Celt Blademaster - Phoenix Freeshard

Hiya there!

I am just coming back to DAoC. It's been a long time! I have never really gotten super deep into this game but I've done a lot of reading.

I want to play a celt blademaster and I was just wondering how I should allocate my starting stats and if I should go for blades or pierce. What are the advantages of them and which will be more useful in most situations I will face from your perspective as a veteran of this server?

I am not interested in playing a Firbolg or other races.

Thanks in advance for your time!

P.S. From my understanding the correct build for PvP is 50 CD / 42 shield / 39 weapon. Please correct me if I'm wrong!
P.S.S. Is there any way to change your skill setup later on? For instance, could I level with higher CD to smash through mobs faster to level and pickup shield later or is shield good for leveling as well. Haha I think that's it!

Tue 11 Aug 2020 9:04 AM by Cadebrennus

miffy253 wrote: ↑
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:56 AM
Hiya there!

I am just coming back to DAoC. It's been a long time! I have never really gotten super deep into this game but I've done a lot of reading.

I want to play a celt blademaster and I was just wondering how I should allocate my starting stats and if I should go for blades or pierce. What are the advantages of them and which will be more useful in most situations I will face from your perspective as a veteran of this server?

I am not interested in playing a Firbolg or other races.

Thanks in advance for your time!

P.S. From my understanding the correct build for PvP is 50 CD / 42 shield / 39 weapon. Please correct me if I'm wrong!
P.S.S. Is there any way to change your skill setup later on? For instance, could I level with higher CD to smash through mobs faster to level and pickup shield later or is shield good for leveling as well. Haha I think that's it!

It's a good starting spec. 39 Blades is good for the anytime ASR chain, but Pierce is more advantageous vs Mid and Alb chainmail. I would suggest Blades for solo/smallman and Pierce for 8v8/zerg.

Sat 29 Aug 2020 6:41 PM by exveer

miffy253 wrote: ↑
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:56 AM
I want to play a celt blademaster and I was just wondering how I should allocate my starting stats and if I should go for blades or pierce. What are the advantages of them and which will be more useful in most situations I will face from your perspective as a veteran of this server?

Blades is strictly better because the weapons available to blades are better. You get a d/q debuff mainhand that is 4.1 speed (Thrust's str/con is an awkward 3.3 speed), and a 4.3 speed mainhand if you wish to go pure damage in your mainhand. The styles are virtually identical in (both get a side snare, which is pretty much all you'll use -- Blades does get a two-chain attack speed debuff, but in reality you'll rarely use it), and while you do get a bonus vs. Chain with Thrust, the damage bonus seems to be less than the overall damage decrease you take by using inferior weapons. I've not tested it to be 100% positive in this, but I'm fairly certain. Don't go Crush; it lacks a readily available side snare.

miffy253 wrote: ↑
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:56 AM
I am not interested in playing a Firbolg or other races.

That's reasonable (I hate firbies too), but know that testing I've been doing recently shows Firbolg BM does ~10% more damage than celt BM (even accounting for decreased qui of Firbolgs). I've race respecced my BM as a result. I'm uglier for it, I agree. That said, most BMs are Celt, so you're in good company.

miffy253 wrote: ↑
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:56 AM
P.S. From my understanding the correct build for PvP is 50 CD / 42 shield / 39 weapon. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

That's correct.

miffy253 wrote: ↑
Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:56 AM
P.S.S. Is there any way to change your skill setup later on? For instance, could I level with higher CD to smash through mobs faster to level and pickup shield later or is shield good for leveling as well. Haha I think that's it!

This server allows you to respec infinitely for 24 hours after hitting a level; while you're leveling, this functionally equates to being able to respec at any time (you must be at a trainer to respec). So yes, you can -- and many do -- go weapon/shield purely for PvE, then respec to their RvR spec at 50. You can also respec based upon whether you're solo or going to be grouping. You do have to reset bars every time, which is annoying, but it's not that bad.