Shadowguard

[EliteEmpire]

Looking for a tamer template to solo shadowguard, I heard it was possible from my thread over in Uhall, I dont really have the gold to make mistakes with the gear, only a couple hundred mil in my pocket.

So what would the optimum gearing/template be for soloing shadowguard as a tamer?
What pet/rating do i need?
Any shadowguard tips that isnt listed on uoguide i should know about?


MANY thanks in advance, I just came from a crafting thing and am a little burned out haha

 

[Merus]

I would guess a disco-tamer with a level 3 taming mastery would be your best bet. Virtuebane might still be a tough nut with only a single dragon since he can't be discorded.

120 taming
120 lore
120 music
120 disco
100-120 vet
100-120 magery
Remaining points in meditation.

Full LRC/LMC suit with 30 MR.

Look for a 3.9+ greater with 120+ wrestle.

 

[Merus]

My shadowguard tips for a disco-tamer:

Bar: run Consume Damage and let the dragon kill the pirates.
Fountain: go in and collect pieces for a few minutes then exit out and start over. Spawn is very slow for a single player.
Orchard: put the dragon away and use a pet that eats fruit *hint hint*
Armory: use the discord mastery to reduce the delay, discord and killem fast.
Belfry: Greater dragons are like monkeys when it comes to climbing trees or vines. Discord and run consume damage.

Roof:
Anon: discord and consume damage. Do not attack in earth ele form. Vet as needed.
Ozy: discord and consume damage (take a short nap)
Ju: get him targeted on your dragon and run it around until he is discorded. Turn off mastery and vet heal the dragon. Be ready for quick invis from his AOE attacks.
VB: run consume damage and vet heal. Run out of range when he tells you he will burn you to Ashe.

 

[EliteEmpire]

So do you suggest I run Luck on my gear? This information is awesome thanks

 

[Merus]

So do you suggest I run Luck on my gear? This information is awesome thanks

Luck is, well .... luck.

Having some luck where it's easy to fit into the suit can't hurt, but I generally find that there is some sacrifice to the suit quality if you're trying for a max luck suit. Here are the ones I find the easiest to work in for a disco-tamer:
Luck garb -140
Minax sandals - 150
Lucky charm - 150
Lune Rouge set - 400

With a luck statue bonus that should get you 1000+ .

If you play EC, you could have a max luck suit on switch for just as the last boss dies. No such "luck" in the CC.

 

[Merlin]

You will be much better off finding a group to play with to do Shadowguard. It's soloable AFTER you learn how to do it in a group and know where you have to be efficient and what tips and tricks there are for each room.

Tamer suggestions:
Mage Tamer - Magery, Eval Intel, Animal Taming, Animal Lore, Veterinary, Spellweaving, and whatever left in Meditation.
Necro Tamer - Necromancy, Spirit Speak, Animal Taming, Animal Lore, Veterinary, Magery and Meditation

You're going to want 120/120 Taming and Lore and a level 3 mastery primer for both. I don't personally have a 'disco tamer', but that's probably not a bad option either if you're going to be a 1-man show.

If you were going in with a group, a luck suit might be more reasonable, but since you're going solo - you're going to want a suit with damage eaters, high mana, high mana regen and so on.

 

[BeaIank]

If you can and have a second account, get a 4x120 bard running provo songs to speed things a wee bit and help with the healing.
Virtuebane will take forever with a single tamer.

 

[DJAd]

Yeah I would take a couple of people. Two tamers can do it and three is much easier. We usually have one with disco and the other with weaving at least.

 

[BeaIank]

I did it with two last weekend. One with disco/peace/taming running peace songs with a turtle and the other 120 taming/lore with 120 spellweaving with an agapite automaton.
It went fairly well, except for Virtuebane, since neither the automaton or the turtle could tank him very well, but he eventually fell. He took out both tames and both pets about three times during that fight. Being unable to disco him makes a huge difference and his resists are ridiculously high, so even the automaton wasn't hitting for much.

Didn't get any drop nor got any legendary worth keeping. Oh well. Next time I will bring my 4x120 bard with provo songs along, and a turtle and a rune beetle/tiger combo to speed things up.

 

[Merus]

I wish they would put a stablemaster (or hitching post like the one in Blackthorns) in one of the corners of the roof encounter...

Bards can change instruments, casters can change spellbooks, warriors can change weapons... but tamers are stuck with the same pet for all 4 bosses.... @Kyronix Any chance you all might consider adding this at some point?

 

[BeaIank]

Or give us pokeballs so we can switch our pets on the fly!

 

[PlayerSkillFTW]

The Roof will become pretty easy when the pet revamp comes. Revamped 5 slot WWs will tear that place apart, particularly Virtuebane (he's weak to Cold).

 

[drcossack]

The Roof will become pretty easy when the pet revamp comes. Revamped 5 slot WWs will tear that place apart, particularly Virtuebane (he's weak to Cold).

They can already do that...in a group. I've been going with a group of 3 (we all bring two characters), with 4 tamers. I bring a Rune Beetle and Nightmare on one account, and a greater on the other account. I could do WW/Mare to go with the two GD's my guildmates use, but two sets of older pets require me to issue a lot more commands & watch health bars *cough* juo'nar *cough*

 

[PlayerSkillFTW]

They can already do that...in a group. I've been going with a group of 3 (we all bring two characters), with 4 tamers. I bring a Rune Beetle and Nightmare on one account, and a greater on the other account. I could do WW/Mare to go with the two GD's my guildmates use, but two sets of older pets require me to issue a lot more commands & watch health bars *cough* juo'nar *cough*

Yeah, Juo'nar's Wither won't do much to a WW.

 

[CorwinXX]

but tamers are stuck with the same pet for all 4 bosses.

pet balls?

 

[CorwinXX]

From your comments I see that the roof solo with a tamer is not a good idea.

 

[drcossack]

pet balls?

Pretty sure they don't work anywhere in Eodon. But solo tamer (which IS possible, but very difficult) forces you to use a Greater Dragon - nothing else will survive with the dmg the 4 bosses do.

 

[BeaIank]

Also, to use pet balls you need to stable your current pet. Not possible to do at the roof.
Adding a stable master there would certainly improve the life quality of tamers when doing it.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

For a solo effort I would highly recommend using Spellweaving for Virtuebane, as at the end he starts healing himself, and often for more damage than you're doing.

 

[Merlin]

I don't think it's necessary to be able to change pets in the middle of the final encounter. The challenge of the roof shouldn't be nerfed or made easier to make it "soloable". You have the option of going in with a group that has different pets. When my guild runs it, we usually have a few GDs and atleast one person with a Cu Sidhe and are able to accomplish without too many major issues.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Bards can change instruments, casters can change spellbooks, warriors can change weapons... but tamers are stuck with the same pet for all 4 bosses....

I think the key difference you may have overlooked is that no one's instrument/book/weapon is serving as a 1000 hp supertank substitute for the player, that self heals/cures, and deals a ton of damage at the same time.

 

[Merus]

I think the key difference you may have overlooked is that no one's instrument/book/weapon is serving as a 1000 hp supertank substitute for the player, that self heals/cures, and deals a ton of damage at the same time.

Do you really want to compare a sampire to a pet? Let's be real, the whole "pets are OP" thing is long outdated.

Its long overdue that tamers get an easier way to switch pets without having to completely leave an encounter just to go back to a stable. Making petballs work everywhere to both claim and stable pets would be fine. Would still require acquiring the balls and keeping them charged. I would like to see them simplified to be a portable stable master to work for all pets rather than being tied to a single pet like they are now.

 

[cazador]

Do you really want to compare a sampire to a pet? Let's be real, the whole "pets are OP" thing is long outdated.

Yea except as a sampire I have to use "tactics" switch weapons, watch my heals. Tamers are 240 skill points of damage consume, all kill..tamers are by far the EASIEST templates to play in UO, minus bank sitters. There are ways to switch damage while playing a tamer. Use Magery mastery death ray, make sampiresque tamers..there's plenty of ways to mitigate more damage while still playing the easiest template. Imo thrower tamers are the most OP pvm template for big bosses in the game. Yet only a small fraction actually play them, and understand that.

Its long overdue that tamers get an easier way to switch pets without having to completely leave an encounter just to go back to a stable. Making petballs work everywhere to both claim and stable pets would be fine. Would still require acquiring the balls and keeping them charged. I would like to see them simplified to be a portable stable master to work for all pets rather than being tied to a single pet like they are now.

Why? Because of one boss battle that requires either multiple people or actually group tactics? 99.9% a GD is all a tamer ever needs. 100% if you play it the way I do. My dragon is only there to tank damage and put out damage in certain situations. I can solo Medusa/Lady Mel/Oaks/All spawn Champs or anything else with a slayer in 5-10 minutes. You want it easier?



....

 

[Merus]

Yea except as a sampire I have to use "tactics" switch weapons, watch my heals. Tamers are 240 skill points of damage consume, all kill..tamers are by far the EASIEST templates to play in UO, minus bank sitters. There are ways to switch damage while playing a tamer. Use Magery mastery death ray, make sampiresque tamers..there's plenty of ways to mitigate more damage while still playing the easiest template. Imo thrower tamers are the most OP pvm template for big bosses in the game. Yet only a small fraction actually play them, and understand that.





Why? Because of one boss battle that requires either multiple people or actually group tactics? 99.9% a GD is all a tamer ever needs. 100% if you play it the way I do. My dragon is only there to tank damage and put out damage in certain situations. I can solo Medusa/Lady Mel/Oaks/All spawn Champs or anything else with a slayer in 5-10 minutes. You want it easier?



....

So your argument is if you want to do different damage as a tamer, use different skills than taming. Got it.

Tamers may be "easy" with just "all kill"... but they are hardly OP. Virtually any other PvM template in the game can easily outdamage a tamer. Furthermore, using pets other than a greater dragon (and keeping them alive) requires at least as much player skill as a sampire spamming WW or a thrower spamming AI. Seeing as being able to swap pets throughout an encounter would indicate that the tamer was using something other than a GD, this would give tamers the ability to tailor their battle much like any other template while keeping them engaged.

What are the drawback you see for a tamer swapping out pets without having to return to town?

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Do you really want to compare a sampire to a pet? Let's be real, the whole "pets are OP" thing is long outdated.

Sure we can do that if you want. Though it has nothing to do with what you said or what I replied to. I didn't say anything about pets being OP. Though if you want to get in to that too they are.

What I DID say, was that comparing changing instruments/books/weapons to changing pets is a ridiculous comparison to make, for the reasons already explained. Also as the above poster rightly pointed out there's nothing stopping a Tamer using instruments/books/weapons either. If 240 combined points in Mage/Eval meant my spellbook operated as a substitute for my player taking damage and went around killing without me casting then it might be a reasonable comparison but as it doesn't it isn't.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Virtually any other PvM template in the game can easily outdamage a tamer.

Damage output is only half of the argument. Just like being able to switch instruments/books/weapons is half of an argument.

Saying any other template can out damage a Tamer is sooo subjective it's not even worth getting in to, but unless the Tamer sits there doing nothing, no they can't.

Furthermore, using pets other than a greater dragon (and keeping them alive) requires at least as much player skill as a sampire spamming WW or a thrower spamming AI.

It really doesn't.

Seeing as being able to swap pets throughout an encounter would indicate that the tamer was using something other than a GD, this would give tamers the ability to tailor their battle much like any other template while keeping them engaged.

Except in the topic of soloing Shadowguard, you're not realistically going to do that with a Beetle/Mare, so you're still using a GD.

What are the drawback you see for a tamer swapping out pets without having to return to town?

Endlessly cycling a stable full of GD's so that as soon as you can't keep up with it's healing you no longer have to off screen and auto stable, as soon as one gets low, stall, claim next, kill, while the others regen in safety. Not to mention balance issues in just about every other hunt, if you take along a GD, then realise the hunt is weak enough that you could use 5 frenzies because a sampire is tanking it you're taking an instant advantage for 0 effort or player skill, why should you have that advantage? No instrument/book/weapon swap gives an instant 5x damage output. PvP, not even going to explain this one because it'll either be obvious or people will be oblivious to it.

 

[EliteEmpire]

So i decided what i am going to do, since i have 3 accounts active? is get 3 tamers going, one would be Bard Tamer with the inspire mastery and discord? and two would be I guess SW tamers? It just i heard with tamers if the pets are the only thing damaging the roof bosses there is no spawn added, so im keen on that. What all would help/hinder a 3 tamer setup and what should i be doing if this is what i wanted to go into?

so yeah, 3 tamers with three 4.0+ GDs on roof bosses, and then one discording (except for virtuebane apparently) and the others push word of death? sound like a decent setup? if it is, how fast can i expect to clear the sections and roof per run?



edit- estimated the costs to do this i think it would pay for itself pretty quickly, but just checking here to make sure its something that would work easily.

 

[EliteEmpire]

Here is the setup I plan on using, tell me if there is a flaw

HumanBard - 120 Taming, Lore, Provoke, Disco, Music, Med (bard mastery)
Inspire/Invigorate playing constantly with 3x Bard Skils 4.1+ GD
Discords what can be discorded

GargSW - 120 Taming, Lore, Vet, Magery, Med, Spellweaving (taming mastery)
Heals Pet with movement speed of garg flying and invis - spams WOD at 35%, 4.1+ GD
Pet Tank - Consume Damage
This is the main window - can heal/invis party and heal pets with vet

ElfDeathRay - 120 Taming, Lore, Vet, Magery, Eval, Med (magery mastery)
Channels DeathRay at 49%, 4.1+ GD or Cu Side, Curse
Elf and uses Cu Side for orchard (wink, got it)

The Bard and the Mage just kinda stay back and avoid aoe just standing there in corner, inspire/Invigorate up - pets are put on the boss (the consume damage pet first of course) and the garg is the main character that flies around invising and healing the pets and party members, at 35% the garg spams WOD till dead, then reform the pets into position with the tank pet closest to the boss - and pull second, third, and fourth boss in the same manner. Once the 4th boss is at 35% all three characters use luck suit macro and switch to luck suits (enhanced client) before spamming WOD with the garg... sounds super easy to me with tons of room for error and mishaps and seems pretty drool n' rule, which is what i was going for.

Not entirely sure on death ray, its an idea that i was just juggling around from last time i was into the game. Would the death ray trigger the spawn? WOD? Maybe start spamming WOD at 24%? From the videos i watched the spawn is triggered at 75%, 50%, and 25% health. Was also thinking maybe necro could be used in this third slot for corpseskin/other debuffs

Now i suspect that this might be good for the roof, but how would i use this setup for the other rooms before it? Could i just like.. solo if needed then add them and subtract them for each room as needed? and then all three join party for roof? not too sure how it would work, under the impression that as long as one character was present for all the rooms that the party could be formed in full at roof

 

[Merus]

Each character will need all the rooms completed in order to go to the roof.

Keep in mind that any additional damage you do will have the potential to trigger the additional spawn. This includes deathray and WOD.

I run 4 tamers for the roof:

Disco/tamer with a greater dragon and running consume damage.
Peace/tamer running both bard mastery songs with a beetle/tiger combo
Necro/tamer with a Cu casting heals and cures
Spellweaving/tamer with a greater dragon running consume damage and WOD.

Room wise I do all 4 characters together:

Bar: 3 dragons with consume damage to tank, necro tamer throwing bottles.
Fountain: 3 dragons with consume damage to tank, necro tamer using wither to kill/build.
Orchard: necro tamer with Cu to pull apples and match trees.
Armory: 4 dragons killing, disco tamer discording armor and throwing bottles.
Belfry: 4 dragons with consume damage killing discorded dragon on platform

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

Here is the setup I plan on using, tell me if there is a flaw

HumanBard - 120 Taming, Lore, Provoke, Disco, Music, Med (bard mastery)
Inspire/Invigorate playing constantly with 3x Bard Skils 4.1+ GD
Discords what can be discorded

GargSW - 120 Taming, Lore, Vet, Magery, Med, Spellweaving (taming mastery)
Heals Pet with movement speed of garg flying and invis - spams WOD at 35%, 4.1+ GD
Pet Tank - Consume Damage
This is the main window - can heal/invis party and heal pets with vet

ElfDeathRay - 120 Taming, Lore, Vet, Magery, Eval, Med (magery mastery)
Channels DeathRay at 49%, 4.1+ GD or Cu Side, Curse
Elf and uses Cu Side for orchard (wink, got it)

The Bard and the Mage just kinda stay back and avoid aoe just standing there in corner, inspire/Invigorate up - pets are put on the boss (the consume damage pet first of course) and the garg is the main character that flies around invising and healing the pets and party members, at 35% the garg spams WOD till dead, then reform the pets into position with the tank pet closest to the boss - and pull second, third, and fourth boss in the same manner. Once the 4th boss is at 35% all three characters use luck suit macro and switch to luck suits (enhanced client) before spamming WOD with the garg... sounds super easy to me with tons of room for error and mishaps and seems pretty drool n' rule, which is what i was going for.

Not entirely sure on death ray, its an idea that i was just juggling around from last time i was into the game. Would the death ray trigger the spawn? WOD? Maybe start spamming WOD at 24%? From the videos i watched the spawn is triggered at 75%, 50%, and 25% health. Was also thinking maybe necro could be used in this third slot for corpseskin/other debuffs

Now i suspect that this might be good for the roof, but how would i use this setup for the other rooms before it? Could i just like.. solo if needed then add them and subtract them for each room as needed? and then all three join party for roof? not too sure how it would work, under the impression that as long as one character was present for all the rooms that the party could be formed in full at roof

You don't really need 120 Tame/Lore. 110/110 is plenty for all pets. It will make a small difference for consume damage on your main Tamer. Only pets will cause no spawn (f knows why this is a thing) though don't forget much of the stuff in there will target switch with area spells etc. If you're running no melee defense on your second and third characters and you can't cure/heal/invis in time their likely to be toast.

As above, you will need all 3 characters to do all rooms to go in to roof, which will also mean generating a ton of spawn in those rooms. Playing three accounts to do that seems like a ball ache to me but if you think you'll be fine with it go for it. Getting all three pets to stop on Anon when it turns in to an Ele?

If your Bard doesn't need to do anything but run Mastery, then I would go 4x Bard real skill, and use a ton of skill plus items for Tame/Lore/Med (Should be able to get at least 55 in each if not more). You could also go with whatever the minimum Necro is for Lich Form which I think is around 70, and gives 13 MR. Which is technically like having 130 Med. I don't know if this still works or not, but if you can friend your pets to your other characters so they give them commands, you wouldn't necessarily need Tame/Lore on there at all. Don't forget you/the pets have to stay in range of the Bard, and running Mastery's will constantly reveal you, this could cause you problems on things like Virtuebane/Juo'Nar.

Death Ray & WOD will both cause spawn. You don't really need to use either with three Tamers, WOD is mainly useful for finishing Virtuebane as it heals a lot at low levels, though even 2 GD's can finish it.

Corpse Skin/Omen would be a waste of time and cause spawn, you'd be raising their physical resist making your GD's weaker.

You could use a Rune Beetle for armour corruption assuming you can keep up with the healing. This halves the targets resists.

The non-main Tamer could be set to constantly heal one of the pets. After working out the mana per second needed to stay full, maybe make them a Mystic, in Stone Form, spamming Cleansing Wind. Again with a ton of skill plus items.