It is hard to get a feel about a build from reading about it online or tring to extrapolate from other similar builds. Hell for a while I would use the vet 2 status and try to “fake” a sudo lowbi version and hit a few quests as a trial run and even that is only so good.

Why? I am not sure. But I think it has something to do with the act of actually leveling a given alt…. It is something to ponder I guess.

Anyway, I want to talk just a little about McGoggles. The first few levels were like any other build. Use a stick or 2 little sword; pots as needed, try to use the vigor spell for most of the heals. It worked fairly well. Nothing amazing but I was able to solo more or less everything rocking an elite streak. He had 0 deaths until I tried to do the last Grey Moon quest at level 8, that last trap across the bridge just hits real hard and is super unforgiving. I missed jumped and took 3 hits for 80+ and my 20 vigor didn’t make a dent in that, but that has been his only death so far with little to no really worth wild loot other then maybe my one sword (BtA icy burst/shocking Burst/Pure good lvl 4 simmy) and the haste goggles from Chrono…

Those Chrono goggles btw are one of the best leveling items you can have, one day soon I will make a power 9 (or 10) of leveling gear items and those goggles are on the list for sure!

But until last night I really wasn’t having that much fun. He was super tough and between vigor and pots he is mostly unkillable, I had a few run away/tactical retreat moments but everyone does soloing. But at level 9 I had a feat question between metas, I went Maximize. I am waiting for +3 dex tomes to come back on line so both Manyshot and Imp Two weapon were not options (I was looking forward to Manyshot). Turns out to be a blessing in disguise as I toggled it on and set up a few spells to not use it and ran to the next quest.

With Emp Heals and Maximize that vigor now does 80 a tick and call lighting outside does 400ish as I learned by rocking Storm the Beaches. Overall he is starting to step up. I worry some that his total lack of gear and my plan to not have much in the way of leveling gear might be an issue but hey he is a second life, if I need to back down to a hard streak for soloing should be fine, right?