Single Minion Strategy - Suggestions/Comments? (in General)

I've been experimenting with a strategy of a 1 minion tank, using SoD and Explosive Shots. It's currently holding score ~3x it's PR, fairly effectively. I'm using a ToA, and the whole strat is focused on wiping the whole team within the first 3 rounds, and fairly effective at doing so, since it doesn't waste more than 1 round on low HP extra minions.

However, this is because I did start the char with enough NW to pump the SoD up with the weapon allowance, but now I'm starting to run short. I don't plan on ever buying money, so I'm looking at two options:

1) Stick with the ToA, and just focus all my NW on the SoD to keep it's damage as high as I can get it. The DX/PTH bonus help against tank teams, but do little on mages.

2) Switch the ToA for an FF. This would keep with the theme, of hitting all minions hard right from the start, and would allow better scaling as my NW:MPR ratio declines. I'd lose some damage from the ST the ToA provides, but it would certainly be made up by the FF.

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Any comments would be appreciated, and if anybody has an FF over 150,000 lying around that you're not using, send me a CM if you could let me try out the strat change for a day.

FF is a BIG, no-no.

despite what the masters and gurus say, you can survive if your weapon isn't at or near your WA.

I think I do fine, with a 6 mil VB, with 55 mil WA.

so, stick with the ToA, this helps against that fact. the most expensive thing is PTH, and, voila the ToA gives you PTH, but no so much DX, this is okay, though.

believe it or not, when weapon damage went linear, I believe it helps us non-USD spenders, you can always upgrade the damage, and you get natural PTH, this is looking good, no?

FF would suck, backlash, yeah, yeah, sure you *say* you wont survive till melee, but chances are you probably will and that could and probably will be the difference between your Tank's life and death. and if you really want that, go with a SF and an archery tank with an ELB.

but I suggest sticking with ToA. I just explained why, anymore questions, just ask. :)

Stick with the ToA. As Flamey says you can focus all your spend on the damage of the weapon and let the ToA take care of PTH. I've spent my last two strats spending on the damage of my weapons and not a penny on PTH. I'm hitting triples with my bow at the moment.

If you keep fighting you will_never_run_short of money to upgrade your damage. And the more damage you do the more you will find you can take on mage teams. A large portion of my fightlist is mages and until recently I didn't even have AMF....

At some point you might want to get a melee weapon of some sort, but it won't have to be a big weapon, just enough so you can take care of people in melee without getting the dex penalty you will be currently suffering. With the SoD most of the time you will be finishing within ranged but the higher you go the less likely that is to happen. Consider the melee weapon a finishing off touch rather than a focus to your fight.

oh, I didn't notice you didn't have a melee weapon.

I suggest a BoNE, big damage, so you can try and finish them off.

I suggest the underpowered VB, myself.

OB made a funny!

Now for some innuendo about BoNE sizes! ;)

I currently have a Morg, but it puts me way over my weapon allowance currently. Was going to sell it to pump up the SoD another 2.5m NW, but I guess now I'll keep the strat how it is and go into melee with a life draining sledge hammer >_>

It won't be that long before it sits under your WA.

Well, now I've hit a bit of a problem. The strat depends on being able to avoid wasting rounds on low HP trash. However, I'm now stuck without Explosive Shots, and nobody is selling them. This is part of why I thought of an FF, to help with the times where I can't get any explosive rounds.

pay 10 each like i do for seekers... you'll be fine

lol but he wants to use them on offense :) 10 each @ 3~9 shots per battle = big pain in the butt

Yeah, 10-each is a bit much, but it's still a lot more than what I make per battle. My favorites list is only people that give the full 100% challenge bonus. Plus it's only 6 shots ranged max currently, triple hits won't show up for a while with only +25 on my SoD.