Curse

Keira Darkwind · Dec 10, 2006, 09:59 AM // 09:59

I have always used Ascetics armour. Someone told me on another thread that it is the WORST for a monk. I only PVE, I can understand for PVP it would be a bad idea, but I feel the maximum energy you can have is best for PVE.

Just like some opinions on what is the best armour to get for a PVE monk and why?

Arya Nibelrund · Dec 10, 2006, 11:50 AM // 11:50

Don't worry, ascetic is a solid choice in pve as you should be out of enemy's range.

Illusions · Dec 10, 2006, 02:07 PM // 14:07

I like ascetic, but am starting to enjoy judge armor. I think it's more of a personal opinion on which you perfer. But in my opinion, ascetic is certainly not the worst armor for monks.

Amok Affinity · Dec 10, 2006, 04:08 PM // 16:08

i use judge's, hasn't let me down. ascetic's is a fine choice as well. perhaps better. mostly a matter of preference, no worries.

Dark Divinor · Dec 10, 2006, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keira Darkwind

I have always used Ascetics armour. Someone told me on another thread that it is the WORST for a monk.

Hang on, who said that to you? Ascetics is *not* the worst armour for Monks, it's brilliant! The extra energy really helps and, as long as you stay back, wont get hit all too often.

Effigy · Dec 10, 2006, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Aescetic's is only a bad choice in PvP, because there you will be a common target. In PvE, you can avoid taking the heat in most situations.

Rera · Dec 10, 2006, 05:08 PM // 17:08

Particularly for late-game areas, you really want as much health and/or armor as you can get. It will make the difference between dying in 2 hits and dying in 3.

I absolutely hate casters that have 60AL and 4XX HP. Do you know what happens when a lvl28 DoA Abyssal hits you? You take 500 damage and die instantly.

pingu666 · Dec 10, 2006, 05:14 PM // 17:14

eek @ 500damage

Effigy · Dec 10, 2006, 06:04 PM // 18:04

True about low hp and armor, although Protective Spirit helps a lot. I usually run my monk with 600+ hp even in PvE and it does make a difference. The AI seems to target you less with high hp, which is another bonus.

random.name · Dec 10, 2006, 06:12 PM // 18:12

As my armor I use Full Radiant (aka Ascetic) armor, 1 sup vigor and the rest minor runes. In addition to that I use a shield with 30hp always for my low energy. I rarely find the need to switch to my high energy set (57 energy) in PvE, so Ascetic works perfectly for me. My total health is normally around 550.

I think it comes to personal preference and what you you feel comfortable with. For me personally its about looks though, and up until the release of Factions I refused to wear Ascetic just because it looked so ugly

Nivryx · Dec 10, 2006, 07:56 PM // 19:56

its what 55'ers use, of course its going to be 1337. =D

Rera · Dec 10, 2006, 08:02 PM // 20:02

DoA throws the entire "low health/armor is okay in PvE" argument out the window. Prot Spirit helps to a point - but if every caster in your party has ~500 health, they are all in serious danger of dying in one or two hits from totally random spell damage or ranger spike. You can't prot spirit everyone. And what happens when you get DP'd and your 500 health turns into 400? 300? Then you start dying in one hit from anything.

The extra energy isn't worth it, just like superior runes were never worth it. Your emergency swap should be giving you 72e. If that isn't enough, the extra from Ascetic's armor isn't going to make a damn bit of difference.

More often than not, that extra energy is just a free ticket for you to get hit by another esurge.

NinjaKai · Dec 10, 2006, 08:30 PM // 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rera

DoA throws the entire "low health/armor is okay in PvE" argument out the window. Prot Spirit helps to a point - but if every caster in your party has ~500 health, they are all in serious danger of dying in one or two hits from totally random spell damage or ranger spike. You can't prot spirit everyone. And what happens when you get DP'd and your 500 health turns into 400? 300? Then you start dying in one hit from anything.

The extra energy isn't worth it, just like superior runes were never worth it. Your emergency swap should be giving you 72e. If that isn't enough, the extra from Ascetic's armor isn't going to make a damn bit of difference.

More often than not, that extra energy is just a free ticket for you to get hit by another esurge.

Doesn't really matter for those of us who don't care about DoA.

Rera · Dec 10, 2006, 08:41 PM // 20:41

Well, consider this: if you wouldn't wear it in DoA, why would you wear it anywhere else? DoA simply illustrates the point that trading health or armor for +7e isn't a favorable trade. With weapon swapping, the size of your energy pool is much less important than the rate at which you regain energy. Having a larger pool just gives the enemy more energy to burn/surge/steal.

B Ephekt · Dec 10, 2006, 08:53 PM // 20:53

If you can't manage your energy with 47 energy, you won't be able to manage it with 54+. Ascetics isn't really horrible per se, but it's not exactly great either; I'd generally just go with +armor or +health. Then again, it's pve so pretty much anything will work.

Ensign · Dec 10, 2006, 09:54 PM // 21:54

When aggro breaks and things do get messy, Radiant immediately becomes one of the worst armor sets in the game. If aggro is controlled nicely and you're not in danger of taking any hits, but you still need the extra energy from Radiant armor, you are very likely terrible at Guild Wars. In that case, I would advise taking Radiant armor so that you can at least survive the most routine of encounters, and I take pity on any group you join. If you have a minimal amount of ability as a Monk, I would advise taking a set of armor that helps you survive when things go wrong, when aggro breaks and there are nukes and rampaging melees in the backline.

The wonderful irony of +energy armor is that it's value is tied directly to how good your team is. The stronger they are, the better at killing things (and keeping aggro in PvE), the better +energy armor is on paper (because shorter fights up the value of max energy). But similarly, the stronger they are, the less energy you expend to keep them alive, and the less you care about routine gameplay because that has been trivialized.

Peace,
-CxE

Thom Bangalter · Dec 10, 2006, 10:10 PM // 22:10

Always take +armor vs something (physical, elemental, enchanted) depending on what you're most afraid of. +health generally won't help you that much unless you're running around alone a lot, because the extra health generally won't help you as much...especially if you're a monk and can just RoF yourself.

And as others have noted, if you have +energy you probably suck (unless you're a warrior, then you can justify it).

Age · Dec 11, 2006, 02:13 AM // 02:13

I don't find anything wrong with asthetics in PvE or Monking in RA as I have before and had Warriors on top of me and survived.I was only healing not protect at the time.I don't see why not just watch out for red dots close to your aggro.Btw if the only way to get Gladiator stlye armour in NF is from useing all radiant insignias.

DeathandtheHealing · Dec 11, 2006, 02:23 AM // 02:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Effigy

True about low hp and armor, although Protective Spirit helps a lot. I usually run my monk with 600+ hp even in PvE and it does make a difference. The AI seems to target you less with high hp, which is another bonus.

survivor insignas good choice and a 60hp staff?

only bad thing is your the first target for all those damn grenth balance skales >_>

really freaks me out when I am going for top survivor levels lol

Ensign · Dec 11, 2006, 02:59 AM // 02:59

Gladiator's armor on Warriors is only really worth running when you're running /ele with an exhaustion skill, or if you have some spike combo that chews up more than 20 energy.

Peace,
-CxE