Curse

Jack Valmont · May 21, 2006, 12:07 PM // 12:07

I created just another R/N build.

The GuildWiki page will explain it best, but I'll give you the run down.

Markman's Minions is a PvE-oriented Ranger/Necromancer build. It focuses on small spike damage coupled with raising minions as fast and as efficiently possible. This build boosts energy and casting time, making it possible to maintain a small army of 5-7 minions while still being able to deal a decent amount of spike damage at pivotal moments in a battle.

Attributes

Death Magic +11
Expertise 8 + 1
Wilderness Survival 9 + 1
Marksmanship 8 + 1 + 3

Skills

Dual Shot
Savage Shot
Animate Bone Horror
Verata's Sacrifice
Blood of the Master
Marksman's Wager
Serpent's Quickness
Troll Unguent (or Resurrection Signet, depending on your team).

Gear

Druid's Armor with runes of Minor Expertise and Minor Wilderness Survival
Archer's Mask with rune of Superior Marksmanship
Short Bow

As you enter battle, select the called target and use Dual Shot + Savage Shot to deal a light spike and continue to attack as you wait for the first corpse to drop.

When the first corpse drops, immediately use Serpent's Quickness and queue Animate Bone Horror. After the first minion is raised, use Marksman's Wager and attack the next called target, and then use Dual Shot + Savage Shot again. By this time, the second corpse should have dropped, so raise another Bone Horror.

When using Serpent's Quickness, Marksman's Wager can be activated twice (right after the first Bone Horror is spawned, and near the end of it's 25 second run). By activating Marksman's Wager near the end of Serpent's Quickness, you will be able to alternate between attacking enemies and healing minions to raising minions.

In between and during battles, you might feel the need to heal your minions. In the heat of battle, use Blood of the Master to heal your minions, unless you have 3 or less minions (Verata's Sacrifice will instantly recharge if you do).

In between battles, use Verata's Sacrifice first and then Blood of the Master as needed. Be wary of your energy, without an enemy to hit, you don't have the energy to be constantly healing your minions. When using both of these skills (which require a large health sacrifice, most likely a quarter to half your current health), try to activate Troll Unguent first to heal your self-inflicted wounds.

Jack Valmont · Jun 01, 2006, 12:23 PM // 12:23

151 views and no replies? Any comments or suggestions?

Wolydarg · Jun 01, 2006, 12:32 PM // 12:32

I knew I saw this build a long time ago..great inspiration =D

I bumped the expertise to 14 to hit the dualshot/Marksman's wager breakpoints. Bumped Death Magic to max to get the most out of minions.

Don't need Verata's Sacrifice, BotM can keep minions alive better than it. And trust alesia/mhenlo/human monks/anybody with a heal to see your health go down instantly because of BotM.
Swapped Savage with distracting because of low marksmanship and it's easier on the energy.
Taste of Pain/Taste of Death for health manageament. Thinking I could take out Taste of Death for another skill.

No Wilderness Survival, so no serpent's quickness, to compensate added Vampiric Horror or minions depending on how energy works...

My build relies a bit too much on having teammates who can kill, though. Not really refined at all, either. But I think you can put the AP better.. Anyways, you were inspiration for my build since I lost this thread from like a week ago.

::edit:: Heh, I think we should stop spamming these forums with the same posts =P
I'll add you in game and just tell you the info there lest we spam GwG and Ranger's Beacon with the same info =P

Evilsod · Jun 01, 2006, 12:53 PM // 12:53

I think the main problem is that your still better off with a real MM. Not only in levels but the number of minions.

Also why lvl11 Death Magic? 10 and 12 are points for extra minions.

I presume your using a Recurve/Short bow to lessen the chance you'll miss with Wager, but isn't 9 Exp giving slightly low amounts?

Skuld · Jun 01, 2006, 12:57 PM // 12:57

There is a difference to what is possible and what is sensible

Jack Valmont · Jun 01, 2006, 01:07 PM // 13:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evilsod

I think the main problem is that your still better off with a real MM. Not only in levels but the number of minions.

Also why lvl11 Death Magic? 10 and 12 are points for extra minions.

I presume your using a Recurve/Short bow to lessen the chance you'll miss with Wager, but isn't 9 Exp giving slightly low amounts?

The reason that Death Magic is 11 is because I had the extra points in my preliminary build.

Evilsod · Jun 01, 2006, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Valmont

The reason that Death Magic is 11 is because I had the extra points in my preliminary build.

Fair enough, but surely boosting another stat would be better.

For the million dollar question. Why bring Veratis Sacrifice? As a real (necro) MM this skill is absolutely useless, does it really benefit you in any way? I'm not sure but doesn't Healing Spring heal minions? If it did that would be 10x better than Veratis.

Jack Valmont · Jun 01, 2006, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Marksman's Minions

Ranger/Necromancer
Level: 20

Expertise: 14 (10+4)
Wilderness Survival: 6 (5+1)
Marksmanship: 12 (10+2)
Death Magic: 10

Dual Shot (Ranger other)
Distracting Shot (Expertise)
Animate Bone Horror (Death Magic)
Blood of the Master (Death Magic)
Taste of Death (Death Magic)
Marksman's Wager [Elite] (Expertise)
Serpent's Quickness (Wilderness Survival)
Troll Unguent (Wilderness Survival)

--

This is what I came up with. Taste of Death is a good idea, very useful. I disagree with raising the Death Magic, only because we hardly have a chance to raise that many minions in the first place. True minion masters can raise 10, we can raise 7. I'm using and sup and major runes just because I want Marksmanship at 12 to get the max out of my bow.

Taste of Death is a great idea for self-heal. Healing Spring might also be a good idea, but I have to test these out.

Lasher Dragon · Jun 01, 2006, 02:18 PM // 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evilsod

Fair enough, but surely boosting another stat would be better.

For the million dollar question. Why bring Veratis Sacrifice? As a real (necro) MM this skill is absolutely useless, does it really benefit you in any way? I'm not sure but doesn't Healing Spring heal minions? If it did that would be 10x better than Veratis.

Yes, Spring heals minions. It is easier IMO though to heal fiends, as they tend to stand in a nice group, whereas the minions/horrors love to run amok across the battlefield. I don't know how useful Spring would be with such low WS though.

Jack Valmont · Jun 01, 2006, 06:56 PM // 18:56

I don't like the idea of lowering Wilderness Survival to nothing. I wouldn't mind taking out Serpent's Quickness, but the 16 second recharge does mean more energy--It's the only reason I keep it there.

I don't think we'll ever need to spawn more than 7 minions. On my best day, I can keep all 7 going with the following build:

Dual Shot
Savage Shot (Optional: Distracting Shot)
Animate Bone Horror (Optional: Animate Bone Fiend)
Blood of the Master
Healing Spring
Marksman's Wager
Serpent's Quickness
Troll Unguent

Death Magic +10
Expertise 10 + 1 + 3
Marksmanship 10 + 2
Wilderness Survival 8 + 1

I tested this with Aniate Bone Fiend, and besides from the minor energy problem, It was a success. They are easier to keep alive, but I have only been able to keep about 4-5 alive between battles, as opposed to the 7 minions.

I prefer the using Bone Fiends. If everything goes right, I can keep raising minions as bodies drop. This is saying I don't get interrupted.

This is how I run the build:

Inital:
1) Dual Shot + Savage Shot

In battle:
2) Animate Bone Fiend, Serpent's Quickness + Marksman's Wager
3) Dual Shot + Savage Shot, Animate Bone Fiend
4) Dual Shot + Savage Shot, Animate Bone Fiend
5) Marksman's Wager
6) Dual Shot + Savage Shot, Animate Bone Fiend
7) Dual Shot + Savage Shot, Animate Bone Fiend

Repeat as neccessary

lay down Healing Spring and Blood of the Master when possible between battles, you can also do it at the start of of the next battle, so your fiends are already getting healed during battle.

Wolydarg · Jun 01, 2006, 09:49 PM // 21:49

The reason I don't like Fiends is because they crumble so quickly at lvl 14(which is what my DM makes it)

My bows all have a req of 9 so I can sacrifice some Marksmanship points, and I don't really need troll when I have monks in my PvE team(even mhenlo/alesia will heal you when they see your hp spike) and Taste of Pain gives you like 120 HP when enemy is below 50% hp, and in extreme cases I can just Taste of Death one of my horrors away, but that rarely happens so I'm thinking of dropping that for another interrupt or something.
DM: 12
Expertise: 10+1+3
Marks: 9 (or whatever's left)

1. Marksman's Wager {e}
2. Distracting Shot
3. Dual Shot
4. Taste of Pain
5. Taste of Death
6. BotM
7. Animate Vampiric Horror
8. Animate Horror

I'm really at a loss here. I tried your build and still think mine is more efficient in terms of being a support character. No doubt your char can solo better, but with level 14 horrors you can't really do much against any mainland canthan mobs...

Jack Valmont · Jun 02, 2006, 04:55 PM // 16:55

Just so you know...I added your build as a variant to the build page on GuildWiki:

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/R/N_Marksman%27s_Minions

I gave you credit in the talk page too.