Curse

Divineshadows · Jun 27, 2006, 08:25 PM // 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

yesterday we were running 2 people completely new to the build so at times it wasn't as smooth as possible, and also none of us are on vent.

I have had people laugh at me before when I asked my teammates to use vent or teamspeak for TA. While I think it isn't needed for most matches, voice coms are a great asset to have when going up against other good teams (who are usually on voice coms themselves). Also, I just find it nice to hear other people's voices during a match.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

The build pretty much shuts down any build that relies on hexes or enchantments. Since dual smite and hex stack teams have really become dominant in TA, we started to run this build about a week and a half ago and have been tweeking it ever since. Our goal is to see if we can change the TA metagame

We also had no problems dealing with any other teams since so many rely so heavily on enchants. The only teams that put up a very good fight against us were fish's wither degen build and fame's qz pressure build, but we still prevailed.

This build played properly frustrates the classic "balanced" build as well. Boon prot, ether prodigy ele, and diversion all get hit hard. If the boon prot is using mantra of recall instead of energy drain, then that player is hurting even more so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

it's not an easy build to run and there are some weaknesses of which I don't care to share at this time

After a full night's sleep, I figured out some of the best counters to this build after having run it. I'll keep silent on this though to allow Van Goghs TA metagame experiment to run its course.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

on an aside, despite the challenge of new players and no vent we went 30 unchallenged (until I err7'd)...and I would've been a deadly gladiator last night if it wasn't for that...oh well, tonight... ><

It was actually 40, because we won 10 and then mapped back to TA without losing to switch a couple skills and then went back into TA to win 30 ending with your err7. To be fair, I wouldn't consider the new players to this build (myself and Lobo) nearly as much of a challenge as no vent. Lobo is the best warrior I have ever played with in this game.

At least the err7 happened exactly after we completed match number 30; could have been worse. This build was definately the most fun I have ever had playing cripshot in TA and was refreshing since I usually monk in TA. Even after your err7 and the other 2 leaving, I got thrown into a team that had just came from RA. The team had no monk, no means to remove conditions or hexes off of me, no healing breeze or heal other, and I had no self heal. Despite all of this, I still managed to win an additional 10 matches with this new team against teams that had a monk. Oftentimes, I found ways to survive with less than 30 health.

Once you get deadly gladiator, want to post the build in the forums for others to run? I know all of the skills in the build except for 3 of the monk skills. Maybe I'll get to run the build with you again tonight and learn those final 3 skills.

Kabale · Jun 27, 2006, 10:50 PM // 22:50

Me and a group of friends went in and tried SB/RI today, and there really isn't a need to spike with it in TA. We had no problems with two necro's each with their own copies of the aforementioned skills, and a Water Ele. No problems with any groups we faced.

Van Goghs Ear · Jun 28, 2006, 06:02 AM // 06:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Divineshadows

I have had people laugh at me before when I asked my teammates to use vent or teamspeak for TA. While I think it isn't needed for most matches, voice coms are a great asset to have when going up against other good teams (who are usually on voice coms themselves). Also, I just find it nice to hear other people's voices during a match.

This build played properly frustrates the classic "balanced" build as well. Boon prot, ether prodigy ele, and diversion all get hit hard. If the boon prot is using mantra of recall instead of energy drain, then that player is hurting even more so.

After a full night's sleep, I figured out some of the best counters to this build after having run it. I'll keep silent on this though to allow Van Goghs TA metagame experiment to run its course.

It was actually 40, because we won 10 and then mapped back to TA without losing to switch a couple skills and then went back into TA to win 30 ending with your err7. To be fair, I wouldn't consider the new players to this build (myself and Lobo) nearly as much of a challenge as no vent. Lobo is the best warrior I have ever played with in this game.

At least the err7 happened exactly after we completed match number 30; could have been worse. This build was definately the most fun I have ever had playing cripshot in TA and was refreshing since I usually monk in TA. Even after your err7 and the other 2 leaving, I got thrown into a team that had just came from RA. The team had no monk, no means to remove conditions or hexes off of me, no healing breeze or heal other, and I had no self heal. Despite all of this, I still managed to win an additional 10 matches with this new team against teams that had a monk. Oftentimes, I found ways to survive with less than 30 health.

Once you get deadly gladiator, want to post the build in the forums for others to run? I know all of the skills in the build except for 3 of the monk skills. Maybe I'll get to run the build with you again tonight and learn those final 3 skills.

so we are what now 118 wins 0 losses with the build after today with me, you, orc and lobot?

the funny thing is that the soul barb spike which is probably the most powerful cookie cutter build going around right now is one of, if not our easiest kill. Keep the hex metagame rolling ta, I have 108 more points to go for my next title...

remmeh · Jun 28, 2006, 02:50 PM // 14:50

i HATE that build you guys ran last night... especially because i didn't have enough time to think up a counter (sleep + work the next morning

) i spent multiple hours thinking up counters to it... i'll spill a little of it here if you don't mind... and of course you don't:

Blessed Light Monk - fairly standard
Seeking Arrows interrupter
Oath Shot Trapper/Spirits
Shock Axe warrior

cough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

The only teams that put up a very good fight against us were fish's wither degen build and fame's qz pressure build, but we still prevailed.

I left fame before they taught me that QZ build but i DID think of using that... but your team was based on 2 expertise-driven rangers and a warrior, so no can do there... it's a tight energy war.

I too now have some nice counters to that... I'll be trying them out tonight

Never before has a team in TA gotten me so pissed.

Divineshadows · Jun 28, 2006, 05:41 PM // 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

so we are what now 118 wins 0 losses with the build after today with me, you, orc and lobot?

108 wins; 0 losses

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

the funny thing is that the soul barb spike which is probably the most powerful cookie cutter build going around right now is one of, if not our easiest kill.

I loved how you would say "gg" to these teams before the match even started.

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

I HATE that build you guys ran last night...

Heh. You're not the only one. One opponent said "dumb build" in all chat while we were smashing them. My reply was, "Your build? I agree."

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

especially because i didn't have enough time to think up a counter (sleep + work the next morning

) i spent multiple hours thinking up counters to it...

Don't let it drive you too mad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

Blessed Light Monk - fairly standard

Having played this monk for the last 68 of the 108 (was on the cripshot for the first 40), I can personally assure you there is absolutely nothing standard about this blessed light monk build. As an expirement, I took the monk build to RA and got paired with a warrior, a mesmer, and some other non-monk class. Looked like a reasonably balanced team to me. The opposition had no monk (2 warriors, a sin, and a cripshot) and things looked good early, but after the opponents got their rez sigs going we got smashed. I did not require another test in RA to prove to myself that this is a highly specialized monk build that only functions well in a highly specialized team build.

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

Seeking Arrows interrupter

Orc chose to alter up the build I was using for cripshot and added seeking arrows and concussion shot. Not sure what he dropped though that I had on my bar. Either way seemed to work well though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

I left fame before they taught me that QZ build but i DID think of using that... but your team was based on 2 expertise-driven rangers and a warrior, so no can do there... it's a tight energy war.

QZ did make it an energy war, but still we were wanting to kill/interrupt QZ almost as bad as they were wanting to do the same to NR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

I too now have some nice counters to that... I'll be trying them out tonight

Never before has a team in TA gotten me so pissed.

I could easily devise a counter to this build. Not sure if I could do it taking up as few skill slots as possible so that I could remain competitive against the myriad of other teams I'd expect to face. Almost always, superior tactical play > skill based counters.

remmeh · Jun 28, 2006, 06:02 PM // 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Divineshadows

Don't let it drive you too mad.

All in good fun. Nothing gets me more fired up about a game than a decent opponent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Divineshadows

Having played this monk for the last 68 of the 108 (was on the cripshot for the first 40), I can personally assure you there is absolutely nothing standard about this blessed light monk build. As an expirement, I took the monk build to RA and got paired with a warrior, a mesmer, and some other non-monk class. Looked like a reasonably balanced team to me. The opposition had no monk (2 warriors, a sin, and a cripshot) and things looked good early, but after the opponents got their rez sigs going we got smashed. I did not require another test in RA to prove to myself that this is a highly specialized monk build that only functions well in a highly specialized team build.

From what I could tell, I saw:

Blessed Light
Gift of Health
Signet of Devotion
Draw Conditions
Hex Breaker

At least the first three are a 'standard' Blessed Light build. GuildWiki says so

Quote:

Originally Posted by Divineshadows

I could easily devise a counter to this build. Not sure if I could do it taking up as few skill slots as possible so that I could remain competitive against the myriad of other teams I'd expect to face. Almost always, superior tactical play > skill based counters.

There are a few exceptions: using a boonprot will cripple the monk's energy due to NR. A diversion mes will be rendered ineffective by Seeking Arrows, NR, and Hex Breaker. There is a certain limit to "superior tactical play" that can only be overcome only by one's skillset.

This thread should REALLY be split.

Van Goghs Ear · Jun 28, 2006, 07:36 PM // 19:36

ya, as the person who added distortion to the monk bar from playing it in the first conception of the build, I can say it is quite strange. I remember at one point it had sig of rejuvination on it instead. At another time it had ihex/reveal hex combo too. Aside from the distortion though it is fairly standard.

If you want a build that won't be affected by ours it's quite simple. Dont use enchantments, and dont use hexes. But once you peel back the layers of our build, we are still 4 very good players at the heart of it. We beat many a healer/non hex group with the build just as easily.

remmeh · Jun 28, 2006, 09:52 PM // 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van Goghs Ear

ya, as the person who added distortion to the monk bar from playing it in the first conception of the build, I can say it is quite strange. I remember at one point it had sig of rejuvination on it instead. At another time it had ihex/reveal hex combo too. Aside from the distortion though it is fairly standard.

If you want a build that won't be affected by ours it's quite simple. Dont use enchantments, and dont use hexes. But once you peel back the layers of our build, we are still 4 very good players at the heart of it. We beat many a healer/non hex group with the build just as easily.

so monky has distortion too... haha... it's all coming together now... i think

Former Ruling · Jun 28, 2006, 10:12 PM // 22:12

I'll add to the new build, not the Soul hex thing (since everyone knows about that), I hate Seeking Arrow Interupters.

I was in HA and we were on a good streak when 2 seeking interupters ruined it

Wasteland Squidget · Jun 28, 2006, 10:14 PM // 22:14

This thread is veering pretty far off topic. If you guys want to discuss this NR/Tranquility build you're welcome to, but please use a new thread to do it.