Is Trans Venom Necessary for Combat?

Rolan

If I can buy venoms and apply them (without balance), can I just save my lessons and focus on Hypnosis?

The only main benefit of transcretion seems to be the ability to instantly secrete and bite.. but won't I be using doublestab?

I don't see myself having a ton of credits or lessons, and I figure that I can save my lessons to trans Hypnosis and Subterfuge.. and just buy venoms as needed?

Kiet

No. Scytherus is the only real advantage trans venom brings. Notechis for mages, too, but that's about it.

Rolan

Okay!

Thanks Kiet - I'll just skip learning any Venoms and just do Hypnosis.

Mathilda

And after transing Hypnosis, you can even focus on Avoidance first before Venoms. Serpent is super nice like that.

Austere

 To be fair, you can kill a ton of people with just inept hypnosis(impatience). 

Rolan

Okay, that's awesome @Mathilda.

Quick question @Austere - should I prioritize Trans Survival instead of Hypnosis, then?

Austere

Rolan said:

Okay, that's awesome Mathilda.

Quick question @Austere - should I prioritize Trans Survival instead of Hypnosis, then?

Realistically? Maybe. 90% of my kills are just impatience. Different people will tell you different things, though, depending on how they lock and what arties they have. I generally roll with thoths, but I lock peeps with forged dirk quite a bit as well using just imp(at 17/18 dex). Back in the day, people would add confusion and disrupt as well, and I believe a few people (@Atalkez) still do.  Goldenseal and sleep lock will be impossible, though.  

Rolan

Without a limited amount of time for hunting credits and a limited amount of money for credits, here's what I've talked to some people about:

Subterfuge: Trans
Weaponry: Parrying
Venom: Shrugging
Hypnosis: Impatience

With approximately 600 lessons left, what should I learn to be an effective combatant?

More Survival until insomnia? Until restoration? Until breathing?

More Hypnosis?

Avoidance?

Atalkez

I wouldn't say it's impossible, you have hypersomnia to snap. Just RNG and not optimal for a lock.

Im without Austere, 90% of my kills are with just impatience. I always add confusion and disrupt because it doesn't hurt to, and if you don't lock on the imp tick the disrupt could hold them in place for focuslock. Also, if you do land the lock there is nothing sexier than voyria/behead. Much love.

Kythra

Disrupt/Confusion/Hypochondria/Impatience/Anorexia

That's my usual string for hypnosis. Sometimes it goes imp first, sometimes confusion into disrupt for people who instant shield. If you fail on your first snap you usually see how they cure first. And a fun tip is people (if they're smart enough) always have Hypochondria over impatience to prevent unlimited impatience loops. So you can get a buffer between eats or stick impatience just as they eat off hypochondria. (Or even better, clumsiness, weariness, asthma)

Austere

I hypochondria vs the hard people as a follow-up for imp.  I don't think I've used any other suggest in three years though. Really need to mix it up and stack some focus affs or something. I just hate taking the time to do it

Rolan

Gotcha.

A few combatants told me that impatience is enough most of the time.. so maybe my lessons could be spent on.. Avoidance or Survival?

Kythra

For a serpent, IMO if you can ever afford it. 

Class Skills > Weaponry (To parry or decapitate) > Survival > Avoidance > Tattoos (to tree usually is enough) > Vision > Mini Skills

Some argue mini skills > Vision

But I am a big fan of utility and a masochist. So I've somehow manage to climb to top tier with a lack of resistances. (Probably because evade and duanathar are the best things ever)

Dunn

98% of my kills are just impatience. I only do more for a ginseng stack strat or hypersomnia strats.

Kythra

Dont listen to @Dunn, I beat him with a stick. It destroyed his supposed rock hard abs under the sheer force of my blow.

Dunn

Don't sell yourself short! There was a blunt rock on the stick.

I also have backup abs.