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Question - Thinking of doing an 'all same race' 6-box team - leaning towards Vah Shir, but open to all other options! Advice? :)

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I was thinking of running an all-Vah Shir concept group, just six cats knocking shit over all over Norrath. A Warrior, Shaman, Bard, Berserker, Beastlord, and Rogue.

Pretty heavy on melee as you can see. Would the Shaman heals be enough?

There are a few other races I like that could pull this off (without repeating classes or using evil races/classes - sorry, I'm a goodie-two-shoes), would any of these be better?

Gnome: Paladin, Warrior, Cleric, Enchanter, Mage, Wizard. Two tanks may be a bit redundant, and it's quite heavy on casters with the other four. How would this fare?

Froglok: Paladin, Warrior, Shaman, Cleric, Monk, Rogue, Wizard. Yes, there are seven classes here, so there's a little freedom to pick and choose. What would be the best six?

I'm not as big a fan of the next few races as I am with the first three, but if one of them is capable of a god-tier comp then I'd consider them!

Halfling: Paladin, Warrior, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Rogue. Again with the two tanks and no wiggle room this time.

Half-Elf: Paladin, Warrior, Druid, Bard, Ranger, Rogue. Still with two tanks but we got a Bard!

Wood Elf: Warrior, Druid, Bard, Beastlord, Ranger, Rogue. Surprisingly well-rounded and has that coveted Bard covered, but I dislike male elves, so I guess it would just be six elf chicks running around Norrath asking to see all the managers.

I could technically do this with Erudites, Humans, and Drakkin - but these races aren't really to my taste.

I know this is all very weird, but think of it as a nice thought experiment you could help me with while you're bored at work. :cool:

Thanks!
 
Gnomes, ditch one tank, add a rogue or another wiz/mage. You could also add a necromancer instead.
Froggy - easy 6 man, although no bard or chanter.
 
I have mix of dark elf but a few humans, i would do all dark elf now if i started over. You have a nice 6 box, having a spare tank is always nice when you are doing a tough mission. I have a few 6 man teams, one of my favorite now is (sk, war, shaman, rog, mage, bard) when i want more dps i swap the war with another rog or mage but the war\sk does pretty good dps as well. in worst missions i can drop a dps and add a cleric merc and it is really beefy for the toughest missions,
 
Vsh Shir Shaman heals will struggle until you get Squall at 101 i believe. I like to throw a Paladin in slot 6 for the extra tank, heals, battle rez. Just roll with a big 2 hander as DPS. In this case i would probably rotate the zerk with the pally as you go until Shaman takes over. Not exactly single race compliant, but that is close enough for me.
 
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i did the vah shirt thing, when i had them sitting in pok, people run past, stop backtrack and check em out lol
 
This comes from a ChatGPT prompt that at one time was fed in eq information, it should be taken with a grain of salt.

if you say you want ALL VAH SHIR then make it all vah shir, and stick to that rule. as an example this prompt says MONKS are best dps as vah shir, obviously it doesnt know wtf a vah shir can beif you really want all vah shir utilize race change potions/illusions, but to build as a purist from level 1 you limit yourself to a system of race locked due to teams ect.
every holy trinity group with all adps from multiple races will ALWAYS be better, but alas, our community is only as good as the effort that is put into what/how you build your teams.



If the goal is maximum DPS and all characters must be Vah Shir, here’s the straight answer based on current meta and Vah Shir class availability.

Highest DPS Vah Shir Classes (Current Meta)​

🥇 Monk – #1 DPS​

  • Best sustained + burst DPS right now (especially post-ToB).
  • Scales extremely well with gear and AAs.
  • Vah Shir racial bonuses synergize nicely (melee-focused).
  • Low dependency on mana or complex rotations.
    👉 If you want max DPS: stack Monks.

🥈 Berserker – Top-tier burst DPS​

  • Incredible burn damage.
  • Slightly weaker sustained DPS than Monks but still elite.
  • Very strong in group content and raids.
  • Synergizes well with Shaman support.
    👉 Excellent secondary DPS to mix with Monks.

🥉 Beastlord – Strong hybrid DPS​

  • Solid sustained DPS with pets.
  • Brings Ferocity, Paragon, and utility.
  • DPS is good, but below Monk/Berserker in pure numbers.
    👉 Great if you want DPS + utility, not pure parse chasing.

Lower DPS (Still Viable, But Not “Max”)​

  • Ranger – decent but currently behind Monk/Berserker.
  • Rogue – strong in ideal conditions, but harder to box and less forgiving.
  • Necromancer – traditionally strong, but currently outperformed by Monks in ToB-era group DPS.

🔥 “Max DPS” All–Vah Shir Group Examples​

Pure Parse-Chasing (6-box)​

  • Monk x4
  • Berserker x1
  • Beastlord x1 (for buffs and sustained support)

More Practical Max DPS Group​

  • Shadow Knight (Vah Shir tank, self-sufficient)
  • Shaman (huge DPS multiplier via buffs)
  • Monk x3
  • Berserker
(Still extremely high DPS, but actually playable.)


TL;DR​

  • Absolute max DPS: Monk
  • Best burst DPS: Berserker
  • Best DPS + utility: Beastlord
  • If stacking: Monk > Berserker > Beastlord
Per EQGPT.

my only recommendations that change any of this is having toons parked for burns in the custom guild hall waiting and or subbing one toon for a bard/bst

after yelling at the GPT to get its mind right it came up with this

Perfect — that actually helps a lot.

Since all 6 toons are MacroQuest-driven, all Free-to-Play, full 6-box, all Vah Shir, and the goal is maximum DPS, here is the optimal, realistic, all–Vah Shir DPS monster group, ignoring Monk entirely (since they don’t exist for Vah Shir).


🐯 BEST ALL–VAH SHIR MAX DPS GROUP (F2P, 6-Box, MQ)​

1️⃣ Bard (Vah Shir) — ADPS Engine​

Role: ADPS, pulling, overhaste, burn stacking
Why mandatory:

  • Bard is the single biggest DPS multiplier in the game
  • Overhaste + melee procs + fierce eye + epic
  • Extremely MQ-friendly (fire-and-forget melodies)
  • Scales everyone’s DPS, especially Berserkers & Beastlords
➡️ Non-negotiable for max DPS


2️⃣ Berserker (Vah Shir) — Primary DPS​

Role: Top-tier sustained & burst melee DPS
Why Berserker:

  • Best pure DPS Vah Shir can access
  • Excellent synergy with Bard
  • Simple MQ rotations
  • Doesn’t rely on pets or positioning complexity
➡️ Your highest raw damage slot


3️⃣ Berserker (Vah Shir) — Secondary DPS​

Role: More raw DPS
Why double Zerker:

  • Berserkers scale insanely well with ADPS
  • No diminishing returns like some caster stacking
  • Easy to automate
  • Outperforms Ranger, Rogue, and Beastlord in sustained DPS
➡️ More Zerkers = more dead mobs


4️⃣ Beastlord (Vah Shir) — Hybrid DPS + ADPS​

Role: DPS + buffs + utility
Why Beastlord:

  • Strong sustained DPS
  • Adds Ferocity, Fero line, and pet DPS
  • Mana/endurance support
  • Still very MQ-friendly
  • Pet DPS matters more on F2P
➡️ Perfect hybrid that boosts the whole group


5️⃣ Beastlord (Vah Shir) — Stack Synergy​

Role: More DPS + redundancy
Why double Beastlord works:

  • Pets add free damage
  • More Ferocity uptime
  • Strong sustained DPS on long fights
  • Easier boxing than Ranger/Rogue
  • Excellent with Bard support
➡️ Reliable, efficient, scalable DPS


6️⃣ Shaman (Vah Shir) — DPS Enabler​

Role: Debuffs, buffs, healing, extra DPS
Why Shaman (even in a DPS group):

  • Epic + Unity = massive melee DPS gain
  • Slow + Malo = faster kills
  • Can DPS via dots/procs when not healing
  • Best healer for melee DPS groups
  • MQ handles Shaman extremely well
➡️ Shaman increases total DPS more than adding another pure DPS


🔥 Why This Is the MAX DPS Vah Shir Setup​

✔ No mercs
✔ No race-locked tank classes
✔ Fully melee-centric (best Bard synergy)
✔ All classes scale well on Free-to-Play
✔ Extremely MacroQuest-friendly
✔ Strong sustained + burst DPS
✔ Minimal micromanagement


❌ Why Not Other Vah Shir Options?​

  • Warrior → Necessary for tanking, but lowers total DPS
  • Ranger → Weaker sustained DPS than Zerker/Beastlord
  • Rogue → Positioning pain + weaker burns
  • Shaman stacking → Diminishing returns
  • Casters → Poor synergy without Enchanter (not Vah Shir)

⚙️ Optional Variants (If You Want Tweaks)​

  • Replace 1 Beastlord → Warrior
    → If you want safer pulls, but lose DPS
  • Replace 1 Beastlord → Ranger
    → Slightly easier pulling, slightly less DPS

🧠 MacroQuest Notes​

  • Bard: Melody + burn keys only
  • Zerkers: Simple burn conditionals
  • Beastlords: Pet auto-assist + fero timers
  • Shaman: Slow → epic → heal → dots
 
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Well guys!!! I am running with an SK, Shamen, Mage, Enchanter, Necro, Necro. The nice thing is they all have pets. So 6 becomes 12. Lot of fun, working on getting up to higher levels to see how well they work.


Zeb
 
WyldFyre said:
If the goal is maximum DPS and all characters must be Vah Shir, here’s the straight answer based on current meta and Vah Shir class availability.

Highest DPS Vah Shir Classes (Current Meta)​

🥇 Monk – #1 DPS​

  • Best sustained + burst DPS right now (especially post-ToB).
  • Scales extremely well with gear and AAs.
  • Vah Shir racial bonuses synergize nicely (melee-focused).
  • Low dependency on mana or complex rotations.
    👉 If you want max DPS: stack Monks.

🥈 Berserker – Top-tier burst DPS​

  • Incredible burn damage.
  • Slightly weaker sustained DPS than Monks but still elite.
  • Very strong in group content and raids.
  • Synergizes well with Shaman support.
    👉 Excellent secondary DPS to mix with Monks.

🥉 Beastlord – Strong hybrid DPS​

  • Solid sustained DPS with pets.
  • Brings Ferocity, Paragon, and utility.
  • DPS is good, but below Monk/Berserker in pure numbers.
    👉 Great if you want DPS + utility, not pure parse chasing.

Lower DPS (Still Viable, But Not “Max”)​

  • Ranger – decent but currently behind Monk/Berserker.
  • Rogue – strong in ideal conditions, but harder to box and less forgiving.
  • Necromancer – traditionally strong, but currently outperformed by Monks in ToB-era group DPS.

🔥 “Max DPS” All–Vah Shir Group Examples​

Pure Parse-Chasing (6-box)​

  • Monk x4
  • Berserker x1
  • Beastlord x1 (for buffs and sustained support)

More Practical Max DPS Group​

  • Shadow Knight (Vah Shir tank, self-sufficient)
  • Shaman (huge DPS multiplier via buffs)
  • Monk x3
  • Berserker
(Still extremely high DPS, but actually playable.)


TL;DR​

  • Absolute max DPS: Monk
  • Best burst DPS: Berserker
  • Best DPS + utility: Beastlord
  • If stacking: Monk > Berserker > Beastlord
Per EQGPT.

my only recommendations that change any of this is having toons parked for burns in the custom guild hall waiting and or subbing one toon for a bard/bst
Click to expand...

Stop providing such amazing facts! Your causing me to want to completely re-structure my COMP! Great post.
 
WyldFyre said:
If the goal is maximum DPS and all characters must be Vah Shir, here’s the straight answer based on current meta and Vah Shir class availability.

Highest DPS Vah Shir Classes (Current Meta)​

🥇 Monk – #1 DPS​

  • Best sustained + burst DPS right now (especially post-ToB).
  • Scales extremely well with gear and AAs.
  • Vah Shir racial bonuses synergize nicely (melee-focused).
  • Low dependency on mana or complex rotations.
    👉 If you want max DPS: stack Monks.

🥈 Berserker – Top-tier burst DPS​

  • Incredible burn damage.
  • Slightly weaker sustained DPS than Monks but still elite.
  • Very strong in group content and raids.
  • Synergizes well with Shaman support.
    👉 Excellent secondary DPS to mix with Monks.

🥉 Beastlord – Strong hybrid DPS​

  • Solid sustained DPS with pets.
  • Brings Ferocity, Paragon, and utility.
  • DPS is good, but below Monk/Berserker in pure numbers.
    👉 Great if you want DPS + utility, not pure parse chasing.

Lower DPS (Still Viable, But Not “Max”)​

  • Ranger – decent but currently behind Monk/Berserker.
  • Rogue – strong in ideal conditions, but harder to box and less forgiving.
  • Necromancer – traditionally strong, but currently outperformed by Monks in ToB-era group DPS.

🔥 “Max DPS” All–Vah Shir Group Examples​

Pure Parse-Chasing (6-box)​

  • Monk x4
  • Berserker x1
  • Beastlord x1 (for buffs and sustained support)

More Practical Max DPS Group​

  • Shadow Knight (Vah Shir tank, self-sufficient)
  • Shaman (huge DPS multiplier via buffs)
  • Monk x3
  • Berserker
(Still extremely high DPS, but actually playable.)


TL;DR​

  • Absolute max DPS: Monk
  • Best burst DPS: Berserker
  • Best DPS + utility: Beastlord
  • If stacking: Monk > Berserker > Beastlord
Per EQGPT.

my only recommendations that change any of this is having toons parked for burns in the custom guild hall waiting and or subbing one toon for a bard/bst
Click to expand...
Did they remove the create character Vah-shir Monk option? I don't see that option currently.
 

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schizophrenic computer hallucinated wrong information news at 11


vahshir only 6 box your best comp is going to be war brd shm bst ber ber. assuming your server has hot or higher shm are the best healer in the game basically for group healing. war is fine in group content bst and brd buff the two ber. brd also has cc. its a very common box set up although i believe most people dont use ber ber anymore and use ber mnk but that isnt possible to use in a vah shir only comp.


gnome/de/erudite its probably sk enc clr and then 3x mages. mages compound on each other well and sk is a great tank clrs are great healers. the only down side is there is no shm for the mage swarm pets to get haste. enc is adps for the mage and sk and cc

high elf you have to use paladin instead of sk but follow the gnome advice.

iksar is similar to gnome sk shm nec x4. you lack cc except the roots from shm and you have no adps for your necros but shits gonna die anyways.

frog is similar to iksar but you have more choices. pal or sk to tank clr or shm to heal wiz or nec to stack for dps.

human/drakkin is probably the race with the most flexibility it cant be shm bst or ber but you can do any tank and you have access to brd and enc so you have good adps for casters so wiz nec mag or you can do tank healer brd and a bunch of mnks.

ogre troll and barb. sk shm bst berx3. the barb has to be a warrior for the tank
 
Vah shir works great. The shamans might struggle a bit 1-75 for healing, but its manageable.

It is probably the highest dps single race combo you can pull out for a melee group. a monk would outperform the rogue but in group content thats the difference of a 10sec kill and 11 sec kill.

Caster groups, hard to argue against erudite or human. Humans can do sk or pal-sk/dru/bard/mage/mage/wiz-mag-enc which can do some decently big numbers as well. They would also be easier to gear.
 
I was using war with pally/dru to handle healing, works great. Not like you actually need the extra DPS, unless you have a sadistic need to completely trivialize an already trivialized game.

I've noticed in various places that the people that complain the most about the game being too easy/boring/not enough challenge/etc are the same ones that max/min their group structure and then end up with nothing interesting to do. For whatever reason, they can't connect the dots in their own heads.
 
Break the mold. All Barbarian: Warrior, Shaman, Rogue, Berserker, Beastlord. Add a second Rogue or Zerker to taste.

Added benefit: You're actually using all the classes Barbarians can be.
 
Optimal All-Vah Shir DPS Group:
  • Berserker: This class offers high burst DPS.
  • Beastlord: Vah Shir are considered top-tier for this class, bringing immense DPS through their personal attacks, pet damage, and ADPS abilities like Bestial Alignment.
  • Beastlord: A second Beastlord allows for stacking Bestial Alignment and other ADPS buffs, significantly increasing the group’s damage.
  • Rogue: This is one of the premier melee DPS classes.
  • Bard: Bards boost the DPS of other players through songs.
  • Shaman: This class provides haste, slow, and Malo, plus ADPS buffs.
From Mr Ai
 
I like the Froglocks you can have a Cleric Healer, Shaman slowing and DoTing, 2 Rogues a Monk and a Wizard with the Monk pulling manually to split
 
At one time, I wanted to have a froglok raidforce just running through zones, so I planned out all the classes, names etc for a 54 man raid group, and started making accounts. I never finished the process though :(
 
Nightmare327 said:
At one time, I wanted to have a froglok raidforce just running through zones, so I planned out all the classes, names etc for a 54 man raid group, and started making accounts. I never finished the process though :(
Click to expand...
Come to the dark side of the Moon
I pretty much only play frogs
And only play on servers where they can be any class
 
It's okay to have a love of melee, people should play what they want first and foremost. But the amount of wrong information in this post is pretty awesome.

Contrary to what WyldFyre posts, casters are the current meta right now. People might not want to play them as MQ groups have always foundationaly been built on SK,SHM,BRD, and 3 core melee. But stack 2-3 wizards in any group right now with proper ADPS and they will make a melee group cry. They are both the highest burn and highest sustain now, and its not really even close.
 
Algar said:
Why are we posting AI that's giving incorrect information
It's a disservice
Click to expand...
If you're referring to my post, I noted it was from Ai, so hopefully others would see what not to do because since everyone knows Ai is way off base on most EQ. Guess I should have explained it instead of just being sarcastic.
 
Redmonkey said:
If you're referring to my post, I noted it was from Ai, so hopefully others would see what not to do because since everyone knows Ai is way off base on most EQ. Guess I should have explained it instead of just being sarcastic.
Click to expand...
Newp
Saw the sarcasm there.
 
Maybe someone mentioned it already, but if not I'd like to point out an all Troll group... hear me out!
Trolls can't be stunned from the front, can be Warrior or SK so there's your tank.
They can also be Shaman, Beastlords and Berserkers. So, there's a solid group right there.
Of course Trolls are limited to these four classes, but I'd personally just toss in an extra zerker or two and your murder hobo group is complete :)
 
Kerbz66 said:
Maybe someone mentioned it already, but if not I'd like to point out an all Troll group... hear me out!
Trolls can't be stunned from the front, can be Warrior or SK so there's your tank.
They can also be Shaman, Beastlords and Berserkers. So, there's a solid group right there.
Of course Trolls are limited to these four classes, but I'd personally just toss in an extra zerker or two and your murder hobo group is complete :)
Click to expand...
all trolls i would run
SlotClassReason
1Shadow KnightHighest DPS Troll tank
2ShamanMandatory melee ADPS
3BerserkerBest Troll DPS
4BerserkerBest Troll DPS
5BerserkerBest Troll DPS
6Beastlord More ADPS Pet DPS
 
Kerbz66 said:
Maybe someone mentioned it already, but if not I'd like to point out an all Troll group... hear me out!
Trolls can't be stunned from the front, can be Warrior or SK so there's your tank.
They can also be Shaman, Beastlords and Berserkers. So, there's a solid group right there.
Of course Trolls are limited to these four classes, but I'd personally just toss in an extra zerker or two and your murder hobo group is complete :)
Click to expand...
Trolls can be stunned from the front. Ogres are the ones with Frontal Stun Immunity. Troll's benefit is increased regen - both Troll and Iksar have the same regen.
 
You all know that the frontal stun is only from melee, right? Doesn't include skills or spells. So even without the bonus any other higher level tank race isn't really at a detriment from not having that bonus. It really only comes into play at lower levels. Even if you are playing on a TLP server all warriors are stun-immune via AAs within 18 months, at the longest and slowest release schedules.
 
reedreddington said:
You all know that the frontal stun is only from melee, right? Doesn't include skills or spells. So even without the bonus any other higher level tank race isn't really at a detriment from not having that bonus. It really only comes into play at lower levels. Even if you are playing on a TLP server all warriors are stun-immune via AAs within 18 months, at the longest and slowest release schedules.
Click to expand...
On the upcoming Frostreaver it looks like 104 weeks (24 months) to Underfoot (36 to PoP+LoY, 8 weeks to LDoN, 4 weeks to Gates, 8 weeks per expansion after that, except DoN releases with Omens and PoR releases with DoDH) for full stun-immunity for Knights, but Warriors and Zerkers will have it in PoP.
 
Man I came here to defend my wood elves, but I had forgotten how versatile the kitties really are! Now y'all have me wanting to do a thundercats party even though I already have way too many characters.

61g8y4.gif

Maybe my project after that would be an 80s cartoon theme party.. barbarian zerker He-Man, anyone from the old d&d cartoon..
 
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Question - Thinking of doing an 'all same race' 6-box team - leaning towards Vah Shir, but open to all other options! Advice? :)
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