Curse

SotiCoto · Aug 21, 2007, 02:59 PM // 14:59

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Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver

It would free his slot up for me

I can work with Eles better than Rangers, because I'm more familiar with them...so when it comes to creating builds for Ranger or Elementalist heroes I often find my Ranger's elite slot very interchangeable. That being said, I will often take a Ranger hero to interrupt or spread conditions (especially Daze).

Well there we go.
You like to have a ranger along for interrupts... and I'd sooner have a second fire elementalist for more damage. We each have our preferences.

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Unlike yourself I like to try to take out all heroes to "air them" or "give them a day trip"...even useless Melonni and Zenmai...so I can quite easily have a Ranger in my party.

Interestingly enough... I keep all my heroes kitted out as best I can... all level 20... and including the cost of runes and inscriptions, not to mention whatever weapons are necessary. I keep workable builds on standby for all of them.....
..... and yet I never use most of them. It is basically an "emergency situations only" thing (such as Nightfall quests where they're needed).... or just a money-sink. I don't know to be honest. I only bothered to unlock them all with one character so far: my Assassin. The only other character I have who has got any distance through Nightfall is Lon Zi... as it happens. I got him to the Bone Palace soley so he could get Ancient Armour.... and now I've stopped playing that storyline with him too.

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Nevertheless, Greater Conflageration + Ward against Harm may be beneficial in Hard Mode, I shall have to see...I'd tried using Greater Conflageration, Winter and Mantra of Frost on everyone, but that's just a real nuisance! Not to mention the heroes usually lose a hard res.

I only do the winter thing in two places:
#1. Ring of Fire / Hell's Precipice.... A total no-brainer.
#2. Rilohn Refuge.... Very useful here too.

Anywhere else... Winter is far too much hassle, and stops Mark of Rodgort from working at all (which rather defies the point).
Adding Mantra of Frost onto all that would just be a step too far.
I mean... I sometimes skip out on Mantra of Flame ordinarily if I feel the skill-slot would be better spent doing something else.... or wasn't used properly.

Koss with the sword-build benefits from it the most, ironically... as he has no other effective means of energy management.... and his weapon has 15% while in a stance (and thankfully Mantra of Flame can be kept up constantly).
And if you're wondering.... Koss does get substituted in occasionally... though usually when he is needed for a Nightfall quest or mission.

Floski · Aug 21, 2007, 04:30 PM // 16:30

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Originally Posted by Neriandal Freit

So are the great Water Elementalist able to get into groups now that groups are seeking Searing Flames and Sandstorm teams?

What's the point of water? Deep freeze snare? No spec aoe ok. Blurred vision defense? Let the SS curses necro bring reckless and pump that out on his own. Water eles in PvE are pretty pointless. You don't really offer anything useful another class can't do better. You don't need a whole lot of shut down in PvE. It's just kill fast, don't die, and move on. Even in Hard Mode a curse necro with reckless/price/ss will do far more good than a water ele with snares and blurred. He'll add damage AND defense.

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I can sum up the basis of my argument with 2 more words.
No Defense.

...
You're one of those people in GvG that run blind, blurred, chain, aegis, wards, gale, 2 paragons with danthem and a linebacker, aren't you.

SotiCoto · Aug 21, 2007, 06:34 PM // 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floski

What's the point of water? Deep freeze snare? No spec aoe ok. Blurred vision defense? Let the SS curses necro bring reckless and pump that out on his own. Water eles in PvE are pretty pointless. You don't really offer anything useful another class can't do better. You don't need a whole lot of shut down in PvE. It's just kill fast, don't die, and move on. Even in Hard Mode a curse necro with reckless/price/ss will do far more good than a water ele with snares and blurred. He'll add damage AND defense.

For what it is worth, I've found my Water Elementalist to deal better with some situations than my SS Necro.... and my SS Necro deals better with other situations than my Water Elementalist. I play both quite a lot (otherwise I wouldn't have them both featured in my avatar) and enjoy doing so... so I'm not intending to play comparison games between them.

I'll just say this much: Playing a Water Elementalist when no other will bother brings me a greater satisfaction than playing a Fire Elementalist like all the other sheep would do. If you want to whinge about it being sub-par at the myriad of things it can do... and complain that X team of other classes could do the job of the one Water Elementalist better.... then by all means go ahead, and I certainly won't argue...
But if my playing a Water Elementalist is not only enough to get my character through all three campaigns... but actually good enough to join with a PuG team with some quite incompetant individuals AND actually compensate for their inexperience.... then it is most certainly a viable way to play the game.

Just because you don't understand how I play doesn't make it wrong, nor automatically inferior.

... That said.... BEFORE a certain update in June, my Water Elementalist was able with moderate success to solo-kill groups of plant-life in Vabbi... but due to the nullification of armour skill stacking, I doubt he could do it any more... which IS a disappointment. He can still give the entire team a constantly maintainable +60 armour, slow down groups of enemies by up to 66%, shut down groups of spellcasters..... AND do average (not hugely high, as we all know) damage at the same time..... so no real loss. ^_^