Curse

TGgold · Feb 21, 2006, 02:47 PM // 14:47

This is for Team Arenas:

Fast Casting: 4 or 5 (+1 minor rune)
Dom:14 (+3 sup, +1 minor)
Illusion: wherever the breakpoint for 1 energy Distortion is. (+1 minor)
Inspiration: 10 (+1 minor)

Ether Feast
Blackout (7 seconds)
Power Leak
Power Spike / Diversion
Power Drain
Power Block {E}
Distortion
Res Sig

Basically, this build is used to PowerBlock the Necro, which useually hinders them a ton (especially if they use SS...it's just begging to be interrupted).
This build isn't really meant to be a monk killer, but if there is only 1 monk on the other side, useually the 7 second blackout -> Diversion is long enough to have the rest of the team spike them down.
Interrupts are self explanitory, useually used on Necros and other mesmers who don't tend to have OoB as their energy management. Power Block is hard to time against a boon-prot monk, since most skills are 1/4 second casts, but it *is* fun to nail them for using guardian : )
Distortion is in there, just because I tend to get nailed by warriors a lot. It help. Distortion-->Ether Feast and repeat. Throw in a powerdrain in the middle, and you're all set. Yes, Power Drain is my energy management. It serves me well, so that's al that matter ^_^;

So, I know there's space to improve, so what is it?

d3kst3r · Feb 22, 2006, 06:36 AM // 06:36

Need Migraine or Arcane Conundrum otherwise those Power skills are gonna be hard to time right.

Avarre · Feb 22, 2006, 08:02 AM // 08:02

The cast-slowing spells help certainly, and in that case it's best to bring a cover hex (conjure phantasm isn't bad, or you can bring parasitic bond and spam it around for the occasional regen instead of feast). Imho conundrum + power block is much more frightening than migrane + etc, but it means you'll have to localize your interrupts more (since conundrum lasts less, recharges slower).

With a good eye and quick targetting, this could cause alot of havoc on the other side... so long as you use power block on the right thing

Lady Lozza · Feb 22, 2006, 10:48 AM // 10:48

LOVE Parasitic Bond

IMHO migrane is probably better in TA than AC + power block. The only other thing I can say for interrupts is find yourself a really, really good focus and go into the fight without a wand.

TGgold · Feb 23, 2006, 05:21 PM // 17:21

I don't think I've ever missed a spell with a casting time more 3/4 or more O.o; I just never really had need to anything to slow the cast times, but I guess I could work that in. It just seems a waste. I know I can't interrupt a .5 second cast (RoF at 2x cast) so I just don't target the monk. If I do need to shut them down, it's normally blackou-diversion. I guess what I'm saying is, if I don't have trouble interrupting, why spend 2 skill slots to help?

Oh yeah, why should I not use a want. I useually use the 20% recharge dom wand and the 20/20 dom focus.

Thanks <3

A Leprechaun · Feb 23, 2006, 05:42 PM // 17:42

i think it needs backfire though deals alot of dmg =)

TGgold · Feb 23, 2006, 06:15 PM // 18:15

Are you serious O_O?

I hope not >_> Think about it. This is an interrupt build. Backfire triggers when they cast. If I used backfire, I'd be letting spells through, which is exactly what I don't want to do :P

A Leprechaun · Feb 23, 2006, 07:01 PM // 19:01

good point =)

Tarot Ribos · Feb 24, 2006, 01:38 AM // 01:38

But just think on this... with 14 Dom magic, how much health do they lose when they cast?

Oh yeah, around like 130-ish. Hm. Monk thinks, do I want to Orison for 60 and take 130? No. Not cast.

To me, Backfire is more of a 10-second Blackout. If they want to cast, they're free to. It makes it FAR easier to kill them. But most casters don't... cast... which shuts them down very nicely.

Interrupts have a long recharge. Backfire allows you to not have to use those interrupts for 10 seconds, or at least save them for other people/spells. A good interrupter can shut down a caster. A better interrupter can shut down more than one.

TGgold · Feb 24, 2006, 03:53 PM // 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarot Ribos

But just think on this... with 14 Dom magic, how much health do they lose when they cast?

Oh yeah, around like 130-ish. Hm. Monk thinks, do I want to Orison for 60 and take 130? No. Not cast.

To me, Backfire is more of a 10-second Blackout. If they want to cast, they're free to. It makes it FAR easier to kill them. But most casters don't... cast... which shuts them down very nicely.

Interrupts have a long recharge. Backfire allows you to not have to use those interrupts for 10 seconds, or at least save them for other people/spells. A good interrupter can shut down a caster. A better interrupter can shut down more than one.

You don't play a monk do you?

I'm a boon-prot. I have divine boon and holy veil up. I see backfire, I click CoP. Now, I'm a mesmer who just wasted ~3 seconds and 15 energy to no extent. :P With Boon and Holy veil CoP, I'd need 3 cover hexes to let the backfire stick. Just think about that.

Detrius · Mar 01, 2006, 06:58 PM // 18:58

He is absolutely right. I frequently play a Boon/Prot monk and i have to admit its rather funny to get backfire cast on me. Double click holy veil and its gone...dont have holy veil active, CoP, end of story. Diversion/Blackout is the way to go...that or Energy Burn/Surge, but then you are into another type of build. This one is good at what it is meant to do.

glountz · Mar 01, 2006, 07:08 PM // 19:08

Sorrily, Monks are not the only casters in TA.
Backfire is to aim Mesmers, Necros and Eles. They don't have CoP.
And wastrel's worry is good.
Back on topic, echoing Power block can reveal itself nasty. If you bring with it enough E-management skills, that is.

Detrius · Mar 01, 2006, 09:29 PM // 21:29

Point taken, but that is what he is using interupts for. He has a solution for the ubiquitously present boon/prot with blackout and distortion and interupts for the "slow casters". I agreee that AC is not required to interupt the rest of the rable. It should be said that he does not have much to deal with e-deniel mesmers (who I hate the most) but every build has its shortcomings.

Avarre · Mar 02, 2006, 09:45 AM // 09:45

Backfire is a 10s semi-shutdown. I have yet to see a caster do any serious harm to me in those 10 seconds... though this is of course a TA build, so your teammates will be wrecking havoc on you during those slowed times. But if this is TA, you'd have a monk to remove backfire on you, no?

It's a rather weak spell in any organized pvp because of mass hex removal. The build how it is posted is fine, my only suggested possible changes are posted above (possible AC to help shutdown monks, with para as coverhex).

glountz · Mar 02, 2006, 01:24 PM // 13:24

I agree that Backfire duration should be linked to Dom attribute. 10 unincreasable secs is too short.
6-18 should be better (buff, A-net, buff...). Correctly covered, tough, (mainly by WW), backfire is correct in low level arenas, even in TA. Forget it in 8v8 however, too much Hex removal.
However, the big bad thing about this build is his too much anticaster oriented. Take Leech signet or Cry of frustration or signet of humility. Should you fall upon non-caster builds (like the common 3 gale warriors+1 boon prot) and you will have trouble being useful to your team.

TGgold · Mar 03, 2006, 01:32 AM // 01:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by glountz

I agree that Backfire duration should be linked to Dom attribute. 10 unincreasable secs is too short.
6-18 should be better (buff, A-net, buff...). Correctly covered, tough, (mainly by WW), backfire is correct in low level arenas, even in TA. Forget it in 8v8 however, too much Hex removal.
However, the big bad thing about this build is his too much anticaster oriented. Take Leech signet or Cry of frustration or signet of humility. Should you fall upon non-caster builds (like the common 3 gale warriors+1 boon prot) and you will have trouble being useful to your team.

Yeah, I useually use blackouts to interrupt res sigs and whatnot. I do believe diversion is nice for stopping gale on those axe warriors though :P If not anything more crucial to their build.
And, if that's the case, I'm useually blacking out and diverionsing their monk ^_^; So far it's worked pretty well, and I still dont' think AC is worth my time, it just....has never been useful to me against monks (who would be it's primary target...). Basically, as it is now, it's fairly efficient at stoping a curse necro completely. And that makes me happy. Also, it pretty much wreaks havok on any ele as well.
And Power Block is being fueled by Power Drain...I interrupt enough to make use of it virtually within a second or two of it's recharge.

chance · Mar 03, 2006, 01:38 AM // 01:38

Tgold. Send me a whisper some time. I've been looking for a good interrupter. I've been meaning to test a particular build in pvp, but I require someone that can actually INTERRUPT similiar to me. Me and a guildy came up with a ridiculous interrupt bar that takes some time to master but it dominates IF you can interrupt 3/4-1sec skills at a 80+% clip. Thanks~

Saline Chance. (MeN)

Littzain · Mar 03, 2006, 04:56 AM // 04:56

I don't think Power Block is all that great to begin with, I find it more fun just to use Migraine+interupts. I just use Migraine and Conjure (-7 hp regen, which is nice) + interrupts really can stop someone from doing anything. And body someone, I mean caster.

chance · Mar 03, 2006, 08:31 PM // 20:31

Well Migraine is abused by poor mesmers to interrupt spells. The intent of Migraine is to slow down the cast time, yes it makes it easier to interrupt spells, but if you're relying upon Migraine to get your interrupts off, play a different job.

However, you can be a good mesmer and not be good at interrupting it's not required to play the job, just don't say that Migraine is the best.

Nothing beats having a WHOLE team worried about you as a SINGLE interrupter on your team, since they never know who you're targeting. Eles and Necros are absurdly simple, whilst Monks only take good reflexes and practice. Monks not knowing you can interrupt any of their spells besides the 1/4-1/2 cast times is priceless.

Power Block is a great elite when you're actually able to land interrupts consistently.