not gonna live to tell the tale

[frocus]

Lol yeah im sure the AE aggro has some to do with it as well.