User:Entropy/test

=Team: Tainted Nova= This is a very powerful team combination I stumbled upon recently. It makes good use of the Hero targeting AI to form a new type of Minion Bomber. Two players and six Heroes are needed. The trick for getting this team to work is to play it like a combo of MM and Bomber. You do want to keep minions alive as long as possible, through BotM and Verata's Sacrifice. Your minions soak up damage and aggro. This is like an ordinary MM. But, for the Bomber part - you're not using puny Bone Minions for constant explosion. Rather, you want to trigger Death Nova off the creation of new minions, which necessarily destroys the old ones that are injured. With Shambling Horrors, up to two or perhaps even three or four explosions can occur for each new minion animated - two Shamblings and two Jaggeds explode...Shamblings trigger Death Nova twice in normal lifecycle anyways. So you see, along with Signet of Creation, minions last as long as possible dealing straight damage. And those that are dying get enchanted with Death Nova for huge armor-ignoring damage once new minions replace them. Moreover, Jagged Bones is used to create a second minion army from the first one - no additional corpses needed. These Jagged Horrors spawn from Death Nova-enchanted exploding minions, and with Explosive Growth on, they will deal AoE lightning damage as well. They spread Bleeding to cap off degen at -10 with Poison + Disease. Jaggeds are weaker than other minions but still stronger than Bone Minions. So, they provide additional targets for Death Nova. And the cycle just keeps repeating itself. In between battles, three different characters have BotM and Verata's Sacrifice, to keep minions alive a long time. About 30 seconds of +10 regen and about 300 all-heal ensures that you can keep most of the army alive in between fights. By the time you get to new foes, the minions will be weakened from strong degen and so they'll explode rapidly - bringing new corpses...etc.

So, to sum up - you have Disease through Tainted Flesh, which spreads among enemies for -4 degen total. You have Death Nova blowing up frequently, causing 80 or so armor-ignoring damage and tacking on Poison for another -4 degen. You have Explosive Growth triggering constantly, dropping about 50 Lightning Damage each time. You have Jagged Horrors causing Bleeding, another -3 degen to cap at -10 all around. Toxicity gives a lot more degen for Poison or Disease, since not all foes are melee attackers and thus won't be hit with Tainted. Lastly, you've got minions everywhere whaling on foes.

Human Player 1 - N/Me Golem Master
This is a human MM carrying Flesh Golem. It is not as good as Order of Undeath, that is true. But having a strong third tank/renewable body is a good boon to the party, and since this Team relies on dying minions, OoU would be going a bit overboard, since Vampiric Horrors cost a lot and have a long recharge. Signet of Sorrow is used for a small damage spike, since most of the time they will be busy keeping minions coming, and energy shouldn't be wasted. Hex Eater Signet is for free hex removal; could swap for an interrupt like Leech Signet, or a rez.

Hero Player 1 - Rt/N Explosive Bones
This is a Hero Ritualist using Explosive Growth and Spirit's Gift along with renewable minions via Jagged Bones. It may have been nerfed, but it still works...Death Nova is spammed on minions for extreme damage. Signet of Creation is used to aid minions and ensure they die in 30 seconds. It is not meant to be used at the end of fights, but rather in the beginning or middle once bodies start dropping. It results in a huge damage spike if they all die at once. They don't have a rez, though one could certainly be swapped in. Verata's Sacrifice helps keep minions alive between battles, Blood of the Master keeps minions alive and lessens the sac load on others. Animate Bone Minions could be useful though it would interrupt the main MM's corpses...

Human Player 2 - N/Mo Tainted Renewer
This human player's job is to spam Tainted Flesh on the entire party and keep it up constantly. If they can, they should also try to get it on minions, but this is often difficult. This player also carries Verata's Aura in case either of the other MMs fall and there's an emergency. They stay well out of the main combat whenever possible, and, with Rebirth, are the "emergency fallback" character. Blood of the Master and Verata's Sacrifice work on "allied" minions, not just those you control, so this player can help with healing minions as well.

Hero Player 2 - R/W Toxicity Thumper
This typical Bunny Thumper carries Toxicity to increase the degen by Poison from Death Nova. A pet provides renewable bodies as well - disable Comfort Animal and only order its use when the pet is dead. With a lot of minions running around it is more than likely that they will be ignored, which is good - then they can cause massive Hammer damage without interference. They don't have Deep Wound but instead rely on KD and heavy damage to kill. They don't have a rez, but everyone else does, so it's okay. Pet will still fight anyways.

Symbiosis is a great skill to consider bringing, too. Since the entire party will always be enchanted with Tainted Flesh and perhaps more, and Minions with Death Nova, the health and armor bonus across the party will be huge. There aren't any foes in general PvE who also carry across-party Enchants, except things like Azure Shadow, so the spirit will help more than it hurts. Winnowing can also be deadly, though it's in Wilderness Survival - for a little while, all Minions will deal +6 because they deal physical damage. And that hurts!

Hero Player 3 - Mo/P RC Prot
This Hero takes care of Conditions through Restore Condition.

Hero Player 4 - Mo/any WoH
This Hero uses Word of Healing and other cheap heals so as to be able to last through a long battle. It is not the best Healing elite, but it's straightforward and pretty hard for Heroes to mess up using it.

Hero Player 5 - W/Mo Not-A-Wammo AoE Axeman
This Hero uses Triple Chop and Cyclone Axe to punish foes in PvE. They carry Vengeance, a fast resurrect. They don't carry a direct Deep Wound since most foes will be dying too fast to make good use of Dismember...

Hero Player 6 - Me/Mo Interruption
This Hero uses a typical Mesmer skillset to shutdown casters. Though they are squishy and fall quick, powerful spells like Invoke Lightning can absolutely devastate Minions since they like to clump together. They are meant to die, but not all at once! Moreover, Enchantment Removal is lacking in the Team. They use Power Block to devastate Monks. Guilt and Shame are used for energy management. Frustration and Cry of Frustration are used for AoE interruption.

No Critical Strikes Assassin
Trying to make those damn A/E builds work!

Needs more energy management and Zealous daggers.


 * Elemental Flame
 * Conjure Flame
 * Star Burst
 * Flame Djinn's Haste
 * Aura of Restoration
 * Inferno
 * Flame Burst
 * Double Dragon
 * Mark of Rodgort
 * Glowing Gaze


 * Black Mantis Thrust
 * Jungle Strike
 * Golden Lotus Strike


 * Black Spider Strike
 * Golden Phoenix Strike
 * Temple Strike

Marksman's Wager Spammer
Wager lets you spam Savage Shot endlessly. Concussion and Pin Down are the only attacks that will actually possibly drain your energy, spam those two. Marauder's is your main source of big damage. Debilitating is free, use it in conjunction with e-denial from a Mesmer or such. Could replace it with some other attack, but what? Penentrating because it's spammable? Use Lightning Reflexes under Wager to get the most out of it. Dual Shot triggers Wager twice for +20 energy, use it once you hit the bottom of your energy.

Twin Hammer Twin Moon
Currently pondering a W/D using Twin Moon Sweep for nice spike damage.

Rapta says:


 * Precast Guiding Hands before your spike. Devastating and Crushing are unblockable, finish off with Twin Moon. Tiger Stance for IAS (switchable with Frenzy or Flail), Rush for speed boost (switchable with ECharge or Sprint). Switch Guiding Hands for Lyssa's Haste and swap out Rush if you want, or swap out Guiding Hands for any other 5 energy ench a Derv can have.

Hammer Mastery 12 + 1 + 3 Strength 12 + 1 Earth Prayers 3 OR Scythe Mastery 3


 * Energy Cost - 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 25, need Gladiator's Armor
 * Adrenal Cost - 5 + 1 - 6 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 4, just enough for Rush

Precast Armor of Sanctity as you're closing in, and hope no one disenchants you. First hit with Prot Strike for possible spike damage. Activate Tiger Stance and hammer away until Forceful Blow is ready, followup with Heavy Blow for a knockdown, and then Crushing Blow for Deep Wound. Twin Moon Sweep, and Rush to the next target.


 * needs to be done in 10 seconds or less for Twin Moon
 * cutting it close on Energy, perhaps Zealous hammer?
 * Lower Attack speed, Cripple, Blind, Weakness