Curse

Cosmic Error · Mar 24, 2008, 10:56 PM // 22:56

The added effects they inflict can be good, [card]Wanderlust[/card] is like a weaker version of [card]Water Trident[/card]. The problem is that the damage they do is lame, and you can't use Summon Spirits in PvP. Smart players will just walk away from the ghosties, anyway.

Perhaps some snares, to keep the opposition close to the spirits?

Stormlord Alex · Mar 24, 2008, 11:00 PM // 23:00

They pretty much suck balls for everything apart from a few solo quests in EotN.

Spirits are too fragile for serious PvP use. A warrior with an axe will chew through your ghosts in a few short seconds, and any ranger who's not busy wanking will eat you alive.
And everyone else can walk away.
Which is good, because spiritspam is lame, degenerative play.

Terraban · Mar 24, 2008, 11:17 PM // 23:17

I like Bloodsong to trigger "if a spirit is within earshot" clause. Other than that...not really.

They can be pretty brutal in RA with 3-4 of them + Painful Bond.

randomperson · Mar 24, 2008, 11:19 PM // 23:19

pV's new GvG build is good.

Cosmic Error · Mar 24, 2008, 11:43 PM // 23:43

I suppose I'll just stick with Restoration/Channeling support then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terraban

I like Bloodsong to trigger "if a spirit is within earshot" clause. Other than that...not really.

I use Bloodsong for that too, it's so survivable.

horseradish · Mar 25, 2008, 12:33 AM // 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by randomperson

pV's new GvG build is good.

Yeah, it's frickin' crazy.

Degen out the ASS.

moko · Mar 25, 2008, 03:12 AM // 03:12

as most of you probably have no clue what they say;

the build runs without physicals -- it's based on degen and hexes, yet there has to be a direct damage source. spirits take that role over. they're the last bit to push you over the edge usually.

however, they're based on a character that's not always available (flagrunner). they just come, put the flag, poop spirits and run a new one. by the time he's back, the spirits are either down and it's time to renew them. a smart way to handle their cast times and recharges, while still being effective during other times.

but yeah, overall spirits are fairly useless, suppose they only fit into gimmicks, or a single spirit on a rit's bar to suit the "spirit in earshot range" as already been posted.

blue.rellik · Mar 25, 2008, 03:37 AM // 03:37

but attack spiriits let me see losts of yeluw numbers

Draginvry · Mar 25, 2008, 06:19 AM // 06:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terraban

They can be pretty brutal in RA with 3-4 of them + Painful Bond.

Yeah, they can be usefull to spirit stack, particularly in maps where you know you will have environmental altitude or chokepoints.

But in general, attack spirits are useless unless you are doing something lame like choke point guarding or camping. This isn't to say that these tactics don't work, but that a "smart" opponent will just wait you out and not take the bait.

But as far as RA, I don't think you have to worry too much about smart opponents. Then again, I don't remember a match where people didn't run lame builds. So, meh. I guess attack spirits are gimmicky either way, since they usually revolve soley around [skill=text]painful bond[/skill]

BigDave · Mar 25, 2008, 08:33 AM // 08:33

Alone, attack spirits are pretty bad. Stack em up, use painful bond and get em hitting the same target and they will do some massive damage. Having said that, they are very fragile, take ages to set up and are immobile (unless you use summon spirits).

In situations where there are bottle-necks and you're going to be there a while they can be devastating. I use an offensive spirit build on my rit when i do the G.O.L.E.M quest in EotN. The destroyers are forced into a narrow space at the beginning and the spirits tear them up very nicely, and i can drop spirits on both sides to add more damage. I wouldn't use it anywhere else though really. Maybe for eternal grove (bottle-neck again). If you need to be mobile as in 99% of the things you do there are better options available.

spirit of defeat · Mar 25, 2008, 08:57 AM // 08:57

I Love attack spirits,
It's the build I use the most,
[skill]pain[/skill][skill]bloodsong[/skill][skill]Anguish[/skill][skill]Painful Bond[/skill][skill]Offering of Spirit[/skill]([skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill] / [skill]Splinter Weapon[/skill] / )

Atributes al round 10-12
Communing
Channeling
Spawning
It's quite easy to use, set up and siply draw the spirits into battle, painful bond, cast the weapon skill, or rage on your frontliners.
And it's powerfull.

In RA you need a diffrent one:
[skill]Boon of Creation[/skill][skill]pain[/skill][skill]Dissonance[/skill][skill]Wanderlust[/skill][skill]Shadowsong[/skill][skill]Serpent's Quickness[/skill][skill]Troll Unguent[/skill][skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]
at least 6 wildersness the rest as you see fit.
Just set up and avoid damage, if danger comes near use Troll.

Just try these and you will see Attack spirits still work

Painbringer · Mar 25, 2008, 03:31 PM // 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmic Error

Smart players will just walk away from the ghosties, anyway. Perhaps some snares, to keep the opposition close to the spirits?

And a smart Allied group will stay in range of the spirits drawing the opposition into range. The constant knockdown and interuption is one heck of an aggrevation for the opposing team. I can only speak for RA on this, but Rit's are powerful if they have an army set up. I personnally set anguish pain blood song wonderlust and Gaze of fury one of my fast recharged spirits so i have 4 at least set up at a time. Then I hex like crazy with [skill]painful bond[/skill] if someone solo walks into range they will cut them down rather quick. If the whole group runs in the effect is less but the knockdown and damage is still happening leaving me to hex heal or rez etc.

street peddler · Mar 25, 2008, 03:49 PM // 15:49

theyre fun sometimes in pve

Jetdoc · Mar 25, 2008, 03:50 PM // 15:50

In PvP, I agree that they aren't too great due to their immobility/fragility.

In PvE, however, my ritualist is probably my most powerful character due to her attack spirits (especially when playing solo without heroes or henchmen).

Sir Pandra Pierva · Mar 25, 2008, 08:42 PM // 20:42

i never found spirit spamming to ever be that great.

cept maybe in the good old days of factions and THK.

but the faction spirits can't move makes em useless

now if spirits could move. People would want rits and not necs for MMing

and did they make it so that spirits can now actually attack the same target or do they still just randomly attack opposition?

Cosmic Error · Mar 25, 2008, 10:06 PM // 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Pandra Pierva

and did they make it so that spirits can now actually attack the same target or do they still just randomly attack opposition?

I'm pretty sure they prioritize targets. Might be wrong, all I know is that spirits seem to attack those hexed with painful bond first. I know this because I was screwing around in RA, the enemy rit decided to hex me, and the spirits focused their fire on me. I just walked away.

Lhim · Mar 25, 2008, 11:31 PM // 23:31

In my experience they attack the enemy that's first in their range (obviously), but even when you cast Painful Bond on another (let's say a backliner) they'll keep attacking their initial target most of the times. Using Summon Spirits helps sometimes to sync their attacks on one target. But still sometimes each spirit is just attacking a different enemy.:/
For me it works best to have my spirits just within range and aggro the enemies with Painful Bond myself. Then the spirits will most likely all attack the same chosen target hexed with Painful Bond.

Hugh Manatee · Mar 26, 2008, 07:29 AM // 07:29

Spirit attack AI is a little wonky, but the new skill, summon spirits can sometimes be used to wrangle their fire onto one target. Things I've noticed about spirit AI:

1: If you drop one down and there's nothing in it's agro radius, it will just sit their. If you attack something that it can hit, it will start shooting at the target you've wanded. Occasionally they will idle even if something is in your radius and you'll need to 'mark' a target with your wand.

2: When that target dies or if there are enemies already attacking you, the spirits will choose a random target in their 'agro zone' and start firing.

3: Summon Spirits(very valuable skill to have for a pve rit lord) will interrupt their firing pattern, the next target you attack they will focus all their fire as if they have just been summoned fresh, unless something is closer and/or already attacking you.

Turret spirits are like backfire, empathy or spiteful, AI don't always know how to handle them, especially if you keep em out of AoE, so they can steamroll a lot of PvE areas, but human players know what's going on and how to beat em.

jimmyboveto · Mar 26, 2008, 06:21 PM // 18:21

Attack spirits can be mean in PvE. If you want to be lazy, its a good option from SS.

spirit of defeat · Mar 28, 2008, 07:16 AM // 07:16

about spirit targeting:
-the attack random
-if you call your target, they will target that target
-spirits will defend them self, to death