BST Merits and You

There comes a time when one must decide which BST merits are worthwhile and how those merits should be allocated. Ideally, there are two types of BSTs at level 75: the melee and non-melee BSTs. As such, I have recommended merits for both types below:

Legend:
Red - Do not invest in this merit.
Yellow - This merit might be worthwhile.
Green - Definitely invest in this merit.

[Group 1]

Killer Effects [Melee/Non-melee]
This merit increases the activation rate of all "Killer Effects" by 1% per upgrade. I only recommend this trait for non-melee BSTs because melee BSTs should be using "Snarl" frequently.

Reward Recast [Melee/Non-melee]
This merit is recommended for both types but for different reasons. For non-melee BSTs, healing your pet can be very important, but for melee BSTs, there does not seem to be much else worth getting.

Call Beast Recast [Melee/Non-melee]
A useful merit that shaves almost a minute off your "Call Beast" recast when fully merited. Recommended for both types.

Sic Recast [Melee/Non-melee]
Only useful if you like using pet moves more often. Even with jug pets, I find that most pet moves tend to be unimpressive in general.

Tame Recast [Melee/Non-melee]
The only merit that I do not recommend for both types given that "Tame" has a base recast of ten minutes; invest your points elsewhere.

[Group 2]

Feral Howl [Melee/Non-melee]
A somewhat useful skill if it lands, but it tends to work poorly for anything EM and above. It can also serve as a secondary claiming tool if you have a jug pet out.

Killer Instinct [Melee/Non-melee]
This skill has been tuned up a notch with the March 2010 update, but it remains useless on some mobs given the current jug pet selection. In addition, it only lasts one minute per use.

Beast Affinity [Melee/Non-melee]
Only useful if your favorite jug pet(s) is/are capped at your current level.

Beast Healer [Melee/Non-melee]
If your letting your pet do all the work, get this and your "Reward" merits to the cap. For melee BSTs, choose this merit if nothing else interests you.

Updated: September 16, 2011