Curse

JR · Feb 07, 2006, 06:27 AM // 06:27

Energy Denial
Energy denial is an extremely effective - and popular - strategy for small scale confrontations, and they've come to the forefront of discussions as of late. Several people seem to be advocates of trying to lock an opponent's energy down, rendering them unable to use energy based skills at all - and, granted, that's currently extremely effective. But it isn't effective because the victims are truly helpless, it's effective because they're clueless. A good player laughs at an opponent who tries to energy lock them, breaking out of it with minimal effort and punishing them for trying to do something so silly.

Naturally, if an expert can do it, you can too.

What you need:

1. A shield. A vanilla +6 AL shield with no requirements works great - a rare shield with good mods, even if you don't meet the requirements, could be even better. You could even use nothing here - as long as it doesn't have +energy, you're free to do whatever you want.

2.A focus, +10 energy or better.

Negative Energy PvE items do exist if you can get your hand on one for PvP the more power to you. Particularly the Cities Of Ascalon (Symon the Scribe, post-sear Ascalon City) quest reward scroll. It offers you +25 health, +5 armor, and a net -2 energy. It is only a 50% chance reward though, so you may have to repeat the quest.

How it works:
The key to breaking energy denial locks is understanding how a focus works. When you equip a +10 focus, you gain 10 max energy *and* 10 current energy. When you unequip that focus, you lose 10 max energy and 10 current energy. A focus is just an energy battery - it gives you power when you use it, and you lose the power when you unequip it.

If you unequip a focus at low energy, you will drop down into a negative current energy. While negative your energy still regenerates and degenerates as normal. So if you're at 6 energy and unequip your +10 focus, you'll drop down to -4 energy, and it will take you three seconds before you'll hit zero energy again. You could re-equip the focus at any time to regain the 10 max and current energy, just as though you had never unequipped it.

How to play:
Raise your hand if you've thought about going into a caster duel with a focus equipped. Those of you with your hands up have made a fundamental, gamebreaking mistake before you've even cast your first spell. You don't gain anything from having a focus equipped from the start - the focus doesn't matter until you've burned through your normal energy reserves, and are down to that 10 energy that the focus grants you. The difference between having a focus equipped and in reserve? Your opponent can't destroy energy that you don't have. If you're at 20 energy with a focus equipped, an enemy can destroy your energy with an Energy Drain, dropping you to 2 - however, if you had a shield equipped instead, you'd only have 10 current energy, with the Drain only netting 10. You could re-equip the focus at any time to immediately jump back up to 10 energy, and cast whatever you wanted.

That's how you break out of energy locks - by only equipping a focus when you need to, you have a reserve of energy the size of your focus that your opponent cannot touch. Let's say that everything has failed, and you're down to zero energy - with your shield equipped. Your opponent can't do anything else to hurt your energy. But you can still cast - the instant before you want to cast a spell, swap in your +energy focus, kicking your current energy up to 10+. Cast your spell, then immediately unequip your focus again. This should drop you down into negative energy, where you're still regenerating energy but your opponent cannot touch it. Once you've regenerated a bit, you can swap your focus back in and blast away yet again. With just a +10 energy focus in reserve, your opponent can never prevent you from casting 10 energy spells, not matter how many Energy Drains and Ether Feasts they throw at you.

Conclusion
So use this to your advantage. The next time someone tries to Ether Feast you when you're at 3 energy, don't resign yourself to losing in an energy denial lock - quick swap in a focus and Power Leak the bastard. He'll never see it coming.

Peace,
-CxE

wheel · Feb 07, 2006, 06:41 AM // 06:41

What's so awesome about the article is that it's still useful and valid 10 months after it was originally written.

Savio · Feb 07, 2006, 06:46 AM // 06:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel

What's so awesome about the article is that it's still useful and valid 10 months after it was originally written.

Damn straight.

JR · Feb 07, 2006, 06:49 AM // 06:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel

What's so awesome about the article is that it's still useful and valid 10 months after it was originally written.

Yep, I realise it's been posted before. There will be some old material being replayed for those that missed it, untill I can secure people to write up some new articles. And as you say, it is definately still valid.

Greedy Gus · Feb 07, 2006, 05:29 PM // 17:29

Does that mean in a few months this forum won't be readible until scrolling down due to sheer amount of stickies? I've just never been a fan of them, shouldn't this go in the GWGuru guides section?

Inde · Feb 08, 2006, 05:25 AM // 05:25

LOL, Greedy it's an article of the week. Each week the article will be replaced with another

wheel · Feb 08, 2006, 08:12 AM // 08:12

Another invaluable ability that focus swapping gives you:

If you're about to die, switch down to your negative energy set, so that when you're ressed, you can swap up to your higher energy set for free energy. It's kind of hard to know when you're going to die, but it's a good habit to get into. Take the death in stride and lose less from it.

Example: You die with your regular set, say at 54 energy. You're ressed with say 13 energy. 13/54.

You die with your negative energy set, say 30 energy. You're ressed with say 7 energy. But wait, you swap up to your normal set, and you're sitting at 31/54 energy.

Which would you rather prefer? Swapping down when you're about to die basically lets you hide your energy from death.

Seef II · Feb 08, 2006, 10:32 PM // 22:32

Yep, sometimes you get so used to focus swapping you even use it for rebirth and switch to the negative energy set versus mursaat mesmers.

Good stuff, though a couple numbers might need to be changed (since the energy drain nerf, anyhow) the core of the article is still there.

Marillion Bloodbane · Feb 09, 2006, 09:34 PM // 21:34

Fantastic article. I did know about this before but have never seen it laid out so clearly.

flawless650 · Feb 10, 2006, 06:01 AM // 06:01

Isn't a possible counter for item switching is for a mesmer to be a secondary ele and bring gale? The mesmer could then energy deny the monks reserve energy if he cannot item swap fast enough.

JR · Feb 10, 2006, 10:47 AM // 10:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by flawless650

Isn't a possible counter for item switching is for a mesmer to be a secondary ele and bring gale? The mesmer could then energy deny the monks reserve energy if he cannot item swap fast enough.

To do that, you would have to camp the monk untill they switched up, gale them, and try and squeeze in a few spells before they could get back up and swap back. Not really very practical.

flawless650 · Feb 10, 2006, 12:00 PM // 12:00

Well, isn't the whole point of energy denial camping the protect monk and denying him of energy to prevent him from saving his team mates? If you ARE lucky, you maybe able to stop him from throwing a protective spirit on someone being spiked and punish him for item switching.

Scaphism · Feb 10, 2006, 12:06 PM // 12:06

If you are that good at camping a monk and noticing when his weapon set changes, galing him before he has time to get off a .25s spell AND have some extra edenial skills ready to go on your bar, you probably don't need help.

Almighty Zi · Feb 15, 2006, 07:51 AM // 07:51

I don't think the gale idea is practical. If you really want to drain every last bit of a monk's energy then once you see your energy burns/surges/sig of wearniness bringing you less energy denial than the stated amount then you could put a shame on the monk ready for when he switches focus to cast a spell. You can then steal the energy tied into his focus (if you're lucky enough to catch his spell).

DarkSpirit · Feb 18, 2006, 04:29 PM // 16:29

Minor point: No requirements shield is now +10 AL since Christmas.

art_ · Feb 18, 2006, 04:55 PM // 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel

Another invaluable ability that focus swapping gives you:

If you're about to die, switch down to your negative energy set, so that when you're ressed, you can swap up to your higher energy set for free energy. It's kind of hard to know when you're going to die, but it's a good habit to get into. Take the death in stride and lose less from it.

Example: You die with your regular set, say at 54 energy. You're ressed with say 13 energy. 13/54.

You die with your negative energy set, say 30 energy. You're ressed with say 7 energy. But wait, you swap up to your normal set, and you're sitting at 31/54 energy.

Which would you rather prefer? Swapping down when you're about to die basically lets you hide your energy from death.

Nice trick. ty.

kais · Feb 20, 2006, 11:30 AM // 11:30

does this apply to casters? because as you re putting it, when you start to fight, you should have only a wand, cast some spells, and then, once you re getting low on energy, u swap with ur secondary set, which has a wand and a focus, which gives you +10 or more energy.
im I getting this right? If so, how come you see so many casters ( myself included when i play my monk) using a wand and a focus from the beginning of the battle? is just because they dont know about set switching

or just because they feel they need to see the energy bonus all the time?

wheel · Feb 20, 2006, 08:10 PM // 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by kais

does this apply to casters? because as you re putting it, when you start to fight, you should have only a wand, cast some spells, and then, once you re getting low on energy, u swap with ur secondary set, which has a wand and a focus, which gives you +10 or more energy.
im I getting this right? If so, how come you see so many casters ( myself included when i play my monk) using a wand and a focus from the beginning of the battle? is just because they dont know about set switching

or just because they feel they need to see the energy bonus all the time?

Most of the time, they're using the focus to get some other inherrent effect, like 20% chance for 50% faster recharge or +5 armor/+45 health while enchanted. They prefer instead to swap to a postive energy set with negative regen for instant energy gain purposes. One of the other reasons that you see casters with their normal sets out all the time is because of the fact that energy denial isn't present in all builds out there, so there's no reason to swap to a negative energy set when you're out to gain nothing.

Against a good energy denial team, though, you will see people swap to their negative energy sets. All good casters should have a -7 energy set that they can swap to when under energy denial. Against skills like Signet of Weariness, you can watch that character cast the skill, and swap down to your negative set before the skill's completion. This is somewhat hard, but with practice you can accomplish it with relative ease. Against other forms of energy denial that are a little more subtle (or if you're not good at micromanaging and watching the other team's skills being cast), it's a good idea to swap down to your negative energy set on a more permanent basis and only swap up when you're casting.

kais · Feb 22, 2006, 11:35 AM // 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheel

Most of the time, they're using the focus to get some other inherrent effect, like 20% chance for 50% faster recharge or +5 armor/+45 health while enchanted. They prefer instead to swap to a postive energy set with negative regen for instant energy gain purposes. One of the other reasons that you see casters with their normal sets out all the time is because of the fact that energy denial isn't present in all builds out there, so there's no reason to swap to a negative energy set when you're out to gain nothing.

Against a good energy denial team, though, you will see people swap to their negative energy sets. All good casters should have a -7 energy set that they can swap to when under energy denial. Against skills like Signet of Weariness, you can watch that character cast the skill, and swap down to your negative set before the skill's completion. This is somewhat hard, but with practice you can accomplish it with relative ease. Against other forms of energy denial that are a little more subtle (or if you're not good at micromanaging and watching the other team's skills being cast), it's a good idea to swap down to your negative energy set on a more permanent basis and only swap up when you're casting.

i thank you for your answer

morikal · Mar 02, 2006, 05:38 PM // 17:38

Does anyone know how mind wrack works with this? ie: if you have 4 energy and switch to a set that has 10 less max, you drop to -6 and are still regenning. Now lets say while your still negative a mes throws mind wrack on you. Does it trigger immediately? Does it trigger once you get out of negatives and hit 0? Does the mes have to cast another energy draining spell on you (which wouldn't drain any energy since your negative) to trigger the mind wrack?