Is BD just utterly useless? - Phoenix Freeshard

Hi there, I've just gotten my BD to 45 through soloing since no one wants a BD. I've been searching around google for end game builds since I'll be 50 soon and am getting excited to pvp. All of the forum posts I come across say BD is useless and doesn't get invited to RVR. So if the class cannot find a PVE group or an RVR group.... did I pick an utterly useless class and get it up high for nothing? Honestly there's very few resources online for anything BD related compared to a bit of searching I did for SB and SM.

Thanks in advance for responses, I hope I can find some niche to fill otherwise I guess it would have to be reroll time...

Sun 10 Feb 2019 7:28 AM by gschoenhofen

BD is very strong in rvr if played properly.

Sun 10 Feb 2019 10:28 AM by Victos

All casters of mid have a spot in a group depending on the setup, currently the top 3 casters of mid, when looking at total rps, are all bonedancers.

On top of that BD is fine if you want to solo farm stuff in PvE, it is, as you found out already, not that good in a group setting though.

Sun 10 Feb 2019 1:03 PM by opossum12

The strongest mid groups all run BDs atm, they rip

Sun 10 Feb 2019 1:44 PM by Vkejai

It's not what class or how good you are here, unfortunately, it's who you know and what type of guild your in.

Sun 10 Feb 2019 6:19 PM by geeca

So if BD is useful in RvR what would the builds be? How do I find out who's in the top to look at?

Thu 14 Feb 2019 8:30 PM by Schett

Im not playing BD, But I believe the top bds are playing dark/supp spec.

Nothing is more annoying than caster pets interrupting you all the time.

Good grps will have you as one of the main targets to kill as well I believe.

Thu 14 Feb 2019 10:34 PM by Lundarian

Bonedancers just might be the best interrupt class, the most common RvR spec would be 34 dark 38 sup 17 army, gives you 30% body debuff, and yellow instant lifetap, a 6% ABS buff for your pets and group members. On top of that they can get BaoD and TWF.

So yes, completely useless

Fri 15 Feb 2019 1:08 AM by stridberg

BD works great both as a damagedealer in debuffnuke trains and tank setups as a dedicated interrupter. However, the 47 supp build is worse than what it used to be on live as the Physical Defense RA took a massive nerf hit on this server and the popularity of caster setups in alb/hib seems to far outnumber melee setups, so you're not gonna be laughing melee trains in the face while being unkillable and dumping on their supports with lifetaps for an entire fight.
Instead it seems attractive to grab the 33 darkness pet for it's extremely annoying snare nuke to have a more widespread interrupt going on.
Also BD gets an incredible set of active RA abilities. A lot of people would argue that it's the overall best midgard caster.

As for PvE, bone army is amazing for solo play and deals very respectable melee damage in groups when combined with an aug healer, but for RVR it is indeed utterly useless.

Fri 15 Feb 2019 10:35 AM by inoeth

Most common spec here is 38/38 dark supp althought id prefer 39 dark for better nuke pet, you will lose the 6% absorb but idk if its worth it anyway

Fri 15 Feb 2019 9:39 PM by Pirhana7

geeca wrote: ↑
Sun 10 Feb 2019 7:09 AM
Hi there, I've just gotten my BD to 45 through soloing since no one wants a BD. I've been searching around google for end game builds since I'll be 50 soon and am getting excited to pvp. All of the forum posts I come across say BD is useless and doesn't get invited to RVR. So if the class cannot find a PVE group or an RVR group.... did I pick an utterly useless class and get it up high for nothing? Honestly there's very few resources online for anything BD related compared to a bit of searching I did for SB and SM.

Thanks in advance for responses, I hope I can find some niche to fill otherwise I guess it would have to be reroll time...

Groups like Darkness BDs

Solo you will do best with Suppresion

Tue 19 Feb 2019 11:55 AM by tsteken

BD is possibly the best class in midgard, Its a high dps high utility caster with more survivability than a warrior.

im 38/38 Dark/Supp. with max PD, TWF and there is NOTHING that touches me 1on1 1on2 1on3.
In group you are so strong that healers only have to spotheal you if you are stunned by hib casters and purge are down.
The only thing this class is lacking is speed.

Tue 19 Feb 2019 1:18 PM by Lev

tsteken wrote: ↑
Tue 19 Feb 2019 11:55 AM
im 38/38 Dark/Supp. with max PD, TWF and there is NOTHING that touches me 1on1 1on2 1on3.

which duos and trios do you refer to here?
if i go through the common duos or trios in the frontiers (bard/ench, bard/bm, stealths, mins/cleric, etc.), i really don't see any of those losing to a single BD in a normal case. even against a better solo assassin surviving the PA+CD isn't a given here.

Wed 20 Feb 2019 12:16 PM by tsteken

Lev wrote: ↑
Tue 19 Feb 2019 1:18 PM
tsteken wrote: ↑
Tue 19 Feb 2019 11:55 AM
im 38/38 Dark/Supp. with max PD, TWF and there is NOTHING that touches me 1on1 1on2 1on3.
which duos and trios do you refer to here?
if i go through the common duos or trios in the frontiers (bard/ench, bard/bm, stealths, mins/cleric, etc.), i really don't see any of those losing to a single BD in a normal case. even against a better solo assassin surviving the PA+CD isn't a given here.

You Sir are correct, anything with bard and 2 dps is a loss. I was mostly referring to 1v3 on stealthers. possibly some alb casters. not a heavy trip like bard bm druid or bard bm ench etc.

Sat 16 Mar 2019 12:12 PM by Valaraukar

tsteken wrote: ↑
Tue 19 Feb 2019 11:55 AM
BD is possibly the best class in midgard, Its a high dps high utility caster with more survivability than a warrior.

im 38/38 Dark/Supp. with max PD, TWF and there is NOTHING that touches me 1on1 1on2 1on3.
In group you are so strong that healers only have to spotheal you if you are stunned by hib casters and purge are down.
The only thing this class is lacking is speed.

I used to play a BD a long long time ago on the Italian Official Server and this is exactly how I remember it. In RvR BDs are usally the last to be killed, not because enemies prefer to kill other classes first but because it is quite unkillable if well played and with a good healer in party still alive! I'm installing DAOC again now, and will definitely roll a BD as my main character. In will go for BA/Supp spec to get to lvl 50 faster and then switch to Dark/Supp for RvR, please give me then a RM with assist to nuke all those Albs and Hibs one by one!

Mon 18 Mar 2019 10:21 AM by bossan

tsteken wrote: ↑
Tue 19 Feb 2019 11:55 AM
BD is possibly the best class in midgard, Its a high dps high utility caster with more survivability than a warrior.

im 38/38 Dark/Supp. with max PD, TWF and there is NOTHING that touches me 1on1 1on2 1on3.
In group you are so strong that healers only have to spotheal you if you are stunned by hib casters and purge are down.
The only thing this class is lacking is speed.

What pets do you use when you solo? All healpets? Or do you use nukepets aswell?
Im 47sup atm but i miss the nukepets for farming so thinking about respeccing.

Mon 18 Mar 2019 11:57 AM by Logan17

Isnt the best spec for farming supposed to be BA? Little to no downtime with dots and healpets?

Mon 18 Mar 2019 12:06 PM by bossan

Logan17 wrote: ↑
Mon 18 Mar 2019 11:57 AM
Isnt the best spec for farming supposed to be BA? Little to no downtime with dots and healpets?

Ye it probably is but its useless in pvp and i want to do both

Wed 20 Mar 2019 10:43 AM by Vkejai

Anyone tried 46 dark rest supp ?

Wed 20 Mar 2019 7:47 PM by Dariussdars

Better off with 45 dark/29 suppression. 45 dark gets you the top caster pet, with a 30% body debuff and level 29, 77 delve lifetap.. 46 dark gets you a 50% debuff, but you'd be using the lvl 22 lifetap, which is 58 delve.

Resists with the 29 lifetap are bad enough, the level 22 would be a lot worse.

Wed 20 Mar 2019 11:29 PM by dansari

I am 46 dark, though my BD is only 2L2.. don't get to play it much.. I find I get resisted a lot with the lifetap but the extra 20% on resists mean my caster pets hit like a truck. As I gain some levels I will probably invest some rp in MoF to offset.

Thu 21 Mar 2019 5:09 PM by carnalito

Like some has stated, BD is quite strong in RvR groups...

Thu 21 Mar 2019 9:14 PM by inoeth

Dariussdars wrote: ↑
Wed 20 Mar 2019 7:47 PM
Better off with 45 dark/29 suppression. 45 dark gets you the top caster pet, with a 30% body debuff and level 29, 77 delve lifetap.. 46 dark gets you a 50% debuff, but you'd be using the lvl 22 lifetap, which is 58 delve.

Resists with the 29 lifetap are bad enough, the level 22 would be a lot worse.

When dark spec the lifetap is only a rupt/small dmg... You heavily rely ob your pets and therefore 50% debuff will increase pet dmg alot.
For 46 dark grp is needed though.
Allround spec would be 38 sup 34 dark 17 ba

Sat 20 Apr 2019 6:57 PM by Oelen

Seems that now it became useless after the nerf....

Mon 13 May 2019 3:06 PM by MuddBeard

If you are looking to solo as a BD what two spec's are you looking for. RvR and the PVE side?