Realistically Shaman is the most overrated box you can have as an SK. if your going to 2box roll a DPS, when you get to the end you wont need slow, and a decent Wizard/necro/monk box can outdps a DPS merc on sustained dps and FAR out burn a Merc. Which allows you to get more done then a shaman/sk duo, and not only get more done, get it done much faster. Any SK that uses Willsapper in this day and age... Well their playing skill is questionable at best, You lose Lifeleech DPS trying to slow and that DPS/Healing will far outweigh the 10% or whatever Slow willsapper mitigates down to.
It sounds rather contradictory to place such an emphasis on melee dps and then discount shaman as a box choice. The advent of mercs has lessened the need for a real healer in group but has not completely removed it.
Willsapper is not only really rare but also not a clicky. Shaman buffs are still king but enchanters and bards work pretty awesome as box slowers. If you're going to make a free box, why not make two and add a dps class?
Thats; what I'm doing Sk/Mage/Shaman. Powerful team. If I was doing say a Necro/Mage I would switch and put Enchanter in their vs Shaman.
I was talking about a purely 2boxed Team. and if I WAS talking about 3 SK/Brd/Mnk >>>>>>>> Sk/shm/Mnk. Outside of Chapterhouse 2 that team can handle any progression/named whatever With relative ease. And yes for 95% of group content you don't even need a real healer id probably say closer to 98%. Also most of the people touting shaman as a box, still end up using healer mercs, which at that point the shaman is a buffbot... Which keeping a group spot locked down by a buff bot, is a complete and utter waste. Also the other benefit of a necro/monk is if you need to AFK alot (some of us do) you can just FD the Sk/Necrowhatever and get back to work when you can, pretty hard to do that with a shaman. However if your using a mage/sk... you'd get more mileage out of a Druid.
I use a merc for a backup vs named. My Shaman actively slows/dots/heals. But I agree if you are only using him as a bot why let him get a chunk of exp?
Invis works wonders, the mage summoned items have never failed me always get the full timer. If your afk longer than 20-30 mins should probably just log out.
I stopped playing my mage during UF, I am guessing your talking about the SOS clicky? Regardless a druid would add more to an SK/Mag duo then a shaman, especially when you factor in how much better wizard mercs are then rogue mercs. Wildspark aura, Skin to Vines, Group Black Wolf = Alot more added DPS then Epic 2.0/Lion (and 2.0 is only affecting the Sk/Pet... Which aren't going to be nearly as much of an increase to DPS as the afforementioned on the mage and 3 wizard mercs)
If you truly feel compelled to use a slow-proc weapon, then Hammer of the War Machine will preserve much of your lifeleech dps (vs that 13 dmg Willsapper).
The problem with that is its a 2hander, if the named is trivial enough that you can equip a 2hander to get a Slowproc, its probably trivial enough for you to just use a 2hander, which means its trivial enough to just zerg it without slow.
I see your points and they are quite valid, I came back after a long absence, when I left Shamans were considered the best box class with tank, so that;s the route I went, I think I will level up a druid and see the difference.
I mean don't get me wrong I am not saying a shaman is BAD, its just not the be all end all people try and act like it is. Especially in a Duo + mercs situation or a 3box with casters. Of the healers I personally prefer Druid or Cleric if its a box. I have never met a single boxer who is capable of playing a shaman at the level a druid or cleric is capable of being boxed. The shaman class is just too darn busy to get maximum potential as a box. < I am sure someone is going to disagree with me on that...
I agree with you that shamans are not the godbox that they used to be. I just disagree with the reasons at times. Druids mechanically work much better for SKs. Attack debuffs make for less spiky damage which is what normally kills tanks. The main reason I keep my shammy is for buffs and hard names (names in south valley at level 90). The buffs are still the best and their group cures and heals, especially the rain heals, are pretty awesome compared to my merc. Personally I went with chanter and wizard to complement my SK...and I never looked back. Chanters are just plain amazing and wiz dps...yeah.
Plus the fact especially for this comparison an SK has Epic/Scarlet/Carapace/First Spire combination for hard named... Then its more a matter of Can i kill this in <107 seconds? If So Healer even a merc is not required unless theres AE damage. Foresight is the only buff I like having a shaman around for, but IIRC the effect from that and Myrmidons Skill don't add together? I could have swore thats how that worked. They stack but highest Takes effect I thought, I've never parsed to Test that tho.
This, plus the hammer proc is only 3.5 min and willsapper is 6.5 mins duration. You can use deflection with willsapper and a shield to try land slow before you take any damage.
your missing the point. Willsapper is literally pointless to use, either way your losing dps (deflection+ws) or lifeleech. and there is nothing in group content at all an SK cant zerg through with 2.0/scarlet + defensive with or without slow. I mean seriously no named should take longer then the duration of 2.0 period unless your moloing it.
It looks like they actually do stack and do different things. The spell info is worded as avoid melee for foresight and increase dodge skill for myrmidons. I am going to assume that avoid melee is either a way to increase dodge linearly or a way to decrease the fail rate of dodge skill checks or a way to decrease a mobs accuracy. Only foresight? I would think you would at least want the melee damage boost from mammoth, if not the hp from focus.
All depends on what you are doing. If you are killing light blues then yeah maybe dps is more important than procing slow. If you are fighting red cons that could potentially 2 round you if unslowed, then procing slow and spamming lifetaps is going to keep you alive with just you and your cleric merc.
Shaman are very handy to have as box toons or even just to load up and buff your alts. You can also PL your melee alts a little bit with the champion line of melee procs. The willsapper wont be used in every fight but it has its situational uses and can give you a better chance of survival if you are a bit squishy.
