Curse

Byron · Mar 26, 2006, 08:04 AM // 08:04

I've noticed a relative lack of posting in this past week, and hope to throw things back into a familiar motion. What better way than asserting my builds on you all?

I've also noticed a big void in the position where warrior knowledge should be in HA. Some people just don't seem to realize the importance of the warrior in the scheme of things, otherwise they would pay much more attention to their build. Opinions will vary, of course, but since this is a highly specialized version of a warrior, then the subjective nonsense should be kept to a safe minimum. This is also, I think, the most popular type of warrior across the spectrum of PvP play. On top of all that, I'm sick of talking about monks lately.

And also, builds will likely call for specialized warriors that are completely different from what I've listed here. But, if a leader asks for a shock axe, the following builds are at least acceptable.

Listed first will be the build of the team, then the forethought behind the build, then the build of the warrior as I think it best. This may seem like common sense and noob talk, but from what I've seen lately, it seems not.

1 warrior, 3 monk balanced team, A
The shock-axe will be the primary damage dealer in this situation, so all the little tactical things(ie, tactics-based skills) should be substituted for raw power. Interrupts should be secondary in this respect as well...you can always use shock if you need to.

12+4 Axe
9+1 Strength
9 Air

Shocking axe of fortitude
+30 health air magic focus

[Eviscerate{e}]
[Axe rake]
[Executioner's strike]
[Frenzy]
[Shock]
[Conjure lightning]
[Sprint]
[Res sig]

The infamous combo of [Frenzy->Shock->Eviscerate->Axe Rake->Executioner's] has the capability of swiftly dealing over 500 damage with the deep wound factor included, and conjure will add another undeniable ~40 damage onto that.

1 warrior, 3 monk balanced team, B
Same idea, but with more knockdown. Personally, I find this one more fun, but it is more demanding.

12+4 Axe
9+1 Strength
9 Air

Zealous axe of fortitude
+30 health air magic focus

[Bull's strike]
[Eviscerate{e}]
[Axe rake]
[Executioner's strike]
[Frenzy]
[Shock]
[Sprint]
[Res sig]

Without conjure to help with the damage, its takes a little more experience to get the combos on maximum efficiency. What usually works for me is [Frenzy -> Shock -> Eviscerate -> Executioner's strike -> Bull's strike -> Axe rake -> Frenzy] This will more often than not get a softie KD twice, with a 15 second cripple on the back end to finish them off, if they aren't yet dead. Nice. Energy demands though are, well, demanding.

2 warrior, 3 monk balanced team
The shock-axe will still be the main brunt of the assault, but since the team has overlooked an ele, necro, or mesmer slot in favor of another warrior, the shock-axe has to take on certain responsibilities.

12+4 Axe
9+1 Strength
9 Air

Furious axe of fortitude
+30 health air magic focus

[Distracting blow]
[Eviscerate{e}]
[Axe rake]
[Executioner's strike]
[Frenzy]
[Shock]
[Sprint]
[Res sig]

Since the support capbility has been sacrificed, the shock-axe needs some anti-spike and/or anti-heal capability. Very little has changed other than distracting blow, which should be used as often as possibile, and the lack of conjure lightning. The two interrupts I've often use to help put down spikes.

1 warrior, 2 monk balanced team
This type of build likely relies on heal party, martyr, bonds, or a combination of those. Since the warrior is probably not the only damage dealer, or is more likely part of a spike, then those things must be taken into consideration first.

11+4 Axe
6+1 Strength
9 Air
8+1 tactics

Furious axe of fortitude
+30 health air magic focus

[Eviscerate{e}]
[Executioner's strike]
[Frenzy]
[Shock]
[support shout] eg, shields up or watch yourself
[healing signet]
[Sprint]
[Res sig]

Healing signet is great when encountered with SS, blindness, weakness, etc. With only one warrior and two monks on the team, the shock-axe can expect a lot of hate.

I more than welcome comments and critiques, and hope activity picks up soon. I need something to do in between classes.

tafy69 · Mar 26, 2006, 11:59 AM // 11:59

I use the first build you typed out except with Axe Rake as I think its complete waste of a skill imo. I swap axe Rake with Distracting Blow

Conjure lighting is great DPS eh, and RoF spammers get owned by it as rof triggers on the conjure before the Axe hit.

LightningHell · Mar 26, 2006, 12:22 PM // 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byron

Interrupts should be secondary in this respect as well...you can always use shock if you need to.

I think somebody hasn't read the original post yet...

Conjurers get owned by enchant removal.

I would suggest...well, I would suggest Penetrating Blow for it, but that's a bit template.

tafy69 · Mar 26, 2006, 01:28 PM // 13:28

Doesnt make Axe Rake any better.

Conjurs do get owned by Enchant Removal but I havent met a team yet that would waste an enchant removal on me. And if its gone well who cares, you are a normal warrior again without the damage bonus.

Byron · Mar 27, 2006, 02:14 AM // 02:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by LightningHell

Conjurers get owned by enchant removal.

Yes, that would be true if mesmers ever looked at warriors, which, IMHO, they never do. It'd be disregarded as a useless prot spirit or aegis, likely. The thing I am more worried about is a mo/me with drain enchantment for energy management.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tafy69

Doesnt make Axe Rake any better

Yes, I started my shock warrior exprience with penetrating blow, with damage in mind. Axe rake, I find, is really worth it, as most softies will kite like mad after getting hit by a big combo. Axe rake prevents that, and keep your DPS up in the red after the combo is delivered. There's nothing quite so evil as killing a limping enemy.

Blade Rez · Mar 27, 2006, 03:33 AM // 03:33

Usually an Active prot will notice that condition on the monk and cure. However the extra +20 Dmg and the roughly 3-5 second cripple on the target will be useful for that small time, thats just what I think though. Since, then it enables the Shock War to keep the target in roughly the same place for 5-8 seconds with a well timed shock.

mint · Mar 27, 2006, 03:57 AM // 03:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byron

Yes, that would be true if mesmers ever looked at warriors, which, IMHO, they never do.

This is just untrue...its a pretty common tactic for mesmers to black out warriors in order to negate his accumulated adrenaline

SaintGreg · Mar 27, 2006, 05:43 AM // 05:43

Quote:

Conjurs do get owned by Enchant Removal but I havent met a team yet that would waste an enchant removal on me.

Thats like saying attunements are better than ether prodigy. They do get removed, and they do suck because of it. With conjure element you also can't attack rangers (unless you switch to a vampiric anyways), get owned by ward vs elements or harm, and still have to deal with enchantment removal. Most eles also have the lightning armor, which means you do less to them as well.

tafy69 · Mar 27, 2006, 05:45 AM // 05:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mint

This is just untrue...its a pretty common tactic for mesmers to black out warriors in order to negate his accumulated adrenaline

No You will find that in HA mesmers will never blackout a warrior, Mesmers wont even look at a warrior.

But in GvG yeah warrior gets plenty of attention, HA no.

tafy69 · Mar 27, 2006, 05:49 AM // 05:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintGreg

Thats like saying attunements are better than ether prodigy. They do get removed, and they do suck because of it. With conjure element you also can't attack rangers (unless you switch to a vampiric anyways), get owned by ward vs elements or harm, and still have to deal with enchantment removal. Most eles also have the lightning armor, which means you do less to them as well.

Attunement and EP are directly linked to the ele's energy management which = how many spells they can cast.

A warrior that loses its conjure is still 99% effective if it gets stripped, he can just change his axe to zelous or Vamp untill its recharged. The only drawback is that a +11 damage buff is recharging for a while.

DC_Ross_Dark · Mar 27, 2006, 06:05 AM // 06:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by tafy69

No You will find that in HA mesmers will never blackout a warrior, Mesmers wont even look at a warrior.

But in GvG yeah warrior gets plenty of attention, HA no.

that's not true, you see alot of ineptitude/clumsiness mesmers looking for frenzied warriors which can easily deal 400+ dmg.

phasola · Mar 27, 2006, 08:15 AM // 08:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC_Ross_Dark

that's not true, you see alot of ineptitude/clumsiness mesmers looking for frenzied warriors which can easily deal 400+ dmg.

in HA? right...

ayanaftw · Mar 27, 2006, 01:04 PM // 13:04

definitely drop the axe rakes.
usually have wild blow, since there's so much iway

Byron · Mar 27, 2006, 04:57 PM // 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintGreg

With conjure element you also can't attack rangers (unless you switch to a vampiric anyways), get owned by ward vs elements or harm, and still have to deal with enchantment removal. Most eles also have the lightning armor, which means you do less to them as well.

Yeah, I should have posted in the build that its a good idea to keep a vampiric axe on the back-burner if your conjure gets removed, or if you come across a ward vs elements. And, for similar reasons, a healing seed will own a conjure warrior. Conjure also kind of helps a bonding monk with balthazars spirit equipped. Rangers are harder to get, but at the same time, a typical warrior in glads armor goes down a lot easier with an elemental axe.

The advantages of conjuring can't be overlooked when facing monks, though. RoF becomes effectively useless as a protection skill. Most monks are bringing judges armor, but with a shocking axe, that bonus armor vs physical damage becomes useless

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayanaftw

definitely drop the axe rakes.
usually have wild blow, since there's so much iway

Wild blow will put another energy drain on an energy-hungry warrior. Since distortion got nerfed, wild blow isn't worth having anymore, IMO. Planning a skill bar to combat a specific build just isn't my style. Could I have a reason for dropping the axe rake? I've heard from a bunch of people now that I should drop it, and I can't really figure out why.

Mage Henchnem · Mar 27, 2006, 05:16 PM // 17:16

I think that having 9 in air is a waste if the only air skill you are running is shock. I would rather go higher in strength, even though thats kind of a waste too. It will increase your dmg a little bit on the shock, but the point of it isn't to do dmg, its just to kd.

Side note, I wounder how much ward of stability will affect the way people play warriors...

tafy69 · Mar 27, 2006, 05:20 PM // 17:20

Well typically in HA all you do is frenzy and switch targets, do as much DPS as you can. When you got adrenaline you tab a few times to find a suitable target and adrenaline spike with Eviscerate and Executioners. Then you just rinse and repeat.

After the Eviscerate you wanna be doing an executioners strike as its the biggest hitter you have, if the target doesnt die after those two hits then u can forget about killing him as he would have been healed or protted.

If you use Axe Rake after the Eviscerate, usually by the time you use your executioners the target has been healed or protted and the skill is wasted.

Banebow · Mar 27, 2006, 05:20 PM // 17:20

I run that exact build (warrior B). Axe rake is an incredibly useful skill for snaring a soft target because they are going to kite when you run at them or they are going to die. Anything you can do to prevent kiting helps you dish out the damage, and axe rake does that. I use it, and it has made the difference in some kills because the target could not kite. It also covers deep wound, but that matters less.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mage Henchnem

I think that having 9 in air is a waste if the only air skill you are running is shock. I would rather go higher in strength, even though thats kind of a waste too. It will increase your dmg a little bit on the shock, but the point of it isn't to do dmg, its just to kd.

The point of 9 air is to be able to use an air focus item, allowing for more shocks. Or in the case of warrior A, to have a decent conjure.

Byron · Mar 27, 2006, 06:47 PM // 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by tafy69

If you use Axe Rake after the Eviscerate, usually by the time you use your executioners the target has been healed or protted and the skill is wasted.

Yes, and depending on the build and quality of the opposing team, as well as the health of the opponent, axe rake should come after executioner's blow. Typically, with a 3-monk backline and an enemy at full health, a combo will get healed before all the damage is delvered. This combined with kiting can really negate a warriors combo entirely. So in that situation, i'd advise hitting them with axe rake before executioners, so your frenzy can continue the DPS. I've even waited for my eviscerate to fire back up while nailing a softie after an evis->rake combo, since he'll likely get a guardian or RoF while you're raging at him. This way, the enemy burns some serious energy while you just wear the softie down for that big shock->evis->exec combo. This will also likely cause the enemy to ping his coniditions, which will bring in more heals and/or prots, which with some good mesmer pressure, can really put a hurt on enemy healers.

However versus, say, necro spike, you should bring in the big pain right after eviscerate to try to put down that necro before his team can put on healing hands or heal other. Rake wouldn't do much in that situation if you didnt kill him with the evis->exec combo, since that type team will probably put heal seed and/or prot spirit on him.

Just as well, with a softie at half health, an evis->exec combo will put him down, but an evis->rake combo often will not. The great thing is, with all 3 skills equipped, you can choose which order to hit the enemy with every time, and that's why I pack 'em.

tafy69 · Mar 28, 2006, 06:05 AM // 06:05

What im trying to say is once you use your spike combo its time to move to another target. I suppose if you play a bad team the Axe Rake may come halfway usefull.

Personally i put in Distracting Blow or Wild Blow, depending if I see many IWAY around at the time.

The amount of times I have interupted a Hero with Distracting Blow isnt even funny. If they dont see a ranger im sure half the prots dont bother to guardian...

Ronin Rangerin · Mar 29, 2006, 08:09 PM // 20:09

Conjures get pwned by exhaustion much more than mesmers. Its just too hard to keep up a 10 energy conjure in a prolonged battle every minute when the average shock warrior will not have much more than 5 energy to spare at a time.