Curse

TheOneMephisto · May 14, 2006, 12:07 PM // 12:07

Well here's my first GvG build. Designed as a pressure/spike build.

http://gwshack.us/e4c6a-added in Balthazar's Aura on smiters, added in Judge's Insight on smiter 2

http://gwshack.us/bfbf4-reworked assassin attack chain, took out distracting blow, subbed in CoF for diversion on mesmer

http://gwshack.us/82743-reworked assassin attributes, switched out golden lotus for unsuspecting.

http://gwshack.us/1d943-added diversion, switched veil on the GoH boonprot to ihex

original: http://gwshack.us/55b9d

Criticism would be appreciated.

Worf · May 14, 2006, 01:16 PM // 13:16

Your first build seems pretty good, but i would change some things.

For rezmer is better to take Resurrect instead of Resurrection Chant. It's also better to take Diversion instead of Mind Wrack, imo. Shatter enchantment helps much in spike, so if you find a place to it, took it.

You dont need Signet of Humility on your monk. Take Contemplation of Purity instead. And for another monk, Inspired hex instead of Holy Veil, you need to take all energy that you can. Signet of Devotion also for both monks, take off Drain Enchantments.

Well of Weariness is pretty bad, opposing team just needs to walk out of it.

YOu have enough condition removal, i would take the Extinquish off and put Lighting Strike or Ene in.

TheOneMephisto · May 14, 2006, 02:10 PM // 14:10

I like resurrection chant because it resses with decent health and some energy. If I were to change it I might go to flesh of my flesh.

Well, I decided on SoH for the monk because their healing will generally be a little easier because of the protting that the smiters will be doing. SoH can be used to mess with adrenaline spikes, resetting adrenaline an not letting adrenaline gain for those 11 sec. It also can mess with elite energy management, prodigy eles, lotsa good stuff.

I didn't think that I would need CoP jst because of the pretty good hex/condition removal.

Inspired hex could be useful in there, but the monks will also have energy help with BR.

Drain enchant is good energy management, and it also screws with the enemy monks in paticular. Also it gives this build some more enchant removal.

The well was a funny choice, but I decided to put it in to mess with the enemy positioning, since an energy draining well in the middle of your backline can force a rushed decision to get your casters out.

I wouldn't dream of taking out extinguish, as it's the only way to counter disease and to mass-remove conditions. It also allows the ele to help more when out running flags.

moriz · May 14, 2006, 10:55 PM // 22:55

the choices on the assassin is a bit funny. you have a knockdown but you don't have one of the most damaging assassin skills: falling spider.

another thing: you don't need to put that assassin's dagger mastery that high. it will run perfectly well with only 14 (10+4). with that, you can exchange the stats of shadow arts with critical strike. you can pump critical strike up to 13, which will give you a whooping 3 energy per critical, which occurs about every other hit. that should give you enough energy that you don't even need golden lotus strike. that should give you an additional slot free to do whatever you want.

TheOneMephisto · May 15, 2006, 12:02 AM // 00:02

Well, since there's no unconditional knockdown I didn't think that falling spider would be worth it. Bull's Strike is mostly there to act as a snare, which this build is lacking.

I'll try taking your suggestions on the attribute layout and running maybe Unsuspecting Strike as a lead attack?

Edit: I'm wondering about taking out golden lotus, considering that the entire combo takes around 35 energy to pull off with aura of displacement, unsuspecting, golden pheonix, and nine tail. The original combo takes 30 energy, but you also gain 10 energy back. Also, if the assassin has golden lotus, I'm not sure if he needs critical strikes, and then he would be almost forced to pump back up dagger mastery to add damage. I'm not the most experienced at playing assassin, so can someone help me out with whether you'll run into energy problems using unsuspecting and 14 critical strikes?

moriz · May 15, 2006, 02:20 AM // 02:20

actually, you don't even need a lead attack. golden phoenix only requires you to be enchanted, you can use it without a lead attack. that should cut the combo down to 25 energy.

i've watched WM's assassins. their combo consists of golden phoenix-->horns of the ox-->falling spider-->twisting fangs. one of them also use distortion. apparently, the energy gain from 13 critical strikes and zealous daggers is enough to keep that combo running forever. that combo is also effective enough to take down one npc per combo, which made them unbelievable gank machines.

TheOneMephisto · May 15, 2006, 12:07 PM // 12:07

Darn, you're right. I'm just so use to the lead->off-hand->dual combo. That gives me some more options, I guess I'll totally rework the assassin's attack chain.

Now the chain is based off of that. I decided against twisting fangs because of the warrior's eviscerate, so I kept nine-tail in. Had to take out distracting though, which left this build low on interrupts. Stuck in another CoF on the mesmer instead of diversion, hopefully that'll screw with spike builds.

Byron · May 16, 2006, 05:52 AM // 05:52

My goodness, I love bull's strike on an assassin. I like seeing the assassin as a continuously active part of the team's offense, as well. Though, one thing bugged me: no smite hex. It's not necessary with expel hexes in the lineup, but I'm a smite hex fanatic. That said, a two-smiter team is nothing short of outstanding.

I think it's definitely worth a shot; I'm a smiter at heart.

shadex · May 17, 2006, 01:42 AM // 01:42

I am a very big assassin fan, especially in GvG and PvP. The problem is that a simple block distroys the assassins entire offencive ability. My main problem with your assassin is that. Your using aura which is great to allow a subclass other then ele or monk, however there is nothing stoping a monk tossing up a guardian. Also i think your missing out by not putting in balthys aura in the mix. Having dual zealots fire smiters with a balthys aura in there allows a far better heal bomb.

rii · May 17, 2006, 09:50 AM // 09:50

Balth aura makes up about a third of an aoe smiters dps. I would definately take it. Whatsmore, the holy damage is much more painful as defensive pressure against warriors. Zealots fire damage doesnt hurt a lot unless they have frenzy on. On the second, drop well of weariness, and on the first, probably drop cof.

I personally like:

AoE smiter

Monk/Elementalist
Level: 20

Divine Favor: 9 (8+1)
Smiting Prayers: 16 (12+4)
Protection Prayers: 11 (10+1)

Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
Guardian (Protection Prayers)
Air of Enchantment [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
Balthazar's Aura (Smiting Prayers)
Zealot's Fire (Smiting Prayers)
Judge's Insight (Smiting Prayers)
Smite Hex (Smiting Prayers)
Glyph of Lesser Energy (Elementalist other)

Not a lot of disruption, but darn, it does a lot of damage -.-

TheOneMephisto · May 17, 2006, 12:23 PM // 12:23

Yea, I've been wondering about putting in Balthazar's Aura. I think that I should also probably put in Judge's Insight on one of the smiters just to help with spikes...

Vindexus · May 17, 2006, 08:16 PM // 20:16

I'd much rather have a res sig than Spear of Light on the second smiter you have there.

I really wouldn't bring Signet of Humility on a boon prot. In fact I don't like that first booner at all. He basically has RoF to heal with, and then he hopes they have a condition on them.

The dom mesmer seems all right, although I'm not too sure how much one eburn and one SoW are going to do to a monk. I'd rather have a MoR mesmer with remove hex and maybe shatter enchantment.

TheOneMephisto · May 17, 2006, 08:22 PM // 20:22

The second boonprot has 1 empty skill slot, since I don't really think that 4 copies of guardian are needed. During battle, softies that the enemy warriors are concentrating on will have guardian via the smiters, so I thought that another guardian wasn't really neccesary. I wanted SoH because that was an inspiration skill that can help the team's offense, but I'm welcome to other suggestions.

MoR mesmer? I assume that's a mesmer with Mantra of Recovery. Expel hexes is mostly there to take out the new covered SS spikes, since it can take out a major hex and its cover easily.