Curse

steel singer · Jun 08, 2008, 07:27 PM // 19:27

I have some questions about monking, I'm not total new to monking as I monk around rank 300-400 in gvg, but I have some questions..

I play mainly RC so I need some advice about preprotting.. In like how do you cast spells/target the ally that gets spiked. I mean with wich buttons you cast/do that?

And weapon switching also, what buttons have you assigned to that?
And do you walk with WASD or clicking with walking?

I really want to become much better at it as I'm not half as good as I want to be..
I appreciate the advice.

Div · Jun 08, 2008, 08:02 PM // 20:02

I bind weapon swaps to my mouse.

I do WASD if I'm expected to heal someone else at the time, but clicking if anyone's near me or if I'm getting spiked/attacked.

SB is it's big spike. Guardian if it's single frontline pressure. I keep those as T and F on my keyboard.

oliverrr1989 · Jun 08, 2008, 08:41 PM // 20:41

Hmm I find it hard to prot myself. I think the key is keeping an eye on the battlefield and figuring out who's about to get squished. Personally, I use WASD and the mouse to move, depending on where in going/which hand is the busiest at the time, and I assign my important spells to 1,2,3,4, and try to keep fingers on them at all times, so I can react quicker when my homies get jumped.

assassin of the god · Jun 09, 2008, 12:53 AM // 00:53

Watching the battlefield is a lot more important to protting than what set up you use. That being said, I use click to move mostly for kiting(I still use WASD for chokepoints, especially bridges). Use spirit bond on adren dumps(pre-prot is important here since spirit bond after evis-exe is usually a waste of energy).This is easier with dervishes because as soon as 2 collapse on one target you should spirit bond. I keep sb on 2, right next to my push to talk.

JR · Jun 09, 2008, 08:50 AM // 08:50

For a standard RC bar:

RoF: Q
Spirit Bond: E
RC: F
Guardian: R
Veil: 1
Stability: 2
Gole: 3
Aegis: 4

Prot staff, shield set and high set are the only ones I really use with this bar, all of which are bound to my mouse - though I still tend to use the F1/F2/F4 keys.

I use a mixture of WASD and click to move. Most of the time I am selecting party members with my mouse using the party window, so it is easier for me to WASD. If I am doing a lot of kiting or need get somewhere as fast as possible then I'll start mouse moving.

Divinus Stella · Jun 09, 2008, 11:34 AM // 11:34

I think the key is what Budda said, the problem with a lot of monks is that they just prot red bars.

The best thing a monk can do is know what type of damage is gonna land and where, also knowing what enchantment removals are lurking around, having a good idea when shatter is recharged will help so you can cover your prot.

Although the hotkeys and interface help with reaction times i dont think they are as crucial as awareness, you just have to remember to keep your eyes off the party bar and use it like a mirror while driving and just glance at it rather than staring at it.

Hex removal is another thing, if you can watch what the enemy necromancer is doing then you can quickly remove the key hex's before he gets a chance to cover, ive noticed while playing water ele that the good monks tend to eat your key snares right at the start of their duration but bad monks will just waste removals on smaller snares that could be about to expire anyway.

Most of these skills are core to any role in a team, knowing recharges and durations of everything is something that just takes time to build up and battlefield awareness i think is often a mindset, some people pick it up fast and others never get into it.

JR · Jun 09, 2008, 12:52 PM // 12:52

Good monking is all about aweness and prioritizing.

When I get in range of the opposing team I immediately start tabbing through them to asses what they have. Thought process goes something like this:

Front Line:

What's their melee, Warriors or Dervs? If it's the former I'll be heavier with my use of Guardian/Stability (vs. Hammer), and Spirit Bond/RoF for the latter.
Will they be layering conditions on targets? (Wounding Strike/Sword) That will make it my number one priority to clean up damage with fat heals from RC. The WoH monk can focus more on prots and hexes.
Are they spiking? I'll spend more time following their caller and pre-protting his targets when they seem to be converging for a spike. You should be able to work out who is the caller within 2 or 3 spike attempts.

Mid Line:

Lots of knockdowns? I'll be keeping stability on the infuser as much as possible.
Domination Mesmer? I'll try to keep myself Veiled. If I am regularly getting Shamed/Burn/Surge/Pleaked I'll sit in my shield set. If it's a spike that's difficult to pre-prot I can probably afford to maintain a Veil on the Infuser instead of myself. I'll kite out of the Mesmer's range as much as possible, trying to force it into a bad position for my front line to capitalize on. If it's a major problem then i'll call for interrupts on him.
Do they have a Ranger? I'll be checking his position as often as possible, to see when he is likely to have me targetted, and stay off 1s casts and avoid chaining skills. Removing poison whenever I have the energy to spare.
Blinding Surge/Flash? I'll be watching the ele whenever possible and trying to clean up my frontline as quickly as possible.
Paragon? Even more use of Guardian.
Necro/Mes anti melee hexes? Maintaining a Veil on one of the front liners as much as possible, with the WoH monk doing the same on the other.

From that point on, once you have accurately assesed their build and know your priorities, it's all about awareness. Watching their movements, following their offensive players, supporting your front line as much as possible. Generally I'll try to be watching the positions of their front line, whilst tabing through their mid line to see what is being cast.

Legendary Shiz · Jun 09, 2008, 06:05 PM // 18:05

JR nailed it

steel singer · Jun 09, 2008, 06:05 PM // 18:05

Thx, JR in the first post you actually said everything I needed to know

The second one I actually know and do that stuff, you should know that stuff if you're monking in rank 300 range..

And I can pre prot spikes decent if they just have 2 meelee's and the same caller all the time.. But if they run 3 frontliners it's kinda hard for me..

But thx for the advice

deya · Jun 10, 2008, 10:45 AM // 10:45

Monking is pretty much about overall game understanding and awareness of the situation. If you can read the game well it's very easy to preprot stuff.

Problem. · Jun 11, 2008, 05:10 PM // 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by deya

Monking is pretty much about overall game understanding and awareness of the situation. If you can read the game well it's very easy to preprot stuff.

Some people dont care/aren't smart enough/dont have the time/aren't skilled enough (yet) to have a pretty good grasp on the game. Your post comes with no real insight into the intricacies of monking.

JR pretty much summed it up.

However, I would like to add the importance of utilizing various weapon sets. Being able to micro between different Weapon Sets is key to increasing efficiency in the skills, as well as in Monking. Proper use of Enchanting Sets & "40/40"* sets will add to your ability to protect your team for longer by avoiding debilitating interrupts, and producing an indirect form of e-management. As JR already stated however, it is important to know what your enemy is doing, keeping a watchful eye on that Ranger/Mesmer, so you know whether or not to cast a spell in a set that has higher energy totals, or an important spell that could be subject to interrupts.

Also, communication to your team is vital. Knowing what/where/when you can handle pushes on their team or pushes on your team is important to communicate. It is important to communicate what the likely outcome will be to your team, before that outcome actually happens.

There are also little tricks to using skills.

[RoF] Reversal of Fortune is a skill that gets its maximum efficiency when it prevents the most damage. Therefore, using it on kiting players tends to maximize its efficiency as enemy frontliners will tend to achieve critical hits more. That's not to say this is the only use for it, just a use that maximizes its potential.

[Spirit Bond] This is also a very good skill to use on kiting players, in addition to its use for anti-spike, adrenaline dumps, high damage Mesmer/Elemental spells, Dervishes, and Hammer Warriors. I've noticed in my shield set, Axe Warriors wont auto-crit over the 60, but when not in my shield set, they will. I've used this to my advantage at times, and purposely left my shield set for a warrior to auto-crit me, while Spirit Bonded.

pah01 · Jun 11, 2008, 10:38 PM // 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Problem.

I've noticed in my shield set, Axe Warriors wont auto-crit over the 60, but when not in my shield set, they will. I've used this to my advantage at times, and purposely left my shield set for a warrior to auto-crit me, while Spirit Bonded.

Not to be picky but axe warriors aside from chop chop shouldnt be hitting you for anything more than 59 at 60 armor. (w/o buffs)

Joe

Problem. · Jun 11, 2008, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by pah01

Not to be picky but axe warriors aside from chop chop shouldnt be hitting you for anything more than 59 at 60 armor. (w/o buffs)

Joe

I should mentioned the current Conjure Wars.

Age · Jun 11, 2008, 11:45 PM // 23:45

I would also raise your camera angle 90 degrees and pull it up sort of looking down on the team.

Alex the Great · Jun 12, 2008, 12:01 AM // 00:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legendary Shiz

JR nailed it

/super agree

but do we expect anything less?

pah01 · Jun 12, 2008, 01:17 AM // 01:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Problem.

I should mentioned the current Conjure Wars.

Jeez is that what GW has come to??

Teh [prefession]-zorz · Jun 12, 2008, 05:14 AM // 05:14

1. Dont watch red bars go up, observe the battlefield
2. Prot BEFORE the spike, not after/during unless its a spike with a key that gives it away [hex's or a condition]

Seamus Finn · Jun 12, 2008, 11:43 PM // 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by holymasamune

I bind weapon swaps to my mouse.

No more alt f4s on high set casts? Oh well...

Age · Jun 13, 2008, 06:25 AM // 06:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR

For a standard RC bar:

RoF: Q
Spirit Bond: E
RC: F
Guardian: R
Veil: 1
Stability: 2
Gole: 3
Aegis: 4

Prot staff, shield set and high set are the only ones I really use with this bar, all of which are bound to my mouse - though I still tend to use the F1/F2/F4 keys.

I use a mixture of WASD and click to move. Most of the time I am selecting party members with my mouse using the party window, so it is easier for me to WASD. If I am doing a lot of kiting or need get somewhere as fast as possible then I'll start mouse moving.

Just a little OT but JR how do you play Warrior with this set up?

JR · Jun 13, 2008, 09:15 AM // 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

Just a little OT but JR how do you play Warrior with this set up?

Rush: Q
Frenzy: E
Bulls: F
Shock/Utility: R
Sever/Evis: 1
Gash/Executioners: 2
Final/DChop: 3
Res Sig: 4