[Sorc] How to Handle Cockroaches?

[HammerGuy]

I'm new to the sorc. How am I supposed to handle cockroaches (sometimes known as WHs)?

At the moment I'm dead if they jump me and have a working mouse and keyboard. They usually knock me down and then pop shroud of magnus when I get back up. What am I supposed to do in that instance? I detaunt and root (which they can break) to buy time, but I'm still waiting for five seconds to do any damage because of their stupid 100% disrupt. If I do somehow live past that point I disarm and put as much damage as I can, to only die while they are at half health.

Will anything change once I get in better gear and at a higher renown rank, or am I essentially doomed when it comes to handling a WH?

[zumos2]

You're playing what is probably the worst 1v1 class, so expect to get rekt 1v1 by anything. In a group setting just detaunt and kill him after shroud.

[Xergon]

I'm new to the sorc. How am I supposed to handle cockroaches (sometimes known as WHs)?

At the moment I'm dead if they jump me and have a working mouse and keyboard. They usually knock me down and then pop shroud of magnus when I get back up. What am I supposed to do in that instance? I detaunt and root (which they can break) to buy time, but I'm still waiting for five seconds to do any damage because of their stupid 100% disrupt. If I do somehow live past that point I disarm and put as much damage as I can, to only die while they are at half health.

Will anything change once I get in better gear and at a higher renown rank, or am I essentially doomed when it comes to handling a WH?

This game is not balanced around 1v1 and your class Sorc is not the best suited for that kinda fights, against other classes, when both are ready to fight ? maybe, maybe versus enemy BW... but otherwise, WH will always have upper hand over you in 1v1 situation.

Solution is dont be alone, dont play solo, your class shine in group play and need support to be functional.

[nebelwerfer]

shroud of magus is insane

A non-conditional ability better than most morales? just goes to show the balance of this game is not a priority atm.

With all due respect to the devs of this game, who put down amazing efforts to make it a fun and loveable game/community - and i have no doubts they WILL get to balance at some point - but until then, it's just one of those things you need to accept to play this game.

Like eating a delicious sandwich but there's some hairs in it that you gotta pick out. The hairs disgust you at times, but you know the creator of the sandwich didn't intentionally do this to you and it's a free sandwich so you just keep it low and take another bite.

[Sinisterror]

I'm new to the sorc. How am I supposed to handle cockroaches (sometimes known as WHs)?

At the moment I'm dead if they jump me and have a working mouse and keyboard. They usually knock me down and then pop shroud of magnus when I get back up. What am I supposed to do in that instance? I detaunt and root (which they can break) to buy time, but I'm still waiting for five seconds to do any damage because of their stupid 100% disrupt. If I do somehow live past that point I disarm and put as much damage as I can, to only die while they are at half health.

Will anything change once I get in better gear and at a higher renown rank, or am I essentially doomed when it comes to handling a WH?

Detaunt and dont let them snare you and just survive the first 10 seconds and you will win, but probably need to use 1 pot at least, maybe flee. Shroud of Magnus shares 60 sec CD with 2 other same type of skills so it basically functions like a Morale. If you use any of them all have 60 sec CD. Dont use Root because it shares immunity with KB and your M1 Kb is lifesaver. RoR.builders - Sorcerer Absorb Vitality could Heal crit live which made it very nice for solo, and Sorc has 35% Crit with 100 Dark Magic so it actually did crit quite often.

You can also use 4 Rare Fortune or BBBE/Epic quest Staff for 10% chance to snare target when they attack you, great proc. Spec Quick Escape Renown skill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gxjiZFMHS8 Good Sorc solo roaming video

[HammerGuy]

This game is not balanced around 1v1 and your class Sorc is not the best suited for that kinda fights, against other classes, when both are ready to fight ? maybe, maybe versus enemy BW... but otherwise, WH will always have upper hand over you in 1v1 situation.

Solution is dont be alone, dont play solo, your class shine in group play and need support to be functional.

But a WH/WE can solo and still fit into a group (although not an optimal choice)? I always hear the argument that it's a team game and yet solo roaming setups exist for some classes but not others. Nothing against you personally. That message just seems at odds with the reality of the game.

You can also use 4 Rare Fortune or BBBE/Epic quest Staff for 10% chance to snare target when they attack you, great proc. Spec Quick Escape Renown skill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gxjiZFMHS8 Good Sorc solo roaming video

What staff is that? I don't see any with a snare proc, only the ones with the 20% speed proc.

[Caduceus]

Without support you will likely die against WHs 1v1. If you get into endgame gear and spec for solo roaming you may have a fighting chance.

In groups your job is to detaunt asap, and to save up Focused Mind m2 which you will use together with Flee if necessary to escape hairy situations.

Anyway, this is an old compilation of mine which I never published:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOttq_9vHyA

[Hecksa]

I always hear the argument that it's a team game and yet solo roaming setups exist for some classes but not others.

Just to clarify - it's not that some classes were given viable solo setups and some weren't. Instead, *because* it's a team game, everything is balanced around team play. Some players try to use their classes solo, and because they aren't balanced that way, inevitably some will be able to be specced to do better at that than others.

Balance is never perfect when you *are* trying to keep things equal - and no one is trying to make every class equally good solo, so naturally there's a big disparity between how well you can solo on different characters.

[HammerGuy]

I always hear the argument that it's a team game and yet solo roaming setups exist for some classes but not others.

Just to clarify - it's not that some classes were given viable solo setups and some weren't. Instead, *because* it's a team game, everything is balanced around team play. Some players try to use their classes solo, and because they aren't balanced that way, inevitably some will be able to be specced to do better at that than others.

Balance is never perfect when you *are* trying to keep things equal - and no one is trying to make every class equally good solo, so naturally there's a big disparity between how well you can solo on different characters.

I'm not sure the reason for the discrepancy matters. Some classes fit nicely into the 2/2/2 meta, so that everyone wants them in a WB. Other classes don't fit so well so they're taken to fill an otherwise empty slot. Those classes are generally better at solo. If the game was balanced around teamplay then ideally each class would be just as viable in their archetypal role for different reasons, however that isn't the case.

Some classes are balanced around the team, while others aren't so important to the team and end up being better at solo play. This is why the message of balanced around team is bizarre. Reduce their solo capacity while giving more group utility, but that doesn't seem to happen.

Anyway, I'm straying from the topic. I just wanted tips on how to handle cockroaches.

[Hecksa]

I'm not sure the reason for the discrepancy matters.

I wasn't trying to explain a discrepancy - I don't think there is a discrepancy.

Balance isn't perfect - no one is asserting that every class can do it's job as well as other classes of the same archetype. However, that doesn't mean the game isn't balanced around group-play. It just means the people doing the balance over the years are human, and can't get everything perfectly right. Also, if they ever did make balance perfect, no one would agree that they had anyway, so it's a pretty thankless task in general.

Anyway, I'm straying from the topic. I just wanted tips on how to handle cockroaches.

Yup. Think there's been plenty of good advice on how to survive already, but I think it's important to manage expectations. Sorc just isn't a good class to use to beat WH 1v1.

For what it's worth though, If I'm playing a Sorc or BW and get jumped while solo, my first priority is to survive and get somewhere safe. Don't worry about killing them - just run towards the nearest safe place (maybe there's a group of players nearby, or a warcamp, or a postern...). Root them if you can (they might take a second to break it, or have cooldown up), use flee if you need to (plus an AP potion lets you keep casting), and down some health potions as necessary. Then, once you're clear and safe, if you're confident, you can consider hitting them back. Or you could mount up and go somewhere else, your call. I'd take the second option.