Curse

mr_boo · Jun 13, 2005, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Hey All, I was wondering what some of your thoughts and experiences were with a W/Mes. I am kinda trying to avoid the W/Mo and W/N combo cause there's too many W/Mo's out there and I already have a primary Necro character. Keep in mind, I eventually want to take my Warrior to GvG and other PVP battles...so I just wanna know would a W/Mes be somewhat obsolete or is it a legit respectable PVP character? Thx in Advance!

The Red Knight · Jun 13, 2005, 08:36 PM // 20:36

Legit and hard to play. So many nasty combos with it too

Basically if you go some illusion and insp you can run stuff like bleed conj phant and migraine with interupting skills to pwn any caster

Lady Leara · Jun 13, 2005, 08:59 PM // 20:59

Well the problem with W/Me is that all the Mesmer spells cost so much energy to cast. Like 10 or 15 energy. As a warrior you only have 20 energy to play with, and with the regen of 2, you're not doing very well with energy management. Why W/Mo or W/N are so popular is that it's energy efficient, especially to a class that have low energy pool and regen.

mr_boo · Jun 13, 2005, 10:00 PM // 22:00

Thanks for giving your thoughts Red, have you run into many W/Mes in the Tombs or other GvG matches?

Lady Leara, the one skill I was really considering would be Echo (5 energy and not affected by any attribute), but I'm not sure what I would pair it with (either a Mesmer Skill or a Warrior Skill). Although, I haven't really planned this out as you can tell, I mostly plan to have Warrior Skills and only a couple of Mesmer skills (1 of them Echo).

Winterclaw · Jun 13, 2005, 10:41 PM // 22:41

Boo, with the right skills it could work. Something like energy tap, backfire, and an interrupt could really aggrivate monks on the other team. Or you might use etherfeast alone and have it help keep you healed.

isk · Jun 14, 2005, 12:40 AM // 00:40

i have the feeling mesmer just doesnt complement warrior well. if you wanna go with it though i recommend hex breaker to protect yourself from hexes and phantasm for some extra damage. eather feast doesnt cut it, neither does energy tap and a real mesmer can use spells such as backfire and interrupts a lot more efficiently than you can.

a warrior/mesmer could be an amazing 1on1 character but gw is all about teamplay so imho your character should only have one job. dealing gash/sever/phantasm does nice DoT and hex breaker does a nice job fending off one hex. thats the skills that i found that complement my warrior nicely.

QuixotesGhost · Jun 14, 2005, 05:11 AM // 05:11

I've just started playing this game, just recently got my character to lvl 20.

My Warrior/Mes has been screwing around with "Blackout" in PvE and it's something I'm really liking. Pretty powerful against enemy bosses, like that damn healer boss in Raging River that can heal faster you can damage em. Then in the 5 second down time between the end of the spell and the recycle (well 5 seconds at the lvl I got Dom Magic) I just hit the guy with a savage strike. Seems like a decent way to run interupt, but still have enough slots left over to be effective in melee. Plus as a warrior, Blackout is hurting a caster (especially a healer) much more than it's hurting you.

I'm kinda curious (asking as a noob) does blackout have a place in a decent W/Me build you think?

ratatass · Jun 14, 2005, 03:20 PM // 15:20

Well,

Adam in the Fianna had a great W/Me focusing on energy denial of his target. You can find it if you dig through the Guild Halls archieves.

He echoed Fear Me, coupled with the usual warrior skills. This allows you to keep energy denial constant on the target, while you add up your adrenaline skills. Works particulary well on a Monk.

The reciepe on a W/Me for PvP is

1. A focus (could be energy denial), Echo, Fear Me.
2. Fast exceution - no casting time on your skills
3. Your snare: Sprint and/or Imagine Burden (50% slower)
4. Adrenaline based damage skills, that will take him down
(suggestion) Eviscerate, Penetrating attack, Exceutioners strike) - 60-80 per hit.
5. Attack boost, hit more often (frenzy).
6. Make sure you dont bring self heals.

You should be the target caller, since you are not a W/mo that has res duty.

And DO NOT pile on with all those 2 second cast skills they are talking about in the posts here. You have to keep that axe or sword swinging constantly, thats your job.

Ratatass

mr_boo · Jun 14, 2005, 08:24 PM // 20:24

Thanks for the build post ratatass! That's a very creative way of using Fear Me twice to deny energy to a caster. BTW, a quick question cause I've never played a Mesmer before. Can you echo an Adrenal Skill? For example is it possible to chain 2 Executioner's Strikes together in a row?

And Isk, you're right...I wouldn't want to be casting Interrupts or Backfire or anything like that at all, cause I know that any Mesmer will be able to that much better anyways. I'm just kinda interested in the Echo skill and I guess I gotta study the skills a lot more.

And regardings Blackout, Quixote...I just don't like the idea of blacking out my own skills as well; I wonder as a W/Mes, I need to just try and damage as much I can to put pressure on the Monks, so taking away my skills just wouldn't be good I think. Thx though to everyone for the feedback and replies thus far.

Jia Xu · Jun 14, 2005, 08:48 PM // 20:48

I've always been tempted to make a blackout build. disabling a Warrior's skills lowers his DPS by, say, 15-ish? disabling a monk's skills removes half of their team's healing powers? a Warrior is one of the best choices to have blackout, as their damage capabilities are hurt the least by it. I was always tempted, however, to use Arcane Echo and blackout to keep a monk down for a solid 10 seconds. Arcane Echo is better IMO as it doesn't require the elite spot, which i save for Eviscerate generally. However, you aren't going to be very skill based, so throw a stance in there so you can use it before you cast blackout. If you've played as a healer before, you know that if your other primary healing monk goes down (either dead or blackouted) you are in serious trouble.

Blackout Warriors should target a separate monk from the rest of their team, and only blackout him once the other monk starts taking damage (otherwise he might still be alive after the 6 secs of healing on his own (although if there are air eles around, he won't be)

mr_boo · Jun 14, 2005, 09:19 PM // 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jia Xu

I've always been tempted to make a blackout build. disabling a Warrior's skills lowers his DPS by, say, 15-ish? disabling a monk's skills removes half of their team's healing powers? a Warrior is one of the best choices to have blackout, as their damage capabilities are hurt the least by it. I was always tempted, however, to use Arcane Echo and blackout to keep a monk down for a solid 10 seconds. Arcane Echo is better IMO as it doesn't require the elite spot, which i save for Eviscerate generally. However, you aren't going to be very skill based, so throw a stance in there so you can use it before you cast blackout. If you've played as a healer before, you know that if your other primary healing monk goes down (either dead or blackouted) you are in serious trouble.

Blackout Warriors should target a separate monk from the rest of their team, and only blackout him once the other monk starts taking damage (otherwise he might still be alive after the 6 secs of healing on his own (although if there are air eles around, he won't be)

The thing I would also be concerned about is the fact that Blackout is a Hex, and Hexes, as you more than likely know, can be removed somewhat easily; you can essentially cover up the Hex with another Hex, so I guess that would complicate things...If I go the W/Mes route, I'll give Blackout a shot then. And going the Blackout route, Arcane Echo would definitely be a better choice than Echo....

Anyways, here's my first build post...it's quite simple and in fact the only Mes skill I use is Echo. Also, I don't have any attributes listed but you can imagine a heavy bias towards Axes and Strength.

1 Frenzy - 5 energy
2 Penetrating Blow
3 Disrupting Chop
4 Executioner's Strike
5 Power Attack - 5 energy
6 Swift Chop - 5 energy (possibly replaced with Leech Signet?)
7 Sprint - 5 energy
8 Echo - 5 energy

Some Notes: I'm not worried at all about healing or carrying a rez signet. If it were Arena, I would probably just equip the Healing Signet and the Rez Signet and probably replace Swift and Power Attack. And I'm not worried about defensive stances at all nor the double damage taken from Frenzy. My goal is to damage and pressure as much as I can and rely on my Monks to keep me afloat IF I'm being attacked. Again, If I'm PvP in Arena, I would defintely consider stances and the aforementioned signets.

I know this build is kinda simple, but please feel free to critque it. Any feedback is well appreciated.

Edit - added the Leech Signet as a possiblity.

Corack · Jun 14, 2005, 09:28 PM // 21:28

if you want to basically shut dow a monk for 10 seconds better to use backfire that you can cover up right away with another hex. Personally this is what is use. Just backfire cover with diversion if the monk does want to remove the hex still triger backfire and then disable hex removeale for an aditional 40 seconds. this way you can also still use skills doing decent damage making a third monk have to heal him.

Jia Xu · Jun 14, 2005, 10:25 PM // 22:25

seems fine, though i would NOT use frenzy. if any of the opposing team get wind of it, a lightning surge on its own could do almost 200 damage to you... spell damage is just too dangerous to use frenzy in PvP. Other than that, the skills look simple and straightforward, which is always good in a fight :P

QuixotesGhost · Jun 14, 2005, 10:47 PM // 22:47

I've been doing some screwing around with blackout and it would be good except... it drops your adrenaline to zero.

Damn that sucks. I wonder if it's some sort of bug, there's nothing about it effecting adrenaline in the spell description.

mr_boo · Jun 14, 2005, 11:42 PM // 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jia Xu

seems fine, though i would NOT use frenzy. if any of the opposing team get wind of it, a lightning surge on its own could do almost 200 damage to you... spell damage is just too dangerous to use frenzy in PvP. Other than that, the skills look simple and straightforward, which is always good in a fight :P

Thx for the advice Jia Xu, I guess I could possibly replace Frenzy with Berserker Stance...or maybe even Flurry...BTW, after reading Yukito Kunisaki's W/N thread, I think I might eventually go with 'Thrill of Victory' as another option over 'Swift Chop'.

Quixote: That stinks that the Adrenaline drops to 0, you would think that after Blackout is lifted on your side that all your Adrenal Skills will be lit up and ready to go.

Edit: Added the Thrill to Victory.

Winterclaw · Jun 14, 2005, 11:50 PM // 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_boo

Anyways, here's my first build post...it's quite simple and in fact the only Mes skill I use is Echo. Also, I don't have any attributes listed but you can imagine a heavy bias towards Axes and Strength.

1 Frenzy - 5 energy
2 Penetrating Blow
3 Disrupting Chop
4 Executioner's Strike
5 Power Attack - 5 energy
6 Swift Chop - 5 energy (possibly replaced with Leech Signet?)
7 Sprint - 5 energy
8 Echo - 5 energy

Some Notes: I'm not worried at all about healing or carrying a rez signet. If it were Arena, I would probably just equip the Healing Signet and the Rez Signet and probably replace Swift and Power Attack. And I'm not worried about defensive stances at all nor the double damage taken from Frenzy. My goal is to damage and pressure as much as I can and rely on my Monks to keep me afloat IF I'm being attacked. Again, If I'm PvP in Arena, I would defintely consider stances and the aforementioned signets.

I know this build is kinda simple, but please feel free to critque it. Any feedback is well appreciated.

Jia Xu is right, frenzy is too dangerous to use against casters. Later in the game, some monsters can do spell combos for up to 200 points or more damage normally. Flurry seems the better choice.

Penetrating blow is good.

Disrupting chop is iffy.

Executioners strike looks okay if you can keep up the adreneline.

No problems with power attack or swift chop.

Sprint is fine

I don't like echo for this build. You don't have much mana regen to waste 5 and you already have enough adrenal skills.

That leaves you with:

1 Flurry - 5 energy
2 Penetrating Blow
3 Executioner's Strike
4 Power Attack - 5 energy
5 Swift Chop - 5 energy (possibly replaced with Leech Signet?)
6 Sprint - 5 energy
7 Blackout - 10 energy
8 Diversion - 10 energy

I'm going to suggestion blackout and diversion for their shutdown abilities. The former cuts all of your opponents skills for a few seconds and the latter gives one a much longer recharge.

mr_boo · Jun 15, 2005, 12:37 AM // 00:37

Thx for the advice WinterClaw...without the Elite Echo, I would most definitely go with Cleave or Eviscerate and probably just replace Swift Chop...I don't know if I can live without an interrupt but I could see your point in replacing it as well.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback thus far, it looks like all the advice given has convinced me well enough to go with the Mesmer secondary. If anyone else has any more input, I would definitely not mind more advice.

Aurek · Jun 15, 2005, 01:06 AM // 01:06

I also have a W/ME question. Though different from your own Mr_boo I just didnt want to make another W/ME thread when this one is so close to the top. Talking about PVE only:

As a big noob to the game I have been playing around with W/ME using some Hexing/De Hexing and tanking (physical resistance). It seems to me (and others have agreed who have played this way) a good W/ME could be physical and elemental resistance, ether feast and whatever warrior skills. I was wondering though. What mesmer skills would be good to support a max damage warrior. As I think I would pefer this route to a tanking one. Im thinking adrenal skills and echo?

Thanks for any help

Winterclaw · Jun 15, 2005, 01:45 AM // 01:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_boo

I don't know if I can live without an interrupt but I could see your point in replacing it as well.

Then you might want to check out some of the mesmer's spell interrupts. They have a great selection of those. My Me/Mo would consder them, but I'm using too many monks skills and don't have the room.

QuixotesGhost · Jun 15, 2005, 07:48 PM // 19:48

Something interesting I just found out. If you switch to a focus like a chakram it's applied immediatly to your energy pool, not just to your max. So you can keep a Sword+Chakram in a secondary weapon slot. Then when you tap outta mana with your Sword+Shield switch to the Sword and Chakram. Pow, instant energy. Though be careful about it, don't do something stupid liked switch when you got 5 guys agroed on ya.

I'm carrying around a +9 energy Inscribed Chakram right now with........ drumroll please....

Quick Recovery From Blind! Sweet!

How does Quick Recovery From Blind work by the way? How quick is it? And If I switch to the Chakram after I've been blinded do I still get the benefit or do I have to have it equiped when I get hit with the blind?