Curse

striderkaaru · Jan 06, 2006, 03:47 AM // 03:47

level: beginner - intermediate

background info
you see them all over the boards: people who post unique builds to take on unique places. it makes you wonder, "how do they come up with this stuff?" you read the builds and carry out the instructions, but you always wonder how they figured it out in the first place. some builds can be credited to the originals (racthoh's uw and fow builds, mahanaxar's perdition build, etc), but the beginnings of other builds have been lost in the sands of time as more people utilize and tweak them (invincimonk, griffon farming, grawl farming, etc).

this post is meant for newer warriors in the beginner-intermediate levels who want to step up their game and practice coming up with their own builds.

i give you a completely unique arena: an ascalon swarming with level 24 charr.

lesson 1: build-making
the first step to creating your build is always figuring out where you will be using it and what you will be facing. since i have chosen the battlefield, i will tell you what you will be up against and a few of their relevant skills.

charr axe lord
- dismember
- axe twist
charr flame lord
- mark of rodgort
- fireball
charr ashen lord
- life siphon
- putrid explosion
charr mind lord
- ether feast
charr stalker lord
- ignite arrows
- dual shot
- greater conflagration
- troll ungent
charr shaman lord
- zealot's fire
- some heals *shrugs*

now that you know your enemies and their skills, you can start thinking of your own build. a great resource that i always like to use is guild wars guru's own skill listing page (found here: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/skill.php)

you can pretty much use any secondary and varying builds. i have done the run myself as a w/e, w/me, and w/r. i'm sure that it will equally be as easy for w/n and w/mo. i did use skills from my secondaries, and i would like for you to do the same. start looking through all of the skills and think about their possible uses.

there are a few things that you should consider:
-damage output
-some damage reduction
-self healing
-an interrupt
-perhaps something to deal with conditions
-perhaps something to deal with hexes

lesson 2: combat tactics
the second part of an actual build is its execution. as a warrior, there will be several tactics that are important for you to learn. these tactics can then be utilized in party settings.

1 - pulling and the art of aggro
having a longbow (or storm bow) in your inventory and as a weapon set switch are essential as a warrior. you never know when you will need to do careful pulling. this is especially important on this run.

individually, the charr might not pose much of a threat, but if you accidentally aggro too many, some combinations can be deadly. most of the early groups that you encounter can be pulled as groups of two. later ones are in groups of 4 or more. they will be accompanied by lower level charr, which should be nothing but flies to you. the ones that matter are the level 24 charr lords.

carefully select your target and pull with a longbow to a safe spot. then, make your stand. while fighting, always keep an eye on your radar and watch for any red dots that approach your aggro bubble.

2 - target priority
one of the best things about this run is that you will be fighting against all 6 classes. after your initial pull, learn to use the TAB button to scroll through your targets and prioritize. you know what they are capable of, so decide quickly who you need to take out first.

monks first always, right? well, not always. i can't tell you how many times i have partied with pugs who have continued to pound a monk creature that had cast mark of protection on itself despite my repeated calls for a target switch.

3 - terrain use and movement
positioning can also be important during battle due to the advanced nature of guild wars' game engine. learn to strafe after pulling in order to avoid some hits. by holding down the right mouse button and pressing the move keys, you can make your character strafe. this can help you dodge projectiles when pulling ranged attackers.

using your environment can also be beneficial. you can hug the walls at corners in order to avoid being hit by ranged enemies like the stalker and flame lords. they will continue to attack you, but without line of sight, their arrows and other projectiles will collide with the walls and not do any damage to you. this can be helpful when taking on larger groups.

4 - build execution
this is where you learn just how effective the build you made is. there's nothing more i can say about this, really.

FAQ

how do i fight level 24 charr?
these charr show up during the quest "last day dawns." after you have beaten the mission hell's precipice in the ring of fire, talk to the vision of glint in droknar's forge. complete the quest she gives you, "defend droknar's forge." this will open up ldd for you. then go to frontier gate and walk out to greet your enemies. if you have not beaten the game or no longer have the quest and you still want to try this, feel free to message me about it. i will load the map for you and either zone out or just go afk.

why should i do this?
like i said, it is meant for beginner-intermediate warriors who want to step up their game. a lot of people can already come up with their own builds and make a stand against tough enemies, but i also know that there are a lot of people out there who can't. there are also those who can read a build on the forums and execute it, but have a hard time coming up with their own. i want to take those people and take them through the whole process itself.

why are you doing this?
how does the saying go? "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." i believe it was racthoh who first used the phrase "building a better warrior." i've been seeing more more and more "give me xxx build plz" threads in the build forums, and it pains me to see that. i want people to learn that, with some thought, they can come up with their own builds.

will my build work?
there is no better teacher than experience. if you are wondering whether or not your build will work, simply try it out. you'll find out then. the quest is free, so you won't be investing anything monetarily. if you just want to have someone to discuss with, please do not post it in this thread. feel free to get in touch with me and talk about your concerns.

get anything good?
i get the occasional rare weapon, and since charr drop a lot of armors, i also get the occasional superior rune. of course, i also come out with a lot of charr hides.

final note:
in all honesty, i don't even know if people will try this. if all you want to do is farm for gold and awesome drops, then i suggest moving along. this is designed for people who want to improve. the rewards are only for yourself.

more advanced warriors can try it if they want, but it might not be much of a challenge if you can already do all of the above. of course, you are welcome to try to see how many charr you can take on at once.

is this the beginning of a strider academy? perhaps. but i won't charge, nor will i spoonfeed you a build. instead, you will learn to be self-sufficient.

PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR BUILDS IN THIS THREAD. I WOULD LIKE FOR PEOPLE WHO TRY THIS TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN BUILDS. OTHERWISE, IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME.

if you actually do try this, please post feedback.

Pyrea · Jan 06, 2006, 07:03 AM // 07:03

Hey Strider

Nice concept man

I myself started testing builds in this area a while back and then shelved it for a while.

Excellent time to go back and come up with something neat.

I love the idea of a Strider Academy. It's nice for warriors to unite and start thinking for themselves, although there are already real pros in the field such as yourself, Ractoh and Dahnel to name a few.

Personally I have 2 accounts and have created a warrior on each (1 female and 1 male) all complete. I also have a monk (completed), nec, ranger and ele who still need work. But mostly I do warrior stuff.

I do love challenges, because they after all make us excel.

Anyway, time to go and bash those pesky char!!!

Pyrea

Knido · Jan 06, 2006, 04:43 PM // 16:43

hehe after i finish hells precpice, i would love to do this

but just to check:

any good drops?

striderkaaru · Jan 06, 2006, 05:07 PM // 17:07

edited and added in content i had accidentally left out.
thanks for the comments, guys.

i'm not so sure if i would call myself a pro. after all, i'm still learning a lot of stuff myself. but thanks for the support, and good luck with your runs, pyrea. i have 2 warriors, as well, so i share the love.

and honestly, i wouldn't do this for the drops. i have gotten rare weapons, superior runes, and tons of charr hides. however, there are other more efficient places to get those.

Racthoh · Jan 06, 2006, 05:41 PM // 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knido

hehe after i finish hells precpice, i would love to do this

but just to check:

any good drops?

I think that gold axe fiend armour speaks for itself.

Nice guide Strider, just wish I hadn't finished the titan's quests yet so I could give this a whirl sometime. I like how you've hidden your bar as it forces players to learn strictly from the strategy rather than the skills. You'll be a better warrior if you figure out why a skill belongs on the bar rather than simply being told it works.

Pyrea · Jan 07, 2006, 02:12 AM // 02:12

Heya again

After a bit of experimentation with different builds I settled on a W/R build using attributes and skills from Strength, Axe Mastery and Wilderness Survival.

Works a treat as well

I've been thinking of a nice W/Ne build as well which I will give a go next.

Lord Ertihan · Jan 07, 2006, 09:53 AM // 09:53

Gold. Max. Sickle? Man, that alone makes me want to try this out. I've wanted since the first time I've laid eyes on a Sickle to get one of my own. Level 24 Charr, here I come! Thanks for telling us about this man!

striderkaaru · Jan 07, 2006, 06:43 PM // 18:43

racthoh, message me in game if you want to give the run a whirl. i can load the map for you, then just leave.

anyway, i removed my comment on the sickles. it was originally intended as a joke and to attract attention. i don't want people to do this for the wrong reasons.

Druids Arrow · Jan 07, 2006, 08:22 PM // 20:22

Beautiful guide Strider. I prefer builds that have been thought through and practiced, it gives a 'homemade' feel, and when it works you feel satisfied to see it in action. This deserves a sticky IMO. This also can apply to the other classes whether it be Warrior, Ranger, Monk, Mesmer, Elementist or Necromancer. It just makes plain sense

striderkaaru · Jan 09, 2006, 03:09 PM // 15:09

thanks, druid.

with regards to "lesson 1: build-making," i agree that it applies to all classes and not just warriors. the process is the same, and the thoughts and considerations that go into it should be very similar.

however, "lesson 2: combat tactics" might not apply to all classes. you generally wouldn't want your monk or elem to be tanking for the team, would you? =)

Reiden Argrock · Jan 09, 2006, 11:52 PM // 23:52

Great guide. It's wonderful to see people actually take initiative and lead people toward becoming better players rather than just handing them the "machine gun" so to speak.

Great job

super dooper · Jan 10, 2006, 12:01 AM // 00:01

heh, just one thing: the axe lords use axe twist (inflicts weakness), not axe rake (crippled). minor correction :P

excellent write up.

Big_Iron · Jan 10, 2006, 12:08 AM // 00:08

I know this isn't a farming build...or thread even. But I did get a saphire once killing Charr when I was really just farming for Charr Carvings for Candy Canes. Point is you never know what may drop in some of the most unlikely places. But striderkaaru's right. If you want to farm, there are more efficient and profitable places to go.

Anyway, great little tutorial striderkaaru. I'm going to try this out. It should help tune up those fighting skills a lot.

striderkaaru · Jan 10, 2006, 12:32 AM // 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by super dooper

heh, just one thing: the axe lords use axe twist (inflicts weakness), not axe rake (crippled). minor correction :P

excellent write up.

oopsie.
my fault on that one. thanks for catching it, super.

Rancour · Jan 10, 2006, 10:15 AM // 10:15

Just to tell you, if you want to keep skills, attributes..etc. secret, you might want to hide your secondary profession.

Otherwise, good guide. Was thinking of making a such thing myself, but I don't think it would've turned out as good.

And wow, I didn't know you could go there without completing the quest. Great, a new place for me to farm. Gotta try that out in near future.

Makkert · Jan 10, 2006, 02:36 PM // 14:36

Nicely done article overall. After reading I understood why you blacked out your skillset. Easy to read, takes most major points. Point 4 was a bit short, you could have given some tips there, as this is where a lot of players 'wander around' clueless. To give them some tips 'how to analyse what went wrong' would have been nice.
But a solid read for beginner and average player allright. And that Racthoh, oh phooey, if we don't get carefull, he might get to proud :P

~ greets Makk.

funbun · Jan 10, 2006, 02:54 PM // 14:54

Wow, dude. I like this concept. It's like the thread was written just for me. I've always wondered how ppl come up with such elaborate builds own. I've been one of those gimme xxx build please. But never learned to build my own.

This reminds me of the great jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. In addition to recording CDs and being a jazz gaint, he teaches. But he teaches in a way that students are forced to learn thier own. He teaches them to fish, in other words.

Anyway, thanks for the insights.

immolatus · Jan 10, 2006, 05:03 PM // 17:03

Awesome thread Strider. I'm not saying I can come up with builds of my own, but I can change established builds to suit my needs or situation. Basically I take the basics and take and add has I see fit. I definatly need to try this out and see what I can come up with. It would be kinda neet if someone comes up with an Area Of The Month thread and just put X area and who is the first to come up with a build for it every month or couple of weeks. Obviously not posting the builds is a most for the challenge of it. Maybe a few tips if you choose too. But it will give new people the security of, "I know there is a build, X person did it and I know I can come up with one." Anyways my 50 cents.

Hidden Prayers · Jan 11, 2006, 04:21 AM // 04:21

Nice thread.

Now I've finally have a place to test out my pve builds.

I've been able to finally come up with a W/E build that works for me, and
am toying with my N/W right now.
It opens up a lot of possiblities, this experimentation deal

.

CKaz · Jan 11, 2006, 05:25 AM // 05:25

Heh I've been sending my necro there myself, and all titan quests should be considered for this kind of thing (and I believe repeatable on final completion?)

But love my warrior too - he gets Lornars Pass - no not for running but for soloing everything in the zone. I'm getting closer

After that we'll move South... (he's done the IDS thing, got his, and moved on).

My Ele? She gets a variety but a bit more tailored - melee munch or caster crunch.

But back to topic if I get other warriors interested, wouldn't it be fun an army swath of us not RUNNING to Droks, but SLAUGHTERING EVERYTHING on the way to Droks (just in the way or going out of the way to do utter house-cleaning)? On video?

'You take that pack on the left, I got this six on the right...'

Yeah one could do it maybe... but the duration of time I'd say at least pitstop at Warcamp, particularly if going for utter extinction. Maybe not an army tho either, 2-4 warrs just strolling at the speed of a particular signet (haha) laying waste.

Maybe in chapter 2 we let the W/E ride a bolt of lightning there or something