Curse

Kyune · Dec 13, 2006, 01:08 AM // 01:08

Dervish/Elementalist
Level: 20

Mysticism: 13 (11+2)
Scythe Mastery: 13 (10+3)
Fire Magic: 10

- Avatar of Melandru [Elite] (Mysticism)
- Heart of Fury (Mysticism) (17s)
- Zealous Renewal (Mysticism)
- Burning Speed (Fire Magic) (40% speed buff, causes 7sec burning)
- Wearying Strike (Scythe Mastery)
- Twin Moon Sweep (Scythe Mastery)
- Victorious Sweep (Scythe Mastery)
- Resurrection Signet ()

Warrior/Monk
Level: 20

Strength: 9 (8+1)
Axe Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Tactics: 10 (9+1)
Protection Prayers: 5

- Frenzy (Warrior other)
- Rush (Strength)
- Eviscerate [Elite] (Axe Mastery)
- Executioner's Strike (Axe Mastery)
- Critical Chop (Axe Mastery)
- Shield Bash (Strength)
- Mending Touch (Protection Prayers)
- Healing Signet (Tactics)

Paragon/Warrior
Level: 20

Leadership: 13 (10+3)
Spear Mastery: 12 (11+1)
Command: 12 (10+2)

- "They're on Fire!" (Leadership) (44% reduction)
- Blazing Finale (Leadership) (32s, 3s burning)
- "Stand Your Ground!" (Command) (30s)
- Anthem of Flame (Leadership) (3s burning)
- Crippling Anthem [Elite] (Command)
- "Go For The Eyes!" (Command)
- Barbed Spear (Spear Mastery)
- Signet of Return (Leadership)

Mesmer/Monk
Level: 20

Fast Casting: 11 (10+1)
Inspiration Magic: 11 (10+1)
Domination Magic: 15 (11+4)

- Blackout (Domination Magic)
- Diversion (Domination Magic)
- Signet of Humility (Inspiration Magic) (12s) *
- Guilt (Domination Magic)
- Shame (Domination Magic)
- Spiritual Pain (Domination Magic)
- Expel Hexes [Elite] (Mesmer other)
- Resurrect (Monk other)

*Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I see this as a very key skill for shutting down a particular defense, since elites are generally chosen as being key
skills. If I ran a second mes I would run another copy of this.

Elementalist/Monk
Level: 20

Energy Storage: 11 (10+1)
Air Magic: 5
Fire Magic: 14 (10+4)
Healing Prayers: 9
Protection Prayers: 5

- Glyph of Lesser Energy (Elementalist other)
- Searing Flames [Elite] (Fire Magic)
- Glowing Gaze (Fire Magic)
- Gale (Air Magic)
- Gift of Health (Healing Prayers)
- Heal Party (Healing Prayers)
- Extinguish (Protection Prayers)
- Resurrection Signet ()

Necromancer/Monk
Level: 20

Soul Reaping: 14 (11+3)
Curses: 14 (12+2)
Death Magic: 7 (6+1)
Protection Prayers: 1

- Reaper's Mark [Elite] (Soul Reaping)
- Rotting Flesh (Death Magic)
- Enfeeble (Curses)
- Rip Enchantment (Curses)
- Parasitic Bond (Curses)
- Infuse Health (Healing Prayers)
- Draw Conditions (Protection Prayers)
- Resurrection Signet ()

Monk/Mesmer
Level: 20

Divine Favor: 11 (10+1)
Healing Prayers: 11 (10+1)
Protection Prayers: 14 (11+3)

- Restore Condition [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
- Gift of Health (Healing Prayers)
- Signet of Devotion (Divine Favor)
- Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
- Guardian (Protection Prayers)
- Shield of Absorption (Protection Prayers)
- Protective Spirit (Protection Prayers)
- Contemplation of Purity (Divine Favor)

Monk/Assassin
Level: 20

Divine Favor: 11 (10+1)
Healing Prayers: 11 (10+1)
Protection Prayers: 14 (11+3)

- Zealous Benediction [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
- Gift of Health (Healing Prayers)
- Signet of Devotion (Divine Favor)
- Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
- Guardian (Protection Prayers)
- Mend Ailment (Protection Prayers)
- Spirit Bond (Protection Prayers)
- Contemplation of Purity (Divine Favor)

Have been working on it off and on for several days now, figured I'd put it up here for some insight.

As a side note: The dervish was the original inspiration for the build, originally started as a dervish-only build which eventually came to its present state through trying to figure out uses for twin moon sweep's enchant removal effect and Melandru's anti-condition effect to improve usage of burning speed and wearying strike. Although mysticism does mitigate the cost of burning speed, it just can't be spammed in addition to attack skills.

Present afterthoughts on the build are gale and rip enchantment (replacing liquid flame and malaise, respectively)--Avatar of grenth is certainly tempting to have on the dervish, and knockdown is otherwise nonexistant.

There's also no blind, although the hex necro can mitigate that a bit with enfeeble. Although faintheartedness can do a similar job and have applications on a better variety of targets, the recharge of enfeeble is better and can't be directly hit by divert hexes. In general, the N/Mo probably needs work as well.

Anyways, enough making excuses--thoughts on ways to improve this?

ayame ftw · Dec 13, 2006, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Who runs the flag?

*lemming* · Dec 13, 2006, 08:26 AM // 08:26

The necro isn't contributing much - Reaper's Mark won't be covered and Disease, without Tainted, is going to be hurting your own team a comparable amount. Might as well have a flagger or another SF Ele there.

With Divert around, Expel as a mesmer elite is pretty meh.

Kabale · Dec 14, 2006, 01:45 PM // 13:45

Interesting Dervish, you should be getting a pretty decent return from Zealous Renewal on this guy as you've got an IAS and a speed boost, so energy shouldn't really be a problem. I guess you've tried it out somewhere before?

Kyune · Dec 15, 2006, 01:59 AM // 01:59

I have tried it before, but I am finding I am not satisfied with the bar--the return on zealous renewal does help, but it isn't enough.. That, and avatar of melandru has a huge energy cost which limits its use. Another approach was suggested by someone in the form of pious renewal, and after some messing around the new dervish bar looks like this:

Extend Enchantments (17s)
Pious Renewal (2 en, 8 health on enchant loss)
heart of fury (17s)
mystic corruption (12% per enchant)
burning speed
wearying strike
twin moon sweep
victorious sweep

With this I have almost no energy problems, twice the duration of burning speed and pious renewal, and longer burning and deep wound applications.
But now I have to be mindful of weakness and burning as they come up.

In retrospect I'm wondering if this can actually work, though--it is an awful lot of effort for one mechanic relying on positioning, and I'm not sure there is really a place for it in GvG, where position gets considerably more attention than anywhere else in pvp.

Manfred · Dec 17, 2006, 01:54 AM // 01:54

You're trying to do the duty of both a searing flames ele and a dervish frontliner in that one dervish and, in my opinion, not succeeding. I'd just go for searing flames and burning dervishes (d/ws using skills that just occasionally cause burning), then a paragon.

Legendary Shiz · Dec 17, 2006, 05:27 AM // 05:27

I like your mes, but I'd probably put in something else in the spot of guilt. Wastrels is nice for an after spike, or you could put in shatter.

However, I doubt it's going to be overly cruical whatever skill you decide to put in the slot.

Kyune · Dec 17, 2006, 11:44 AM // 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tehlemming

With Divert around, Expel as a mesmer elite is pretty meh.

Well, the problem is just the opposite--Divert is quite a shiny skill, but the conditions on its use and even the fact that its strength against a build that will really care about it makes it a liability (e.g. Signet of Humility).

I realize the build isn't exactly pro caliber (which doesn't say much for my ability, I'm sure) but my thoughts are as follows:

I see Divert hexes as Blessed Light that operates on a non-primary stat and has a somewhat nondeterministic but potentially greater effect with scaling--but on targets that aren't hexed you only get a heal at much worse efficiency than orison. The alternative I've chosen isn't entirely pretty either--I'm using two elite slots, I still haven't separated hex removal from elite status, and RC isn't self casting. Among other things.

But, I justify this by noting that it becomes more difficult for an opponent to shut down both hex and condition removal, and as two skills they can be applied more easily and usefully so.

I do agree with your statement about the necro though, looking at it now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legendary Shiz

I'd probably put in something else in the spot of guilt. Wastrels is nice for an after spike, or you could put in shatter.

Hmm. I think I see your perspective on the non-use of guilt, specifically that its condition for going off is less useful (and hence the lower energy cost). I like the idea of putting shatter in its place for enchantment control though, which is lacking at present!

Kyune · Dec 17, 2006, 11:45 AM // 11:45

Double post I know, but for the sake of organization I've split it up--I've decided that the build needs a bit of a rethink in general.

Stripping out the characters I am relatively unsure of, I'm left with 2x Mo/Me, P, Me/Mo. I'll almost certainly need a Searing Flames Ele that I just don't know how to build.

Which leaves three characters to flesh out the main offense, deal with opposing enchantments, provide useful knockdowns at key moments, with corpse control, and infuse on a defensive spike. Off the top of my head I'm guessing something like a Grenth's ava. dervish with Shiz's style of burning, a Shock axe, and probably a tainted infuser. Will need to think about it at another time.

For now though, I really appreciate the feedback thus far, keep it coming!

Kabale · Dec 18, 2006, 01:52 PM // 13:52

The thing about Searing Flames eles is they require a lot of emanagement if they are to 'Searing Flame' correctly, i.e. glyph of lesser energy, glowing gaze and fire attunement. Along with the skill itself and Liquid Flame (unless you opt not to take the latter), that's a lot of the skillbar already.

My favorite is Glyph of Sacrifice + Resurrection Chant + Meteor Shower, but if you can relocate the hard res to someone else, it'll leave you with 2 slots. These 2 usually comprise of Wards, Aegis/HP, Draw Conditions, etc. It's the utility which Ele's are normally given, you just have to choose which is the most relevant/required for your build.