Curse

Rhaegor Stormborn · May 16, 2008, 01:51 PM // 13:51

I just started a couple of weeks ago, and am now level 20 with max armor.

I would like some advice on what would be considered the best "general" all-purpose PvE armor modications for a hybrid healing monk using Word of Healing.

I am quite confused regarding runes, mods, inscriptions, and weapon types to choose from. People are always using abbreviations and symbols and such to decribe what they use (like this thread: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...hp?t=10287759). I would really appreciate it if someone could put down the exact names of the mods, runes, inscriptions I should use on each piece of armor for best efficiency in general PvE environments.

Also, which weapon (Staff or Wand & Offhand) should I be using? Which weapon mods are best for my type of Monk? What weapon mod(s?) should I be putting on my weapon?

XDeadboltX · May 16, 2008, 02:04 PM // 14:04

For armor I go with

Survivor Healing Headset of minor healing prayers
Survivor Chest piece of Superiro Vigor
Survivor Gloves of minor divine favour
Survivor pants of minor Protection Prayer
Survivor Boots of vitae

The last 3 runes Im not too sure about, its what I use but others probably use different. This should give you alot of HP, and 7 less energy than using radiant insignia's.

Ideal Weapons would be these I think. Im gonna use abbreviations:

HCT=Half cast time
HSR=Half skill recharge

1.Spear with +5 energy and 20% longer enchants, Shield with +10 armor vs xx type of damage(fire, slashing, things that you are likely to come up against) and +30hp

2.Protection staff with 40% hCT of protection prayers, 20% longer enchants, 20% half skill recharge

3. Healing wand with 20% HCT healing, 20% HSR healing.
Healing Offhand with 20% HCT healing, 20% HSR healing.

4. Healing wand with +15 energy/-1 regen.
Healing offhand with +15 energy/ - 1 regen

Other mods on weapon set 4 would probably be +30hp on the offhand and HSR on the wand maybe, idk. Your supposed to use set 1 when not casting, and use set 2 for your prot and set 3 for your Word of healing/healing prayers. If your lazy like me you might not want to switch weapons every time you cast lol

Voodoo Rage · May 16, 2008, 02:05 PM // 14:05

It all depends on what build you are using. If you are using a build that is more demanding energywise, you may need more radiant insignias. The runes you use will be determined by what attributes your build uses. The same goes for your weapon mods. I actually have 3 sets of armor right now that I swap between (I'm sure most of the guys around here have more than that). The beauty of GW is that your gaming experience can be very varied by changing your secondary profession and build to provide a drastically different experience.

Rhaegor Stormborn · May 16, 2008, 02:47 PM // 14:47

I am a Monk/Ele and my bar is:

Guardian
Reversal of Fortune
Patient Spirit
Word of Healing
Cure Hex
Dismiss Condition
Aegis
Glyph of Lesser Energy

Thank you so much so far for the advice, especially that 2nd post, as I do not know enough to really make up my own mind as to whats best now I will do basically exactly what you have posted.

Tyla · May 16, 2008, 02:52 PM // 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by XDeadboltX

1.Spear with +5 energy and 20% longer enchants, Shield with +10 armor vs xx type of damage(fire, slashing, things that you are likely to come up against) and +30hp

2.Protection staff with 40% hCT of protection prayers, 20% longer enchants, 20% half skill recharge

I would swap the martial's mod with a +30.

If you've got a 40/20/20 staff there's no point in a +20% enchants weapon when you can just switch.

XDeadboltX · May 16, 2008, 04:11 PM // 16:11

Yeah good point Tyla.

Also when Iv put spear, it can be a sword or an axe too, as long as its a one handed weapon, so then you can put the mods on it.

Rhaegor, there is a monk guide stickied at the top of the monk forum. If you look at the second post of that, it has all you need to know about weapons in more detail than I wrote.

Rhaegor Stormborn · May 16, 2008, 06:24 PM // 18:24

Quote:

<Profession> Rune of Minor <Attribute> Minor / Blue <Attribute> +1 (Non-stacking)
<Profession> Rune of Major <Attribute> Major / Purple <Attribute> +2 (Non-stacking)
Health -35
<Profession> Rune of Superior <Attribute> Superior / Gold <Attribute> +3 (Non-stacking)
Health -75

Above you stated that you would use a rune of minor healing prayers. Why would you not use the Superior Healing Prayers rune for +3 healing? Is 75 HP a big deal for a Monk who shouldn't be tanking anyway? Enough to justify losing 2 points from the Healing attribute?

Stormlord Alex · May 16, 2008, 06:42 PM // 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Above you stated that you would use a rune of minor healing prayers. Why would you not use the Superior Healing Prayers rune for +3 healing? Is 75 HP a big deal for a Monk who shouldn't be tanking anyway? Enough to justify losing 2 points from the Healing attribute?

Losing 75 health for a few more hp on each heal isn't worth it. End of.

edit: also, having much more health is a good thing, period. As well as the durability, it also makes mobs less likely to attack you.

Yichi · May 16, 2008, 06:45 PM // 18:45

Being on almost every character in the game, you will want as high of an HP total as possible. The -75 to your health is usually more health lost than what will be gained in damage you'd do or health you'd heal for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyla

I would swap the martial's mod with a +30.

If you've got a 40/20/20 staff there's no point in a +20% enchants weapon when you can just switch.

Actually in some circumstances when I'm in my shield set, I switch to a +5 en/ +5 ar sword over my +5/+30 one. Especially in areas where I know there is more of a straight damage than a degen or life stealing damage.

Chthon · May 16, 2008, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Above you stated that you would use a rune of minor healing prayers. Why would you not use the Superior Healing Prayers rune for +3 healing? Is 75 HP a big deal for a Monk who shouldn't be tanking anyway? Enough to justify losing 2 points from the Healing attribute?

The fashionable thing on these boards these days is to unthinkingly insist that "more life > anything else," even in PvE. Hence the huge number of posts insisting on all minor runes and all survivor insignias, usually without providing any rationale beyond "more life > anything else." Instead of listening to these posts, you should be thinking for yourself. Weigh the benefits of 75 extra hp (how often to you find yourself within 75hp of dead?) against the benefits of 2 extra ranks in healing prayers (how much energy and cast time are you going to save over the long run by healing for a tiny bit more on each heal?) and decide for yourself. If you want my opinion, I tend to find the sup rune is the better choice for most caster classes, but, for monks, neither option provides a large enough benefit to get excited over.

XDeadboltX · May 16, 2008, 08:26 PM // 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Above you stated that you would use a rune of minor healing prayers. Why would you not use the Superior Healing Prayers rune for +3 healing? Is 75 HP a big deal for a Monk who shouldn't be tanking anyway? Enough to justify losing 2 points from the Healing attribute?

I ran a sup rune for about 1 and a half years. I made the change to minor and never looked back. The good thing is you can use this armor for pvp since you will have more hp. It will also help when you come to do Hardmode. Sometimes when I get bored monking ill run in and slash at the enemies hitting 1's and the occasional 3 on critical hits lol, but the hp helps there

I realise sup runes can save a little bit of energy but it isnt that much. And if Im out of energy its because the mob isnt dying quick enough, or Iv over-aggroed which is bad. I looked at [patient [email protected]] and the difference is [patient [email protected]] . [word of [email protected]] is [word of [email protected]], which I dont think is that much, not worth me giving up 75hp anyway. You could always settle inbetween and go for a major rune?

On the insignia's, Iv not tried it but the ones that give +10 armor against physical might be decent.

Improvavel · May 16, 2008, 08:44 PM // 20:44

If u have 2 headpieces, one with superior and 1with minor, go ahead use the superior, and if u get dp change to the minor. This is for nm and some easy hm places.

Once u are in elite areas and hm, u most likely appreciate the +75hp.

Racthoh · May 16, 2008, 08:49 PM // 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Is 75 HP a big deal for a Monk who shouldn't be tanking anyway?

Tanking is bad and slow, I can kill stuff faster running players with minors than someone running a tank with superior rune loaded casters.

The extra damage a superior rune provides is not going to be enough to make an impact on a fight offfensively so why bother. If it is, then get new builds/players because the extra damage from two ranks is meager. The only reason not to run minors is to reach a critical breakpoint on a skill; a non-issue PvE wise. If you absolutely must have that superior rune have a second armor piece with a minor to swap to in the event of death penalty.

Rhaegor Stormborn · May 27, 2008, 06:41 PM // 18:41

Quote:

2.Protection staff with 40% hCT of protection prayers, 20% longer enchants, 20% half skill recharge

Where does one get a 40% HCT, 20% Long Enchants, 20% HSR Protection Staff? I see 20% HCT and 20% HSR from collectors, but I have no idea where to begin looking for one with 40% and the enchant duration modifier.

Is the enchant duration modifier an inscription or something that I would put on after I got a 40%/20% staff?

I have been using this list as my weapon guide resource: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/List_...lector_weapons

XDeadboltX · May 27, 2008, 09:36 PM // 21:36

I just got my staff like number 2. You need:

Staff head of aptitude (20% Half cast time)
"Aptitude not attitude" inscription (20% Half cast time)
Enchants staff wrapping (20% enchants)

The staff should automatically have Half skill recharge of all spells 20%

Rhaegor Stormborn · May 28, 2008, 01:12 PM // 13:12

Thank you! I didn't realize they were upgrades. Staff Head of Adept and Staff Wrapping of Enchanting.

Now to figure out where the best place to find these weapon upgrades...

Is there an "Upgrade Trader" similar to the "Rune Trader"? I have not seen one ever, but I can't understand why there would not be a trader for Upgrades and Inscriptions as well?

XDeadboltX · May 28, 2008, 03:31 PM // 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Is there an "Upgrade Trader" similar to the "Rune Trader"? I have not seen one ever, but I can't understand why there would not be a trader for Upgrades and Inscriptions as well?

No there isnt, you will only find them by salvaging them from gold drops you get. You can also buy from players in towns, or on here in the buy section, which is much easier.

Grammar · May 29, 2008, 06:58 AM // 06:58

Here's the status quo on monk equipment, but feel free to deviate as you see fit:

Weapons:
1. Heal Set: 20/20 healing wand & 20/20 healing focus
2. Prot Set: 40/20 20%enchantment prot staff
3. Emergency Set: +15/-1 20%HSR healing wand & +15/-1 +30hp focus
4. Shield Set: +5e +30hp martial weapon (sword, axe, or spear) & 16AL +30hp +10AL(vs. damage type of choice) shield

Runes: minor healing, minor prot, minor DF, sup. vigor, vitae
Insignias: all survivor

There's the status quo in a nuthshell. But like I said, this is PvE, so please feel free to deviate and do whatever suits you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhaegor Stormborn

Is there an "Upgrade Trader" similar to the "Rune Trader"?

Man, that would that be kick ass! It might hurt the economy a little bit, but most upgrades have gotten so cheap anyway that I don't think it would matter much. But man would that make things easier; you could craft whatever weapon you wanted, whenever you wanted.