Curse

Why_Me · Jun 23, 2006, 09:59 PM // 21:59

I'm going to try to update this post as much as possible. I hope to include a video soon.
[EDIT]-VIDEO (of the first part at least, haven't successfully cleared enough of the beach to be worth making a video of)
http://files.filefront.com/FoW_Eleme.../fileinfo.html
In the video I am using conflagration, not glyph of elemental power, to gain energy from rangers through storm chaser.

NIGHTFALL BEACH VIDEO-http://files.filefront.com/FoW_E_R_S.../fileinfo.html

This build is designed to solo farm the Fissure of Woe, one of the richest areas in Guild Wars, with an Elementalist/Ranger. It is a bit slow, however over the entire course of battle, if you have the ideal equipment, you will rarely take over 200 damage. Compared to other FoW builds, this is definitely the easiest to use.

==THE BUILD:==

Nightfall Build at Bottom
SKILLS:

From left to right:
Stone Daggers-A low costing, spammable skill, which deals decent damage. This is an easy way to keep kinetic armor active.
Optional-This skill varies depending on the equipment you are using.
Silver Armor-Not only does this skill do massive damage over time to a single nearby target, but it also protects the caster.
Storm Chaser-Great skill for either countering the reduced movement speed from Obsidian Flesh, or running past groups of enemies which you aren't capable of fighting. This also serves as your primary energy management skill.
Kinetic Armor-At level 15, this skill reduces all damage to you by 75%. In this build, your earth magic can be as high as 18 (through glyph of elemental power in your optional skill slot), giving you a massive +92 armor level, or about 85% damage reduction.
Serpent's Quickness-Used to reduce the cooldown of Obsidian Flesh so that it can be kept up all the time.
Obsidian Flesh {E}-Provides another 20 armor, in addition to immunity to all spells while it's active. Since this skill can be permanently kept up using serpents quickness, this means complete immunity to all spells all the time.
Troll Unguent-An easy way to heal, as it provides 180 hit points over 10 seconds.

ATTRIBUTES:

Earth Magic:16=12(base)+1(headgear)+3(rune)
Energy Storage:4=3(base)+1(rune)
Wilderness Survival:12=12(base)

EQUIPMENT:

Armor:Tempest works best. The +health will probably work too, but I can't garentee anything.
Nightfall Build:Geomancer is perfect.

Weapons:This is where the build varies most, and it also affects what skill will be in your optional skill slot. Getting the proper weapons can cost anywhere between 4k and 65k.

Cheapest:Galigords stone staff, which costs about 4k to buy, is the obvious weapon to buy, however there are much more effective weapon combinations. In order to use this weapon, your optional skill slot must have armor of earth.
Stats:
Earth damage: 11-22 (requires 9 earth magic)
Energy +10
Halves casting time of earth magic skills (chance:20%)
Halves skill recharge of earth magic skills (chance:20%)
Energy +5
Enchantments last 20% longer

Ideal:The ideal weapons for this build are:

Zealous (Sword or Axe) of Enchanting
Damage: (doesn't matter, you will be dealing 2-3 no matter what damage the axe does) requires: (doesn't matter) sword or axe mastery
Energy +5
Energy gain on hit:1
Energy regeneration -1
Enchantments last 20% longer
10k base for the axe, 5k for zealous mod, 20k for enchanting mod

Shield
Armor: (Doesn't matter, it will give +3 armor no matter what) Requires (doesn't matter) Tactics or Strength
Received Damage -2 (while in a stance)
Received Damage -2 (while enchanted)
30k
[EDIT]-This now only affects physical damage. Still worthwhile.

However these add up to 65k (75k including the weapon for running and skeleton ether breaker countering.), which is probably more than most people are willing to spend on a new build. If you are using these skills, use your optional skill spot for either glyph of elemental power (for powering sliver armor and kinetic armor), earth attunement (so can effectively cast stone daggers once between every attack, even when you don't have storm chaser active), aftershock (for PBAoE damage), or conflagration (allows rangers, more precisely skeletal impalers and spiders, to trigger storm chaser.) Also, you will need either a totem axe or the classic 55 weapon, a fiery flame spitter of enchanting, for running and fighting skeletal ether breaker.

Other variations: Despite being an elementalist, swords/axes and shields actually work better than staves or wands/offhands. If you use any of the following weapons, earth attunement works best for your optional spot. Some substitutes for the above weapons are:

Totem axe (green weapon)
Slashing damage: 6-28 (requires 9 axe mastery)
Armor penetration 20% (chance: 20%)
Energy +5
Enchantments last 20% longer
10k

Fiery Flame Spitter of Enchanting (collector weapon, enchant mod not included)
Fire Damage: 6-16 (requires 3 axe mastery)
Halves skill recharge (chance: 10%)
Armor -10 (while attacking)
Enchantments last 20% longer
<100g for axe, 20k for enchanting mod

^One of the two above weapons is required if you are using the ideal weapon set^

Shield (can be obtained from other players or collectors)
Armor +(doesn't matter) requires (doesn't matter) strength or tactics
Health +45 (enchanted or stanced)
Received Damage -2 (enchanted or stanced)

==HOW TO USE:==

Battle Basics: Before entering battle, cast kinetic armor (with glyph of elemental power if you have it), earth attunement (if you have it), armor of earth (if you have it), and (simultaneously) obsidian flesh and serpents quickness. If you have a longbow, pull them towards you, otherwise use 1 cast of stone daggers to pull. As soon as someone is within range of silver armor, cast it (with glyph of elemental power, if you have it). Over the course of the battle, make sure you cast at least 1 skill every 9 seconds to keep kinetic armor active, and try to keep silver armor activated as much as possible (with glyph of elemental power, if you have it). When not casting, if you are using a zealous weapon, attack to gain energy. When obsidian flesh is recharged, cast it again. As soon as you are finished casting it, use storm chaser. After about 3 seconds, you should be able to tell whether or not storm chaser is going to put your energy to its maximum. If so, spam stone daggers, there is no room for wasted energy in this build. Try to plan it so that you have 20-30 energy when storm chaser ends. As soon as both serpents quickness and obsidian flesh are both recharged, cast them both again. Repeat until everyone is dead.

Serpents Quickness: This is the core of your build and the second most important skill. It alone can be used to maintain obsidian flesh. This is how:
1.Use Obsidian Flesh and serpents quickness simultaneously.
2.If you have sliver armor, now is the time to use it for best efficiency.
3.Wait until osidian flesh is recharged.
4.Recast obsidian flesh, by the time it is finished casting, sliver armor will be recharged, cast that.
5.Wait until BOTH obsidian flesh and serpents quickness are recharged, and repeat.

Aggroing: Try to pull using a longbow or one cast of stone daggers. The groups you can fight:
-Cannot contain no elementalists and a monk.
-Must contain at least 5 people and one elementalist for each monk.
-Must have at least one elementist, unless you have a zealous weapon, in which case you need to attack to compensate for the energy you cannot gain by using storm chaser.
Priorities:
-Monks-Most can heal, so always walk up to them and use silver armor to kill them first.
-Warriors-Pose the most immediate threat, cosidering their attack skills aren't affected by obsidian flesh like spells are.
-Rangers-Also pose an immediate threat, however harder to get to than warriors, so dont worry about them until warriors are dead.
-Mesmer-Have many energy denial and anti enchantment skills, so if you ever mess up and obsidian flesh ends, these will kill you.
-Necromancers-Have several anti enchant, as well as many annoying hexes that will be cast on you if obsidian flesh ends.
-Elementists-They are supplying your energy through storm chaser, so why kill them before you need to? They can't do anything until obsidian flesh ends, so just let them live until everyone else is dead.

Mistakes: It is not uncommon to make a mistake, so whenever you first realize you have made a mistake, turn around and walk away (if you can). Use storm chaser. DO NOT RECAST OBSIDIAN FLESH, the movement speed reduction can often kill you.

PART ONE: TOWER OF COURAGE
This is the first location you will be visiting in the FoW, I have included a guide and map. Soon I will add a similar thread to this post about farming the Great Battle Field, the next location in the FoW.

Green=Place where you run
Red=Place where you fight
White=Place where you wait
Dots=Optional path

Groups you can fight:
Group A=
-2 shadow elemental
-1 shadow mesmer
Group B=
-2 shadow elementals
-1 shadow mesmer
-1 shadow warrior
-1 shadow beast

How to use:Upon starting, move forward, if you can, until the Eternal guy is out of your aggro circle. To your right is a group B, fight them. Be careful not to aggro so close so that the shadow beast can hex the Eternal guy, because this will cause the shadow elementals to kill him, which will result in your defeat. During the battle, 2 wandering shadow elementals will join the fight, so be ready for them too. After everything is dead, go to the cliff wall to your right. Use storm chaser, and run past the group of 2 shadow warriors and 1 shadow monk to your left. Immediately turn right and go straight. Once you get to the patrol path, you should see a group of 2 shadow warriors and 1 shadow monk walking. Wait for them to pass, then run straight. Keep running until you are between a Group A and a group of 1 shadow warrior, 1 shadow monk, 1 shadow beast, and 1 shadow mesmer. Fight the Group A to your left. The next part is hard, so be very careful. Don't be afraid to just skip this step and head northeast to the Great Battle Field. Turn around toward the group of shadow warrior, monk, beast, and mesmer. Run past them and stick to the cliff wall to your left. When you see a turn in the patrol road, wait by the wall. When a Group B comes around the corner, pull them back from the path and to the wall. Fight the shadow beast and warrior normally, then switch your zealous weapon (if you have it) to your one of your other axes/swords (this axe or sword should also be used when running). Do not move in to fight the mesmer and 2 elementists like you do normally, and stay out of the patrol line. Stone dagger them to death while keeping up the normal enchants/stances. Run back to where you were before, and continue to the Great Battle Field.

PART TWO: THE GREAT BATTLE FIELD
The second part, this links off of the tower of courage. Be extremely careful of patrols.

Green=Place where you run
Red=Place where you fight
White=Place where you wait
Dots=Optional path

Groups you can fight:
Group A=
-3 Skeleton Icehands
-2 Skeleton Ether Breakers
Group B=
-2 Skeleton Impalers (pop ups)

How to use:
Upon entering, you will find yourself face to face with a group A. Kill them, and remember, do not use your zealous weapon. It isn't needed, and it will trigger you to lose 2 energy per hit due to the ether breakers' sympathetic visage. After they are dead, turn left and travel around the large hill. There will be another group A, kill them, and remember to watch patrols. Next, if you want, you can kill the group of storm sheperds at the beginning of the forest, they shouldn't pose a threat. Next, you can either go back to the great battle field and attempt to farm the beach, or you can kill more Group A's and Group B's. When fighting skeletal impalers, lay down conflagration (if you have it) and stand at full bow range. If you don't have either conflagration, earth attunement, or a zealous flatbow of enchanting, be extremely careful with energy. For these, just stone dagger them down, however make sure to never cast two stone daggers in a row, or else they will distracting shot it, which is, well, not good. Usually there is two more group A's, one near the entrance to the forge, and another in front of the burning forest. Maneuver around the patrols, pull them to a wall, and kill them. There are some other groups that may be possible to kill, however I haven't tried it. Skeletal beserkers have wild blow, which can end serpents quickness, and with it, obsidian flesh, leading to your death. However, if aggroed with enough enemies while you are in the storm chaser phase of obsidian flesh, they will end storm chaser. If you can them kill them through sliver armor before you need to recast obsidian flesh and serpents, you will be free to kill the rest of the group.

==NIGHTFALL VARIATIONS:==
Nightfall has made this build so much easier to use. Now the beach can be cleared quickly and easily. I'm not gonna bother with a map considering you can kill everything (yes, including the skales). Video is at top.

The build that I have been using is this:

Skills:

Apply Poison
Sliver Armor
Stone Striker
Storm Chaser
Stoneflesh Aura
Troll Unguent
Serpents Quickness
Obsidian Flesh

Weapon:

Zealous Scythe of Enchanting

The idea is to abuse the scythe being able to hit 3 targets at once. This will allow you to spread poison to 3 targets, and gain 3 energy every 1.75 seconds instead of 1 every 1.33, a big improvement. Even if you can't afford zealous, stone striker+storm chaser will easily cover the cost for apply poison.

Other Variations
There are only two skills that are always needed: Serpents Quickness and Obsidian Flesh. Other than that, there are many combinations of skills that can fill the remaining 6 skills of your bar.

Protection:
-Kinetic Armor + Unguent; works in all areas but requires constant casting of spells and unguent
-Stoneflesh Aura; Requires minimal casting, however only works in shadow army and beach
-Stoneflesh Aura + Unguent; Works in all areas, however unguent must be maintained constantly for the burning forest (not normal forest) because of inferno
Note: Aura of Restoration can replace unguent in all cases except for soloing the burning forest using stoneflesh aura, in which the need for healing is too great.

Energy:
-Stone Striker + Storm Chaser; Works in all areas, does not require zealous weapon
-Earth Attunement + Zealous Scythe; Requires one skill slot, however only works in beach, shadow army, and burning forest (skeletal ether breakers have sympathetic visage, so you need to tank by them and not fight, because you will run out of energy. However, zealous spears of enchanting can overcome this.)
-Storm Chaser; Requires one skill slot, however does not work on beach

Damage:
-Sliver Armor; By far the best and most versatile damage dealer, works in all areas and well.
-Apply Poison; Second best, however in order to get the best synergy out of it, you need both storm chaser and stone striker. Scythes Spread poison easy, however switching targets with an axe/sword or even a bow will work.
-Stone Daggers; Mainly for use of keeping up kinetic armor, this still serves as a decent damage dealer.
-Aftershock; Point Blank damage with a quick recharge, great for the beach due to the clusters of enemies on it.

lambda the great · Jun 23, 2006, 10:36 PM // 22:36

suweeet, too bad I don't have an ele

karunpav · Jun 23, 2006, 11:21 PM // 23:21

Wow... very nice! I bet Ele's everywhere are jumping for joy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambda the great

suweeet, too bad I don't have an ele

Don't worry, I feel your pain.

ubermancer · Jun 24, 2006, 12:35 AM // 00:35

Yes quite a nice guide. I bet you could even take this, or a varient, into the Forest.

Why_Me · Jun 24, 2006, 12:40 AM // 00:40

I'm not done with it yet. Like I said, I'm planning on writing instructions on how to farm each section of the FoW with this. There is a lot of interrupt in the forest, but also a lot of elemental damage, so you can easily bring along glyph of concentration to farm it. The above build wont work for the forest though.

TheGuildWarsPenguin · Jun 24, 2006, 01:05 AM // 01:05

Are stone dagggers and silver armor the only damage skills in the build?

Why_Me · Jun 24, 2006, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Depends whether or not you are bringing aftershock in the optional skill slot. If not, then yes, but it's enough. When fighting a group of 5 people, you will get attacked at least 3 times a second, with silver armor, thats 123 damage a second. Of course, when people die, the damage gets lower, which is why you should always leave people with <25% health until the end of the battle, when you kill them.

ubermancer · Jun 24, 2006, 01:42 AM // 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Why_Me

Depends whether or not you are bringing aftershock in the optional skill slot. If not, then yes, but it's enough. When fighting a group of 5 people, you will get attacked at least 3 times a second, with silver armor, thats 123 damage a second. Of course, when people die, the damage gets lower, which is why you should always leave people with <25% health until the end of the battle, when you kill them.

Exactly. Sliver Armor is one hell of a damage machine, when used judiciously.

EDIT: Or hell, any time.

Captain Arne Is PRO · Jun 24, 2006, 01:58 AM // 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubermancer

Exactly. Sliver Armor is one hell of a damage machine, when used judiciously.

EDIT: Or hell, any time.

Sliver Armor + Trolls = OUCH.

antoninus · Jun 24, 2006, 02:55 AM // 02:55

i deleted my ele a long time ago for a ranger when tombs B/Ps came out. nevertheless congratulations for making the assassin the only proffession unable to solo fow.. yet

Xiaxhou of Trinity · Jun 24, 2006, 06:48 AM // 06:48

So what drops are you getting off of this? The usual loot of FoW, but I still would like a peek =] Good job, I've been trying to make an E/Mo FoW solo build but without serpents you can throw out ob flesh, wait or can you?............

Rogier · Jun 24, 2006, 07:34 AM // 07:34

wow GJ, pretty impressive eles also can solow the fow now!

Why_Me · Jun 24, 2006, 02:40 PM // 14:40

Quote:

Originally posted by antoninus
nevertheless congratulations for making the assassin the only proffession unable to solo fow.. yet

I can believe warriors, ritualists, and rangers can solo some parts of it, but monks, mesmers and necromancers? The FoW has so much disenchant, and the only reason this build is immune to it is obsidian flesh. Sure, monks have SB, but it lasts 15 seconds.

ubermancer · Jun 24, 2006, 02:47 PM // 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Why_Me

I can believe warriors, ritualists, and rangers can solo some parts of it, but monks, mesmers and necromancers? The FoW has so much disenchant, and the only reason this build is immune to it is obsidian flesh. Sure, monks have SB, but it lasts 15 seconds.

Monks can solo Shadow Army, as can N/Mo and Me/Mo.

Ira Blinks · Jun 24, 2006, 02:56 PM // 14:56

why not double crystal wave? I already see it taking ages to kill anything with stone daggers and sliver armor...

Why_Me · Jun 24, 2006, 03:57 PM // 15:57

Silver armor deals more damage than two crystal waves combined (1476 damage over 12 seconds), and it protects. Using two crystal waves will take so much longer, takes so much more energy, and kills you so much faster due to the fact that you cant cast enough to keep kinetic armor active.

EDIT-Also

Quote:

Originally posted by ubermancer
Monks can solo Shadow Army, as can N/Mo and Me/Mo.

How do they handle disenchant/hexes? I dont doubt it, just curious....

Blind Rage · Jun 24, 2006, 04:39 PM // 16:39

use vigorous spirit as a cover enchantment

Ira Blinks · Jun 24, 2006, 05:00 PM // 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Why_Me

Silver armor deals more damage than two crystal waves combined (1476 damage over 12 seconds), and it protects. Using two crystal waves will take so much longer, takes so much more energy, and kills you so much faster due to the fact that you cant cast enough to keep kinetic armor active.

What is this number based on?
How many targets attacking you? And how many of those you would hit with crystal wave?
Does this factor in armor?

I'm sorry no way in hell this is true.

ubermancer · Jun 24, 2006, 05:05 PM // 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ira Blinks

What is this number based on?
How many targets attacking you? And how many of those you would hit with crystal wave?
Does this factor in armor?

I'm sorry no way in hell this is true.

Sliver Armor produces focused damage. Alot of it, too, especially if you are in a firestorm (question: does it trigger on cast or each time you get hit by the spell? something to test) and this damage increases as you face more enemies, which you usually want to do while farming. Crystal Waves simply would be unable to kill the Shadow Monks.

Stone Daggers, however, I could probably replace... I am too tired to run the math atm, though. Perhaps even Obsidian Flame to put some heavy pressure on the Monks incase you are facing only a few enemies. Again, too tired to run the math.

Alvthebest · Jun 24, 2006, 05:07 PM // 17:07

could you make a video?