User:Attackofthecold/Build:Team - Touchers

This team makes use of the strength of the toucher, and multiplies it for a massive damage output.

Equipment

 * Druid's Armor, With Rune of Superior Vigor and Rune of Superior Expertise
 * Weapons (one of the following)
 * A +5 energy axe/sword of shelter/defense/fortitude and a Blood Knife from Attendant Nashu or Jahn Pitz.
 * A Blood Magic wand such as the one available from Karl Jakobs and Blood Magic focus such as the one available from Volsung Stoneketil.
 * A +energy weapon set with otherwise same stats as the above.
 * Milthuran's Staff for more energy

Usage

 * Get close to your target and spam Vampiric Bite and Vampiric Touch.
 * Use Dodge to chase down kiting targets and avoid attacks that can be harmful to the build (such as crippling attacks).
 * Use Whirling Defense or Throw Dirt when targeted by warriors, rangers or assassins. This is not only important for avoiding the damage, but also the harmful conditions like crippling and Deep Wound.
 * Use Offering of Blood when you can get the full benefit of the energy gain and you are not taking too much damage. Use it as often as it recharges if you can.

Counters

 * Anti-spammer strategies, such as Diversion or Distracting Shot.
 * As the ranger needs to get within touch range, if their foes are not in range, they cannot attack. This makes any snares or knockdown a problem.
 * The life stolen per second is not enough to overcome focused damage and health degeneration. However condition based degeneration won't work as they just use Plague Touch to pass it on.
 * Signet of Humility, Arcane Thievery or Arcane Larceny can be used to shut down Offering of Blood, which is crucial for the build. When used in combination with even mild energy denial such as Energy Burn, the ranger will soon be out of energy.
 * Blackout is devastating to touchers.
 * "Can't Touch This!" will cause touch skills to fail, but this is not overly destructive and will only waste the touch ranger 2-10 energy.
 * Tease will cause the recharge of all the touch skills used in the build to increase by a certain percent, decreasing the overall DPS of the build.
 * It may be wise for users of this build to bring a melee weapon (such as a sword) as a counter-counter, since Tease ends if the target hits the caster (who will have to be within touch range to cast it in the first place)
 * Because the build relies on two skills spammed consecutively, enemies with interrupts can easily time their interrupts.
 * It looks like a toucher is easy to stop. However one on one (in most cases even 2 or 3 on one) with the touch ranger at full energy it's not as easy. The only realistic way to stop him is using hex based snares, Diversion, heavy energy denial or out healing him until he runs out of energy.

Variants

 * Signet of Agony and Distracting Shot with a barbed bow to replace Throw Dirt and Whirling Defense gives the build an interrupt and the ability to inflict 44 second bleeding (significant damage over time.) You can still have Blood weaponry as a secondary set.
 * Blood Ritual is useful especially in a team situation as it is affected by expertise and gives an energy gain. Similarily, a group of touch rangers could be effective using Blood is Power and Blood Ritual on each other.
 * Zojun's Haste, paired with Dodge, gives an almost nonstop speed boost and protection against rangers. This is a good replacement for Resurrection Signet in HB.
 * Blood Renewal makes a good self heal if used properly.
 * Use the 6 left-over attribute points and put them into Wilderness Survival, then using Serpent's Quickness as a way to increase pressure on your target.
 * Touch of Agony and/or Wallow's Bite should not be overlooked.
 * For players who only own Factions, a spare points Melandru's Shot could be used, with Vampiric Bite and Wallow's Bite as the damage. This will be less effective and conditional to enemies faced, however.
 * Storm Chaser instead of Dodge can help with energy management, but is generally not as useful.
 * For the optional slot you can take any skill, but I suggest Awaken the Blood.

This toucher build came from

Equipment

 * Any weapon can be used with this build, providing you meet its requirements.
 * As with any caster build, it is preferred that you take a High, Medium, and Low energy set.
 * Recommended upgrades for your weapon include of Enchanting and of Fortitude suffix upgrades, and "I Have the Power!" inscriptions.

Usage

 * Your primary healing skill is Gift of Health. It should be used on targets above 50% Health.
 * Use Reversal of Fortune as an immediate damage prevention, as well as healing, from the next attack.
 * Remove harmful conditions with Dismiss Condition. Note the healing bonus on enchanted targets.
 * Enchant allies with Shield of Absorption for damage reduction.
 * Zealous Benediction should be used to heal targets under 50% Health.
 * Use Glyph of Lesser energy before casting Aegis to reduce its high energy cost.
 * Holy Veil should be used to remove hexes. (cast and remove)
 * Note that using Zealous Benediction on targets below 50% while under the effects of Glyph of Lesser Energy will actually result in net energy gain.

Counters

 * Energy denial, while not as dangerous as it is on other builds, can still pose a problem with this build.
 * Diversion can be particularly devastating, as it can shut down a skill for a long duration.

Variants

 * For a heavier focus on damage mitigation against pressure swap Gift of Health for Shield of Absorption
 * Dismiss Condition can be replaced with another condition removal skill of your choice.
 * As with all Zealous Benediction builds, Purge Signet can be used.
 * Spirit Bond and Protective Spirit are fairly interchangeable.
 * If this is a hero, you might want to replace Holy Veil with Remove Hex or Smite Hex, or some similar hex removal spell.
 * If you're worried about condition/hex counters e.g. snares, I suggest removing 1 of the least useful skills (as in least useful in your view/according to your testing) and take another condition/hex removal speall.

This monk build came from this build.

Notes/Team usage

 * All 3 Touchers attacking the same target at once can be devastating. This could easily overwhelm any monk.
 * In HB I suggest all the res signets are replaced with Awaken the Blood for stronger touch attacks.
 * In HB, while this team is stronger together, splitting them up can be very effective as the rangers' touch skills steal health, thus healing them as well, making them hard to kill.
 * Generally the monk will not have to heal the touchers much, he should mostly watch out for himself. However in the case a toucher's health drops too low, the monk should heal him.