Curse

Killer Frost · Apr 12, 2006, 06:04 PM // 18:04

A week ago, I join a barrage team for the Fissure of Woe for the very first time. Up until then, I had been a long time Tombs UW barrage ranger. I found that FoW was much more enjoyable. Things went smoothly, but I noticed that there were a lot more deaths than someone might find in a Tombs barrage team. The set-up was the same. Most of you know it. Five barrage rangers with pets, one Healer, one Minion Master and one Orders necro.

I highly enjoyed doing barrage in FoW. Over the course of the following days, I tried barrage many more times (it seemed to be much more difficult to find a barrage team in Temple of Ages, though). On several of these trips, the Orders necro left the group (either by choice or by disconnect). I noticed immediately that the group did almost exactly the same without the Orders as it did with the Orders.

I had a thought: could the Orders necro be replaced? I mentioned this to many of the parties' members, and many agreed. Some said a nuker, either ele or SS. Many another ranger, someone said. I suggested a prot monk. A few agreed. I brought this up in many groups afterwards, where the Orders left the group.

Today, I did an experimental group. I received MANY sceptics who left immediately after finding out my plan. Apparently I'm crazy. A barrage team without an Orders necro? Well, it's possible, and I found it to be VERY successful. Significantly more successful than any FoW barrage team I'd been in previously. And it was even more successful than any Tombs group I'd been in.

We brought a protection monk instead of an orders necro. The Minion Master brought blood ritual. We moved through everything with ease. We had completely cleared all of the shadows and all of the skeletons, and had done the first quest in FoW, before we had our first death. Overall, we had a total of three deaths.

I realize that many of you have probably had groups where deaths weren't a problem, but myself and many others I have come across have a problem with death. There were many times in FoW that I would have at least 30% death penalty. In this team, in which there had been only three deaths total, no one exceeded 15%.

It might also be possible that a nuker could come in place of Orders, or even a fifth ranger. But I found a prot monk to be very useful. So try it some time! You might like it.

Note: Just to make something clear, I'm not saying that Orders necros aren't useful nor that teams with Orders necros don't work. All I'm saying is that there's an alternative that you may or may not like better.

Skuld · Apr 12, 2006, 06:13 PM // 18:13

Or just go 7/8

XvArchonvX · Apr 12, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

Since the last orders nerf that kept the effects of Order of Pain and Order of the Vamp from stacking, a prot monk may very well be an effective replacement. However, even though you had success that one time, it may have been due to a number of other factors. Also I was going to ask as to what kind of prot monk you had. Was it a bonder or more of an active prot?

I have to admit, I have only used B/P groups in ToPK, but I'll have to try a FoW run sometime.

Dr. Fire · Apr 12, 2006, 07:58 PM // 19:58

I have done FoW many times with Guildies and the important cog was the Stance Warrior along with his Bonder Monk. Everyone stays back till the stance Warrior agros the monsters to him, then move up and kill them. It didn't matter much what the classes were as long as there was good AoE damage, and a second heal Monk. We pretty much go till we just run out of time and quit. A Barrage team would, however, be fun to try.