Raven or Bear?

[Silverlode]

I was just curious to see out of the two standard pets which one is most popular.

I'm only level 17 just now so haven't got anywhere near all the skills or traits available for either however I've gotta say my favourite is easily the raven. Along with reducing shadow damage I find its fire damage increase spell (I forget the name) gives burning embers a major boost in damage. I usually have this on autocast and by the time its cooled down for casting again the mob is already down so I can just move to the next target.

Even with the bear trait from the level 15 quest the bear seems really rubbish. He has the same health as the raven but seems to do less damage but gets an increase in defense but even then he doesn't last much longer. I only have the threat increase skill which would suggest he is meant to be a bit of a tank or at least a distraction but it goes down far too quickly without doing the damage of the raven.

Anyway whats your thoughts?

[MadAxeMan]

I have to agree. I'm sure you will get people saying that you must be doing something wrong.

On paper it should be horses for courses. In some situations the tanking and aggro capability of the improved bear should outweigh the fire and distraction of the raven. I just don't see it though. Aggro is hard to maintain for long enough for it to be worth it and sometimes it just stands there in a stupor. Frustrating. Yet the Raven seems fine. Surely they both use the same AI...?

The Bear is dumb. Long live the Raven!

[Ravenswing]

I seem to mostly be using the raven, I get better damage output from my spells, and some shadow mitigation (for anyone in the fellowship who is in range, I might add). I don't find even the improved bear has a great advantage currently, though I've only just hit 18, so I don't know if the bear blooms later.

[MadAxeMan]

Originally Posted by Ravenswing

I don't know if the bear blooms later.

Blooming Bear. Something similar has passed my lips many an occasion.

[Sugustriel]

depending on the situation i´m in i switch pet. solo i prefer the bear, which is, when you get the trait from the class-quest, pretty tough. if i do easier mobs for like farming or so, i prefer the raven. playing in groups also the raven, with his debuff´s he´s the winner here.

[Aelaris]

Originally Posted by MadAxeMan

Blooming Bear. Something similar has passed my lips many an occasion.

lol ditto

Definitely the Raven atm, something with that bear just isnt right .. hes unbearable, just stands their sometimes and bearly lives longer than the raven ...... yea ok ill drop the naff play on words but i think you get the point

[Tremayne]

Raven - his faster attacks proc 'Flanked!' more often.

More 'Flanked!' means more massive staff THWACKs.

More massive THWACKs make me a happy lore-master!

[Scar006]

As it stands now the Bear has nearly no use. As the above poster said the raven will triger the flanked ability alot more often which results in more selfheals or more damage output.

He also lives longer with his self buff which gives him eighter 50% ranged debuff or 50% melee debuff so he is even a better "Tank" as he lives longer.

Even if you sacrifice a whole class slot (which defenitly can be used for other more usefull things) the bear won't get good enough to be even compareble to the raven.

So to all you bear users out there why do you use him? where is the benefit?

And all balance issues apart, the bear has also the worse pathing ai or just gets stuck more often.

There is really no point in using the bear for me atm, at least not until lvl 22 and I really hope there will be something afterward but I can't comment on that.

[Miravlix]

Level below 25 - Raven since everything is dying before it gets to do much damage to you.

Level 25+ - Bear and you need to learn to handle agro, because if you tank at this level your at almost no hps after every mob.

With bear as tank you can't simply chain buttons until your out of power, you need to slow down and pick when you do stuff.

Stuff might die a little slower, but at the end of the fight I can chain the next mob without needing downtime.

[Cosack]

Originally Posted by Miravlix

Level below 25 - Raven since everything is dying before it gets to do much damage to you.

Level 25+ - Bear and you need to learn to handle agro, because if you tank at this level your at almost no hps after every mob.

With bear as tank you can't simply chain buttons until your out of power, you need to slow down and pick when you do stuff.

Stuff might die a little slower, but at the end of the fight I can chain the next mob without needing downtime.

All well and good in theory but unfortunately since the last patch our Bears can no longer tank. The Raven offers more offensively later in the game when shadow becomes a real issue.

If a LM uses his/her skills properly, they have no need for a tank anyway, all you guys gotta do is develop your technique, buff yourself with food and have a stack of pots to heal & replenish power.