Curse

Shadowlion · Jan 24, 2007, 05:07 AM // 05:07

I am doing Faction mission right now(just finished Luxon spear mission), and I'm asn/necro. I feel my primary skills are useless in the mission, very high DPS but too easy to die, especially when fighting afflicted groups. My secondary profession skills are useful, but only after I throw most of my points into it and change to use wand. Any suggestions?

Yanman.be · Jan 24, 2007, 09:35 AM // 09:35

Use Shadow Steps?

Afflicted are a pain in the buttocks for Assassins. Just try to take 1 at a time, some afflicted who wandered off...

Utaku · Jan 24, 2007, 10:34 AM // 10:34

Bring a prot monk with you.
A pair of healers doesn't really helps, one monk reducing damage dealt with protections while the second heals is really better.

It is essential to manage aggro not engaging two groups that can be dealt with seperatly.

Select prioritary targets :
Kill Rits firsts, as they can heal and rez others, then kill squitchies as they are fast to dispatch (necros, mesmers, elems, monks), kill warriors last, except if you see one using Frenzy.

SotiCoto · Jan 24, 2007, 02:54 PM // 14:54

Question: Have you ran that Assassin through Prophecies yet?

If you can get your hand on Spiteful Spirit from the Southern Shiverpeaks in Tyria (and additionally Mark of Pain from wherever) then you should be able to do a perfectly marvelous job as a Pseudo-SS Necro (or "wannabe" as haters call it)... Its a better way of dealing with afflicted than getting up close. Spiteful Spirit on an afflicted Assassin is amusing to watch, and the warriors spam out Frenzy constantly, causing them to take double-damage (hence its fun to stick it on them too). Stick both / either on a ritualist (and attack if MoP) and watch him and his spirits go down in unison.

If you do want up close though.... you'd be better off switching your secondary over to Mesmer... getting Mantra of Frost and using that whilst fighting them. It should take off some of the damage and give you energy for every afflicted explosion. Plus if by some chance you have a weapon that relies on being in a stance for extra damage (which I did for most of the early game due to my Crippling Dragon Scythes of Enchanting having stance-based extra damage), that's easily taken care of.

Alternatively.... you could just spam all kindsa conditions on them like Poison (any "Spider" skill), Bleeding and Deep Wound (Twisting Fangs) and then shadow-step out... leaving them to die of their maladies without actually having to be next to them...
If you don't like to shadow-step (I certainly don't) then using Dash can work just as well much of the time, provided its correctly timed and directed.

jesh · Jan 24, 2007, 10:43 PM // 22:43

I have a simple solution. Watch the mobs and move when you see that an afflicted is at low health. If you're not close to it, you won't get hit with the explosion.

Dash can help until you get your timing down better.
Using your assassin as a weak caster .. I guess it works, but anything works in PvE.

You should most likely only be using secondary profession skills that don't require attribute points to be useful. Example: Burst of Aggression.

Priest Of Sin · Jan 26, 2007, 03:17 PM // 15:17

If you're going A/N, you have quite a few skills available to you to help you out with afflicted ^^

use Parasitic Bond with 7-8 in curses to cancel out the stupid explosion, and bring along Plague Touch to get blind and crap like that off you (it'll disable you faster than you can say 70 armor), if you can, dump Enfeebling Blood in there to disable melee damage. In essense:

Parasitic Bond, Black Lotus Strike, Black Spider Strike (if no NF, go with Fox Fangs), Twisting Fangs, Enfeebling Blood, Death's Retreat (if no NF, go with Return), Feigned Neutrality (if no NF, go with Shadow Refuge), Rez Sig.

12 Critical Strikes, 13 Dagger Mastery, 3-4 Shadow Arts, 7-8 Curses. Use runes when you need them.

With this build, Parasitic Bond will cancel out the afflicted explosion with a spike heal, Enfeebling Blood will spread Weakness to your enemies (much less damage from those frenzy hammer afflicted and afflicted assassins), and you have a quick combo to dish out the pain.

Sqube · Jan 26, 2007, 08:39 PM // 20:39

You could go /Me and use [skill=text]Mantra of Frost[/skill]; apparently, the Afflicted Explosions are cold damage, and it would help. Combine that with a protection monk and you should have most of the damage nullified.