Curse

Harry_Pothead6009 · Aug 22, 2007, 09:56 AM // 09:56

I just did the nightfall campaign up to the mouth of torment, and the skills that I've gotten access to have improved my build immensely IMO.

Here's what my build has evolved into currently:

Sword--14
Strength--10
Fire Magic/Smite--9

Enraging Charge
Flail (I didn't want to wait till the mouth of torment to get this skill so I capped it off a boss in Kourna)
Sever Artery
Gash
Dragon Slash
Whirlwind Attack (at sunspear 6 currently)
For Great Justice
Conjure Fire/Strength of Honor

I put strength at 10 because that's the point at which enraging charge gives 3 strikes of adren. That allows me to begin flail after my first hit. Also, with FGJed enraging charge I can begin a a dragon slash chain or dragon slash/whirlwind chain after 3 hits, more if I stop to sever and gash.

So here are my questions/issues:

1. Conjure. I started a thread about this before. Although its stated damage at 9 in fire is +16, at this point it rarely does more than 10 due to the armor of the enemies I'm fighting--and I havent done any hard mode yet. Even against casters conjure only does around 11 or 12. Strength of Honor at at 9 in smite does an armor-ignoring +10. Before I got nightfall skills I had an energy-intensive skillbar where the -1regen from SoH wasn't an option. My current build uses almost no energy--just enraging charge and FGJ. SoH vs Conjure aside, I still use a fire weapon because my ele hero uses mark of rogdort, and warrior mobs are still more common than ranger mobs.

2. Whirlwind attack. It's great when the mobs are clumped, but in my experience often by the time the adrenaline builds up for the skill, the mobs have already scattered about. Also, has anyone else noticed that the attack seems to go slow, almost like the global cooldown after spells?

3. Purge Sig. I hate hexes. Especially faintheartedness (I thought I had my fill of that bull in ascalon, but it's made a comeback in the late nightfall campaign). Because I open with enraging/flail, I'm frequently a target of hexes. Now that mob armor has increased to the point where SoH is looking like a viable alternative to conjure, the monk secondary opened up the option for purge sig. It's great on my build because my staple skills are adrenal anyway (this is another reason I love flail compared to tiger and berserker), and it doesnt require me to put points in prot or healing to be useful. The problem is, aside from its 2 second activation time, finding a place for it on my bar. I've been replacing whirlwind attack so far.
I capped divert hexes and frequently use a bigtime anti-hex build on dunkoro (divert hexes, convert hexes, deny hexes w/ 2 long-recharge DF skills). Have you put up anti-hex builds on your heroes and found that to be enough? But if I can take care of my hexes with just purge sig, that could open up the dunkoro's hero slot for a dps class. Also, in a full human group I dont have dunkoro, and I've never seen anti-hex human player monks in pve.

Darkpower Alchemist · Aug 23, 2007, 10:55 PM // 22:55

Well, this is an interesting development. Heavy hexing is considered anything above 3 hexes. Being hexed down is a bother and if this is happening to you, your monk is normally responsible for removing the hexes as best he/she/it can. If your hero monk is part of your 4 man group, which it should always be as follows,imo:

1)Monk (2) Melee (3) Necromancer (4) Elementalist

This basic 4 changes slightly depending on your character and possible mission/quest needs. Since you're melee, you always should have a customized monk. Face facts-henchies do blind healing, little condition removal and no hex removal at all. That makes the 2 hench healers unable to be ever considered as anything more than "Red bars go up!" type monks. Your custom monk should be protection/div fav/healing according to the bar. DF/Protection according to majority attributes. Let me elaborate.

[skill]Protective Spirit[/skill][skill]Reversal of Fortune[/skill][skill]Dismiss Condition[/skill][skill]Reverse Hex[/skill][skill]Zealous Benediction[/skill][skill]Aegis[/skill][skill]Glyph of Lesser Energy[/skill][skill]Resurrection Chant[/skill]

This is a normal PvE hero monk protection bar. This should alter if the area you're in is hex heavy. An alternate bar is:

[skill]Protective Spirit[/skill][skill]Reversal of Fortune[/skill][skill]Shield of Absorption[/skill][skill]Deny Hexes[/skill][skill]Blessed Light[/skill][skill]Aegis[/skill][skill]Glyph of Lesser Energy[/skill][skill]Resurrection Chant[/skill]

In any event, the warrior has a job to do. That job is not removing his own hexes at this point. Let the monks do their jobs.

As for you more immediate questions.

[skill=big]Strength Of Honor[/skill]

VS

[skill=big]Conjure Lightning[/skill]

For arguments sake, the conjures have a different purpose than SoH. SoH will be great as long as you're fighting demons/undead and no one shatters. Conjure is for hex builds involving eles, melee heavy enviornments, and general pressure with swords(S&M Slash/Hundred Blades/Dragon Slash). A MoR ele and a conjure fire swordsman make for a dangerous pair in normal or hard mode.

That being said, either can work well if played to its strengths.

Whirlwind attack is nice and all, but I prefer "Save Yourselves!" for its overall usefulness. Spinning with a sword is a novelty. Nothing more.

If you want to go W/Mo, look more into Mending Touch. W/E is for shock and the conjures, or old school hammer builds. The other secondaries have things to try as well.

[skill=big]Purge Signet[/skill] If you decide to try this skill, take into account that it isn't bad but you never know when you may need energy. SoH and this may not always mesh if you take on heavy hexing.

Age · Aug 24, 2007, 10:35 PM // 22:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry_Pothead6009

I just did the nightfall campaign up to the mouth of torment, and the skills that I've gotten access to have improved my build immensely IMO.

Here's what my build has evolved into currently:

Sword--14
Strength--10
Fire Magic/Smite--9

Enraging Charge
Flail (I didn't want to wait till the mouth of torment to get this skill so I capped it off a boss in Kourna)
Sever Artery
Gash
Dragon Slash
Whirlwind Attack (at sunspear 6 currently)
For Great Justice
Conjure Fire/Strength of Honor

I put strength at 10 because that's the point at which enraging charge gives 3 strikes of adren. That allows me to begin flail after my first hit. Also, with FGJed enraging charge I can begin a a dragon slash chain or dragon slash/whirlwind chain after 3 hits, more if I stop to sever and gash.

So here are my questions/issues:

1. Conjure. I started a thread about this before. Although its stated damage at 9 in fire is +16, at this point it rarely does more than 10 due to the armor of the enemies I'm fighting--and I havent done any hard mode yet. Even against casters conjure only does around 11 or 12. Strength of Honor at at 9 in smite does an armor-ignoring +10. Before I got nightfall skills I had an energy-intensive skillbar where the -1regen from SoH wasn't an option. My current build uses almost no energy--just enraging charge and FGJ. SoH vs Conjure aside, I still use a fire weapon because my ele hero uses mark of rogdort, and warrior mobs are still more common than ranger mobs.

2. Whirlwind attack. It's great when the mobs are clumped, but in my experience often by the time the adrenaline builds up for the skill, the mobs have already scattered about. Also, has anyone else noticed that the attack seems to go slow, almost like the global cooldown after spells?

3. Purge Sig. I hate hexes. Especially faintheartedness (I thought I had my fill of that bull in ascalon, but it's made a comeback in the late nightfall campaign). Because I open with enraging/flail, I'm frequently a target of hexes. Now that mob armor has increased to the point where SoH is looking like a viable alternative to conjure, the monk secondary opened up the option for purge sig. It's great on my build because my staple skills are adrenal anyway (this is another reason I love flail compared to tiger and berserker), and it doesnt require me to put points in prot or healing to be useful. The problem is, aside from its 2 second activation time, finding a place for it on my bar. I've been replacing whirlwind attack so far.
I capped divert hexes and frequently use a bigtime anti-hex build on dunkoro (divert hexes, convert hexes, deny hexes w/ 2 long-recharge DF skills). Have you put up anti-hex builds on your heroes and found that to be enough? But if I can take care of my hexes with just purge sig, that could open up the dunkoro's hero slot for a dps class. Also, in a full human group I dont have dunkoro, and I've never seen anti-hex human player monks in pve.

What is this for exactly if farming or party build if party where is your res signet or hard res.?

jimmyboveto · Aug 29, 2007, 03:51 AM // 03:51

Not a bad build by any means, not original either though. One thing you might want to consider though is taking a /P 2ndary and using enduring harmony to lengthen FGJ to keep it up 2/3 of the time. However, i'm not sure whether u get more damage because you have to drop the conjure. It would be really great if this could be tested.