kalih
08-06-2008, 12:29
Introduction
The Herald of Xotli is a hybrid class which can both cast spells and use melee combos. The HoX is part Mage and part Soldier, making them a worthy opponent or groupmate. HoX is really the best of both worlds, which makes for both a sturdy and fun class choice. Since the Herald of Xotli is part of the Mage Archetype, the only permittable race for HoX is Stygian, and you will only be able to wear Cloth Armor or Silk Armor.
Starting Out
The Herald of Xotli starts their Tortage journey equipped with one medium damage spell, Hellfire Breath (Rank 1). Upon reaching Level 2 they also receive their first combo, Sweep. Between those two abilities and your adept melee skills, the HoX will easily roll through the first five levels of Age of Conan. Each class in the game has subtle differences in the first five levels. While the HoX cannot dish out one-shot kills like the Tempest of Set, you will find the Herald of Xotli to be more of a mid-range combatant.
Before entering the jungle to take on Boss NPCs, you may want to get an extra level under your belt on the beach. Don't let the fact that you are part-melee class fool you. You are still a Mage and cannot take as much damage as the other melee classes. You will likely not surive the larger groups of mobs at Level 2.
Once you hit Level 3 you will receive your first Friendly Personal Spell, Desecrating Essence. This will increase your health and damage for 25 seconds and can be a huge help when fighting several mobs at once. However, the spell does have a fairly lengthy reuse timer.
As both a caster and a soldier, you will have to watch both your mana and stamina to make sure that you do not run out of either. Which means that you likely will not be doing a lot of sprinting! Since you are essentially a Mage class and you have no pet to help you out, armor will be very important to your survival. Be sure to watch for NPC dropped upgrades, and if needed upgrade some slots at the merchant when you get into Tortage City.
Once you reach Level 5 you will notice a significant shift in both power and your ability to take damage. This is when the Herald of Xotli truly begins their reign of terror!
Skills
When deciding on where to put your stat points you will have to take into consideration various factors. Such as whether you play on a PvE server or a PvP server, and whether you are primarily a solo or group player.
A Herald of Xotli on a PvP server should definitely consider making "Hide" a priority, whereas a HoX playing PvE will not have as much use for the ability. If you are receiving "Spell Interrupted" messages then it is vital that you put some points into "Concentration". If you are on a PvP server, then again you will want to max out "Run Speed", as well as "Endurance". The rest are pretty much down to personal preference.
Stats
Much like the other Mage Archetypes, a Herald of Xotli would typically watch for gear that increases their Intelligence rating. The higher your Intelligence, the harder your nukes should hit and the larger your mana pool should be. However, in Age of Conan PvP, many believe it is better to work on your health points, evade and immunity.
Spells
Your lower level spells as described in the "Starting Out" section will easily see you through to Level 20. Come Level 20 you will have some crucial buffs such as "Contract of Protection" which provides a damage shield, "Sign of Xotli" which increases your defense rating, and "Hellstep" which makes the HoX charge their enemies and burst into flames, causing damage to all in your path.
When it comes to dealing out damage you're still a champ. Once you reach Level 20 you will receive your first three directional combo, and Hellfire Breath is still an effective nuke.
Rinse and repeat for the latter levels as your spells increase in rank, and the addition of some fun goodies such as "I Eat Your Heart" and "Burning Skull".
Solo Play
While some classes are best to stick around Tortage for a couple of levels past 20, the Herald of Xotli will do fine advancing to Khemi.
Before setting out it's wise to make sure that you have potions. A potion can make or break a tough battle. Fortunately potions drop from many mobs to lessen your purchasing burden.
Group Play
When playing a Herald of Xotli in a group situation you will have to time your attacks properly so as not to steal aggro from the tank. HoX is a high damage dealer, so unless you wish to be known as a "peeler" then it's not wise to spam attack.
Feats
Feat choices are very much down to personal preference. Some feats may sound fun, but many players will select their choices strategically. While all trees will provide you with bonus damages, the Possession tree will also grant you new spells and abilities. Be sure to plan ahead. The [AoC Vault Feats Calculator (http://conanvault.ign.com/featcalculator/)] may come in handy for this.
HoX Pros
-Can both cast spells and use melee combos.
-Adept in both solo and group combat.
-Very powerful nukes and combos.
HoX Cons
-No Spellweaving.
-Must rely on both mana and stamina.
-Unable to take a lot of damage.
The Herald of Xotli is a hybrid class which can both cast spells and use melee combos. The HoX is part Mage and part Soldier, making them a worthy opponent or groupmate. HoX is really the best of both worlds, which makes for both a sturdy and fun class choice. Since the Herald of Xotli is part of the Mage Archetype, the only permittable race for HoX is Stygian, and you will only be able to wear Cloth Armor or Silk Armor.
Starting Out
The Herald of Xotli starts their Tortage journey equipped with one medium damage spell, Hellfire Breath (Rank 1). Upon reaching Level 2 they also receive their first combo, Sweep. Between those two abilities and your adept melee skills, the HoX will easily roll through the first five levels of Age of Conan. Each class in the game has subtle differences in the first five levels. While the HoX cannot dish out one-shot kills like the Tempest of Set, you will find the Herald of Xotli to be more of a mid-range combatant.
Before entering the jungle to take on Boss NPCs, you may want to get an extra level under your belt on the beach. Don't let the fact that you are part-melee class fool you. You are still a Mage and cannot take as much damage as the other melee classes. You will likely not surive the larger groups of mobs at Level 2.
Once you hit Level 3 you will receive your first Friendly Personal Spell, Desecrating Essence. This will increase your health and damage for 25 seconds and can be a huge help when fighting several mobs at once. However, the spell does have a fairly lengthy reuse timer.
As both a caster and a soldier, you will have to watch both your mana and stamina to make sure that you do not run out of either. Which means that you likely will not be doing a lot of sprinting! Since you are essentially a Mage class and you have no pet to help you out, armor will be very important to your survival. Be sure to watch for NPC dropped upgrades, and if needed upgrade some slots at the merchant when you get into Tortage City.
Once you reach Level 5 you will notice a significant shift in both power and your ability to take damage. This is when the Herald of Xotli truly begins their reign of terror!
Skills
When deciding on where to put your stat points you will have to take into consideration various factors. Such as whether you play on a PvE server or a PvP server, and whether you are primarily a solo or group player.
A Herald of Xotli on a PvP server should definitely consider making "Hide" a priority, whereas a HoX playing PvE will not have as much use for the ability. If you are receiving "Spell Interrupted" messages then it is vital that you put some points into "Concentration". If you are on a PvP server, then again you will want to max out "Run Speed", as well as "Endurance". The rest are pretty much down to personal preference.
Stats
Much like the other Mage Archetypes, a Herald of Xotli would typically watch for gear that increases their Intelligence rating. The higher your Intelligence, the harder your nukes should hit and the larger your mana pool should be. However, in Age of Conan PvP, many believe it is better to work on your health points, evade and immunity.
Spells
Your lower level spells as described in the "Starting Out" section will easily see you through to Level 20. Come Level 20 you will have some crucial buffs such as "Contract of Protection" which provides a damage shield, "Sign of Xotli" which increases your defense rating, and "Hellstep" which makes the HoX charge their enemies and burst into flames, causing damage to all in your path.
When it comes to dealing out damage you're still a champ. Once you reach Level 20 you will receive your first three directional combo, and Hellfire Breath is still an effective nuke.
Rinse and repeat for the latter levels as your spells increase in rank, and the addition of some fun goodies such as "I Eat Your Heart" and "Burning Skull".
Solo Play
While some classes are best to stick around Tortage for a couple of levels past 20, the Herald of Xotli will do fine advancing to Khemi.
Before setting out it's wise to make sure that you have potions. A potion can make or break a tough battle. Fortunately potions drop from many mobs to lessen your purchasing burden.
Group Play
When playing a Herald of Xotli in a group situation you will have to time your attacks properly so as not to steal aggro from the tank. HoX is a high damage dealer, so unless you wish to be known as a "peeler" then it's not wise to spam attack.
Feats
Feat choices are very much down to personal preference. Some feats may sound fun, but many players will select their choices strategically. While all trees will provide you with bonus damages, the Possession tree will also grant you new spells and abilities. Be sure to plan ahead. The [AoC Vault Feats Calculator (http://conanvault.ign.com/featcalculator/)] may come in handy for this.
HoX Pros
-Can both cast spells and use melee combos.
-Adept in both solo and group combat.
-Very powerful nukes and combos.
HoX Cons
-No Spellweaving.
-Must rely on both mana and stamina.
-Unable to take a lot of damage.