Hey all, I'm looking for some feedback on a favorable solo class when you are brand new to the game and broke. I've played every role in raids across years of MMOs and half the fun of MMOs for me is just figuring out classes, so I don't need a specific playstyle. I'm used to using over 30+ keybinds, so class complexity is also a non-issue. The main criteria I'm looking for in a class is strong soloer that requires very little funding to get rolling and learn the various aspects of the game. Suggestions?
Hard to say, as i did solo with my bard, monk, beastlord, paladin, trouob, brigant.... oh well, sometimes with assistance of a merc. But in terms of cheap and durable, i would go for monk(or what the other class called ^^). As it goes with the signature as base of decision, all the classes i stated first, are capable doing it (sometimes with merc). Done old x4 zone with beastlord, dirge, swashy last night without real strugle (but merc).
From my viewpoint there is no such thing as a strong soloer class that is "cheap" as you put it. Why not do some self-funding while you're at it: pick up collectibles and status items and sell them. Sell very low level treasured items. Do the questlines for equipment and weapons as you go. I can start a character on a new server and within a week I've got 100 plat without hardly breaking a sweat. Nothing magic to it. Certain items sell. Familiarize yourself with the broker and what is popular there. Now as for a class: what do you like doing? Melee or spellcasting? Do you watch your group's health as a habit? Like taking a beating and emerging triumphant? Or are you after the thin line between DPS and sudden death? Like to get up in the mobs' faces? Or stand back and control them from a distance? So many variables here. If you like the idea of a melee class that is fairly cheap to raise, Inquisitor is one choice. You will be dependent on AA build to make you strong but your combat arts from AAs level with you, saving you buying upgrades of those. Equip a 2 hand weapon. See my recent posts for more details on this plate healer class. Brawlers are good for soloing too. Feign death to objectives, leather wearing avoidance tanks. Bruisers hit especially hard but monks do well also. Complex and tricky to master, the enchanters are powerful mind controllers. Illusionists get a persona pet while coercers can charm mobs as pets. Both highly sought after for groups. Beastlords take quite a bit of getting used to and a LOT of time to raise different warders' skills. But these are extremely good soloers with the ability to run either dps or heal stance. They don't have but a few spells to upgrade, and do most of their damage in concert with their warder. But as with any scout, pulling massive groups is not a great idea. That's just a sample. Take it as you may: there are three types of soloing: good, cheap and quick. You can have any two. A good quick soloer doesn't come cheap. A good cheap soloer doesn't solo quickly. And a cheap quick soloer doesn't do much good in the long run.
Money is no problem. The game supports solo/molo gameplay. You will never need anything but quested armor and a crafted weapon once in a while. If you are gold member and save all SC and all quested plat you will have enough SC and plat to buy some master spells. The last few can be done with regular research. If you are a hardcore soloer, then level crafting to cap early. Craft your own Adept III or food, whatever. But crafting levels rather fast and you can get a flying mount, some money from rush orders, AA to gather more rares and look for a crafter to craft your Adept III or weapon or armor. Though classes traditionally are priests. Some kill faster others less fast. If you really want to solo lots of content you should look for power management. Usually a druid or a Defiler with canibalize. He is rather low dps though. Power is a topic for all oldschool content (up to 70). I had fights of 45+ minutes and you need power to go through them. With a merc its faster now, but still slow. If he needs extra heals you are back to 30+ mins. I played the Beastmaster only to 21. He might have good solo potential. He plays very different though. In any case play a class that is fun overall. For 70+ heroic content it is a good idea to find a duo partner. Some scripts require a 2nd player. (Hardcore) Soloing usually requires to level up to a certain level/tier to get the next set of armor. Then mentor, put all XP into AA and do heroic or even epic content solo. This way you can solo/molo all content up to maybe 80.
All answers to this question are going to be strictly opinions. All classes are capable of soloing most quest content. But the classes that I had the easiest time soloing (with an occasional Merc) were the Zerker/Armorsmith and the Warden/Tailor. Although my Dirge/Provisioner is very low level right now, I have yet to come across anything I couldn't solo. I have a Templar Merc but I haven't really needed him so far. As recommended above, picking a tradeskill to match your class will help you with gear or supplies as you level. Making your character much more self reliant which will require much less "money" to get started.
As Ivory stated, these are all objective opinions of our experience. Due to their robustness I found Questing on a Guardian slow but easy. The usual "solo" classes as I think many agree with are the following. Druids: Warden/Fury. Crusaders: Shadowknight/Paladin Brawlers: Monk/Bruiser Berserkers Inquisitors Those are the "usual" classes. That is not to say you cannot solo a Guardian (the missing tank) it's just not as easy. You could solo a Dirge, again not as easy. Basically read the class descriptions, they aren't totally inaccurate yet and play the one that appeals to you. That is how I ended up a Guardian.
I would suggest Monk. Thier leather armor is cheap and they can solo very well. They are also needed in groups and raids as a tank.
I agree with above posters saying it's really mostly opinion. In the early levels you really don't need to fork over a ton of coin for upgrades. You will be able to solo 1-50ish in handcrafted gear easy (and that stuff should be really cheap) & journeyman spells. Upgrade with drops/quested items. Obviously if you go with higher quality options, the better you will be able to solo. It would be worthwhile to get your major spells/combat arts upgraded to expert to speed things along. If you choose to play something that melees, getting a decent weapon helps. AA matters. Don't just slide your slider to 0 aa from kills if you want to be a really effective soloer. Every class has aa's that make life so much easier when soloing. Classes I don't really recommend for a soloer: Templar Defiler If you plan on using a mercenary they'd be fine though. Mystics are my favorite, but you do need to get 15-20 aa to really get going with them, not that they are bad before then.
Oh, i did forget to say.... my fault: The strongest class, will be the class, which you understand on how to play ^ ^ (It does sound somewhat dumb, but only at the first read ^ ^)
On free to play account: Berserker or Brig or Templar. Most cleric's, templar , inquisister's players i have talked to say it a easy solo class. On gold account: Myself i would try out a Necromancer. They are the famous "Solo" class from the old days of EQ1. Add a merc to it from age of discovery expansion and you could be unstoppable. The other is a Dirge from what i have seen. a lv 90 or 95 dirge with good gear and max AA seems to simply walk threw any zone or dungeon and everything falls dead with no effort. Aoe nuke song for over 100k damage. --> Easy mode.<-- Furry is another good class and good for solo, once lv 95 and max AA they are unstoppable and insane good healers. They simply seem to be unable to die at all. Also they can be quite the monster in PvP. There are some ideas, but for fun and to really build up a class to see the game and be able to go anywhere and do anything i really suggest a Necromancer myself, once you take the time to build it up and max out the AA and get your Master spells you should be able to solo about anything. Good Luck and if you are on Antinous Bayle server send a tell to Aranr, we taking new members to guild
I would second the necromancer. Being a pet-reliant caster, you can solo all the way to 95 with great speed and ease without ever buying any gear and just upgrading 4-5 basic spells to adept quality. As a caster, you have much greater leeway with armor and weapon quality compared to any melee class, as you will not be the one getting hit. At max level, necromancers are soloing beasts, easily clearing group zones from previous expansions, burning down advanced solo zones, including HM WE, while still being needed in groups.
My best soloers were the monk and the warden. They were both fun to solo and had no problem managing mobs. Cheap is not an issue, as others have said, there is no need to buy gear (use quested) or spells beyond a basic few you will want until you hit 90.
