Returning Sampire Needs Help

[TheItalian567]

Hey all, I just got back to the game from a roughly 3 year hiatus. I realize a lot has changed, especially with the addition of Stygian Abyss and what not. So, I wanted to try and fire up my Sampire again.

To give you guys a bit of background, I left the game right when the tactics publish was introduced making it so that you had to have 60/90 tactics respectively to use the special abilities. That sort of cramped my style and I gave up.

I basically need help with gear and skills... I'll post everything I'm wearing and what I'm working with and hopefully you guys can help from there...

Regord: Human Sampire

Stats: base // (with gear)
Str: 90 // (109)
Dex: 115 // (131)
Int: 50 // (50)

Gear:
Resists: 70/70/70/50/57/58 *note this is without Vamp form on...
Head: Mace & Shield
Arms: Leather Sleeves: 2 MR, 2 SR, 5 LMC, 5/22/7/16/7
Hands: Gaunts of Nobility
Chest: Rune Beetle Carapace
Legs: Fey Leggings (Human)
Gorget: Leather Gorget: 3 HP Increase, 4 SR, 1 MR, 6/17/9/7/7
Ring: Vet +6 (yayy!), HCI 12, DCI 13, Phys 9%, Fire 6%
Bracelet: Mace +11 (YAYY!), +6 Dex, DCI 12, Phys 13%, Fire 11%
Talisman: Lib Talisman - Primer on Arms
Quiver of Infinity
Also wearing a Crimson Cincture

Weapons:
Ornate Axe: 48 mana leech, 46 hld, 7 hci, 15 ssi, 41 di
Another Ornate Axe: 47 mana leech, 30 hld, 55 life leech, 10 dci, 30 ssi (can't decide between the two)
Soul Seeker
Blaze of Death
Pvp Bokuto: 36 hld, 38 fireball, 10 dci, 10 ssi, 35 di

Totals: (without weapons)
HCI: 12 (oof!)
DCI: 50
DI: 40

===
Skills:
115/120 Swords
117/120 Parry
113/120 Bushido
100 Anatomy
90 Healing
70 Tactics
70 Chiv
44.6 Necro

So everything's extremely cramped atm and I'm trying to figure out what's the ideal way to push everything around, but still be viable.. I've been reading up on a lot of the Sampire threads, but I figured I'd just post and see what you guys had to say.

Thanks in advance for the help, and sorry for the MASSIVE post that this is.

 

[TheItalian567]

your faith is encouraging

 

[Nexus]

Gear:
Resists: 70/70/70/50/57/58 *note this is without Vamp form on...

Totals: (without weapons)
HCI: 12 (oof!)
DCI: 50
DI: 40

===
Skills:
115/120 Swords
117/120 Parry
113/120 Bushido
100 Anatomy
90 Healing
70 Tactics
70 Chiv
44.6 Necro

Those are going to be your problem areas....as for weapon take the faster Ornate it should serve you well.....

But back to the problem areas. You missed a few publishes you'll need to maintain 99 Necro or you'll drop out of Vamp form so you might want to re-tool skills to make that happen. I suggest dropping either Parry or Healing your choice.

As to your resists, you need to retool that suit get your resists up as high as possible I run straight 70's even with Vamp form on also if you spam Lightning Strike you won't need much more HCI on that suit, though I'd try and get some jewelry to bump it up at least around 30...

 

[TheItalian567]

Yeah I found that out when I tried to use my Necromancy and failed hah..

What would be more important if I wanted to solo peerless again? the Parry or the Healing?

I don't mind dropping one or the other, just want to drop the "right" one.

 

[Pinco]

I suggest you to read this 2 posts:

Basic sampire guide:
http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=156308

My guide about the sampire equipment (wrote after lot of tests)
http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=199677

 

[Connor_Graham]

if you spam Lightning Strike you won't need much more HCI on that suit

I've seen this said quite a bit here lately, and I'm wondering why since it is blatantly incorrect. HCI is a must have for any Sampire. Otherwise using Whirlwind, Momentum Strike, Armor Ignore, and all of the other specials that we all use as part of our arsenal would be a waste of time. For those that don't understand this-

YOU CANNOT USE SPECIAL MOVES, ON THE WEAPON OR FROM SKILLS, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKE TOGGLED AS ONLY ONE SPECIAL/SPELL/ABILITY CAN BE TOGGLED AT A TIME, WHICH MEANS YOU WILL HAVE LITTLE TO NO HCI ANYTIME YOU TRY TO USE ONE


Stop listening to this very bad advice folks. It's a bad bit of information to be listening to, and any of us that play a sampire regularly and have been for a long time now will tell you so.

 

[Connor_Graham]

Hm, we seem to be lacking a "shoots self in the head" emoticon.
*sighs*

Hehe, I see you've jumped on the train with Lynk and myself.

 

[Nexus]

I've seen this said quite a bit here lately, and I'm wondering why since it is blatantly incorrect. HCI is a must have for any Sampire. Otherwise using Whirlwind, Momentum Strike, Armor Ignore, and all of the other specials that we all use as part of our arsenal would be a waste of time. For those that don't understand this-

YOU CANNOT USE SPECIAL MOVES, ON THE WEAPON OR FROM SKILLS, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKE TOGGLED AS ONLY ONE SPECIAL/SPELL/ABILITY CAN BE TOGGLED AT A TIME, WHICH MEANS YOU WILL HAVE LITTLE TO NO HCI ANYTIME YOU TRY TO USE ONE


Stop listening to this very bad advice folks. It's a bad bit of information to be listening to, and any of us that play a sampire regularly and have been for a long time now will tell you so.

If you read correctly I said not much more while 15% is too low, I manage perfectly fine with my toon running about 30 -35 HCI that isn't a huge jump in amount. I never said he didn't need HCI at all. Then again, I never use specials off weapons since I use a Diamond Mace...

 

[EDA_GL]

Yeah I found that out when I tried to use my Necromancy and failed hah..

What would be more important if I wanted to solo peerless again? the Parry or the Healing?

I don't mind dropping one or the other, just want to drop the "right" one.

Why does everyone assume you need tactics on this template? Your talking about a 10hp difference in critical hit damage. I have recently been adding tactics as I get better imbued jewelry. Currently my goal is to hit 90 tactics so I could actually be useful in attacking players as a last ditch effort at a harrower/spawn.
Heres my skills as a copy and paste from UOA. I have a 809.00 skill total worked in. Waiting for a piece of armor to get an extra +15 skill points. Mind you, I had maybe 30 points in tactics from the beginning. My suit has over 100% DI built into it as well, so perhaps thats why I'm disappointed with tactics. But as far as the age old question 'parry or healing' my general reply is "have both!"

Cap Real
Anatomy 120.0 106.0
Bushido 120.0 107.0
Mace Fighting 120.0 107.0
Parrying 120.0 94.0
Necromancy 99.0 99.0
Healing 96.0 73.0 <-----going to have 90 REAL healing one tactics goes up to 85
Tactics 79.0 79.0
Chivalry 55.0 55.0

*EDIT*
Who cares about HCI on a sampire anyways? Your going to be chain lighting striking vs whatever your hitting. Get some DCI/DI/Skill jewelry made, then adjust your skills to match the new jewelry set.

 

[Pinco]

I really have to agree with connor, without HCI you can fight only small critters... For the big ones you need to use the weapon specials (feint for example) and without hci you cant.
Without HCI maybe you can go hunt ettin for all your life...

 

[EDA_GL]

Yes, HCI might be needed to actually farm masses of creatures for either gold or resources. I too keep a separate hci jewelry set that is matched imbued on standby in case they bring in some artifact farming event again. But otherwise I stick with my DCI set always.

 

[Connor_Graham]

If you read correctly I said not much more while 15% is too low, I manage perfectly fine with my toon running about 30 -35 HCI that isn't a huge jump in amount.

You said not much more, that's correct, but 30-35% is more than double the 12% that's on the current suit. That can hardly be quantified as "not much". Twice as much is a lot more, not a little.

 

[Nexus]

You said not much more, that's correct, but 30-35% is more than double the 12% that's on the current suit. That can hardly be quantified as "not much". Twice as much is a lot more, not a little.

True but you can go from 12% to over 30% quite easily these days with imbuing, even getting to 45% is simple. I guess having the ability to custom make my jewelery myself kinda puts some things out of perspective for me.

 

[Nexus]

I really have to agree with connor, without HCI you can fight only small critters... For the big ones you need to use the weapon specials (feint for example) and without hci you cant.
Without HCI maybe you can go hunt ettin for all your life...

Really you think that? I don't carry a feint or whirlwind weapon. I solo Navery, Medusa, just about anything I feel like without too much trouble. I went out with my GF today with her using her Sampire with a Whirlwind weapon.... guess which one of us almost got wasted. For me Feint and other specials aren't necessary, I leech enough fast enough while dealing high enough damage that I can constantly spam lighting strike for the 50 HCI bonus non-stop which gives me enough leeched life it doesn't matter. I'm running under 30 HCI myself, never once had an issue with running out of mana. I make sure I'm carrying a weapon that compensates you know one that hits fast and hard I don't let everything under the sun pile up on me either, at least not so many that momentum strike (which I can spam non-stop as well) won't clear them out in a few moments.

I don't treat my characters as indestructible killing machines, I actually think about what I'm doing while I'm playing.

 

[Connor_Graham]

I went out with my GF today with her using her Sampire with a Whirlwind weapon.... guess which one of us almost got wasted.

I think that says more about how your GF plays her character than about HCI. I believe most of the rest of us here wouldn't have that same problem. I too solo anything I feel like, yet I use specials and I don't die.

Imagine that....rolleyes:

 

[Stupid Miner]

Really you think that? I don't carry a feint or whirlwind weapon. I solo Navery, Medusa, just about anything I feel like without too much trouble. I went out with my GF today with her using her Sampire with a Whirlwind weapon.... guess which one of us almost got wasted. For me Feint and other specials aren't necessary, I leech enough fast enough while dealing high enough damage that I can constantly spam lighting strike for the 50 HCI bonus non-stop which gives me enough leeched life it doesn't matter. I'm running under 30 HCI myself, never once had an issue with running out of mana. I make sure I'm carrying a weapon that compensates you know one that hits fast and hard I don't let everything under the sun pile up on me either, at least not so many that momentum strike (which I can spam non-stop as well) won't clear them out in a few moments.

I don't treat my characters as indestructible killing machines, I actually think about what I'm doing while I'm playing.

Well Navrey and Medusa aren't exactly hard. Feint isn't necessary for a lot of things, but it makes it a lot simpler. Rend, for example, or the Renowned Wyvern, or the Stygian Dragon... stuff that hits really hard (2-3 hit kills).

 

[Pinco]

Well Navrey and Medusa aren't exactly hard. Feint isn't necessary for a lot of things, but it makes it a lot simpler. Rend, for example, or the Renowned Wyvern, or the Stygian Dragon... stuff that hits really hard (2-3 hit kills).

well the etting things was a joke, I mean, you can fight well without, but againist some monster (like stupid miner says) you cannot do anything without.
Stygian Dragon base damage is around 90-100 per hit + wing strike another 70-90 + fire strike 90-110 and he can do a combo with 2 simultaneusly attack. Usually in this case if I miss feint I'm dead.
Much more beasts like greater dragons paragon, rend, and some others have a firebreath of about 60-100 damage with 70 fire resist.
We have the shimmering effusion too with a base damage of 60 with lightning spell (and he spam 3-4 spells at once).

For the rest you can use lighting strike without the specials. Personally I like to use Armor Ignore on medium level monsters for kill them quickly.

In doom we no need specials... cut the bones and pay attention for blood oath, the rest is not a problem...

 

[Connor_Graham]

In doom we no need specials... cut the bones and pay attention for blood oath, the rest is not a problem...

Whirlwind.

 

[[JD]]

When I first read about Bush I was stoked to see lightning strike and I thought great, I don't need that on my gear. The first time out I tried to use my specials and it dawned on me, I can't use them and LS at same time, therefore I do need HCI.....

Had HCI ever since