Curse

Enigmatics · Jul 18, 2005, 11:33 AM // 11:33

Thanks Ward Against Heroes for telling me about this build.

Smiters are notoriously known for being able to do quite some dps in close quarters, which is why most who know what they can do, run. While this build isn't solving that in any way, it will provide a different way of smiting. Rather than depending on divine favor and level 16 smiting, you'll be an Elementalist primary.

The Modded Smiter:

Energy Storage: 12+1hat+3rune
Smiting Prayers: 12

Skill Layout

Divine Boon
Banish/Bane Signet
Balthazaars Aura
Symbol of Wrath
Ether Renewal
Zealot's Fire
Balthazaars Spirit
Ressurect/Ressurection Signet

You'll be doing things normal smiters would, running in and casting B-Aura and Symbol of Wrath. Keep in mind while you maintain around 4 enchantments (B-Aura and Symbol both count) you'll be able to gain 80 health and 20 energy each time you use a spell. In this case, you'll be almost invincible because you'll be spamming Divine Boon to set off Zealot's Fire. The main problem this build has is timing Ether Renewal, most will be conservative and save it till they're low on health and energy, but that can be tuned to the player's liking.

Enjoy.

supperman · Jul 18, 2005, 12:18 PM // 12:18

Is this meant for PvP or PvE? Since you're bring Rez, I assume this is not for solo farming.

Symbol of Wrath is not an enchantment. It's an AoE spell of sorts, so you'll not get any health/energy bonus with Ether Renewal. Since you're spamming Divine Boon, you might as well drop Banish/Bane Signet for Aura of Restoration for your 4th enchantment.

I'm not confident about how effective this will be in PvP, but it should be ok in PvE.

Enigmatics · Jul 18, 2005, 12:22 PM // 12:22

It works well in pvp, I'd rather just use a warrior for pve. As for Symbol of Wrath, I was wrong, but since Renewal itself is an enchantment, you can have a total of 5 enchantments up.

Good suggestion on Aura of Restoration though, It should work well with Divine Boon.

supperman · Jul 18, 2005, 05:36 PM // 17:36

Reason why I'm not so keen on this build for PvP because you need to be pretty close to your targets to have any damage. If you're a monk, you can easily be swamped by wars, especially if they don't know that you're a smiter, not a healer. If you're not the target for attacks, you'll have to run around to get people, and they're usually not going to stand around to let you smite them. Having to be close to your targets also mean that you'll have your fair share of Distracting/Savage hits, Vampiric touches and even Blackouts.

Eles have decent attack spells to nuke pple from afar, so there really isn't a big push to go for a smiting build instead of the more standard spike/AoE Builds. Makes it a little more interesting, I'll give you that, but I'm not sure if it's any more effective.

Enigmatics · Jul 18, 2005, 05:48 PM // 17:48

While air elementalists kill one target and regenerate. You try this build first, then you tell me how you like it. I've had both an aeromancer and a e/mo smiter, and I currently like the smiter more. Blackout is definately a problem, but mesmers who use it tend to use IW more often than not, and those have to run close to all targets they attack.

ICURADik · Jul 18, 2005, 10:31 PM // 22:31

No Draw Conditions or Judge's Insight? I don't think you recognize the proper way to utilize smite.

theclam · Jul 18, 2005, 11:11 PM // 23:11

I've never seen Ether Renewal with Divine Boon, but it's a good idea. Frankly, unless you're fighting Warriors, this is an extremely impractical build. When you start spamming spells with Zealot's Fire going, anyone with half a brain will notice it and move out of the way and since you're based around PBAoE, you will have to follow them. One idea to make this easier would be to use an Axe or Sword along with a focus item. That way, you can just start attacking someone and you'll automatically follow them when they move. With a staff or wand, you'll have to do it manually, which is slower.

JackOften · Jul 19, 2005, 11:17 AM // 11:17

Never seen Ether Ren with Boon? Jesus. Its like... the point of Ether Renewal. Anyway, for a PvP build its really lacking - indirect smiting is the way to go in PvP, if you've unlocked the skills for it. Simply because HoH targets love to run, and you need someone that can use ZF (which with balth is like 60-70 dps on a caster) while running to take those sobs down like the hookers they are.

So ideally, drop banish/bane (although I'm always tempted to use banish for knockdown, but really 5 air gale is more reliable and spammable and faster and sexier and .. just plain better) for draw conditions, drop symbol of wrath for judges insight, Balthazars spirit for any of the following : Vital Blessing (72-120 hp with prot just from spare points), Ward against Foes/Elements/Melee, Armor of Earth or good ol' Gale which is just a freaking dream when smiting (pick your running target, knock him down and the 4s he's on the ground are the last he's getting) and finally Resurrection signet I'd drop for either hardres or any of the aforementioned skills (Vital Blessing is really, really nice to have - +72hp, you can afford to cast it on a monk or any other soft target as well, and it gives you ether bonus - same as the useless Balthazars spirit).

Thats about it. You remain a perfectly servicable self-defense smiter (mash f, smite away), but you become the most awesome ranged weapon in the history of buttonspamming. Also, I like setting up ether on one of the primary 4 keys for good access - nice ether timing with a 20/20 ES scroll (outside port sledge) and a 20 smiting rod (somewhere in the desert) keeps the good times coming.

JackOften · Jul 19, 2005, 11:22 AM // 11:22

Also, E/Mo smiters work fine as PvE chars. Just need some Armor of Earth in there and Vital Blessing and you can solo anything short of Ataxe (although I'm considering possible builds for that too - with 6-9 prot spirit + shielding could work out with lower hp, with a 20% enchant booster and 10% from blessed aura for prot spirit to stay up long enough to warrant the recharge, so I can afford getting intered).

The math on that is the following - with minimal HP, a prot spirit can take the damage down below say 15, after that a shielding hands could/would (provided testing) make that near 0 to 0. Even if it doesn't work, 5 bucks says I can solo UW with just prot spirit

Enigmatics · Jul 19, 2005, 04:38 PM // 16:38

This build obviously lacks, but I still enjoy farming and casual pvping with it. There are several skills you can swap out in exhange for Smite Hex, Judge's Insight, Strength of Honor, etc. You can also incorporate ward against foes or have a trapper use barbed trap for the slowed movement. While this build is easily countered and shamelessly fled from, you can make it work well with the aid of party members. Continue the critisism, and i'll try remolding a build that works better in reality than it looks on paper.