Curse

antialias02 · Jan 07, 2006, 09:20 AM // 09:20

Nothing too special - just a good old-fashioned way to frustrate the heck out of your target.

Profession: Me/Any
Name: Classic Shutdown
Type: PvP/PvE
Category: Interrupt/Shutdown

Attributes:
Fast Casting: 9 + 1
Domination: 12 + 4 + 1
Inspiration: 10 + 1

Skills Set:

Power Block {Elite} (Domination)
Blackout
Cry of Frustration
Leech Signet
Power Spike
Power Drain
Guilt/Shame
Res Sig

Summary:

A wonderful tool against casters (although it has some limited use against non-casters), this build will keep your target very busy. Doesn't do much damage, but it doesn't have to.

A basic rundown: Begin with Blackout. With your domination so high, your skills will become active again before your targets, so be ready with a Cry of Frustration or a Leech Signet to immediately stop whatever they choose to do next. (A side note: CoF and Leech Signet interrupt anything - making them prime against non-casters as well. Also of note, CoF will interrupt an entire group - perfect against spikers.)

Use Power Drain and Leech Signet to regain some energy (against casters, of course), and if this target is a called target, wait to use Power Spike until the caster is about dead - this can be an excellent finishing blow. If not, use Power Spike whenever.

Once you have an idea for the skill line your target is using, try Power Block on one of his or her most important skills. That entire line will now be disabled. You may switch targets, or the target may switch lines - either way, be ready with another interrupt.

If you must switch targets temporarily, use Guilt (Mesmers, Necroes, Eles) or Shame (Monks) to preempt an attack while you stir up trouble elsewhere. These two skills are also handy for energy management.

If you time your skills well and get a handle for when to get energy back and when to expend it, you can effectively keep almost any caster from getting work done - sometimes more than one, if you're quick.

Lastly, if you're up against warriors and rangers, use Blackout, CoF, and Leech Signet to stop Healing Signet and Troll Unguent. These skills are also effective interruption for spirits. However, over half of your skillbar will go u unused and you will be without energy management if you target only Rangers and Warriors.

Notes & Concerns:

Depending on who you're trying to stop, you will need a quick finger or two. Necroes and Eles will be prime targest for this build - Monks and Mesmers slightly less so, but they are still very possible. This build does not rely on Migrane {Elite} (Illusion) or Arcane Conundrum for easier interruption. Instead, the Mesmer must be fast on the draw. However, because of the plentiful energy-regain, this build allows some room for error.

Also, like it or not, you may still get owned by a warrior, even after using blackout to force all his skills to stop. That's the way of damage dealing.

And lastly, this build can also fall to a superb energy denial build - but only if you don't shut *them* down first!

Credit:
Forsaken Wanderers for being an awesome guild and helping fine-tune this.
Me! I'm certain others must be running this, so I can't get much credit other than posting it here, as there weren't any others quite like it.

Dmitri3 · Jan 07, 2006, 09:28 AM // 09:28

Too many interrupts and all wasted.
Where's your shatter enchantment? mantra? empathy?

One character should never concentrate on only one role, this can lead to a fast loose since you can't do anything to help your party if your enemy don't have any casters.

antialias02 · Jan 07, 2006, 09:32 AM // 09:32

True - The last slot is pretty variable. I've tried this with Shatter Enchantment instead of both Guilt and Shame, which also tends to work well. Empathy has also gone there, as has Backfire.

And I wouldn't say all the interrupts are wasted. It's pretty much a given that whenever your target is about to do something, it will end up not. (Sometimes two targets). And that can impare an entire team.

But the point of the build is, simply put, keeping the target out of the fight.

Nessaja · Jan 08, 2006, 02:11 AM // 02:11

You might want to force your enemies into casting something with WW

hazmat · Jan 08, 2006, 09:11 PM // 21:11

I don't agree with the point that you shouldn't specialize, you can go both ways on this argument and say that you are too weak when spreading your spells too far. In CA possibly, but CA is just for messing around anyway.

If you're wanting to stop your target casting, use power leak instead of power spike, no energy = no casting.. like the idea of ww and shatter enchantment. You may want to throw in arcane cond to slow down cast times too - it makes a nice combination for interrupts.
I love cry of frustration, theres nothing better than seeing "%#@%" above an elementist's head after you interrupt a 3 second spell just before its cast

Dmitri3 · Jan 09, 2006, 05:26 AM // 05:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazmat

I don't agree with the point that you shouldn't specialize, you can go both ways on this argument and say that you are too weak when spreading your spells too far. In CA possibly, but CA is just for messing around anyway.

If you're wanting to stop your target casting, use power leak instead of power spike, no energy = no casting.. like the idea of ww and shatter enchantment. You may want to throw in arcane cond to slow down cast times too - it makes a nice combination for interrupts.
I love cry of frustration, theres nothing better than seeing "%#@%" above an elementist's head after you interrupt a 3 second spell just before its cast

Wrong.
Spreading skills to fit into all kind of situations - Good
Spreading attributes too much - Bad

You are basicly saying the contrary... go with 4 attributes line/// I say WTF?

_____

On the topic, if you are playing GvG with this... you might also consider taking Ressurection as a /mo secondary.
Hard res is a nice thing in GvG, especially with fast casting ability.

Also... if your team is spiking - you may want to use Phantom Pain+Shatter Delusions - since you don't need to put any attributes into Illusion for this.

hazmat · Jan 09, 2006, 11:13 AM // 11:13

Dmitri, I think you may be reading posts too quickly .. i didn't say that you should go with 4 attribute lines, in fact attribute lines weren't even mentioned afaik -- you can build for many different roles with the same attribute line, but that is not the point.

I think we are talking here about whether you should specialize on a particular function within a team. Sure.. in this case having all interrutps may not work, but with the right setup it could possibly work.. say with a couple of other mesmers spamming off arcane cond and migraine on multiple targets.. very hypothetical but yea. There are lots of circumstances where one character should concentrate as one role, heal monk & prot monk, stance tank & knockdown warrior. Things aren't always black or white.