Curse

Odai · Aug 05, 2005, 03:50 PM // 15:50

I've seen a lot of posts on how a group successfully completes a mission.
I've also seem a bunch of posts on the make up of the groupo.
What I have not seen is any posts that tell you how you can take advantage of my skills.
Much to my chagrin I don't know much about a Mezzers skills. That simple fact has contributed to my death several times. One I am going to corrrect.
And that is what this post is about. My skills and what I can to do help you in battle.

Currently I'm running a Bolld/curses Necro primary using only savage shot from ranger to supplement my skill set. I do not do anything with corpses unless that was worked out prior to the mission.
What I do bring to the table is the ability to affect the foe's will and ability to fight.
I am currently using Enfeblement to slow the foe and some of his buddies target down.
I them use weaken armor to reduce the foe's defenses followed by Shadow of fear which cuts their attack speed in half.
When I've taken care of the armor and spepde I toss in some Life Siphon for me and then a smattering of Spiteful Spirit mixed with a smidge of Mark of pain to give the creature something to think about.
It would be nice if the attackers would call their target so i could work n the same foe. as it is I just have to hit C every time an enemy dies and repeast my spell sequence. Sometimes I get lucky and pick the target the tanks are working on but most of the time it is a different critter.
I think I'm hinting at is a concept named "team work" possibly using a technique known as calling the target.
I alsohave some rather nice skills that I can use to keep (<- not ethe key word of KEEP) you alive while your diing, slicing, and roasting the chosen sacrifice.

I know my job so please don't tell me how to do it. Tell me what you need to do yours.
I have enough versitility to adapt to do any other profession's job; except maybe a Monk's job of rezzing. I can't bring you back to life but I can use your corpse.
What skills I take with me must be worked out prior to misison start.
I'm flexible. Tell me what assistance you need and I'll decide what skills to bring along.

O.K. so now that I've told you how other profs can use my skills I need to know where I missed the boat on what the other professions need from me.

Post and tell me what I can do to be of assistance to you in doing your job.

Shrapnel_Magnet · Aug 05, 2005, 04:17 PM // 16:17

Since when is the monk's job to res? Hard Rez's, or the 6-8 second Res skills are unweildy in PvP and should only be brought in a sort of "extreme emergency" combat res. Maybe some people agree maybe some don't... either way, if a monk has to take 8 seconds out of his time to res you... that's 8 seconds that another player is not getting healing.

Leave you resurrection skills on people who have the time... like your warriors or rangers.

Also, why are you using Savage Shot? Distracting shot is far superior and it's cheaper (if I recall correctly).

IF, however, you are talking about PvE... umm, maybe take a step back and take a long hard look... PvE is ridiculously easy, I'm sorry. There's nothing to it. Get a team of random people in a random mission and you'll probably beat it if you have a monk or two.

Odai · Aug 05, 2005, 04:30 PM // 16:30

Like i said I don't know enough about the other profs.
Maybe a good Monk; like my Necro, doesn't ahve room to carry rez.
that is the stuff I'm trying to fiond out with this post.

I also agree that monks should heal first.
Rezzing should only be done after the fight is over.
I didn't want to get into who else should do the rezzing. Let those that know their profs off that info.
I based my thoughts on the monk not being up close and personal with the enemy which should leave the monk in a position to be able to a retreat and come back if necessary.

I'm using savage shot because my understanding is that savage shot also disables the skill for 20 seconds while distarcting shot only inturpts the skill with no residual afect.
If I'm wrong then I'll change. But I seem to have better results when I use savage shot over distracting shot.

ElderAtronach · Aug 05, 2005, 04:34 PM // 16:34

You have distracting and savage mixed up.

Distracting only does around 15 damage (with 14 expertise) and disables the interrupted skill for an additional 20 seconds.

Savage shot deals extra damage when disrupting a spell, but doesn't disable the interrupted skill.

Odai · Aug 05, 2005, 04:58 PM // 16:58

Thanks;

I'm having so much fun with my Necro that I haven't really explored my Rangering.
I switched to Ranger after ascension.

Monty Python · Aug 05, 2005, 05:52 PM // 17:52

Here is a not so profound idea but its something I have done. Play other character classes. Its amazing how much more helpful / understanding you become when you know what other classes can an cannot do. So, you said you're interested in what a mesmer can do? Go make a mesmer or something/mesmer. Personally I think mesmers and necros are overlooked far too often.

Now, maybe you don't want to make another character, I understand that. Find someone playing a mesmer and ask him/her about what skills he/she uses. Most people LOVE talking about their builds so it shouldn't be too hard to find someone willing to talk to you.

Option 3, so no mesmer wants to talk to you or you can't find one at all because they are mostly shuned in the cooperative play areas. This website has a WONDERFUL skills section. Go look at it and see what other professions have to offer and see how they may fit in with what you like to do.

TheGreatBoo · Aug 05, 2005, 05:57 PM // 17:57

Ugg, spellcheck please haha. But yeah, teamworks necessary, and too many groups suck at it. And yeah, a monk shouldn't res, at least not in battle. Myself and many others would rather have them keeping the group alive, as opposed to possibly dooming the party by ressing a fallen member.

Red Locust · Aug 05, 2005, 06:00 PM // 18:00

I've noticed that mesmer hexes that punish spellcasting (diversion, backfire) have the effect of stopping the enemy from casting spells. It seems ANet coded some sort of intelligence into the mobs, and there have been a lot of cases where I would backfire one mursaat and diversion another, and they would both cast nothing for the hexes' durations. Same with ice imps and arcanists, they won't cast through a backfire or soul leech or something similar. Great change if you ask me, gives the mesmer a lot more utility in PvE.

Pippy Bloodstocking · Aug 05, 2005, 06:11 PM // 18:11

For rangers, here's a fun thing: Make up a Ranger/Elementalist and go Fire, Marksmanship and Expertise. You can be a caster in heavier armor using a staff and fire skills and traps, or use Conjure Fire, Incendiary Bonds and Barrage to great effect, and have a PBAoE like Inferno or Flame Jet for when you get mobbed by melee creatures.

Morganas · Aug 05, 2005, 08:24 PM // 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pippy Bloodstocking

For rangers, here's a fun thing: Make up a Ranger/Elementalist and go Fire, Marksmanship and Expertise. You can be a caster in heavier armor using a staff and fire skills and traps, or use Conjure Fire, Incendiary Bonds and Barrage to great effect, and have a PBAoE like Inferno or Flame Jet for when you get mobbed by melee creatures.

You won't have anywhere near enough energy to be effective with that, that guy who posted the "Sun Tamer" beast master build had a solution though. Otherwise, if you wanna be a nuker with a bow, probably better to go el primary, with fire, marksmanship, and energy storage.

zehly · Aug 05, 2005, 11:37 PM // 23:37

Your narrowmindedness at only caring about what you do is the reason you don't know what others do. Instead of complaining about "teamwork" take the initiative to go and find out for YOURSELF... If you only use one type of character in the game, you are not enjoying its full benefit.

Not trying to flame you, but gimme a break.

Calibretto_9 · Aug 06, 2005, 08:58 PM // 20:58

Ok, I think the main thing that is sticking out to me in this post is that you're playing a curses necro and yet one of the problems you stated was that you are relying more on luck than anything to target the same enemy as the rest of your team. Ever think of calling targets? You said you know your job, but if you're not calling targets as a curses necromancer, I think you have much more to learn than you think. ^_~

Why not instead of hoping to get the same target as your warriors, let them know before the mission what you are and what you can do. Then you can toss on a variety of debuffs and allow your warriors to work on your target. And not to mention if you're running with several warriors (As most PuG's often are), using skills like barbs or an order is a great way to help your warriors do more damage.

But, again, if you're going to take the initiative and start calling targets, wouldn't hurt to learn exactly what every other class can do so that you know the primary threat, and how to counter said threat.