Should Magplar Really be in Melee Range?

bhagwad · September 2017

As a magplar, I keep hearing that I'm supposed to fight in melee range because of puncturing sweeps (jabby). However, my rotation is 16 seconds and I only use puncturing sweeps twice in that time. For trash mobs it's fine, but getting close to bosses with just 19k health is dangerous!

For example, yesterday I was in vet Elden Hollow, final boss, with scroll. I was close up jabbing her, and with all the flashes and lightning, I was a split second too late to see the red circle spread out around her and it just about caught me. 40k damage! No shield could have helped me with that. No jabby could have saved me. In general, I prefer to away from bosses, and not be close.

I'm also experimenting with the Grothdarr set because the fire damage helps proc my burning spell weave more. The only problem is that it requires me to be dangerously close to the boss for the damage. I'd much rather use something like Ilambris, because I don't need to worry about range.

Everyone says that puncturing sweeps is "spammable". It's really not. If I spam sweeps, I'm going to run out of magicka really fast. I rely on heavy attacks, ele drain, and channelled focus to get my magicka back and I just have space for two puncturing sweeps in my 16s rotations.

So how do you guys play your magplar? Up close? Isn't that a dangerous place to be for a DPS?

SammyFable · September 2017

Dude Stamboys are like this with even lower Health and no shields. xD

But to answer your question, no you don't HAVE to be melee. You could use Dark Flare instead of Sweeps but since it costs more you'll end up with much shittier sustain. And you would need a range type monster set like skoria.

Maikon · September 2017

Are you wearing heavy armor?

bhagwad · September 2017

Maikon wrote: »

Are you wearing heavy armor?

No, light. One heavy chest, and one medium to get all undaunted passive increases.

Lexxypwns · September 2017

I don't PVE, but I definitely play ranged magplar when I play magplar in PVP

bhagwad · September 2017

SammyFable wrote: »

Dude Stamboys are like this with even lower Health and no shields. xD

But to answer your question, no you don't HAVE to be melee. You could use Dark Flare instead of Sweeps but since it costs more you'll end up with much shittier sustain. And you would need a range type monster set like skoria.

Ilambris is fine right? I get more DPS with that than Skoria. I use Vampire's bane to have 100% fire DoT uptime to proc Ilambris fire. Also considering an infused fire enchant on other bar to get even more fire proc...

FakeFox · September 2017

In my opinion you should go melee as a magplar, as a fluid rotation playing dualwield/destro with jabs still does the best DPS. However in order for this to be effective you need to be able to sustain without heavy attacks. Magplar on his own has okayish sustain but sometimes not good enough for that. However with proper support his sustain is very good. So if you don't have that and have problems being melee anyway you can also play range. Which means placing your dots, doing one or two heavy attacks and repeat.

SoLooney · September 2017

if stam can survive playing melee with deadly cloak and no shield, you can surely learn to melee as magicka, with a shield, with a spammable that heals you

bhagwad · September 2017

SoLooney wrote: »

if stam can survive playing melee with deadly cloak and no shield, you can surely learn to melee as magicka, with a shield, with a spammable that heals you

Perhaps. But isn't it rather too dangerous in any case? One mistake and you're dead!

PlagueSD · September 2017

As a primarily melee character (Stamblade) you have to pick your fights. There are some bosses that are NOT melee friendly at all. Vila Theran in FG2 is one such boss that is insta-death for any melee character.

This is where knowing boss mechanics is key. Most bosses only have a frontal cone, or cleave attack. If the tank is doing their job, the boss should remain faced away from the group. Those are the bosses that are safe to be in melee range. Other's are safe to melee as long as you PAY ATTENTION in the fight (I tend to call this "raid awareness"). You see a red circle growing from under the boss, MOVE.

kargen27 · September 2017

From a healer perspective it doesn't matter if you go ranged or melee, you should be positioned so that heals on the tank also heal you.

Puncturing sweep is has a cone AoE and can be used farther away than some people realize. You don't want to be right on top of your target when you use it even if surviving isn't a problem so you have a better chance of hitting more evil doers inside the cone.
When you do have to get close staying to the side or behind is the boss is usually a good idea. Again try and be positioned so your healer heals you when he/she heals the tank.