Curse

Roen · Jan 10, 2011, 09:43 PM // 21:43

Okay I searched GWG and found no real answer to this. Maybe this is covered in a guide to playing as a ranger, but I'm curious how viable this idea is and specifically if anybody's done it then could you chime in with a YAY/NAY.

So taking greater conflagration and winter on a ranger. Using an armor set with all frostbound insignias and you're sitting at 70 AR vs phys, 100 AR vs ele, and 115 AR vs cold.

Greater Conflagration turns all phys dmg into ele dmg.
Winter turns all ele dmg into cold dmg.

Now you're sitting at 115 AR vs all but dark, chaos, shadow, holy, and untyped dmg.

Also, considering a team with ele(s) using hydromancer insignias (+20 AR vs cold if I understand correctly), and a mes with mantra of frost gains +2e every time they take cold dmg.

So, is it worthwhile? Fun even? Especially in areas where enemies are particularly more vulnerable to cold damage (vs destroyers for instance)?

It'd be fun to do a splinter/barrage combo hit on a group of destroyers for a crapload of cold damage (using conflagration instead of greater conflagration). Maybe I'll just give it a try myself and see.

Kunder · Jan 10, 2011, 09:51 PM // 21:51

Yeah, it works. Has even been used in a few team builds, its lolenergy and ridiculous damage reduction (everyone in the team brings mantra of frost o/c). As far as party-wide protection goes its on par with SY.

However...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roen

It'd be fun to do a splinter/barrage combo hit on a group of destroyers for a crapload of cold damage. Maybe I'll just give it a try myself and see.

Do keep in mind that splinter/barrage is primarily armor ignoring damage (everything but the base bow damage). This means you don't get all that huge of a damage increase by changing the damage to cold, probably on the order of +3-5 damage per arrow (estimation). You only really see a benefit with casters using spells that are 100% armor-affected. Sadly, even Cold damage isn't really enough for armor-respecting damage to affect high level destroyers effectively, the average destroyer armor is still really high. Cracker armor + Cold damage might work well enough, but at that point you have to consider whether simply bringing armor ignoring damage is better than spending half your team so that 2 eles can be decent (it probably isn't). Because of this, the idea is usually used more as a defense and energy supplier rather then as a basis for exploiting a minor weakness.

Spiritz · Jan 10, 2011, 10:00 PM // 22:00

I think the reason many say take winter vs destroyers is a lot of players play in nm and use fire nukers and sadly the destroyers are very strong against fire - ele foes from uber aoe nuker to matchstick thrower.Winter helps by changing the dmg so the ele can do more dmg than with fire - also they keep the aoe so for a change they are aoe water nukers.

gremlin · Jan 10, 2011, 11:16 PM // 23:16

There is another benefit that was popular a while back.

Using spinal shivers bad guys get interrupted when they take cold damage, so players used to equip themselves with cold weapons.

Full: For 10...34 seconds, whenever target foe is struck for cold damage while using a skill, that foe is interrupted, and you lose 10...6 Energy or Spinal Shivers ends.

The limitation is the necro running out of energy fast at 14 curses you lose 5 energy a time.

Lukyboy · Jan 11, 2011, 08:59 AM // 08:59

Does it work? - Yes
Is it worthwhile? - No, not really
Is it fun? - I'd say no, but that's up to you

It will reduce all damage by quite a bit, but it's a lot easier to use something overpowered like Save Yourselves or a few well placed Prot Spirits.

With the GC/Winter idea, you have to take Rangers, Ele's and/or secondary Mesmers. Half your team and equipment is set in stone, just to reduce some damage. You'd have to consider where to set the spirits for every single mob (not to mention drag 'em around everywhere) and if they get killed, your entire defense is gone. Not exactly what I'd call fun.

The idea (or part of it actually) is used in DoA Frostway though.

Rites · Jan 12, 2011, 03:34 AM // 03:34

last i checked, this was also great against titans..... outside of that, i wouldn't rely on it too much

Deadly addiction · Jan 12, 2011, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Quote:

It will reduce all damage by quite a bit, but it's a lot easier to use something overpowered like Save Yourselves or a few well placed Prot Spirits.

I agree with Lukyboy here. SY! saves you an elite slot, you don't need the mantras and the damage reduction it provides is higher ( around 80%).

Vazze · Jan 12, 2011, 06:34 PM // 18:34

That is how DoA was "cracked" back in 2007 (not sure about the year). At that time the OP shitstorm of SY, SF, SoS, ST, consumables did not exist.