Curse

dhawke20 · Mar 24, 2009, 11:48 PM // 23:48

One of the most frustrating parts of GW for me is trying to put together some decent rune/insignia combos not only for myself but for my heroes. I mean, I have a hard enough time putting my own skill builds together. There is such a vast array of combinations that I can't seem to wrap my head around it sometimes.

I'm looking for information about better rune/insignia equipment builds and maybe a better explanation about skills for heroes. How can you tell which builds are hero friendly and which ones are best left to players? Is there a certain aspect of hero AI that might help as a guide when putting together hero builds?

Currently, I'm looking for some good skill and equipment builds for Olias.

Boneyard Spleeneater · Mar 25, 2009, 12:11 AM // 00:11

Go to either of the wikis, and look for the PVX branch. There is a link on there for hero builds. That is a great start. You can also search the forums here for builds. I believe the campfire has a specific forum for hero builds.

Keep in mind that the PVX wiki's hero builds are often normal builds that have a variant for heroes, so be sure to read them thoroughly before equipping your heroes.

Lord Of Blame · Mar 25, 2009, 12:15 AM // 00:15

Please use the search function, and you posted in the wrong area.

Try looking here

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/f...play.php?f=243

or

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/f...play.php?f=208

if all else fails PVX

http://pvx.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Quaker · Mar 25, 2009, 02:41 AM // 02:41

Generally speaking, I equip almost all of my Heroes (that I use) in a similar manor.

For Insignias: Those that require energy for their build have Survivor (head), Radiant (chest), Survivor (hands), Radiant (legs), Survivor (boots). Those that don't, I use all Survivors. In the case of an MM Necro, they have 4 Survivors and a Bloodstained on the boots.

For Runes, I use a Major of the appropriate attribute on the head, a Minor of the Primary attribute on the chest and a Major Vigor on the feet. The other two vary between Minor's of other attributes, Vitae, or Attunement to tweak the build.

Bobulation · Mar 25, 2009, 04:30 AM // 04:30

It's really easy to rune armor, especially for PvE.
1) Buy 5 survivor insignias
2) Buy a minor rune for every attribute you use.
3) Buy the best vigor rune you can afford.

I don't bother with any +energy runes/insignias, because imo they are pointless.

Cebe · Mar 25, 2009, 08:38 AM // 08:38

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10293264

The stickied guide gives a rough idea of some of the better insignias and rune setups for heroes, as well as a very brief discussion on weaponry. Unfortunately, hero builds differ massively from one another, and with that in mind, use common sense when applying ideas to your own heroes.

For a beginner, additional health is probably the best all round idea, until you have played other professions, know a bit about the game, and understand what other insignias, runes and weapon modifiers do. Additional health with help heroes stay alive longer under many circumstances. Additional health can be gained from Survivor Insignia, Runes of Vigor and Vitae (note: Vigor runes do not stack; Vitae do), and "Hale" or "Fortitude" weapon modifiers. Note that heroes using enchantments may benefit greatly from an "Enchanting" modifier.

As for skills, the stickied guide explains how heroes use some of the more commonly used skills. I try to keep it as up to date as I can, and it's hard to list everything there. You have to be careful with hero builds as heroes have a horrible tendency of using skills in a wierd way sometimes, but they have got better with game updates since their release. On a final note: Make a hero's energy management as foolproof as possible.

Hopefully that helps you a bit.

distilledwill · Mar 25, 2009, 10:35 AM // 10:35

Cebe pretty much covers it all. The only thing I would add is that although Cebe mentions that more health is necassery at low levels, its VERY useful once you try HM.
- When an enemy can hit 400+ AoE damage, that extra 50 or so health really comes in handy.

TheodenKing · Mar 25, 2009, 12:29 PM // 12:29

The very best thing you can do for yourself is join a guild. Yes, you can get good advice here in the forums, but what would REALLY benefit you is a two-way conversation in-game where someone can show you equipment and builds, etc.

Most players went through what you are going through right now, but playing with others will solve many of those challenges.

(This message brought to you by Dark Order of Retarded Knights (doRk)).

Cebe · Mar 25, 2009, 02:07 PM // 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by distilledwill

Cebe pretty much covers it all. The only thing I would add is that although Cebe mentions that more health is necassery at low levels, its VERY useful once you try HM.
- When an enemy can hit 400+ AoE damage, that extra 50 or so health really comes in handy.

I would stress that +armour mods & insignias should not be underrated or discounted.

Most beginners seem to want a "one size fits all" solution. +Health modifiers supply that need.

Daesu · Mar 25, 2009, 03:41 PM // 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cebe

I would stress that +armour mods & insignias should not be underrated or discounted.

Most beginners seem to want a "one size fits all" solution. +Health modifiers supply that need.

From the Ranger forum Bow FAQ:
http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=358528
Which is the better bowgrip, "Of Defense" or "Of Fortitude"?
------------------------------------------------------------
There's an ongoing debate on which bowgrip is better for a Ranger in the long run. The bowgrip of popular choice seems to be a Bowgrip of Fortitude, as seen by the enormously inflated prices for a perfect Health +30 version. However, if you look at the numbers, Bowgrip of Defense with an Armor +5 reduces incoming damage to 91.7% of normal, which means about a 9% benefit. Even if the Fortitude grip is perfect at +30 HP, the benefit from the Fortitude grip amounts to about 5% to 7%, meaning that based on Armor Level alone, the Bowgrip of Defense looks like a better choice.

However, there are several situations in which a Bowgrip of Defense does not give any benefit. For example, Conditions and Hexes that apply Health Degeneration ignore armor, as do most Necromancer and Mesmer damaging spells. Also, Death Penalty applies to your base Health and Energy, while bonuses to Health and Energy remain the same. Thus, while the Bowgrip of Defense Armor bonus remains static, the utility of the Bowgrip of Fortitude actually increases as your Death Penalty goes up, by virtue of the fact that it is not reduced by Death Penalty, giving you a higher overall Health.

Still, it is FAR easier to find a cheap Armor +5 Bowgrip of Defense than it is to find a high level or perfect Bowgrip of Fortitude. Mostly, it boils down to personal preference. The Fortitude bonus always applies, regardless of the kind of damage that you take, but the Defense bonus provides a better long-term benefit.

There are also bowgrips of Shelter and Warding. Having any bowgrip is better than having no bowgrip, but these only protect against physical damage and elemental damage respectively. Neither protect against non-elemental damage like Light, Chaos, or Dark damage from wands and staves (the Bowgrip of Defense does protect against these types), and have the same caveats as stated for the Bowgrip of Defense above.While it is a discussion for Bowgrips, it applies to all armor vs. health upgrade discussions.

D A R K S O I F O N · Mar 25, 2009, 11:09 PM // 23:09

what are some amazing combos for 3 heroes with runes, weapons etc for hb battles?

zwei2stein · Mar 26, 2009, 08:03 AM // 08:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cebe

I would stress that +armour mods & insignias should not be underrated or discounted.

Most beginners seem to want a "one size fits all" solution. +Health modifiers supply that need.

"One size fits all" fits heroes perfectly as it provides decent compromise of effectiveness vs. storage cost and flexibility loss.

Anyway, armor mods for weapons are fine choice. Insignia ... most have conditionals of one kind of another, making them unreliable at best as they rely too much on player or enemy build to work.