Army of the Dead

[Osgoode]

I've had AotD Rank 1 for a while and wanted to know how good the further ranks are? Should I max them out or continue chasing after max'd Combat Agility or other stuff? AotD lasts past the initial target mob and getting them to reaquire a target means getting me smacked around like a red headed stepchild.

Thanks in advance,
Osgoode

[Ultulus]

imo defensives - infi better than AoTD... I am like VERY disappointed that my friend spent my AAs on WTD and AoTD

[scrat]

Combat Agility is something you'll never regret, it's a good choice. Completely avoiding damage is the only way you can survive nowdays, we have no means to mitigate enough to make a difference.

AotD...depends entirely on your play style as to it's worth. Final rank (9?) with the refresh reductions averages out to a solid 150dps (300dps while active) if you have ample corpses to raise. For me, I use this religiously when kiting for xp - which usually means the first few months after an expansion release. After I get to the level/aa I want - I try to do meaningful stuff which is all grouping required.

Grouping, AoTD is a festering wart on your heel. If you score a rare group that doesn't loot mobs as fast as they hit dirt, you wind up pissing them off by destroying their entire field of view with 5 massively annoying pets that stick around for 3x the fight duration. And the DPS contribution compared to the scope of an entire group, combined with much less overall contribution due to short mob life - is pathetic. The cast time + limited range + delay of animated corpses to get within melee range = fail. It's a wasted hotkey.

About the only time I use this anymore is when I'm duo'ing with a mage in crystallos or with a 3-boxer that doesn't mind the visual sewage. In both cases, the added DPS boost is significant enough to warrant the use due to the long(er) fights.

I will add that AoTD is priceless for soloing hard targets; it guarantee's you 5 rounds. But then you only need rank3 for that; 4-9 add to the damage & slightly to the Hp of the pets.

[Felicite]

If you score a rare group that doesn't loot mobs as fast as they hit dirt, you wind up pissing them off by destroying their entire field of view with 5 massively annoying pets that stick around for 3x the fight duration. And the DPS contribution compared to the scope of an entire group, combined with much less overall contribution due to short mob life - is pathetic. The cast time + limited range + delay of animated corpses to get within melee range = fail. It's a wasted hotkey.
This is well said.

Although if you have a Cleric friend that will hit Divine Arbitration while you scream Train! you can get noobs to panic, sometimes. =p
I will add that AoTD is priceless for soloing hard targets; it guarantee's you 5 rounds.
This is also good advice.. if you have the corpses.

[GnekroeGnomicon]

This is also good advice.. if you have the corpses. Now that they have added 8 billion drops to every mob type, corpses should be pretty plentiful. I used to find it more difficult while soloing to have a steady 5 corpses with a junk item on them rotting, now just about every mob that dies has some worthless skin or whatever to produce a 30 min corpse. :) I mean good god, I had an adult cave bear drop 10 different items the other day, my bags fill up so quick it is ridiculous.

That isn't to say when you see a named and want to take it right away... :p

[Siluuael]

The AotD pets are not bad for reducing incoming DPS on the tank via bash/stuns. That's probably the single biggest benefit I see when using them. This works especially well when farming older raid mobs.

[Drazzminius]

Are the AotD pets "dumb" Mobs? By this, I mean do they retain any of their abilities/power from the original Mob or are they just weak little annoyances for the intended target?

[Lylith]

Are the AotD pets "dumb" Mobs? By this, I mean do they retain any of their abilities/power from the original Mob or are they just weak little annoyances for the intended target?

If it was a caster mob, it will cast. so, it does keep some traits from original mob.

I have pet spam turned off. I have no idea how much damage they do. It saves me about 1 spell cast overall though when soloing.

Best part is spamming raid chat that I cast it and peeps miss it, then piss their pants when a named 'jumps up' from being dead. lolz. best AA ever when that happens!

[Felicite]

That isn't to say when you see a named and want to take it right away... :p
This is what I meant.. cruising around and you find a named.. you wouldn't yet have any corpses.

[GnekroeGnomicon]

bah ;) We are necros, experts at making corpses!

[Dembonez]

If it was a caster mob, it will cast. so, it does keep some traits from original mob.

Only the original 1 mob WTD follows this rule. No casting on AoTD.

[Siluuael]

Only the original 1 mob WTD follows this rule. No casting on AoTD.
Correct. All AotD pets are technically rogues.

[Drazzminius]

Yeah, that is what I was wondering. I have WtD3 and it's always awesome to cast on PC corpses lying in a zone. I had a Dr00d in Plane of Aggravation that I used for WtD for about 3 days, ROFL.

Don't have AotD, so was wondering if those mobs were casters also...

[Knutplate]

Don't have AotD, so was wondering if those mobs were casters also...

aotd are melee only (up to 5 max)

The Pet flurry and critt AAs work on them as well. Its worth using when situation allows.