Curse

BaconSoda · Feb 26, 2007, 09:01 PM // 21:01

This build is designed to apply pressure, and shut down, to a degree. If I get attributes wrong, I'll change them in a bit, just sharing before i further test this build.

Domination: 14 (10+1+3)
Inspiration: 12 (11+1)
Fast Casting 11 (10+1)
Shadow Arts: 1-2

Death's Charge
Blackout
Wastrel's Colapse
Wastrel's Worry
Diversion
Web of Disruption
Power Drain/Drain Delusions/Shatter Delusions
Ether Feast/Res

Armor: Radient/Enchanters (personally I like 15k Kurzik or Elite Sunspear)

This build came out of watching a GvG using a blackout Me/A, when everytime they warriors rushed the single monk of the opposing team, he got up healed himself from the brink of death (it was 2 split teams) at the moment blackout ended on him. Adapting a similar build, I used Wastrel's Colapse before shadow-stepping to a foe and blacking him out, his shut-down ending with a nice thump of his bottom upon the floor. Soon afterwards, I found this build highly ineffective against 2+ monks, and adapted it to
shut-down more than one opponent. By putting Diversion and the 2 Watrel's Hexes on an opponent, I put him in a "u do your screwed, you don't your screwed" position (I'll prolly be disagreed with on this, with Watrel's Worry doing only 60 dmg upon ending, but i found more important the fact that at the end of diversion, they were on the floor) leaving them with the choice of falling down and taking damage, or disbling a skill of theirs for near 1 minute, while shadow-stepping and shutting down another opponent with Blackout. Tested only in random PvP, this build seemed very efective (Take that, Luxon team with 2 healing monks and 1 Protector!), but since it's only randoim PvP with PUGs, I don't know how it'll work in the bigger battlefield. Any comments are appreciated (go ahead and start flaming me).

bushe · Feb 28, 2007, 06:47 PM // 18:47

I think there is some potential for a good shaddowstep/blackout build. There are a few things I would look at. I don't see an elite there so you might think about swapping Aura of Displacement in for death's charge to keep you safe as mesmers can't afford to be frontline fodder. also I'm not sure of the effectivity of the wastrel's spells in this build as they seem to lack focus. Wastrels worry is ok with diversion but really only as a cover hex. Love the web of disruption/shatter delusions combo. I would think about putting something like power drain on there for energy management since every AoD/BO costs you 20 and maybe inspired hex/enchantment or drain enchantment. It is a workable concept but can be tricky to pull off.

Thomas.knbk · Feb 28, 2007, 07:01 PM // 19:01

Wastrel's collapse is the worst elite in the game, and quite likely the worst skill in the game. Worse than many non-elites.
Think about it: your target has to do nothing for 5 (five!) seconds to get knocked down! whoop dee doo, a knockdown!
Seriously, switch it for anything else.
You could leave out Death's Charge as well. It won't do much for you on a 45s recharge. Think about Ether Phantom(rocks with Drain Delusions), and then Mantra of Recovery as your elite. You've got a lot more pressure now.

African War Lord · Feb 28, 2007, 07:23 PM // 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas.knbk

Think about it: your target has to do nothing for 5 (five!) seconds to get knocked down!.

that's why he has blackout. They synergize well but you really need a coordinated team to take advantage of it because on it's own it's not going to do much.

I like the concept because if your putting pressure on the blacked out monk, his natural reaction is to cast a skill as soon as blackout wears off and he will get interupted and knocked down. I'd add lift enchants in there somewhere.

Evilsod · Feb 28, 2007, 11:54 PM // 23:54

Having to blackout your own skillbar so that 1 single enemy gets knocked down 5s later isn't worth it.

I was thinking of making a build for Wastrels Collapse involving Iron Palm to get 2 consecutive knockdowns.

BaconSoda · Mar 01, 2007, 09:33 PM // 21:33

Some people here have missed the subtle pressuring aspect of Colapse, mainly with diversion. In a spike team (where I think this would be used, since a pressure team should really be running an E-denial/Diversion with MoRecovery like Tom stated, which might give this thread a bad name {sorry

}), the monk with Diversion would be spiked, while the 2nd monk would be blackout'd., which puts the spikee into a bad position, with shuting down a skill, or getting knocked-down with a few melee characters on his tail.

From what I have seen in GvG (although, very little) I have seen most teams playing with 2 monks (1 prot/heal and 1 mainly heal). In this situtation, the Prot/heal should be blackout'd, shortly after Diversion is placed on the heal monk. This is mainly because of the versatility with Prot./Healers, since they carry both Infuse Heal, Gift of Health, and possibly Zealus Benidiction, as well as their normal sorte of protection skills. Even if he doesn't die, what skill is this healer monk going to waste? The shutdown skill may be a vital skill in aspects of the party's survival. Therefore, Colapse is not only used as a knockdown with Blackout, although that is what was first intedned, it is more suited to put on a diversioned character, since is puts them in a bad situation with a spike team.

On a split team, most often the teams don't have more than 1 monk per split force, in which case it might be wiser to use Colapse before applying Blackout. But the pressure aspect is still viable with diversion...if your the only one keeping your particular 3-4 people alive, your 1 skill may be very important to their survial, or your butt on the ground may be worse, it is a quick descision that has to be made at what might be a dear cost.