Guide to using Heroes in PvE

This is a 4/8 member hero/henchmen group focused on completing the Realm of Torment missions to Ascension.

Overview
The core hero group consists of: Henchmen for the Realm of Torment:
 * 1 / Flame Warrior
 * 1 / Heavy Nuker
 * 1 / Utility/Minion Necromancer
 * 1 / Heal party monk
 * 1 / Cynn (Nuker)
 * 1 / Herta (Spellcaster defense & Nuker)
 * 1 / Mhenlo (Monk)
 * 1 / Sogolon (Defense)

Gate Heros has been successfully used for all of the PvE explorable areas and missions in the Realm of Torment, up to and including defeating Abaddon. This Hero team build consists of a untested PvE W/E Flame Warrior, a minor variant on the tested PvE Build:Mo/any Light of Deliverance Hybrid, a minor variant of the tested PvE build Build:E/any Renewal Nuker and a minor variant of the tested PvE build Build:N/any Minion Master.

Using the proven team of Tank, Healer, Nuker and Minion Master it is flexible and strong against all foes encountered in the gate regions without requiring perfect weapons, insignia or runes. It is possible to construct this team using less than 50, making it well suited to new players who lack dedicated farming characters. Backup henchmen provide additional healing (Mhenlo), nuking (Cynn), defense for spellcasters (Herta), and general defense (Sogolon). Without the henchmen, this build is capable of eliminating all enemies in a run to Ghial the Bone Dancer.

The major problem for spellcaster Hero builds is energy management, since their simple logic leads to over-use of spells. As a result, the variations made to the 'stock' builds above mainly consist of making them more energy efficient.

Please see the respective build pages for full details (equipment, variants & usage) regarding the hero builds. Note, however that the real equipment requirements for these builds is far below the ideal case presented, normally requiring no more than equipment from normal drops and cheap (<1) runes & insignia. All credit for the creation of those excellent builds goes to their respective authors. The Flame Warrior is the author's character.

W/E Flame Warrior
This build concentrates on flame damage from Conjure Flame and fast-recharge, adrenal, direct damage skills for high damage output (DPS) and spike damage during Call to the Torment. Lacking self-healing or specialist tanking skills, the build relies on a monk with quick reflexes. The wide distribution of skills allows this warrior to be flexible while dealing out significant damage. Variations:
 * Replace Dolyak Signet and Endure Pain with Bonetti's Defense and Resurrection Signet for better energy management.
 * Replace Berserker Stance with Flail to use skills while in stance while sacrificing mobility.
 * Replace Lightbringer's Gaze, Quivering Blade, and Endure Pain with Sever Artery, Gash and Defy Pain before/when away from the Realm of Torment, or for a more familiar looking skill set.
 * Replace Shock with a warrior interrupt such as Distracting Blow to avoid exhaustion, at the cost of losing knockdown.

Equipment

 * A Fiery Dragon Sword of Enchanting, or other Fiery sword
 * Any 9 Tactics or Strength Shield with Stance or Enchantment bonuses
 * Gladiator's Armor or Runes of Attunement and/or Radiant Insignia to get 25-26 energy
 * Stonefist Gauntlets or equivalent for extra knockdown duration if using Shock.

Individual Usage

 * Use Berserker Stance for it's full duration when possible.
 * In the case of energy starvation, use Conjure Flame, wait for energy to regenerate, then attack.
 * Check that Conjure Flame is up before starting Berserker Stance.
 * Shock must be used with care due to Exhaustion. Primary target spells/skills are Troll Unguent and Healing Signet, although the second one needs good timing.  Use of Shock for generic knockdown is not recommended unless a high priority foe is under heavy DoT bombardment and only in emergencies.
 * The knockdown from Shock is useful for preventing (but not interrupting) Call to the Torment. Timing this requires luck and practice.
 * Quivering Blade and Sun and Moon Slash are good finishers for monsters using Call to the Torment.
 * Enchantment stripping and blocking skills are uncommon for monsters in the later areas of Nightfall, mostly negating the downsides of this build.

Zhed Shadowhoof
Minor variant of Build:E/any Renewal Nuker

Description from the source: This build is used to inflict massive amounts of damage in a small amount of time with an Elementalist. This build is effective almost anywhere in PvE, such as the Underworld and the Fissure of Woe, where there can be many monsters gathered up in a tightly packed space. While there are many versions of Elementalist nukers, this build focuses on high damage Fire Magic skills. This version relies on the power of Glyph of Renewal to cast any spell twice, or possibly even more in combination with other secondary class elites.

Master of Whispers
Variant of Build:N/any Minion Master

Description from the source: There are many versions of the Minion Master, however this version, unlike many, does not use the Healing Prayers line, removing any restriction on secondary class. This version is ideal for Sorrow's Furnace farming, Alliance Battles or PvE.

Dunkoro
Minor variant of Build:Mo/any Light of Deliverance Hybrid

Description from the source: This build concentrates on the excellent party-healing abilities of the Monk elite skill Light of Deliverance. Using additional skills from the Protection Prayers and other Healing Prayers line skills, an extremely efficient and dependable party healer is created.

Group Usage
Tanking (using hero placement and Dolyak Signet) is not strictly necessary, but can help to drain foe skills & spells at the start of battles. At the start of battles, keep your hero casters on "Avoid Combat" and kite yourself, as appropriate. When you have roughly 1/2 of the foes down, change them to Guard mode to wipe out the rest and to avoid new spawns with Call to the Torment.

For killing Shiro, follow the instructions on the appropriate mission page, then, when at the doorway, look for two red marks on the path towards the right of the doorway. When you stand in front of the first mark, Shiro attacks, when behind the second mark, he retreats. With your ranged attackers in position, kite from side to side between the two marks and Shiro takes constant damage from your ranged attackers. Remember to keep calling your target. If he retreats, don't worry because his healing is slow without a target. This is only one of many possible alternatives to completing this mission, but focuses on finishing the mission without a specialist tank.

Call your targets to get your heros and henchmen to focus on one target at a time and to increase their total damage output.

Counters
Blocking and enchantment stripping are counters for the W/E. With such a caster heavy group, energy denial is a concern, but is not serious enough in Realm of Torment to cause a wipe. Slowing spells (such as those used by Rain of Terror) are not a serious problem for anyone other than the tank in the party.

Henchmen
Cynn, Herta, Mhenlo and Sogolon make effective henchmen with this team. Additional warriors are a liability.