Berserker: Difference between revisions
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[[Classes]] (back) | |||
[[File:ZerkerClassBanner.png]] | |||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
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<u>Pros</u> | <u>Pros</u> | ||
**This wiki is not accurate to the current state of the game, augs, disciplines, and epic are not as posted** | |||
*Amazing DPS potential | *Amazing DPS potential | ||
*Low positioning concerns, you'll | *Low positioning concerns, you'll do most DPS behind a mob but still do the majority even from the front | ||
*Snare/Stun abilities | *Snare/Stun abilities | ||
*Chain armour and knight table HP makes for a reasonable tank in a pinch | *Chain armour and knight table HP makes for a reasonable tank in a pinch | ||
*Group-wide Warcry that gives overhaste similar to Monks hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay calculation) | |||
*Group-wide Warcry that gives overhaste similar to Monks hundred hands effect | |||
<u>Cons</u> | <u>Cons</u> | ||
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*Extremely gear dependant | *Extremely gear dependant | ||
*Not the most exciting class to play | *Not the most exciting class to play | ||
*Your journey to 60 (or at least 55) will be that of a subpar warrior or rogue | *Your journey to 60 (or at least 55) will be that of a subpar warrior or rogue | ||
* | *Managing aggro | ||
*No taunt button | |||
*There is no zerker Jolt in the game | |||
=General= | |||
<i>Stat Priority</i> | |||
#Attack - Higher chance to hit, higher damage | |||
#Haste - 2 handers are slow by their nature, max worn haste at all times | |||
#Accuracy - Increases chance to hit | |||
#Strength - Increases max/average damage | |||
#Dexterity - Increases critical damage and proc rate | |||
#Stamina - More health means less time being dead | |||
#Agility - More AC is never a bad thing | |||
<i>Charm</i> | |||
Get the best [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=global_search&q=phosphorous%20charm Phosphorous Charm] you can afford! Save for the 100K version and strive for the 500K version. The accuracy focus and additional accuracy/atk on it is amazing. | |||
<i>Focuses</i> | |||
*Cleave - Increases your chance to crit. A critical hit is a hit for higher damage with no additional threat | |||
*Ferocity - Increases your chance to double attack. A double attack is great as it opens a chance for a triple attack, which is also great as a triple attack opens a chance for a flurry (once you have the AA) | |||
*Simmering Rage - Increases your throwing damage by 5%. This directly improves Rage Volley which is $$$. This is an essential focus. Currently the only item available in game with this focus is [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=55497 Leggings of Wrath] which drop from Venril Sathir and Drusella Sathir. Happy farming! | |||
<i>Aura</i> | |||
Our level 55 aura is [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=spell&id=8959 Aura of Rage] and increases the amount critical hits do. It is available as a global tome drop but can be bought from Jason in the hub. Keep it up at all times! | |||
<i>Augments</i> | |||
The appropriate nanostone for your 2 hander: | |||
*[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=147845 Nanostone of Slashing] - +5% 2HS | |||
*[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=147844 Nanostone of Blunting] - +5% 2HB | |||
*[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=147999 Nanostone of Poke] - +5% 2HP | |||
And for your throwing damage: | |||
*[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=148016 Nanostone of Throwing] - +5% Throwing **This aug is not in game currently** | |||
Unless you're in a duo and need to keep aggro <b>do not</b> equip a [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=46180 Blackened Lava Rock] in your weapon, aggro is enough of an issue and you'll just get killed! You'll do far better getting the appropriate +5% weapon mod aug for your current weapon. | |||
== Berserker Auras == | |||
Auras can be purchased from Researcher Brinn in the hub with a version every 10 levels starting at level 25. | |||
Auras do not stack with the same aura, higher level auras will overwrite lower level auras. Auras that are different will stack up to 6 (a full group). | |||
Berserker - Aura of Rage - Increases the damage of critical strikes for you and your companions. | |||
=Alternate Advancement= | |||
[[Kunark General AA]] | |||
'''Kunark Archtype AA''' | |||
* Combat Fury 3 | |||
* Fear Resistance 1 | |||
* Finishing Blow 1 | |||
* Natural Healing 1 | |||
'''Kunark Class AA''' | |||
* Flurry 2 | |||
* Tactical Mastery 2 | |||
=Combat Skills= | =Combat Skills= | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|45||Mithril Blood Axe||Summon a Mithril Blood Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Axe Components||Location | |45||Mithril Blood Axe||Summon a Mithril Blood Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Axe Components||Location | ||
|- | |- | ||
|50||Rage Axe||Summon a Rage Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Axe Components||Location | |50||Rage Axe||Summon a Rage Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Axe Components||Location | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|60||Battlerage Axe||Summon a Battlerage Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Balanced Axe Components||Location | |60||Battlerage Axe||Summon a Battlerage Axe (x20)||6 seconds||7||Balanced Axe Components||Location | ||
|- | |- | ||
|60||Head Crush||Stun||12 seconds||9||Rage Axe||Location | |60||Head Crush||Stun||12 seconds||9||Rage Axe||Location | ||
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*Level 55 - 60: Auto-attack and alternate Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown | *Level 55 - 60: Auto-attack and alternate Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown | ||
Rage Volley is a <b>huge</b> chunk of DPS. This is a global tome drop but can also be bought from Jayson in the hub. Get this the very second you turn 55! | [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=spell&id=6754 Rage Volley] is a <b>huge</b> chunk of DPS. This is a global tome drop but can also be bought from Jayson in the hub. Get this the very second you turn 55 and use it every time it comes off cool down. It's amazing how many people get to 60 and don't have this! | ||
Ancient Rage Volley is an upgrade to Rage Volley that drops from T6+ raid targets. | [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=spell&id=40118 Ancient Rage Volley] is an upgrade to Rage Volley that drops from T6+ raid targets. | ||
=Discs= | =Discs= | ||
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=Raiding= | =Raiding= | ||
<i>Best advice</i> | |||
<b>Situational awareness!!!</b> a dead Zerker does 0 DPS! | <b>Situational awareness!!!</b> a dead Zerker does 0 DPS! | ||
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*Make sure you're using bane weapons for the appropriate mob type | *Make sure you're using bane weapons for the appropriate mob type | ||
*If you see a caster getting beaten about and there's no tank available, let a healer know and go save a life! You can rip aggro pretty easily | *If you see a caster getting beaten about and there's no tank available, let a healer know and go save a life! You can rip aggro pretty easily | ||
*Make sure you're in a group with a Bard. Whine, moan and complain until you are. 25% over haste is the absolute best thing you can have in terms of a raid buff | |||
<i>Discs</i> | <i>Discs</i> | ||
****This list is not accurate for current game**** | |||
*Pair Battle Cry of Dravel with Blind Rage/Burning Rage for maximum pew pew | *Pair Battle Cry of Dravel with Blind Rage/Burning Rage for maximum pew pew | ||
*If you've got other melee classes in your group (MNK/ROG/BST etc.) tell them when you're firing Battle Cry, they can disc at the same time for more dps | *If you've got other melee classes in your group (MNK/ROG/BST etc.) tell them when you're firing Battle Cry, they can disc at the same time for more dps | ||
*Burning Rage lasts twice as long as Blind Rage but only has a 30% DMG modifier compared to 100% DMG modifier and 400% minimum DMG modifier. Generally Blind Rage is the superior DMG disc. As it only lasts 30 seconds make sure A) Avatar is up (pester a shaman or swap to a ST weapon and proc it), B) Frenzy and Rage Volley is off cooldown before you use Blind Rage and C) You're not about to have to joust out of an AoE. You need to make the most of every one of those 30 seconds | *Burning Rage lasts twice as long as Blind Rage but only has a 30% DMG modifier compared to 100% DMG modifier and 400% minimum DMG modifier. Generally Blind Rage is the superior DMG disc. As it only lasts 30 seconds make sure A) Avatar is up (pester a shaman or swap to a ST weapon and proc it), B) Frenzy and Rage Volley is off cooldown before you use Blind Rage and C) You're not about to have to joust out of an AoE. You need to make the most of every one of those 30 seconds | ||
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We don't get the fancy evade ability of rogues and managing aggro can be tricky at times. Good tanks will help with this but learning the encounters and letting tanks build aggro will be key: | We don't get the fancy evade ability of rogues and managing aggro can be tricky at times. Good tanks will help with this but learning the encounters and letting tanks build aggro will be key: | ||
*Let the tank build aggro for a few seconds before engaging. This is the most important advice, starting a fight with the main tank fully in control and high on the threat list will allow you to DPS freely with no thought of your aggro other than a cursory eye on the threat meter. Don't worry about any other classes piling in and engaging on the pull, sit back for 5-10 seconds then step in and open fire | *Let the tank build aggro for a few seconds before engaging. This is the most important advice, starting a fight with the main tank fully in control and high on the threat list will allow you to DPS freely with no thought of your aggro other than a cursory eye on the threat meter. Don't worry about any other classes piling in and engaging on the pull, sit back for 5-10 seconds then step in and open fire (you'll soon catch and pass everyone that started DPS early :P) | ||
If that doesn't work your only other choice is to get a CoTH (mages will hate you) or turn off auto-attack and stand there like a lemon. This is why the above point is so important! | |||
*For fights where the mob wipes aggro you need to be aware and ready to disengage and allow the tank to rebuild aggro before re-engaging | *For fights where the mob wipes aggro you need to be aware and ready to disengage and allow the tank to rebuild aggro before re-engaging | ||
*If you do overaggro and can't drop it pop either of our defensive discs; Reckless (riposte) or Battle Focus (avoidance) and move to the tanks to turn the mob so the other melee dps don't get roflstomped | |||
<i>Endurance</i> | <i>Endurance</i> | ||
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Sadly there is nothing in the game currently that speeds up endurance regen asides from sitting out of combat. You will go through your endurance surprisingly fast using Rage Volley on cooldown and discing. Sit between fights! Better gear and augs will raise your END pool to mitigate this but I've been caught short a few times low on endurance starting an encounter. If you're not moving to a mob or engaging a mob, sit down! | Sadly there is nothing in the game currently that speeds up endurance regen asides from sitting out of combat. You will go through your endurance surprisingly fast using Rage Volley on cooldown and discing. Sit between fights! Better gear and augs will raise your END pool to mitigate this but I've been caught short a few times low on endurance starting an encounter. If you're not moving to a mob or engaging a mob, sit down! | ||
= | <i>Tribute</i> | ||
For maximum DPS: | |||
*Arm of Power | Tier 3 | Raises STR cap by 6 | |||
*Juggler's Grace | Tier 3 | Raises DEX cap by 6 | |||
*Vengeful Aura | Tier 4 | Raises ATK by 59 | |||
Eyes of the Hunter (accuracy) and Fury of Combat (double attack) are potentially viable but I haven't parsed them or checked if they stack with other worn effects/AAs etc. | |||
=Spells & Abilities= | |||
The following is a list of spells available (or modified here) that are not available on strictly classic servers: | |||
*[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=spell&id=40118 Ancient Rage Volley] - This is a custom combat skill. Rage Volley has a modifier of 32, Ancient Rage Volley has a modifier of 35 | |||
=Berserker Changes= | |||
After the patch of 16/01/2022 several changes were made to reduce throwing damage using summoned axes as it was achieving more DPS than VT weapons + volley combined. Throwing skill was also dropped temporarily from 280 to 140 during the changes but is now back at the original value of 280. | |||
Parses of the changes to the max level summoned axe (Battlerage) are shown below: | |||
=Alternate Advancement= | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | ||
! Weapon | |||
! Skill | |||
! Nerf Wave | |||
! Damage/Delay | |||
! Note | |||
! Aug | |||
! DPS | |||
! Total Damage | |||
! Time | |||
|- | |||
|Battlerage Axe||Throwing||Nerf #1||32/30||ATK 1892 @ 280 skill||+5% Throwing||238||428709||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|Battlerage Axe||Throwing||Nerf #2||27/30||ATK 1892 @ 280 skill||+5% Throwing||212||381476||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|Battlerage Axe||Throwing||Nerf #3||27/30||ATK 1905 @ 140 skill||+5% Throwing||180||324572||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|Battlerage Axe||Throwing||Nerf #4||16/30||ATK 1924 @ 280 skill||+5% Throwing||150||270228||30 minutes | |||
|} | |||
As a result all summoned axes have been scaled back significantly in terms of damage: | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Level | |||
! Name | |||
! Damage/Delay | |||
|- | |||
|1||Corroded Axe||1/30 | |||
|- | |||
|5||Blunt Axe||2/30 | |||
|- | |||
|10||Steel Axe||3/30 | |||
|- | |||
|15||Beared Axe||4/30 | |||
|- | |||
|20||Mithril Axe||5/30 | |||
|- | |||
|25||Balanced War Axe||6/30 | |||
|- | |||
|30||Bonesplicer Axe||7/30 | |||
|- | |||
|35||Fleshtear Axe||8/30 | |||
|- | |||
|40||Cold Steel Cleaving Axe||10/30 | |||
|- | |||
|45||Mithril Bloodaxe||11/30 | |||
|- | |||
|50||Rage Axe||13/30 | |||
|- | |||
|55||Bloodseeker's Axe||14/30 | |||
|- | |||
|60||Battlerage Axe||16/30 | |||
|} | |||
Additionally: | |||
*Rage Volley skill mod was dropped from 38 > 25, and then increased to 32 | |||
*Ancient Rage Volley skill mod was dropped from 41 > 28, and then increased to 35 | |||
=Alternate Advancement NOT ACCURATE TO SERVER= | |||
I would prioritise these AAs at level 60 for maximum DPS: | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Name | |||
! Effect | |||
! Ranks | |||
|- | |||
|Throwing Mastery||Increases throwing damage (rage volley!)||3 | |||
|- | |||
|Frenzied Volley||Gives a chance to throw an additional axe on rage volley||1 | |||
|- | |||
|Combat Fury||Increases crit rate||6 | |||
|- | |||
|Veteran's Wrath||Increases crit damage||1 | |||
|- | |||
|Punishing Blade||Increases double attack rate||3 | |||
|- | |||
|Blur of Axes||Increases Frenzy damage||3 | |||
|- | |||
|Tactical Mastery||Increases chance to bypass dodge/parry/block etc.||3 | |||
|- | |||
|Planar Power||Increase stat cap by 5 per rank (+30 STR and DEX is $$$)||6 | |||
|- | |||
|Spell Casting Reinforcement||Increases clicky duration and most importantly War Cry duration!||4 | |||
|- | |||
|Hastened War Cry||Reduces Way Cry recast by 3 minutes per rank||3 | |||
|-Weapon Affinity||Increases weapon proc chance||6 | |||
|} | |||
After this I would chase the defensive AAs; Combat Agility, Combat Stability, Natural Durability. Then fill out the other AAs that best fits your playstyle. | |||
In addition, all classes get access to some general abilities such as Origin, Run Speed, Bandolier Slots, Improved Stats and Stat Caps, Increased Max Buffs, Improved Regen, and more. | In addition, all classes get access to some general abilities such as Origin, Run Speed, Bandolier Slots, Improved Stats and Stat Caps, Increased Max Buffs, Improved Regen, and more. | ||
=Weapons Overview= | |||
Epic is not worth doing currently, nerfed hard. Tormax/Dain axe is far better. | |||
Zerkers are one of, if not the most, gear dependant class in EQ. This is especially true when it comes to your weapon. All upgrades should be focused primarily on improving your weapon, either an upgraded weapon (ratio), or augs for it (like the +5% skill nanostones). | |||
Here's some weapon progression to aim for: | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Name | |||
! Drops in | |||
! Damage | |||
! Extra Damage | |||
! Delay | |||
! Theoretical Ratio | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=51261 Blackened Acrylia Greatsword]||Acrylia Caverns||36||0||40||0.90 | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=68299 Kerasian Axe of Ire]||Epic Quest||39||0||38||1.03 | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=28826 Goldenrod]||SSRA||40||3 (disease)||32||1.34 | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=26587 The Sword of Ssraeshza]||SSRA||52||2 (magic)||42||1.29 | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=28969 Halberd of Destruction]||Vex Thal||30||27 (fire)||42||1.36 | |||
|- | |||
|[https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=28961 Great Sword of Pestilence]||Vex Thal||40||20 (disease)||42||1.43 | |||
|} | |||
I've omitted the [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=2580 Petrified Heartwood Flamberge] from the list. Whilst the ratio is excellent (50/39) the root proc is just a shit-show in groups and raids and isn't worth the trouble it causes. | |||
Likewise I've omitted [https://retro.ixiquest.com/alla/?a=item&id=30530 Bloodied Berserker's Blade]. The ratio is amazing (53/40) but the rune proc is an aggro magnet. Might work well for duo's and small groups but probably won't win you any friends in a raid. | |||
=Weapons Ranking Chart= | |||
Not all of these are attainable, namely the higher-end PoP and GoD weapons currently, but this gives a good guide on judging weapons based on their theoretical DPS potential. | |||
<i><b>Note: The epic is ranked much lower than shown on this list as it's ratio has been lowered compared to Live (39/38 from 46/37)</b></i> | |||
[[File:ZerkerWeaponsTable.jpg]] | |||
<i><b>Note:</b></i> This isn't my data, I found it as an image on the wayback machine back from 2004/2005. I used an AI converter to turn it into table data and tidied it up a bit. If anyone wants to do any work on this to make it a bit more relevant the raw data can be found here: | |||
[[Media:ZerkerWeaponsTable.csv]] | |||
=Weapons Parsing= | |||
Pure white damage (auto-attack only) from behind on an undead training dummy corner in the Hub. | |||
*Mods: Ferocity 3 + Cleave 1 + Simmering Rage | |||
*Buffs: Shaman DEX/AGI/STA/Focus + Enchanter Brood haste + Predator + Ancient Avatar + Grim Aura + Poison Nimbus | |||
*Songs: Trusik + SotS + PoV | |||
*Auras: Rage + Insight | |||
ATK @ 1935, Accuracy @45, Haste @ 225 | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Rank | |||
! Weapon | |||
! Aug | |||
! DPS | |||
! Total Damage | |||
! Time | |||
|- | |||
|#1||Great Sword of Pestilence||+5% 2HS||208||376599||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|#2||Goldenrod||+5% 2HB||206||371359||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|#3||Lace of the Flame Knight||+5% 2HP||201||362549||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|#4||Halberd of Destruction||+5% 2HP||190||341637||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|#5||The Sword of Ssraeshza||+5% 2HS||188||338831||30 minutes | |||
|- | |||
|#6||Kerasian Axe of Ire||+5% 2HS||163||293747||30 minutes | |||
|} | |||
=Further help or advice= | |||
Hit me up in game! | |||
[[File:Dorf.PNG]] |
Latest revision as of 09:58, 8 January 2024
Classes (back)
Description
Berserkers are melee fighting machines focused on dealing damage.
Stengths/Weaknesses
Pros
- This wiki is not accurate to the current state of the game, augs, disciplines, and epic are not as posted**
- Amazing DPS potential
- Low positioning concerns, you'll do most DPS behind a mob but still do the majority even from the front
- Snare/Stun abilities
- Chain armour and knight table HP makes for a reasonable tank in a pinch
- Group-wide Warcry that gives overhaste similar to Monks hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay calculation)
Cons
- Low utility, you exist to DPS, nothing else
- Extremely gear dependant
- Not the most exciting class to play
- Your journey to 60 (or at least 55) will be that of a subpar warrior or rogue
- Managing aggro
- No taunt button
- There is no zerker Jolt in the game
General
Stat Priority
- Attack - Higher chance to hit, higher damage
- Haste - 2 handers are slow by their nature, max worn haste at all times
- Accuracy - Increases chance to hit
- Strength - Increases max/average damage
- Dexterity - Increases critical damage and proc rate
- Stamina - More health means less time being dead
- Agility - More AC is never a bad thing
Charm
Get the best Phosphorous Charm you can afford! Save for the 100K version and strive for the 500K version. The accuracy focus and additional accuracy/atk on it is amazing.
Focuses
- Cleave - Increases your chance to crit. A critical hit is a hit for higher damage with no additional threat
- Ferocity - Increases your chance to double attack. A double attack is great as it opens a chance for a triple attack, which is also great as a triple attack opens a chance for a flurry (once you have the AA)
- Simmering Rage - Increases your throwing damage by 5%. This directly improves Rage Volley which is $$$. This is an essential focus. Currently the only item available in game with this focus is Leggings of Wrath which drop from Venril Sathir and Drusella Sathir. Happy farming!
Aura
Our level 55 aura is Aura of Rage and increases the amount critical hits do. It is available as a global tome drop but can be bought from Jason in the hub. Keep it up at all times!
Augments
The appropriate nanostone for your 2 hander:
- Nanostone of Slashing - +5% 2HS
- Nanostone of Blunting - +5% 2HB
- Nanostone of Poke - +5% 2HP
And for your throwing damage:
- Nanostone of Throwing - +5% Throwing **This aug is not in game currently**
Unless you're in a duo and need to keep aggro do not equip a Blackened Lava Rock in your weapon, aggro is enough of an issue and you'll just get killed! You'll do far better getting the appropriate +5% weapon mod aug for your current weapon.
Berserker Auras
Auras can be purchased from Researcher Brinn in the hub with a version every 10 levels starting at level 25. Auras do not stack with the same aura, higher level auras will overwrite lower level auras. Auras that are different will stack up to 6 (a full group).
Berserker - Aura of Rage - Increases the damage of critical strikes for you and your companions.
Alternate Advancement
Kunark Archtype AA
- Combat Fury 3
- Fear Resistance 1
- Finishing Blow 1
- Natural Healing 1
Kunark Class AA
- Flurry 2
- Tactical Mastery 2
Combat Skills
Zerker skills such as stun, snare or jolt require a reagent. These are the axes that can be summoned (and used for ranged DPS). The axe required for abilities is appropriate to the level range of the ability.
You can buy axe components from any hometown where Berserkers can be created.
Buy Axe Components > Summon Axes > Use snare/stun/jolt > Profit!
Level | Name | Effect | Recast | Timer | Reagent | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Corroded Axe | Summon a Corroded Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
5 | Blunt Axe | Summon a Blunt Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
8 | Leg Strike | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Blunt Axe | Location |
10 | Steel Axe | Summon a Steel Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
15 | Bearded Axe | Summon a Bearded Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
16 | Head Strike | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Blunt Axe | Location |
20 | Mithril Axe | Summon a Mithril Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
24 | Divertive Strike | Jolt (250) | 12 seconds | 1 | Blunt Axe | Location |
25 | Balanced War Axe | Summon a Balanced War Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
30 | Bonesplicer Axe | Summon a Bonesplicer Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
32 | Leg Cut | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Bonesplicer Axe | Location |
30 | Fleshtear Axe | Summon a Fleshtear Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
40 | Cold Steel Cleaving Axe | Summon a Cold Steel Cleaving Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
40 | Head Pummel | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Bonesplicer Axe | Location |
45 | Mithril Blood Axe | Summon a Mithril Blood Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
50 | Rage Axe | Summon a Rage Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
54 | Leg Slice | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Rage Axe | Location |
55 | Bloodseeker's Axe | Summon a Bloodseeker's Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Balanced Axe Components | Location |
60 | Battlerage Axe | Summon a Battlerage Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Balanced Axe Components | Location |
60 | Head Crush | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Rage Axe | Location |
Rotation
Reality check, this is not the most dynamic class to play. Here's the 3 step guide:
- Level 1 - 5: Auto-attack and press Kick on cooldown
- Level 6 - 54: Auto-attack and press Frenzy on cooldown (never use Kick again)
- Level 55 - 60: Auto-attack and alternate Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown
Rage Volley is a huge chunk of DPS. This is a global tome drop but can also be bought from Jayson in the hub. Get this the very second you turn 55 and use it every time it comes off cool down. It's amazing how many people get to 60 and don't have this!
Ancient Rage Volley is an upgrade to Rage Volley that drops from T6+ raid targets.
Discs
Level | Name | Effect | Duration | Timer | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 | Resistant Discipline | Increase resists by 16-20 | 5 minutes | 4 | Location |
40 | Fearless Discipline | Immune to fear | 1 minute | 4 | Location |
50 | War Cry | 20 ATK and Hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay) | 1 minute | 8 | Location |
53 | Inspired Anger | Increase chance to hit by 10000% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
54 | Cleaving Rage | Increase chance to critical hit by 10000% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
56 | Reckless Discipline | Increase chance to riposte by 10000% | 12 seconds | 2 | Location |
57 | Battlecry of Dravel | 30 ATK and Hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay) | 1 minute | 8 | Location |
57 | Focused Fury Discipline | Increase all skill checks by 50% | 1 minute | 3 | Location |
58 | Blind Rage Discipline | Increase DMG by 100% and minimum DMG by 400% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
59 | Battle Focus Discipline | Increase melee avoidance by 10000% | 12 seconds | 2 | Location |
60 | Burning Rage Discipline | Increase DMG by 30% | 1 minute | 3 | Location |
Grouping
You're there to DPS primarily and potentially off-tank when needed. You can peel mobs off casters with a quick Leg Strike as it generates a fair amount of aggro.
Snare mobs with the Leg Strike line of abilities and stun casters with the Head Strike line of abilities.
Raiding
Best advice
Situational awareness!!! a dead Zerker does 0 DPS!
General advice
- Use the same rotation as a group, ensure auto-attack is on and mash Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown
- Ensure you're assisting and on the correct target
- Make sure you're using bane weapons for the appropriate mob type
- If you see a caster getting beaten about and there's no tank available, let a healer know and go save a life! You can rip aggro pretty easily
- Make sure you're in a group with a Bard. Whine, moan and complain until you are. 25% over haste is the absolute best thing you can have in terms of a raid buff
Discs
- This list is not accurate for current game****
- Pair Battle Cry of Dravel with Blind Rage/Burning Rage for maximum pew pew
- If you've got other melee classes in your group (MNK/ROG/BST etc.) tell them when you're firing Battle Cry, they can disc at the same time for more dps
- Burning Rage lasts twice as long as Blind Rage but only has a 30% DMG modifier compared to 100% DMG modifier and 400% minimum DMG modifier. Generally Blind Rage is the superior DMG disc. As it only lasts 30 seconds make sure A) Avatar is up (pester a shaman or swap to a ST weapon and proc it), B) Frenzy and Rage Volley is off cooldown before you use Blind Rage and C) You're not about to have to joust out of an AoE. You need to make the most of every one of those 30 seconds
Managing Aggro
We don't get the fancy evade ability of rogues and managing aggro can be tricky at times. Good tanks will help with this but learning the encounters and letting tanks build aggro will be key:
- Let the tank build aggro for a few seconds before engaging. This is the most important advice, starting a fight with the main tank fully in control and high on the threat list will allow you to DPS freely with no thought of your aggro other than a cursory eye on the threat meter. Don't worry about any other classes piling in and engaging on the pull, sit back for 5-10 seconds then step in and open fire (you'll soon catch and pass everyone that started DPS early :P)
If that doesn't work your only other choice is to get a CoTH (mages will hate you) or turn off auto-attack and stand there like a lemon. This is why the above point is so important!
- For fights where the mob wipes aggro you need to be aware and ready to disengage and allow the tank to rebuild aggro before re-engaging
- If you do overaggro and can't drop it pop either of our defensive discs; Reckless (riposte) or Battle Focus (avoidance) and move to the tanks to turn the mob so the other melee dps don't get roflstomped
Endurance
Sadly there is nothing in the game currently that speeds up endurance regen asides from sitting out of combat. You will go through your endurance surprisingly fast using Rage Volley on cooldown and discing. Sit between fights! Better gear and augs will raise your END pool to mitigate this but I've been caught short a few times low on endurance starting an encounter. If you're not moving to a mob or engaging a mob, sit down!
Tribute
For maximum DPS:
- Arm of Power | Tier 3 | Raises STR cap by 6
- Juggler's Grace | Tier 3 | Raises DEX cap by 6
- Vengeful Aura | Tier 4 | Raises ATK by 59
Eyes of the Hunter (accuracy) and Fury of Combat (double attack) are potentially viable but I haven't parsed them or checked if they stack with other worn effects/AAs etc.
Spells & Abilities
The following is a list of spells available (or modified here) that are not available on strictly classic servers:
- Ancient Rage Volley - This is a custom combat skill. Rage Volley has a modifier of 32, Ancient Rage Volley has a modifier of 35
Berserker Changes
After the patch of 16/01/2022 several changes were made to reduce throwing damage using summoned axes as it was achieving more DPS than VT weapons + volley combined. Throwing skill was also dropped temporarily from 280 to 140 during the changes but is now back at the original value of 280.
Parses of the changes to the max level summoned axe (Battlerage) are shown below:
Weapon | Skill | Nerf Wave | Damage/Delay | Note | Aug | DPS | Total Damage | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battlerage Axe | Throwing | Nerf #1 | 32/30 | ATK 1892 @ 280 skill | +5% Throwing | 238 | 428709 | 30 minutes |
Battlerage Axe | Throwing | Nerf #2 | 27/30 | ATK 1892 @ 280 skill | +5% Throwing | 212 | 381476 | 30 minutes |
Battlerage Axe | Throwing | Nerf #3 | 27/30 | ATK 1905 @ 140 skill | +5% Throwing | 180 | 324572 | 30 minutes |
Battlerage Axe | Throwing | Nerf #4 | 16/30 | ATK 1924 @ 280 skill | +5% Throwing | 150 | 270228 | 30 minutes |
As a result all summoned axes have been scaled back significantly in terms of damage:
Level | Name | Damage/Delay |
---|---|---|
1 | Corroded Axe | 1/30 |
5 | Blunt Axe | 2/30 |
10 | Steel Axe | 3/30 |
15 | Beared Axe | 4/30 |
20 | Mithril Axe | 5/30 |
25 | Balanced War Axe | 6/30 |
30 | Bonesplicer Axe | 7/30 |
35 | Fleshtear Axe | 8/30 |
40 | Cold Steel Cleaving Axe | 10/30 |
45 | Mithril Bloodaxe | 11/30 |
50 | Rage Axe | 13/30 |
55 | Bloodseeker's Axe | 14/30 |
60 | Battlerage Axe | 16/30 |
Additionally:
- Rage Volley skill mod was dropped from 38 > 25, and then increased to 32
- Ancient Rage Volley skill mod was dropped from 41 > 28, and then increased to 35
Alternate Advancement NOT ACCURATE TO SERVER
I would prioritise these AAs at level 60 for maximum DPS:
Name | Effect | Ranks |
---|---|---|
Throwing Mastery | Increases throwing damage (rage volley!) | 3 |
Frenzied Volley | Gives a chance to throw an additional axe on rage volley | 1 |
Combat Fury | Increases crit rate | 6 |
Veteran's Wrath | Increases crit damage | 1 |
Punishing Blade | Increases double attack rate | 3 |
Blur of Axes | Increases Frenzy damage | 3 |
Tactical Mastery | Increases chance to bypass dodge/parry/block etc. | 3 |
Planar Power | Increase stat cap by 5 per rank (+30 STR and DEX is $$$) | 6 |
Spell Casting Reinforcement | Increases clicky duration and most importantly War Cry duration! | 4 |
Hastened War Cry | Reduces Way Cry recast by 3 minutes per rank | 3 |
After this I would chase the defensive AAs; Combat Agility, Combat Stability, Natural Durability. Then fill out the other AAs that best fits your playstyle.
In addition, all classes get access to some general abilities such as Origin, Run Speed, Bandolier Slots, Improved Stats and Stat Caps, Increased Max Buffs, Improved Regen, and more.
Weapons Overview
Epic is not worth doing currently, nerfed hard. Tormax/Dain axe is far better.
Zerkers are one of, if not the most, gear dependant class in EQ. This is especially true when it comes to your weapon. All upgrades should be focused primarily on improving your weapon, either an upgraded weapon (ratio), or augs for it (like the +5% skill nanostones).
Here's some weapon progression to aim for:
Name | Drops in | Damage | Extra Damage | Delay | Theoretical Ratio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blackened Acrylia Greatsword | Acrylia Caverns | 36 | 0 | 40 | 0.90 |
Kerasian Axe of Ire | Epic Quest | 39 | 0 | 38 | 1.03 |
Goldenrod | SSRA | 40 | 3 (disease) | 32 | 1.34 |
The Sword of Ssraeshza | SSRA | 52 | 2 (magic) | 42 | 1.29 |
Halberd of Destruction | Vex Thal | 30 | 27 (fire) | 42 | 1.36 |
Great Sword of Pestilence | Vex Thal | 40 | 20 (disease) | 42 | 1.43 |
I've omitted the Petrified Heartwood Flamberge from the list. Whilst the ratio is excellent (50/39) the root proc is just a shit-show in groups and raids and isn't worth the trouble it causes.
Likewise I've omitted Bloodied Berserker's Blade. The ratio is amazing (53/40) but the rune proc is an aggro magnet. Might work well for duo's and small groups but probably won't win you any friends in a raid.
Weapons Ranking Chart
Not all of these are attainable, namely the higher-end PoP and GoD weapons currently, but this gives a good guide on judging weapons based on their theoretical DPS potential.
Note: The epic is ranked much lower than shown on this list as it's ratio has been lowered compared to Live (39/38 from 46/37)
Note: This isn't my data, I found it as an image on the wayback machine back from 2004/2005. I used an AI converter to turn it into table data and tidied it up a bit. If anyone wants to do any work on this to make it a bit more relevant the raw data can be found here:
Weapons Parsing
Pure white damage (auto-attack only) from behind on an undead training dummy corner in the Hub.
- Mods: Ferocity 3 + Cleave 1 + Simmering Rage
- Buffs: Shaman DEX/AGI/STA/Focus + Enchanter Brood haste + Predator + Ancient Avatar + Grim Aura + Poison Nimbus
- Songs: Trusik + SotS + PoV
- Auras: Rage + Insight
ATK @ 1935, Accuracy @45, Haste @ 225
Rank | Weapon | Aug | DPS | Total Damage | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Great Sword of Pestilence | +5% 2HS | 208 | 376599 | 30 minutes |
#2 | Goldenrod | +5% 2HB | 206 | 371359 | 30 minutes |
#3 | Lace of the Flame Knight | +5% 2HP | 201 | 362549 | 30 minutes |
#4 | Halberd of Destruction | +5% 2HP | 190 | 341637 | 30 minutes |
#5 | The Sword of Ssraeshza | +5% 2HS | 188 | 338831 | 30 minutes |
#6 | Kerasian Axe of Ire | +5% 2HS | 163 | 293747 | 30 minutes |
Further help or advice
Hit me up in game!