Zinger’s Ultimate Hero Builds: The Effect of Synergy

Zinger’s Ultimate Hero Builds: The Effect of Synergy
-by Zinger314 (Syria Blackblood in-game)

It has been said many times that Heroes make Guild Wars, an already easy game, even easier. People you control and manage…how can you go wrong? Apparently, some people still struggle in difficult areas, such as Master quests and the Realm of Torment, even with Heroes.

Therefore, I have decided to release my Hero builds, which have been extensively tested in all areas of play, help me get my 3 Protector titles, have assisted people with mission runnings, and also helped me get ridiculous mission times like these.

And now with the upcoming Hard Mode, and the likely scarcity of people, Heroes will be come more important than ever.

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The MMs: Olias’s and Master of Whispers’s skills

One MM is powerful; two are unstoppable. Since Heroes are capable of running 2 MMs, why not use it?

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Attributes and Skills

16 Death Magic (12 + 1 + 3)
11 Soul Reaping (10 + 1)
8 Inspiration Magic

[skill]Animate Bone Horror[/skill] [skill]Animate Bone Fiend[/skill] [skill]Blood of the Master[/skill] [skill]Aura of the Lich[/skill] [skill]Signet of Lost Souls[/skill] [skill]Leech Signet[/skill] [skill]Power Drain[/skill] [skill]Mantra of Inscriptions[/skill]

Both Olias and Master of Whispers use this build, which will maintain 20 minions without effort and pain.

Animate Bone Horror and Animate Bone Fiend are the best two to pair up if you want to play quickly; their low recharge will allow the MM to create a minion as soon as a corpse is available (unlike the 15s and 25s recharge minions).

Aura of the Lich is necessary for dual MM, or else major consequences will result. With 20 Minions, a normal Blood of the Master sacrifice will cost 45% of Health, which amounts to about 200 Health. Your Monks will become exhausted quite easily. Whereas with Aura of the Lich, each sacrifice will only be 11.25% of the original health sacrifice (i.e. around 50 health). That’s much more manageable. Dead MMs don’t work very well.

Signet of Lost Souls…is simply godly. It’s free Energy and Health (health even moreso important with AotL, it’s super self-surrival.) The Heroes will use SoLS very reliable.

And now…the interrupts, Leech Signet and Power Drain. Heroes have reflexes similar to AI monsters; they can interrupt spells with supreme efficiency (although Heroes will only use Leech Signet to interrupt spells). Plus, it’s Energy Management, which helps after the Soul Reaping nerf.

Mantra of Inscriptions reduces the recharge of Signet of Lost Souls to 5 seconds, and the recharge of Leech Signet to 19 seconds. It helps greatly.

This build is nearly impossible to run as a human, due to the amount of multitasking. Heroes make it possible. Double MM heroes make anything possible.

(Weapons used for the MMs are a 20/20 Death Magic and a 20/20 Death Magic Focus. The faster and quicker minions are made, the happier you’ll be.)

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The SFers: Acolyte Sousuke and Zhed Shadowhoof

Nightfall brought us Searing Flames, the Elite which made Elementalists worthwhile in PvE (and PvP, before it was nerfed). SF with only one SFers is rather weak, due to the Burning duration nerf. But with 2 SF…the burning and damage is near constant, and incredibly deadly.

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Attributes and Skills

16 Fire Magic (12 + 1 + 3)
11 Energy Storage (10 + 1)
8 Inspiration Magic (8)

[skill]Searing Flames[/skill] [skill]Glowing Gaze[/skill] [skill]Leech Signet[/skill] [skill]Power Drain[/skill] [skill]Aura of Restoration[/skill] [skill]Fire Attunement[/skill] [skill]Glyph of Lesser Energy[/skill] [skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]

It’s Searing Flames. Heroes spam it. Duh. With a little Glowing Gaze mixed in. With the improved targeting in the 4/5 update, the Heroes do it well. There’s no need to complicate the Hero AI with skills like Meteor Shower and other 3+ second casts.

Leech Signet and Power Drain serve the same function as on the MMs, but they’ll use it more often, since they are less busy.

Aura of Restoration eases some pain off the Healers. (Heals 50 Health per SF)

Fire Attunement is…Fire Attunement. (After the 4/5 update, Heroes will now cast it out of combat)

Glyph of Lesser Energy leads to 2 free SF. Of course the Heroes will use it.

Simple build, but devastating when used by 2 SF Heroes on a tight pack of enemies.

(Weapons used for the Heroes are a 20/20 Fire Magic Wand and a 20/20 Fire Magic Focus. Duh. Spamming is better…when it’s spammed faster.)

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The ToF Tank: General Morgahn

The ToF Tank was designed to be a different kind of Warrior (and to give Paragons a use). However, in conjunction with these builds, the ToF tank is quite a deadly asset.

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Attributes and Skills

14 Leadership (10 + 1 + 3)
12 Axe Mastery (12)
9 Command (8 + 1)

[skill]Cyclone Axe[/skill] [skill]Focused Anger[/skill] [skill]"They're on Fire!"[/skill] [skill]Aggressive Refrain[/skill] [skill]Anthem of Flame[/skill] [skill]Blazing Finale[/skill] [skill]"Go for the Eyes!"[/skill] [skill]Angelic Protection[/skill]

This build is more complicated than the others. This build uses the synergy between Blazing Finale, “Go for the Eyes!” spam, and “They’re on Fire!” to massively reduce damage on certain targets. Aggressive Refrain is a constant IAS with the spam, which is very nice.

Angelic Protection protects your weak casters from spikes. I’ve seen the Hero use it to great effect.

But that’s half of it. And here…begins the synergy.

For the MMs: Cyclone Axe and Focused Anger generates mass adrenaline for “Go for the Eyes!” Here’s the kicker: ”GtfE” affects minions. At 9 Command, “GtfE” increases the Critical Hit chance by 57%. A minion critical hit multiplies the damage by root 2 (1.414x). Therefore, minion damage (especially from 20 minions!) will be [i]massively multiplied[/u]. And they already did a good amount of damage already.

For the SFs: “They’re on Fire” and Searing Flames has obvious synergy. (“ToF” reduces 33% of damage at 14 Leadership) But it’s incredibly effective.

It’s a weird build, but it’s very powerful (but if ArenaNet nerfs “GtfE,” I’ll unfortunately have to switch him out.)

(Morgahn uses a Victo’s Battle Axe (20/20 15%^50 +30HP and a Command Shield (20% -5 damage/ +30HP. Eh, why not?)

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The Player: You (duh)

Your build is just as important as the builds of your heroes, even moreso, as you have more control. My exact build is irrelevant, but I play as an SS, and I use Barbs (Barbs + 20 minions = massive Energy/Damage ratio) I’ll get to the other professions later.

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The Builds: True Synergy

Now is the time to put your Synergy to the test. Are you ready?

PvE Annihiliation (default)
General Morgahn (ToF)
Olias (MM)
Master of Whispers (MM)

This build is my secret to super fast times. I already detailed the synergy between the ToF and the MMs. That, combined with my barbs, equals really, really fast times.

PvE Surpression (in areas with very clumped enemies [i.e. Prophecies, some of Factions])
Acolyte Sousuke (SF)
Zhed Shadowhoof (SF)
Olias (MM) (Replace Aura of the Lich with Order of Undeath)

It’s a Searing Flames steamroller. A good SF spike can get an entire mob in the aforementioned areas to half health instantly. Then the minions clear up the survivors…

PvE Passive-Aggressive (areas with little-to-no corpses [i.e. Early Prophecies, Nahpui Quarter])
Acolyte Sousuke (SF)
Zhed Shadowhoof (SF)
General Morgahn (ToF) (Replace Focused Anger with Triple Chop)

In some areas, MMs aren’t viable. The constant 33% damage reduction from “ToF” and SF can take the sting out of many difficult areas.

PvE Trinity (rarely)
Olias (MM) (replace Aura of the Lich for Order of Undeath
Acolyte Sousuke (SF)
General Morgahn (ToF) (Replace Focused Anger with Triple Chop)

This was the build I used in early Nightfall. But with the nerfs to SF, it’s not worth using with only one SFer. And the 4/5 update restricted ToF from affecting minions, so the synergy is less worthwhile.

With all these builds, I use 2 Monk Henchmen, and 2 Caster Henchmen. (usually a AoE caster and Eve.)

But, if you group with a Human with similar Heroes, it will be even crazier. You can have all of the above; 2 SF, 2 MM, and ToF. Yeah. PvE will be quite pathetic. Ready for Hard Mode?
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Your Class: What can you do?

All classes can employ Heroes with the above skills. But your skills can make a huge difference. Of course, in that vein, some classes are better than others…

Necromancers: A good SS can massively reduce Melee damage with Reckless Haste and Enfeebling Blood while your Heroes mop up the casters. And, as said, Barbs is insane with 2 minion masters: it’ll do on average a total of 160 damage (10 procs) over the target’s lifespan…160 damage for 10 Energy is huge. It’s even bigger against bosses.

Rangers: Broad Head Arrow + Epidemic will Daze all the casters (or a good Smoke Trap). The huge MM armies will interrupt them through their attacks. You win.

Elementalists: Searing Flames! The only thing more potent than 2 Searing Flames is 3 Searing Flames!

Unfortunately, for the other classes, I can’t think of anything that would be hugely influential to the builds. Just use your common sense and kill the Monk first!

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Conclusion

Now that you know my builds, feel free to tear up PvE! I’ll be able to answer any questions about the build here or in-game (IGN is Syria Blackblood).

ok gj on the work and all but i dont see this as any revolutionary idea and most of these "synergies" are common knowledge to many

Very nice writeup, I've been running pretty much the same MM build on Olias and MoW. Though I stole that build from you also.

I'll have to try some of these. Mostly that Paragon build.

Looks nice.

beautiful write up, looks like I have a couple more builds to add to my template selection. Still haven't capped AotL after almost 2 years of play though, guess it's time to straighten out my necro

btw, I think I recognize Syria Blackblood from in game...maybe I did Underworld with you a while back?

-Hazroth the Gifted

Thank you, and I really mean it. I've been stuck on the bonus for Dunes of Despair all day today. Got it on the 2nd try with two SFs and the "ToF" Tank (with a little modification as he was poor on his management)

While I do not use your exact builds, the key skills are usually the same. And yes, they do indeed rip through just about everything. ^_^

Nice post - I'm sure it's informative to those in need of help.

Good write-up!

Straight forward and clear! Love it. Most of it is EXACTLY what i use, however, the paragon is a neat idea. I used to use something similar when i played my own paragon, only as with a spear...

My SF ele sometimes helps out in areas with more dangerous ele monters, or dangerous melee, instead of Inspiration i'd throw the rest in Earth Magic and bring either Ward vs Melee or/and Ward vs Elements. Helps immensily in the Realm of Torment...

But thats less fun then having another hero with interrupts.. lol!!!
Again, nice guide. i hope those who don't understand simple synergies see this thread!

cheers!

Add in [card]Death Nova[/card], Heroes are godly at using it (I hate clicking on minions individually). It also somewhat helps cover your party's enchantments.

*makes list of skills*

*goes to wiki to find out locations of elites*

Thank you. As soon as my heroes reach level 20, I'll give this a try in Tombs. Lets see how those dryders like being flamed >.<

Very good post for someone who's just now starting to use heroes. I've had NF for three days, and creating build for them where they actually use the skills was a challenge.

Searing Flames....Minion Master...Melee Axe Hero...that's unheard of.

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With two MMs, several more minions can be sacrificed for some aoe damage and poison since in areas such as RoT, minions are guaranteed to die faster than enemy monsters.

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