User:Entropy/builds

=Entropy's Builds Page=

Feel free to comment or make suggestions. I created these builds with no reference materials, so they are in that sense "original". These builds will be updated with Factions and Nightfall skills, eventually...

Energy Storage Mesmer
Used by Rayne Brunel to fight the Mursaat throughout the Southern Shiverpeaks and beyond, though it has proved to be a good general-purpose build as well.

Equipment

 * Anything except Geomancer's Armor, which is useless in Prophecies PvE.
 * Max Domination-linked staff. HCT/HSR mods preferred.

Usage

 * Pretty self-explanatory, use each skill when appropriate.
 * Spam Wastrel's Worry on bosses for high DPS.

Counters

 * To date, Stone Summit and Mursaat are unable to counter this build effectively except by massive ganking.

Variants

 * PUG-friendly - Swap out something for Resurrection Signet. This is mainly to avoid embarrassing situations and hate mail.
 * Perdition Rock - Replace Wastrel's Worry with Maelstrom. Hydras are notorious for standing in it, as are Flesh Golems.
 * If you insist on having a self-healing skill, swap in Aura of Restoration.

Energy Storage Necromancer
Used by Rayne Brunel in parts of the game where being a nuker just didn't cut it, most notably in the Crystal Desert. It is a decent support character in other situations as well.

Attributes and Skills
The same pattern follows for Curses and Blood - 14 ES, 12 main, and 3 to some other attribute.

Death Magic variant

Curses Variant

Blood Magic Variant

Equipment

 * Anything except Geomancer's Armor.
 * Max staff linked to your chosen attribute, HCT/HSR is nice. If going Curses, the weapon must deal Cold Damage to be able to trigger Spinal Shivers.

Usage

 * Death: Initiate battles with Rotting Flesh and replace when necessary, then pester foes with your offensive skills until they die. Once an exploitable corpse is free, use one of your corpse exploits - Well of Suffering for long-term degeneration, Putrid Explosion for spike damage, and Soul Feast for self-healing.
 * Only use Vile Touch if a target moves into touch range and/or you are facing a very small number of foes.
 * It's generally best to hit a target with Virulence just before Disease from Rotting Flesh is about to wear off.


 * Curses: Start off by hexing every foe with Parasitic Bond, and then cast Suffering. Use Insidious Parasite, Faintheartedness, and Enfeeble to weaken any non-caster enemies. Cast Desecrate Enchantments when opportunate.
 * Use Spinal Shivers against casters and then simply attack them for continued interruption.
 * Cast Parasitic Bond on foes about to die (if it's not already on them) to achieve some quick and cheap healing.
 * Save Grenth's Balance for when you really need it.


 * Blood: Begin by casting Life Siphon on all foes. Then use Shadow Strike (if foes are above 50% health) and Vampiric Gaze. Use Strip Enchantment when necessary.
 * Use Vampiric Touch if target(s) move into touch range and/or you are facing a very small number of foes. Beware the high energy cost.
 * Cast Blood Renewal only when you are not under heavy fire, otherwise the health sacrifice could kill you.
 * When corpses start to appear, create a Well of Blood.
 * Grenth's Balance should only be used as a last resort, due to all your other self-healing skills available.

Counters

 * Death Variant relies on corpses and fleshy foes being available and is thus useless versus Spirits, Undead, etc.
 * These builds do not have any hex or condition removal.

Variants

 * PUG-friendly - Swap out something for Resurrection Signet. This is mainly to avoid embarrassing situations and hate mail.
 * Death Variant can be made into a pseudo-MM or Minion Bomber build, though it is far inferior to anything a primary Necromancer could cobble together. In lower-level areas, however, Bone Minions can still prove useful due to their numbers.

Winter Ranger
This build is often run by Elena Gracewood in Hell's Precipice. Very effective, though damage could be a bit higher.

Equipment

 * Druid's Armor or Frostbound Armor.
 * A Longbow and a Shortbow.

Usage

 * Before engaging any enemies, set your Spirits. Active Serpent's Quickness and remember to set Winter before Greater Conflagration - it is more important, and it has a longer recharge. Spirits should be set at about a Longbow's range from enemies, for safety.
 * If facing Spark of the Titans in numbers greater than 1, have the party pull back a bit and advance by yourself. Just before grabbing aggro, activate Troll Unguent and Dryder's Defenses. This will greatly lower the damage of Mind Burn. At this point, have the party's Warriors rush in, while the casters stay a bit behind you. This is a critical step when using Henchmen - try to gather all the aggro on you before unsetting the movement flag.
 * During battle, switch to your Shortbow and keep up Kindle Arrows; interrupt anything you can with Distracting Shot and Savage Shot.
 * Watch your spirits. Replace them as soon as you can if they are killed.
 * Use Troll Unguent liberally. Your Monks will thank you for it.

Counters
The spirits are key. If the AI repeatedly kills them off you won't get far. Learn to place them where they won't be harmed.

Variants
The build is /any, so several skills can possibly be subbed in - the most common replacement would be Dryder's Defenses, since Rangers do have a naturally higher elemental AL anyways. Rebirth is a popular choice, especially among PUGs.

Mo/P RC Tahlkora
This is the build I run on all of my Tahlkora heroes. It's an extreme RC monk with a few minor prot skills thrown in. Very effective throughout Nightfall due to the large amount of condition-causing enemies everywhere...less so in Prophecies and Factions.

Equipment

 * Kepkhet's Refuge is ideal.

Usage

 * Leave it to Tahlkora.

Counters

 * Much less useful in areas with no Conditions, obviously.
 * Standard Anti-Caster.

Mo/E WoH Dunkoro
This is the build I currently run on Dunkoro. It has emphasis on cheap, small heals rather than costly spells like Heal Other. This will be scrapped if WoH isn't buffed from the weekend and/or once I get things like Zealous Benediction.

Equipment

 * Any max Healing staff. HCT/HSR is nice.

Usage

 * Leave it to Dunkoro.
 * Consider force-casting Heal Party when needed, as the AI is not as smart about it as it could be.

Counters

 * Typical anti-caster stuff.

Variants

 * When not used in conjunction with RC Tahlkora, replace Orison of Healing with Words of Comfort.

The generic build template
Left here so I don't have to copy&paste all the time from the GuildWiki Formatting: Builds page. Describe the build.

Attributes and Skills

 * Suggest a few optional skill(s) if you included an Optional slot in the skill bar.
 * "Generic resurrect" works like an Optional slot. Replace it if necessary.

Equipment

 * Armor
 * Weapons

Usage
Describe how to use the build.

Counters
Describe important counters.

Variants
List the major variants.