Curse

Bloodied Blade · Oct 26, 2006, 10:55 AM // 10:55

Well, now you have to use healing breeze. SB got nerfed. You also can't pull more than like 3 at a time (any more than 3 and the excess run away).

Xxalon Tacotu · Oct 26, 2006, 11:27 AM // 11:27

Any ideas for an update today ???
Energy and damage management just went to sh**.

Spirit Bond just got "tweaked", so that it runs out after EITHER 8 seconds OR you get hit 10 times. With 3 Aatxe, I need to constantly cast SB after every skill (i.e. Mending, SB, Mending, SB, Mending, SB, SS, SB, RH, SB, etc...)

This will only get worse with Smites. Pull a group of 10, and you will only have SB for ONE attack. I hope this is just a "slight nerf", requiring a tweak to the build, rather than a complete rebuild.

Maybe there'll be a Nightfall skill that will compensate ?????

Xxalon Tacotu · Oct 26, 2006, 12:38 PM // 12:38

OK. HB it is then.

Total change around in the run though.

Aatxes are easiest (they keep attacking), Graspings are OK apart from 1 of them "standing off", then having to be dealt with separately.

Smites are TOTALLY different though. Not only do they break off their attack to avoid AoE damage from SS, but they ROTATE as well. Each smite will take a break in turn, to allow itself to heal while the others take damage.

I just took on a group of 7, and couldn't drop them. As fast as SS did the damage, 3 of them would run (each in a different direction) to the edge of aggro. They would thek keep casting Smite Hex, but without taking damage.

When they healed sufficiently, they ran back in, and a different 3 would do the same.

I would like to see anyone do a "quick" run of UW now (although I got 2 ecto from the Aatxes, so it's not all bad).

SluggyTheZealot · Oct 26, 2006, 05:57 PM // 17:57

if the smites have that kinda ai now thats actually really impressive

Xxalon Tacotu · Oct 26, 2006, 07:22 PM // 19:22

I agree that it's impressive, but it also ruins the game for those of us who were just starting to earn ecto towards FOW armour.

Ecto prices have already jumped from 6.5k to 8k, and that's in just 3 hours.

I currently have just 18 ecto toward my armour, but with no way to make enough money to buy more and the method of farming it nerfed - I might just hold on to them until ecto prices go WAY up, and sell them.

That will be the only way to make any money under this new update.

boxterduke · Oct 26, 2006, 08:23 PM // 20:23

^^^
Ectos were 11k last night just an hour after the patch.

SluggyTheZealot · Oct 26, 2006, 11:11 PM // 23:11

yea i just sold 30 ecto for 6.5k/per a couple days ago :P woops!

Eric_Et · Oct 26, 2006, 11:30 PM // 23:30

eh just when i was learning the run....

Xxalon Tacotu · Oct 27, 2006, 06:36 PM // 18:36

Eric. Don't give up just yet.

This run is still doable, just slower. I think I went over the top with my "no way to make enough money......"

I am still having more luck with using SB than with switching to HB, as if HB gets stuffed twice by the Aatxes, then you die even when you get it up the third time, because of its slow regen. So I just live with the short timespan and high energy cost of Spirit Bond.

However, one option is to ditch Reckless Haste, and to equip HB in slot 2, SB in slot 3 and move SS to slot 4.

Your casting regime then becomes - PS, HB. If HB gets stuffed, hit SB (for instant health regen), then HB again once it recharges.

I've not tested this yet, but I am sure that it will work.

The other option is what I have been doing so far (and I have dropped another 3 ecto since my last post). That is just stick to the original build, but having to recast SB every 2 to 3 seconds.

HTH.

Xxalon Tacotu · Nov 16, 2006, 09:49 AM // 09:49

Has anyone figured a more reliable way to drop the Graspings yet ????

They have become the toughest opponent in UW for me right now (particularly the first group).

Almost invariably, the 1 that breaks aggro out of the 4 that attack is the one that I stuck SS on. Therefore the rest suffer zero damage, and at some point will stuff my Prot Spirit, and I die.

They are owning me almost every time (I mean like 9 times out of 10 that I reach them, I get no further).

Fortunately, the Aatxes are dropping ecto anyway, but I'm not even reaching the Smites.

Can anyone offer any help/guidance ??

Emik · Nov 16, 2006, 10:49 AM // 10:49

How does Shield of Absorbtion counter the SB nerf?

darrengordon · Nov 16, 2006, 12:03 PM // 12:03

SOA counters it perfectly, just make sure you have a 20% enchant weapon 30% enchant spell, trble is if you get interupted your screwed as it has a long recharge so take something to stop that. I thinks its better than SB as u no longer need 55 health i use 135 at the mo but i guess 200 would be better and also it dosnt matter on armor so i use max armor and you dont have to swap weapons now as you can take a max damage weapon ie staff with 20% enchant mod, i guess one way to do it now would be IW with sythe but i would imagine it would be slow, that way though when they run u just follow em and dice the litte buggers.
Still not sure though dont bother with it as playing NF at the mo, used to live in UW lolm, if i do i run a hybrid dual trap build, you can lay enough traps to kill attax in 30 secs and onto next group, u dont use spirits so you dont have to wait for recharge so i guess it works ok and when you get to smites you just pull the whole screen as normal so it prob is the quickest method now on a whole smite run i guess. I miss the old 55/ss days though........
I loved my lazy SS just click a few buttons and let the monk work lol

Kcp · Nov 16, 2006, 05:01 PM // 17:01

Shield of absorption is really not needed for UW or FoW. You gain no massive benefit from using it due to the fact it doesn't last long enough on a non monk primary. You can easily out heal / avoid damage with other means that have same energy cost and faster recharges.

Everyone is on the SoA bandwagon, don't let it become your crutch, it will get nerfed, then you will be right back where you started. It doesn't benefit you any longer to take groups larger then 5 smites doing this run anymore do to the game of tag the AI plays now. You only need healing breeze when dealing with 5 smites anyways.

darrengordon · Nov 16, 2006, 06:16 PM // 18:16

Yeah good point kcp very true

Xxalon Tacotu · Nov 17, 2006, 12:07 AM // 00:07

So how do I get to the smites then ???

Done more runs tonight, and the Grasping have a 100% kill rate against me.

That first group of 4 is nailing me EVERY time. What am I doing wrong ??

Kcp · Nov 17, 2006, 12:38 AM // 00:38

The group of 4 squids will require 2 ss's to kill. 1 will run off and wait until the other 3 to die.

Xxalon Tacotu · Nov 17, 2006, 01:00 AM // 01:00

That's the problem though. The one that runs is usually the one with SS on it. Then the others interrupt any further SS attempts, then interrupt HB, then finally PS.

Then I die.

Please help.

Kcp · Nov 17, 2006, 01:56 AM // 01:56

Skull crack takes ages to charge, and distracting blow recharges every 10 seconds. You just gotta find the window to lay SS on the others. It takes practice but once you get the hang of it you will rarely get interrupted.

If you get dazed and have room to move, run from them until it wears off then re-try them. Make sure you wait long enough for them to lose their adrenaline otherwise you will get nailed with skullcrack as soon as you re-engage them.

Xxalon Tacotu · Nov 17, 2006, 12:49 PM // 12:49

Thanks kcp. Will keep on trying.

Xxalon Tacotu · Nov 18, 2006, 02:49 AM // 02:49

Thanks for the advice.

I beat them 4 out of 6 times tonight, and dropped another 5 ecto.

Cheers mate