Curse

szayaikiael · Apr 16, 2011, 04:38 AM // 04:38

I recently decided to take up trapping when I realised early on that it can be an infinite source of awesome when you deal with mobs. Y'know, the way your screen just lights up with numbers...

Well, that was the good ol' days. For some reason now that I'm level 20 and dealing with mobs that can actually fight back, I've noticed my trapping has become -- for lack of better wording -- almost useless.

I'm in the area just outside of Gadd's Encampment [Sparkfly Swamp] and there's a small mob of lv 24 raptors there that I've been trying relentlessly to murder and it just isn't happening. A couple of times I've dwindled them down to only 2 or 3 with a small bit of health left, but I can never wipe their entire team.

Currently, and don't fly off the handle, my skills are as follows:

Wilderness Survival: 16
Expertise: 13
Beast Mastery: 6 [for Viper's nest]

The skills I'm using:
Flame Trap,
Barb Trap,
Piercing Trap,
Dust Trap,
Viper's Nest,
Serpent's Quickness,
Tripwire,
and Toxicity.

I've got myself up to a total of 50 energy, and usually have enough to lay the traps, I think, about 3 or 4 times over before I start worry about time/energy.

Can anyone point out just what is wrong here? I've maximised my trap's abilities, cut down the energy costs radically, I've got good enough builds for my monk heroes to keep me alive, and I'm good enough with pulling to lead enemies directly into the traps, but for some reason, every damn thing will survive it.

Oh, and please, try to avoid using popular acronyms/abbreviations, I'm not really familiar with them.

Mucho thanks in advance.

Ratman · Apr 16, 2011, 05:31 AM // 05:31

Why no Spike Trap?
Proberly a better option than Tripwire because you have non-conditional knock-down, and it does more damage.

Not really an expert on trapping but for solo trapping I would go /me and use Echo, Arcane Echo and a lot of Dust Traps.

Proberly want to lower WS to 12+3 and make Expertise 12+1+3. That way you do a little bit less damage and have less health but you can handle more trap laying.

jackinthe · Apr 16, 2011, 05:40 AM // 05:40

keep in mind your traps expire in 90 seconds.
switch tripwire for spike trap?
drop toxicity; if you really want a spirit to draw enemies into your traps, just use edge of extinction or winnowing.
bring more heroes with traps and micro them.

Divine Ashes · Apr 16, 2011, 05:41 AM // 05:41

Well, you're not even using an elite. Smoke Trap, Spike Trap, Trapper's Focus, and I guess even lacerate would all be good elites to use.

Echo Dust Trap would be a good build. Echo Archane Echo Dust Trap would be HELL on energy, so I doubt it would work.

Echo, Dust Trap, Flame Trap, Barbed Trap, Winnowing, Serpent's Quickness, trip wire, and something like ether signet would work.

^That's actually the trap build for Stygian Veil if you're interested.

szayaikiael · Apr 16, 2011, 06:04 AM // 06:04

The -only- reason I haven't swapped out Tripwire for Spike Trap is because I can't get to Pongmei just yet.

And yeah, can't swap out my 2nd prof so I'm stuck as R/Rt for now :P

BladeDVD · Apr 16, 2011, 08:11 AM // 08:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by szayaikiael

The -only- reason I haven't swapped out Tripwire for Spike Trap is because I can't get to Pongmei just yet.

And yeah, can't swap out my 2nd prof so I'm stuck as R/Rt for now :P

Once you finish Nahpui Quarter, you will be able to change your secondary, and you will also be able to run/fight to Maatu Keep which will give you access to Pongmei Valley.

If you went to Eye of the North as soon as you got to Kaineng, then you just have to do a few quests and one mission to get to Nahpui.

Just curious, are you using a superior Wilderness Survival rune on a WS headpiece and a Major Expertise rune?

Kojima · Apr 16, 2011, 11:40 AM // 11:40

Where are you at right now?

For one the elites will be needed. So get to them asap and cap it.

Spike trap is the most popular. Get it here:

Prophecies
Vulg Painbrain (Ring of Fire)
Factions
Meynsang the Sadistic (Pongmei Valley)

For defense you can use smoke trap and I think it is from Nightfall.

Xiaquin · Apr 16, 2011, 04:26 PM // 16:26

If you have Nightfall, Trapper's Speed is a must-have. For elite I would go Spike, Smoke will do no damage.

szayaikiael · Apr 16, 2011, 08:07 PM // 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by BladeDVD

Once you finish Nahpui Quarter, you will be able to change your secondary, and you will also be able to run/fight to Maatu Keep which will give you access to Pongmei Valley.

If you went to Eye of the North as soon as you got to Kaineng, then you just have to do a few quests and one mission to get to Nahpui.

Just curious, are you using a superior Wilderness Survival rune on a WS headpiece and a Major Expertise rune?

Actually, I'm not at Kaineng in the story, so to speak. When I got to mainland-Cantha one of my friends ran me to Kaineng Center so that I could get to EoTN and get a couple of things done there, as well as grab some skills.

I can't remember exactly what runes I'm using and I don't have GW open at the moment, sorry. I'm pretty sure my headpiece did a +1 to Wildernes Survival initially, then I had some +3 runes, some energy buffs, and Expertise buffs. I have no idea how I managed to fit it all in there.

BladeDVD · Apr 17, 2011, 12:19 AM // 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by szayaikiael

Actually, I'm not at Kaineng in the story, so to speak. When I got to mainland-Cantha one of my friends ran me to Kaineng Center so that I could get to EoTN and get a couple of things done there, as well as grab some skills.

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/List_...tions_missions

If you're at Kaineng, then the next storyline step is to do the Mayhem in the Marketplace quest which will take 30min or so and takes you to Vizunah Square mission. That mission can be done in less than 30 min, and then two more pretty quick quests (Finding the Oracle then Closer to the Stars) will get you to Nahpui, which is a less than 30min mission and you will be in Senji's Corner after that. Senji's has a secondary profession changer, and from there you can exit to Nahpui explorable, go south then west to Shenzun Tunnels explorable and west from the zone point is Maatu Keep, from which you can get to Pongmei Valley.

2 hours tops.

Quote:

I can't remember exactly what runes I'm using and I don't have GW open at the moment, sorry. I'm pretty sure my headpiece did a +1 to Wildernes Survival initially, then I had some +3 runes, some energy buffs, and Expertise buffs. I have no idea how I managed to fit it all in there.

If you are using 2 +3 runes, are you sure you have all your attribute points? I might be adding wrong, but a lot of people miss this, so I figured I'd ask.

There are two quests for Factions born characters. They are both a bit easy to miss: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Attri...e_point_quests

Roen · Apr 26, 2011, 06:43 PM // 18:43

I'm at work or I'd log in and grab my specific build but it's close to this...

Drop BM to 0 and get rid of viper's nest.

Wilderness Survival 12 + 3 + 1
Expertise 12 + 3

Trapper's Speed,
Spike Trap,
Dust Trap,
Flame Trap,
Barbed Trap,
Piercing Trap,
Troll Unguent,
Dodge/Zojun's Haste

Flag your h/h behind trap location and set to guard.

Maintain Trapper's speed while laying down as many traps as you can. Dust Trap takes a lot of energy but does a lot of damage. Spike trap is good too and less energy intensive. Carefully watch so your 90 seconds aren't up before you can pull.

Hit Troll unguent and dodge as you pull bad guys towards traps. Try to time it so they are triggered by mob just before they expire. Practice until you're good at flagging h/h just in range of the traps so they won't attack until the mob hits the traps.

If you need to, set up another round of traps and repeat, flagging heroes across newly laid traps so mob will chase and set them off again.

Never attack directly (except when you pull). You'll almost never be directly attacked but dodge and Troll Unguent should be all the protection you need.

If you want to get really crazy, switch to R/Me and echo chain dust trap. I've soloed the chamber in UW this way. I think it's fun but it takes a while.

Good luck. I love trapping. The key is making sure your h/h don't attack or you don't accidentally aggro before you've laid down enough traps.

edit: just saw your follow-ups. yeah, get spike trap asap. and get NF if you don't already have it and grab trapper's speed. I personally think those are must haves for most trapper builds.

shanan1979 · Apr 26, 2011, 07:14 PM // 19:14

If you have GWEN i always bring black powder mine for a cheap and effictive trap.

Amy Awien · Apr 26, 2011, 07:19 PM // 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanan1979

If you have GWEN i always bring black powder mine for a cheap and effictive trap.

Why do you bring Black Powder Mine if he has GWEN?

Wenspire · Apr 26, 2011, 07:43 PM // 19:43

GWEN meaning GW: Eye of the North, and not the hero in case thats what you were thinking.

AlsoSol · Apr 26, 2011, 07:58 PM // 19:58

I think Amy was referring to syntax.

Roen · Apr 26, 2011, 08:08 PM // 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanan1979

If you have GWEN i always bring black powder mine for a cheap and effictive trap.

Effective if your deldrimor rank is maxed maybe. Cheap is questionable. It is not effected by expertise so it ALWAYS costs 10e.

Dust trap is the most expensive trap as far as energy goes. With Expertise at 15 it costs 10e. At 16 expertise it drops to 9e. It's a better trap than black powder mine.

Wenspire · Apr 26, 2011, 09:45 PM // 21:45

My appologies if that was the case.

For a ranger, Dust Trap is much better than Black Powder as it is lasts at least 5 seconds (via the pulses) so can catch more enemies that may be strewn apart. With a decent investment in Expertise, it only costs a few more EN to use.