Curse

«Ripskin · Oct 22, 2007, 12:07 AM // 00:07

I'm not a primary necro, I have one but he's never beaten any of the games. I keep getting excited about using them to get through something, buy a new armor set, then decide not to lol.

Anyways, I may not be primary, but what's with using [skill]Shadow Of Fear[/skill] In your SS bar? Don't you want them to be attacking as much as possible?

When I run ss, on the off times that I do, I try to do something like
[skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Arcane Echo[/skill][skill]Price Of Failure[/skill][skill]spirit of failure[/skill][skill]Reckless Haste[/skill]

And then whatever else.

Is this bad? Good?

Coloneh · Oct 22, 2007, 12:17 AM // 00:17

my fovorite skill on an SS bar is [skill]Auspicious Incantation[/skill] try using that on the echoed version of SS. works quite well.

«Ripskin · Oct 22, 2007, 12:18 AM // 00:18

I'm talking more about why the hell people are using slowing skills on an ss bar then what I should use on my ss bar.

Arkantos · Oct 22, 2007, 12:19 AM // 00:19

I don't know anyone that uses SoF, or any other hex to make enemies attack slower on a SS bar. Some people aren't that smart.

«Ripskin · Oct 22, 2007, 12:31 AM // 00:31

I pug often.

Actually, it was my guild leader who was using it. He's actually very smart. But instances like showing me his ss bar makes me question his game mechanics.

Drakken Breathes Fire · Oct 22, 2007, 12:39 AM // 00:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by «Ripskin

I pug often.

Actually, it was my guild leader who was using it. He's actually very smart. But instances like showing me his ss bar makes me question his game mechanics.

Depends, if I'm bringing mark of pain and atleast 1 melee hench//hero, and I cast mark of pain on the boss so the shadow damage effects his mob whie my hench is toe to toe with him from Targeting, I'd tend to want him to live longer than his mob and with SS up and his normal attack speed, he might die first with the hench pounding on him also. (Which is scary considering the ungodly amount of 40's and 35's flying off from Zenmai's triggering mark of pain with the SS on boss..)

PERHAPS (I'm not saying this is why, but could be one reason.) This is why he brings SoF?

«Ripskin · Oct 22, 2007, 12:43 AM // 00:43

"All purpose ss build"

blue.rellik · Oct 22, 2007, 02:05 AM // 02:05

I used to use it but only when I was in HM. I changed that out for barbs and mark of pain when I started bringing in Olias as a minion bomber

Chthon · Oct 22, 2007, 04:14 AM // 04:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by «Ripskin

what's with using [skill]Shadow Of Fear[/skill] In your SS bar?

Some people are just idiots, that's what. Your intuition is absolutely right. SoF + SS is just dumb.

Batou of Nine · Oct 22, 2007, 05:18 AM // 05:18

Correct.

Game mechanics, should tell anyone with common sense that using any slower attacking hexes along with SS is counter-productive. So much so, i would also be the guy assuming that whoever uses that kind of skill bar still has no clue about GW dynamics...

HOWEVER, to play the devil's advocate, i can see a small exception to the rule. Provided a "wise" GW player did have both SS and a slower attack hex on their bar, the KEY to it all is using a SELECTIVE slow attack hex. You pointed out Shadow of Fear, which is a great example of what is plainly WRONG to use with SS... However, if a person was to bring something like Faintheartedness, then it can be seen as acceptable if they knew how to strategically use the skill.

In other words, target switching. Casting SS + RH on one target, and on another dangerous melee foe cast Faintheartedness. You now have 2 dangerous foes squeltched via different methods. So if that person continually did this, they would only have to worry about trying to keep track of the foes that DO have SS on them and avoid stacking the slow attack hex on with it.

I would say that kind of example/tactic may be acceptable in heavy melee & physical attacking foe areas, but in the end that one skill slot could have probably been better used anyway. All in all, my SS bar would never even have single target slow hexes because there are so many other good shutdown hexes out there!!!

Just a thought is all... heh, that all make sense?
cheers!

random.name · Oct 22, 2007, 03:30 PM // 15:30

Slowing down attack speed is situational. I generally slow down the attack speed of the lone warrior running around. No point in putting SS on him as I wont get the full benefit.

DRGN · Oct 22, 2007, 03:45 PM // 15:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batou of Nine

Correct.

Game mechanics, should tell anyone with common sense that using any slower attacking hexes along with SS is counter-productive. So much so, i would also be the guy assuming that whoever uses that kind of skill bar still has no clue about GW dynamics...

HOWEVER, to play the devil's advocate, i can see a small exception to the rule. Provided a "wise" GW player did have both SS and a slower attack hex on their bar, the KEY to it all is using a SELECTIVE slow attack hex. You pointed out Shadow of Fear, which is a great example of what is plainly WRONG to use with SS... However, if a person was to bring something like Faintheartedness, then it can be seen as acceptable if they knew how to strategically use the skill.

In other words, target switching. Casting SS + RH on one target, and on another dangerous melee foe cast Faintheartedness. You now have 2 dangerous foes squeltched via different methods. So if that person continually did this, they would only have to worry about trying to keep track of the foes that DO have SS on them and avoid stacking the slow attack hex on with it.

I would say that kind of example/tactic may be acceptable in heavy melee & physical attacking foe areas, but in the end that one skill slot could have probably been better used anyway. All in all, my SS bar would never even have single target slow hexes because there are so many other good shutdown hexes out there!!!

Just a thought is all... heh, that all make sense?
cheers!

Well said. Shadow of Fear shouldn't used at all with SS because of the AoE effect it gives. However, Faintheartedness can be used quite well on other targets that don't have SS.

That's why you'll see 99% of the RA/FA/AB retards with their wikified SS bar putting [skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill] then [skill]Insidious Parasite[/skill] on you, then use [skill]Faintheartedness[/skill], which means they just used 10 energy to make their first 30 energy far less effective. They don't realize it's meant to be SS, different target, Faintheartedness. Personally the times I use SS in PvE, I'll do SS + RH + Enfeebling Blood, and save Faintheartedness for the non-hexed Warrior that breaks aggro.

Ensign · Oct 22, 2007, 08:39 PM // 20:39

I don't see anything horribly wrong with running Spiteful Spirit and Shadow of Fear on the same bar. No, they don't synergize well, and if you're building your Spiteful Spirit guy to be a max damage 'Spiteful Nuker' you obviously wouldn't want to do that. But if you look at a Curses guy as a character that junks up melee mobs and happens to deal a good bit of damage as well, there really isn't a problem. Shadow slows down both melee mob damage and Spiteful damage by 50%, which is not a bad trade at all against threatening mobs.

Longasc · Oct 22, 2007, 09:44 PM // 21:44

Add in Enfeebling Blood, Ripskin. Does not harm SS and keeps melee damage low.

«Ripskin · Oct 23, 2007, 01:06 AM // 01:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by «Ripskin

I'm talking more about why the hell people are using slowing skills on an ss bar then what I should use on my ss bar.

123456789012

Malice Black · Oct 23, 2007, 04:44 PM // 16:44

Anti-melee.

12 chra

Shuuda · Oct 24, 2007, 10:38 AM // 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRGN

That's why you'll see 99% of the RA/FA/AB retards with their wikified SS bar putting [skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill] then [skill]Insidious Parasite[/skill] on you, then use [skill]Faintheartedness[/skill], which means they just used 10 energy to make their first 30 energy far less effective. They don't realize it's meant to be SS, different target, Faintheartedness. Personally the times I use SS in PvE, I'll do SS + RH + Enfeebling Blood, and save Faintheartedness for the non-hexed Warrior that breaks aggro.

Or stupider yet, use Insidious Parasite and Reckless Haste, trust me, I've seen it.

SotiCoto · Oct 24, 2007, 10:55 AM // 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuuda

Or stupider yet, use Insidious Parasite and Reckless Haste, trust me, I've seen it.

Stupid, but not "stupider".
That they miss half the time and get health stolen the rest is hardly a bad thing.

Typically though, I go:
[skill]Reckless Haste[/skill][skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Parasitic Bond[/skill] on one enemy in the middle of a cluster....
[skill]Enfeeble[/skill][skill]Insidious Parasite[/skill][skill]Parasitic Bond[/skill] on the warrior charging toward our casters...
[skill]Mark of Pain[/skill] and [skill]Suffering[/skill] go on either / everything, when I have them.
Slow-downs are nasty... but that is a whole different ballgame, and not one involving SS nor IP at all.

«Ripskin · Oct 25, 2007, 01:30 AM // 01:30

Okay, so I'm taking suggestions, and last night made a build I've yet to test.

[skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Price Of Failure[/skill][skill]Reckless Haste[/skill][skill]spirit of failure[/skill][skill]Envenom Enchantments[/skill][skill]Enfeeble[/skill][skill]Desecrate Enchantments[/skill][skill]resurrection signet[/skill]
Anyone up for the task?

I put desecrate in just so you could spam it, or at least use it as a finisher.
I took echo out, because it's a hassle and an energy waste to use. And plus I've never really liked the skill.
Envenom is just cuz. Could change to echo if that's how you roll.

Str0b0 · Oct 25, 2007, 02:40 AM // 02:40

Enfeebling blood over enfeeble. Mass weakness is good stuff, especially with level 28 and 30 enemies in GWEN. Echo for Reckless haste if nothing else. You have to cast RH twice to cover the time that SS is active. It is usually better to not run RH and instead run Echo for the SS so you can get twice as many targets and multiply the potential damage. Enfeebling blood keeps damage low. I like to pack in Insidious Parasite, which isn't a bad echo alternative if your SS is interrupted. It also makes a nifty cover hex and stacked on a melee boss causes a fast kill. SoF can help with E management but if you stagger your SS casts right you're fine. I like Pain Inverter, even though it is an Ausran title track thing I've got only a 96% return on mine right now but it still hits that 80 damage a lot. Especially nice on an ele boss with a nice AoE spell and some dumb party members or henchies you can flag.

If you have problems with the echo and energy try precasting it about ten seconds before you hit the enemy group with SS