Curse

Avarre · Feb 02, 2006, 11:36 AM // 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambchop9428

The only reason i wondered about the fast casting and IW damage was because twice now, A grasping Darkness has interrupted my Power Drain while i was trying to interrupt rend enchantments. Both times the nightmare was behind the Darknesses and i couldn't wait for all of them to use there disrupting blow ><.

Eep...

Well, the first room should always be scouted fully for nightmares before triggering quest. If thats not it, I assume you mean the nightmare + graspings in the room before smites. I prefer to dodge that group entirely, or if not, just rush the nightmare with my wand. Because there is a limit in cast time reduction, I think in partitions of 1/4... no matter how much you boost your fast cast, your power drain won't be effected.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m30wc0w

Well it seems like a curse.

Sure, you've used it as a curse, so it seems more natural that way. That doesn't change the fact that the skill is basically an elite form of empathy. A comparable oddity would be if Soul Leech (renamed to Ether Leech or whatever) was a mesmer elite. It would seem fitting, but it's relative, Mark of Subversion, is clearly a necro skill and not mesmer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SziP

Ive made a similar build but silightly different. The darknesses are my worst enemies in a UW run, the rest is pretty easy.

I don't suppose you'd like to share it with me?

I've always found the Aatxes hardest with my build now, the graspings are much more predictable after some practice.

Vengal · Feb 02, 2006, 03:28 PM // 15:28

Sorry if this question is a bit noobish, but where can I find the -50hp focus? Im assuming thats a collectors item?

EDIT: Nvm. Read it on pg 4

Rehevkor · Feb 02, 2006, 08:50 PM // 20:50

Seven, your best bet is to just get a collector's sword (or something fancy like an Icy Dragon Sword if you have money to burn) and buy a Sword Pommel of Enchanting separately.

Btw, excellent guide Avarre. I just started a mesmer recently, and discovered that it's my favorite of all the professions. I'll definitely give this a shot once I beat the game with her

Miss Persephone · Feb 13, 2006, 05:41 PM // 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Injektilo

Hydras are very good with this build, just start off with Prot Spirit and Breeze already on, weather the barrage of Meteors and then put up Sympathetic and renew Prot and Breeze and you're off and running. Also, heading out from Dunes of Despair, after I've killed the Enchanteds (Can be tough since the Bows pack some interrupt that Dazes you) I go through the first teleporter thing on the left and then head straight across the Wurm infested bit and to the left again (When travelling through Wurm-zones I drop Mending so that I can maintain Prot Spirit indefinately, even whilst just wandering about) and you'll find a few Sand Giants, I'm unsure as to the validity of this claim and whether or not it's just small sample size or whatever, but they have dropped an absolute barrage of max damage, perfect upgrade purples and golds for me.

I've tried following your route, but have hit a couple of problems. Do you kill the wurms on your way over to the sand giants? I tried just running away from them, but they keep popping up making it incredibly slow to get across that plain. Plus, they just seem to follow me forever and won't give up; I get to the sand giants and I still have a damn wurm on my tail.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrinn

Hi Miss,

I have been using this build with a +16% enchanting sword (and only 185 att pts) and having no probs with hydras, griffons, trolls, phys dmg avicaras, drakes, UW, etc. I just recently found a +19% axe, so I could hook you up with that sword if you want. Just message me in game. Good luck.

Thanks for the offer, that's very kind of you! Not long after I posted however, I found someone selling a +17% axe, so running around with that has made life a lot easier. I've been farming griffons & hydras for a while now.

Farming the UW is a lot harder though. I've never managed to go to the UW with a group; trying sitting in ToA and get a group to take a mesmer to the UW. Not a chance. Therefore the UW experience is new for me, and I waste a lot of platinums going down there, just to be killed by the first nightmare that spawns. Wondering if anyone fancies taking me along to watch them sometime so I can get a better idea of where to go? I will just die and watch from your PoV, all the drops are yours. If anyone is willing, give me a message in-game, it would be very much appreciated.

Avarre · Feb 14, 2006, 11:30 AM // 11:30

I don't do the run much anymore, and these days I tend to die from minor slipups that are ever so common since I don't like paying attention to enchants.

However if I'm available when you pm me, I probably wouldn't mind. Just don't be alarmed if I die horrifically (I'd pay the run cost, of course)

Usually for reaching giants, I can just sprint across the plain. Wurms slow you down but usually don't keep following near the portal where the giants are. If one does, just kill

Avarre · Feb 16, 2006, 03:14 PM // 15:14

Slightly off-topic, but some time ago I was asked what changes I had my necros do to their skillbar to complement my build better when two man running.

I hope this answers all possible, conceivable questions.

Drain ench added to help slow down the selfheal on mobs... nothing special

Caged Fury · Feb 16, 2006, 04:04 PM // 16:04

Hmmm...interesting. Having just got a 55Hp mesmer setup, I've only killed griffons, minotaurs and devourers...just for fun. But wandering around the the UW with a mesmer sounds like more fun, I must try this one day.

Good thread btw.

Draracle · Feb 17, 2006, 02:43 PM // 14:43

Built my Solo mesmer last night... only to find out something I already knew: I don't like to play with myself :P. Other than that, it is is very humourous and works quite well. Really, this is easy to do.

Miss Persephone · Feb 17, 2006, 02:54 PM // 14:54

I saved up the cash to try the UW again (I died instantly first couple of times I tried), and managed to clear the 12 aataxes in the first area - got my first ecto & my first sapphire in one run

I can finally experience the UW (on my own) since no-one in ToA will take a mesmer in a group. Thank you Avarre

Avarre · Feb 17, 2006, 03:42 PM // 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draracle

Built my Solo mesmer last night... only to find out something I already knew: I don't like to play with myself :P. Other than that, it is is very humourous and works quite well. Really, this is easy to do.

Yeah, the speed of the smite run is not exactly stellar, but that wasn't the aim. Spending long periods of time alone with IW to cut away gets tiring fast... one reason why i often go afk midrun (or midfight at times) and die unexpectedly

I'm going to revise my previous statement and say that killing the terrorwebs may be possible... because they don't attack constantly, youll have +3 regen to counter their moderately slow attacks (they cast spells like fireball and immolate which just do 5 damage, slower). So long as you get one behind a statue or so, it might be possible to still bring them down (just stay out of meteor showers). I'll try it, tweaking build if needed at some point..

Avarre · Feb 27, 2006, 10:28 AM // 10:28

As I said in my last post (yes sorry for double), terrors may be possible. In actuality the hardest part was taking enough hits to keep energy from dying:

Drop ess bond versus them, use powerdrain to gain energy. Full tactic to killing them and that room is being added to first post...

Nevin · Feb 27, 2006, 11:19 AM // 11:19

Is this build valid for the new UW?

Avarre · Feb 27, 2006, 11:39 AM // 11:39

No, Fingers of Chaos will demolish your enchantments instantly, and there is shatter enchant hate. It is unlikely the PvE Tombs can be soloed by mortal man or woman.

AND THEN I LAGGED AND DIED ARGH.

Just to say, Unwanted Guests is completely possible, added strategy to the first post.

osiB · Mar 01, 2006, 10:22 AM // 10:22

How do you get the Cities of Ascalon quest? I've done the first quest that Symon the Scribe has to offer but he won't give me the Cities of Ascalon quest afterwards.

Melisande · Mar 03, 2006, 11:45 AM // 11:45

Very nice build. I haven't actually played a 55hp monk before so I needed (and still need) quite a bit of practice but I'm working on it! I also find that bringing along a N/Mo friend with vengence, ressurect, and +3 mending (helps with energy if u end up with 60dp) plus an extra set of armor helps a lot with the learning process; saved me at least 5k.

Also, rogue's armor works perfectly fine. I got a set of Ascalon's rogue's simply for looks and tried it out. I think you just need close to 30 energy (with offhands) to be able to manage. That way you can cast sv, prot spirit and healing breeze in quick succession without having to worry about energy at all.

Avarre · Mar 03, 2006, 12:28 PM // 12:28

Yup, max energy is only really a concern versus terrorwebs, because when fighting the last one energy really starts getting tight, to the point that you may have to switch to a staff. Learning the build with a supporter is handy too (I practiced tanking terrorwebs with Mr. Jerrypants).

osiB, the first quest (the one where you find the 3 monuments) gives you the cesta, it isn't listed as -50 in the rewards window as that does not show all the mods of the items you will receive.

Sentao Nugra · Mar 03, 2006, 02:46 PM // 14:46

Okay Avarre, I've seen this thread for a while and think mesmer farming is great. But lets see a build that can do it w/o the 55 monk skills, then Ill be prout of you. If you would like some help figuring it out, I can point you in the right direction just hit me up in game.

Wafflecopter · Mar 03, 2006, 03:20 PM // 15:20

Neat, I always new I had a pve mesmer for something :P

Avarre · Mar 03, 2006, 03:21 PM // 15:21

Sentao, what's with the completely random post?

I never said anywhere in this thread that this was a fully original or impressive build. I did, however, state that it was a build meant to complete a smiterun, and it can go beyond that to completing unwanted guests.

I never posted it for pride, I posted it because it's an easy build, an easy run, and could profit people perhaps.

In any case, if I look past the somewhat offending tone of your post..

Killing aatxes without 55 monk setup is pretty simple, using an empathy/signet of midnight arrangement. Me/N for enfeeble can work, although Me/Mo for a stronger self-heal and prot spirit (whether 55 or not, it helps) is a bit better. You can clear the labyrinth easily with that (and I believe a form of the build was heavily documented awhile ago). However, the challenge to examine are the grasping darknesses. A necromancer can quite possibly take down a group of 4 at once (resolve + echoed SS) but a mesmer lacks to spread damage to bring them down, especially as your focus of damage would have been empathy for aatxes in my previous example. Also, you'd be having to use epidemic + signet of midnight, which keeps you alive on a % chance basis. A 55 build, while taking much less skill or effort, is based on numerics completely and not on a %to miss, and can also go much further than a non-55.

Also, when you consider the smites, you can't hex them (smite hex, and that hurts when you're at normal hp), you can't blind them (mend cond, and there's nothing you could do after using sig of mid), and you don't have the survivability to stand against them long. Don't even start about vengeful aatxes + Keepers, or even terrors for that matter.

Not to say I won't put thought into it, however.

dahlen · Mar 03, 2006, 07:41 PM // 19:41

Now, this build is the leet!

Got 4 ectos for far. Bulletproof!