Curse

Jeydra · May 25, 2009, 01:00 PM // 13:00

Yes, it's a NM mob and not meant to be hard, which was why I was kinda surprised at how easily the team I ran shattered. I was iffy about the build before I tried since it is 4 melees, which never seemed right ... I think I was almost expecting you or someone to point out that 4 melees don't work before I tried it lol. Regarding the build you ran though you did have a MM, which I think really makes the build different. I can see the teambuild you ran blow through Selve easily.

I think with hindsight that running 4 melee is not only not worth it it is a big liability. If I'm going to try physicalway again, I'll drop the ER Smiter (why bother when you can't put the energy ER gives to use?), run mass Rangers, run Orders, and then perhaps the two Warrior henchmen. So if I try Selve again I might use:

1x ER healer with GDW (<--- I said I can do better than Mhenlo and Lina combined, so why not)
1x Barrage
1x Orders
1x SS (<-- got to duplicate the Barbs / Mark of Pain effect after all)
2x Ranger henchmen (Zho + Aidan)
2x random henchmen (focus on physicals - Devona + Talon both maybe?)

This would pretty much mirror the build you used, except ER lets me run one Monk, while I would have neither AP Mark nor MM.

Let's see how it goes. If you see an obvious problem, point it out now before I try

Moloch Vein · May 25, 2009, 01:15 PM // 13:15

I would suggest that you start by being overly cautious and including at least one monk; which that will be is up to you. I'd probably run Incendiary on the ranger because this facilitates an IAS and heroes use it much better than Barrage. Only bring one warrior henchman, I suggest Talon for higher attack speed and better utility (remember you bring the KD by GDW.) I strongly recommend making the R R/P with some shouts or even possibly (the insanity) going P/R (or R/W for Watch Yourself). If you have Orders and GDW you should really not need to use Barbs or Mark; I'd take an MM instead, or a hybrid Death/Curses - if you really want an SS I'd give the hero Serpent's Quickness.

I was assuming that you were running the ER as ES/Smite/Prot? Also if you can fit it you should really include the Honor ward on your bar.

Xenomortis · May 25, 2009, 01:21 PM // 13:21

You're very confident in your ability to only be running one ER healer, given that the AI for those melee henchmen isn't great. But that's up to you and I'm not going to criticise that as I havn't seen you play and you may indeed, be able to pull it off.

But, I would suggest replacing the Barrage hero for a MM/MB hero. Aidan already has Barrage (though he has Volley too, which seems counter-productive to me).

Edit: Meh, Moloch's advice looks better.

Moloch Vein · May 25, 2009, 01:26 PM // 13:26

The retarded thing is that Barrage + Volley actually isn't such a terrible idea for a hero that isn't microed. Heroes positively suck at spamming Barrage and having a "weak dupe" of the skill makes him more likely to use one or the other.

AtomicMew · May 25, 2009, 05:17 PM // 17:17

Guys, selvetram NM is exceedingly easy with straight up discordway. I don't think discussing H/H builds is going to be productive. It's nearly impossible to argue against discordway for H/H and 4 man.

Even without discord, 2 MM's roll through most of PvE. And since, if you take 2 MMs, you already have 2x specced into death magic and you're already an AP caller.... well.

Seeing as you only have 3 heroes slots in H/H, I just don't think there's enough space to do a decent physway, especially as an AP caller.

Orders takes up 1 space, MM takes up another, and so you're relying on hench to take advantage of buffs.

Melee AI is just not great, and the ranger henchmen has zero util and attacks slow to boot. The BHA hench is decent, but is better for casterway, since it also attacks slow and doesn't take advantage of adren or orders.

Chthon · May 25, 2009, 05:20 PM // 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by traversc

It is NOT all about DPS. The argument is NOT about DPS. A discorder can provide other essential functions, like healing.

I'll try to keep this concise.

1. PvE is all about DPS. Period. DPS is directly correlated to how quickly and efficiently you move through content. Healing is not. Damage prevention is not. Utility is not. Healing is only needed up to the degree that it keeps everyone alive so you can keep doing your DPS at full speed. Any more healing than that is wasteful and should be replaced with more damage. The same is true of every other function your team can perform that is not damage: They are only valuable up to the degree where they increase overall DPS by supporting your ability to do damage more than simply adding more damage skills in their place would increase DPS.

Except for minion builds, discord builds are one-half low damage output paired with one-half poorly-specced non-damage support functions. In a 2+6 discord team, assuming both players are fully dedicated to damage, you're dedicating 5 party slots to damage and 3 party slots to non-damage support. When you see a balanced team try to run 3 monks, what do you tell them? You tell them, "get better monks; you only need two; and use that party slot for more damage." The same goes for discordway. You shouldn't need 1/2 of 6 skillbars for non-damage support. Get yourself two good dedicated healers, splash a couple of support skills here and there on your offensive characters (SY!, EB, etc.), and use the space freed for more damage.

In short: You can do much more damage than discordway. (Even you agree with that now.) Yes, discordway has lots of support in it, but you don't need that much support. You can greatly improve on discordway by removing the unneeded support in favor of more damage.

Quote:

Secondly, I've said THREE TIMES now, that SY! is not a function of running physicalway.... Discordway can run SY! just as well.

Wait a minute. So SY! doesn't count as an advantage for physicalway, since you could also run it on discordway (however awkwardly); but minions, heals, death nova, MoP, and general support do count as an advantage for discordway, even though you could also run them on physicalway? I think you're being hypocritical here.

---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenomortis

What? 10 minions do not come close to the damage done by a single buffed physical. Unless you bring OoU and Bone fiends (which a Discord necro cannot do). You overestimate minions on that front. Either that, or you're bringing some very shit physical players.
20 minions may come a bit closer, but this damage is very spread out and unfocused and is not as useful as a buffed physical player attacking a single target and triggering MoP.

As much as I love minions, I have to admit this is true.

Quote:

I don't think anybody has argued that. What they have argued, is that it isn't so wonderful and that there are stronger options available.

Yes, this is what I've been saying. Discordway is neither terrible, not excellent; it is mediocre; it is "good enough."

Ratson Itamar · May 25, 2009, 06:04 PM // 18:04

If you mean running Discord on 6 heroes than ofc that it's not going to be as efficient as physicals buffed and bumped on steroids. 6 discord copies is just going overboard as a result of being unimaginative. Some of the copies aren't even going to be used, they will get canceled because targets die too fast or heroes being occupied by another spell. I do, however, think that discord in H/H tops every other option. By far.

To the people who compare MB to an imbagon, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Even worse, Imbagon is a human player only build, can't really be compared to a hero build. Even if you would compare any other human support build to an imabgon, it isn't going to be a fair comparison. Imba-gon isn't called like that without a reason.

Moloch, if it hadn't been you I would have laughed at the guy who would've suggested going full para on his necro. The thing is, that I'm so bored with my MoP that I might try it :P

AtomicMew · May 25, 2009, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Cthon:

I have not argued 6x discord is the best option. Half the discords get cancelled, anyway. As Ratson just stated, 6x discord is just unimaginative.

As I have promised, I will not address your other points.

Jeydra · May 26, 2009, 10:36 AM // 10:36

Physicalway vs. Discordway: round 3
Battleground: Selve NM

Less melee-heavy physicalway vs. semi-standard Discordway:

1x ER Heal Elementalist with GDW and Vital Blessing
1x Empathic Removal / MoP / Barbs
1x Orders with Kaolai, Pure was Li Ming, Life
1x Barrage
1x Aidan
1x Zho
1x Talon
1x Hertha

vs. semi-standard Discordway:

1x E/A AP caller
2x N/Rt with Discord
1x VoR Mesmer
1x Hertha
1x Lo Sha
1x Mhenlo
1x Cynn

Result ... for the first time in my tests I managed to clear the area I attempted. Well and good. We did teamwipe twice, although I'm inclined to put that down to inexperience with the build and player error instead of build difference. Otherwise the speed difference wasn't very noticable; I'm quite willing to say there isn't really one too. Some of the mobs the physicals certainly killed more quickly - eg. the Chained Clerics, once I got line of sight (which was a pain). Other mobs semi-standard Discordway killed more quickly - eg. the Stone Summit mob at the start.

... which leads to one serious question.

The physical team I used operated with one dedicated healer. One dedicated healer. There was auxilliary defense in the build but not much. And yet with the 7 offensive characters the killing speed only just matches that of semi-standard Discordway in an area where I couldn't run lots of minions. What would it be against standard Discordway when I can have 20? This does somewhat brushes the edge of reason since we should compare full teambuilds instead of single characters the same way we compare full skill bars instead of a single skill. Still, I get the feeling that I could only do what I did because ANet decided to bless me with Ether Renewal. I'm not sure if anyone other profession can put 7 damage characters into a team.

I must say based only on this run I still favour casterballs as my preferred PvE team setup. To fully resolve the two, I can apply a real test (this one was, after all, NM): put both builds against Duncan HM, which is in my opinion the single toughest H/H'able area. Here I definitely cannot use one healer, I will need two. What will happen? Plan to try -

1x ER Healing Elementalist with GDW (last time I did Duncan HM every single skill on my bar was crucial, so no room for the Vanguard Ward)
1x MM (Minion bomber maybe? Or sturdier minions? Must have Swap + Signet of Sorrow)
1x Orders with Kaolai
1x R/P with Incendiary + Stand Your Ground! (?)
1x Mhenlo
1x Zho
1x Aidan
1x Talon

Look right? Or any suggestions? Right now I'll guess a lack of hex removal might be a problem (Arcane Conundrum ftl), or I could drop Vital Blessing and run the Ward anway (one advantage I haven't noticed till now + nobody seems to have mentioned is that physical characters have higher AL, making protting easier).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenomortis

You're very confident in your ability to only be running one ER healer, given that the AI for those melee henchmen isn't great. But that's up to you and I'm not going to criticise that as I havn't seen you play and you may indeed, be able to pull it off.

You underestimate Ether Renewal ... or you overestimate the area. With a full-out defensive ER bar + my typical casterball setup I'm sure I could've done Selve NM quite simply as a solo healer (this one still had GDW to spam - cost the deaths largely because I was buffing instead of healing). After all, HoS HM was pretty easy with zero secondary healing and next to zero midline defense ...

Xenomortis · May 26, 2009, 12:03 PM // 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

You underestimate Ether Renewal ... or you overestimate the area. With a full-out defensive ER bar + my typical casterball setup I'm sure I could've done Selve NM quite simply as a solo healer (this one still had GDW to spam - cost the deaths largely because I was buffing instead of healing). After all, HoS HM was pretty easy with zero secondary healing and next to zero midline defense ...

Probably I overestimate the area. I don't doubt ER at all, I'm just not very experienced at running it.

maxxfury · May 26, 2009, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Sidenote:

Rebinding the heroes discord's to keys* and hitting them all at the same time along with your AP and YMLAD makes a pretty damn big difference in kill speed. Stuff DOES die faster than letting heores cast it them selves, but ofcourse means they will be using their other skills less, as your been very demanding to the poor fools

*or macro all 5 skills to one button on your g15 or mouse*but thats probably against ToS. So ofc i dont do this! or recomend this!

I find when i use my mes with H&H disco is nice and fast and sustainable, with my monk i prefere to use Roj monks cos jesus beams are pretty :P
Necro, i ran Ap+Mop with paras, and ranged heroes.BOOM!
BUT with War or Ranger(scythe) i get much more effect running bitch heroes to buff me and drop mop's ect and get thru groups faster.

^For general pve play NOT elites or super specialised areas. aka, wandering around.

Recently ive been a little bored and kinda lazy with how i play so that may have an impact on what i run :P

AtomicMew · May 27, 2009, 07:04 PM // 19:04

Another point I'd like to bring up is that physway is so much more often shutdown. I was curious why Moloch brought up taking elite hex removal, because I've always thought that to be a waste.

But I think the reason is, is that physway simply NEEDS more buffing, condition removal and hex removal.

When i tried HoS on my necro for zquest, I rolled through it no problem. When I tried it on my assa, with a typical physway build:

MS/DB + SY!
MM/FF
RoJ/SoH
orders derv
2x healers hench
melee hench
interrupt hench

I could not even complete it. Too much blind, too many hexes.

In fact, most of the time I couldnt even complete a combo let alone put up SY!.

I think people here are simply trying to look at numbers and theorycraft, without actually trying things out.

DPS is not everything.

There is a lot of physical shutdown in PvE and not so much anti-caster, and even if there was, discordway has more minions to absorb it all.

I think for me, the discussion is over. I'm only more convinced now that discordway is the superior build. Sure physway might be able to output more pressure over a long time, but if I needed pressure, I could always play an SS build on my necro.

@Jeydra:

Selve NM is still very fast for discordway, but it is far from an ideal testing ground, since there are multiple healers which favor pressure builds like physway. Discordway/triple necro was never meant for pressure. It was meant to roll through areas with 40 + minions constantly exploding doing more damage than physway could ever hope to acheive.

The Riven · May 27, 2009, 09:51 PM // 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by traversc

I could not even complete it.

In fact, most of the time I couldnt even complete a combo let alone put up SY!.

DPS is not everything.

I'm only more convinced now that discordway is the superior build. Sure physway might be able to output more pressure over a long time, but if I needed pressure, I could always play an SS build on my necro.

I have refused to post here before now as i was sure this was a debate that urgently needed a definitive answer.

I as well as numerous people were expecting moloch and others to post mathematical and definitive answers to what i can only describe as massively important issues to a huge proportion of GW players.

Unfortunately in one post traversc has dispelled any issues and turned this into a troll thread.

If possible can a mod please close this thread?

Carinae · May 27, 2009, 10:34 PM // 22:34

Oh, it's been a troll thread since the OP, I now realize.

He has done everything he can to avoid the analysis: We try to discuss DPS, then he say's it's not about DPS. Instead, it's about rolling over the mob quickly (which is necessarily about DPS).

One points that out and then it becomes about "support". Then one points out that Discordway doesn't have a monopoly on support, any build can have support. Then he says a physical needs more support than can be reasonably given, so I show him how much support I have available. Not good enough, or conversely, I'm a liar.

Then a physical has to use 'attack skills' (oh the humanity) while ignoring the fact that Discord locks in THREE heroes primary professions AND locks them to Death Magic.

Then, a physical is merely spiking down targets, one by one, but Discord, on the other hand....oh wait. And we're lying about how much damage a physical does too, and about how little Discord does. Besides, buffing physicals is lame, everyone knows CASTERS are the uber-damage dealers in GW.

The he says it's the minions baby! Because we all know 40 minions is the new uber-build. Why hasn't anyone considered that before? Man, we're dummies.

Jeydra · May 27, 2009, 10:58 PM // 22:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood

Oh, it's been a troll thread since the OP, I now realize.

He has done everything he can to avoid the analysis: We try to discuss DPS, then he say's it's not about DPS. Instead, it's about rolling over the mob quickly (which is necessarily about DPS).

One points that out and then it becomes about "support". Then one points out that Discordway doesn't have a monopoly on support, any build can have support. Then he says a physical needs more support than can be reasonably given, so I show him how much support I have available. Not good enough, or conversely, I'm a liar.

Then a physical has to use 'attack skills' (oh the humanity) while ignoring the fact that Discord locks in THREE heroes primary professions AND locks them to Death Magic.

Then, a physical is merely spiking down targets, one by one, but Discord, on the other hand....oh wait. And we're lying about how much damage a physical does too, and about how little Discord does. Besides, buffing physicals is lame, everyone knows CASTERS are the uber-damage dealers in GW.

The he says it's the minions baby! Because we all know 40 minions is the new uber-build. Why hasn't anyone considered that before? Man, we're dummies.

I am just curious if you are so convinced physicalway is better why haven't you provided me with a built to try yet?? Don't mention that dual Aegis etc build you posted because I asked you for a H/H version which you haven't given. I've done it, what, 2-3 times, and yet you're happy to argue in the abstract and not stick your head out and say something I can test. Why? Are you afraid I will prove you wrong?

And while I have not kept up with the discussion between you and traversc, I have this to say:

1. It is definitely not all about DPS. Rolling over the mob is great, but if you want maximum DPS and nothing else then you'll run 0 healing, which is of course stupid. What's more, you need stable DPS that works. Having high DPS on a physical but getting Blinded means you deal no DPS. You cannot have a team that has only DPS.

2. Who cares if you need 3 Necros specced in Death? You compare teambuilds, not single characters. You can say "you don't have Aegis", which is of course a valid drawback, but "you have 3 Necros" doesn't cut it at all.

3. Discord does single target damage, but Discord is not the only skill in Discordway. Kind of surprised you haven't noticed that ...

4. How do you run 40 minions if your focus is on physicals? 40 minions forces 4-5-6 Necros all with high spec in Death?

Quote:

Originally Posted by traversc

Selve NM is still very fast for discordway, but it is far from an ideal testing ground, since there are multiple healers which favor pressure builds like physway. Discordway/triple necro was never meant for pressure. It was meant to roll through areas with 40 + minions constantly exploding doing more damage than physway could ever hope to acheive.

Too bad. For a build meant to be usable everywhere, Selve NM is just as valid a testing area as anywhere else.

Snow Bunny · May 27, 2009, 11:05 PM // 23:05

No joke, someone provide a hero build that's better than discordway.

Your personal (human) bar may to be complimentary to it, but the hero bars have to be as effective otherwise.

Otherwise, your shit's weak.

Xenomortis · May 27, 2009, 11:38 PM // 23:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

I am just curious if you are so convinced physicalway is better why haven't you provided me with a built to try yet?? Don't mention that dual Aegis etc build you posted because I asked you for a H/H version which you haven't given. I've done it, what, 2-3 times, and yet you're happy to argue in the abstract and not stick your head out and say something I can test. Why? Are you afraid I will prove you wrong?

Carinae may or may not be referring to a setup posted in another thread. A Dual Aegis build isn't impossible with H/H, but if you only take one hero with Aegis it is only possible with various Factions henchmen or Lina in Prophecies, though I expect you already knew that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snow Bunny

No joke, someone provide a hero build that's better than discordway.

Your personal (human) bar may to be complimentary to it, but the hero bars have to be as effective otherwise.

Otherwise, your shit's weak.

What? Who or what is that supposed to be responding to?

Carinae · May 27, 2009, 11:51 PM // 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood

If you are stuck on a caster primary, with no human-melee available to help, then Discord is a viable (but not awesome) option. But it doesn't out-damage Physway even with 1 human melee.

Ring a bell?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood

How to Win at PvE

Step 1) Find a good human physical player who can run SY. Sin, War or Para. Friend/Guildmate/Alliancemate.

Step 2) Support that player with your necromancer character.

Step 3) Use heroes that further buff Player 1 and/or support the party.

MM
Orders
SoH
Dual Aegis
Dual PS+SB
Tons of hex and condition removal
Enchant Removal

Step 3) Win.

I know you remember this, because you responded:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

Can't run that with H/H. Suggest something?

What you really mean is a caster can't run that with H/H, which is an odd thing to say, given that:

1) I've been quite clear that you need a human melee.
2) The idea of running 2 man Discord has been mentioned in his thread...

As for the build I posted here, it sure looks like a H/H build to me. It seems obvious you could add more players, melee or caster, to it without changing really anything. Throw in an AP/MoP/GDW phys-buffer-slash-caller, throw in more melee, add a human E/Mo Ether-Prot... It's also a balanced build, that doesn't crutch itself on any single skill...ie: nerf-proof.

Melee deal damage, casters support. You can NOT like that fact until the end of time, but it won't change reality. Melee attack faster, don't have aftercast, and can be buffed to a much greater degree than casters. Casters are crap damage dealers in this game, and no amount of sticking your fingers in your ears and going "lalalalalala" is going to change that.

Necromancers are excellent at buffing physicals and supporting the party that's where you need to focus your efforts.

AP/MoP
Orders
Minions

So, going back to my first comment, if you are stuck as a caster with no human-melee available, Discord is an acceptable option. It isn't "great". It works. It's easy. You'd still be better off running a phys-buffer yourself, even with Discord heroes, if for no other reason than you have 20+ minions to trigger AP/MoP...or KD-lock provided by GDWing the sword hench.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenomortis

Carinae may or may not be referring to a setup posted in another thread. A Dual Aegis build isn't impossible with H/H, but if you only take one hero with Aegis it is only possible with various Factions henchmen or Lina in Prophecies, though I expect you already knew that.

ALL Protection henchmen have Aegis, except EotN-Lina.

This brings up another important point. Know exactly what skills the various henchmen have.

The Riven · May 28, 2009, 12:06 AM // 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

I am just curious if you are so convinced physicalway is better why haven't you provided me with a built to try yet??

I'm going to interject here and point out that while a ER build is (and honestly i do believe this) by far the best healer/prot bar that can be run both in NM and HM, its hardly the best at concentrating dmg to a given target, this is and i think always will be a AP nuker, as a focal point of dmg the caller will always have the advantage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

Don't mention that dual Aegis etc build you posted because I asked you for a H/H version which you haven't given. I've done it, what, 2-3 times, and yet you're happy to argue in the abstract and not stick your head out and say something I can test. Why? Are you afraid I will prove you wrong?

This has nothing to do with my argument, again i wont go into the math but i have tested this on both caster and phys primary's, the best i can say is in inconclusive, it truly does depend on the primary of the player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

1. It is definitely not all about DPS. Rolling over the mob is great, but if you want maximum DPS and nothing else then you'll run 0 healing, which is of course stupid. What's more, you need stable DPS that works. Having high DPS on a physical but getting Blinded means you deal no DPS. You cannot have a team that has only DPS.

In most cases a physway build that i would run is not based on either sins warriors or dervs, it is and always will be paragon, the dmg given (already as pointed out is comparable to a discord) is neither weak nor the primary focus of the build

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

2. Who cares if you need 3 Necros specced in Death? You compare teambuilds, not single characters. You can say "you don't have Aegis", which is of course a valid drawback, but "you have 3 Necros" doesn't cut it at all.

Unless your running in either a 4 man or 6 man area the primary attribute shouldn't matter, the simple truth here is that although they might not be speced for the job in hand, SR is an amazing primary, the e-management is just fantastic, its this more than discord that will prove the build to be be more than the component parts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

3. Discord does single target damage, but Discord is not the only skill in Discordway. Kind of surprised you haven't noticed that ...

Discord WILL NOT TARGET A SINGLE FOE.
Even calling a target with a phys main will never cause this to be the case, that does not mean its nonviable, far from it, as has been posted discord is a very viable build, its just not optimal.

deleted a whole bunch of stuff as this postwas starting to ramble

upier · May 28, 2009, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by traversc

Another point I'd like to bring up is that physway is so much more often shutdown. I was curious why Moloch brought up taking elite hex removal, because I've always thought that to be a waste.

But I think the reason is, is that physway simply NEEDS more buffing, condition removal and hex removal.

When i tried HoS on my necro for zquest, I rolled through it no problem. When I tried it on my assa, with a typical physway build:

MS/DB + SY!
MM/FF
RoJ/SoH
orders derv
2x healers hench
melee hench
interrupt hench

I could not even complete it. Too much blind, too many hexes.

In fact, most of the time I couldnt even complete a combo let alone put up SY!.

I think people here are simply trying to look at numbers and theorycraft, without actually trying things out.

DPS is not everything.

There is a lot of physical shutdown in PvE and not so much anti-caster, and even if there was, discordway has more minions to absorb it all.

I think for me, the discussion is over. I'm only more convinced now that discordway is the superior build. Sure physway might be able to output more pressure over a long time, but if I needed pressure, I could always play an SS build on my necro.

I tried Grand Court in HM for ZQuest.
On my AP-CoP mesmer. With a warrior guildy. If I am not mistaken - all heroes, except for Tahky were Discord.
We died at the first wave.
3 times.

Guildy got bored - I switch to my para.
Morgy, Jin, Tahky, Mhenlo, warior, mesmer, paragon hench.
Masters on our first run.

What my experience tells me is that Discord is worse.
Yes?

And you are right - DPS wasn't everything. What mattered more is that my dumbasses weren't losing half their HP in one hit, despite the team having multiple PSs. The simple fact that (most of) your most moronic party members come with 100AL is seriously good.

(And regarding your physical build - it's iffy at best. When you look at it - it's pretty much just you doing the damage. So no wonder your party was trashed if the foes shut you down.)