Spinal Shivers Build

N/R

Spinal Shivers Interrupt

Intended for Random Arenas, can be adapted for pretty much anything.

Interrupter

Soul Reaping - 6
Curses - 12+1+1
Beast Mastery - 10
Wilderness Survival - 6

Skill Bar:

Resurrection Signet
Spinal Shivers (Curses)
Faintheartedness (Curses)
Greater Conflagration (Wilderness Survival) {Elite}
Heket's Rampage (Beast Mastery)
Winter (Wilderness Survival)
Parasitic Bond (Curses)
Charm Animal

This is, obviously, a Spinal Shivers based interrupt. Using Greater Conflagration and Winter, all types of damage become cold damage, therefore any hits by anyone on a Spinally Shivered (?) target interrupt. Faintheartedness should be used on non-casters, to generally slow them, and to allow easier interrupts. Whenever possible, hex a new target with spinal shivers, to get the most out of your team. Parasitic Bond has questionable usefullness, but the healing is good in Random Arenas, where healers are rare.

I am hoping to be able to tweak this with your suggestions, so if you have any tips, they would be greatly appreciated.

I just got a gladiator point on a team with a monk, a W/Mo who hadn't played for months, and an illusionary weaponry mesmer, so it seems reasonably successful.

One last thing. This is the third time I have tried to post this build, and each time it was in the wrong place. I have read all the relevant stickies, and many stickies that weren't relevant at all. If this is wrong, please tell me where it belongs instead of just locking it and saying "read the sticky". It just might prevent me from going insane.

This is the correct place to post builds and desire comments/suggestions/criticism. If you just wanted to post a build with no comments, then it would be in the build sub-forum.

Anyway, I have a few questions:

Energy Management, 6 soul reaping + spinal shivers does not make very good e-management. How are you for energy? I would think after all your spells and spirits, you'd have little left.

Drop Charm animal and Heket's rampage for signet of lost souls and shivers of dread (incase you kill someone and spinal shivers hasn't recharged yet) or better yet, get incidious parasite or enfeebling blood.

So obviously drop BM and boost Soul Reaping

That would be my suggestion.

Surprisingly enough, I am rarely out of energy. The only time I run into problems is against and e-denial mesmer, and there is nothing I can do about that.

I like beast mastery for two main reasons. First, it gives me Heket's Rampage, which gives me a much better chance of interrupting. Also, the pet doubles my damage, and again gives me a better chance to interrupt. It isn't really necessary against most people, but I find myself often interrupting 1/4 second casting times. Additionally, I do about 15-20 damage per hit, as does my pet, so I am actually able to kill things.

I changed faintheartedness for the less expensive enfeeble, and won another gladiator point today.

Two comments:

1. Bringing a pet without Comfort Animal is not a good idea. If your pet is targeted, you basically lose a skill slot and waste a good chunk of attribute points.

2. Not having a backup Shivers (i.e. Shivers of Dread) is also very dangerous, as your entire build depends on your enemy not removing your hex. If it gets removed, and you don't have a backup, the build completely falls apart.

Two good points. For the first, I think I will try that out. For the second, I don't have Factions yet (went with Nightfall instead), and yeah, removal is a major problem. I try to cover it with parasitic bond and enfeeble, but its often gone before I can do anything. For somebody else playing this build, you could replace parasitic bond with shivers of dread, or anything with shivers of dread for that matter.

As a side note, somehow getting some cold resistance would be nice, since everyone does cold damage.

Okay, I've been playing this build, and tweaking it. I replaced faintheartedness with insidious parasite, and it is very effective in protecting myself from warriors, assassins, rangers, etc. Additionally, I am using comfort animal in place of parasitic bond. It is working well. If any of you have tried this out, or could try it out, and tell me how it worked for you, and what you would change actually having played it, it would be great.

Not sure if you want to try out this build, but something I threw together. It's a risky build, but has better energy management.

You have a 10s IAS and speed buff to increase interrupts and defence on kiting, plus energy management and mild warrior hate.

N/D
Blood 7 (6 + 1)
Curses 15 (11 + 4)
Soul Reaping 9 (8 + 1)
Wind Prayers 10

[skill]Spinal Shivers[/skill][skill]Zealous Vow[/skill][skill]Whirling Charge[/skill][skill]Parasitic Bond[/skill][skill]Insidious Parasite[/skill][skill]Awaken the Blood[/skill][skill]Enfeeble[/skill][skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]

Keep AB up at all times. Then cast SS + PB + ZV + WC and attack with Cold Wand/Short Bow/or Sword/Axe. Use IP & Enfeeble on melee.

* double post due to network error on my side *