Thank you for the comments, some followups since you have me thinking.
I've been reading a few things about lumi combat - is it necessary to hunt to 99+ in order to fully participate in pvp?
I'm unfamiliar with using a shield as a weapon as I usually use it for parrying and absorbing damage. It seems like size matters with the shield as far as balance goes, is there a perfect shield for luminaries?
Lightning versus smite. I'm currently statted for strength, but is there significant more damage being done if I go with an int base? I'm thinking of taking the eq+ stat pack.
The main benefit from hitting endgame PvPwise is the extra cure (1 cure per 20s seconds) from the endgame cure, and obviously the extra health and statpack enhancements. You can PvP before it - you'll be at a disadvantage compared to someone who is endgame, obviously, but I don't think it's an impassable disadvantage by any means. The benefits are defensive, not offensive.
On that note, Luminary is very powerful in PvP, but it's also hard to use. I've seen a lot of people scratch their heads on how to use it. In addition to your guild, you can safely prod myself or @Lim/@Raeche for combat advice, we've both used the class very extensively.
Anyway, regarding shield sizes. There are two extremes: buckler and tower shield. The rest of the shields are somewhere in between. If you're running an aff route, which I think Luminary is the better at, a buckler is the choice. It's the fastest shield, but also makes your Shield Crush attack do the least limb damage, making breaks harder. So if you use the less popular limb route, you want to use a tower shield, which does the most damage and most limb damage, but is the slowest. I lug both around while Luminary and switch as needed.
The artifacted ideal for Luminary is with +bal statpack enhancement and an +eq artifact crown (it makes the 1-aff shield attack and chasten combo line nicely at 2.55s bal and eq), but lacking the crown, you're probably fine deciding if you want to run +bal or +eq, though I might still prefer +bal due to shield attacks being bal and allowing a smoother expansion to crown once you earn the credits IG, which is viable with a little work.
Bashingwise, Smite scales to strength/+bal/runes on mace and Illumination's Evoke Lightning scales to intelligence/+eq. Smite scales harder with full on arties (like, a lot of them), but before that, I have no idea which you want to use. I think they're about equal for bashing on low arties. I use Lumi for PvP, not bashing, so I can't pontificate much on that topic either.
This might make you cringe a bit, but we've had classleads on improving Luminary PvE smite damage since 2008. Luminary is not what we'd call a class that hunts quickly. I've actually seen Luminaries pick up Shapeshifter (since you can pick that up without using a class slot or even, really, any lesson investment [it scales partially to your other skill]) and bash with THAT in lieu of actually their own class.
Hilariously, you can't actually parry with shields in Aetolia -- you have to use a weapon.
Also, no form of SoA exists.
Your shield hits take balance, and are pretty much integral to any offense. Just think of it as something to use in lieu of smite, and you're a super fancy magic SnB knight.
The Luminary aff route can be hard to use since you don't have venoms to work with, and your aff list is eclectic (though powerful), requiring a lot of knowledge of the combat system and what afflictions do to pick your attacks properly. You also pretty much need to have an aff tracker and some good scripting knowledge.
The limb route is far simpler to pick up, though keep in mind that in Aetolia you can apply restoration at ANY time to cure limb damage, so there's no such thing as slow prep and you have to keep on the pressure.
You'd make a terrible salesperson, @serrice, but I appreciate the honesty. Heh. I definitely did notice how -slow- lumies were at bashing compared to priests in Achaea and I was hoping I could perhaps supplement that later on. They're about a second or two slower unartied, which in a game where seconds matter sucks a**. However, I do hunt normally with a templar who seems to have the equiv of achaea priest's blood sworn so I get extra health from that and my angel. But yeah, the rate which I clear an area at even 75 makes me depressed. I'll take a look at picking up shape shifting.
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."
I picked up the balance stat at 80 and took a 5% hit to my mana & health. I'm still smiting for a balance of 2.99 down from 3.50. I'm getting really irritated because I cannot really take any mobs that afflict or hit at a faster pace even at 84. I can't imagine what it is going to be like in a PvP. What can I do to quicken my balance?
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."
Nothing beyond that. The best you can do is utilize Healing elixirs, Angel Empathy, Necklace of Purity (since Care is gone now), Moss, Boar/Tree tattoos, and.. that's pretty much it. Also, it is good to make sure you have resistance rings and nice splint/shield.
All that having been said, while Luminary has decent survivability, their offensive power will be pretty lackluster for the long haul, in PvE.
@Moxie you shouldn't be using SMITE/Lightning for PVP thats only for bashing purposes, Luminary has other skills for PVP, punch, strike, to name two. Believe it has around 4/5 others which can be combined with angel battle and chasten which makes it around 2.75 IF you use buckler shield, but do bare in mind different shield types, tower/kite/etc give different times for the shield attacks. but chasten without eq crown should be 2.75 its why its best to use a buckler
MayhemHunting - Discord Chat - CLANHELP MAY (ingame)
I haven't tried PvP here yet, only PvE. While I do have all my old priest scripts/triggers/aliases from my old game, can't really use them yet (need to rewrite some anyways due to lack of disrupt and addition of shield being used for more than parrying). Won't be trying PvP until end game which is about 14 levels away. I've just been trying to find new ways to speed up my balance during PvE. Aishia was lovely enough to tell me about augmentation and overkill. Augmentation ended up taking down my balance from 2.99 to 2.93 which is great.
My mace stats right now are damage:133 penetration:113 speed:104
Found out the hard way that you can't buy a mace with good stats because once you bind it, it defaults to the base stats. Ended up spending a ridiculous amount on a mace that just looks pretty.
Does anyone who has runes on their mace knows if it affects the balance in a positive way?
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."
Runes add flat amount to all weapon stats, six per level. So yes, they should affect balance time, since smite speed is apparently(?) dependent on mace speed.
@Moxie you shouldn't be using SMITE/Lightning for PVP thats only for bashing purposes, Luminary has other skills for PVP, punch, strike, to name two. Believe it has around 4/5 others which can be combined with angel battle and chasten which makes it around 2.75 IF you use buckler shield, but do bare in mind different shield types, tower/kite/etc give different times for the shield attacks. but chasten without eq crown should be 2.75 its why its best to use a buckler
It's been a while since I tested, but without any balance, I'm pretty sure I was doing like.. 3-4 afflictions every 2.5 seconds using a buckler. I'll have to test with the new mace, cause this was pre-binding.
Comments
On that note, Luminary is very powerful in PvP, but it's also hard to use. I've seen a lot of people scratch their heads on how to use it. In addition to your guild, you can safely prod myself or @Lim/@Raeche for combat advice, we've both used the class very extensively.
Anyway, regarding shield sizes. There are two extremes: buckler and tower shield. The rest of the shields are somewhere in between. If you're running an aff route, which I think Luminary is the better at, a buckler is the choice. It's the fastest shield, but also makes your Shield Crush attack do the least limb damage, making breaks harder. So if you use the less popular limb route, you want to use a tower shield, which does the most damage and most limb damage, but is the slowest. I lug both around while Luminary and switch as needed.
The artifacted ideal for Luminary is with +bal statpack enhancement and an +eq artifact crown (it makes the 1-aff shield attack and chasten combo line nicely at 2.55s bal and eq), but lacking the crown, you're probably fine deciding if you want to run +bal or +eq, though I might still prefer +bal due to shield attacks being bal and allowing a smoother expansion to crown once you earn the credits IG, which is viable with a little work.
Bashingwise, Smite scales to strength/+bal/runes on mace and Illumination's Evoke Lightning scales to intelligence/+eq. Smite scales harder with full on arties (like, a lot of them), but before that, I have no idea which you want to use. I think they're about equal for bashing on low arties. I use Lumi for PvP, not bashing, so I can't pontificate much on that topic either.
Hilariously, you can't actually parry with shields in Aetolia -- you have to use a weapon.
Also, no form of SoA exists.
Your shield hits take balance, and are pretty much integral to any offense. Just think of it as something to use in lieu of smite, and you're a super fancy magic SnB knight.
The Luminary aff route can be hard to use since you don't have venoms to work with, and your aff list is eclectic (though powerful), requiring a lot of knowledge of the combat system and what afflictions do to pick your attacks properly. You also pretty much need to have an aff tracker and some good scripting knowledge.
The limb route is far simpler to pick up, though keep in mind that in Aetolia you can apply restoration at ANY time to cure limb damage, so there's no such thing as slow prep and you have to keep on the pressure.
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."
All that having been said, while Luminary has decent survivability, their offensive power will be pretty lackluster for the long haul, in PvE.
My mace stats right now are damage:133 penetration:113 speed:104
Found out the hard way that you can't buy a mace with good stats because once you bind it, it defaults to the base stats. Ended up spending a ridiculous amount on a mace that just looks pretty.
Does anyone who has runes on their mace knows if it affects the balance in a positive way?
(Illuminai): Saltz says, "Moxie is just doing the Moxie thing to do, often misinterpreted."
(Tells): Sir Iames Gallant, the Executioner tells you, "The one Illuminai beyond prayer, I swear."
Valingar: "How could a daughter of me, the most noble man in the south, be so heartless?"
(Tells): Haven Locke, Illuminai Khimaira tells you, "Be that as it may, I've also seen the strength in you. You can take care of yourself."