User:Thalestis

Thalestis
The name means nothing. It just sounded cool at the time :-) I like exploring - all done the hard way without Texmod - and working with heros and henches. I don't do much PUGging and I am not active in any guild; in fact I've been left as default leader of two moribund guilds! I do not PvP, I am PvE only as I don't feel comfortable fighting real people. "Killing" AI controlled monsters is one thing, real people are quite another.

I like to play single class characters. The idea of a Touch Ranger, where the real power comes from the secondary profession, doesn't suit my style. I like to try other professions, but I always come back over and over to my first character, my ranger Charankra Thalestis who has been every where (and I mean everywhere, I'm a Legendary Cartograhper twice over and a Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer four times over!) and done everything more or less. Finding stuff for him to do has presented challenges at times, but I've always managed it. Often after a lengthy spell with another character perhaps, but I've always done it somehow.

I like developing and levelling characters: building them up and learning what skill work and what don't. I don't much like working with other people, who often don't understand or want to understand how classes work and what they are good at. My ranger has spent a lot of time rezzing entire teams of PUGs who rushed in and left me to pick up the pieces... even, or is it especially, in hard mode. So, I tend to do the ranger thing and fight alone, with heroes and henches.

My characters are, in the order of creation:

Charankra Thalestis
"Born": Tyria

Profession: Ranger

Secondary Profession: Monk - only for hard res purposes.

First Title: Tyrian Cartographer. First maxed title was Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer

Maxed Titles: 17 at present. Legendary Cartographer (so I like exploring!), Legendary Skill Hunter, all three Protectors, Guardian and Vanquisher of Elona, Guardian of Tyria, Slayer of All, Secret Agent, Legendary Spearmarshal, Holy Lightbringer, yada, yada. Working on Tyrian Vanquisher.

Armour: Lime green dyed Monument with tinted spectacles (and designer stubble!). As I said to friend once, "While the title says "People Know Me", all I really am is a Ranger with fancy armour and cool shades." I don't collect armour.

Pets: Ran with a pet for a long, long time: Mel Kitty, my pre-searing obtained Melandru's Stalker. It was a wrench to part with her :-) But I traded her in for a Black Moa. Since then I've recently tamed a Jingle Bear (yes, why? You might well ask!) which I've since replaced with a Rainbow Pheonix. All this is somewhat academic as I don't run this character as a beastmaster. I'd love to see pets in town, maybe in something like the "stable" system other MMORPGs have.

Build type: Ursan/degen damage dealer: evolved to work with heros and hench teams. I know, a ranger who actually uses a bow! How quaint. Quaint it might be; effective it certainly is!

Current Build Template: OgMTcXslZ6SEXrt0o0S8wI2QmAA

Technobabble is in the optional skill slot. Replace it with PvE only (e.g. Pain Inverter Lightbringer's Gaze) or a resurrection skill as required. I often swap out Body Shot too, as I find Cracked Armor to be a relatively ineffective condition.

Preferred Heros: "Sabway" triple necro for vanquishing. Double Balthazar dervish (OgCjkyqG7Ol7vL4l52cHwuXBAA or similar) + Tahlkora or Ogden as WoH healer works well, if not better in some places - that's who I used to vanquish Joko's Domain. Don't like Dunkoro much: he seems to run into trouble too often and die :-( Pyre Fierceshot as BHA interrupter (OgATcVMmZa2wV6x4LU4w3o3CXDA) or elemental interrupter (OgYUswbirMTPD5WPGfhzG4aWiHGA) or similar: seems to be more resilient than Jin or Margrid. Pyre syngergises well with Zhed as a water snarer (e.g. OgBCsMzz1QdsOqGPDzK04dA). Both useful when there's disease about as neither are human, ditto for Vekk who I run as a SF nuker.

Current Status: Bit quiet at the moment, but I always go back to him after a while. Currently vanquishing my way across Tyria. 17 down, 34 to go!

Amonotep Thalestis
"Born": Elona - name chosen to sound ancient Egyptian to fit in with the North African theme of Nightfall.

Profession: Dervish

Secondary Profession: None, but probably monk for Hard Mode work for res.

Maxed Titles: 11 at present. Legendary Cartographer (Did I say I like exploring?), Legendary Skill Hunter, All three Protectors.

Armour: blue dyed Asuran with red dyed bandana. Works well with the dark skin tone and Egyptian style square-tied beard he has.

Build type: Pure dervish mob reaper. Likes to get into mobs and slash at anything that moves. Uses three enchantments to safeguard health and to power Mystic Sweep. Hates snares :-(( Very powerful and provided the skill template for the "Double Dervish" hero team I often run with all characters.

Current Build Template: OgCikys8w9/+f3BczF8O6ZuA

Farmer's Scythe is in the optional skill slot. Replace it with PvE only (e.g. Pain Inverter Lightbringer's Gaze) or a resurrection skill as required. I sometimes swap out Radiant Scythe too as it is at its best in short fights with smaller mobs where I'm likely to have more energy. The technique is to raise Watchful Intervention followed by the much shorter lasting Mystic Vigor, which can be kept up as required. Then go in to the centre of a mob firing off Aura of Holy Might at point blank range and then Mystic Sweep which is my primary attack skill. Note I use no elite with this build. The avatars are tempting (I select them by damage type, by favourite being Avatar of Balthazar) and my heroes run with one at all times, replacing the PvE only skill Aura of Holy Might.

Current Status: No plans for him at the moment. He's done great work, and is fun to play (and on top form he's awesome!) but I've sort of "done" him. Yes, I suppose I could do hard mode stuff with him, but I know he can do that, I don't need to prove it.

Charankra Fireball
"Born": Tyria

Profession: The family elementalist.

Secondary Profession: None.

Maxed Titles: 2 at present. Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer (I'm sure I did I say I like exploring...), Protector of Tyria.

Armour: Goldish yellow dyed Canthan Robes with flame aura. Look remarkably classy! No plans to upgrade at the moment.

Build type: Pure fire nuker: OgBCoMzCy8LNNdbLFDu4LA. Powerful but skill timing and sequencing can be finicky :-( When it works its devastating, when it doesn't its a damp fizzle ;-( Likes to target the centre of mobs and then burn, baby, burn! Thus he loves Norn territory. Put an early version of the build on heros but while it was powerful it's not as successful probably due to those sequencing issues. Consequently I rarely run a fire nuker hero, much preferring a water snarer instead in most places, though not all. I don't find much useful synergy with a nuker - they pretty much work on their own.

Current Status: No plans for him at the moment. He's parked, acting as storage.

Llanfair Merdoc
"Born": Tyria - created by one of my daughters who played her to level 10 or so.

Profession: Inspiration Mesmer.

Secondary Profession: None needed yet.

Maxed Titles: 3 at present. Tyrian Grandmaster Cartographer (Look, so I like exploring. Want to make an issue of it?...), Protector of Tyria, Tyrian Skill Hunter (from Tyrian sources alone).

Armour: Purple/blue dyed Sunspear attire with Istani mask. Looks classy on this shorter redhead, but too revealing says my daughter! May well upgrade to Norn or Deldrimor, which should pass my daughters criteria, and which looks classically elegant in a warm and toasty way. Though the Deldrimor perhaps has a murmur of kinkiness about it - its the boots and corset-like waistcoat that do it, plus its not a complete armour set and thus cannot be displayed in the Hall of Monuments.

Build type: Inspiration Mesmer: OQBEAYkCO7oBQBfgmACAKsCqpA. Hexmiester from the valleys :-) Her first four skills were basic ones obtained by my daughter pre and immediately post searing. I rationalised her, gave her a max damage staff and pushed her on to Lion's Arch, then over the sea to first Elona to pick up heros, on to Cantha to level them in Kaineng and then straight back to Kryta to bulldoze all before her. I never did replace those four basic skills - there was never any need! I like the mesmer skills, which require different play styles to all the others. Is mesmer a niche profession? Not if she's anything to go by! I'd happily take her anywhere and run with the best. I not had much success transferring the build to heroes, i.e. Gwen :-(

Current Status: She's exploring Elona at the moment, though there's nothing there to challenge her as yet.

Asha Begandi
"Born": Tyria - created by one of my daughters who played her to level 10 or so.

Profession: Ranger.

Secondary Profession: None needed yet.

Maxed Titles: None yet. This one may well not be a title hunter - just a monster hunter!

Armour: Purple/blue dyed Norn, waiting to level up Asura title to get her some slim spectacles to complete the ensemble. Warm and stylishly functional, but maybe just a tad overdressed for Elona!

Build type: Pure beastmaster. Her pet is a classic hearty Melandru's Stalker called "Sheep". Don't ask... I intended to zap her - the character, not her pet! - and start a new character to try a new profession. But then found she had "Cities of Ascalon" active, and that was too good to waste. So, as I was very experienced at being a ranger, I decided to try another twist and ran her as a out and out beastmaster. I'm very impressed with her so far. I've not found any significant weaknesses and I really like the beastmaster build. It's great fun to play too! I'm trying to encourage others to give beastmastery a try. So maybe titles will be the way to show to others that pets are not just for show!

Current Build Template: OgATY5bmTa342gHkzA3g3i2YzAA

Scavenger Strike is an optional energy managment/attack skill. As energy managment is not a big issue, replace it with PvE only (e.g. Pain Inverter, Lightbringer's Gaze,Ursan Blessing, etc.) or a resurrection skill as required.

Current Status: She's steamrolling Elona at the moment. But she went to Eye of the North well before level 20 and steamrolled that too. Her very first elite capture was Enraged Lunge from Ashlyn Spiderfriend in Magus Stones. Not bad for a "lame" build type...

Me
Ah well, Charankra Thalestis is the nearest to "me" but then there is more than a little of me in all of the characters I run.