The best way to spend my AAs

[chabeksis]

I recently dinged 65, and I have decided that it would be worthwhile to go about collecting around 100-150AAs in the next level or two. I have researched what AAs I want, but I have a question as to what is the best way to spend my points. For instance SCM3 and SCF3 are both very high on my list of things to get. My question is should I grind out SCM3 and then SCF3, or should I go SCM1 then SCF1?

Basically I am asking if it will help me more to spend the AAs on the entry level, and then go back and fill the rest of the AA out later or should I go through the AAs one at a time? Thanks in advance for answering my question.

[Schaeffer]

the short version:

SCM3 will help you tremendously more than SCF3 will. If you are the kind of instant gratification guy and want to see yourself crit, then get SCF1 if you thikn it worth while, but finish SCM3 as fast as you can.

[Sivas]

I'd definitely recommend SCM3 first. It will save you 10 percent mana on every cast (the in game description is wrong) which essentially boosts your mana pool by 10 percent.

In general, it's best to finish off an AA set before moving to the next one since the last AA in a set often gives the biggest benefit. SCM is an example of this, where level 1 gives 2% savings, level 2: 5%, and level 3: 10%. SCF and Natural Durability are similar.

That said, it's often fun to get the first level of an AA just so that you can see it work sometimes (like SCF). So, if you're just doing it for fun then get 1 level. But, max out SCM first for the most benefit.

Sivas

[Felicite]

I tried to start a "how do I spend my first 150 AA" thread.. got some replies. And my opinion changes depending on the content I am doing.

Some gotta have things (for me) remain: SCM3, Critical Affliction 3, Pet Discipline, Swift Journey 2, Combat Agility 3, Lightning Reflexes 5.. those remain core, every night useful to me.

I have Fury of Magic maxed.. and I bet I crit < 10 times a night. I run a ton of DoTs and only life tap now and then (and Ackin maybe zero to 5 times depending on mood). So.. I wish, like Dire Charm, that I could reallocate my Nuke Crit AA into Pet Offensive AAs.

I want a Sol Ro quest to change AA points! *giggles*

[Rikam]

Which aa to buy is strictly given by how you spend your time in playing EQ. Without that info I can't give you much info. You gonna be raiding every night in PoP/GoD/DoN or you gonna be grping all the time? Will you be soloing and want the most DPS? Also you need to realize the most bang for buck aa are the first ones for the most part after those the higher expansion ones increase cost decrease helpullness.

Main gotta have aa IMO are:
[General]
Run3
Regen3
[Archetype]
ND3(cause I love my lifeburn)
SCM3(alteration being your spcialization)
MC3
SCF3
[Class]
Pet Disc
Call to corpse
Lifeburn
[PoP Advance]
None(if you buy Planar power Innate enlightenment Iwould /point laugh)
[PoP Ability]
Theft of Life 3
Fury of Magic3
[GoD Abilities]
Crit Affliction3
Fury of Magic mastery3
[Omens Ability]
Death Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the best fuggen aa must own
Improved Crit affliction3
Mnemonic Retention
Destructive Fury3

That is my must own gotta have raiding aa that I use every night. How many aa is that cost no clue but thats what I suggest as steps. Getting at least 69 if not 70 is paramount as you will be able to grp in Riftseekers where the gear/exp is just too good to waste time at 65.

[Felicite]

Originally posted by Rikam@Apr 18 2005, 12:23 PM
[Omens Ability]
Death Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the best fuggen aa must own
I completely, 200% agree with this statement.. but he said "stop at 65".. and this is req 66.

Death Peace AA is beyond every night.. it's every MOB.

[chabeksis]

Originally posted by Felicite@Apr 18 2005, 05:53 PM
I tried to start a "how do I spend my first 150 AA" thread.. got some replies. And my opinion changes depending on the content I am doing.

Some gotta have things (for me) remain: SCM3, Critical Affliction 3, Pet Discipline, Swift Journey 2, Combat Agility 3, Lightning Reflexes 5.. those remain core, every night useful to me.

I have Fury of Magic maxed.. and I bet I crit < 10 times a night. I run a ton of DoTs and only life tap now and then (and Ackin maybe zero to 5 times depending on mood). So.. I wish, like Dire Charm, that I could reallocate my Nuke Crit AA into Pet Offensive AAs.

I want a Sol Ro quest to change AA points! *giggles*
I read that post Felicite, and I found it to be extremely useful. To be honest, your list is the one I am using for my first 150AAs as I think your suggestion made a lot of sense, and our play styles are similar (from what I have discerned from your posts). I guess my real question was is it better to progress through the AAs one at a time, or is it more useful to get the first level in all of the AAs, and then go back and get the 2nd level in all of the AAs, and then go back and get the third level in all of the AAs.

From what I can discern from the replies is that SCM3 should be purchased before I do anything else. The following list is taken from Felicite's post and I will use it to illustrate my question. Here is the list of the AAs I plan to acquire first.

General
(3) Run 3
(3) Regen 3
Archetype
(12) Spell Casting Mastery 3
(12) Combat Agility 3
(12) Spell Casting Fury 3
Class
(6) Pet Discipline
PoP
(6) Theft of Life 3
(9) Lightening Reflexes 3 (next 6 here =p)
(18) Fury of Magic 3
(12) Wake the Dead 3
Gates
(18) Critical Affliction 3
(10) Swift Journey 2
Omens
(3) Mnemonic Retention
(5) Death Peace
(18) Improved Critical Affliction 3
(3) Army of the Dead 1

=150


My question is after I get SCM3, am I better off working through combat agility3 and then SCF3, or should I go CA1-SCF1-CA2-SCF2-CA3-SCF3 et cetera. Basically just trying to figure out the most efficient way to spend my AAs.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Felicite]

I am a finish one, then move on person. If I am working on Run Speed.. I do Run Speed until I am done (gawd.. it 5/10 then and I was 65 in Drunder rarely solo.. it took over a week to get those 15 AA).

So many of the AA scale like so that the third rank is pay off.. like double the second one. But even the ones that a nearly linear, like Critical Affliction.. I like seeing the full benefit.

Some bright person can likely show that there is a more optimal path..

[Sivas]

Chabeksis, I would say that your list is an excellent one for the first 150 AAs. The only question is how much benefit you'll get out of the SCF3 and FOM3 lines. Do you find that you use your DD a lot? If not, then you may want something else, such as Natural Durability. As I said above, I recommend finishing off a set of AAs before moving to the next one since you often benefit most from that last AA in a set.

It's hard to put an order on your list since it depends on your play style. But, similar to Felicite, the AAs that I use every night are: Death Peace, Swift Journey, Combat Agility 3, LR5, Critical Affliction 6, Pet Discipline, and Mnemonic Retention. It's very nice to have Army of the Dead 1, SCF3 and FoM3, and ToL, but I don't feel like I rely on them as much. In fact, I recently played an SK alt and I have to say that the utility AAs are the ones that I miss most: Swift Journey (run 0 is intolerable anymore), Death Peace, Pet Discipline and Mnemonic Retention.

Have fun. :-)

Sivas

[chabeksis]

Thanks for all the help guys. I am gonna take your guys advice and really track my playstyle as I grind out SCM3 and figure out which way to proceed from there. I appreciate all of the help.

[Xislaben]

I want dps the most, so after scm3 I think I'm going to go grind for Crit Afflic 3. I'm terribly tempted to go for CA1 before SCM3, as it's 5aa instead of SCM3's 6aa, even though maybe I shouldn't...

[Schaeffer]

If I remember correctly didn't they reduce the cost on CA to 3 6 9?

[Xislaben]

Originally posted by Schaeffer@Apr 19 2005, 02:16 PM
If I remember correctly didn't they reduce the cost on CA to 3 6 9?
I'm fairly certain it's 5 for the first level, though I'm not at my home pc to check it :(

[Jebasiz]

I've never been hit with 5 empty tabs and no aa's to get anything, so I'm not really sure of exact order. I do know that your 600 aa's will serve you better then my almost 800, as you won't waste any waiting for the next expansion to come around. As a general rule, I normally max offense/dps, get defensive aa's, then workon pet/utility aa's(in that order).

As far as crit nukes vs crit dots... If your exping fast enough level 1 of scf vs level 3 of crit dots, probably shouldn't make a huge difference in time, it's like 8 aa's or something, and can be done in a day or so(without pushing to hard).

If your kiting for your aa's, I'd get scm3 and then pour everything I can into crit dots, then get swift journey 2. That way your maximizing your mana preservation, your dots are doing the most dmg that you can (without gear and level increases) and your getting hit as little as possible. After that, I really wouldn't worry about anything in particular, just increase dps until you can't anymore, then get defensives/pet aa's or utility.

[Quezquotyl]

Even though the defensive AA's take a while, they have saved my ass numerous times when snare gets resisted. They make a huge difference when a mob has taken to beating on you. After you've reached you AA goals, you might also look at Peristant Casting, its nice to be able to still cast Feign Death while stunned.

I'm fairly certain it's 5 for the first level, though I'm not at my home pc to check it

No Schaeffer they refunded the two AA's you spent after the patch when they changed it to 3/6/9 for CA. I remember because I spent 5 AA's on CA1 before the patch and I remember having two AA's bank because they reduced the costs.

[Xislaben]

Originally posted by Quezquotyl@Apr 19 2005, 03:08 PM
No Schaeffer they refunded the two AA's you spent after the patch when they changed it to 3/6/9 for CA. I remember because I spent 5 AA's on CA1 before the patch and I remember having two AA's bank because they reduced the costs.
OMG, I have 3 banked atm (pinged last night) so I can have CA1 today... Hmmm...

Of course if I did buy it instead of grind to SCM3 first I just know I'd crit on darkness...

[sasiz]

Here is my 2cp, semi casual with a low key raid group (almost to time). Else I solo in Fire/NC a bit

I have 60aa's

run3 3
reg3 6
scm3 12
ca3 18
petdisipline 6 (favorite aa)
combatstability 12
scf1 2 (working on this)
nd1 2 (will finish this nex)

the only other that I think could go in here is memonic retention

This doesn't add up correctly but it is what I got

suspend minion
fiegn death
ica
the follow on to cs are next on the list