The most popular races are presented here. I'll write-up any race requested in the comments.
Veldruk: Racial !spy is more valuable on a ninja than any other class, because antei of the clouded mind will be a total mindfuck to the caster. High agi/dex/nr/quick/hit/dam (counting the str/dex) and very highly powered racials make veldruk a top choice, even without physical resistance. The enhanced physical recuperation is also a strong selling point to all ninjas except the author (rank affect cheez), and the highest racial lateral deterrence are just bonuses.
Daimonikos: 57% physical resistance and flight are great starting points for a race with high speed, dam/hit, all around attributes, and small bonuses to NR/quick (on top of that provided by wil/agi). Blackened strengthens the stealthiness of ninjas. Throw in sustain and !spy, and the only weakness to this race is the holy/spirit vulnerability.
Weretiger Khan: Again, high hit/dam/nr/quick make weretiger an immediate top choice. Unlike veldruk, weretiger khan has speed in addition to its racial attacks for a strong boost to "white damage". Difficult to hit is great on any class with high quickness, and since ninjas are especially vulnerable to impairment, the 10% impairment invulnerability is helpful. Even the improved hunting speed (which works with shi-ku) and see undetectable movement (better on a sneaky class than on non-sneaky classes) are useful for ninjas. Another top choice, comparable to veldruk, although with mental vulnerability instead of mental resistance.
Sprite: Improved dodge and high agility/quick lean towards a ninja's avoidance strengths, but a complete lack of auxiliary defenses makes sprite one of the easiest to kill ninja races. Invisibility is a fun addition, as is having flight, but the lack of +damage and the weakness of hasted assaults causes the relatively low amount of combined dex/speed/willpower to be fatal to this race as a selection.
It's really too bad that Gargoyle's stats are so spread out. Admittedly, all of the 6 stats it boosts are used by Ninjas, but with high Constitution/Wisdom, and poor everything else, it's really not that great. On the offensive front, they really should get a slightly higher % of backfist(unless there's a major loophole wherein their backfist actually triggers wounding. One can only hope!)
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention Sprite's time bending. It only comes into play 1/25 of the time, but those times when it works on whispering wind, allowing you to stack it with hakanai shouten, or when it kicks in on stun, that's the kind of stuff that could make a Ninja's day. Speaking of lag-reduction, Onillin Ti might make for a decent stun monkey, on the offensive side at least. Defensively, the class does seem to have recently gained a permanent 50% antei of the clouded mind, so that might actually bear a re-look.
I've tried lag reduction, but +dam is what matters for ninjas. Because of the size of hurricane kick, one-rounding is ideal, making time-walk irrelevant. Stacking preventions such as whispering wind is nice, but not significant in the way that stoicism or other abilities woul be. Sprite is actually a worthy mention not for the time-bending, but for the bonus of improved dodge for added defense in normal (PvE) situations. The lack of damage, though, makes sprite a less than ideal race. For stun monkey-ing, onillin ti used to be a very popular race for monks, but I doubt its usefulness with an impairment as weak as stun (compared to TT) -- onillin ti is such a weak race defensively and offensively that it's *asking* to lose on regular attacks, faster stuns or no.
ReplyDeleteWhat you reckon bout naj'rei fhraer? If you decked them out with dmg crafteds. I reckon they'd be on to consider.
ReplyDeleteFaehr seems like a good choice for pk, save for the lack of non-avoidance defense: 24 quickness, 42 agility, and 61% difficult to hit are nice complements to a ninja's main form of defense, but they don't cover for the complete lack of NR and resistances. Getting impaired will basically wreck you, although the race would be strong on a 1v1 against certain classes.
ReplyDeleteThe offense on the race (61% black magic, 34% !NR) is selected for pk. 11 damage with no str on the race, no dex to balance out the high speed (so you have to wear dex instead of damage), and a weak amount of bonus attacks makes this race a moderate choice for running.
Faehr is not the worst choice for a ninja, but I feel that it fails to "plug the holes" in the ninja class, and insufficiently adds to its offensive capabilities.
Recently went Ryfe for my Ninja and it's working out well. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteyfe isn't terrible for any of the fighter classes, so it's certainly workable.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the defense/offense on that race is actually not great, especially for pk. However, for running, the continuous physical recuperation would be excellent for characters without sufficient hp/endurance to run continuously.
As long as it's upgrading the areas which you can run without sleeping/invigorating, it's a fine choice. (For example, if it allows you to run paragon where otherwise you would not be able to.)
"Plugging the holes" in the Ninja seems to be pretty difficult, as there's always a nasty trade off somewhere with most of the viable races already listed. Now with the global pvp changes, as a weretiger khan, although running is adequate, being spanked by classes heavy with mental attacks really hurts, plus the value of "difficult to hit" especially with 2 checks(Race + Modified Unseen Motion), seems to be painfully wasted against other melee classes.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to dodge there seems to be an uncanny amount of ways to counter it's affects meaning that defensively all round, ninja's are exceptionally vulnerable. I believe the road at the moment is basically to have more ample amounts of health to soak up this damage, which directly affects eq choices. Am I missing something??
-Blitz
What are your thoughts of Elven Guard or Shadow Derkesthai?
ReplyDeleteElven Guard's a mediocre choice unless you're desperate to have trackless movement for some reason. Small resistances and high quick/agility are pretty nice until you get tripped/bashed/petrified/stunned, so I consider it more of an acceptable flavor race. Free movement's 10% is low for vanish being a stepping ability, intellect is a wasted attribute. It doesn't hit as many marks for running or for most pk as weretiger, but it's not the total disaster that svirfneblin would be.
ReplyDeleteShadow derkesthai is a fine choice, especially if not going mist warrior (racial lightning-based attacks are helpful against counters). It's additionally one of the very few acceptable ninja races with flight. With everyone smaller due to the recent pwipe, races with particular utilities such as shadow derkesthai move up in rankings.