Curse

Akisai · Sep 01, 2011, 03:17 AM // 03:17

Just came back to GW after a hiatus of 3+ years. Looking to get some HoM rewards for upcoming GW2 along with experiencing a lot of content I missed out. Currently I have a 20 Monk that just finished prophecies. Should I continue with my monk regardless of the "decline" in the need of a monk? (People favouring Rits now?) or should I start a new character, preferably one that can easily blaze through missions with a solid hero line-up?

I don't think completing factions, nightfall, and EotN is going to be fun healing 7 other AIs...

Perilay Elkhorn · Sep 01, 2011, 05:03 AM // 05:03

Try smiting

I am doing it with my monk and am getting there. Smiting is fun and with 7 hero party's you dont need to heal anyone really anymore

Chocolate_Prayers · Sep 01, 2011, 05:10 AM // 05:10

Nowadays your primary profession doesn't count for much in pve (aside from speedclear runs and elite areas and the like). There are plenty of builds like Discord and Mes Spike where all you'll essentially need to do is hold W down and win at PvE.

That being said, my main char is a Monk, with any 7 Hero setups you won't really be grouping up with other players so you can run what you like.

Akisai · Sep 01, 2011, 05:49 AM // 05:49

Ah, I guess the main profession is moot then...

I am definitely not having fun healing AIs... so, I guess Perilay is on track with the smite? Is it any fun? Do you have a build you can recommend me? I think I might just make a new character... healing is extremely boring when I'm trying to finish up missions with AIs... hehe

cataphract · Sep 01, 2011, 06:39 AM // 06:39

If healing is boring - go prot. For smiting use RoJ/Arcane Echo or AP builds.

turbo234 · Sep 01, 2011, 08:48 AM // 08:48

there's nothing wrong with healing in pve, it's just most people nowadays can roll their face across the keyboard and still win.

Fate Crusher · Sep 01, 2011, 11:25 AM // 11:25

Jesus beams? Yeah, smiting is a spectacle ^^

See: Ray of Judgement. Echo that and bring some party supports, maybe even bring 2 extra RoJ monks for even more facerolling.

Just to be safe, consider panic mesmer heroes as well as some CC/slows.

The only way I find healing/protting heroes fun is when you make it challenging. Take an old boon prot build and bring Life Sheath. make only a 2 back line so you're all offense and then it all becomes a gamble of the pull. ^^

LifeInfusion · Sep 01, 2011, 02:15 PM // 14:15

If you're patient, just doing zaishen missions/bounty/vanquish will get you pretty far.

Akisai · Sep 01, 2011, 07:19 PM // 19:19

Thanks for all your replies guys! I think I will stick with my monk and do some "jesus beams"...! I do enjoy healing/protting back then, but usually only in challenging organized team settings... not with AIs.

@LifeInfusion What do you mean getting far with zaishen missions/bounties/vanquish?

I've been away for so long I really don't know how things have changed and it's VERY confusing, heh. I don't have all elite skills either, I have maybe 2-3... and all these new PvE only skills too... got none. Should I finish Nightfall first or EotN for the PvE skills?

And is it possible to make a decent PvE rolling hero team with limited heroes? I'm so lost with this new hero system. I only have 1 necromancer and no rits so I'm not sure how I'm gonna go about that...

Tharg · Sep 01, 2011, 07:27 PM // 19:27

I found that the key is to get the 3 necto heroes and cap Discord as soon as possible. Check out Wiki how to do that. Olias is quite easy to get, Livia is in EotN and Whispers in Nightfall. Then cap Discord in Factions. The PvE skills you need are in EotN. It will take you some investment in time and effort but once you have this, you can do anything. Then later pick up the other heroes and elite skills. Good luck.

Asia Skyly · Sep 01, 2011, 08:22 PM // 20:22

I recently finished God Walking Among Mere Mortals on my monk. There are several advantages to playing a monk.

For once, you can always get into a party. Things like the daily Zaishen (Mission, Bounty and Vanquish) are always looking for a monk.

In addition, playing solo with a smiting monk is actually pretty effective and quick! You will rely on your heroes for support, but that would be the same with almost any profession.

Lastly, you are playing a Prophecies monk. In many ways, Prophecies is the longest most time consuming campaign. You already completed that part on your monk!

Do not doubt yourself, you made a solid choice.

LifeInfusion · Sep 01, 2011, 08:31 PM // 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akisai

@LifeInfusion What do you mean getting far with zaishen missions/bounties/vanquish?

I've been away for so long I really don't know how things have changed and it's VERY confusing, heh. I don't have all elite skills either, I have maybe 2-3... and all these new PvE only skills too... got none. Should I finish Nightfall first or EotN for the PvE skills?

And is it possible to make a decent PvE rolling hero team with limited heroes? I'm so lost with this new hero system. I only have 1 necromancer and no rits so I'm not sure how I'm gonna go about that...

I mean I did all the Zaishen bounties/missions with my monk to get titles (http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Daily_activities). I never heroed anything with my monk that was a mission/vanquish/dungeon because my monk has crappy hero equipment unlike my other (damage dealing) characters. I maxed my dwarf reputation this way and also got Legendary Guardian this way. If you're a monk you will have an easier time doing the zaishen stuff (ZM=zaishen Mission, ZB=zaishen Bounty, ZV=Zaishen Vanquish)

As a monk: buy Protective Spirit, Aegis (best thing in PVE versus mass melee), Patient Spirit (use a weapon without of enchanting when you cast it), Seed of Life (PVE skill that you need as monk, other ones are optional more or less), Shield of Absorption.

There's only a few elites you want for parties:
* Unyielding Aura (UA is often-requested for random groups that you can't rely on for fast kills of mobs) ... use this with Divine Healing + Heaven's Delight otherwise it is a mediocre skill (P.S. UA works with Dismiss Condition, Shielding Hands , but Gift of Health @8 or 9 healing and 9 or 10 prot is good)
* Healing Burst
* Word of Healing
- Healer's Boon is often requested but personally I think it is garbage (and Ethereal Light is lame so don't use that with Healer's Boon). The only time it is decent is if you arcane mimicry UA and use UA+HB together on one monk, and that's just to pump Dwayna's Kiss and Auspicious Incantation-->Heal Party. So it's 4 skillslots (UA+HB+Auspicious Incantation+Heal Party+"D-Kiss").

The game hasn't changed much in terms of monking:

> Healing breeze, orison, glimmer of light, heal other, jamei's gaze still suck. LoD got knocked off it's go-to status due to recharge, heal decrease, + healing burst buff.

> Use Healing Burst + Shield of Absorption+ Protective spirit and you'll be better than most monks (there's a burst hero http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:Mo/Me_Healing_Burst_Hero)

> Use UA + Divine Healing + Heaven's Delight and you'll be an okay monk (won't be much better than a hero http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:Mo/Me_Unyielding_Aura_Healer)

> Slap shield of absorption/ seed of life on people that are taking consistent damage (Dervishes especially)

> Use Aegis when there's melee attacking the party.

> Use cure hex only as a removal for important hexes or as a heal for when power heal is down (Word of Healing, Healing Burst)

> Draw conditions is much less powerful than foul feast

Sample builds:
12+1+1 Heal, 9+1 Divine Favor, 9+1 Protection prayers
Healing Burst, Dwayna's kiss, seed of life , Shield of Absorption, protective spirit, aegis, cure hex, Draw conditions (use for blinded melee)
--> use enchanting mod

11+1+1 Heal, 11+1 Divine Favor, 8+1 Protection prayers
Healing Burst, Dwayna's kiss, seed of life , Selfless Spirit/Signet of Rejuvenation, protective spirit, aegis, cure hex, Draw conditions (use for blinded melee)
--> use enchanting mod

12+1+1 Heal, 9+1 Divine Favor, 9+1 protection prayers
Word of Healing, Dwayna's kiss, seed of life , Shield of Absorption, protective spirit, aegis, cure hex/holy veil, Draw conditions (use for blinded melee)
--> use enchanting mod
--> also can try http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:Mo/any_WoH_Hybrid

12+1+3 DF (swap to 1+1 hat once UA is up) , 11+1 heal, 6+1 prot
UA, Divine healing, heaven's delight, dwayna's kiss, patient spirit, protective spirit (use sparingly), cure hex/deny hexes, seed of life

If the other monk is running patient spirit and hex removal, use this:
12+1+3 DF (swap to 1+1 hat once UA is up) , 9+1 heal, 9+1 prot
UA, Divine healing, heaven's delight, gift of health, dismiss condition (blind removal), seed of life, protective spirit/aegis, shield of absorption
--> use blessed insignias
--> use enchanting mod ; this is better than the previous UA build ...especially if you have elementalists and dervishes in the team so you don't need to put enchantments up for dismiss condition

With UA, you absolutely need to have energy swaps (+15energy/-1 energy regen wand or focus to switch to when you run low). I don't believe in Signet of Rejuvenation on a UA monk.

IMO Healing Burst is the best thing to run since it's flexible.

Chocolate_Prayers · Sep 03, 2011, 03:12 AM // 03:12

in the end it all comes down to preference. imo try a bunch of builds, find which you like best and stick with it.

Plutoman · Sep 03, 2011, 04:26 AM // 04:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tharg

I found that the key is to get the 3 necto heroes and cap Discord as soon as possible. Check out Wiki how to do that. Olias is quite easy to get, Livia is in EotN and Whispers in Nightfall. Then cap Discord in Factions. The PvE skills you need are in EotN. It will take you some investment in time and effort but once you have this, you can do anything. Then later pick up the other heroes and elite skills. Good luck.

Eww.

Honestly, the profession isn't key, but what you enjoy, is key. You already have that advice, so to heroes... With the heroes, there's quite a few good hero teams out there - check out these forums and gwpvx for examples. You don't need to just stick discord teams together, but be a bit creative - it's a long journey to GWAMM, have some fun and put some stuff of your own together, and then see how it works.

Looking at the builds can give you single heroes, or ideas for both heroes and teams, and you can put some ideas together and have some fun. My two cents.

As far as getting heroes, going through NF, and EoTN, will give you pretty much all of them. Just play through and figure that out as you go. The few outside those two campaigns, you can hit the wiki for and get them quickly (as said, Olias is pretty easy to get). Once you've finished up all the NM stuff, you'll have the heroes to hit up HM.

FoxBat · Sep 03, 2011, 05:39 AM // 05:39

Are you heading for 30/50 or 50/50?

If the former, campaigns are pretty short, and monks can still do elite groups for cash for your HoM.

If the latter, save yourself some sanity and roll something else.

Spamming AP + PvE stuff is going to get old really fast. And that is what you will be reduced to with all that godawful drudgerous vanquishing. Healing 7 AIs does suck and so does monk nuking. At lease eles can fit lightning orb onto their AP bar...

javadown3 · Sep 03, 2011, 06:24 AM // 06:24

I personally don't even use monk heroes. I run three necros with Discord elites and 2 with resto/rit skills and one with monk/prot skills..one has MoP and all three necros can raise some sort of minions...then run a panic mesmer and a SoS rit with secondery resto heals...finish off the line up with a hunter with Barrage elite for splinter weapon/mop devistation! I rarely die but some areas might not be minion friendly...so be prepared to change some skills around on heros. Since your just starting again I guess you might not have access to all these elites and heros...just make your way through and in no time you will be dialed in! Good luck and have fun!

A monk or any toon is fine to play..just do what is most fun for you. The only downside is that you might need the 7 sets of armors..which gets pretty spendy..so figuring out how to make some gold/ectos might prove pretty difficult with just one toon to farm with.

I would suggest finishing Nightfall for the heroes, but Factions is a must because of some great elites there.

khezial tahr · Sep 03, 2011, 11:51 AM // 11:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxBat

Are you heading for 30/50 or 50/50?

If the former, campaigns are pretty short, and monks can still do elite groups for cash for your HoM.

If the latter, save yourself some sanity and roll something else.

Spamming AP + PvE stuff is going to get old really fast. And that is what you will be reduced to with all that godawful drudgerous vanquishing. Healing 7 AIs does suck and so does monk nuking. At lease eles can fit lightning orb onto their AP bar...

I'm going for 50/50 on my monk. No problems at all so far. The only reason I have AP is for skill hunter title. All of that leads me to wonder what makes you think it's so hard to do.

Mashiyu · Sep 03, 2011, 09:04 PM // 21:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxBat

Are you heading for 30/50 or 50/50?

If the former, campaigns are pretty short, and monks can still do elite groups for cash for your HoM.

If the latter, save yourself some sanity and roll something else.

Spamming AP + PvE stuff is going to get old really fast. And that is what you will be reduced to with all that godawful drudgerous vanquishing. Healing 7 AIs does suck and so does monk nuking. At lease eles can fit lightning orb onto their AP bar...

First of all, HoM is account based, not character based (although I can see the point in maxing all titles on one character for GWAMM).

Then, nobody forces you to play AP all the time. Vanquishing isn't that hard after all so use different builds:
AP-PvE Spammer/Heal/Prot
"Normal" heal/prot
SoS
Ursan
Melee with SoH (e.g. Mo/A: Golden Lotus Strike, Wild Strike, Lotus Strike, Death Blossom, Flashing Blades {E}, SoH, 2 Utility/PvE/Selfheal)

Nobody forbids you to have some fun while vanquishing...

**cosyfiep** · Sep 13, 2011, 09:56 AM // 09:56

my monk is one of my mains---he currently is working on gwamm (needs to finish vanquishing for it).....so no problems doing anything with a monk.

cataphract · Sep 13, 2011, 01:39 PM // 13:39

My monk is my main which means she had to get her titles the hardest way possible - she was maxing them as they became available. Vanquishing without imba EotN PvE skills was a lot harder but at the same time much more challenging and fun compared to vanquishing with my other characters. Monks ftw.