Curse

Katamari · Mar 30, 2007, 06:26 AM // 06:26

Excluding time to round them up, smites should die in approximately 3 seconds.

A video of the run from start to finish may be downloaded here.
Please state if you're not able to play the video. This is the first time I've made one. Capped with GameCam and compressed with VDub using the XviD codec so I don't know if I did anything wrong. It plays on my system though.

Note: This is not my idea as I first saw a YouTube vid featuring a build similar to this. I changed a couple of the skills to increase the killing and running speed.

Skillbar
[skill]Spirit Rift[/skill][skill]Cyclone Axe[/skill][skill]Ancestors' Rage[/skill][skill]Gladiator's Defense[/skill][skill]Cruel was Daoshen[/skill][skill]Splinter Weapon[/skill][skill]Enraging Charge[/skill][skill]Sprint[/skill]

Attributes
12+3+1 Channeling
12 Tactics

Recommended Equipment

Set of Survivor Armor including a Channeling headpiece, Vigor Rune, 3 Attunement Runes.

A +5en / +30hp axe and a +30hp / -2 stance shield (req. < 12 tactics) are highly recommended though max mods on equipment is not necessary. A HSR 20% / +30hp offhand or a 27en/-1/30hp is also recommended in case you find yourself in desperate of energy to cast one final spell to kill an enemy.

Utilization
Precast Cruel was Daoshen and Splinter Weapon and regen to at least 10 energy. Aggro the group of Graspings/Smites and if necessary proceed to round them up into a tight ball in order to maximize the effective ness of Splinter Weapon. Once the mob is herded, activate Gladiator's Defense and follow up with a rapid execution of this order: Spirit Rift -> drop ashes -> Cyclone Axe -> Ancestor's Rage. The mob in it's entirety should thus have expired, leaving behind a nice pile of goods which should look something like this:

Please note that the optimal number of smites in a single aggro should be between 5-10. It is possible to aggro a third group, but the risk for dying will be much higher. For a single or pair of smites, the skill order should be Cruel was Daoshen(Precast) -> Gladiator's Defense -> Spirit Rift -> Cruel was Daoshen -> Drop ashes -> Ancestors' Rage.

In the rare case of a straggling smite, recast and drop Cruel was Daoshen and if necessary recast Ancestors' Rage/Spirit Rift to power through any RoF for Divine Intervention casts. Should a Grasping have a sliver of life left, recast Ancestors' Rage/Spirit Rift or simply run around aided by the two speed buffs until GD has recharged.

Other FarmingAreas
Though I haven't extensively checked other areas, you can modify this to farm in other areas such as the Destroy the Ungrateful Slaves Quest:

Minotaurs:

Trolls:
.

Here's to hoping that everyone else enjoys this build as much as I have

0siris · Mar 30, 2007, 06:38 AM // 06:38

very nice, thanks for sharing

I've been trying to utilize splinter weapon in an UW smite run build for a while now with little success. Kudos to you on accomplishing just that

Oso Minar · Mar 30, 2007, 06:39 AM // 06:39

You made it too easy for everyone else. We's gonna get another farming build nerfed, haha

(Well done, though!)

flipfly2004 · Mar 30, 2007, 06:41 AM // 06:41

^^ this is the same build i use ^^

zwei2stein · Mar 30, 2007, 06:47 AM // 06:47

Very Impresive... but i would have kept healsig ...

Harbringer of Woes · Mar 30, 2007, 07:18 AM // 07:18

Going to be nerfed now thats its got its own thread and is easyier...Still, nice one. The original works on vermin to btw, your version should be easyier though.Just keep away from shreader.

Mistical miss · Mar 30, 2007, 07:20 AM // 07:20

I stick with bonetti

as I always screw up on grasps otherwise :P

vespertine · Mar 30, 2007, 09:11 AM // 09:11

why the heck should any skill of this build be nerfed?

rit's got a full adjustment in the recent updates.. furthermore these skills are so conditional that they are balanced anyway..

Sk8tborderx · Mar 30, 2007, 09:39 AM // 09:39

I just did a smite run with the build and I never even had a chance to use cyclone axe which makes it useless along with splinter weapon, I chose to replace them with heal sig and bonnetis.

onerabbit · Mar 30, 2007, 10:27 AM // 10:27

Was wondering when some put this up, i seen th vid on youtube, been doing it ever since, good fun

King's Spectre · Mar 30, 2007, 01:48 PM // 13:48

Nice guide! So is glad def mandatory or will any 75% block stance get the job done?

DAS Achilles · Mar 30, 2007, 02:14 PM // 14:14

shouldnt have deleted my rit : (...and time to make a new one (there goes my paragon..... ohwell they suck neways)

daraaksii · Mar 30, 2007, 02:32 PM // 14:32

I can't watch the video with any players. But still, nice build, gonna try it out

tuna-fish_sushi · Mar 30, 2007, 04:00 PM // 16:00

Glass cannon build.

Nice change i never used healing signet anyway.

bog boy · Mar 30, 2007, 06:39 PM // 18:39

is this possible with w/rt?

Arkantos · Mar 30, 2007, 07:39 PM // 19:39

E/Me hasn't been nerfed and is much better then this build (no offence). It hasn't been nerfed yet, so why do you guys think this will get nerfed?

Great build btw. I'd try it if I had a rit.

ahbuh · Mar 30, 2007, 08:31 PM // 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by bog boy

is this possible with w/rt?

i think it is possible if you are holding focus instead of a shield, because the only issue i c is the energy management.

joish · Mar 30, 2007, 08:39 PM // 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by King's Spectre

Nice guide! So is glad def mandatory or will any 75% block stance get the job done?

glad's def is mandatory because it is not only uses to block but also to do damage and just any ordinary 75% blocking skill won't do that

Turbobusa · Mar 30, 2007, 08:44 PM // 20:44

soooo, if you dont kill the graspings in the first seconds, or get interrupted, you're dead, or am i missing something.

Katamari · Mar 30, 2007, 09:24 PM // 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by bog boy

is this possible with w/rt?

No, this build is not possible as a W/Rt simply because you won't have enough damage in your spells to pull off the 3 second spike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

E/Me hasn't been nerfed and is much better then this build (no offence).

I've tried both builds and I can say that there are both pros and cons to each. As an E/Me, sure you can tank indefinitely and a run isn't necessarily ruined by an accidental aggro of Coldfires. However, as a Rt/W you do not have to count Distracting Blows to time the AV/SV since that will either make or break an E/Me run in the first chamber.

As a Rt/W, you are much more vulnerable to damage since some swings will inevitabely bypass your stance. The payoff is that you decrease the time needed to kill a group (considering that you need to keep enchants up as an E/Me) and you are much more robust in the first chamber since Distracting Blow isn't as threatening. In my case, Spirit Rift has been interrupted less than 5 times throughout the hundred plus runs I have done.

As far as the size of a smite aggro goes in terms of deciding which build is better, ideally E/Me would win hands down. This, however is not the case since you can typically aggro only two groups at any one time since additional groups will break off aggro. Only occasionally when you can successfully group more than two mobs will the E/Me be superior in this respect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbobusa

soooo, if you dont kill the graspings in the first seconds, or get interrupted, you're dead, or am i missing something.

The method I use to handle grasp is to 1) aggro the group 2) use Sprint/Enraging Charge to break off Aatxe aggro and run to a corner or other spot where I can bunch up the Graspings 3) after I've stopped running, activate GD as soon as the first Grasping makes contact 4) begin the SR -> Drop -> AR combo.

Most Graspings will usually waste their D.Blow on you while you are running to a safe spot to bunch them. The remaining D.Blows should be reflected by GD. IF Spirit Rift is interrupted, the chain I use is this: GD -> SR (Interrupted) -> AR/CwD -> Drop -> Cyclone. If there are any survivors, switch weapon sets and hit AR/CwD once more being cautious of D.Blow.

EDIT: Not to mention that you Dying Nightmares mean nothing to you as an Rt/W