Acolyte of Dwayna in 10 minutes - W/Mo

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

Hi!

First of all: This involves henching your way to the acolyte, killing all things around her and then sending your henchies away. Don't be afraid, that she's killed in the process by your henchies. She's really durable .

As the thread I wanted to post this build in is called "Mes/any Acolyte Farmer" (or somthing like that) I decided to create this new thread as I'm going to show you how to kill Dwayna's Acolyte with my W/Mo.

Thinking about what was said in the original thread about her efficient way of survival using her many selfheals i realized, that there are other bosses with whom i had a similar problem (Wing and Aahrashh (spelling?)).

The only way I could beat those guys was with either disrupting/disabling their HS or punishing them for using it. As the acolyte does not have a signet i could disable AND has many selfheals, the only way i could think of was to punish her for healing herself… The build may seem familiar, perhaps someone else posted somthing like this for the referred bosses, but the usage is a little… different.

So i came to this:

Skills:Vigorous Spirit (your selfheal) Scourge Healing (the punishment for her annoying selfhealing) Riposte Deadly Riposte (Prerequisite for Gash and superb dmg) Gash (give her a Deep Wound so her heals are even less effective) Flail Dolyak Lions Comfort (another selfheal, i barely use it)
Attributes:
Tactics as high as you can (I have 14 or 15)
Sword 9 (more would be ok)
Strength 8? (makes your Dolyak last longer)
Smiting 8?
Healing a litte bit (3? won't need much healing because she will barely hit you if you do it right)

Weaponry & Armor:
Any max sword with Req. 9 should do, it is much easier if you use a zealous sword because you will use a lot of energy.
Any max Shield should be ok.
Max armor recommended, perhaps use one with radiant insignias for the energy, but you can do it without it.

How to:
Leave with your full party from Kodonur Crossing, then fight your way to her location. (A good thing which really speeds up the run is when you have favor, you can pay balthasar right in front of the door for the warrior enhancements.)

I suggest going over the two bridges, up the stairs then right to the next rez-shrine. Kill all the soldiers around and in the fort (there are two other bosses there, too: Osric and Luluh).

When done with the soldiers send your henchies away. I pin them near the Melandru-rez-shrine. You can now start fighting the acolyte. If she is in form just use every skill on the bar except for the hex. Keep Flail up all the time and try to keep VS up. Chain your ripostes in a way so she can't hit you (do not spam, watch if it was already triggered or not). Use VS when you have a Ripose active and use Rispostes to cover your Dolyak downtime. If she is near 50% when she changes back to non-form she's as good as dead. Watch her closely. The moment she changes back hex her with Scourge Healing and rip and hack the hell out of her. Count 25 seconds from when you activated Scourge, the hex her again. If she manages to NOT die, just repeat the process… next time you'll get her.

Got her scythe on the 7th or 8th kill. Man, this truly looks beautiful on my dervish.

Hope this brings the Dwayna's Grace-prices down a bit… it's IMHO the best scythe for most dervish-builds.

Have fun!
MH.

P.S.: Perhaps someone could test if the hex "Scourge Enchantment" will optimize this build even more.

irishone

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Aug 2006

W/Mo

is Dolyak a must ?

powercozmic

powercozmic

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2005

The Cosmic Ocean

DVDF

Me/

How abt 55 with scourge healing and SOJ ? or 55 with spoil victor and scourge healing ?

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

Hi!

@powercosmic: You could try it with Spoil Victor, but I think it won't do enough damage in the time she's out of her form. Somehow she can switch to her form again earlier then a player and because when she's hurt she will rather heal then attack you... As you would have a higher Smiting Attribute as a monk it could work... The moment she switches to form though and uses a skill Spoil and/or Scourge are removed...
When you have max tactics you will do between 80 (rip) and 170 (rip&d.rip) damage to her when she swings at you and you'll give her a deep wound when you use gash, which makes her heal for less.
I don't think SOJ will work because of her rather low attack rate. Perhaps you could use a 55 Mo/W using Ripostes and Scourge, but then Energy will become and issue. D.Rip costs 5e and should be spammed when she's out of form, Scourge:10e has to be renewed one time, all your maintained enchantments and the fact, that she does not swing too often...

@irishone: Perhaps you can do it without Dolyak, instead use Watch Yourself but why would one NOT use Dolyak (Ripostes are Phrophecies only, too). She does some damage you know...

Have fun!
MH.

irishone

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Aug 2006

W/Mo

i understand that she does damage and lots of it, its you were talking about using another skill (scorge enchantment) what skill would u replace ?

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

As I don't use Lion's Comfort, I'd use that slot. But be careful that you chain the ripostes the right way then. If she hit's you, your only way to selfheal is VS. Perhaps also use a vampiric sword hilt but watch your energy.

I will continue to use the build I posted above... When you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to use. If you fail to kill her, at least you won't die either.

Have fun!

VitisVinifera

VitisVinifera

Banned

Join Date: Nov 2005

Northern California

HoTR

N/Me

she can't block can she? if so tiger stance is the same as flail right. None of the skills listed under her in wiki mentions blocking

anyways yeah hitting myself over the head for not thinking of scourge healing when that's what I used to kill Incetol

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

Well she can't block, but Flail is an adrenalin-skill and you can just spam it. Tigerstance has a recharge time and costs energy. You will use most of your energy for Scourge and D.Riposte, so Flail is better. It's the best IAS to combine with Dolyak IMHO.

Hope this helps...

MH.

Vexed Arcanist

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2005

Ring of Steel

Mo/

You do realize Scourge Healing is gone the second Acolyte of Dwayna uses ANY skill right? Read: Avatar of Dwayna

The form allows her to remove 1 hex every time she uses a skill.

Melisande

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Berkeley, CA

Blades of Angmar [BofA]

Me/N

Thank you MadHamish for this build! I acutally got a Dwayna's Grace on my first run.

I actually died first time I fought her, couldn't get the timing of the various skills right, but I still managed to do it with 11dp, so that just shows you how good the build is

Vexed: you're only supposed to use scourge healing after her avatar wears off (read the how-to!).

bored-.-bored

bored-.-bored

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2006

Behind You...

X Team Slayers X

nice 1 sounds good..

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

Hi!
Nice to hear that other people use this with success too!

@Vexed: You're absolutely right that the moment she uses a skill while in her form she loses one hex. This is why i wrote: Quote:
The moment she changes back hex her with Scourge Healing and rip and hack the hell out of her, Like Melisande said, that means your supposed to hex her while she is out of form...
@Melisande: I died a lot in the beginning, too. When you chain the Rips right, it shouldn't be a problem to do it with 30 or 45% DP, though.

Man, you guys and gals are just really lucky. I have 40 greens or so and only one of those dropped the first time i killed a boss (Razorfin's Axe). I wish i had so much luck, too! Ghial took me 40+ times the first time i tried (when Factions was new) i didn't even get his staff. I tried again recently and he dropped it for a different build and a different char (as the original one involved killing every Jade solo on the way and I couldn't make it any more...)


Have fun and get this scythe... she's a beauty.

MH.

Freneticweasel

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2006

Brick.

Vanguards of Aslyum/Defenders of Amnoon

R/Mo

Could you do a sliver armor run with an elementalist with all the soldiers in it still? Or would the seers tear you apart?

Luigi Br

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Aug 2006

Brazil

FoNP

W/

I brought my warrior from Tyria with a zealous sword only for this run, I´m playing Nightfall with a dervish. I´ve tried the build and killed the Acolyte a few times already, but sometimes it takes too long. I can´t activate the ripostes in the right manner and sometimes she changes back to Avatar of Dwayna before I kill her and I have to start it again. But I believe I´ll get better with some training.

I´ve tried to bring Scourge Enchantment too, but the global damage seens to be the same, because she keeps healing most of time and doesn´t activate the ripostes like before and as soons the avatar skill recharges she looses the hexes. For me it sounded like it´s better to bring only scourge healing and keep the ripostes in the way you say. I´m with 14 on tactics.

I`ve exchanged Lion´s Confort with "Victory Is Mine". She´ll be with 2 conditions all the time (bleeding and deep wound), so I can get 128HP of healing and 14 energy with it.

And inspired by your build (ripostes and health degen), I´ve tried another build with a W/R. I bring Apply Poison in the place of Scourge Healing. With bleeading and poison she has 7 pips of health degeneration (-14hp per second) and 3 conditions all the time (Bleeding, Poison and Deep Wound), sometimes even a 4th condition because I bring Desperation Blow (+38 damage) in the place of Vigorous Spirit and use it when Dolyak Signet is up. The Build helps to get her health down when she is in the Avatar form, since she can´t get ride off the conditions, and Victory Is Mine works even better with 3 or 4 conditions (192...256 HP and 21...28 Energy) so I don´t need another healing skill and can keep Apply Poison Up all the times.

But in the end, it´s all about the ripostes, if you can´t get them in the right chain you can´t kill her. Maybe I´ll change my helm for a Tactician´s Helm for one more point for Tactics (right now I use a Strength one).

Anyway, thanks for the build MadHamish! And sorry for any grammar errors, english isn´t my first language.

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

@Freneticweasel: I don't know, but please test this out, i'd like to see it working.

@Luigi Br: Yes, for me she changes back to Avatar-Form sometimes too, before I can kill her but at least she won't get over 60% of life when you keep riposting her. Thanks for the hint with the conditions. I can kill her with 14 in tactics aswell, but it is a lot faster if you pump it to the max AND get the blessing from the shrine (if you have the favor, that is...) with 17 in tactics you'll do a LOT of damage. Thanks for testing "Scourge Enchantment". Well, the good thing is we now know that it doesn't work.

Perhaps we could use gladiators defense for additional damage? Anyways. I've got me scythe and I go to other places to do my farming now... Just startet a new pre-character.

Have fun!

MH.

melaina

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Freneticweasel
Could you do a sliver armor run with an elementalist with all the soldiers in it still? Or would the seers tear you apart? I tried it two times with my ele but shadowform ends too early and the acolyte of dwayna heals herself too much. Perhaps a A/Me could manage it.

Emik

Emik

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2005

Belgium

[FaRM] Farm For The Win

N/

I do it the same way but the thing is with both Dolyak and Lion's Comfort you have to consider casting routines.
I take Auspicious Parry instead of Flail and it seems to be doing the job a bit better for me.
Record is under 5 minutes (yeah i was lucky )

This is my exact build.

[skill]Auspicious Parry[/skill][skill]Riposte[/skill][skill]Deadly Riposte[/skill][skill]Gash[/skill][skill]Vigorous Spirit[/skill][skill]Scourge Healing[/skill][skill]Healing Signet[/skill][skill]Dolyak Signet[/skill]

Attributes:
Tactics: 14
Swordsmanship: 9
Strength: 7
Smiting Prayers: 8

I don't use any points in Healing Prayers so basically Vigorous Spirit can be left out of the build (I don't even remember why i left it there )
Also: i tend to start from Pogahn Passage making my way round the Hekets for the Balthazar Shrine towards the Grenth on to get all the blessings and i use a Vampiric Sword so for 20 minutes i get +6 health while attacking.

Melisande

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Berkeley, CA

Blades of Angmar [BofA]

Me/N

Emik: with healing sig, don't you also have to consider casting routines? a 2s cast time for healing sig is still a fair amount of time. I actually just use a vamp sword like you do, stick on vigorous spirit and that's pretty much all the healing I need if you add in flail. For the extra slot, I actually use silverwing slash for a bit of extra dmg.

Melaina: I've actually tried it on a A/E before I found this thread. I can't seem to get the sliver armor to actually target HER. It either targets one of the guards or one of the casters she's next to. I'm not that experienced with the A/E build yet (I've only done Ghial and Monk's Construct a few times) so if you could tell me how to target the sliver armor, I could try it out.

MadHamish

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

COLD

W/

@Melisande: I've done a little slivering myself before. The thing is, you can't target it. It does what it wants. At least when i do it. When farming insects luckyly it targets the monks first, then the paragons. When going against the Warrior Construct it targetted the afficted warriors first. I thought, that it perhaps targets monsters by name in alphabethical order, but when i went and killed Woespreader it would go for him first (some times at least). I don't know if anyone can tell you how this works.

@Emik: Are you talking about killing the acolyte in 5 minutes or does it take you 5 minutes to get to her AND kill her? My complete run takes 10-12 minutes for me.
Nice usage of auspicious parry. I use Flail mainly because i wanted to help my henchteam to kill the buggers around the acolyte and so it would increase my selfhealing with vigorous/vampiric-mod. For Lions-Comfort - which I don't like aswell because of it's disabling Dolyak - you should just use it when you just activated Dolyak.

Mr Emu

Mr Emu

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2006

W/A

i find sliver often targets the enemy i am targeting

Yersis tez

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2006

spirit of faith [HOPE]

Mo/

it helps a lot if you can weild a sword. the sword will make sure you are exactly adjacent to the boss.(20% raj is nice) and you either hav to run right thru her guards and they will sometimes just fall behind you. or you can run around in a circle a bit and manuever them to fall at your side kinda. i used to ghail a lot, got it first drop on first 2x weekend.

Ako

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2006

None ATM

E/

After a few rounds of messing around with this, I have found that the following seems to be the most effective in farming here:
Auspicious Parry
Deadly Riposte
Riposte
Healing Signet
Scourge healing
Gash
Distracting blow
(optional)

Attributes:
Tactics:16
Smiting Prayers: 11
Swordsmanship:6

General Guide: Clear all of the enemies as you normally would, then send your henchies on their way. From here you want to charge the Acolyte of Dwayna... she will like begin casting her form so melee, AP, riposte, melee, AP, Deadly, Gash-rinse and repeat (Deadly recharge will now be your marker for when to hit with gash again). When the form runs out immediately cast scourge healing, followed by your normal routine of ripostes and parries. Make sure you keep scourge healing up... the 63 damage every cast will hurt him severely. And watch carefully for the recast of the form (you should have him very near death by now) Distract it, this will give you a 30 second window to finish him off. Rinse and repeat until you get as many of what you want . If you start running low on health, hit in this order: AP, Sig, rip, deadly rip, gash and you should be good to go. Good Luck and enjoy your drops!

badasschris

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2007

Very nice build there MadHamish , although 10 kills 0 green still cheers for the build i was going crazy trying all sorts of ele builds and just couldnt get it.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Why not go as a W/N and use strip enchant as she is a Derv. who uses enchantments.

Draxanoth

Draxanoth

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Washington

Archons of the Condemned

W/Me

Much faster with a Mesmer, as long as she can't see you. That's all the hints I'm giving.

Artemis fowl

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Dec 2006

RFI

W/E

Hint Hint do you mean signet of midnight?

silesky

silesky

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mines of Moria

Celtic Wild Hunt

W/R

Hi im having trouble killing dwayna can anybody help me plz???




jcapulet

jcapulet

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2006

Thanks so much for posting this guide! I had trouble killing her solo with this build...I must not be properly chaining my ripostes. What's the proper way?

However, I had hubby help me, and we killed her. Dwayna's Grace dropped for him and he gave it to me

With his mesmer, he used Signet of Humility so she couldn't switch to her form so fast....muhahaha!! Meanwhile, I hacked away while he further degen'd her.

God Abyss

God Abyss

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Nov 2006

Knights Of Nasty Ogres [KoNO]

W/

Do u kill everyone but the Acolyte with henchmen then send them away??

N Sane OEF Marine

N Sane OEF Marine

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2007

Pinoy Alliance

E/

For me the 55 monk/Mesmer Visage + Visage + Illusionary weapon build works better. Same concept with the original Tank Hench clear the area build process except for.....//The importance of leaving at least 2 melee fighters alive with the Acolyte. more melee the better.// (Derv or War type doesn't matter. These guys will give you ur energy back while your pummeling the Acolyte with IW and draining his energy to nothing making it a successful Kill IMO). Works great for me. got 2 graces so far...gotta stop and do missions and quests for now before the weekend. or else my drops will end up with rotten eggs.

AcidDog

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2006

nice build works well, takes a bit long though

fog_of_redoubt

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by God Abyss
Do u kill everyone but the Acolyte with henchmen then send them away?? Ummm, I don't know... I wonder if you do... Hmmm maybe recheck the top of the thread??? Hmmm I wonder if you send henchies away... Hmmm...

William of Orange

William of Orange

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Thousand Tigers Apund Ur Head, The Consulate

I can consistently kill Dwayna in anywhere between 5:30 (record) and 8 minutes. Build is as follows:

Auspicious Parry
Riposte
Deadly Riposte
Gash
Flail
Scourge Healing
Healing Signet
Dolyak's Signet

14 Tactics, 10 Strength, 9 Swords, 8 Smiting.

Riposte/Deadly Riposte while she's in form for harassment, the second she switches out, Scourge goes on, I switch to a 3/1 Vamp Sword and kick into Flail. Riposte/Deadly Riposte as often as possible, same with Gash. Reapply Scourge after approximately 15 seconds, and continue to Flail away. 8 or 9 times out of 10 I can kill her before she can jump back into form. The 5:30 time I killed her just as the animation began for her form casting.

Riesz

Riesz

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2006

Thanks so much for the build! Got her scythe 3rd try.

Shadar

Shadar

Academy Page

Join Date: Sep 2006

Croatia

[ACID]

Me/

Farming this with a Rt/Me spirit spammer, run time 6-7 min total using the hench trick, solo killing the Acolyte in under a minute.
Here's the video if you are interested in this method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpa6N_7B4g

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadar
Farming this with a Rt/Me spirit spammer, run time 6-7 min total using the hench trick, solo killing the Acolyte in under a minute.
Here's the video if you are interested in this method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpa6N_7B4g Ok, now THATS an Acolyte of Dwayna solo build. Just tried it now, she didn't even get a spell off she spent that much time on her arse. I must admit i was a little unsure it would actually work till i watched the video of you tearing her apart. Definatly works better than the Warrior version that hangs mainly on the hopes she actually hits you enough to kill herself.

If she does survive long enough to recast Dwayna (like she just did to me after fleeing for no reason when i lured her...) then at least the spirits distract her while you flee.

Edit: She just did it again... not sure why but she casts her enchantments, spirits lunge at her and she runs off. Luckily this time her Avatar was interrupted by Dissonance and she died (and dropped a scythe )

Shadar

Shadar

Academy Page

Join Date: Sep 2006

Croatia

[ACID]

Me/

Yes, sometimes she doesn't want to attack.. the AI is weird. But when she stays inside spirit range I never saw her live long enough to use Avatar again

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

If she stands directly adjacent she usually dies easily... otherwise she always survives unless Dissonance/Wanderlust stop her Avatar on the second attempt.

Valeria

Valeria

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Germany

PaRe

W/

i tried the riposte build without much sucess (mesmer build wasn't that easy either). Then i called one of my heroes for help. Razah set up his ghosts end she went down pretty quick. and at kill No. 6 with one hero besides me i got the scythe.

I guess i'll try the ritu only build next time if i need another one

during the process i found lulus spear and custos bow as well ^^

Mesmer in Need

Mesmer in Need

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2006

[ToA]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadar
Farming this with a Rt/Me spirit spammer, run time 6-7 min total using the hench trick, solo killing the Acolyte in under a minute.
Here's the video if you are interested in this method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpa6N_7B4g that pwns the pants off the riposite and mesmer builds. i must try this!.