in EQC will be not much equipment at the start and therefore the decsion "what race for my ... " MUCH more grave and longtime - important than in later EQ versions.
"play what u want" may leave to drastical reductions in sense of the chars statwise overall capabilities. these cant be ironed out by equipment for some time.
clearly the player - capability to play his toon efficiently is not mentioned and meant here.
summed up the effectiveness of the played toon will contend both dimensions.
all this said counts for any race / class combo in EQC - at least for the start and first months of EQC. if someone has questions, please ask

.
best chanter stats has erudite (create with all free points to charisma, rest in int.).
close followed by highelves (create with all free points in int. rest in char.).
darkelves will be worse, but able to do the "stein of moggog" quest at lvl 6! - not much of tragedy, the others get dark elf illusion only some fiew lvls later!
forget anything else ( and id say DE too

).
any chanter can cast "illusion whatever" on himself and wander around anywhere unharmed as a "brother in race". excluded are here some nasty mobs that seee through illusion and kill u on sight in a hit

.
STEIN OF MOGGOG QUEST - OGGOG
(5 dex, 10 int + wis, 25 save vers. desease, 3 charges light healing... handheld item) - must have for all guilded wis and int casters!
the guild should definetely support the guildchanters by gathering components for this quests for supporting them in doing this quest chainlike for the guild ! - count me in on that!
(- if im playing a chanter ill do it until anyone has his part! - just get me the stuff and the transports for it.)
CRUDE STEIN QUEST - OGGOG
(10 stam, 15 char, 1 charge minor healing handheld item) - must have for all guilded chanters and all peeps that wanna buy and sell cheaper

. need a tracker for that to find the gator in the swamp.
starting the chanter in erudin and moving to queinos area then - or starting in felwithe and playing in fay and butcher or moving to freeport area is not much of a decision.
you should try to get in guildgroups from the lauch and will live MUCH more easyer than soloin that whimp up without knowing the backdrafts

. it will be no question if theres a melee or castergroup. you will fit in any of them nicely if u know "how to" and doing fine or nasty by the groups knowledge to use ur abilities and keeping u alife

.
withour "breeze" (mini - clarity at a 10something lvl - not sure, maybe 16 ?) chanters haste and rune grupmelees, slow mobs, stun, dd and dot mobs. - AND : mez adds, charm mobs, ...
definetely good to have one in the group for the CC (crowd control) if he/she knows what he/shes doin. and definetely much more easy then solo for u at the start.
even in groups get ready for "being instakilled on suprise" without any chances for the group to keep you alive - if something goes wrong.
hint --- : hug anyone in your group able to chainstunstun any mob (clerics, pallies, ...) "instantly" if the mob is BOLTING to YOU (or try it yourself tarzan

!
so ur looking for some active fun at games start in your groups - and will have lots of adrenalin shocks later and be needed in raids lateron anytime!
hope its a bit light in the dark for u now
have fun and see u
