Curse

Kaleban · Oct 05, 2006, 09:51 PM // 21:51

Here's just something I've been kicking around for fun. Normally, doing chest runs out of the Imperial Sanctum I would use Monk as my secondary for all the healing and condition removal.

Then I tried Mesmer for Arcane Echo'd Shadow Form, but that didn't have enough healing for when the SFs wore off.

So now I'm trying this new build, utilizing the Ranger secondary. So all you Rajazan farmers and crit barragers now have another use.

Here's the build:

Shadow Arts - 12+3+1
Wilderness Survival - 12

Skills used:

Dark Escape
Storm Chaser
Dash
Shadow Form [E]
Serpent's Quickness
Shroud of Distress
Shadow Refuge
Troll Unguent

Now, I was even surprised at how many skill synergies are here.

1. Permanent run. DE has a 16 second run time with 30 second recharge, SC has 18 and 30. Which means you have 34 seconds of run spread out over 30 seconds of recharge, so you're able to alternate back and forth, using Dash if you get interrupted, or if you don't want to "waste" a run skill.

2. Serpent's Quickness + Shadow Form. SQ has 45 second recharge, SF 60. SQ cuts the 60 down to 40 seconds or so approximately, which means these two skills will recharge at the same time. With a 20% enchant item (Rajazan's for me) your SF lasts for about 25 to 26 seconds at 16 SA. which means a 15 second window that you're not invulnerable.

3. Shadow Refuge + Troll Unguent. When coming out of SF, you cast SR first, which gives you a quick regen, followed immediately by TU. The 3 second cast time takes place over SR's healing, so you're never without a 9 or 10 pip regen out of SF.

Now, the way I use it is thus. Cast SQ and then SF. Make my run under SC. Once I come out of SC, I activate DE, hit the chest and keep going to whatever "safe point" I can see. SF will run out before DE, so you have the 50% damage reduction from that for a bit. If you don't think you're going to be "safe" before SF runs out, cast Shroud of Distress before it runs out, followed by SR. This will give you a high evasion chance, a 10 pip regen, and you will still be under 50% dr from DE. Use Dash to break off any aggro on the way to the safe point.

The only downsides to this compared to my A/Mo build is there's no hard rez (Rebirth, no more ninja rezzing lol), and no condition removal, but between SR and TU with their low recharge times and high regen, you should be able to wait out any conditions.

So the only real counter to this build is the traditional body blocking, usually from lag warps, and player error in not identifying a safe point or mistiming the run. Its fun to use though, and a little more forgiving with the decreased recharge of SF.

Yanman.be · Oct 06, 2006, 12:23 PM // 12:23

Pretty solid build. For running.