Setup

The Dark Exile is designed for players who like to play a full group using MacroQuest2 and optionally E3.

Getting Started

Your eqhost.txt should read as below.

[LoginServer]

Host=login.eqemulator.net:5999

#Host=login.projecteq.net:5999

Select your Team!

Whilst solo playing or two-boxing is perfectly possible, you will need a group of 6 or 8 to get past later targets on your own. Quarm has been beaten by 6 with progression gear. Unless you are the kind of person who seeks almost impassable challenges, you will need 8 for Gates of Discord.

Many new player start out with 6 and then add another 2 characters later on, once they got the hang of it. Catching up two additional characters is fairly quick, since progression mobs have a respawn time of just 90 minutes and are up most of the time. Also, high-level buffs and heal over time spells stick on any level. This allows leveling 2 new characters from 1 to 40+ in half an hour. Once 40 they can group with level 60, and at 44 they can group with 65.

Alternatively, if you are confortable with e3, you may as well start with 8 from the start. 

The information below is intended for people who play a group of 6-8.

Tank

While you may be able to get into Velious without a tank, once you're toe to toe with King Tormax or dragons in Temple of Veeshan, you'll be in trouble without one.

Let's take a closer look at our tank options:

Warriors: These guys are currently hands down the strongest option amongst tanks, both for offense and defense. So if you're looking for a reliable tank that can handle anything thrown their way, the Warrior is the class for you.

Paladins and Shadowknights: While they do fine, you will require more time, gear, and AA to progress. But don't let that discourage you. With the right strategy and determination, Paladins and Shadowknights can be valuable assets to any group.

Caster

Casters and hybrids benefit from a -50 resist adjustment to their casts. Additional debuffs like Malo and Hands of Ro are still very beneficial for them.

Enchanter: While they may struggle to bring enough to the table, especially with Grim's class buff clickies, they are not required to beat ZMTZ. So if you're looking for a challenge, the Enchanter may be the class for you.

Mage: With medium DPS, CoH is rarely required thanks to in-zone conduits. So if you're looking for a class that can hold their own, the Mage is a solid choice.

Necromancer: While their DPS may be medium at best due to dots being resisted more often than nukes, don't underestimate the power of their spells. With the right strategy, the Necromancer can be a valuable asset to any group.

Wizard: These guys bring the heat with high DPS, especially towards end-game with large mana pools. So if you're looking to dish out some serious damage, the Wizard is the class for you.

Melee

Welcome to The Dark Exile, where we don't believe in cookie-cutter groups like Lazarus. Instead, we encourage wild combinations that lead to epic adventures. Here's a snapshot of what we offer, but keep in mind that future patches or expansions may bring changes.

Currently, melee-based groups have the edge when it comes to DPS. But fear not, we have a variety of classes that bring their own unique strengths to the table.

Bard: This is clearly the strongest support class. While their self-DPS may be weak, their overhaste and other songs more than make up for it. Plus, Selo's Accelerating Chorus affects characters outside the group, making them a valuable asset.

Beastlord: When combined with their pets, they put out high DPS, especially at later stages in the game. They also offer ninja slows, heals, and ferocity.

Berzerker: While their DPS may be medium, their aura and warcry AA make them a decent group member for burns. Just be aware that they draw quite high aggro.

Monks: These guys kick some butt with high DPS and strong burn power.

Ranger: While their DPS may be medium, they use melee and nukes to stay competitive. They also come with ninja heals and a set of useful buffs.

Rogue: With GoD gear, they are the best damage dealer, both long-term and for burns. So if you're looking to dish out some serious damage, the Rogue is your go-to class.

Healer

While you may not need resurrection since you don't lose experience upon death, you will need two healers for raid targets in Velious and beyond.

Let's take a closer look at the healer options:

Cleric: This is the strongest healer, and their divine intervention is a life saver that costs no ingredients. So if you're looking for a reliable healer that can keep your group alive, the Cleric is the class for you.

Shaman: While they may be the weakest at pure healing power amongst the three priest classes, don't underestimate the power of their custom book. It makes them super desired, and they have the best slow and are hard to run out of mana.

Druid: These guys can be used as healers and as DPS. Their percentage heal is very strong and causes no aggro issues, and their debuffs make them especially valuable for other casters in the group. While their teleports aren't really an asset since you can port to many places directly from PoK, Druids are a good choice as a third healer. During progression, you may get stuck at some hard-hitting targets where a Druid can make all the difference.

Recommendation

Play the characters you enjoy most. It is difficult to select a group that doesn't work at all. Maybe stay away from enchanter.

Stizok's recommendations: select a core of warrior, cleric, shaman and bard. Then add two or four dps of your choice.

warrior, cleric, shaman, bard, monk/rogue, monk/rogue/beastloard/ranger (6 box)

warrior, cleric, shaman, bard, monk, rogue, rogue/monk, beastloard/ranger/berzerker (8 box)

If you enjoy a caster group, I highly recommend multiple wizards. This allows for taking down armies of weak opponents and out-damages pure melee based groups for such situations by far.

warrior, cleric, shaman, bard, druid/monk/beastlord/rogue, wizard, wizard, wizard (8 box)

warrior, cleric, shaman, bard, druid, wizard, wizard/mage/monk, wizard/beastlord (8 box)

Kobex' choice:

warrior, warrior, cleric, shaman, bard, monk, rogue, rogue/druid (8 box)

Go to DPS Parse.