Curse

LifeInfusion · Feb 20, 2011, 03:30 PM // 15:30

Needs some radiant scythe love here.

WE
14 str, 12 scythe
1 Warrior's Endurance (33s, up to 24 energy)
2 Power attack (+38)
3 Body Blow (+38) --> 7 adrenaline / Brawling Headbutt (7 adrenaline)/Test of Faith (7 adrenaline) = 2 hits from scythe
4 Radiant Scythe (up to +25 damage limited to 24 due to WE, flat +6 energy) / Zealous Sweep for 2 -6 adrenaline gain in one hit
5 Victorious Sweep (+21, 70 heal)
6 Burst of Aggression (12 s duration and recharge and since scythe charges adrenaline fast it's no problem)
7 Counterattack (+33, +6 energy) / Farmer's Scythe (insane energy gain)
8 SY! = 3 hits from scythe

Insignias: Sentinel's
Runes: Sup Vigor, Clarity, Minor Str, Attunement x2
Furious Scythe of Defense

Using the flash enchantments is going to be a huge energy drain most of the time since they are priced with Mysticism, so I'd focus on scythe only.

Without teardowns, your options:
Crippling Victory = 5 adrenaline; 7s cripple, 26 earth damage
Reap Impurities = 5 adrenaline; +13 , 34 holy damage = +47
Chilling Victory = 6 adrenaline ; +13, 26 cold damage
Radiant scythe = 6 adrenaline; up to +24 damage ; +6 energy gain --> limited to +20 if using a warrior with no attunement runes

Victorious Sweep = 5 energy 4 recharge ; +21 and 70 heal
Crippling sweep = 5 energy 6 recharge ; +26 to moving targets, 10s cripple (Bull's Strike is probably better)
Zealous Sweep = 5 energy 10 recharge; +22 and 3energy/adrenaline gain per foe hit
Farmer's scythe = 5 energy 12 recharge or 0 if multi-hit ; +17
Lyssa's Assault = 5 energy 15 recharge; 8s disable --> use a warrior interrupt instead. Distracting strike?

Charging Strike, dropping WE (a bad idea) and going all damage + SY! will get you
14 str, 12 scythe
1 Flail/Primal Rage
2 Charging Strike (+38)/ (swap for other cancel stance using Primal Rage)
3 Body Blow (+38) --> 7 adrenaline = 3 hits or 2 hits under FGJ!
4 Zealous Sweep for 2 -6 adrenaline gain in one hit (4-12 if under FGJ!)
5 SY!/Victorious Sweep (+21, 70 heal) = 3 hits or 2 hits under FGJ!
6 Brawling Headbutt (7 adrenaline) = 3 hits or 2 hits under FGJ!
7 Radiant Scythe (+20 damage and +6 energy to fuel Charging Strike)
8 FGJ!

Furious Scythe of Defense, Zealous Scythe of Defense for swap to get energy for Charging Strike/Victorious Sweep

Sentinel's Insignias + stonefist hands
Sup Vigor, minor str, Clarity, vitae x2

Why Charging Strike? You need a fast recharge cancel stance and it does +38 too. You could use Rush also, but then you can't use scythe elites due to no enchant to teardown every few seconds (your energy won't support it) and the only warrior elite with scythe synergy is WE. You can use Sprint (15 recharge) for the same effect more or less but 15seconds is a long time.

5 energy Dervish skills you can spec into
Earth: Conviction (+10 armor while conditioned, lose1-2 conditions), Armor of Sanctity (Oh no Paladins...), Aura of Thorns (cripple), Vital Boon (+max HP), Fleeting Stability (anti-KD, 25%IMS)
Wind: Grenth's Fingers (transfer 1-2 conditions), Grenth's Grasp [elite] (transfer 1 condition every attack skill, cripples), Natural healing (1sec cast if not enchanted...which is lame because why spec into wind just for this), Pious restoration (use with Grenth's Fingers to remove a hex + heal a bit)

Sidenote
Unlike before ... Mystic sweep + eremite's suck unless you're a Dervish. Mystic sweep's 1 second activation isn't as good now since 1.5sec/attack*.66 from warrior IAS= 1sec/attack = 1 atk/sec.

Test of Faith is very underrated now. You can strip any enchant, except Shadow Form and Spell Breaker, and interrupt 1 spell at will (daze) every few hits if enemies are balled every 5-7 seconds. That's much faster than the 10s recharge of Corrupt Enchantment, which is elite. Given the use of W/D before with rending Touch, I expect test of Faith to see play.

Available condition removal comes from Conviction (up to 2 at 8 spec), Grenth's Fingers (up to 2 at 8 spec), Grenth's Grasp (elite). 10 energy: Guiding Hands (blind only), Harrier's Grasp (cripple + one other).

Available hex removal comes from Pious Restoration (up to 2 at 8 spec, which also gives +117health). This is advisable since with a Clarity rune the only thing really troublesome is long blinds, cripple, weakness. However, you need an enchantment. This is the PvE section and most PvE monks carry cure hex/deny hex while most PvP monks run RC + draw conditions, so I'd bring Conviction if condition removal is needed.

The main benefit of a Warrior over a Dervish used to be the armor boost (100 base armor). The gap has tightened since Dervishes have 70+ 15 (windwalker) +10 (9+1 is moderate mysticism)=95 base armor

Now the main benefit is the ability to have respectable +damage from Power attack, Body blow that the Dervish can only match with a 10+ energy combo from Pious [email protected] (+50, 3 recharge) and 2 of 3 lame flash enchants (Rending Aura/Staggering Force/Dust Cloak) although 5 energy on a warrior is 10 energy on a Dervish. Irresistible sweep @14 = +28 (1 enchant loss) and 6 recharge but it removes a stance. The rest of the scythe attacks gain a few +damage at best.

A Leprechaun · Feb 21, 2011, 10:58 PM // 22:58

- Radiant Scythe
- Chilling Victory
- Whirlwind Attack
- Body Blow
- Onslaught
- Natural Healing
- "Save Yourselves!"
- Sunspear Res Sig

Scythe Mastery - 12
Wind Prayers - 12
Strength - 3+2+1

Onslaught is a beast. Feel free to add any other adrenaline attacks you want. Natural Healing is simply filler, add anything you like, zero energy cost would be better. Onslaught takes up most/all of your energy so you have to stick to adrenaline skills, might be able to use more energy skills if you use a zealous scythe.

- Radiant Scythe
- Chilling Victory
- Whirlwind Attack
- Zealous Sweep
- Vow of Strength
- Drunken Master
- "Save Yourselves!"
- Res Sig

Scythe Mastery - 12
Earth Prayers - 12
Strength - 3+2+1

VoS + Chilling victory = Exploding mobs. Zealous Sweep is pretty handy for energy management and adrenaline gain, but feel free to replace it, maybe Victorious Sweep? Again, feel free to play around with alternatives to Drunken Master.

Just trying things other than Warriors Endurance seeing as we now can.

~A Leprechaun~

LifeInfusion · Feb 22, 2011, 02:32 AM // 02:32

The problem with that is without power attack and body blow, there's no reason to run W/D.

With moderate mysticism and 3 enchants, a Dervish/Warrior has as much armor as a W/D

D/W can spec higher scythe after all and actually use energy attacks w/o WE. Chilling victory isn't going to hit for full damage, since it's cold damage. I'd slot Victorious sweep over Natural Healing though.

I don't run res on a W/ with SY! since with SY! up you're first to die.

Swingline · Feb 24, 2011, 11:22 AM // 11:22

I found there's no real reason to run SY with a group of h/h unless your in SE or one of the harder HM dungeons. I can see Test of Faith seeing play but only for bosses or key mobs that get completely owned by dazed like duncan.

LifeInfusion · Feb 24, 2011, 04:10 PM // 16:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swingline

I found there's no real reason to run SY with a group of h/h unless your in SE or one of the harder HM dungeons. I can see Test of Faith seeing play but only for bosses or key mobs that get completely owned by dazed like duncan.

running SY! means you only need Mhenlo or healer hench at best, provided you have an off-heal like Spirit Light on SoS/SS/Panic/PI mes/Discord heal/etc. That's a tradeoff of 1 skillslot for 1 party slot.

Test of faith is useful against things with enchantments and against long casts (>1s) like Res spells. For 7 adrenaline you could also run Brawling Headbutt, but that doesn't remove enchantments and costs your PVE slot. Brawling Headbutt is better against things without spells but knocking down things without spells isn't as useful usually unless they're using something that is non-spell with >1s cast.

Swingline · Feb 25, 2011, 08:04 AM // 08:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by LifeInfusion

running SY! means you only need Mhenlo or healer hench at best, provided you have an off-heal like Spirit Light on SoS/SS/Panic/PI mes/Discord heal/etc. That's a tradeoff of 1 skillslot for 1 party slot.

Test of faith is useful against things with enchantments and against long casts (>1s) like Res spells. For 7 adrenaline you could also run Brawling Headbutt, but that doesn't remove enchantments and costs your PVE slot. Brawling Headbutt is better against things without spells but knocking down things without spells isn't as useful usually unless they're using something that is non-spell with >1s cast.

Actually the only dedicated healer I ran was Mhenlo. For heroes I used SoS rit with 2 resto heals,SoGM with shadowsong, disenchantment with other spirits that crippled the mobs and a MM with prot spirit and aegis for party support. Spirits and minions soaked up and did most of the damage but allowed me to really f**k shit up without dying from SY! I did use SY for some VQs in tyria but I would immediately start taking all the hate since all my h/h had 100 more armor than me and I would die with full sentinals. All I did was replace SY! with IAU and always made sure I was first one in to take the heat long enough so they could do work. 20 seconds of +24 armor, immunity to cripple and KD is pretty beast. In the end really its all about play style.

I got legendary VQ/protector/guardian and LMotN with h/h before update so Test of Faith just doesnt look all that important to me. Dont get me wrong looks like an amazing skill and im sure it will be used in certain standard pve and/or farming builds but will mostly be run on dervs. Warriors need 14 in Str and 12 in SM to compete with dervs now for dmg. Better off dervs run it since they have more att points to spare for wind prayers.

LifeInfusion · Feb 25, 2011, 11:33 PM // 23:33

You don't need to spec in wind for Test of Faith. It removes an enchant regardless of spec, and the daze as 1s or 3s isn't going to matter because you get 1 interrupt anyway, you only need 3wind for 2s daze, 3s daze is at 8 spec.

as a side not it is a touch spell not a touch skill, so it doesn't remove spellbreaker/shadow form. I corrected my earlier post.

Swingline · Feb 27, 2011, 06:55 AM // 06:55

I actually went and looked up test of faith after I posted but could not correct it because I was called out to MQSC. Looks pretty good but I would rather just run something else since I mostly run enchantment removal and rupts on heroes depending on what Im using or need. Not to mention once 7 heroes come out you will have 4 more skill bars to work with and can bring w/e it is you want. Get rdy for easy mode HM.

A Leprechaun · Mar 03, 2011, 10:42 AM // 10:42

- Radiant Scythe
- Chilling Victory
- Whirlwind Attack
- Thrill of Victory
- Soldier's Stance
- "To the Limit!"
- "Save Yourselves!"
- Sunspear Res Sig

Scythe Mastery - 12
Tactics - 12+2+1

Constant 75% chance to block. Constant 33% IAS. Constant +60hp.
Amazing adrenaline gain from Thrill of Vistory and "To the Limit!" allows you to keep "Save Yourselves!" up most of the time (I only have 5 seconds).
Attacks are solid but feel free to change them:
-Thrill of Victory is brilliant, +40 damage and +2 adrenaline (if foe has less health than you.
-Radiant Scythe is ok damage and helps with energy management.
-Chilling Victory puts up a lot of numbers against large groups.
-Whirlwind attack is solid, again, good fro adrenaline agasint big groups.

~A Leprechaun~

Dusk_ · Mar 06, 2011, 08:05 AM // 08:05

WE seems entirely unnecessary now, unless you have some heavy energy setup (like AoS + EBSoH or something). With Counterattack and Radiant Scythe, you can get plenty of energy back (more than enough to fuel PA).

I've been running:

Power Attack
Body Blow
Counterattack
Radiant Scythe
"I Am The Strongest"
Charging Strike
Flail
"Save Yourselves!"

Sadly, there really aren't that many good skills now, because you really need that + to damage. WE + Farmer's Scythe seems like an option, but between the four above, you're practically spamming those non-stop anyway, especially if you have Dark Aura or Mark of Fury on a hero. The Strength elite choices are almost non-existent, which is disheartening.

Not that it matters so much, now that the 7-hero teams are out now...but whatever, optimal building and all.

Swahnee · Mar 06, 2011, 10:09 AM // 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by A Leprechaun

- Radiant Scythe
- Chilling Victory
- Whirlwind Attack
- Thrill of Victory
- Soldier's Stance
- "To the Limit!"
- "Save Yourselves!"
- Sunspear Res Sig

Scythe Mastery - 12
Tactics - 12+2+1

Constant 75% chance to block. Constant 33% IAS. Constant +60hp.
Amazing adrenaline gain from Thrill of Vistory and "To the Limit!" allows you to keep "Save Yourselves!" up most of the time (I only have 5 seconds).
Attacks are solid but feel free to change them:
-Thrill of Victory is brilliant, +40 damage and +2 adrenaline (if foe has less health than you.
-Radiant Scythe is ok damage and helps with energy management.
-Chilling Victory puts up a lot of numbers against large groups.
-Whirlwind attack is solid, again, good fro adrenaline agasint big groups.

~A Leprechaun~

"Fear Me!". Why not?

A Leprechaun · Mar 07, 2011, 09:57 PM // 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swahnee

"Fear Me!". Why not?

Where would you slot it?

~A Leprechaun~

**Marty Silverblade** · Mar 08, 2011, 04:12 AM // 04:12

Running a rez is something you'd do on a midliner. Now that we've got 7 heroes finding space for them (you won't need more than 3) isn't difficult. I'm not sure "To the Limit!" justifies it's spot either. That said, scythe crits only add 10% more damage rather than 41%, so FM wouldn't necessarily be worthwhile anyway.

Swahnee · Mar 08, 2011, 10:30 AM // 10:30

Oh yes, didn't remember the change to scythes' criticals

Beomagi · Mar 09, 2011, 04:53 PM // 16:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Silverblade

I'm not sure "To the Limit!" justifies it's spot either. That said, scythe crits only add 10% more damage rather than 41%, so FM wouldn't necessarily be worthwhile anyway.

More importantly, A scythe crit is based off Max damage only, and not the range. Damage boost isn't 10% more, but 10% more than MAX, not average.

Chthon · Mar 09, 2011, 08:34 PM // 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beomagi

More importantly, A scythe crit is based off Max damage only, and not the range. Damage boost isn't 10% more, but 10% more than MAX, not average.

Indeed. Overall you're looking at doing ~1.8x as much base damage with a crit over an average non-crit.

A Leprechaun · Mar 10, 2011, 04:59 PM // 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Silverblade

Running a rez is something you'd do on a midliner. Now that we've got 7 heroes finding space for them (you won't need more than 3) isn't difficult. I'm not sure "To the Limit!" justifies it's spot either. That said, scythe crits only add 10% more damage rather than 41%, so FM wouldn't necessarily be worthwhile anyway.

If I find something I'd rather run, I drop the rez. I feel more comfortable with one.
You need a shout for Soldier's Stance, "To the Limit!" fits the bill. It's very easy to keep up, the +60hp can be very handy, and the +6 adrenaline every 15 seconds can be a help when you're team is taking a beating and you need an extra SY! up. Not to mention when you can't hit anything (blind, blocking, etc) and you still need to keep SY! up.

~A Leprechaun~

Konker2020 · Mar 18, 2011, 08:19 PM // 20:19

Personally, I've been running around with:

Chilling Victory
Radiant Scythe
Twin Moon Sweep
Body Blow
Enraging Charge
Flail
Aura of Thorns
Vow of Strength

Strength: 10+1+1
Scythe Mastery: 12
Earth Prayers: 8

I've been considering substituting Enraging Charge and Flail for Ebon Battle Standard of Honor and For Great Justice, but I really haven't found an area where it's necessary yet. Throw on a Zealous Scythe and you literally never run out of energy unless drained of it, and even when that happens, you get it back like nothing. So, keeping up Vow while putting up and tearing down Aura is easy. If energy really becomes a problem, Chilling could be swapped for Zealous Sweep.

yayowars · Mar 19, 2011, 05:19 AM // 05:19

When I get bored and choose to use my scythe I take

Twin Moon Sweep (Triggers the Cracked armor necessary for body blow)
Body Blow (Possible wide spread deep wound)
Radiant Scythe (For energy management)
Staggering Force (Cracked armor FTW of course)
Aura of Thorns (Simple and cheap snare with bleeding)
Save yourselves! (Needs no explanation)
Vow of Strength (Needs no explanation)
I am the Strongest! (Additional damage, could swap with something else)

Strength: 10+2
Scythe Mastery: 10
Earth Prayers: 11

Like I said you could switch off "I am the strongest!" for something else like EBSoH, but that would cause me to use energy during the battle, while "I am the strongest!" can be used WAY before engaging the enemy.

This build is of course not the best, but it is loads of fun IMO. helps to bring a smite monk with SoH.