Lately, I have been playing my cleric and considering playing him as my main. A little bit about myself - I am currently rolling SK, ENCH, and CLR (all level 100). However, I cannot afford 3 expansions and AA. I tried dropping the SK and using a tank merc. I cannot stand the tank merc (spoiled by SK). The other choice is dropping the ENCH. But if I do that, I am going to have an issue with pulling. My SK can pull, but it takes to long. My question - how do you play a cleric as a main? Real groups are great, but play time becomes limited.
For me I box a rogue and the tank merc actually handles mobs pretty well, considering i don't slow them or mez any if i get multiple. The tank merc can handle 3 maybe 4 mobs with my setup which is cleric, rogue, tank merc, healer merc. All i do for mostly everything is heal through mobs and dps them down asap. I can pretty much do mostly all current quests in TBM minus some missions which i need help on especially anashti ones.
Too much info to get into how to main a cleric, though I must mention that they pull very well too. My suggestion is read the guides on this forum thread, become a really good cleric, and a raid guild will provide you with your grouping needs.
My apologies - my original question is probably stupid anyways. I will stick with my SK and ENCH and drag my cleric along when I have the money. The tank merc is too much of a downgrade, especially when ENCH can absorb more damage than it can.
I see you have dropped the question but just a side note to an advantage to the Cleric class. There is almost always someone I know who is on using a healer Merc, so jumping into their group and booting the merc is fast. For limited play time and finding groups a Cleric is a great choice. TBM missions are tough since they lock at the beginning but other groups work well.
Don't get me wrong, I would like play my cleric as my main, but I find it hard with my odd play time. It's just easier to roll with chanter and sk, then sk and cleric. The tank merc just sucks compared to my SK. I just think the chanter is the better choice.
Chanter/cleric better still, either the cleric or the chanter can out tank a tank merc if played properly.
Yes, a chanter can out tank a tank merc. However, MY SK is just a monster. I'm not willing to give up the SK - it's a great class. Too much effort goes into tanking if I do.
Fixed that to read what i was implying But yeh if you are deadset on SK then just do that, but i wouldn't downplay the DPS/tanking ability of a well played cleric.
A cleric is a hard class to just play these days. if your into raiding then everyone loves a cleric. but the group game isnt quite like that anymore. tbh when i want to play my cleric i just pop a wizard merc on burn and heal the wiz merc. im very limited in what i can do but at least i can kill mobs that way
I am sure a cleric can molo just fine. I haven't messed with it too much. I am just use to a real tank and when I started messing with the tank merc I was at a loss. It does no DPS and requires too much micromanagement to keep it alive. As far as pulling goes, only really need when leveling up and getting basic AAs. My SK can easily tank 4 trash mobs without any defense Disc/AAs. My SK can pull, and so can the cleric - there just slow at it. Maybe I just have to get lose to it.
A cleric molo best ward tanking with a wiz merc on burn, turn subtlety off use the hate vow and proc hammer, spam glorious and contra to self heal, use undying life for a burst heal if needed, occasionally toss out a stun and just pewpew. In group gear I can tank 2 or 3 in Crypt of Sul, but I have a hate mask to and use Edict for AE aggro, blessed chains/atone to split. If I cycle cooldowns and such it's not the worst. An SK can probably molo about as efficiently with a wizard merc, tbh. On trophy kills (old raids or group named) edge goes to cleric, because of efficiency of heals and the ability to deny death through vastly superior healing which can make up for the difference in mitigation. XP killing strictly molo SK has an edge in DPS, so gains xp slightly faster. If raid gear is a factor. That skews the balance slightly in favor of SK, because clerics do not gain as much relative power with raid gear. However raw solo or molo + wiz merc survival is probably still somewhat close. And as far as that goes an enchanter or paladin would solo/molo much better than either one. In raid or group gear. TLDR: clerics or SK can solo/molo but there are better classes at it.
Sigh... Ok, my SK can solo two trash mobs in most CoTF has. I haven't tried three yet, but that's irrelevant. On names, my SK easily out DPS wizard merc set to burn with an enchanter. And that is with a 1hs. Most group names are dead before my SK takes any damage. Once my SK fires the proper AAs and disc I don't need to pay attention - permanent lockdown on most name. I just don't see myself rolling without a tank anymore - they put group content on easy mode. My interest in my cleric comes from the fact that he was my main before and I enjoy the class. I'm just lazy and seems that tank mercs are clearly broken.
Your missing what i am saying. A cleric doesn't use a tank merc they tank it. Yes an SK outdpses a wizard merc... So does a cleric (by a large margin for both), Granted your burst is alittle higher than a clerics if the fight is fast (and the longer the duration goes, the worse your burn is in comparison). But don't underestimate Divine Avatar/Battle Frenzy/Imp Twincast and Nukeheals (Which are basically like your lifetaps, except double the damage and much larger healing, and with Imp Twin are always twin'd). The cleric takes more damage sure, but a heal is landing every mob round or so + Divine guardian/Divine Intervention, Focused Celestial and Shining covers most anything else. Once you talk sustained Durations SK dps if they cant use a 2hander is pretty close to the sustained DPS of a cleric (and when i say pretty close, I mean within 5 - 10k or so, and the cleric can more than likely maintain that pace longer, unless the SK gets lucky on Thought Leech). Maybe not after DOT revamp for SK, but until that happens thats pretty much the state of it, if you compare an equally skilled aggressively played SK and Cleric. Meanwhile Paladins and Enchanters chuckle at both Clerics and SK's moloing, and do it without a merc in the same amount of time or faster.
I can use a 2hs and most CoTF HAs including name. I don't have to worry about damage because most name don't last through first round of discs. My point was that tank mercs are broken - we have people here using the wizard merc to tank.
Tank and wizard mercs have about the same raw mitigation, so that makes sense. IIRC the tank merc has more hp. And all the mercs have been terribly stagnated in 101+.
I don't think anyone would disagree with that point. The tank merc is little more than a speed bump for much of the TDS+ content.
