Melee and Alchemy compliment each other?

• Moppy wrote on 2010-08-24 20:37
  I've been maining a giant for some time now and since the introduction of Alchemy I've been dabbling here and there with those skills. However, my most notable Alchemy skill is only r5 Water Cannon since I'm still training my Melee skills.
  
  What I'm wondering is that after I complete Melee, should I rank Alchemy skills? Unlike some magic skills, all of alchemy requires the user to switch weapons, so I would have to change my weapons every time I would want to use a skill like Water Cannon. So my question is...
  
  Would a giant with most Melee skills ranked (since I would be ranking Alchemy after I'm done most of my Melee skills) find Alchemy useful and use it regularly in combat? As a follow up question, are there any Melee+Alchemy skill combos?
• Archibald wrote on 2010-08-24 20:49
  Yes one of the coolest combos I've started using now is Shocking smash!(I named it that...sue me).
  
  Basically load shock on yourself and walk into ceter of a mob. instead of Wming you pick 1 mob at a time and smash it. it will fly out of shock circle but when it comes back in it will be stunned again. You can then smash it again if needed. I actually plan on using this and shockbolt (I also named that) where in g13 with bolt composer I can use shock then merge bolts on the enemies around me till they are dead. They will stay stunlocked by the shock skill until I kill them (assuming your plan is r1 shick of course).
  
  Another great melee combo is Frozensmashmill. Use Frozen blast and then smashmill until dead.
  
  Drainmill (yes I'm being a nerd with the names). This is what I use to solo ghosts in peaca. You Wm 1-2 times then during the wmindmill animation use lifedrain. With r1 lifedrain and R1 Alchemy mastery you can do nearly 1800 damage + whatever your wm is. In g12 we get the smart switching added into the client (you can mod that now) which means you can WM with your duel wield then just hit your lifedrain hotkey and it will switch to your cylinder second set.
• Blassreiter wrote on 2010-08-24 20:49
  Usually, range+melee is the best combo for anyone. HS monsters, use ranged. NS monsters, use melee. Of course Magic/Alchemy+Melee is also a good hybrid (especially for giants because that's the only type of hybrid we can be....) but many giants rather go Alchemy than magic since it uses stamina with no extra usage like MP.
  
  And for your questions, yes. You will find Alchemy useful as a giant, especially if you do Peaca a lot with your friends. Alchemy will be useful against Whites and Giant Moths. Life Drain will keep your HP intact, Barrier Spikes to help you and your party, WC/Flamer as a main attack, Wind Blast for breathing room, Summon Golem for safety, etc. You won't have to worry about MP pots also.
  
  @Archibald We have the smart weapon switch already.
• Oakmin wrote on 2010-08-24 20:51
  I've always thought frozen blast would be useful for any type of combat, although I've never seen anyone using it.
• Moppy wrote on 2010-08-24 20:55
  :D
  
  Well that pretty much covers everything I needed to know guys.
  
  Thanks for the different combos Archy! I'll definitely concentrate on training those skills in the future. Thank you too Blass. It seems Alchemy is more of a self support skillset for when melee isn't much of an option and I prefer that much for than just another damage dealer since most things can be handled by a Smash or a Windmill.
  
  +Rep for both of you.
• Archibald wrote on 2010-08-24 21:01

  Quote from Blassreiter;136045:

  
  
  @Archibald We have the smart weapon switch already.

  
  
  Hasn't been working for me cause I was thinking about modding it. lol
• Cide wrote on 2010-08-24 21:27

  Quote from Archibald;136053:

  Hasn't been working for me cause I was thinking about modding it. lol

  
  
  it's in your settings 8D you have to enable it.
• Rose wrote on 2010-08-24 22:28
  Rank 1 Frozen Blast rhapes **** up.
• Phanterz wrote on 2010-08-24 22:31

  Quote from Archibald;136043:

  In g12 we get the smart switching added into the client (you can mod that now) which means you can WM with your duel wield then just hit your lifedrain hotkey and it will switch to your cylinder second set.

  
  
  You can't do this, the game doesn't let you switch weapons in animations like WM spin.
  I think.
• Cide wrote on 2010-08-24 22:33

  Quote from Phanterz;136099:

  You can't do this, the game doesn't let you switch weapons in animations like WM spin.
  I think.

  
  
  just tested this, it waits until after the spin stops to switch your weapon and load the skill.
• Zid wrote on 2010-08-24 22:46
  Where as Melee/Ranged combo works well for Humans/Elves...
  
  Giants work well with Melee/Alchemy. It's effective and cheaper than Magic (if you're using only basic crystals).
• Vanof wrote on 2010-08-25 01:21
  Personally, I believe that ranged and alchemy work better together(for one person)-- but that's just me!
  But you don't exactly have that option hurrr!
  
  Not much to say that hasn't been said... Try shocking up things besides yourself. Pets(I believe), golems, and party members work as well. *cough* Pets would make amazing aggro decoys when shocked.
  
  Wind blast + Charge may prove interesting.