Curse

Zetor · May 18, 2005, 06:46 AM // 06:46

Yeah I know, that's a crappy name.

The Build
Expertise 7+1
Wilderness Survival 10+1+1
Swordsmanship 10
Tactics 9
Current runes: Minor Vigor, Minor WS, Minor Expertise

Hundred Blades (E)
Apply Poison
Barbed Trap
Flame Trap
Hamstring
%Healing Signet
#Whirling Defense
*Resurrection Signet

%Alternative: Troll Unguent, though the 'sig heals for more and costs less
#Alternatives: Dryder's Defense, Lightning Reflexes, maybe Bonetti's? Throw Dirt won't work since I need protection from ranged attacks too
*Add Final Thrust instead of Ressig / Healsig in organized battles maybe

How it plays
At the start of battle, I pepper the enemy with poisoned arrows (apply poison); sure, the arrows will do no damage, but they'll get poisoned, causing them to get POd and attack (most of the time anyway). I back up into the stacked flame and barbed traps, switch to melee and hit 'em with Hundred Blades. If they gang up on me, WD, place more traps point blank and healsig if needed. Hamstring to deal with runners and pursuers. (I have a crippling sword, so hamstring lasts long enough to keep it on indefinitely)

Strong points
It might be a random arena thing, but people are generally taken aback when they charge a ranger, get hit by two traps and suddenly get Hundred Blades-d, ending up poisoned, bled, crippled and on fire. It's good for demoralizing the enemy! Same with WD making the char practically impervious to physical focus fire (and drakescale armor takes care of the rest) for 14 long seconds. If I get blinded or Empathyd, I just hit WD and start placing traps / healsigging. Energy use is fairly good too, I can use Drakescale instead of Druid's since most of my skills are cheap enough.

Weak points
Oi, where do I begin... this build has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. (and that's cool, cos it's mostly for PVE and casual PVP) First off, with no Strength, melee attacks will do hardly any damage to warriors and prot monks. W/Mos with Mend Condition are a pain, since I generally stack 3-4 conditions on them at least, giving them a nice heal. There are a lot of melee attacks that bypass WD entirely (Wild Blow, some hammer specials), but most people just don't seem to use them. Any group with half-decent coordination can purge the conditions caused by my traps / apply poison easily. Oh, and have I mentioned that this build does hardly any damage in pvp?

Regardless, it's a fun build, and I've killed two W/Mos at the same time with it once. Comment away!

-- Z.

Dreamsmith · May 18, 2005, 07:15 AM // 07:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zetor

%Alternative: Troll Unguent, though the 'sig heals for more and costs less

It does? At 12 Wilderness Survival, you should be getting 180 healing out of Troll Unguent (9 pips = 18 health per second, over 10 seconds). Healing Signet's probably averaging less than half that when you factor in the extra damage you take while using it. OTOH, HS does deliver it all in two seconds, rather than thirteen.

Also, your melee attacks should be nearly as good as a primary warrior's. Strength isn't that big a deal. The biggest hit you're taking to your damage output is having only 10 in swordsmanship.

Zetor · May 18, 2005, 07:24 AM // 07:24

Yeah, the real problem with Unguent is the 3-second cast time. Not to mention that I can use heal signet twice with WD active and get healed for more overall at a cost of 0 energy... that's just my experience though (and a simple Wild Blow can mess it all up)

About melee, maybe I'm just unlucky. I'm using a max-damage sword (purple Crippling Wingblade Sword of Pruning, rawr!), but I hit warriors for 0-5 damage waaaay too often. On soft targets (and mobs) it's not as bad though. Then again, I could dump Tactics, get more Swordsmanship and just use a shield for show! Do additional mods from shields (like "Faster recovery from poison" on my current shield) apply even with 0 Tactics?

TIA,

-- Z.

roselan · May 18, 2005, 02:38 PM // 14:38

troll perfume vs healing signet…

both have the same main problem: they are not efficient when you need them the most! ie: when your life bar is low and going down fast!
HS will make it go down even faster precisely when the enemy will max is damage output to be sure you are toast.
TU will start too late... 3 sec is 2.5 sec too much.
So for emergencies you need your monk. Use of both TU and HS has to thought of in advance!

But let’s try to find out the best one.

hard facts
- Troll Unguent
5 3 10
lasts 10 sec, +3-9 health regen, we can assume 7 or 8 pips, or 140-160 health points
the cycle time is 13 second. 3 to casts, 10 to recharge. By chaining it, you spend 23% of your time casting TU.

- healing signet
0 2 4
heal 40-130, but takes double dmg, we can assume 100-120 health points
the cycle lasts 6 seconds (2 to casts, then 4 to recharge). By chaining it, you spend 33% of your time casting TU.

Situations:

1. Uncontested: in pve when the figth is over or in pvp when you are left quiet.
HS: 120 / 6 = 20 points/second
TU: 160 / 13 = 12 points/second
Clear winner : HS, you can cast it two time in 8 second for +240.

2. Under attack or very soon to be

- TU can be cast prior to the attack. In the start of the fight, you see the big bad wamo coming at you and begin with that, then use your swirling defense, other skills.

- HS can only be used “during” (or 1 sec before) the first blow, then you spam hs as soon as it is reloaded.

How to compute the double damage?
While using a defensive stance (which evades/blocks 3 strikes on 4), we can admit that it each time we are striked, it counts for two. So instead of getting 1 blow on 4, you will get 1 on 2. Marginally, you will get less negative statuses, as only 1 skill per blow is possible.

one blow corresponds to around 60 dmg (i think). let's admit you get striked twice by cycle, and once during the double damage time. So the "real" healing by cycle is 60 points *while using a stance*.
HS: 60 / 6 = 10 points second
TU: 160 / 13 = 12 points/second, as before
But now you are under pressure and you spend 33% of your time casting HS, and only 25 more time casting TU. Plus so it is quieter… for you, as you can use this finger and brain time for something else, limiting mistakes “down time”.
Winner is TU: quieter, 20% more hp, more free time to attack/disrupt/dance…

3. Still under attack, defensive stance reloading, live bar 40-75% full.
Your life bar is still 50 to 80% full, but you have used your defensive stance. HS will not heal you at all! So no analysis needed, TU is the only choice. You can pin and run for some air, then you can cast HS twice. however you can do nothing else, as taking blow is out of question. TU allows you to do something else, as you need to run less, and can take more pounding. Now let's consider an ennemy archer or an elem attacking you, then HS is not your friend anymore.

4. damn, that wamo is obsessed! Life bar around 20%. No stance left, energy quite down...
Don’t heal, you will only be toast faster, run. pin down and run. It is your *only* choice. If you manage to escape HS is more efficient, plus it takes no mana... so again HS is more interesting, it will allow you to engage again faster.

conclusion
All depends how you play, when under attack you may have better option than heal your self (trust your monk, flee). So Your choice depends on how you plan to play. heal fast when you are quiet, and attack 100%, or be able to sustain the shock better.

nota bene: The 60 more damage by blow are based purely on my experience in the lvl 20 lion's forge arena, with a druid set 55 armor. (and a bow +5 armor). Other input on real damage is welcome!

Lasher Dragon · May 18, 2005, 04:24 PM // 16:24

OK am I missing something here? Isn't Hundred Blades an Elite Warrior skill?

Zetor · May 18, 2005, 08:17 PM // 20:17

Hundred Blades IS an elite Warrior skill, hence R / W.

I had to wait until the last mission to get it, since *of course* the boss from the Breach was nerfed the day before I ascended and respecced from R / Me to R / W. Sigh.

About Healsig vs TU: I took the plunge and completely dropped Tactics, got some more Sword and Expertise skills. Things are actually a lot better this way; WD lasts for 17 seconds, enough for trap spam, unguent, hamstring and a quick getaway. The only problem is the 'oh sh-t' situation where I am focus-fired by a bunch of meleers / rangers. Previously I could just WD and spam HS [running away / hamstringing / laying cripple trap while waiting for recharge], but now I'm usually dead before TU goes off or regenerates enough of my HP. Thankfully that sort of situation is rare and a monk can always save the day.

PvE, however, this build an absolute blast. Replaced res sig with Dryder's Defense [to get a second 'safe trap layer' skill] and I was able to solo three level 21 earth drakes at the same time without breaking a sweat. Two hydras were 50/50 [derned meteor], but I was always able to take one of 'em down in time. For those of you who say Rangers are bad at soloing, try this on for size!

Not too shabby in groups either, spamming traps just behind the tank is actually more DPS than a standard elementalist aoe [if you take all the dots into account] and poison is luv. Of course, most mobs in the last few missions are immune to most status effects, but that's a game design gripe, not a Ranger one...

take care,

-- Z.

Lasher Dragon · May 18, 2005, 08:21 PM // 20:21

I thought you could only get Elite skills of your primary profession....

Elythor · May 18, 2005, 08:29 PM // 20:29

No. You can get elite of your secondary profession too.

Healing Hands on a W/Mo is very very nice

Lasher Dragon · May 18, 2005, 08:50 PM // 20:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elythor

No. You can get elite of your secondary profession too.

Healing Hands on a W/Mo is very very nice

Ahhh good to know.. I still haven't gone out and gotten any capture skills. I suppose I had better take a glance at the Warrior elites and see if there are any that interest me.

Thanks!

Zetor · May 20, 2005, 06:13 AM // 06:13

Thought about some variations of this build:

Build 1 - Axed To Death (currently using this one)
Subtract Hamstring, Hundred Blades; add Cyclone Axe, Spike Trap
Transfer all skill points from Sword to Axe
Plays very similarly to the original build, but the damage from axes is more "spiky". The spike traps are spiky too.

(ok, that was bad) Knockdown is luv and you can always use strategically placed barbed traps to snare.

Build 2 - Trick Shot
Subtract Hamstring, Hundred Blades; add Oath Shot, random bow attack skill (Penetrating Shot?)
Transfer all skill points from Sword to Marksmanship
This one is kinda fun, but more of a "full ranger" build; you won't have time to switch back to bow for a timely oath shot otherwise. Just charge in with WD, place traps, hit TU, then oath shot a random person to recharge WD and traps, do it again. Rawr! Of course if Oath Shot misses, you're in for some pain.

-- Z.

SereneD · May 20, 2005, 01:24 PM // 13:24

I like the apply poison ,whirling axe (hundred Blades)combo on the melee ranger. You can usually swipe 4 targets with that poison on one swing.

Here's another variation on what you've got. It's a Hammer build I've been playing around with in the arena.

Hammer 12--- Yes I love hammer because I can ignore Tactics.
Expertise 9 -- Apply Poison uses 15 energy without expertise.
Wilderness 9 --I get good mileage out of my Poison, and Troll heals for +9(If I remember correctly)
Beast Mastery 4(minor Rune) - Tigers Fury lasts for 7 sec's

Hammer Bash
Wild Blow
Apply Poison
Tigers Fury
Storm Chaser
Throw Dirt
Troll
*Resurrection Signet

*Frenzy, Practiced Stance(E),Whirling defense, anything else your team may need.

Basically I start with apply poison, then I run in with Storm Chaser and start beating down the first monk while using Tigers Fury as a safer alternative to Frenzy. Once Hammer Bash is ready I time it to break the targets cast then follow up with Wildblow. Throw dirt and troll for when I'm the target of a primary tank.

Being a R/w tends to put you low on the enemies Priority list. making it easy to get inside and cause some decent damage with apply poison.