Curse

Earendil · Dec 07, 2006, 08:05 PM // 20:05

Dervish / Warrior

Attributes:
Scythe Mastery: 12+1+3 = 16
Mysticism: 12+3 =15
(superior runes are really optional - minors could work very well)

Zealous Scythe (or vampiric), 15 over 50,
Energy set on armors, making for a 37 mana pool

Skills:

1. Avatar of Melandru * (Elite) For 75 seconds, you have +200 Health, you are unaffected by Conditions, and your attacks deal earth damage. This Skill is disabled for 120 seconds. (25e 2s cast, 10s recharge)

2. Wearying Strike - If this attack hits, you deal +33 damage and inflict a Deep Wound for 10 seconds. You suffer from Weakness for 10 seconds - 5e, 2 sec recharge

3. Victorious Sweep - If this attack hits, you deal +33 damage. If the target foe has less Health than you, you gain 83 Health. 5e, 4 sec recharge

4. Wild Blow – Lose all adrenaline. If it hits, this attack will result in a critical hit and any Stance being used by your target ends. This attack cannot be "blocked" or "evaded." 5e 5sec recharge

5. Pious Haste - Stance. For 10 seconds you move 25% faster. When this Stance ends, you lose 1 Enchantment. 5 e 12 sec recharge

6. Frenzy or Heart of Fury (I don’t like enchantments…too vulnerable to rely on them - however, if you take frenzy you better know how to use it

)

7. Utility skill (chilling vistory, Distracting blow, some sort of self healing etc.)

8. Resurrection signet

With this build I was able to cut through the four armors on Isle of the Nameless in about 42-45 secs. The 60 armor goes down in 6-7 secs. The DPS is amazing and you’re also very easy to keep alive, since a lot of the enemy offence against you is negated.

First the combo: Melandru + Wearying is probably a mixture of the best defensive elite and the best offensive elite possible. Immunity to conditions means on one hand:

a) you’re harder to kill - no poison, bleeding, disease, burning – immune to SF, to tainted, resistent to most sword/axe combos and to many assassin or ranger combos.
b) you’re harder to shutdown – no blind, criple, weakness.
c) you can spam "eviscerate" every 2 seconds

I did some testing and maths for the damage part.

A regular attack for a 16 Scythe Mastery vs a 60 armor varies between 15 –65 or 16-64 (different opinions) – for an average of 40. Assuming one critical of 92 every 5 swings that makes for an average damage per hit of 50.4

Assuming you unload WS, VS and WB while under Frenzy that’s a total damage of (50 +33) + (50+33) + 92 = 258 damage + deep wound (say 100 more) - that’s 358 damage in 3.5 secs. Usually this will drain a monk and start some panic.

This whole chain costs only 12 energy (with a zealous scythe) and you recover 3-4 from natural regeneration. 4 seconds after the initial swing you can continue the chain with another WS and VS for an aditional 166. In fact the chain goes more like this:

1- Wearying
2- Victorious
3- Wild blow
4- Wearying
5- Normal attack (50 damage)
6- Victorious

The total damage in 6* 1.15 = 7 secs is 4 * 83 + 92 + 50 + 100 (dw) = 574 … No wonder the armor was dead in a single frenzy The energy cost is 5 Frenzy + 5 *5 (attacks cost) -6 (zealous) –7 (natural regen) = 17 energy. That’s really decent.

At the same time, you recovered 163 HP from the two Victorius hits (with Melandru you probably have more HP than him

) which makes for more than a healing signet at 16.

While a regular warrior has to charge his adrenals before using their combos, you are only limited by your energy issues which are less strict (except for direct attacks to it but then..). Your damage is also less conditional .

Something like Orders of the vampire will not only add to your damage and healing but also 5 energy and 15 HP when the enchantment ends….mmm….I can smell DervWay coming.

Catching a kiting target can be done with Pious haste.

Since you cannot be blinded or crippled, the odds your attacks actually land are way higher.

In top GvG, this build will never replace adren spike warriors because:

1. top teams monks are so good that they will never let conditions on their warriors
2. top teams monks are so good that no matter how huge the damage is, if it comes over 4 or 7 secs they will manage to counter it.

However, in mid level GvG I’ve seen too many times warriors made useless by blinds and cripples and I know that the various conditions are part of any offensive plan.

Try it and tell me what you think of it.

Earendil

Shuuda · Dec 07, 2006, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Major energy issues with this build, try adding Zealous renewal, or an energy managment skill.

Etrik · Dec 08, 2006, 08:37 AM // 08:37

How can you not use Natural Healing if you're not running enchants. It's a no-brainer, really..

=/

Kijik Oni Hanryuu · Dec 08, 2006, 08:49 AM // 08:49

Natural Healing?

LightningHell · Dec 08, 2006, 09:12 AM // 09:12

Natural Healing
5e, 1c, 6r
You are healed for 30...114 Health. If you are under the effects of an Enchantment, you lose 5 Energy.

Kijik Oni Hanryuu · Dec 08, 2006, 09:14 AM // 09:14

which class has thatun? oh btw Lightning did I PM you about my guild yet? We're recruiting and could always use more intelligent ppl.

LightningHell · Dec 08, 2006, 09:36 AM // 09:36

It's Dervish, obviously...and sorry, I've sort of found a resting place for a moment.

Should have taken that down long time ago.

Kijik Oni Hanryuu · Dec 08, 2006, 09:48 AM // 09:48

ah I thought it may have been a warrior skill since there is a /W secondary part.. oh and enjoy the guildless status man, atleast it isn't absolutely necessary anymore since AB's aren't all the rage, but that's off topic..

more on topic.
This build is good for damage and all, but I don't see the point in going enchantless.. a Dervishes main ability is enchants, it's almost as bad as making an assassin go in without a lead or off-hand attack and expect him to use a dual attack... it just doesn't really work..eh well..to each his own I guess.

Earendil · Dec 08, 2006, 04:33 PM // 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuuda

Major energy issues with this build, try adding Zealous renewal, or an energy managment skill.

In PvP you won't be hitting all the time. You will spend time moving to a called target or chasing down a kiter. It's not about constantly hitting a target and you also won't get to many AoE hits. When you have about 10-12 energy you can generally chain some combo.
Zealous renewal is rather poor as emanagement for PvP. It will take 5 hits just to compensate the costs (5e will come from mysticism).
The best emanagent for this would come from things like RoF, SoA, Aegis from a Monk or Orders from a Necro. Even without those I do not have major energy issues, except maybe when I need to recast Melandru. However, while you are not under avatar you are to play more defensively and try to stock your energy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Etrik

How can you not use Natural Healing if you're not running enchants. It's a no-brainer, really..

First let me quote myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earendil

7. Utility skill (chilling vistory, Distracting blow, some sort of self healing etc.)

Many of the utility skills require moving points in their respective attributes - Wind for instance for Natural healing. As far as self healing goes, I don't really like Natural healing and I'd rather take Faithfull intervention (Mysticism based) or Vital Boon - in earth prayers but higher heal and makes a good cover for heart of fury. Also these skills cost 0 energy compared to Natural healing

The role of self healing on a meleer in organised PvP is a debatable issue. If I think I'm taking too much damage, I'd rather retreat towards my monks than try and tank it with my skills.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kijik Oni Hanryuu

This build is good for damage and all, but I don't see the point in going enchantless.. a Dervishes main ability is enchants, it's almost as bad as making an assassin go in without a lead or off-hand attack and expect him to use a dual attack... it just doesn't really work..eh well..to each his own I guess.

Enchants are very vulerable in PVP. Not only shatters, strips, Grenths...etc but even a Hero monk with drain enchantment. Also - a dervish needs 2-4 enchants to work in interaction which greatly reduces his skill bar.

Enchants are actually utility skills for a Melee Dervish not essential parts, like the lead and off hand atacks are for a sin. They give nice bonuses, like armor, evading, damage reduction, Life regen etc. but you can safely do without them if you team monks are watching you. A meleer will rarely be the main target of the enemy in PvP compared to PvE and if the enemy is intensely targeting you you should generally retreat to a safer spot instead of tanking...this also applies to 120 AL warriors BTW.
As I said, the main defensive skill of the build is the Avatar of Melandru, not because of the 200 HP but because of the immunity to conditions.

The only dervish enchant that I could consider essential for a melee dervish is Heart of Fury for the speed boost.

Earendil

Shuuda · Dec 08, 2006, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earendil

In PvP you won't be hitting all the time. You will spend time moving to a called target or chasing down a kiter. It's not about constantly hitting a target and you also won't get to many AoE hits. When you have about 10-12 energy you can generally chain some combo.
Zealous renewal is rather poor as emanagement for PvP. It will take 5 hits just to compensate the costs (5e will come from mysticism).
The best emanagent for this would come from things like RoF, SoA, Aegis from a Monk or Orders from a Necro. Even without those I do not have major energy issues, except maybe when I need to recast Melandru. However, while you are not under avatar you are to play more defensively and try to stock your energy.

Earendil

SO basicly what your saying is, once your avatar runs out, you stop fighting, making you rather useless for a while.

Earendil · Dec 08, 2006, 07:11 PM // 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuuda

SO basicly what your saying is, once your avatar runs out, you stop fighting, making you rather useless for a while.

At 15 mysticism the avatar lasts 75 secs thats 63% of the time usually - . Morale bonuses can recharge it but those are hardly reliable, except maybe from killing ghostlies in HA.

You are not really useless as a non avatar dervish, you're just more vulnerable. You can attack and still dish a lot of damage to a spiked target. Sometimes I even use Wearying strike while not under Melandru for I know the DW is worth the sacrifice and that my monks will remove weakness quite fast. I just said you should play more defensive, as in not overextending and being ready to retreat when the enely team targets you.

If your team has not won an advantage in the first 75 secs of the fight, chances are you can afford 30 secs of more defensive playing.

If avatars could be maintained permanently they would be very broken.

Shuuda · Dec 08, 2006, 08:44 PM // 20:44

I guess, but I still worry about energy issues.