Not PvP, purely for soloing 1-80, which is more suited for the job? I don't know what coercers bring to the table in groups either, and I only know a little about illusionists. But, simple, who has the easier ride from 1-80, and whats the main buffage they bring? Not concerned too much about group play and dps until i hit 80. And despite numerous discussions ingame in various channels, it's always conflicting and never decided ps. this is a cross-post, wanna get a representable opinion from both communities
Hiya! Both illus and coercers are very good soloers, when you learn how to do it! Buffs: Illus: Gives a spell proc, that does some extra damage and reduces hate. (rocks when soloing!) Haste: Increases auto attack speed (not to cool when soloing...) Illusionary arm(AA ability): Gives a 25% chance of making a duble attack with ranged or melee auto attack weapons (nothing to fancy when soloing) Time compression(AA ability): Improves the casting, recast and recovery speed of target (cant be placed on yourself, but usefull on your pet) In combat power regain: as it sounds, coercers have a exactly simmular. Int/wis buff: as it sounds realy (usefull when soling!) Arcane mitigation: Increases the arcane mitigation ALOT (not so very good for soloing) Coercers: DPS buff: Increases the damage done by auto attack (dosent sound so very good for solo...) Damage shield: Places on an allied, and when that is damaged the attacker of the allied is damaged aswell. (not so very soloish) Hate transfer: transfers hate to the target of buff (not that cool for solo, posebly to place on pet) in combat power regain: as the name sounds. INT/AGI buff: as the anme sounds, coercers sort of the illus int/wis buff (usefull for solo) Arcane mitigation: increases arcane mitigation (not so very usefull i guess) Coercive healing: place it on a healer and it does miracles (only usefull in solo if you find a mob to charm that is on a healer script) (i might have forgoten a coercer buff, as i never could play one beyond lvl 20 ) Pets: Illus: Creates a personae (clone of yourself) that is very usefull for soloing as it roots, stun, stife, dazle and add some damage to help you! Coercers: Charms a pet of choise, that does what it programed to do against you (for example if you charm a tank mob it will be good as a tank, if you charm a mage it wil be good for mage things) Charmed pets does not ollow you trough zones and it can take a while before you find a "good" one, an you need to learn what a good victim of charm is. i dont know if you still have to worry about charm breaking. Damage: Illus and coercers damage is prity simmular, depends on gear/buffs/abit of skills who does most, but can do prity good for beinbg a utility class Crowed control: Illus are somewhat better, have an exra very fast casted mezz, aswell as having the option in AA to make their mezzes harder to resist. Power regain: Illus and coercers are quiet the same till lvl 50, where coercers becomes slightly better, coercers have more usefull power management abilitys all the way to lvl 80, bu the illus epic weapon makes up for it when you once get it, so at lvl 80 they are equal kinda. Solo ability (100% my own experience and opinion) Illus are WAY! better then coercers! why: (still.. my opinion, nothing sientific about this at all!) Illus spell proc. illus buff gives INT/WIS, that is better for a mage then INT/AGI Illus pet: helps alot in CC while you do the nuking, aswell its alwasy there if you want it, dont bother finding THE right pet of the zone. abit better CC abilitys for soloplay. the AA options to make the roots/mezz harder to resist helps ALOT in soloing. as root failure is a common reason of death. summary: Illus buffs Mages primary, and have some good stuffs for scouts and healers, as illus buff mages, they can buff themself with usefull stuffs. Coercers buffs tanks, scouts and have some usefull ability for healers. they lack the very usefull buffs for themself since they are not "ment" to buff mages. Both are very capeble soloers, but illus IMO has a litle bit of an advantage in soloing. Hope it brought some answer for you
PvE solo.. coercer, but illy can still solo very well. dps... illy over time dps is more. burst dps is coecer now.
Miwyen wrote: a coercer can kill things a lot faster than an illy. but fight are not as safe if you charm breaks. you just need to wait lvl 40 to have your 3 reactiv spells and then you'll do great. both are good, but as my main is coercer, i'd say, coercers solo better at higher lvl even if we can dps buff ourselves. usually the charm takes 3 con slots, then you put hate trans on him + dps buff (especially if melee) then whether you use your int buff or desaggro, your call. Coerciv healing is not that usefull coz priest pet don't use much benefic spell.
Guess a very powerfull burst is somthing illus dont have, only one reactive. but instead some "normal" damange spells, and a full arsenal of awesome DOTs
I don't even use the pet soloing except for pulling.. on heroics at least. I don't see a problem with illusionist burst DPS. Prismatic adorn yourself and hit the mob from behind while its stunned with your int line CA and the streangth line CA, along with your other stuff is a huge burst.... just make sure to turn auto attack off before you remez!
that is alot of based on a choise of playing... tanks cna play in chain aswell, assassins can use range... the pet is a good tool, usaly usefull, but its very well poseble to do without it, all in a personal prefereance
