Guide to Trapping in Fort Aspenwood

Overview
This guide discuss trapping in Fort Aspenwood (or FA) and tips on how to do it well. Traps are very useful when used correctly, but when inexperienced players attempt to use them, they become almost useless.Trapping in Fort Aspenwood is a little different from trapping in other types of PvP. For trapping in other types of PvP, or in PvE, have a look at this page: General trapping guide. Note that this trapping guide is for the Kurzick side only.

Skills
Before you can get started in FA, you must have the right set of skills. Remember that In FA, the biggest concern is slowing down your enemies, not always going for the kill. Snare traps include: Snare traps are good for slowing down the enemy, but they do not do much damage by themselves. That's why you couple them with damage traps such as: When picking your traps, remember that snares are a must, it would be good to have Barbed and Tripwire, and Spike if you're not using your elite slot for something else. Now that you have picked your traps, you need utility skills. Some suggested Utility skills:
 * Barbed Trap. A basic snare trap, applies cripple, bleeding, and a small amount of damage.
 * Spike Trap. An elite version of Barbed Trap, it applies cripple, and a knockdown. Note that bleeding is not applied.
 * Tripwire. Best used in conjunction with Barbed trap, as it knocks down affected foes if they are crippled. Also applies a small amount of damage.
 * Flame Trap. A good damage trap, does a little damage, applies burning, and the trap lasts for 3 seconds (so if it applied burning for 1 second, it would reapply it to affected enemies 3 times, once each second, so burning would actually last for 3 seconds).
 * Piercing Trap. An average damage trap, applies around 50 damage at high Wilderness Survival. Note that it's a one-shot trap, so you don't need to place it with a snare (more on that later).
 * Viper's Nest. Another one-shot trap, applies poison and a small amount of damage. Note that this is linked to Beast Mastery, so it will not be your most effective damage trap.
 * Dust Trap. Your longest-lasting trap, applies blind and damage, once per second for five seconds after the trap is triggered.
 * Smoke Trap. Another elite trap, this one applies dazed AND blind, making it very versatile, as it renders almost any profession that runs into it totally useless.
 * Trapper's Speed is a MUST for any kind of trapper, as it cuts activation time AND recharge time of traps.
 * Serpent's Quickness can replace Trapper's Speed, but it only cuts recharge time, and ends if your health drops below 50%. You also cannot keep it up constantly, so if you can use Trapper's Speed, use that.
 * Fragility can make a good damage hex, as the enemy will be having conditions constantly applied to them. Also provides a nice spike of damage when conditions expire. Note that its single target only, so you'll either be casting it alot or only having it up on one person.
 * Troll Unguent. Yes, it's old, but if your going to be solo (not totally depending on a monk to heal you, which you wont always have, since teams are picked randomly)you need at least one heal skill.
 * Whirling Defense. An extremely useful "escape skill", also can be used to trap when under fire. Remember that using this takes off your Serpent's Quickness/ Trapper's Speed.
 * Natural Stride is another "escape skill", more versatile then Whirling, less recharge, and speed buff with block chance. However, the block is less then Whirling, it ends if you are hexed/enchanted, and it's duration is much shorter.
 * Healing Spring. A little exotic, but it is a healing skill, and it heals allies too. If you really hate Troll Unguent, this can replace it fine. It provides a health gain PER SECOND, as opposed to health regen, so you could bring both and have some nice tanking ability. However, keep in mind that it counts as a trap, so it is easily interrupted.
 * Trapper's Focus. Extremely useful if you trap offensively, as you traps no longer become easily interruptible. If you trap on Luxon side, this skill is a must. Keep in mind that if you use this, you can't bring an elite trap.
 * Pestilence makes for a somewhat helpful spirit, as if you spread out cripple traps, and concentrate damage traps in one place, when one unfortunate player sets off your damage traps, they will get passed on to the players crippled by your snares, effectively multiplying your firepower. However, players rarely conveniently walk into your traps like that, and other use is fairly limited.
 * Toxicity. Don't bother bringing this if you don't have Viper's Nest, but if you use Viper's, it makes it much more useful, as it turns regular -4 degen poison into -6. And if you combine it with Barbed trap, you get a total of -9 degen, which almost makes the degen cap of 10.
 * Brambles can turn Spike Trap back into Barbed Trap with a knockdown, as it adds Bleeding for k/d players, copying the effects of 3 skills (barbed trap, spike trap, and tripwire) into 2 skills, with a small damage increase.
 * Quickening Zephyr used to be useful when combined with Energizing Wind. However, since the EW duration was nerfed to 30 seconds, the extra energy cost makes traps much too costly. Even with Expertise, you will run out of energy far too quickly. Trapper's Speed works just as well, better, since it can be maintained.\
 * Epidemic, a mesmer unlinked skill. Similar to Pestilence, but difficult to use effectively. And, if targets don't bunch up, its totally useless. Like Pestilence, potentially useful, but limited.

There aren't really any guidelines for choosing utility skills, just pick the ones that appeal to you! But keep in mind that at least one heal skill is a must in FA. Any other suggestions for this section, feel free to add.

Equipment
Armor and weapons for a trapper are very different from armor and weapons for combat players. There is no one specific, rigid equipment template that you MUST have to PvP in FA, but here are some general guidelines.
 * Runes/ headgear for Wilderness Survival are an absolute must, as are runes for Expertise. Personally, I would recommend using a major in Wilderness, and a minor in Expertise,
 * but it is totally up to you.


 * For other runes/insignias, just remember that you arent going to be in the heat of battle the entire game, so ease off on the Survivor insignias and focus more on Radiant/ Attunement runes.
 * Most trappers use a staff with +energy mods, as this will give you a big 'nergy boost. I would recommend having a staff on your second weapon slot, and a bow with a Crippling mod on it as your main weapon. Switch to your staff when your energy is low. You could use a different condition mod on your bow if you prefer something else.