Disco Archer - Focus vs Meditation vs Bushido

Obuw

Hello all,

I'm currently re-gearing my disco archer (archery/tactics/anatomy/disco/music/chiv). I have about 80-100 points left over (depending on jewels), and I'm wondering which would be the better investment: bushido or focus? (or meditation?)

The main advantage of bushido would be 5 mana cost reduction on armor-ignore (which should take it from 13.5 mana to 11.25 mana per cast). Let's ignore the perfection bonus for the purposes of this comparison, as I'll only be using this character in a group environment. Presumably, lightning strike won't be very useful compared to armor ignore / double strike so that won't be used either.

I'm debating whether I should just stick to focus, or meditation instead?

If my math is correct, then with JOAT 20 med, 20 focus, 15 int, I have about 0.70 mana/sec.

With 100 focus I have about 1.12 mana/sec. So 100 focus provides about 0.42 mana/sec.

With 100 meditation I have about 1.60 mana/sec. But I drop from 55% to 40% LMC of course.

Of course when you add HML to the equation, the mana regen becomes rather insignificant. Heck, I'm even considering going with 100 spiritspeak instead, and using wraithform (with JOAT necromancy). But that would tank my karma, which would mess with divine fury bonuses.

What would you go with?

Rock

I would probably take Bushido.  The extra toHit from Lightning Strike (LS) is useful, especially for pumping Perfection up.  Even with savings from special move cost, using LS frequently might end up costing you more mana.  Still, If your armor has significant MR and LMC, you would probably be fine.  Other options I think could be useful:

1. Focus -- passive generation of both SR and MR
2. Poisoning -- allowing you use Serpent Arrow move. Another contributor to reducing special move cost.
   
3. Healing -- reduce mana load of healing/curing with Chivalry.  IIRC at 80 skill it can counter bleed attacks too now.
4. Hiding -- sometimes it's nice to run behind a corner and lose all aggro.
5. Ninjitsu -- by itself, it is limited but could still be useful with its variety of useful Animal Forms and the Mirror Image 1-use shields. Yet another contributor to reducing special move cost.
   

I would avoid Necro in this build.  Chiv likes positive karma. 

Obuw

I would never rely on LS for HCI, it's already going to be capped without it. It's one of the first things you cap as an archer anyway.

Poisoning is worthless imo as 95% of enemies are immune to poison or cure it instantly. (This character is strictly PvM.)

Hiding - I think I'd rather take magery (invisibility) if I wanted to go that route. Which I have actually considered... Invisibility is so convenient...

Ninjitsu could be an interesting alternative... I can't really see it adding anything useful though. But neither does bushido (apart from a few rare cases where I'll be able to use perfection).

Healing could definitely be another alternative.

I just did some tests on TC (I'm surprised at the lack of numbers on chivalry spells in the forums/wiki/etc, considering that 99% of the playerbase have been using them for 15+ years). Karma seems to make zero difference on EoO and CW. It makes a miniscule difference on DF. So I think SS could be an interesting alternative.

Mervyn

Have you considered using a lasher or unicorn from 1 to 2 slot, dropping the music and discord and going for 60 taming and lore, putting 120 disco on the pet. That would save you 120 skill. You simply ride the pet once it’s discoed the target and it should remain discoed. 

Obuw

We have a 110 disco pet, took it through two whole shadowguard runs and it hasn't succeeded in discording a non-trash monster. It doesn't seem to be a reliable source of discordance.

Mervyn

my 120 disco pet discos everything a 120 player can do.

DJAd

Mervyn said:

my 120 disco pet discos everything a 120 player can do.

Can it discord the shadowguard bosses (expect virtuebane) or any named monsters?

Mervyn

Yes all shadowguard bosses except virtuebane. It discords Medusa too.