Curse

primitiveworker · Sep 11, 2006, 03:59 PM // 15:59

I've been monking for quite some time now, and only recently started running SB/Infuse. Here's a typical SB/Infuse build:

Monk/Mesmer
Divine Favor 12+1+1 (or 12+3+1)
Healing Prayers 11+1
Inspiration 6

Infuse Health
Dwayna's Kiss (or Blessed Aura for longer SB)
Orison of Healing
Healing Touch
Healing Seed
Spell Breaker
Inspired Hex
Channeling

Ascetics, +5 Energy/+20% Enchanting sword/axe, +30 offhand.

Now, this build runs fundamentally different from other builds, not merely in skill usage but also in your movement and when (not) to infuse.

So I would request that the everyone who has experience as an HA SB/Infuser to please step up and offer your advice to help turn crappy infusers (myself included!) into better ones.

Things like:
* Don't forget Infuse Health has no recharge time, spam it if you need to.
* Try to rely on the WoH monk to heal you up after an Infuse to conserve energy.
* Don't go into auto-kite mode like you normally would playing any other kind of monk: you need to always be within reach of your Infuse target.

An Intermediate Monkery series similar to Monk Basics parts 1-4 is on the way, of which this will hopefully be a part.

cerb · Sep 12, 2006, 12:50 AM // 00:50

Well, for one thing, you really need Heal Party. You won't be facing spikes in every matchup, and Heal Party helps a LOT. Switch it in for Healing Touch.

Next, your SB is way too long. 14s will do (11 DF), max out healing, and rest in insp. You could run healing scalp with sup healing rune in for normal groups and switch it out for healing scalp with minor rune when facing spikes. You only use Spellbreaker on a target that's under pressure (hexes or spells). For instance, if you play against a blood spike and get good infuses down, they will obviously notice you, so if you see them move into your range, they're probably going to spike you, so then you could SB yourself. Or if you see someone that's being loved by a Migraine mesmer. Stuff like that. When they see target has SB on, they will just switch targets, that's why you don't need super long SB.

As for the weapon, The Scar Eater is a perfect choice. 20/20 mods and +60 health, couldn't ask for anything better on an infuser.

Hmmm what else could I think of...

Try not to be an easy target for the opposing teams, while staying in range of your teammates. You don't have a lot of self-defense besides your kiting skills, so you'll have to rely on your teammates. That means tell your team if you're getting spiked, if you have a warrior annoying you, call it. If you have a trapper on your team, kite into his traps.

Also, you should drop Inspired Hex for Holy Veil (unless you have expel in your team). This way, if you are up against a group with migraine mesmers, you can cast veil on you (try to cover veil with channeling ;P), and whenever he migraines you, remove veil immediatly (since he's going to cover it fast), taking off migraine.

Another tip about infuse (I think all infusers should do that), is to watch the enemy skills to predict a spike. Let's say you're against a blood spike, if you see them use Oppresive Gaze (or w/e they're spiking with), you know a spike is coming, so be prepared. Sometimes spikes have such good coordination that they are nearly (if not completely) impossible to infuse, so don't hate yourself if you can't save a teammate from a spike, it happens to everyone =)

That's about it. It's a build that takes a lot of practice, so you'll learn more by yourself than you will by reading this (and other) posts. However, this should get you started.

Good luck ~

Age · Sep 12, 2006, 01:36 AM // 01:36

I would prefer to to use balance stance as an infuser just in case a W/E comes up to you with shock.Then heal up and switch to shield stance.I would use a sup. rune of healing and a minor in devine.

cerb · Sep 12, 2006, 03:25 AM // 03:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

I would prefer to to use balance stance as an infuser just in case a W/E comes up to you with shock.Then heal up and switch to shield stance.I would use a sup. rune of healing and a minor in devine.

lol ^_^

B Ephekt · Sep 12, 2006, 03:42 AM // 03:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

I would prefer to to use balance stance as an infuser just in case a W/E comes up to you with shock.Then heal up and switch to shield stance.I would use a sup. rune of healing and a minor in devine.

LOL

Ward of Stability > useless Warrior secondary.

Also, I wouldn't use a superior rune on a monk in pvp, ever. That one extra point just isn't worth the health you lose. Just use a minor for infusing, you don't need that many points in Healing Prayers as the back up healer.

Age · Sep 12, 2006, 06:03 PM // 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by cerb

lol ^_^

What is wrong with it cerb I would be willing to drop the Sup. rune for a Minor?

moko · Sep 12, 2006, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

What is wrong with it cerb I would be willing to drop the Sup. rune for a Minor?

they were referring to balanced stance rather than the runes..

Age · Sep 12, 2006, 06:25 PM // 18:25

Balance Stance works better cost less energy and I have seen this done in Observer Mode and I was told this by a person who only PvPs mostly in GvG.He belongs to the Guild Furies.Ward of Stabilty how much energy and does it cost exhuastion.

Effigy · Sep 12, 2006, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Ward of Stability 10e 1 cast 30 recharge
Ward Spell. Create a Ward of Stability at your current location. For 10...22 seconds, non-spirit allies in the area cannot be knocked down.

The problem isn't so much with Balanced Stance itself, but that you are giving up energy management skills for something you can already get from your E/Mo if he specs for it.

B Ephekt · Sep 12, 2006, 09:37 PM // 21:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

Balance Stance works better cost less energy and I have seen this done in Observer Mode and I was told this by a person who only PvPs mostly in GvG.He belongs to the Guild Furies.Ward of Stabilty how much energy and does it cost exhuastion.

First, I find it funny that you don't know the energy cost or how Stability even works. Second, SB/Infuse is a tombs build, not a GvG build. Infuse is uneeded in GvG due to a Booned RoF and Prot Spirit being more than enough to catch just about any spike.

But to answer your questions, in tombs your warder will generally have a Stability ward, so this shouldn't be an issue. So, if you've been targeted by shock warriors or a smart ele/mesmer with gale, you can call for a Stability (if it's not already up) and not have to worry about knockdowns. This is a much better idea than wasting your secondary for a silly stance, since it allows you to keep channeling, Inspired Hex and so many other useful options from the Mesmer side.

I'm not so sure about the validity of adivse from someone who runs an infuser in GvG, but a mesmer secondary on your infuser will certainly benifit your team a lot more in tombs than any warrior stance will.

cerb · Sep 13, 2006, 02:09 AM // 02:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

Balance Stance works better cost less energy and I have seen this done in Observer Mode and I was told this by a person who only PvPs mostly in GvG.He belongs to the Guild Furies.Ward of Stabilty how much energy and does it cost exhuastion.

I guess seeing the skillbar you run for HA would be funner than a Will Ferrell movie

Seriously, don't change your secondary profession just to counter 1 character build. If you have a W/E on you, all you do is call him, call for blind, or kite him into traps, ward against foes, call protective spirit if needed and use ward of stability. And I really have no idea why you'd bring shield stance. You use it, then the warrior changes target. And you're stuck moving 33% slower (reading your advices I'm guessing you probably put at least 10 points in tactics, so that's moving 33% slower for like 15 secs) , gg.

Arx Baron · Sep 13, 2006, 01:23 PM // 13:23

Booners can't catch a Blood spike in GvG, or even a Mo/A - Gale spike, so Infuse health isn't such a bad idea in GvG, because in such cases, Prot Spirit won't work, and a booner won't have enough time to heal the target.

warriorsmiley · Sep 13, 2006, 04:08 PM // 16:08

Besides what everyone else said never take healing touch. Learn to depend on the other heal monk to heal you up to full health. There is no point in having a 8 man team and you have a skill that is only useful to 1/8 people in the party as someone said earlier take heal party instead which is useful to 8/8 of the people in the party. When im playing the other heal monk and I see the infuser has healing touch I feel he has no faith in me to heal him after a infuse.

Age · Sep 13, 2006, 09:39 PM // 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by cerb

I guess seeing the skillbar you run for HA would be funner than a Will Ferrell movie

Seriously, don't change your secondary profession just to counter 1 character build. If you have a W/E on you, all you do is call him, call for blind, or kite him into traps, ward against foes, call protective spirit if needed and use ward of stability. And I really have no idea why you'd bring shield stance. You use it, then the warrior changes target. And you're stuck moving 33% slower (reading your advices I'm guessing you probably put at least 10 points in tactics, so that's moving 33% slower for like 15 secs) , gg.

Correction Defensive stance not shield stance but I know what you are saying this is fine in Guild but in a PuG at HA.I would rather use the build someone made up for me although this is mostly in a 3rd man backline or could be use as the healer in GvG with Word and Infuse.I do know how to play the role of a normal Monk not just a farmer as Mo/W.I would go Mo/Mes for Boon unless used for back up as well as Blessedlight.When it comes to AirEnchant I would go with Mo/W.

B Ephekt · Sep 13, 2006, 09:41 PM // 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arx Baron

Booners can't catch a Blood spike in GvG, or even a Mo/A - Gale spike, so Infuse health isn't such a bad idea in GvG, because in such cases, Prot Spirit won't work, and a booner won't have enough time to heal the target.

Against both teams you will probably suffer a death or two at the start of the match, but if you're smart you will split and roll the spike team. Also, neither or those spikes are very popular in GvG, so it's pretty stupid to run an infuser on the off chance you will fight one of those builds. Running an infuser will make your defense against any pressure build pretty bad, and no doubt hinder your ability to split.

Also, a Booned RoF can catch a blood spike depending on how many spikers they have.

Senator Tom · Sep 14, 2006, 05:14 AM // 05:14

Well for pvp, no need for blessed aura, ever. Also you dont really need Orison and touch, throw in party or other or some other energy management in there or something.

B Ephekt · Sep 14, 2006, 07:55 AM // 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator Tom

Well for pvp, no need for blessed aura, ever.

Blessed Aura is useful in some holding builds.

Quote:

Also you dont really need Orison and touch, throw in party or other or some other energy management in there or something.

I wouldn't suggest dropping both Orison and Touch - dropping Touch is fine but you will generally want at least one self heal in case you need it. I do agree with infusers taking Heal Party though. For energy management, I like to take either Power Drain or Drain Enchantment if the party needs enchantment removal.

When I infuse I generally run something like this.

Divine Favor: 12+1+1 (With a superior rune as a switch)
Healing: 11+1
Inspiration: 8

Orison of Healing
Dwayna's Kiss
Infuse Health
Spell Breaker
Heal Party / Healing Seed
Holy Veil
Power Drain / Drain Enchantment
Channeling

cerb · Sep 14, 2006, 01:11 PM // 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arx Baron

Booners can't catch a Blood spike in GvG, or even a Mo/A - Gale spike, so Infuse health isn't such a bad idea in GvG, because in such cases, Prot Spirit won't work, and a booner won't have enough time to heal the target.

It depends on your team. If you have some people screwing up their spikes (interrupts, shock, diversion, slower attack skills - esp. vs ranger spike), of course you will be able to catch spikes w/o infuse since some people will be shut down. Everyone relies on everyone.

I agree with B Ephekt for everything he said in this thread. Age and other people, SB/Infuse is a HA build and the OP was asking about HA and not GvG. Age, to be honest, your Mo/W builds sound like crap. Of course Defensive Stance will work against stupid warriors, but against one with a piece of brain, he will switch target, and come back at you later. Try to have some credibility in your posts.

Avarre · Sep 14, 2006, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

Balance Stance works better cost less energy and I have seen this done in Observer Mode and I was told this by a person who only PvPs mostly in GvG.He belongs to the Guild Furies.Ward of Stabilty how much energy and does it cost exhuastion.

Just... just stop talking. (I'm getting E.E. flashbacks..)

I like B Ephekt's build, though I might fit healing whisper into that (reduced range, but a stronger heal).