User:Entropy3927

"Entropy is defined as random molecular motion, or as we know it, heat."

This page to be expanded / formatted more at a later date

Welcome
Welcome to the User page of Entropy. I started playing Guild Wars just this year, over the summer vacation from high school. Apparently I have a knack for the game, though, and I have made some rapid progress in the PvE world. For now I'm stuck in Prophecies, but I hope to change that as soon as possible.

Thanks in part to this Wiki, I have a large general knowledge of almost all aspects of Guild Wars, though mostly about Prophecies. It saddens me that more people don't come here to answer their questions instead of spamming them to the general in-game population. Nearly every question I have ever had was answered after looking it up here.

Out of Game Info

 * Nickname: Vili
 * Age: 16
 * Ethnic: Chinese American;
 * Language: English native; some French
 * Locale: California, USA
 * Gaming background: All things Nintendo; heavy SSBM and FF player
 * Other online games: Icesus, a Finnish MUD (username: Allanon)

Guild Wars Info

 * Guild: Tyrian Marauders [TM]
 * Guild Status: Not recruiting yet, PvE-only so far
 * Current funds level: Broke 100 platinum for the first time on 11-01-06. Cheers.
 * Number of Black Dye / Superior Vigor Runes found so far: 6 / 3
 * Number of Green Items owned: 2 (Kepkhet's Refuge, self-acquired...twice)
 * Number of Miniatures: 2 (Devourer, Turtle)
 * Campaigns: Prophecies only
 * Number of times I've accepted a run: 0 (Zero)

Miscellaneous achievements

 * Went through the game with my first character as a W/Me, possibly one of the worst profession combinations in the game!
 * Beat Doppleganger on the first try; 10 seconds on second attempt.
 * Reached Team Arenas.
 * Obtained copies of max collector weapons for every linked attribute (bows and staves)
 * Solo-farmed Spiny Seeds, Dessicated Hydra Claws, Bleached Shells, etc.
 * Collected many, many Fiery Dragon Swords, seemingly at random. (15+, probably)
 * Salvaged a perfect Vampiric Sword Hilt (3/1).
 * Salvaged a perfect Axe Grip of Axe Mastery (20%).

=The Henchmen Hall of Fame= I have cleared every mission and bonus in the Prophecies campaign using parties of just henchmen. The one I need human help for is Dunes of Despair (bonus) - I missed the bonus by only a few seconds using henchmen, which was frustrating. Especially after many many attempts. The mission has been hit hard with the nerfbat and most of the old strategies no longer work - Dunes of Despair was special case though: See the mission's talk page for more info. It can be done! It's just incredibly long and frustrating.

In an effort to illuminate others' understanding of the usefulness of henchmen as compared to (most) PUGs, I present the following list of "hall of fame moments". (W/Me or E/N before Ascension)

Prior to Ascension

 * Cleared Nolani Academy by opening the front gates; all-hench party. (fun)
 * Saved Benji Malaka in D'Alessio Seaboard with an all-hench party. (frustrating)
 * Rescued all the Chosen in Divinity Coast with an all-hench party.
 * Completed all Crystal Desert missions and bonuses with an all-hench party. (easy...mostly)

After Ascension

 * !Killed Glint with an all-hench party, on the very first try too! Thank you, Wild Blow...(Ele changed to Mesmer secondary and beat it on second try; Ranger finished without any special build)
 * Slew the Mursaat in Ice Caves of Sorrow without being Infused, in an all-hench party.
 * Fought my way to the Seer in Iron Mines of Moladune to get Infused, using all henchmen.
 * !!Finished Thunderhead Keep Mission and Bonus using only Henchmen, Twice!! (proud of myself)
 * Cleared Ring of Fire, Abaddon's Mouth, and Hell's Precipice (mission+bonus foreach) using only henchmen. Lich Lord was rather easy.
 * Finished "Defend Droknar's Forge" Titan quest with only henchmen. So much easier as a Fire Elementalist...
 * Capped all Warrior elites, Martyr, Echo, and more using just henchmen.
 * Finished "Unspeakable, Unknowable" quest with an all hench party. (long/hard)
 * Almost cleared the first floor of Tombs with all-hench party. Damn near impossible...stupid Fingers of Chaos.
 * Cleared every Zaishen Challenge with the Zaishen henchmen.
 * Cleared three rounds of Zaishen Elite with the Zaishen henchmen.

Builds
See this page for builds I use on my characters.

=Characters= All are L20.

Lana Irving

 * W/any, preference to W/R archer or W/N Plague Touch
 * Name origins: Related to Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia
 * Personality: "aggressive"
 * Pet: Persian, L20 Heary Lynx
 * Armor(s): Full Gladiator's set, mixed Platemail set, Wyvern helm, Stonefist Gauntlets
 * Weapons: (purple) Barbed Long Sword of Fortitude (Long Sword skin), (purple) Crippling Katana of Shelter, Droks-crafted Cruel Battle Axe and Droks-crafted Heavy War Hammer; Collector's Icy Ascalon Longbow/Shortbow
 * Status: back-burner; mule for weapon upgrades; capping Elites

Tall red-headed Warrior who has achieved Protector of Tyria, capped all Warrior elites plus others (Prophecies + Core), and has over 89% of Tyria mapped out. Lana specializes in partying with henchmen and has finished nearly every mission and bonus using all-hench parties. She is proficient in all types of Warrior weaponry, knowing that certain situations call for certain weapons. Lana is currently working on finishing the Sorrow's Furnace and Titan quests, as well as trying to acquire every skill in the game...done so far with Warrior, close with Mesmer and Ranger.

Elena Gracewood

 * R/any, no real preference
 * Name origins: Sounded Ranger-like
 * Personality: "mysterious"
 * Pet: Coeurl, L20 Hearty Stalker
 * Armor(s): Druid's set, 1 of each attribute Headgear
 * Weapons: Bonus-item Poisonous Nevermore Flatbow of Warding, Collector's Poisonous Ascalon Hornbow, (gold) Fiery Composite Bow, Collector's Shocking Ascalon Shortbow
 * Status: active

Tiny brunette Ranger who is currently at Thunderhead Keep, soon to reach Ember Light Camp. Elena specializes in running from location to location, saving time and effort. Her favorite skill combo is Ignite Arrows + Dual Shot, as well as using Savage Shot like a poorer version of Quick Shot. She also enjoys Marksman's Wager, Poison Arrow, Barrage, and Ferocious Strike.

Rayne Brunel

 * E/any, preference to E/Me for shutdown
 * Name origins: Related to Colette Brunel from Tales of Symphonia
 * Personality: "hapless"
 * Pet: Chocobo, L17 Hearty Strider
 * Armor(s): Aeromancer's set, 1 of each attribute Headgear
 * Weapons: all Collector's staves for Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Domination, Illusion, Death, Blood, Curses; Ascalon Recurve Bow, Poisonous Nevermore Flatbow
 * Status: mule for FDS, shields, weapon upgrades

Medium purple-haired Elementalist and wannabe Minion Master who has completed Protector of Tyria. Rayne specializes in making stupid mistakes and generally causing accidents to happen. She prefers to use Fire magic, but also enjoys being a Life Stealer or an Energy Storage Mesmer. She is a big fan of Energy Surge and Wastrel's Worry. Rayne is a proficient Ash Runner and can rarely be seen giving away Althea's Ashes for tips in Piken Square. Rayne is currently trying to earn more Skill Points due to an unfortunate accident...see Skills and Attributes Window for more information. She is also attempting the Sorrow's Furnace and Titan quests.

Astos the Wanderer

 * Mo/R
 * Name origins: Monks in days of old were travelers and nomadic wanderers
 * Personality: "calm"
 * Pet: Black Fang, L17 Hearty Wolf (from Pre-Searing!)
 * Armor(s): Wanderer's set, Prophet's scalp design
 * Weapons: Kepkhet's Refuge, all collector's staves for Healing, Divine Favor, and Smiting; Ascalon Shortbow, Poisonous Nevermore Flatbow
 * Status: back burner; mule for runes and weapon upgrades

Tall black-haired Monk who is currently in the Crystal Desert, working towards Ascension. He has completed every mission/bonus up to this point. Astos specializes in Protection prayers and Smiting. He likes to use Life Bond and Smite. Astos owns a Kepkhet's Refuge that was randomly acquired by Rayne Brunel in an "accidental" encounter with Kepkhet Marrowfeast while exploring Prophet's Path.

=Henchmen: My Personal Notes= There is a page here at GuildWiki about henchmen, which is certainly decent. However, having used henchmen for just about everything, and having gotten through all the Prophecies missions twice with just henchmen, I feel I have a unique perspective, or at least different opinions. Typical PUGs hate henchmen because they don't understand how they work, why they do this or that, etc. In fact they get blamed very often for things that are not their fault. In any case, I'm a fan of henchmen. They deserve more credit than is given to them.

My favorite henchmen based on campaign:
 * Prophecies: Dunham or Little Thom. The best quotes, the best outfits, and they don't make wimpy noises when they die/get hurt. Gotta love Little Thom's mustache.
 * Factions: Any of the Assassin henchmen, or Zho. I love the Assassin class; gotta love the Black Moa/eyepatch thing too. I like Kisai as well; she is a modest Elementalist. Is that a contradiction or what?! Plus she has Lightning Orb, one of my favorite spells.
 * Nightfall: Gehraz. No explanation necessary - he's simply cool. Kihm is nice, too, but she makes the same stupid sounds Alesia does, which brings back bad memories from Prophecies. At least she has some attitude, though, which is nice for a change. Plus she has all of two Healing Prayers skills. Timera is also good - unique armor, cheerful personality, good things for a Warrior - but unfortunately she is too similar to Stefan. At least she packs a bit more punch.

Sexiest henchman: Eve. No other has received as much remodel/makeover/fine detail design as her, and it really shows. She makes me want to have a Necromancer primary.

Henchmen I hate:
 * Headmaster Vhang, Lukas Vasburg. Too arrogant.
 * Danika zu Helter. Ugly. With a big U. What happened to her face?
 * Lo Sha. Frighteningly ugly. Scares children. Maybe without the clown outfit...
 * Sogolon: Ugly. Off his rocker. Hypocritical.

NPCs that should be Henchmen:
 * Evennia. She has Heal Area!
 * Ghostly Hero. Dual profession, interrupts, Cyclone Axe, and +3 natural health regeneration. And he can open doors for you.
 * High Priest Alkar. Gotta love the hat, and the huge AL for a Monk.
 * The Ritual Priests of Elona. Their damage rivals that of Cynn, and they're not squishy.
 * Rornak Stonesledge. He could at least repay you with something useful.
 * Joe. Who wouldn't want a Devourer fighting by their side?
 * Warmaster Casana. He has no other purpose in the game, really.
 * Vanyi. 15 attribute points doesn't cut it, lady.
 * King Jalis Ironhammer. Best accent in the world.
 * Benji Malaka. Such a pain to rescue...and for what?
 * Oink. He's invincible. 'Nuff said.

My typical henchmen party stays the same, regardless of which character I play. This is because I want the henchmen to be able to function by themselves, without my assistance, if necessary. It's an important concept that I always keep in mind.

Post-Searing Ascalon (4)

 * Stefan
 * Alesia
 * Orion

It's not as if you get much choice here, but this is the party I use. It's the typical "trinity" party, with a tank, a nuker, and a healer. Reyna is simply inefficient at this point in the game, due to the low levels of henchmen.

Yak's Bend through Sanctum Cay (6)

 * Stefan
 * Little Thom
 * Alesia
 * Orion
 * Reyna

This is a good party that will get through most everything except some parts of Kryta. Tengu are truly overpowered...You'll also run into some problems if attempting the Riverside Province bonus, due to lack of non-projectile attacks.

Claude is not a good choice at these points of the game, because his Blood Ritual is not yet strong enough to be worth the sacrifice. Dunham is also not particularly good yet, for the same reasons...his skills are not yet powerful enough.

The key to success is to keep Alesia alive, at all costs. If she dies, it's the start of a wipe. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and she is that link. However, she is still necessary. Even playing as a Monk, I take her along, because her healing reflexes are simply faster than my own.

Temple of the Ages & The Villainy of Galrath (8)
Party size here is 8, so take all the henchmen. As usual, keep an eye on Alesia. Thankfully, the henchmen are level 15, and can now take a bit of punishment.

Crystal Desert (6)

 * Stefan
 * Little Thom
 * Alesia
 * Lina
 * Orion OR Claude

The addition of Lina is welcome indeed. It means you don't have to pay as much attention to safeguarding Alesia.

Orion is purely for making damage. However, in the Crystal Desert, many foes have either high armor overall, or are Rangers and thus have resistance to elemental damage. I find that fights are not considerably harder when I switch him for Claude. At level 17, his Blood Ritual is now effective enough to be worth the health sacrifice. He keeps Alesia and Lina running smoothly.

If you're a nuker, it's generally better to take Claude, as you can deal out more damage tham Orion could anyways.

Augury Rock: Versus Kepkhet Marrowfeast (6)

 * Alesia
 * Lina
 * Orion
 * Claude
 * Reyna

These henchmen all attack at range, and thus manage to avoid most of the effects of traps. Beware of Virulence and Well of the Profane, though.

Dragon's Lair (8)

 * Little Thom
 * Alesia
 * Lina
 * Orion
 * Reyna
 * Dunham
 * Claude

This is the group to take if you want the bonus. Just bring hex removals and interrupts, and you're all set. Inspired Hex works well. The henchmen will be able to defeat Glint in a war of attrition. All you must do is assist by removing hexes and interrupting Crystal Hibernation.

I leave out Stefan because he does not carry Wild Blow, and thus he will be annihlated by Jagged Crystal Skin. If not for that one flaw, I would include him.

Southern Shiverpeaks (8)

 * Stefan
 * Little Thom
 * Alesia
 * Lina
 * Orion
 * Reyna
 * Dunham

Dunham now has Crippling Anguish, making him dangerous and a valuable ally. Stefan and Little Thom will alternate using "Charge!", which makes travel considerably faster. Alesia has Word of Healing and Lina has Shield of Regeneration, making them better than ever. Orion has Mind Burn, which can cause serious damage.

I leave out Claude for three reasons. Firstly, unlike Dunham, he can't deal with enchantments or hexes, which are common in the Shiverpeaks. Secondly, Reyna/Orion deal fire damage, which goes through Siege Ice Golems like butter. Lastly, even though he has Grenth's Balance, its damage capacity does not rival either of the above.

Grenth's Footprint: Sorrow's Furnace (8)

 * Devona
 * Little Thom
 * Mhenlo
 * Lina
 * Cynn
 * Aidan
 * Dunham

I leave out Eve because her Blood Ritual, though useful, generally gets Shattered or interrupted by Stone Summit Heretic or Summit Taskmaster, rendering it useless. Moreover, she really loves to use it, and the sacrifice is a strain on the healers. Dunham can deal with hexes and enchantments, Cynn deals great fire damage, and Aidan has elemental resistance. Eve is simply outclassed in this area.

Thunderhead Keep (8)

 * Devona
 * Little Thom
 * Mhenlo
 * Lina
 * Cynn

This is a special case mission. The siege at the end demands efficiency and expediency. The above five henchmen I would consider part of any good party. Including the player that makes six. As to the other two slots, my advice is thus: choose based on your class. With the current party you have healing, tanking, and damage-dealing taken care of.

Aidan has elemental resistance, but it is not much of a deal-breaker in this mission. Chain Lightning probably won't hit him, anyways, because he hangs way back. And there aren't enough Siege Ice Golems to make Kindle Arrows a worthy investment. On the plus side, though, he carries Troll Unguent, which gives him some self-healing capacity. He also deals more consistent damage than Dunham or Eve.

Dunham will break enchantments and hexes. However, the Mursaat really don't use either to much effect, except perhaps Thunderclap. But that is better interrupted than removed, since it's an AoE hex. Dunham uses Distortion, but that won't help versus Chain Lightning. He uses Crippling Anguish, but in this mission it's not a great help, since of the Mursaat only Jade Armor are melee attackers and thus the snare-effect is somewhat useless. He has no self-heal.

Eve will use Shadow Strike, Vampiric Gaze, and Deathly Swarm for damage. Nevertheless, the overall damage output is low. Grenth's Balance is used well, but it's better defensively than offensively. Eve is a squishy target and so she will die faster than Aidan, but she has self-heal so she'll last longer than Dunham. On the plus side, Blood Ritual is useful during the siege, especially versus the Mursaat boss, who can take quite a beating.

So, if you're a Ranger, leave out Aidan; if you're a Mesmer, leave out Dunham; if you're a battery Necro or a Minion Master, leave out Eve. Other classes will have a less easy decision.

Perdition Rock, Ring of Fire, & Abaddon's Mouth (8)

 * Devona
 * Little Thom
 * Mhenlo
 * Lina
 * Cynn
 * Aidan
 * Dunham

Blood Ritual is simply not very useful in any of these places. Most enemies deal elemental damage and/or degeneration, making Aidan a good choice. Hexes are everywhere, and there will be more melee-range attackers in the form of Igneous Ettins, Phantoms, Drakes, Mahgo Hydras etc., making Dunham useful. Blood Ritual will likely be removed or interrupted by Phantoms, or even Lingering Curse. Eve just doesn't cut it here.

Hell's Precipice (8)

 * Devona
 * Little Thom
 * Mhenlo
 * Lina
 * Aidan
 * Dunham
 * Eve

Titans resist Fire damage, making Cynn a poor choice. Even though Aidan deals fire damage with Kindle Arrows, he can at least take a bit of a beating, unlike fragile Cynn. And Titans really pack a punch. Battles versus Titans are long and tedious, and they don't interrupt. Strip Enchantment has a fairly long recharge time, so there's a good chance Blood Ritual will actually get to last for its entire duration.

Titans should be killed in this order:
 * Spark of the Titans
 * Armageddon Lord
 * Scelus Prosum
 * Burning Titan
 * Fist of the Titans
 * Hand of the Titans
 * Risen Ash Hulk

The first three are highly dangerous nukers who can easily wipe the entire party with a single well-placed spell or two. Burning Titans are hammer warriors who cause tremendous damage, but thankfully they have no AoE. Fists use Eviscerate, causing dangerous Deep Wounds. Hands use Hundred Blades, which is not terribly dangerous. Risen Ash Hulks are the least dangerous. Their attacks are weak, and their most dangerous skill is Shadow Strike. Mostly they just annoy you via Strip Enchantment and Shadow of Fear. Ignore them until last.

The only exception would be if you manage to bring the skill Winter, which converts elemental damage to cold damage. In this case, it would be good to leave out Dunham and take Cynn, to maximize damage potential. Combined with Greater Conflagration, the mission becomes ridiculously easy, as long as you don't get careless. Henchmen fight titans as well or better than humans typically do (because they're not overconfident; because they listen to orders), as long as you make sure to direct their attacks.

Zaishen Challenge (4)

 * Zaishen Healer
 * Zaishen Mage
 * Zaishen Archer

The Zaishen Fighter henchman is lame, essentially a copy of Stefan without any real improvements. Moreover, "Charge!" is totally useless in PvP unless you're a kiter and/or on a map with obelisks or such. But Zaishen Challenge incorporates none of those elements. Even versus the IWAY team, the warrior is not a real help, as she gets stuck on the pets. Stick with the three henchmen above and you'll do just fine. (tip for the IWAY team: Shadow of Fear, Enfeebling Blood, etc.)

The Healer even has condition and hex removal, albeit at a high energy cost.

Defend Droknar's Forge (8)

 * Stefan/Devona
 * Little Thom
 * Alesia/Mhenlo
 * Lina
 * Orion/Cynn
 * Dunham
 * Reyna/Aidan

If you leave from Deldrimor War Camp, you'll have to reach Marhan's Grotto through Spearhead Peak, which is hard. But, you will have better henchmen. I would recommend leaving from the Grotto, though; it's faster.

The Titans in this quest are all highly vulnerable to fire damage. Hands down, Claude/Eve is nearly useless compared to the mage/archer henchmen. Titan's Malice will use Empathy and Backfire, which really hurt - Dunham will help out a bit with Shatter Hex.

As long as you pull carefully and are cautious, the quest can be done without much hardship. It just takes awhile, but mostly due to travel time - fights go much quicker than in Hell's Precipice.

Watch out for the Frost Titans - they cast Maelstrom, which is a real pain on the caster henchmen.

If Avicara and Titans are engaging each other, don't interfere. Typically, both groups will be of equal strength, and they will both attack you if you come in range. Wait until one or the other is eliminated before stepping in.

The only real problem will be the end boss - Evriso Sectus or some such - he casts Wither and Malaise at the same time, leading to zero energy regeneration for the casters. Either remove the hexes immediately or interrupt them; if you can't you will face at least one certian death.