Curse

Zinger314 · Sep 04, 2006, 03:28 AM // 03:28

As you know, Dervishes were the main focus of the Nightfall PvP Event. As a result, Paragons were underappreciated. However, that's going to change.

Paragons, while they may be notable for their Spears, are much more notable for their protection.

Paragons have a skill tree entirely devoted to Protection and Healing: Motivation. That tree alone can make a group incredibly resilient. However, there's one build that not only halves damage, but also deals massive burning damage.

When these two builds are combined, the group (and all its allies!) become nearly invincible.

Build #1: Motivation Paragon

P/W

Motivation: 16
Command: 9
Spear Mastery: 9
Leadership: 8
Tactics: 0 (This is very important)

#1 - Signet of Synergy -Heals target other ally for 104, and if you are not under an enchantment, heals you for 104. 1s 10r
#2 - Mending Refrain - Target Ally gets +4 HP Regen for 20 seconds. This re-applies when a shout or Chant ends. 1s 8r
#3 - Finale of Restoration - For 37 Seconds, Target ally is healed 79 when a shout or chant ends on them. 5e 1s 10r
#4 - "Watch Yourself!" - All allies in Earshot gain +20 armor for 5 seconds. 4a
#5 - Anthem of Flame - For 10 seconds, allies in earshot's next attack skill causes burning for 2 seconds. 5e 1s 10r
#6 - Ballad of Restoration - For 10 seconds, when an ally in earshot is it with an attack, that ally is healed for 94. 10e 1s 20r
#7 - "Incoming!" (Elite) - For 4 seconds, allies in earshot recieve 32% less damage. - 5e 20r
#8 - Ressurection Signet

Your primary recourse is Mending Refrain (Echo Mending FTW), which can give everyone a +4 Regen. With Anthem of Flame (only Anthem where duration = recharge), you can keep Mending Refrain up indefinately, which alone is very powerful. However, Finale of Restoration, combined with short-duration shouts such as "Incoming!" and "Watch Yourself!" (hence the reason for the 0 Tactics,) you can end up healing a LOT of damage very quickly. Ballad of Restoration and Signet of Synergy are more specific, yet powerful heals.

Build #2: ToF Paragon

P/N

Leadership: 16
Spear Mastery: 11
Command: 9

#1 - Burning Refrain - For 20 seconds, if target ally hits a foe with more Health than that ally, that foe is set on fire for 3 seconds. This Echo is reapplied every time a Chant or Shout ends on that ally. 5e 1s 10r
#2 - Blazing Finale - For 37 seconds, whenever a Chant or Shout ends on target ally, all foes adjacent to that ally are set on fire for 3 seconds. 5e 1s 8r
#3 - "They're on Fire!" - For 20 seconds, allies within earshot take 53% less damage from foes suffering from Burning. 5e 20r
#4 - Cautery Signet (Elite) - All party members lose all Conditions. You are set on Fire for 1 second for each Condition removed in this way. 2c 15r
#5 - Plague Sending - Sacrifice 10% maximum Health. Transfer one negative Condition and its remaining duration from yourself to target foe and all adjacent foes. 10e 1s 5r
#6 - Glowing Signet - If target foe is Burning, you gain 16 Energy.
#7 - Anthem of Flame -For 10 seconds, allies in earshot's next attack skill causes burning for 2 seconds. 5e 1s 10r
#8 - Ressurection Signet

(I'll be the first to coin "ToF Paragon"

)

The purpose of this build is to keep your Enemies burning, so that "They're on Fire!" can reduce a load of damage (53% at 16 Leadership). As with the previous build, Anthem of Flame can be used to keep Burning Refrain up indefinately. Blazing Finale offers more oppertunities for massive burnage. Cautery Signet + Plague Sending is just an evil combo. Glowing Signet is obvious. Also, the only reason the build takes out some of Spear Mastery for Command is only for the shield.

As you can see, the first build primarily focuses on Motivation, while the other focuses on Leadership. Therefore...they can be combined easily (although you may want to change the Anthem of Flame in the first build to an Aria).

And the results are astonishing.

Blazing Finale and Finale of Restoration will proc very many times, due to all the shouts. While you have constant +4 Regen and 53% Damage Reduction. Your team would take little damage, while you are capable of healing vast amounts.

These builds are definately unfinished. Paragons are owed 9 Elites by the time Nightfalls releases. I hope for a Motivation-based Healing shout and a Burning shout.

Dervishes aren't the ones to fear: It's the Paragons.

TheMosesPHD · Sep 04, 2006, 04:39 AM // 04:39

O.o I'm too lazy to look up all those skills on guildwiki.org

Zinger314 · Sep 04, 2006, 04:50 AM // 04:50

Ask and ye shall receive.

Sol_Vie · Sep 04, 2006, 04:51 AM // 04:51

That looks real solid. And I'm glad someone's finally seeing how good the Paragon can be. Over that PvP weekend I favored them considerably more than the Dervish.

Terra Xin · Sep 04, 2006, 08:35 AM // 08:35

I'd rather wait until they've set their skills in stone before taking a good look at this build. Gee, it would look as though it could put Rits out of business...

Cynn Evennia · Sep 04, 2006, 10:20 AM // 10:20

I too found the Paragon more impressive and fearful than the dervish: energy gain as primary attribute, 80 armor + shield, one hand ranged attack similar to short bow, unremovable chants and adrenaline skills, protection and self heals, conditions and interruptions. Wow, just wow! You have a prot monk with warriors armor and the lethal skills of a ranger without even mentioning the secondary!

Even as a seconday the paragon is a promising profession, but maybe it will not be the standard choice for monks, as Mo/Rt was not an amazing build in factions, since the energy management demands mesmer inspiration in general, at least Inspired/revealed hex for me.

Im afraid ANET will nerf the dervish to the level of an assassin and the uber Paragon will remain untouchable. I have nothing against the paragon (at least not if they are on my side

), i just think that he is overpowered. Nevertheless id love to see both new profession as powerful as ithey can be with an extra makeup on the old classes to keep up instead of going backwards and nerfing ad nauseam.

Quid Pro Quo · Sep 04, 2006, 10:55 AM // 10:55

The Dervish are definetly not very impressive when compared with the Paragon.

Paragons are just incredible and since they stealthed under all the attention they will probably end up pretty powerful when the game is released while the Dervish enchanment exploits will be nerfed allowing for the true Dervish purpouse to rise, kicking ass in large group with scythe while not doing so great on single powerful enemies. If it weren't for the enchantment builds that were exploited the Dervish would be a perfectly balanced class that would probably be the middle ground of Warriors and Sins. Dervish can heal fairly well putting them above Sins in taking damage but way under Warriors (Warriors are pretty much untouchable which is why they can farm so well) they can attack lots of foes for a decent ammount of damage (no where near a ele nuke but still good) which puts them above Warriors but Sins could still deal out more in bursts.

Paragons on the otherhand have decent armor, very powerful healing and support abilities and can still deal out pretty decent ammount of damage. I expect Paragons to end up being nerfed more after the release of Nightfall.

Renegade26 · Sep 04, 2006, 01:41 PM // 13:41

Can't wait for Barrage ranger/ Adrenaline Paragon builds. Spamming crippling anthem and Barrage for mass cripple? Sounds like a new ViM tactic to me.

Zinger314 · Sep 04, 2006, 03:03 PM // 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renegade26

Can't wait for Barrage ranger/ Adrenaline Paragon builds. Spamming crippling anthem and Barrage for mass cripple? Sounds like a new ViM tactic to me.

That doesn't work. Crippling Anthem would only affect 1 Arrow of Barrage.

Renegade26 · Sep 04, 2006, 03:11 PM // 15:11

omg, that really sucks then. Oh well, I can use it lots, twice per barrage if I get 4 targets average.

Yanman.be · Sep 04, 2006, 03:14 PM // 15:14

IMO: In degen builds: "It's just a flesh wound" + Plaguesending for easy aoe deep wound.

Zinger314 · Sep 04, 2006, 03:16 PM // 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yanman.be

IMO: In degen builsd: "It's just a flesh wound" + Plaguesending for easy aoe deep wound.

C Signet is better since the burning causes a very long Damage reduction from ToF.

Flesh Wound may be better in PvP, I agree, but the purpose of the build is burn, burn, burn.

Spura · Sep 04, 2006, 03:31 PM // 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

Build #2: ToF Paragon

P/N

Leadership: 16
Spear Mastery: 13

#1 - Burning Refrain - For 20 seconds, if target ally hits a foe with more Health than that ally, that foe is set on fire for 3 seconds. This Echo is reapplied every time a Chant or Shout ends on that ally. 5e 1s 10r
#2 - Blazing Finale - For 37 seconds, whenever a Chant or Shout ends on target ally, all foes adjacent to that ally are set on fire for 3 seconds. 5e 1s 8r
#3 - "They're on Fire!" - For 20 seconds, allies within earshot take 53% less damage from foes suffering from Burning. 5e 20r
#4 - Cautery Signet (Elite) - All party members lose all Conditions. You are set on Fire for 1 second for each Condition removed in this way. 2c 15r
#5 - Plague Sending - Sacrifice 10% maximum Health. Transfer one negative Condition and its remaining duration from yourself to target foe and all adjacent foes. 10e 1s 5r
#6 - Blazing Spear - If this attack hits, it deals +27 damage and sets target foe on fire for 3 seconds. 7a
#7 - Anthem of Flame -For 10 seconds, allies in earshot's next attack skill causes burning for 2 seconds. 5e 1s 10r
#8 - Ressurection Signet

(I'll be the first to coin "ToF Paragon"

)

The purpose of this build is to keep your Enemies burning, so that "They're on Fire!" can reduce a load of damage (53% at 16 Leadership). As with the previous build, Anthem of Flame can be used to keep Burning Refrain up indefinately. Blazing Finale and Blazing Spear offer more oppertunities for massive burnage. Cautery Signet + Plague Sending is just an evil combo.

Yes the They are on fire has been noticed because of its powerful damage reduction abilities. However it is more on paper then on the field.

In pvp the use of extinguish will make the opposing team have an additional heal party.

I can see this working in pve where you can close off enemy into some corridor with tanks. But generally burning refrain won't work after a few hits, anthem of flame works just with attackers and that leaves you with blazing finale. You should also note that this kind of setup requires extreme coordination from the team. People will have to call when non-renewable echos fall off and the whole team will have to stay inside shout radius, which is now back to being less than agro radius. Also non-renewing echos alone will drain most of 2 pips of regen so I think second character could use glowing signet instead of anthem of flame. Use it after blazing spear.

I doubt you can pull this off without really good team. I think ritualists with Ritual Lord and communing spirits and one with recuperation and preservation would do about as well in most situations while also keeping the radius of effects much wider. Something like shadowsong reduces damage from attackers about 90%. And recuperation with +3 regen with preservation and some manual heals would do better than motivation paragon IMO. At least in pve.

Spura · Sep 04, 2006, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynn Evennia

I too found the Paragon more impressive and fearful than the dervish: energy gain as primary attribute, 80 armor + shield, one hand ranged attack similar to short bow, unremovable chants and adrenaline skills, protection and self heals, conditions and interruptions. Wow, just wow! You have a prot monk with warriors armor and the lethal skills of a ranger without even mentioning the secondary!

You are severly delusional.

- You only have 8 skill slots. There is no way you can cram that in there and any secondary skills.
- You can't have all attributes maxed. So if you wanna hit like ranger, then you can't heal that well.
- 2 energy regen
- prot monk? Here are prot skills: Angelic Protection(crap Spirit Bond), Angelic Bond(crap Life Barrier), Defensive Anthem(Aegis on 2 en pip character) and "It's just a flesh wound"(crap Restore Conditions)
Everything else is heal. So 4 prot skills spread across 3 attributes makes it a prot monk in your opinion. Protective Spirit is about 10 times more versatile and powerful than anything paragon has, which makes him a shadow of what a prot monk is. He is however a good copy of heal party spammer.

Ranger has this liek powerful traps and he can shoot powerful bow and also has a pet tank that has skills as powerful as a warrior!!!111oneeleventy

Skuld · Sep 04, 2006, 03:40 PM // 15:40

Listing 2 energy regen on a paragon is like saying necromancers have only 4 regen.

BahamutKaiser · Sep 04, 2006, 03:56 PM // 15:56

I think the blazing spear is a bit excessive, with this many burning skills the paragon woln't need a burning spear, it may help them keep burning on one enemy when it momentarily extinguishes from all the other skills, but it cannot be used with the other skills, so it would be very good to switch that to another effect like bleeding or interrupt which can be used to add even more damage on top of the burning instead of overlaping with an effect you are gaining from several skills including skills which add burning to your next "Attack Skill".

I think this simply expounds the importance of some significant shout counters, I think a Ranger spirit which suppresses or reduces the duration of shouts would be a great counter, although something like a mesmer version of desectrate enchantment, but for shouts, would be a good counter as well.

Zinger314 · Sep 04, 2006, 04:11 PM // 16:11

Quote: