i'm quite curious on this part. since when DrK's don't need to manual pot? 0.0 I'm doing 2x VL weekly with my DrK and there is not a singular run where i don't have to manual pot. Maybe you meant there is no longer a limitation on auto hp from pet?
First of all, correct me if I’m wrong on anything when citing classes — I haven’t personally played every class in VL I’m mainly basing this off my experience as a host of 12-man / 10-man VL runs. The tier list definitely shifts depending on group size and how experienced people are For this list, I’m assuming players are strong and know how to play. Example: I’d put MM in Tier A or even S if I knew I was dealing with newer players in an 18-man, just because of how much they help cover mistakes. Or I'd put DrK lower in an 18-Man VL because of skill issue S-Tier Shads, Buccs, Bishops Pretty obvious tbh. Not going to add more than what’s already been said — these three are just the backbone A-Tier (Empty) Not trolling — I just think S-tier is that far ahead. Any combo of Shads/Buccs/2xBS will always outperform other comps. You can always clear with these chars B-Tier Marksman (MM) This might surprise a lot of people, but I think MM is actually goated in VL — especially in 10-mans if you need an SE for NLs. I don’t think the DPS difference between Hurricane (BM) and Strafe (MM) is the dealbreaker — that part’s negligible. The real difference maker is Piercing Arrow. I used to think it was just some flashy AoE, but after swapping BM → MM for a couple weeks, I immediately saw the runs get a little more scuffed. Even one or two mobs slipping through can make things messy, and Piercing Arrow deletes that problem. I ABSOLUTELY love having a Marksman in my VLs as a host. They make the run so much less stressful. If I were to host 18-man VLs again with newer players, I’d make sure to find an MM — they help a ton. Blind – OP in 10s, 12s, 18+. You save so many res/TLs thanks to this. Plus, no lost DPS since if bird/laser misses you, 1) you don’t die, and 2) you’re not stunned for 5 years. Piercing Arrow – the difference-maker, especially for mob clear. In 10-mans this skill matters. I’ve lost count of how many times @anglerfish1 1 has said “I whited all the golems xd” or @bibz flexing “I whited the mobs!!” at LHC. Corsair Ngl, I’ve heard Sairs are good, but I don’t really run with them. I’ll just take @Donn1e 's word for it. I have a feeling that Sair might be good for PB tho it ever comes out XD (Also R> strong Sair for Bougie VL so I can see it firsthand ) C-Tier DrK, Hero, Pally With full gear, I think these three sit on the same tier. They bring the same thing to a VL run: mediocre mob clear + mediocre single-target DPS. Ranking order for me: DrK → Hero → Pally DrK – #1 in this group. Defense Crash can hit 20+ mobs (correct me if I’m wrong xD) versus Hero’s 6-target crash. Plus, DrKs generally scale better with SE Hero – #2 here. Might be biased since I run with the #1 Hero on the server (shoutout @tomwzhere ), but overall Hero is kinda dog LOL. Same package as DrK but just weaker in VL Pally – #3. They’re fine, mob clear + mediocre single target. Only real advantage is hitting 6 mobs at once, compared to DrKs/Heroes hitting 3 Extra note: DrKs/Heroes lose out because when mobs stack on VL, some of their damage gets split to VL itself instead of the mobs. When mobs need to be prioritized, you’re basically losing ~33% DPS. I’ve found their mob clear isn’t as good in practice, especially when they’re left outside during jail phases D-Tier Bowmaster – Mediocre DPS both on mobs and boss. Mobility is trash. Hamstring is nice, SE is obviously required, but in VL (where mob clear is king) BM feels really underwhelming Night Lord – Amazing single-target DPS if you’ve got cracked NLs (11k+ range). Especially if you’re running with one of the strongest NLs on the server (yeh @Solsticio ). Avenger mob clear is actually underrated too at this range. But you still need SE, and compared to other options, their mob clear just isn’t the best. F-Tier Yeah… don’t think I’d bring these unless it’s a meme run BONUS: 6-MAN VL TIER LIST Had a lot of theorycrafting with this one, but I think the results may surprise people S-Tier Shadower – Honestly, this is the only class you need for 6-man VL. Mob control is the biggest issue, and Shads solve it with meso explosion strats. You can either use it situationally for sticky mob phases, or just run the whole fight like that (Assassinate while dropping mesos, then meso explode when mobs appear — ideally double mobs). Without this strat, I don’t think 6-man VL is possible. On top of that, in a 6-man where you can’t afford deaths due to no res, Shads have the highest survivability, which makes them even more essential. B-Tier Bucc – TL + mob control. TL gives more Smoke uptime so Shads can safely Assassinate + drop mesos. For mobbing, Dragon Strike + Snatch is insane, one of the best 6-target AoEs in the game. A good Bucc pumps damage on both boss and mobs C-Tier DrK / Hero – This might shock people, but both were real contenders for our 6-man clear. Defense Down is HUGE — that 20% damage reduction can literally make or break a run, and it did for us in early attempts. Don’t sleep on their mobbing either (3-target). Also, at the top end, funded DrKs/Heroes with Auf helms and gear can put up numbers. In some calcs I did, DrK could actually outdamage Bucc in solo boss DPS depending on gear comps. Everything Else I honestly don’t think it’s possible to clear 6-man VL with any other class combo
Looks like 15 vs 6. Still, VL + 3 gargoyles + 10 golems is only 14 so it covers them all anyways. I think at this point (for non stunt runs), the real S tier class is belt looter.
