Curse

neoflame · Aug 04, 2006, 04:01 AM // 04:01

What, exactly, is Spell Breaker's place in modern HA?

With Shock and rangers the most popular anti-capping means, and offensive casters becoming increasingly unpopular in the face of Choking Gas, is there still a point to the traditional SB/Infuse?

I don't HA much, so I really don't know, and would appreciate the insight of more experienced HA players.

Guinea Fig · Aug 04, 2006, 05:53 AM // 05:53

Well... at this point its not half as useful as it used to be. Seeking rangers can interrupt through anything other than blind. Gale and knockdowns in general are countered by wards. Natures + tranq teams are everywhere.

It's still effective against most mesmer interrupts other than leech sig and crying people on the altar. It still has some utility against caster spikes. Even today, it wins many a game in halls because sometimes stopping those mesmer interrupts or necro spikes are all you need to win halls. However, taking Spellbreaker on a monk is no longer the no brainer it used to be.

What will be interesting to see is what happens once nightfall comes out. The Paragorn skill that makes the next target skill uninterruptable, will make interrupting the ghost (provided ward of stability is up) impossible. Both spellbreaker and the multitude of ghostly interrupt skills will lose most of their HA importance.

Mr Fizzle · Aug 04, 2006, 10:01 PM // 22:01

I've seen mesmers that have Gale that don't even bother to try to gale the ghost if he has a enchantment on him because they just know SB ftw

.I think Sb has his utiltys because the Ghostly Hero HAS to be taken down if you have a alter capped.So 14 seconds of protection from casters more with Blessed Aura.

icantthinkofonerightnow · Aug 05, 2006, 12:26 AM // 00:26

Spellbreaker is commonly used to counter spike teams (Bloodspike, Rainbow Spike, etc.) by casting it on the Infuser.

glenn_rolfe · Aug 05, 2006, 09:11 AM // 09:11

I've thought SB is a waste of an elite for months in HA, even before the release of factions. As every team took it, everyone had enough interrupts to get through the time SB was on there (chaining shock pre-factions, seeking post-factions)

Healing Hands would seem to me to be a much more useful elite than SB in a the cookie cut 3 monk set-up.

Guinea Fig · Aug 05, 2006, 03:28 PM // 15:28

Well SB isn't THAT useless. To cap in HoH you are going to need to stop a multitude of interrupts. Most builds have several interrupts spread throughout. The idea is that if someone's interrupt fails, there will be another to make up for it. Hoping for the enemy to just mess up will make for a lot of trips to halls with nothing to show for it.

As a capping team, you can often deal with one choking gas ranger if you send a shock warrior after him. One ADDITIONAL set of gales or mesmer interrupts or simple arrow/melee interrupts (because guardian was drained) will often (quite often) be the difference between winning and losing.

Certainly, ward of stability has replaced it as the anti-gale skill. Tranq and OoA make make its duration much, much shorter. However, if you can get to halls with this rather subpar elite, you will be happy once you get there. With so many necro spike's out there, SB is also saves as energy management. Instead of burning your entire monk energy bar to save the ghostly, you can use 15 energy to keep it safe for 17~ seconds. There are enough caster spike teams and PD mesmers around in halls to justify its position on a monk's bar.

I mean if you are having trouble getting to halls, then taking another monk elite might give the better payoff. If your groups can get to halls consistently, then having this one utility elite can and will win you tight games.

allience · Aug 05, 2006, 07:59 PM // 19:59

SB > psy distraction

Katina · Aug 05, 2006, 08:12 PM // 20:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenn_rolfe

I've thought SB is a waste of an elite for months in HA, even before the release of factions. As every team took it, everyone had enough interrupts to get through the time SB was on there (chaining shock pre-factions, seeking post-factions)

Healing Hands would seem to me to be a much more useful elite than SB in a the cookie cut 3 monk set-up.

Depending on what time of hour you're playing, I agree with you. Sometimes SB isn't used at all during late late night HA.

Quote:

Originally Posted by allience

SB > psy distraction

This is the reason why everyone should bring SB at times, PD mesmer/ele/whatever on your ghost without SB you're pretty much RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOed.

shardfenix · Aug 06, 2006, 07:01 AM // 07:01

Spell breaker > caster spikes
Spell breaker also > mesmers.

Those are about the only uses, but it's still a good idea to pack one just in case. You never know what you're going to fight.

NinjaKai · Aug 06, 2006, 07:09 AM // 07:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by shardfenix

Spell breaker > caster spikes
Spell breaker also > mesmers.

Those are about the only uses, but it's still a good idea to pack one just in case. You never know what you're going to fight.

Signet of Humility > Spell Breaker

Hidden in the Mist · Aug 06, 2006, 07:13 AM // 07:13

Rangers > signets.

Byron · Aug 11, 2006, 05:24 AM // 05:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by NinjaKai

Signet of Humility > Spell Breaker

Drain enchantment>Spell breaker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hidden in the Mist

Rangers > signets.

blind, LOS, enchantments, necro hexes, diversion>rangers

Signet of humility may be the least appreciated skill in the game, IMHO.

Im In A Build · Aug 11, 2006, 05:49 AM // 05:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byron

Drain enchantment>Spell breaker

:lol: dont you mean the other way around

Byron · Aug 11, 2006, 06:03 AM // 06:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Im In A Build

:lol: dont you mean the other way around

Pardon my intoxicated self. I feel so stupid right now I won't bother editing the OP. Good lookin' out, though.

Katina · Aug 11, 2006, 06:27 AM // 06:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katina

...you're pretty much RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOed.

Wow owned.

luilui · Aug 11, 2006, 11:43 AM // 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean22190

No, didn't you hear, they made drain enchant a skill :-P

almost fall for that LOL

Mo Joe Joe Joe · Aug 11, 2006, 01:59 PM // 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean22190

No, didn't you hear, they made drain enchant a skill :-P

ROFL, I shall do my best to spread this knowledge!

Elite Chaos Warrior · Sep 08, 2006, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by neoflame

What, exactly, is Spell Breaker's place in modern HA?

The only logical reason i can see people still running SB, is for blood spikes. They are still out there, and are surprisingly common considering all weaknesses.
Versus blood-spike Spellbreaker as a skill can help by practically having the infuser covered half the time, if the spike team is packing QZ.

Gimme Money Plzkthx · Sep 09, 2006, 02:53 AM // 02:53

If I had a penny for every time I saw a team lose in halls because they couldn't cap vs. PD, I would be VERY rich.

shardfenix · Sep 10, 2006, 12:53 AM // 00:53

Spell breaker, in the current metagame, does the following:

Prevents caster spikes (ob flame, bloodspike, etc)
Stops PD mesmers (or any mesmers for that matter)
Slows down hex builds
Protects relic runners

If you plan on fighting only vim, bring RC instead, but chances are eventually you'll fight a balance or a spike, and SB could save your life.