Brawler Archive
Thread: The King of PvE
However, don't be fooled by the Swordsman's potential. Pikemen are double-gimped because not only do we not have the speed, we also don't have the targeting ability.
I've heard of Swordsmen dropping enemies in pvp in one solid Head Hit 3 - being able to target the mind with a friggin power hammer is insane.
Pikemen are great for area attacks - we can dizzy, stun, and knockdown everything around us... while mowing down their HAM, too. Try walking into an NPC outpost (Imp or Rebel, your pleasure 
) and watch how fast you just MOW down NPCs lol. As a pve profession, I'm seriously considering Master Pikeman/Master Swordsman because of the versatility of these two professions. Fencer has the defense, but not the offense. TKA has the fotm label, so I avoid it by default (though I'll probably get the Mediation line, because if you solo a lot, healing your own disease and poison is invaluable). I recently dropped Master Brawler, because it didn't offer me anything that was integral to my pve strategy.
But I agree, check Pikeman out. Once you've been surrounded by five or six Huurton Huntresses or Piket Walkers (not too tough, I'll admit, but I was only a 3-1-0-3 Pikeman at the time), and spammed SpinAttacks and watched them all scatter and drop at once to the tune of 25k xp, it's priceless, man 
Crowd control is our forte.
I honestly can't speak to the Swordsman's area attacks, but I know they've got 'em. We simply have more, and more versatility with them. As a tradeoff, though, he hits harder one on one, AND can target the mind - our leg attacks are pretty lame, to be honest.
Message Edited by Omegaplex on 03-22-2004 07:09 PM
Pikeman all the way baby - Swordsman might do more damage and faster to single targets - but nothin beats a buffed pikeman for crowds of critters. It is slow beyond belief till you get to 4-0-0-2, but when you do - WOW!!! I am like you, i can't stand most PvP in this game - but even in PvP if you play smart and have good DoT lances, Pikeman will still take out droves of people.
As for a template you need at least some ranged combat ability for when critters run away from you. (I hate chasing stuff - go ahead call me lazy, but i really hate having to chase to my prey) From my experience it doesn't really matter which ranged you go if you add TKA or Fencer to the template for defense, if you don't then might i recommend Pistoleer 4-0-4-0, Master Pikeman, Master Swordsman. Pistoleer gives you enough defense boosts to easily hit the cap, plus the three give you bonuses to Dodge, Block and Counterattack. Pistoleer also boosts Dizzy, KD, Stun, etc. defenses rather nicely. For groups of critters use your pike, for single baddies switch to the sword. Good Armor and good buffs, and you can take almost anything quick enough to not even need medic abilites.
Sutek Amon'Ra - PvE Junkie - Sunrunner
i read this thread and just had to add, i am mast ch and mast hvy swordsman with medic 3100 and finishing up brawler now for holo and i can solo just about anything that is out there. previous comment about pikeman being able to take on large group. hvy swordsman has an awesome area affect attack, i can just focus on the lair of even bull rancor and anything that gets close to me just dies while my pets take most of the dmg.
RevDamienVryce
mast ch, mast hvy swords. former- mast carbineer, mast scout/ranger, mast armorsmith. holo grinder
LordSaibot wrote:
head hit is all that swordsmen have. Know it, love it, spam it, but only when buffed. Without it, we are no better than pikemen, if not worse due to less accuracy and state effects. With it however you can't even compare the two.
I cannot agree with my esteemed swordsman collegue. I use HeadHit3, yes, but I frequently drop things in two hits with Lunge2 (okay, a Master Brawler move admittedly) followed byHit3. Also, when surrounded, Area3 does great crowd control.
Besides both Hit3 and Area3 have a chance to Dizzy. So we certainly have more than just HeadHit3.
Hondor64 wrote:
go Pikeman. i'm a pikmen and lovin it. god beiing able to take on 4 Enraged rancors at once and come out alive is insane. area KD area attacks and you are lauging. Pikemen rock in PVE also with some of the new lances i have a LVA with -12,-12,-12 for accuracy which helps out majorly, in pve i don't miss very much anymore. as somone above said bein able to go into an imp base and area dizzy area kd all the st's is great fun. i go on alot of base takedown as either my BE or when they don't need be my pikeman. and i go in and just kd all the sts and we have fun.
my char is going
Ranger 0/0/4/0
pikeman Master
brawler 4/0/0/4
novice medic
TKA 4/0/0/0
Meditation is very usefull when you get diseased by a bull rancor. just my 2 bits