Curse

Whey · May 14, 2006, 06:30 PM // 18:30

Yarr. After playing around with channeling magic a bit, I have discovered a viable spike build for ritualists. It is capable of doing upwards of 700 damage in a somewhat short period of time, assuming you're targeting people who don't have extra armor against lightning. It consists of:

Ritualist/Mesmer
Level: 20

Spawning Power: 13 (12+1)
Channeling Magic: 16 (12+4)

- Gaze from Beyond (Channeling Magic)
The Spirit nearest you loses 42 Health. Target foe is struck for 3 lightning damage for each point of Health lost.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:15

- Channeled Strike (Channeling Magic)
Target foe is struck for 101 lightning damage. That foe is struck for an additional 37 lightning damage if you are holding an item.
Energy:10 Cast:2 Recharge:12

- Cruel Was Daoshen (Channeling Magic)
Hold Daoshen's ashes for up to 63 seconds. When you drop his ashes, all nearby foes are struck for 122 lightning damage.
Energy:15 Cast:2 Recharge:45

- Clamor of Souls [Elite] (Channeling Magic)
For each nearby ally, one nearby foe is struck for 122 lightning damage. (The same foe cannot be stryck more than once.)
Energy:10 Cast:1 Recharge:12

- Draw Spirit (Ritualist None)
Teleport target allied Spirit to your location.
Energy:5 Cast:1 Recharge:5

- Rupture Soul (Spawning Power)
Target allied Spirit is destroyed. All nearby enemies are struck for 128 lightning damage and become blinded for 11 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0.75 Recharge:5

- Destruction (Channeling Magic)
Create a level 11 spirit that dies after 30 seconds. When this Spirit dies, all nearby foes take 5 damage for each second the Spirit was alive.
Energy:10 Cast:3 Recharge:20

- Spirit Siphon (Channeling Magic)
Target spirit loses all Energy. You gain 31% of that Energy.
Energy:5 Cast:0.25 Recharge:3

Not too much strategy to using this build. Just use Cruel Was Daoshen sometime before you actually encounter the other team, then use Destruction. Use Spirit Siphon to gain back some energy, and use Draw Spirit to move Destruction up close to the enemy. Wait until about 20 seconds has gone by, and use Channeled Strike followed by Gaze From Beyond, drop the ashes, use Clamor of Souls, Spirit Siphon if needed, and Rupture Soul. This generally doesn't do the 700ish damage it should, but it does come fairly close.

Also take note that Spirit Siphon does not have to target allied spirits. So, if there is a Ritualist who summons spirits on the other team, you can use it on their spirits for some energy.

If needed, Clamor of Souls and Spirit Siphon can be replaced by Signet of Midnight and Epidemic for some AoE blind as defense. This does knock off about 100 damage because of the absence of Clamor of Souls, though, and you might find that energy runs out pretty fast.

Comments? Any skills that could improve upon this build?

Edit: D'oh. If I could move my own thread, I would.

moo ha · May 15, 2006, 02:45 AM // 02:45

exactly the same build i was playing around with yesterday although in RA/TA i used res sig instead of channeled strike. A lot of the times you're waiting for your skills to recharge or regen energy for the spike.

Byron · May 15, 2006, 05:58 AM // 05:58

The problems i see are casting time and self sufficiency. Otherwise, quite nifty.

On another note, I see fast cast ritualist spike has some potential as fast cast air spike has some potential. Same idea, i think, but since ele's have dual attunements, I find air spike the better option.

Ares982 · May 19, 2006, 10:11 PM // 22:11

And how about using ele as 2nd profession and adding a nice Ether Prodigy?

suiraCLAW · May 20, 2006, 08:28 AM // 08:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ares982

And how about using ele as 2nd profession and adding a nice Ether Prodigy?

ether prodigy is only for ele's primary

Ascendancy · May 20, 2006, 04:54 PM // 16:54

No, you can use it, but you will only receive the base amount of time seeing as you cannot add points into Energy Storage.

Zeldawind · May 20, 2006, 05:14 PM // 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascendancy

No, you can use it, but you will only receive the base amount of time seeing as you cannot add points into Energy Storage.

which more or the less makes it ele only skill since it will lose a lot of its effectiveness on a non ele primary.

XxForgexX · May 20, 2006, 09:24 PM // 21:24

the damage from Ritualists' Channeling spells is armor-ignoring. that being said, a max Gaze From Beyond does more damage than a max Obsidian Flame. scary thought, no?

Tainek · May 20, 2006, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxForgexX

the damage from Ritualists' Channeling spells is armor-ignoring. that being said, a max Gaze From Beyond does more damage than a max Obsidian Flame. scary thought, no?

but its also much more conditional

JR · May 21, 2006, 12:05 AM // 00:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tainek

but its also much more conditional

To be accurate, I would say that "but it IS conditional". Obsidian Flame is about as unconditional as they come.

Cold · May 22, 2006, 02:09 PM // 14:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxForgexX

the damage from Ritualists' Channeling spells is armor-ignoring.

No it isn't. It's lightning dmg and therefore rangers and warriors will survive your 700 spike with ease.

Yanman.be · May 22, 2006, 02:15 PM // 14:15

- Spirit Siphon (Channeling Magic)
Target spirit loses all Energy. You gain 31% of that Energy.
Energy:5 Cast:0.25 Recharge:3

I haven't seen this skill yet...does this mean spirits have energy? Do they need that energy to use their attacks? o_O

derblub · May 22, 2006, 10:42 PM // 22:42

...and the most important question - how much energy are 31%? ;D

D Fault · May 22, 2006, 11:02 PM // 23:02

Spirit siphon will give you 9 energy from a full energy spirit (so net gain of 4 energy). If a teammate had already used spirit siphon on the same spirit and its energy hasnt regened, you wont get anything.