Curse

Aug · Jul 12, 2006, 08:46 PM // 20:46

Assassin/Elementalist
Level: 20

Critical Strikes: 13 (10+3)
Dagger Mastery: 15 (11+4)
Water Magic: 10

Conjure Frost (Water Magic)
For 60 seconds, if you're wielding a cold weapon, your attacks strike for an additional 11 cold damage.
Energy:10 Cast:1 Recharge:60

Ice Prison (Water Magic)
For 16 seconds, target foe's legs are encased in ice, causing the foe to move 66% slower. This effect ends if target takes fire damage.
Energy:10 Cast:2 Recharge:30

Critical Eye (Critical Strikes)
For 32 seconds, you have an additional 6% chance to land a critical hit when attacking. You gain 1 Energy whenever you score a critical hit.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:30

Locusts' Fury [Elite] (Critical Strikes)
For 32 seconds, you have an additional 20% chance to double strike.
Energy:10 Cast:2 Recharge:30

Golden Phoenix Strike (Dagger Mastery)
If you are not under the effects of an Enchantment, this skill misses. If it hits, Golden Phoenix Strike deals +30 damage.
Energy:5 Cast:0 Recharge:8

Twisting Fangs (Critical Strikes)
Must follow an off-hand attack. If it hits, Twisting Fangs strikes for +19 damage and struck foe suffers from Bleeding and Deep Wound for 18 seconds.
Energy:10 Cast:0 Recharge:15

Resurrection Signet ()
Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. You may use this Signet only once per mission.
Energy:0 Cast:3 Recharge:0

Suggestions on the 8th skill? I've tried a number of different things, but nothing really has stood out.

Or perhaps trying a different elemental line? The only skills I'm really attached to are Twisting Fangs, Locust's Fury, Critical Eye and some Conjure Element. I tried Mark of Rodgort & Conjure Flame, but even with 32 base energy it wasn't enough to keep LF and Critical Eye up... and the Mark wore off before I had enough energy to employ dagger attack skills.

Divineshadows · Jul 12, 2006, 09:46 PM // 21:46

Looks like a RA build due to having only one hex (unless of course there are 2 other members on your team running hex stacks). Why are you running two superior runes? I feel that this build is too fragile in RA and TA and to reduce to one superior rune would be 14 dagger, 13 crit, 8 water. Also, I would not recommend ice prison for RA with the number of fire elementalists running around in there (or the chance that a monk on your team will wand the player you hexed).

Aug · Jul 13, 2006, 01:54 AM // 01:54

Yeah, I've been using it in RA, but the lack of self-healing and/or an escape stance/skill makes it frustrating most times. I've won two glad points with it, but both times I had a solid Boon/Prot monk keeping me up and two other solid players also on the team.

I really want to use Black Mantis Thrust for a snare, but there just aren't any good Air, Fire, or Water hexes that a) aren't elite, and b) are 15 E or less. I don't really like Ice Prison, but if I can't snare the target, I never get to hit them past the GPS + TF combo.

I've tried using Locust's Fury with a zealous tang and Distortion, which worked pretty well at keeping me alive vs Rangers/Warriors/Assassins... but it just didn't have the damage output (obviously) of the Conjure Frost.

And yes, that was a mistake on my part with the 2 Sup runes. I've been running Crit helm with Major Crit and a Sup Dagger Mastery for 10 Water, 14 Dagger, 13 Crit Strikes.

Divineshadows · Jul 13, 2006, 03:53 PM // 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aug

running Crit helm with Major Crit and a Sup Dagger Mastery

This is just too much of a health hit to take in RA. I would recommend either two majors or a single superior rune. What is the need for such a high attribute in water?

Aug · Jul 13, 2006, 05:18 PM // 17:18

Without high Water, you might as well just use Vampiric daggers.

You could run a 13 CS, 14 DM, 8 Water build with 2 major runes. That gives you a sustained DPS of 38, assuming Conjure Frost (+9 per hit), Critical Eye (+6% crit) and Locusts' Fury (+20% dbl strike).

With 13 CS and 16 DM, you have a sustained DPS of 34.8, assuming vampiric daggers, Critical Eye (+6% crit), and Locusts' Fury.

Works out to only a 9% increase to use Conjure Frost over Vampiric Daggers at those attribute spreads. At 10 Water, you have a DPS of 40.2, which is 15.5% higher. That's why I was running 10 in Water. W/out it, there's no justification to do an A/E with Conjure.

Divineshadows · Jul 13, 2006, 05:38 PM // 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aug

That's why I was running 10 in Water. W/out it, there's no justification to do an A/E with Conjure.

Which begs the question is running conjure + ice prison even worth it? You have to pass on dark escape and shadow refuge and run with very low health.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aug

I really want to use Black Mantis Thrust for a snare, but there just aren't any good Air, Fire, or Water hexes that a) aren't elite, and b) are 15 E or less. I don't really like Ice Prison, but if I can't snare the target, I never get to hit them past the GPS + TF combo.

Why not consider caltrops?

Aug · Jul 13, 2006, 05:50 PM // 17:50

Quote:

Which begs the question is running conjure + ice prison even worth it? You have to pass on dark escape and shadow refuge and run with very low health.

I've been leaning towards "No" for a while

I was wondering if maybe someone had some insight I hadn't already explored.

Quote:

Why not consider caltrops?

Without at least 7 Shadow Arts, it doesn't seem worth the Energy/Recharge. I could run 13 (10+3) CS, 13 (11+2) DM, 7 (6+1) SA, and 8 Water, but sustained DPS is 36.3.

I really wanted to do Locusts' Fury + Crit Strikes + Conjure ... but I just don't think it's viable in anything but perhaps a GvG setting where you could afford to run one exceptionally high DPS char (2 Sup runes with 13 CS, 15 DM, and 10 Water gives a sustained DPS of 40.8 -- 42.1 if you're using Critical Eye) with little self-survivability .

Aug · Jul 13, 2006, 06:08 PM // 18:08

From my calculations, the DPS of a 16 DM, 13 CS, Vamp dagger Assassin using Locusts' Fury deals 34.7 (assuming Critical Eye @6%) sustained DPS.

The DPS of a 16 Elemental, 12 DM E/A deals 34.5 sustained DPS. Virtually the same DPS but without needing to use an elite (Locust's Fury), and swapping Conjure for Critical Eye. Granted, the E/A won't have the energy engine the A/E does through Critical Strikes + Critical Eye.

The spreadsheet used for calculations can be found here: http://people.msoe.edu/~ormonda/GW/wpn%20calcs.xls

ruadvin · Jul 15, 2006, 08:57 PM // 20:57

I've been mucking about with the a/e conjure (whatever) possibility for a while now. Since I don't want to post my builds here, I'll just provide this link to my build(s) on my guild's forums for your consideration:

http://www.knightsofapathy.com/forum...topic.php?t=17

Unfortunately, none of my builds are really "pressure builds." Instead, they go more or less along the spiking route. But hopefully, this will invite some useful insights for you (or me

).