Best Duo (Non-grouping)

Discussion in 'The Newbie Zone' started by Potnah, Nov 27, 2016.

  1. Potnah New Member

    I'm coming back to eq after many years. I'm trying to figure out the best duo I can make for content all the way to the new expansion, but I can't seem to land on a team. Due to real life, I do not plan on raiding and/or grouping with others since I can't be glued to the keyboard. I've done a good bit of research, but haven't found much that's current. Can anyone please help me with my decision?

    Some of the research I've done has led me to these thoughts:
    - Sha/SK is a low dps, solid choice
    - Sha/Mk is a higher dps, solid choice. Potential issues with aggro and snare.
    - Sha/Rng used to be good, but rangers can't take hits well anymore
    - Mag/Bst seems like it would be good, but pets can't tank and hold aggro very good after nerfs
    - Mag/Nec is similar to Mag/Bst, but no slow

    Thanks in advance!
  2. Yruc Augur

    With mercs just about every combo is viable. From 1-65 slow is pretty irrelevant. I'm 2 boxing a rogue and druid and did not need slow. Don't get me wrong, slow will help, but really not needed in early to mid levels... Same with snare, helps but not needed like it used to be. I can't talk much about the 70+ level ranges as I'm just now at 70..
  3. Wyntyr Journeyman

    Nec/mag is insanely powerful and necros can slow any mob. They get an undead only slow and they get a spell that turns any mobile undead...
    Felicite and moogs like this.
  4. iVALADYANx That's a Necromancer

    enc/bst, i also play wiz with this combo. add mercs, bst pet tanks or chanter charming when avail.
  5. TooshToosh New Member

    I unintentionally ended up with a mag/shm pair and it actually works surprisingly well. The mage covers the shaman's dps weak points, while the shaman gives you a solid healer with or without the help of a merc. Good for situations where mercs aren't allowed. There is also still a nice synergy between mage pet and all of the shaman's melee enhancers. The only thing this pair truly lacks is pulling ability, but even that can be achieved (higher end) with the use of Call of the Hero and root (Virulent Paralysis works best).
  6. Ryanxp Augur

    I have 4:
    Nec / Brd
    Ber / Shm
    Bs / Mag
    Wiz / Rng

    Half the fun was in choosing them. For boxing, I've found I'll main a toon and have the other on autopilot. Its hard as is and too hard to keep switching back and forth.

    Honestly, I'd like to see a Brd / Wiz combo. Got track, slow, and snare. And got ports !!
  7. Enigma Maitreya Augur

    Hum, at level 88 I just do not see an issue of the pets holding aggro. Actualy I never saw an issue with either pet being able to hold aggro. When I wanted the BL to have aggro I turned off the taunt on the pet.

    IF your using Mercs, then dps merc (Melee Red con to white Con, Caster White con and lower)

    OR Healer Merc OR Tank Merc set to Main Tank for 3rd aggro magnet OR a 2nd dps Merc.
  8. moogs Augur

    I do all of those and more with Druid/Enchanter.
    Ryanxp likes this.
  9. Tucoh Augur

    I'd consider bumping up to a trio for two key reasons:
    1. In a standard group you have four key roles: tanking, healing, buffing, DPS. If you have 2 players and 2 mercs, you have to either settle for one DPS, or compromise on your roles. (EX: shaman can buff melee, but not casters). If you have 3 players and 3 mercs, you can support three DPS and have three solid tank/heal/buff classes. I run war/bard/mage and the mage + their caster DPS merc do over half the DPS in my group.

    2. The game is centered around a full group of 6, so three box'd chars and 3 mercs is a good fit.


    My recommendation would be to pick a class you want to play, then build your team around it. If you really want to do current contents I would recommend having a tank in your group, and SKs make the best group tanks right now. (but pal/war are fine too).

    If you're stuck with a duo, I'd recommend SK/SHA. That plus two DPS mercs will be perfectly fine. One big omission here is the lack of a tracker, which is used very often when doing quests, hunting named mobs etc. In many cases you can just add a part-time tracker that you level high enough to move around in the zone you want to track, but don't necessarily keep it with you most of the time.
  10. Enigma Maitreya Augur


    If one did that then Druid for the Ports and Buffs OR Ranger for the /autofire and buffs.

    I probably want a Ranger because they are a ton of fun now, but would go with a Druid for the Ports and Buffs. Making them very passive and you can put any Merc Type on that account. (Easy to set up a social to cast spells)

    I probably substitute a Mage for the Shaman as well. (Easy to set up a social to cast spells)

    Making the SK the Main Played Account.
  11. Xilbuster Journeyman

  12. Goranothos Augur

    Mage/Shammy has worked well for me for a long time, though I am considering adding a third toon now. Just not sure what class yet.
  13. Bigstomp Augur

    EQ is a social game. Going it on your own you will fail. Maybe not right away, but you will.

    If you want to box, pick your favorite class, one you enjoy playing. Then compliment it.
    So when you get a group on the "main" you won't not enjoy it.
  14. Warlorf Augur

    I 3 box but the teams go like this:

    Mag/Enc/Brd
    Mag/Rng/Brd
    Mag/Nec/Brd
    Mag/Bst/Brd

    Use merc healers. Mage pet > all
  15. catcattank Elder

    mag/enc/bard - there's no overlap between enc and bard?
  16. moogs Augur

    They can both pull and cc effectively. Bard song effects stack with basically everything, so have the bard sing songs that are useful to the group and forget about the crowd control role. Mana regen is good. Overhaste is good. +nuke power is good...take your pick, they play very well with one another. If anything, the fact that they can both pull and cc frees up spell slots for more varied abilities and allows for much more versatility in your group!
  17. Tuco Augur

    I find I don't use or want CC a lot.

    Easier to just pull everything, get aggro on the tank and kill everything with the mage leaning on its two rain spells. Maybe if you don't have an effective tank you'll need to focus on the CC of an enchanter, but I can't see one getting a higher kill speed by using CC over tanking everything with a real tank.

    After the enchanter casts Voice of Precognition and Hastening of Prokev I question how much value the bard brings with its mana songs and warmarch of Jocelyn. Aria of Maetanrus is massive and stacks well, but I'd rather have a ranger autofiring than a bard if you have an enchanter already.

    For versatility and killing speed in the last few expansions I don't think you can do much better than SK/Brd/mage, SK/sha/ranger, sk/enc/ranger.
  18. moogs Augur

    My fully buffed group gets low on mana after about 20 minutes of constant fighting if I don't use mod rods or activated AAs. Druid, Enchanter, Magician are all nuking. Don't have a very effective tank. At least not one that is capable of taking on multiple unslowed mobs without extra heals. (My druid is set up to pretty much is DPS 95% of the time outside of raiding.) It's a tossup between a tank mercenary with about 80 merc AAs, an EM16 mage pet, or an enchanter pet.
  19. catcattank Elder

    i thought people were ranting and raving over enchanter tanks
  20. karmalious Lorekeeper

    My favorite duo for 10 years, my mains and always will be:
    SHAMAN + BARD

    our DPS is a bit low, but we can out-last any fight. crowd control and pull any mob. But the real benefit becomes obvious when you add 1 or 2 people to the group of any class.