SK 3box

Discussion in 'The Newbie Zone' started by CashIsKing, Jan 10, 2018.

  1. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    In general, I do not think adding a 4th is efficient if you are alt-tabbing. But hey, I'm sure somebody could/does :)

    I have run with an enchanter as a 4th. It is definitely a DPS increase (vs a merc), and the ADPS is hotness for the group. It's a winning toon to add to the group.

    But with an SK, you will probably never bother to use the chanter for CC. It is usually just more efficient to tank everything so you can use AEs.
  2. Tucoh Augur

    Three considerations:
    1. Surmounting the 30-40k DPS a caster merc (not sure what they do at level 110) with an enchanter won't be hard. Hell, adding the buffs/ADPS from a caster to sk/dru/wiz will probably do that already without him casting a single DD/DoT.
    2. Another character is another guy to log in, drag around, gear up, spend AA's etc. You might end up with a superior force in the end, but did you accomplish what you wanted to faster? The big question here is whether you want to finish content / boost your main character, or whether you want to build the best team you can.
    3. Once you get a strong trio with all the AAs they need, adding additional characters is extremely easy due to fellowship XP. You can powerlevel / heroic your enchanter to a respectable level, then just play your trio in modern zones like normal, killing named (that you campfire your new enchanter in to loot), doing achievements, whatever. Once you get some good vitality XP on your enchanter you bring him in, kill some mobs while hoping a nearby Kar'Zok doesn't explode them, and they'll level very quickly. I did this to about half a dozen characters in EoK.

    So, you're not under any pressure to bring in an enchanter at the start of your sk/dru/wiz trio. The only thing that will be obnoxious is going back and redoing TBM progression for dicho, and redoing all of EoK's progression for Kar'Zok immunity.
  3. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    My experience agrees with this. After returning to EQ, I had years of catching up to do and TBM was the first expansion that I was "prepared" and caught up for. That is, I had already finished the previous expansion's group content and was pretty much geared up when TBM came out. I was 3-boxing (SK/Dru/Wiz) at the time, and after beating the group content with my 3-box, I added my chanter as a 4th and ran it through the progression also.

    When EoK came out, my core 3-box set was so "tight" that, after "beating" the group content with my SK/Dru/Wiz trio, I decided to see what I could do WITHOUT my SK. So I did the EoK progression using Monk/Dru/Wiz with a merc Tank. That was a fun challenge, but absolutely doable!

    After that, I did a 6-box crew (SK/Dru/Wiz/Beastlord/Mage/Bard). I expected this to be more difficult, especially adding in a couple of melee toons. But, since I already had a handle on the "boxing fundamentals", adding 3 toons was relatively trivial. When you start to understand the synergies that can be created with various classes, things really start to fall into place.

    That crew was, simply, "easy mode". I was able to approach (but I'm not sure I ever quite hit) the Million-DPS mark on T2 EoK red-con names, despite the three new toons being heroic'd, group-geared, under-AA'd and, I'm sure, not even fully optimized in their rotations.

    That crew trivialized the game so much that I got bored and left the server (went to Agnarr). When I came back for RoS, I have been sticking with 3-boxing because it is a little more challenging and because it allows other real players to join me more often!
    Tucoh likes this.
  4. Wardacus New Member

    Back after a fairly long absence. EQ is still a great game with great content. Discord had just come out last time I played, that said I am back. I love the fact that you can solo, 2 box, 3 box or 6 box if you want to. The flexibility and depth is what brought me back. That said I am re-examining what character should be my 'main' and what I want to be auxiliary toons. I was a darkie in the day, then switched to a barb shammy getting fancy on Stormhammer. Today, I like all the classes which is part of my problem. I am thinking 3 boxing is the way to go but I could use some advice. I am currently thinking warrior/bard/beastlord with mercs. However, what I have read is different. My thoughts, best tank in the game, warrior. Best puller in the game, bard. Best dps in the game, 'it depends'. Merc tanks seem terrible, merc dps seem decent, merc heals seems decent. But yall are having pets tank and druids are awesome now (from what I read above). It seems I have learning to do, I appreciate any advice yall want to throw at me.

    Thanks.
  5. Alqui New Member


    why druid? does druid bring more adps than enchanter? What do they bring? i'm not familiar enough with the class.
  6. Vaeeldar Augur

    Old bump on the post but this doesn't apply now. Druid at one point was doing dps that rivaled everybody + had heals. They still do good dps but it's been tuned down. Sk-ench-wiz/mage would be the more powerful direction to run at the moment.
  7. Alqui New Member

    Thanks!

    Another question, is it still a thing for groups (with sk tank) to mow down multiple mobs at once for exp? Is wiz best for that?

    also! kinda off-topic but my sk is still low like 65, but he can't hold aggro from wiz mercs on burn to save his life. i spam the aggro spell, have tried a dot or tap or two and taunt as needed, but the mercs still inevitably tank like 50% of the fight. Does that get better or am i missing some tool?
  8. Vaeeldar Augur

    I haven't bene 65 on my sk in ages. Honestly couldn't tell you as mercs were not around for me then. At high level holding aggro is a joke between voice of thule/touch tap aggro boost (15%) and the terror and ae aggro spells will be very easy. For now might just be best to turn off burn.

    As for multiple mobs depends on level and gear later levels not so much anymore in groups. However, I tend to pull 2-3 these days with max gear/aa at 110.
  9. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    It's tougher at your level, and it for sure gets better :)

    Use snare or snare/dot spell (the snare component may be more important for aggro than the dot component, if you have mana concerns).
    Use the Voice spell.
    Use the Terror spell.
    Use taunt after the merc steals aggro (not before/proactively).
    Do DPS :) At some point, you will be able to out-DPS your mercs and they will never take aggro again!
  10. Mokumara Elder

    Just came back. Leveling up a Mage for a Sk, Mage, Enc/Bard trio. I Wanted to have a bard bot, but I think the Enc will offer more to the group setting. I really hope it works out.
  11. Wharghoul Journeyman

    I currently play sk/wiz/chanter and I'm really liking it. I'm 100 currently and working through TBM. The sk does not have the best gear so occasionally I swap a dps merc out for a healer merc to have two healers. The wizard is a lot of fun, especially with chanter aura and buffs. Finally, the chanter has saved my bacon multiple times. The only thing I miss is an off tank when the sk goes down, but for now I just pause and reset the fights with the chanter when that happens, mostly with beguilers banishment or his stasis spells.
  12. Aurastrider Augur


    I am not great with computers and trying to figure out programs usually gives me a headache and I just give up on them but I found the barebone basics of I S Boxer to be fairly strait forward. My suggestions are as follows if you just want the basics.

    Pick your layout. This can actually be the most painful part of the process because the one you pick might not function how you expected it to in terms of swapping and such. Take note of the layout you picked and if it does not function as you expected remake your team again with a new layout. At first this can be very time consuming but once you have done this process enough times you will be able to make a new team in a couple of minutes as long as you remember what layout you like.

    Make your macros. There are tons of very useful websites to be found doing a simple google search: Everquest macro's. If you know the basics of making a macro the hard part is over. Now you just have to determine what macros you want to utilize for each toon. Once you have created said macros you need to determine what button to assign them to 1 through =

    After you assign your macros go test them out on a combat dummy and make sure every toon is actually performing as intended. Its easy to mess up a line by missing a coma or having to short of a pause or misspelling something.

    I like to assign common functions to the same key for all of my "box" toons and I avoid using the broadcasting keys on my main. For my sk I utilize mostly the number pad and the surrounding keys for all of his actions. So my right hand is on the number pad controlling him during battle while my left hand is on the 1 through = keys controlling my other toons. I also avoid using pauses in most of my macros and just hit the button as fast as I can so there is zero delay between actions as long as my fingers can keep up.

    Here is a basic rundown of my buttons:
    1 (assist, pet attack, swarm pet attack, spell cast, fast reuse AA)
    2 (spell casting)
    3,4,5 and 6 (burn macros)
    7 and 8 (utility hotkeys such as group invis or what ever might be useful)
    9,0, and - (mod rods and mana recovery tools)
    = (follow macro) * I have a second in command toon that follows my main and all my other boxes follow my second in command. This allows me to only have to break my second in command off from my main and everyone stops following him when I go out to pull when I don't want my whole group to move. This works well in open areas but not so well in tighter spaces especially trying to make lots of turns. It would be easy enough to make and indoor and outdoor version to bypass following issues though.

    There is a way to add more keys for broadcasting which I have been messing around with and am utilizing the F buttons as well but this is after 3+ years of just doing the basic out of the box stock design and options with the program. If I can figure out the basics of this anyone can trust me.