Curse

DreamStealer1031 · Dec 19, 2006, 09:59 PM // 21:59

This build has incredible energy management, and is extremely versatile in the enemies it can target.

Me/E Burden Pressure

Fast Casting 16 (12 + 1 + 3)
Illusion Magic 13 (12 + 1)

Preferably Enchanter's Armor, with a 20% HRT Wand & a 20% HRT Focus, both with your preference of energy or health mods. Note however that casting time mods are a waste of space for this build. Also note, that a negative energy set would be helpful, but be careful not to waste a burden during the switch. Another note, this equipment provides 36% possible chance of 50% reduction of illusion magic spells. I'm not familiar with how Mantra and this would stack, but it makes sense to me that it would be 50% of the remaining 50%, which would result in a 75% recharge reduction for that spell. This is excellent, considering that a third of the time, you're burden will recharge at roughly the same time the hex would naturally end.

Glyph of Lesser Energy / Purge Signet
Mantra of Recovery
Kitah's Burden
Ethereal Burden
Conjure Nightmare / Conjure Phantasm
Frustration
Clumsiness / Web of Disruption
Power Return / Resurrect of Choice

The cast sequences are as follows:

VS. Melee: GoLE -> Burden -> Conjure -> Web (in response to self heal) OR Frustration (spam)
VS. Caster: GoLE -> Burden -> Conjure -> Frustration -> Power Return

Power Return is absolutely necessary for taking down monks, and low cost spell spammers. Keep in mind that with FC 16, Power Return will refund 5 energy, meaning that it is extremely likely that they will still have lost energy.

You can benefit your party most by targeting Healers, then Tanks/Sins, then misc. spellcasters. Sins are a serious threat however, because they possess many spammable stance breakers, and the build's energy management collapses without Mantra. That being said, obvious weaknesses are Blackout, Diversion, etc. Ironically, most threats come from Mesmers.

I left a few open possibilities for this build, you can pursue the /E route for additional energy management (I prefer this one, so you don't start off a battle with no energy, as you're waiting for the first burden to trigger). However, if you switch out the expensive Conjure Nightmare for it's lesser cousin, Conjure Phantasm, you can afford to switch secondary to /Mo for Purge Signet (the energy loss is not much of an issue, especially with well timed burdens, and a negative energy set), and a hard res.

>_> You have to love that Purge Signet gets around things like Backfire, which was the original reason I considered it

Also, Web and Clumsiness are essentially identical with respect to cost/recharge, however, it is up to preference. To eliminate another weakness of this build however, I like Clumsiness. Power Return is more than enough to take care of any caster. Clumsiness's apparent synergy with Frustration is also a plus.

Pick Me · Dec 20, 2006, 02:22 PM // 14:22

Interesting build.

I wish to know a few things though (I haven't tried it yet):

W/A or just A/x, how do you deal with the following skills:
Teleporting skills
Scorpion Wire
Conditions
and Wild Blow/Strike?

But it sounds good as a support caster.

Utaku · Dec 20, 2006, 03:48 PM // 15:48

Did you mean Fast casting=13 and Illusion =16 ?
It seems weird to put a superior rune in Fast casting IMHO.

Otherwise, it looks like a good illusion build, provided your team mates kite a little.
If you play with a thumper, cast frustration on their target. Frustration deals damage if target is interrupted in any way (despite the description stating while casting spells) so a hammer knock down will trigger frustration.

Too bad you have no shatter dellusions/ drain dellusions to get rid of a burden for energy or interrupt a second time with web.

DreamStealer1031 · Dec 20, 2006, 08:36 PM // 20:36

Fast Casting must be at least 15 to keep Mantra up indefinitely. 16 is there to make sure you have at least a little bit of leeway with Mantra.

And to answer the first question >_> there is no real answer... VS. Melee without teleportation should be no large issue with Burden, however, with teleportation into account, hopefully you since wild strike is an offhand attack, you can see a lead attack coming and Burden + Kite away as soon as possible? Eh, I know the odds are slim, but that's a real weakness of the build. I'd say that Clumsiness would be an excellent counter to both of those, but room is an issue.

I haven't played this build yet, so the next candidate for removal would be GoLE is energy isn't an issue. Perhaps Drain Delusions or Clumsiness could be put in its place.

DreamStealer1031 · Dec 21, 2006, 01:02 AM // 01:02

Sorry for the double post (I'm not familiar with the rules on that here...), but I felt it was necessary to bump because I put up a lot more information on the build, including variations.

I took to heart the suggestions posted.

Most Notable Changes:

Solved the Ranger problem to some degree. With Clumsiness, at least *something* can be done
Posed a solution to the Hex/Condition issue.
Clumsiness is a solution to Wild Blow/Strike, and gives the build more flexibility and direction.

Dutch Masterr · Dec 21, 2006, 02:28 AM // 02:28

instead of using mantra of recovery, crippling anguish would fit nicley into this build. and maybe take out frustration or clumsiness (or both) for another degen skill. i can see this build working very well in a GvG.

DreamStealer1031 · Dec 21, 2006, 03:30 AM // 03:30

I'm not discounting what you have to say, but it sounds like you want to turn this build in the direction of degeneration rather than what it is now. Without Mantra, the energy engine dies, so it would be counterproductive to remove it and add more energy intensive spells.