Curse

papaschtroumpf · Mar 17, 2009, 07:19 AM // 07:19

new to the game, so maybe my expectations are misplaced:

I have a lvl5 Dervish with multiple missions by the edge of the water with a buncj of corsairs there. I expected that with one hero I could survive since I outlevel them, but if I aggro 4 corsairs, they hack me to pieces in about 6 seconds.

is it normal? are dervishes that weak in the early game? or do I just not get how to play one?

I only have the starter armor, a 6-11 scythe and I tried the warrior secondary to see if the +armor shout would help, but so far not much luck.

Arkantos · Mar 17, 2009, 07:42 AM // 07:42

The reason you're getting killed so fast is because of your armor. Buy a new armor set in Kamadan, make sure you have a monk in your party, pack a defensive skill or two if you want, and you should be good to go.

FoxBat · Mar 17, 2009, 07:44 AM // 07:44

There's better armor for very cheap in Blacktide Den. You can easily walk there by heading south out of Jokanur Diggings.

subarucar · Mar 17, 2009, 08:39 AM // 08:39

Why do you only have 1 hero? You have space for another 2 Heros/henchmen, so why not take them? GW is a team game, unless your doing a dedicated farm, you are only crippling yourself by taking less than the maximum party number.

Cebe · Mar 17, 2009, 08:44 AM // 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by papaschtroumpf

new to the game, so maybe my expectations are misplaced:

I have a lvl5 Dervish with multiple missions by the edge of the water with a buncj of corsairs there. I expected that with one hero I could survive since I outlevel them, but if I aggro 4 corsairs, they hack me to pieces in about 6 seconds.

is it normal? are dervishes that weak in the early game? or do I just not get how to play one?

I only have the starter armor, a 6-11 scythe and I tried the warrior secondary to see if the +armor shout would help, but so far not much luck.

I would make the following observations:

1. You are only playing with one hero in your party. Are you aware of the henchmen? Click on them in the outpost and add them to your party.
2. Dervishes aren't weak, it may simply be you're not using the skills you have to your advantage. Look at using defensive Earth Prayers skills, along with Mysticism and Scythe Mastery if you're having issues staying alive. As you become better you will learn you are able to drop the defensive enchantments and rely on your Monks more.
3. As Ark says, upgrade your armour at Kamadan or Jokanur Diggings. This should help substantially with survival.
4. Use the most appropriate scythe for your attribute level. If you can't manage a Req 9 Scythe, then go for a lower requirement with lower damage. The max damage for a scythe is 9-41, which is what you should aspire to use when you level up more.
5. It doesn't matter if you out level foes...if they outnumber you too much you wont stand a chance.
6. Ensure you have a monk hero or monk henchmen with you, and if it's a hero it has a good enough build to do the job (For an example, depending on skills you have unlocked, see the Stickied Hero Thread, section 8, FAQ #1).

smilingscar · Mar 17, 2009, 01:12 PM // 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cebe

5. It doesn't matter if you out level foes...if they outnumber you too much you wont stand a chance.

This. GW is not an action game/movie where you can take down a bunch of ninjas just 'cause you're "the hero." It's very easy to be killed by a large number of low level foes if you aren't well protected. And that stands for any class, not just dervishes. Try bringing more allies, and make sure to pull foes so that you don't accidentally aggro another group and get beaten down.

payne · Mar 17, 2009, 02:38 PM // 14:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxBat

There's better armor for very cheap in Blacktide Den. You can easily walk there by heading south out of Jokanur Diggings.

not if he hasn't reached it in the storyline

take the monk / para hench then pack some mysticism / earth prayer skills to keep yourself alive

enjoy

TheodenKing · Mar 17, 2009, 04:12 PM // 16:12

Dervs are powerful very early in the game. Now for the advice:

1) Use a party of 4 for the early missions. The loot is so low at that point that soloing or duoing doesn't yield rewards worthy of the extra difficulty.

2) Armor is important. Wear the best armor possible of you are having trouble. In Kamadan, you can get someone to "ferry" you to the Consulate Docks for 500g or less. At Consulate Docks you can purchase max armor for your character. Then you can map back to wherever you were having problems and go at it with much less trouble. If money is a problem, you can sometimes find a "ferry" for free or for tips.

3) If jumping ahead for armor feels like cheating, then just wear the best rated armor you can get for where you are at the time.

iVendetta · Mar 18, 2009, 10:40 PM // 22:40

You want to show us your build?

dylyn · Mar 20, 2009, 02:02 AM // 02:02

I just started playing a dervish. I had the same experience (party getting wiped repeatedly) until I read the stickied dervish guide (and the longer post, The Way of the Scythe and Hood, that it links to).

It helped me figure out that the enchantments are vital to running a dervish. Several of the scythe attacks will get lots more damage if you've got several enchantments. It's a bit like a ranger, in that you can do melee but to really excel you have to do some preparation first.

And, yes, get the best armor & runes you can afford & keep upgrading them.

iVendetta · Mar 20, 2009, 02:25 AM // 02:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylyn

And, yes, get the best armor & runes you can afford & keep upgrading them.

Even though I started Guild Wars with 100 Platinum, I discourage this. Armors should only be upgraded if they are maxed. Other than that, it is just a waste of money as you level up rapidly and gain access to high-end armor.

dylyn · Mar 20, 2009, 04:36 AM // 04:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by iVendetta

Even though I started Guild Wars with 100 Platinum, I discourage this. Armors should only be upgraded if they are maxed. Other than that, it is just a waste of money as you level up rapidly and gain access to high-end armor.

I don't know, I thought that AL10 starter armor was way too low for someone wanting to melee. As soon as I could get AL25 I snapped it up. I also noticed that several places around Kamadan there are collectors that offer AL40 armor pieces that I'm starting to get. Those pieces are a good alternative if you're strapped for cash.

In any case, I don't think runes are a bad investment. You can always salvage them when you upgrade your armor.

Lourens · Mar 20, 2009, 09:23 AM // 09:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylyn

I don't know, I thought that AL10 starter armor was way too low for someone wanting to melee. As soon as I could get AL25 I snapped it up. I also noticed that several places around Kamadan there are collectors that offer AL40 armor pieces that I'm starting to get. Those pieces are a good alternative if you're strapped for cash.

In any case, I don't think runes are a bad investment. You can always salvage them when you upgrade your armor.

Just dont use insignias right away some are quite expensive *radiant and survivor windwalker

Verene · Mar 20, 2009, 10:44 PM // 22:44

Low-level Dervishes do not, in fact, suck. Heck, I noticed after I hit level 20 that I had only one death until that point and I wasn't even being careful.

I'm going to go ahead and agree with the others and say that your problem is that you're trying to solo things at such a low level, and you need to upgrade your armor and weapon. Bring along your heroes (they need to level up too!), and try and get some better armor and weapons. If you don't want to spend money, there's collectors all over. Though I wouldn't suggest using money for runes until you have max armor. You don't need runes or insignias early on.

Also, taking a look at your build would be helpful.

dylyn · Mar 21, 2009, 07:47 AM // 07:47

I accidentally stumbled across a way to get max derv armor fairly soon in the campaign, IF you have the Eye of the North expansion. Once I got to level 10, I got the quest "Hole of Istan" from Bendah in Kamadan. It's the link to EotN from Nightfall. Once I got to Boreal Station, I was able to get AL70 armor from Jolvor Stoneforge. It's not elite but it is the highest AL a dervish can get. I was able to acquire all the pieces before I hit level 14.

You will need to pay Jolvor 5K for all the pieces, which doesn't include the cost of material -- 200 tanned hide squares and 32 steel ingots. You can also take the Hero Tutorial and get a max damage scythe afterwards. Once you're done shopping, you can take the boat back to Kamadan.

Anyway, as far as the OP is concerned, once I got the right build and equipment I found I very rarely die, even when I get mobbed.

iVendetta · Mar 21, 2009, 09:14 PM // 21:14

You can also get someone to run you to Consulate Docks, where you will be able to purchase AL70 non-elite Dervish armor.