Curse

Wenspire · Jun 11, 2011, 08:36 AM // 08:36

Armor Ignoring damage really doesn't do much in NM; I think it actually ends up being pretty weak. You are better off using eles in NM. For HM, that's where armor ignoring damage from things like RoJ show their strength. Also, SY in NM isn't really needed.

FGJ is a good way to help keep SY up. Also, you should have someone bring ProtSpirit if you are doing HM. That or bring an ST-prot rit.

Plutoman · Jun 11, 2011, 04:37 PM // 16:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wenspire

Armor Ignoring damage really doesn't do much in NM; I think it actually ends up being pretty weak. You are better off using eles in NM. For HM, that's where armor ignoring damage from things like RoJ show their strength. Also, SY in NM isn't really needed.

FGJ is a good way to help keep SY up. Also, you should have someone bring ProtSpirit if you are doing HM. That or bring an ST-prot rit.

And don't forget Aegis and/or a source of blind. Best party-wide melee protection.

shanaya · Jun 12, 2011, 08:25 AM // 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphiraTheKeen

experimentation with both teams let to mixed results. while the RoJ build could deal a lot of initial damage. after the burst, their damage was very lackluster, even in a NM dungeon. the physical team had some issues as well in a nm dungeon. first is that the orders and 2 healers have a very high mortality rate. second is that i was simply unable to generate enough adrenaline to upkeep SY.

it seems to upkeep SY i will need some strong, sustainable form of IAS for harder to kill single targets, like bosses, and some form of multi-hit like barrage (which will make my elite very near useless at the end of dungeons).

My Ranger has been working through HM Dungeons with this 7H build:

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/d...t10480463.html

(also here: http://www.gwpvx.com/User:Nanashi)

Essentially Dwaynaway is:
2 x Avatar of Dwayna dervishes
1 x SoS Rit with healing
1 x ST Rit with monk prots
2 x Dom mesmers, one with Panic one with Shared Burden
1 x BiP necro to power the mesmers and provide some prots

I've played around with Psychic Instability and Energy Surge for the mesmer elites and both can be effective.

My Ranger plays Beastmaster with EVAS.

I also vanquished all of EoTN and did all EoTN HM missions with this build. Its strength lies in its resilience - it is pretty much self-sufficient, requiring minimal input from the player. It was conceived as a build that can cope with disconnections as a result of a patchy broadband connection - this is one of my problems.

It is certainly not a 'fast killing' build, and in some areas it is essential to micro Shelter before engaging the mobs, especially big packs of eles. So far this has been an excellent 7H build for me.

Mind you I've still got Shards of Orr and Slavers to do!

SmokingHotImolation · Jun 18, 2011, 10:56 AM // 10:56

Here's what have been working best for me. I tried running minions and offense communing, but this just seem way faster. Criticism is welcome!

I know that defense probably could be toned down a little, but this fits my playing style nicely. I should also mention that i hardly ever micro

AndrewSX · Jun 18, 2011, 01:30 PM // 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokingHotImolation

Here's what have been working best for me. I tried running minions and offense communing, but this just seem way faster. Criticism is welcome!

I know that defense probably could be toned down a little, but this fits my playing style nicely. I should also mention that i hardly ever micro

Your bar: is ok, last spot should be Ascan, SY or another pve skill depending on area/style

ST: unnatural sig isn't really much needed with 2x esurge and 2x roj as damage around. Sig of creation isn't that good to manage energy also: u could move dom points in chan for siphon. Also, if you don't micro, you should drop union for displacement, and maybe dissonace for blindsong (just preference).

SoS: Not sure about hero behaviour on find their weakness, consider changing it for something else if don't work well (unless microed)

Esurgers: Change 1 spiritual pain for a fast recharge hex (Overload should work) to fuel additional unnatural dmg. Also, for mes (due to FC) monk resses are better IMO.

Rojers: nothing to say, just drop heaven's delight for something else (balth spirit/judge's insight?) on the second maybe.

Resto Healer: as always, the elite is crap on those heroes. Personally i'd swap it for a monk (UA/WoH/Hburst), works better for me (just add a bit of e-managent). UA would allow to drop one res on a mes too.

Just my personal tuning.

SmokingHotImolation · Jun 19, 2011, 09:31 AM // 09:31

Yea last spot i run a random pve skill.. lately ive been running "cant dodge this" just for the additional dmg.

Dissonance was a mistake, i meant to take displacement.

lastly, the only reason i took Icy Veins is because this team simply doesnt need a healing elite. Therefore i just went with the only dmg alternative which is icy veins

Xenomortis · Jun 19, 2011, 11:19 AM // 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewSX

ST: unnatural sig isn't really much needed with 2x esurge and 2x roj as damage around. Sig of creation isn't that good to manage energy also: u could move dom points in chan for siphon. Also, if you don't micro, you should drop union for displacement, and maybe dissonace for blindsong (just preference).

Signet of Creation or Boon of Creation should be sufficient. If you want to give the guy damage, give him a couple more attack spirits, don't divert points away from Communing and Spawning Power for something you don't need.

Morte66 · Jun 20, 2011, 01:21 PM // 13:21

So I made an assassin a week or two back, and for the last couple of days I've been quite pleased with this team:

It's not a ball and spike team. I find those effective but a little boring, like I'm playing the Ebon Sin in a caster team. So this is a "run around and have fun spamming dagger attacks" team.

The blank slot is optional to suit the area. Usually it's a Panic mesmer, or sometimes various heroes with Ineptitude, Invoke Lightning, Expert's Dexterity, Spoil Victor, and what have you.

On the rits, I sacrificed dissonance to get dual Splinter Weapon + Ancestor's Rage. Both rits seem fine for energy. I'm not missing spawning power, the spirits don't seem to die way more than usual. By having a pure channeling rit instead or Spiritway's hybrid resto, I get to put the SoS at the front and the healer at the back which makes me happy.

The UA necro is kinda funky, but I'm pleased with it. UA doesn't need divine favour to work as a res, and let's face it we're not usually taking a UA smiter for their smiting. Compared to an ER protter I gain UA but lose Infuse Health, which does cost me a very nice parallel heal for spikes. Also it can have the prots I want, rather than the spammables that ER needs. And the N/Mo can have prots + MoP + Dark Fury, which an E/Mo couldn't do at all and a Mo/N couldn't do for very long.

Dark Fury makes SY start quicker and stay up. It also gets the paragon yelling like crazy, which is good for him and earns my sin more crits. Full orders doesn't seem worth it for two physicals, given that it wants 10-11 blood magic and the spammy 34% sac is like yelling "please fire a lightning orb at this guy", but the 5 points on Dark Fury are well spent.

I'm not sure whether the paragon is as strong as a straight up nuker, but it's just nice to have them on the team. They heal minions between fights but not when I want them blowing up, they make me run around a bit quicker, they get SYG up until SY is ready, Wild Throw ends blocking, the offensive shouts buff spirits and minions, and so on.

The bomber has shouts rather than spells so they aren't competing for time with Death Nova. If I really want extra condition removal (e.g Bogroot), I put Infuse Condition + Foul Feast + Res Chant on the bomber in place of the paragon skills.

I haven't had much to do with no corpse areas yet, but I figure on a ST Prot rit and SoGM ranger replacing the current SoGM rit and bomber. The UA necro might become a UA smiter for undead zones.

It's pretty enjoyable team to play in, with blossom/splinter/MoP exploding things around you and crits going off left and right. It also seems reasonably solid for most purposes.

Avenged · Jun 21, 2011, 03:03 AM // 03:03

This is my favorite team build currently...seems to work well in most areas. Would like some feedback. Thanks

Morte66 · Jun 21, 2011, 08:22 AM // 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avenged

This is my favorite team build currently...seems to work well in most areas. Would like some feedback. Thanks[/img]

It looks basically solid to me.

I wonder about the energy on some of them, and whether one Blood Ritual is enough to keep them going. Does the SoS rit with Painful Bond and Spirit Rift run dry if they get dragged away from their spirits, so they're always trying to siphon the same one? Does the SoGM rit with Fall Back arrive at a fight with full energy, able to bind their entire line of spirits immediately?

Icy Veins never struck me as much good, maybe it's OK against destroyers and fire elementals, but then what else are you gonna use? Xinrae's Weapon ain't that special either.

You might like to try Dark Bond on the UA necro with another 2 points in blood, to see if the additional sacrifice is acceptable. I find it quite useful for getting SY up quickly and keeping it going, except on a Dragon Slash build which doesn't need the help.

I'm on the Aura of the Lich side of the religious divide, but I must admit that Jagged Bones isn't all that worse.

I think the target will usually be dead by the time the bomber takes a break from Death Nova to spend 2 seconds casting Barbs on them.

I've not used BUH much so I'm not sure how good it is as backup for UA, especially on the frontliner who everyone is trying to kill. I'd want a third res for long missions with no shrines, but maybe it's better than I think.

Avenged · Jun 21, 2011, 02:57 PM // 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morte66

I've not used BUH much so I'm not sure how good it is as backup for UA, especially on the frontliner who everyone is trying to kill. I'd want a third res for long missions with no shrines, but maybe it's better than I think.

Ya im going to be changing BUH and either go W/Mo or /Rt with a better hard rez. I was VQing yesterday and the UA died and i could only bring him back for 30seconds at a time...was not fun.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morte66

I wonder about the energy on some of them

Ive used a similar build to clear fow for legendary survivor and energy never seemed like a problem..the team was always ready from battle to battle. I never really paid to much attention to it.

The reason I use IV over the elite rit weapon spells is they always remove splinter weapon. Ive never tried Aura of the Lich...ive heard people say its better..so I may try it out soon.

Thanks for the feedback.

Wenspire · Jun 21, 2011, 08:11 PM // 20:11

BUH works really well. Just make sure you have 2 other characters with a hard res.

Also not sure about having any heal/prot carry Blood Ritual since they often end up spending their time running from ally to ally instead of heal/proting.

PurpleFlamingo · Jun 27, 2011, 03:48 AM // 03:48

Hey guys, I'm coming back from about a 2 year break and wow...7 heroes?? I just have one question though: it seems like there's so little healing needed now. Is that because MM's and spirits soak up so much damage?

Also, is it better to run a few hybrids (one X/Mo with prot, a few /Rt with Mend Body and Soul and Spirit Light, etc.) or to have a dedicated protter and a dedicated healer? Or is that just personal preference?

thetwistedboy · Jun 27, 2011, 04:44 AM // 04:44

I argue it's personal preference. Although an overwhelming majority disagree with me and many others because they think that since they run it one way or because build X is on PvX that it's amazing and nothing else compares to it ever. Just run whatever you want and don't listen to other people. If something doesn't work, you'll figure it out as I'm sure you already know.

Quaker · Jun 27, 2011, 07:12 PM // 19:12

Personally, I tend to agree with Twisted above. For me the game is more about doing what I like, rather than worrying about what may or may not be 'best'.
Therefore, my 7-Hero team consists of 7 Mercenaries based upon 8 of my main characters. So, my default team usually consists of a Barrage/Splinter Ra/Rt, a BHA interrupt Ranger, an MM, an SoS Rit, a panic Mesmer, an air Ele, an HB monk and an UA/Resto Mo/Rit.
Of course, this is subject to tweaks depending upon quest/mission/area, and it takes more effort than just clicking 1, 2, 3 over and over, but it's more fun. So far the only thing that has caused real problems are the HM Titan quests.

Jeydra · Jun 28, 2011, 04:05 AM // 04:05

If you care about speed then it's better to run hybrids, because with pure healers more often than not they'll be doing nothing except wanding.

If you don't care about speed but rather about whether or not you succeed in doing something, you can run whatever you want - including four healers, for example - and still finish. Whatever floats your boat.

PurpleFlamingo · Jun 30, 2011, 02:21 AM // 02:21

I'm going to try running this after I go get Xandra. I think there may be a little too much healing...any suggestions?

P.S. my last two skills will probably be asuran scan and enraging charge or something like that

Lanier · Jun 30, 2011, 03:00 AM // 03:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeydra

If you care about speed then it's better to run hybrids, because with pure healers more often than not they'll be doing nothing except wanding.

My concern with running hybrids is that they're less reliable at keeping party members alive than running a standard backline. I guess i'm one of those guys who likes to be absolutely sure that no one ever dies. If my backline is wanding rather than casting, that means that they are ready to heal an enemy spike or prot against one at the exact moment it is necessary.

itiscurtains · Jun 30, 2011, 06:20 AM // 06:20

@PurpleFlamingo: Your team looks solid. Be aware, though, that anti-synergy abounds when you have both a minion bomber and an ST in the party. If you want minions, maybe consider an OoU MM with bone fiends and vampiric horrors. Personally, I'd just lose the minions altogether and opt for an RoJ Smiter. Also, speaking of smites, JI doesn't work with MoP and Barbs. You might want to drop it for SoH.

AndrewSX · Jun 30, 2011, 07:08 AM // 07:08

Tbh, i don't use so much Hybrids, but don't see any difference in theroycal speed/efficence.
For example, why 2x Prot/Heal Hybrids should be superior on 1 Pure healer + 1 Pure protter?
There are downsides and advanteges (hybrids are less poweful alone, but pure heal/prot can create problems when killed, etc), but till the amount/kind of skills are the same i don't see any difference in functionality.
Sure, when the party is ok the healer sit down or wand enemies, but for one healer that doesn't do anything there's another member dedicated to dmg and such. 2x dmg/heal may have something to do when not healing, but again, don't see difference.