Thread: I need opinions for Lore Masters' skirmish soldier..........

I've been using the Protector since the my LM started skirmishing. But I am TRULY (no, really!) truly sick-n-tired of
of how far ahead the Banner-guard/Protector/Warrior are. So I'm thinking of changing soldier class. It just stinks
that I have to baby sit all the time. Anyway, I'm looking for opinions and advice on which skirmish soldier works,
and which doesn't work for you. Please....no criticism, or "This is better than that". Just what did and didn't work
for you as Lore Master.
BTW I do have my soldier max rank and tried various combinations of skills.

Thank you all in advance for responding.

I've always used the Protector, personally. I definitely agree that they stand too far away, but it helps their aggro management to be the first guy the enemy sees. I've never had my Protector go further than any of my ranged skills, so I can always hit from range while he tanks. Using the Protector as a tank frees me up to use raven (or bog lurker) as a flank generator, instead of pulling out my bear. I'll let him grab mobs while I debuff, and then I pull them off him one by one for the kills.

I played around with other skirmish soldiers early on, but I've stuck with the Protector, with no regrets.

(Context may be helpful: This regards solo/duo skirmishes ONLY. I don't do many skraids, there may be better options in that situation.)

I have tried a few types and I personally prefer the Sage. Its DPS and debuffs help with damage so that we can blow up everything quickly before anything becomes a problem.

I would prefer to run a AoE Sage because it speeds up my runs, but I've had problems with certain bosses, so I've switched to a single-target damage sage until I get better equipment.

I tend to run with a Lynx for even more damage, but I occasionally switch to a Raven for certain end-bosses for better self-healing from flanks.

Because the Sage does not run ahead and aggro too much, the pulls are easier, meaning there is less need for a tank (Protector or Bear).

I go with a healing herbalist. He keeps me and my pet alive, stays out of trouble, and plays well with others when I'm in groups.

@ Ralcanwolf: Yes, I tend to solo/duo also. tyvm for the input.

@ DEATHKNYGHT: I do use the Sage with my Capt. Her extra damage makes up for what my capt lacks, as she mainly
runs Hands of Healing and is usually support in group play.

I wasn't sure how a sage would work out with my LM.

Tyvm all.

Starting out, I used the herbalist. It does get agro from time to time so you can get off inductions. Once I got to the higher levels, I switched to a protector. It gets agro more reliably, can heal, and does additional damage. The spirit of nature pet has become my pocket healer.

My two cents: if you are going for Tier 1 or 2 skirmishes where survivability is not an issue, the sage should provide nice dps (and will not stand 500 feet in front of you). But if you want to do Tier 3 skirmishes, nothing beats a healer soldier. (I resisted getting a healer soldier for a long time because I hate the idea of using one and ran with a fully leveled soldier for a long time. Once I switched, though, the difference in survivability was astonishing).

I would recommend the Sage or the Herbalist if you dislike soldier running too far ahead.
Plus they're welcomed in raid skirmishes, unlike some other soldiers.
*cough* Protectors *cough*

I use a bannrguard. He is like me. Healing a bit, Buffing/debuffing a bit, tanking a bit, dealing a bit of dmg.
I gave him the aggro-shout, meleeattack, ultimate banner(switching depending which is needed), and the HoT.
The mobs attack him first and i can get off inductions and/or kill one by one.

Well I bet he isn't the best soldier, but I like him. He fits me.

No one mentioned the archer yet, so I'll throw in my 2 cents. I love the archer. I gave mine high survivability and single-target DPS skills. He hangs back, doesn't mess with my CC, and does a ton of damage.

Herbalists are nice too, but I find that I prefer the boost to DPS. When I've used herbalists in the past, I just end up being over healed 95% of the time. Most of the skirm content doesn't really need extra healing beyond our flank heals even in tier 2. But more DPS is always welcome.

Also, the faster things are killed, the less damage you take.

The archer really speeds up the skirms and that is important to me: the faster the better as the skirms get boring after running them so many times.

You guys are awesome! Although my 75 LM is the target of this tread, I do have a 31 LM who started a Archer and is
equal to level 45, (Rank 8?, I believe), and is really working out good. But as I get closer to it's level I'm sure things
will get a little more tougher.

Back to my 75: I'm still undecided, as 295 TP's is quite a bit, (though I've spent that on my Capt to convert to a Sage).
(Which also works well for me).

I think the warrior is little better to level with than the archer, it will help dps and keep groups of mobs off you with aoe. At 75 red traited the herbalist complements lm exceedingly well, you will not need to trait the herbalist for power regenerating at all, you can focus solely on healing traits and use share the power if needed. The herbalist is excellent for skirmish raids and is a surprisingly durable "heal tank" attracting mob aggro with heals and surviving.

Originally Posted by DEATHKNYGHT

I have tried a few types and I personally prefer the Sage. Its DPS and debuffs help with damage so that we can blow up everything quickly before anything becomes a problem.

I would prefer to run a AoE Sage because it speeds up my runs, but I've had problems with certain bosses, so I've switched to a single-target damage sage until I get better equipment.

I tend to run with a Lynx for even more damage, but I occasionally switch to a Raven for certain end-bosses for better self-healing from flanks.

Because the Sage does not run ahead and aggro too much, the pulls are easier, meaning there is less need for a tank (Protector or Bear).

I agree. With my main I used a Protector till level 75 and then switched to herbalist.

I am now levelling up another LM (love the class) and have been using Sage, which is great.

Originally Posted by Branthil

Please....no criticism, or "This is better than that". Just what did and didn't work
for you as Lore Master.

Like several other people, I started with a protector, then switched to a herbalist. They both worked. I know you didn't want to know what is better, but nonethetheless, I think the herbalist is a better choice.

Was thinking about that yesterday when my warrior decided to pull a entire pack of mobs on me while i was doing the storm on methedras skirm (T2). I heard theres a scroll of skirm marks refund but i also heard theres a bug that returns only 50% of the marks spent. Anyone know if thats right?

Im very inclined to replace the warrior with a herbalist. I dont need dps in skirms.

I do a sage, its like fighting next to a mini slightly less powerful version of myself I never really tried other types of soldiers, I am thinking of getting something that draws aggro away from me so I don't get hit to much and heal my soldier up with beacon of hope if he gets low. It also depends on what pet you have. If you use a bear then you dont need someone to draw aggro because of its instant aggro draw skill.

Interesting thread. I've always ran bannergaurd but now that our soldiers can came out on the lanscape with us I'm thinking that the sage with its DPS might be a better overall fit. If I can reset points I might try that out both in a skirmish and out in the world.

If you do BDS and or raid skirmishes herbalists are the way to go makes it easier for minstrels to heal and gives more time to dps win/win

I've tried a protector , then a sage , then a herbalist ...

Then I changed all my alt's soldiers to herbalists .

My Lore Master uses an Archer. It doesn't draw too much aggro, does desent DPS and it doesn't stand a mile away.
Although, I wouldn't slot the restore power skill. It's frustrating.
Whenever I start a fight (full morale and power) he goes "Just give me a sec, lol. I need power" So I put an ultimate DOT skill in that slot.