Monday, December 1, 2008

Unbreakable

This is not the first time I have used a crystalline item during my hunt. Crystalline items are items that cannot be repaired. I have used the dark spine flail early in my levels, but they were relatively cheap then, since the events just occurred and there were many such items available. Now, after more than 6 months, those items were mostly used up, and the price of those items have went up tremendously. Above level 350, many of those levels require the use of the Octo-Spine sets for 1-hit setups. Some require the Green Spine Boots too. Those items are best used fully forged in my opinion. But how do you value them? The Octo-Spine Shield cost probably around 120 fsps for a one that has full 200 durability, and another 27 fsps to fully forge it. So if you take away the residual value (players still get them with low durability for Arena use), I'll estimate it will cost about 50k per durability lost. The Octo-Spine Rune might cost about 25k per durability lost, while the Green Spine Boots cost around 75k per durability lost. Quite a rough estimate I'd say, and this value will be changing as the items get rarer.

So where was I? Oh yes, the title was not about crystalline items, but about the unbreakable buff. Unbreakable is a skill under the Defensive tree. It is available to players level 200 or higher. Here's the official description :

+0.5% per point chance per point of equipment not taking durability loss during combat.

First off, the equipment do not automatically take a durability loss. I estimate that one in 20 rounds of attack that a specific item take a hit without the buff. Now, a level 100 buff will reduce that to 1 in 40 rounds, a level 150 buff will reduce that to 1 in 80, and a leel 175 will reduce that to 1 in 160 !! The benefits are increasing almost exponentially. During Valentine's Day, a level 200 'potion' disguised as chocolate were given out, and that garantees no damage to any items.

Note also that the damage depends on the rounds of attack and are not multiplied by the doubler. So you will want to use a high level doubler when using the crystalline items. The cost of using a 3x doubler vs a 10x/11x doubler will be more than 3 times !! Using a 3x or 4x doubler, you might be better off double hitting with wither, and use the cost saved from using non-crystalline items to buy stamina.

So here are some numbers to ponder upon. A 4000 stamina burn with those 3 items above and a 11x doubler has 363 rounds of attack. That means without the unbreakable buff, you will lose about 18 durability on each of the item. That's 2700k in cost, 27 fsps !! A level 100 buff will reduce that to 9 durability loss/14 fsps, and you can get the potion from Auction House at 25k that gives a level 100 Unbreakable buff to save you 13/14 fsps. A level 150 buff will reduce that to 4.5 durability loss/7 fsps. A level 175 buff will reduce that to a little more than 2 durability loss/3.5 fsps. It should be clear that looking for a higher level unbreakable buff will almost pay for itself.


Buff level Chance Durability Cost Normalized Cost
0 0.00% 2700000 100000
100 50.00% 1350000 50000
150 75.00% 675000 25000
155 77.50% 607500 22500
160 80.00% 540000 20000
165 82.50% 472500 17500
170 85.00% 405000 15000
175 87.50% 337500 12500

Above table illustrates the value for each level. You should be willing to pay 70k more for a level 175 buff vs a 170, or 140k morefor a level 175 buff vs 165. Since the items you use may be difference, the table also include a normalized cost, so you can mutliply it for based on the value of your items, as well as the number of rounds of attacks you will have in your hunt.

Update : Potion of Indestructibility
With yesterday's (Dec-19 2009) update, players can now scavenge for items. One of the items is the "Potion of Indestructibility". It lives up to its name and provides a level 200 Unbreakable buff.
At level 200. It is garanteed that all items will not take any durability loss. Demand and supply has it that there are ample supply (since not all players use crystalline items), that the potion is probably going to be cheaper than buying a level 175 unbreakable buff. It'll definitely be worth while to use this potion instead of the buffs.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Buff Master

Buff Master is a skill under the Specials Skill Tree.
It has a dependency on Brew Master, meaning that at least 10 points must be placed into Brew Master before you can have any points in Buff Master.
It is available to players of level 500 or higher.
Here's the official description :

0.2% per point chance to half the stamina cost (rounding up) when casting skills on other players. (Does not work on self!)

First to note, that does not mean that a player cannot cast the Buff Master buff on himself.
It means that the chance to half the stamina cost does not apply when the player with the buff cast skills on himself.
Since the skill is available to level 500 players, it is safe to assume that players will this skill will have it at the maximum level (which is level 175, with maxed Fury Casting).
That means there is a 35% chance to half the stamina cost.
Ignoring rounding, it is saving 17.5% of the stamina.

The buff itself cost 10 stamina and has a duration of 60 minutes (90 minutes with maxed sustain).
So if you are a level 500 or higher with the buff, and casting more than 60 stamina of skills on other players (within the duration of the Buff Master), you should first cast this buff on yourself.

If you need to buy this buff, then you have to figure out how much your stamina worth, vs how much are players charging you for this buff. The same ratio of 17.5% savings apply if you buy a level 175 buff. That means, if you will be using 100 stam in buffs (on others), you will be saving 17.5 stam. If you will be using 150 stam in buffs, you will be saving 26.25 stam (which is a little more than 1 fsp worth in stam). The going rate at the time of writing this blog appears to be 1 fsp to get this buff from a level 500 player.
There is also a Potion of Skills Master which you can buy from the Auction House.
That potion has a minimum price of 25,000 gold. Which I have often seen it as not being purchased at all. Maybe things will change after players read this blog, or maybe not.
That potion is a skill level 100 with a duration of 60 minutes.
That means it is a 10% savings in stamina.
So now, consider the following ::

100 stams used in buffing others
Option 1 : Buff yourself, 17.5 stam saved on average, 10 stam used on buff, 7.5 stam total savings.
Option 2 : Buy the buff, 1 fsp. 17.5 stam saved on average. (Not good, better to use the fsp to buy 25 stam).
Option 3 : Buy the potion, 25k. 10 stam saved on average. (Good deal, probably better than option 1 even for level 500 players).

150 stams used in buffing others
Option 1 : Buff yourself, 26.25 stam saved on average, 10 stam used on buff, 16.25 stam total savings.
Option 2 : Buy the buff, 1 fsp. 26.25 stam saved on average. This is better than using the fsp to buy stam.
Option 3 : Buy the potion, 25k, 15 stam saved. (This is a better savings, since it is cheaper than 100k/25stam rate. Level 500 players are probably better off using option 1, saving more stam without paying the 25k).

250 stams used in buffing others
Option 1 : Buff yourself, 43.75 stam saved, 10 stam used, 33.75 stam total savings.
Option 2 : Buy the buff, 1 fsp. 43.75 stam saved on average. (Assuming rate of 1 fsp = 25 stam, you saved 18.75 stam).
Option 3 : Buy the potion, 25k, 25 stam saved on average. (Assuming rate of 100k = 25 stam, 25k = 6.25 stam, you saved 18.75 stam) (This is the breakeven point if you use the current buff buying rate vs potion rate, as well as stamina valuation, and that means above 250 stams used, option 2 is probably the best option for players below level 500 or without the skill).

What if the price changes?
What if I value stamina differently?
This is especially true since it is 25 stamina is really worth less than 1 fsp (or 1 stamina is worth less than 4k). Players still buy stamina with fsp, but usually only when they are fully buffed. It makes sense to save the stamina and then to use it all in a bigger block. It is this same argument that players hunt with full stamina insted of daily. Consider selling buffs at 1 fsp per 25 stamina, that's like banking your stamina into a reserve, as you can buy the stamina at a more convenient/strategic time. Now, if the stamina bank allows you to withdraw only 25 stamina for every 30 stamina banked, will you do it? Maybe. But if you will, then the value of stamina just went down to 3.3k. Everyone will measure this differently, since at different stage of the game, you may want more fsp (for upgrades, equipment or otherwise), or more stam (when hunting and so close to finishing off that tough level and you're all buffed up).

So here are the variables :
Value of stamina = V(measured as gold per stamina, above examples were using 4k/stam)
Price to get the level 175 buff = B (in gold)
Price to buy the level 100 potion = P (in gold)
Amount of stamina used on others = S

Option 1 : 10 stamina used, .175 * S saved. Total savings = (.175 * S - 10)*V
Option 2 : Buy the buff, B. .175 * S saved. Total savings = .175 * S * V - B
Option 3 : Buy the potion, P. .1 * S saved. Total savings = .1 * S * V - P

Now you can plug in your own values and decide which option you use. Option 1 may not be available to everyone. Have fun buffing.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

New 1-hit setup

Previously, players were limited to 2-hitting after level 186.
However, the introduction of death dealer and counter attack changes the game play.
Let's compare the 2 most common setups.

Wither setups
In this setup, the player require 2 hits to kill a creature.
However, when wither activates, the creature's HP is halved, and it can be killed in 1-hit.
Because the highest level of wither one can get is level 350 using a potion, there is at least a 30% chance that 2-hits will be required.
As such, the setup will require armor or defense.
The armor setup was preferred primarily because it was garanteed to be safe.
However, creature enhancements now take effect and can do piercing strike, so now, the choice of armor or defense becomes quite subjective. It will also depend on the creature's attack and damage.
But I digress. Using such a setup, and with the wither 350 potion, the average number of hit is 1.3. That number might be a little lower with deathwish.

1-hitting setups
Death dealer introduces a new method that could be more efficient. With a high enough kill streak, one can get 20% more damage. That usually is sufficient for most levels to 1-hit if the maximum damage gear is used. DC potions and Keen Edge are nice buffs for creatures that require more attack. Counter Attack is added, but only as needed. So here's a simplified procedure to determine what you need. Finally, you'll need shield imp to protect the kill streak and keep Death Dealer at 20%.
0. Have a kill streak of at least 60. If not, kill some lower level creature without doubler to build up the kill streak, perhaps on your way from relic to portal.
1. Equip gears to maximize damage (ignore defense and armor).
2. Buff up with Berserk/Fury/Enchant Weapon/Enchant Armor.
3. Use spreadsheet link below to determine Dark Curse level needed.
4. If level needed exceeds 225, get a Keen Edge buff.
5. If level needed still exceeds, switch an item to increase attack. (In my case, I usually switch my rune to the Rune of Gamwala).
6. Use spreadsheet link below to determine if Counter Attack is needed.
7. If level is 0, no Counter Attack is needed. You can use any doubler level.
8. Use the chart below to determine which potion is needed and amount of extra stam used.

CA Level Doubler potion recommended Extra stam used
0 Any none
1 - 36 Potion of Acceleration (level 500) 1
37 - 40 Potion of Supreme Doubling (level 450) 1
41 - 72 Potion of Acceleration (level 500) 2
73 - 80 Potion of Supreme Doubling (level 450) 2
81 - 109 Potion of Acceleration (level 500) 3
110 - 120 Potion of Supreme Doubling (level 450) 3

Finally, if the extra stam needed is 3 more than the previous level, it'll be better to hang back at the previous level instead.

Update : With the Google Spreadsheet, the formula was repeatedly deleted/overwritten.
Instead, I wrote a Google Gadget to do the calculation instead.
You can view the gadget here.

FAQ
After posting this blog, there were a few frequently asked questions, so I thought I'd post them here with answers of course.
1. Must I use the 10x or 11x doubler potion? Can't I use the 4x or 3x doubler buff?
Shield imp is more expensive than those doubler potion. Assuming you get hit 2% of the time (can be more due to dodge and nullify), each shield imp with 6 blocks last 300 attacks (in my experience, it is more like 200 attacks average), then with a 3k stam run will only require 1 buff with 10x/11x doubler, but will need 3 buffs for 4x doubler, and 4 buffs for 3x doubler.

2. Is the Death Wish buff useful in the new setup?
Death Wish can reduce the chance of misses due to no combat. But at 4.5% chance (assuming level 150) to save a block (which is about 8.33 stam), you need to have missed 22.2 times to save the 8.33 stam. But the buff cost 20 stam, so you need to have missed 53.333 times to break even on stam. Again assuming the 300 attacks, you need to have done 16000 attacks, or burn 160k stam to break even.
Short answer : No, not useful.

3. Is the Wither buff useful in the new setup?
Wither however triggers more often. A level 150 wither triggers 30% of the time. But it does not protect against the 2% misses nor of dodge. It does protect against Nullify, or if you don't quite have enough damage. Hard to know if it was a real save, but if you have 6 hits where the creature does not die in your run, then you should have used wither.
Short answer : Maybe, but only if creature has Nullify, or if you are a little short on damage.

4. Is the Force Shield buff useful in the new setup?
Shield Imp activates before Force Shield. Only in the vary rare event of you missing twice when you only have 1 block remaining on the imp will it have a chance to be useful.
Short answer No, not useful.

5. Is Shockwave useful in the new setup?
Shockwave activates only if you hit. So it does not protect against misses, but can protect against Nullify, much like Wither. But it activates only 15% of the time at level 150. It cost 10 stam, also less than Wither. Using the same Math, if you have 8 hits where the creature does not die in your run, then you should have used Shockwave.
Short answer : Maybe, but only if creature has Nullify, or if you are a little short on damage.

6. Is it better to stay back one level if I need to use CA?
When you kill a creature a level below you, you take a 20% xp penalty. This translate to you needing 25% more stam to gain a level. Now, if you need to use CA72 vs no CA for the previous level, CA72 uses only 18.2% more stam, so you should use the CA. However, if you need to use CA109, you will be using 27.3% more stam, so you're a little better off killing the lower level creature, xp wise. But you are killing more creatures (25% more) and therefore gets more gold. What about CA109 vs CA36 on previous level? You'll be using 36.4% more stam vs 27.3%, you should use the CA109. CA145 uses exactly the same 36.4% more stam. So CA145 vs CA36 is the same xp wise, but killing the lower level creature has the bonus of getting more kills and hence more gold.

7. OK, so what gears should I use to get the maximum damage?
I'm going to assume you have enough stam (about 4k is my guess for breakeven) to make it worth the while for buying a Potion of Truth (EW1000), and that you will be getting a level 175 Enchant Armor buff. All items listed will be considered as fully forged, and if perfect crafted if craftable. I'll start listing from level 186, what was previously considered the level where you can no longer 1-hit. I could be wrong, so feel free to message me if you find a better setup. I have never used some of these setups, since the buffs that allow for this were not available then. Berserk and Fury buffs are not considered, since they depend on your level up stats, not your gears. (Thanks to Tangtop for alerting me on my error with Ragnok set. Inferno Hammer + Witches Catseye Shield is better, and the Inferno Hammer alone has Elite Hunter 100).

Level 186 : Cu Sith set (1322) + Banshee Helm (222) + Axe of Brettal (406) + Marpolo Armor (313) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Pelacroz (333) + EW (406) + EA (54) = 3491
Level 200 : Lezhal set (658) + Feral Gauntlets (333) + Banshee Helm (222) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Marpolo Armor (313) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Pelacroz (333) + EW (599) + EA (54) = 3898
Level 210 : Lezhal set (658) + Feral Gauntlets (333) + Helmet of Phoal (330) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Marpolo Armor (313) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Pelacroz (333) + EW (599) + EA (54) = 4006
Level 225 : Feral Gauntlets (333) + Helmet of Phoal (330) + Red Spine Amulet (515) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Armor of Swalhaven (314) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Pelacroz (333) + Glowing Diamond of Kozyu (374) + EW (599) + EA (54) = 4238
Level 227 : Feral Gauntlets (333) + Helmet of Phoal (330) + Red Spine Amulet (515) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Armor of Swalhaven (314) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Hellmoor (428) + Glowing Diamond of Kozyu (374) + EW (599) + EA (54) = 4333
Level 235 : Steep Nojor set (1337) + Helmet of Phoal (330) + Red Spine Amulet (515) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Hellmoor (428) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (23) = 4651
Level 245 : Steep Nojor set (1337) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Red Spine Amulet (515) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Iron Ring of Fenaz (435) + Boots of Hellmoor (428) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (23) = 4886
Level 255 : Steep Nojor set (1337) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Red Spine Amulet (515) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Ring of Ignoal (438) + Boots of Hellmoor (428) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (23) = 4889
Level 274 : Steep Nojor set (1337) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Amulet of Laugeh (538) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Ring of Ignoal (438) + Boots of Hellmoor (428) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (23) = 4912
Level 275 : Steep Nojor set (1337) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Amulet of Laugeh (538) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Ring of Ignoal (438) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (23) = 5037
Level 276 : Gloves of Servala (501) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Amulet of Laugeh (538) + Inferno Hammer (599) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Ring of Ignoal (438) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (599) + EA (94) = 5145
Level 280 : Destroyer set (2218) + Gloves of Servala (501) + Amulet of Laugeh (538) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Ring of Ignoal (438) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Validar (385) + EW (115) + EA (94) = 5363
Level 300 : Destroyer set (2218) + Sabertooth set (1362) + Lord Valks War Gauntlet (575) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Libitalia (440) + EW (115) + EA (94) = 5878
Level 325 : Sabertooth set (1362) + Lord Valks War Gauntlet (575) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Libitalia (440) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 6092
Level 339 : Sabertooth set (1362) + Lord Valks War Gauntlet (575) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Witches Catseye Shield (352) + Green Spine Boots (533) + Rune of Kanthos (525) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 6177
Level 350 : Sabertooth set (1362) + Octo-Spine set (1686) + Lord Valks War Gauntlet (575) + Helmet of Xenix (565) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Green Spine Boots (533) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 6986
Level 380 : Sabertooth set (1362) + Octo-Spine set (1686) + Lord Valks War Gauntlet (575) + Sphynx Helmet (895) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Green Spine Boots (533) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 7316
Level 390 : Octo-Spine set (1686) + Crushing Fist set (2204) + Sphynx Helmet (895) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) + Green Spine Boots (533) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 7583
Level 399 : Octo-Spine set (1686) + Crushing Fist Gauntlets (745) + Sphynx Helmet (895) + Dazmorr Amulet (908) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Armor of Shoratal (541) +Ring of Arzmil (654) + Green Spine Boots (533) + EW (815) + EA (94) = 7686
Level 400 : Octo-Spine set (1686) + Crushing Fist Gauntlets (745) + Sphynx Helmet (895) + Dazmorr Amulet (908) + Sword of Ursa (815) + Argus Armor (590) +Ring of Arzmil (654) + Argus Boots (685) + EW (815) + EA (103) = 7986

8. What if I cannot get Green Spine Boots (or any other items)?
Well, above is for the maximum damage setup. You may not need all of them to 1-hit. You may require a higher level CA if you don't have enough damage. For me, from level 350-379, I hardly have to use the Green Spine Boots, and have been using Boots of Hellmoor. Just use whatever highest damage equipment you can find for your level.

9. Do I always use the highest damage gear?
No. What is listed above is highest damage. But sometimes, you need to trade damage for attack. eg. Saurus Shield vs Witches Catseye Shield, Boots of Hellmoor vs Green Spine Boots.
Sometimes, I trade a high attack boots too, like Boots of Styillpon for the Green Spine. The highest damage gear set is just a reference.

10. Is there a checklist, so that I know I have got all I need?
Checklist :
1. Death Dealer buff/potion and kill Streak (60 for level 175 buff, 400 for potion)
2. Summon Shield Imp buff
3. Dark Curse buff (use the gadget link above to determine the level needed)
4. Counter Attack buff (use the gadget link above to determine if needed and if so, which level)
5. Holy Flame buff (check also that creature is undead)
6. Nightmare Visage buff (check that this buff is not activated)
7. Unbreakable buff (not needed, but very highly recommended if using crystalline items)
Other offensive buffs show up on your profile, check those numbers are good against what you entered in the gadget.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Death Dealer

Death Dealer is an offensive skill available to players level 500 and above.
Here's the official description :

For every 5 kills in a row, without dying, you gain +0.01% extra damage per point (Max 20% and vs. creatures only).

Since all players level 500 will probably have 100% Fury Casting, a player buff will almost always be a level 175 buff.
This buff is also available as potions.
The "Potion of Lesser Death Dealer" provides a level 25 buff and can be invented from plants and bottles bought from stores, except the Blood Bloom Root. However, the Blood Bloom plant is generally extracted for its flowers, so this potion is sort of a by-product and sold for a relatively cheap price.
There is also a "Potion of Life Stealer" that provides a level 40 buff.

The introduction of this buff, together with that of counter attack means you can possibly 1-hit some creatures that used to require 2 hits. However, this buff is a little tricky, since it depends on your kill streak. If you fail and die, your kill streak will be reset to 0, and the buff will provide no additional damage at all. If you have a long kill streak, you can get up to 20% more damage, and that can put you above the damage required for 1-hitting. So what's the difference between the player buff and potion buff? Well, the difference is the streak required to get 20% damage.

Kill Streak Level 175
Level 40 Level 25
0 - 4 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
5 - 9 1.75% 0.40% 0.25%
10 - 14 3.50% 0.80% 0.50%
15 - 19 5.25% 1.20% 0.75%
20 - 24 7.00% 1.60% 1.00%
25 - 29 8.75% 2.00% 1.25%
30 - 34 10.50% 2.40% 1.50%
35 - 39 12.25% 2.80% 1.75%
40 - 44 14.00% 3.20% 2.00%
45 - 49 15.75% 3.60% 2.25%
50 - 54 17.50% 4.00% 2.50%
55 - 59 19.25% 4.40% 2.75%
>=60 20.00%

100 - 104
8.00% 5.00%
150 - 154
12.00% 7.50%
200 - 204
16.00% 10.00%
>= 250
20.00%
250 - 204

12.50%
300 - 304

15.00%
>= 400

20.00%


For the level 175 player buff, you only need 60 kills to get the 20% extra damage. For the level 25 potion buff, you will need 400 kills to get the 20% extra damage. But regardless of your attack, you can still miss (2% chance), and creatures can also have dodge capability. So if you can have armor/defense and still 1-hit, that'll be ideal. If you cannot, going suicidal will mean that you will probably lose your streak, unless you get defensive buffs to protect you from dying when you miss. Force shield and last ditch can give you a chance of surviving when you miss, but shield imp will definitely protect you and your kill streak.

If you don't have a long kill streak, but need the extra damage, you can do a few things. But in this scenario, you'll want the player buff, not the potion. First, if you are walking from relic to hunting grounds, you can kill a few easy creatures on your way. You don't have to kill 60 if you don't need 20% damage. Use the table above, if you only need 10%, you can just kill 30. You can also get a Counter Attack buff (see my previous blog entry), for extra damage, and then turn it off when you have enough on your kill streak.

If you have a kill streak of 400 or more, you can use the potion since it is likely to be cheaper than a player's buff.

And finally, if the death dealer does not give enough damage, you should also consider using both the death dealer and counter attack.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Ethereal Pillars and Portal

Ethereal Pillars is a relic. My guild (Panic), usually try to capture and defend it. But we will not go to the extend to claim that it is our relic. I think guilds whom make claims like "Owners of Krul Pyramid" are just too arrogant.

Most members go to the relic to defend it after their hunt. So the first question becomes, how many stamina does one need to reach the relic? So let us count.
Instant Teleport back to Krul Island : 25
Enter Mountain Path : 1
(2,2) - (25,4) : (6D, 9R, 4U, 14R) : 33
Enter Ethereal Gateway : 1
(2,2) - (7,7) : (5R, 2D, L, 3D, R) : 12
Total = 25+1+33+1+12 = 72

That means in general if you get 4x doubler or higher, you should have enough stam to reach the relic after a hunt. That was not what prompted me to write this blog entry.
After sitting at the relic and stamina is full, you're now ready to hunt. Where's the nearest portal? I've got various answers, so let's see what they are :

Option 1 : Krul Island Teleport, walk to portal at Cathedral Ways (not recommended)
Instant Teleport back to Krul Island : 25
Enter Mountain Path : 1
(2,2) - (8,16) : (12D, 6R, 2D) : 20
Enter Cathedral Ways : 1
(6,10) - (6,2) : (8U) : 8
Total = 25+1+20+1+8 = 55

Option 2 : Krul Island Teleport, walk to portal at Varas Dungeon (not recommended)
Instant Teleport back to Krul Island : 25
Enter Krul Beach Forest West : 1
(2,2) - (7,9) : (R, 4D, R, 2D, L, 2D, 4R, U) : 16
Enter Varas Dungeon : 1
(17,17) - (9,8) : (R, 4U, L, 5U, 2L, D, 6L, U) : 21
Total = 25+1+16+1+21 = 64

Option 3 : Walk to portal at Cathedral Ways
(7,7) - (2,2) : (L, 3U, R, 2U, 5L) : 12
Enter Mountain Path : 1
(25,4) - (8,16) : (14L, 4D, 3L, 8D) : 29
Enter Cathedral Ways : 1
(6,10) - (6,2) : (8U) : 8
Total = 12+1+29+1+8 = 51

Option 4 : Walk to portal at Ethereal Graveyard
(7,7) - (2,6) : (L, U, 4L) : 6
Enter Ethereal City : 1
(2,2) - (3,15) : (5R, 5D, R, 7D, 5L, D) : 24
Enter Ethereal Graveyard : 1
(2,15) - (14,4) : (R, 6U, 9R, 5U, 2R) : 23
Total = 6+1+24+1+23 = 55

Surprisingly (or not), the fastest way is NOT to use the Instant Teleport. Option 3 walking to the Cathedral Ways is shortest. But the portal prices are more expensive in the Cathedral Ways. Walking to Ethereal Graveyard is only 4 stam more. How do the prices differ?

Destination Level Price at
Ways
Portal
Price at
Ethereal
Portal
Azlore Plains 100 15,000 3,400
Meyra Coast 206 30,900 7,004
Rhoi 301 45,150 10,234
Xinderoth 400 60,000 13,600
Teotal 511 76,650 17,374



So if you take the difference, and ask yourself, will you sell a 4 stam buff for that price, that'll help you decide which option to take. For destinations not show above, use the formula below :

Price at Ways Portal = (Destination Level) * 150
Price at Etheral Portal = (Destination Level) * 34

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Counter Attack

Counter Attack is defensive skill available to players 400 and above.
Unlike other skills, putting the maximum skill points on this one is not necessarily good.
Here's the official description :

Uses 0.25% extra stamina (per point) to add 0.25% to both attack and damage. (Both values are rounded up, vs. creature only)

Without doubler, that simply means 2 stamina per round of attack. That means this buff is completely useless without a doubler. Since it also means it uses extra stamina, this buff is useless if you are already 1-hitting without the buff. It is only useful when the extra attack/damage allow you to 1-hit, when without the buff you would be 2-hitting. However, selecting the level of the buff you will want can be tricky.

3x doubler
With 3x doubler, up to a level 133 CA, 1 extra stam is used, making each round of attack using 4 stam instead of 3. With a level 165 Wither, you have almost a 1/3 chance of 1 hitting, so that makes it an average of 5 stam per attack (2 attacks will use 6 stam, while 1 attack will use 3 stam). This means this buff is still very useful if it can convert the 2-hit into a 1-hit. But the extra 33.25% attack/damage must allow you to 1-hit. Since the level 165 Wither is 5 stam per attack average, that makes level 134 or higher CA quite useless.

Level 1-133 CA : 4 stam / round of attack (Level 133 = 33.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 134-175 CA : 5 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 5.01 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 3.9 stam average / creature

4x doubler
With 4x doubler, up to a level 100 CA, 1 extra stam is used. 5 stam per attack, compared to a level 165 Wither which will use 6.68 stam on average. Even using the level 350 Wither potion is still inferior because that averages 5.2 stam per creature. Above 100 CA, 2 extra stam means 6 stam per attack, still better than a level 165 Wither.

Level 1-100 CA : 5 stam / round of attack (Level 100 = 25% extra attack/damage)
Level 101-175 CA : 6 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 6.68 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 5.2 stam average / creature

7x doubler
7x doubler comes from the Super Doubler Potion. These potions were dropped by creatures found in Scavenging (I cannot remember the name of the creature). These potions can be traded.

Level 1-57 CA : 8 stam / round of attack (Level 57 = 14.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 58-114 CA : 9 stam / round of attack (Level 114 = 28.50% extra attack/damage)
Level 115-171 CA : 10 stam / round of attack (Level 171 = 42.75% extra attack/damage)
Level 172-175 CA : 11 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 11.69 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 9.1 stam average / creature

10x doubler

10x doubler comes from the Potion of Supreme Doubling. These potions are sold in the Auction House under 'Special'. These potions once bought are bounded and cannot be traded or given away. Now, this gets tricky, as you will want to determine how much extra attack/damage you will need to 1-hit.

Level 1-40 CA : 11 stam / round of attack (Level 40 = 10% extra attack/damage)
Level 41-80 CA : 12 stam / round of attack (Level 80 = 20% extra attack/damage)
Level 81-120 CA : 13 stam / round of attack (Level 120 = 30% extra attack/damage)
Level 121-160 CA : 14 stam / round of attack (Level 160 = 40% extra attack/damage)
Level 161-175 CA : 15 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 16.7 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 13 stam average / creature

11x doubler
11x doubler comes from the Potion of Acceleration. This is a potion you can make from a recipe. Many level 400 players opt to get level 36 counter attack, making this setup probably the most useful, especially if that 9% extra attack/damage allow you to 1-hit. Also, note that since you will be 1-hitting, you can consider the suicidal setup and forgo defence and armor, but do remember, you can still miss (2%) or creature can dodge, and you can die. But the 1-hitting vs 2-hitting pay off is so great that usually it is worth the risk, especially if you can find some place to stash the gold as you hunt.

Level 1-36 CA : 12 stam / round of attack (Level 36 = 9% extra attack/damage)
Level 37-72 CA : 13 stam / round of attack (Level 72 = 18% extra attack/damage)
Level 73-109 CA : 14 stam / round of attack (Level 109 = 27.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 110-145 CA : 15 stam / round of attack (Level 145 = 36.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 146-175 CA : 16 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 18.37 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 14.3 stam average / creature

16x doubler
16x doubler comes from the Potion of Greater Doubler. This is a potion comes from scavenging, and it used to be 11x. HCS made a recent change and it is now 16x.

Level 1-25 CA : 17 stam / round of attack (Level 25 = 6.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 26-50 CA : 18 stam / round of attack (Level 50 = 12.5% extra attack/damage)
Level 51-75 CA : 19 stam / round of attack (Level 75 = 18.75% extra attack/damage)
Level 76-100 CA : 20 stam / round of attack (Level 100 = 25% extra attack/damage)
Level 101-125 CA : 21 stam / round of attack (Level 125 = 31.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 126-150 CA : 22 stam / round of attack (Level 150 = 37.5% extra attack/damage)
Level 151-175 CA : 23 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 26.72 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 20.8 stam average / creature

21x doubler
HCS gave a bounded item, Christmas Present 2008. It is a level 1000 doubler with 240 mins duration.

Level 1-19 CA : 22 stam / round of attack (Level 19 = 4.75% extra attack/damage)
Level 20-38 CA : 23 stam / round of attack (Level 38 = 9.50% extra attack/damage)
Level 39-57 CA : 24 stam / round of attack (Level 57 = 14.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 58-76 CA : 25 stam / round of attack (Level 76 = 19.00% extra attack/damage)
Level 77-95 CA : 26 stam / round of attack (Level 95 = 23.75% extra attack/damage)
Level 96-114 CA : 27 stam / round of attack (Level 114 = 28.50% extra attack/damage)
Level 115-133 CA : 28 stam / round of attack (Level 133 = 33.25% extra attack/damage)
Level 134-152 CA : 29 stam / round of attack (Level 152 = 38.00% extra attack/damage)
Level 153-171 CA : 30 stam / round of attack (Level 171 = 42.75% extra attack/damage)
Level 171-175 CA : 31 stam / round of attack (Level 175 = 43.75% extra attack/damage)

Compare ::
Level 165 Wither : 35.07 stam average / creature
Level 350 Wither : 27.3 stam average / creature

Now that we have so many different doubler level, I thought we should have a table that compares them. Comparing stam is unnatural, so we have to divide that by the doubler multiplier, since the xp given is multiplied by that. That'll give us the xp per stam compared to straight 1-hit. I also added comparisons for staying back one level, for those tough levels that may require high level of CA.

Buff \ Doubler 3x 4x 7x 10x 11x 16x 21x Bonus
CA19





1.05 4.75%
CA25




1.06
6.25%
CA36



1.09

9.00%
CA38





1.10 9.50%
CA40


1.10


10.00%
CA50




1.13
12.50%
CA57

1.14


1.14 14.25%
CA72



1.18

18.00%
CA75




1.19
18.75%
CA76





1.19 19.00%
CA80


1.20


20.00%
CA95





1.24 23.75%
CA100
1.25


1.25
25.00%
Back level (1-hit) 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 NA
CA109



1.27

27.25%
CA114

1.29


1.29 28.50%
CA120


1.30


30.00%
Wither 350 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 NA
CA125




1.31
31.25%
Back level (CA25)




1.33
NA
CA133 1.33




1.33 33.25%
CA145



1.36

36.25%
Back level (CA36)



1.36

NA
CA150




1.38
37.50%
CA152





1.38 38.00%
CA160


1.40


40.00%
Back level (CA50)




1.41
NA
CA171

1.43


1.43 42.75%
CA175 1.67 1.50 1.57 1.50 1.45 1.44 1.48 43.75%
Back level (CA72)



1.48

NA
Back level (CA75)




1.49
NA
Back level (CA100)




1.57
NA
Back level (CA109)



1.59

NA
Back level (CA125)




1.64
NA
Wither 165 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 1.67 NA



So what's really better? Is it better to use 11x or 16x doubler? I've been asked this question quite a lot, so perhaps I should write it down here. My typical hunt usually use about 1800 stam in hitting, and 150 stam in walking while using 11x doubler. Yours may differ. If CA is not needed, then clearly, the 16x doubler is better. I would have used only 103 stam in walking, saving 47 stam. If CA is needed, and CA25 works, then I would have used CA36 and 1964 stam hitting, while CA 25 will use only 1913 stam, saving 49 stam (in addition to the 47 stam in walking). If CA 36 is not enough, and CA 50 works, then clearly 16x doubler is better again. Now, the tricky part comes when CA 25 is not enough, but CA 36 is enough. With 11x and CA36, I'll still be using 1964 stam in attack, but with 16x and CA50, I'll be using 2025 stam in attack. So I use 61 stam more with 16x, minus the 49 stam saved in walking, I still use 12 stam more. But wait, there's one more saving grace. I would have hit fewer times with 16x, so I will use less blocks on an imp. I'll say I use 1 block less, worth 8 stam, so I am down 4 stam. Unless all my levels are as such, that 4 stam probably don't justify the cost of changing doubler potion between levels. Another intangible on the 16x doubler is the time you need for your hunt is reduce by 30%. That could mean to some, no rebuff, or fewer rebuffs.