Shadowdancer Third Skill

Eodh

In the interest of not being completely handicapped when it comes to combat, I'd like to advice regarding the third skill for a mugwump Shadowdancer.

Hexes seems to be the most obvious choice for combat, because of the wide range of afflictions that it can dish out. Sleep, in particular, seems to be a powerful tactic in shutting an opponent down. However, ShadowTwist already gives me a way to put people to sleep (albeit in a more limited manner, from what I understand).

Astrology is very interesting to me, and it seems like its utility in and outside of combat would be very nice. Is the final stun in ShadowTwist enough to keep an opponent in place for a meteor (and possibly a kill)?

Healing seems to be a viable choice as well, if ShadowTwist's sleep and other afflictions are enough to put an opponent into toadcurse. Auras would be very helpful in bashing, too, from what I can tell.

Input and suggestions would be very welcome.

Zouviqil

Paging @Kio

Silvanus

Hexes.

Until they nerf Mugwumps, if you could take Hexes, you take it.

Editted to add:

Blackout is just as important to Hexes as Sleep.

As is the ability to doublewhammy anorexia/impatience while victim is aeoned.

Kio

Eodh said:

In the interest of not being completely handicapped when it comes to combat, I'd like to advice regarding the third skill for a mugwump Shadowdancer.

Hexes seems to be the most obvious choice for combat, because of the wide range of afflictions that it can dish out. Sleep, in particular, seems to be a powerful tactic in shutting an opponent down. However, ShadowTwist already gives me a way to put people to sleep (albeit in a more limited manner, from what I understand).

Astrology is very interesting to me, and it seems like its utility in and outside of combat would be very nice. Is the final stun in ShadowTwist enough to keep an opponent in place for a meteor (and possibly a kill)?

Healing seems to be a viable choice as well, if ShadowTwist's sleep and other afflictions are enough to put an opponent into toadcurse. Auras would be very helpful in bashing, too, from what I can tell.

Input and suggestions would be very welcome.

I'd suggest you save questions like this for IC.  The SDs are very capable of teaching you, and we also have an incredibly informative combat clan.  I have not been asked to speak with you, however, and can only assume that you haven't tried to talk to someone yet.

Don't be afraid of us, man and/or woman.  We just RP being jackasses - we really aren't.

Edit: bolded the edit, heh. Re-read this and realized it was the opposite of what I meant to say. I am tired.

Kio

Silvanus said:

Hexes.

Until they nerf Mugwumps, if you could take Hexes, you take it.

Editted to add:

Blackout is just as important to Hexes as Sleep.

As is the ability to doublewhammy anorexia/impatience while victim is aeoned.

Also, this isn't really true for SDs.  Healing can be just as powerful as Hexes to a SD if they know what they are doing.

Edit: There's also the many times you can quote Celina saying Astrology is the most powerful of the three.  Frankly, SD can use any of them to incredible effect.  We're in a really, really solid place right now.

(Also, SDs don't need to use doublewhammy. Ever.)

Hiriako

I can easily think of Astrology being the most powerful of the three if used properly. I still maintain that SDs are in a much better offensive place than MDs, despite whatever anybody else theorycrafts. The exact timing for exact effects that do not work on everybody is just painful, since it's one kill method and only one.

For Shadowdancers, any of the three tertiaries can work very well, if you put the effort into it.

Rialorm

Don't be afraid to pick a tert that suits all the things that you do, especially as people are saying that they are all equally viable. Some guilds would be jealous of that. If you are still levelling something that suits bashing may be helpful. After all combat will mean that even as a Demigod you have to keep that essence buffer filled up. Depends on how you level though, if you'd much rather influence or are willing to organize aetherhunts you could picking something that seems more combat only.

As @Kio said, try taking it up IC too. See if anything appeals or suits in that regard.

Daem

Astrology is the only tertiary skill that currently isn't represented in the Shadowdancers (On a combat level), so there is less knowledge about it in general but Kio's generally been a genius coming up with theories on how to kill thing. Though it does give some wonderful buffs to everyone, it's the only skill I do not have myself, because I haven't wanted to figure it out. Like Hiriako said it has some major power to it, though I do still believe hexes is better as a SD especially since you are a mugwump, more details can be given in character surrounding whether each fits your character or not.

Xenthos

Celina did pretty well with Astrology, too- though mostly meteor, she had fun with the skillset on days when it was in an "OP" state.

Hiriako

Celina also had my Astrology scripts. I will share these with people to help them understand the skillset. It's quite fun, especially on those OP days, but even on weaker days it has something it can use to be handy. 1p for a 1.7s cast on anorexia/asthma is still quite nice. 

Kio

Hiriako said:

Celina also had my Astrology scripts. I will share these with people to help them understand the skillset. It's quite fun, especially on those OP days, but even on weaker days it has something it can use to be handy. 1p for a 1.7s cast on anorexia/asthma is still quite nice. 

She told me she got it from someone else. He gave me the link and told me it was fine to 'share the wealth.'

I can't remember who it was, but if it -is- your script, let me know if you don't want it shared (it's currently linked to in a clan of ours).

I'd like I say again, though, that these kind of questions can not only be better answered in game through your guild, but can also help foster your IG relations. I saw you around all evening yesterday and was really hoping you would ask

Hiriako

I have to ask, what's the link? 

Kio

Hiriako said:

I have to ask, what's the link? 

Sent it to you!