Why do so many people use RoF

Ayan

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

KoR

Mo/E

I just don't get it, please tell me what I'm missing. I'm talking about nearly full prot bars with this... what's the point?

At 16 prot, it will heal for 87 health, but only if the target actualy does 87 damage. If the opponent decides that it's time for a weak spell/hit in between then RoF will only heal for (lets say) 10, 20 or even less. Considering that the target you cast this on is normally well protected with other spells aswell like Prot Spirit, Shielding Hands, or Shield of Absorption, the hit is normally going to be low.

It doesn't seem energy efficient at all, I'm pretty sure that even Orison will end up more energy effective in the long run. Alright.. end of my rant, someone please clarify note, I do love the casting time of it but that's all it has as far as I can see..

Lurid

Lurid

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2006

Mo/

Because, on a prot bar we're not running orison. Not to mention the fact that if a target is under pressure RoF > Orison.

RoF negates the damage that would have been done to the target, and heals them. Therefore if a spike would have killed them, and you just healed the after effects the target would have otherwise be dead. RoF is a cheap, quick, low recharge prot that negates damage and turns that into health.

Shields (PS, Shield, Hands) negate DoT, which are very useful skills to have, however they don't help keep a target alive in the short run. Therefore we run Sig, RoF, and GoH.

On a prot bar the only real healing prayers spell is GoH (if that), and therefore running Orison wouldn't synergise well with GoH.

Ayan

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

KoR

Mo/E

Ofcourse you don't run orison, I gave orison as an example of a very inefficient spell, yet, this seems even less energy efficient and a lot of people use it.

A protection bar doesn't have a whole lot of space. Sure, it has the potential to negate 160 damage, but more often then not that won't be the case. I'd much rather have GoH or Signet of Devotion and spend that slot on something more useful.

Lurid

Lurid

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2006

Mo/

RoF is a moderate heal, that can be hit fast. I would rather save my Gift for when I need it, and you don't always have time to cast your Signet, that is why RoF is so useful. Sure its not the best spell in existence, but it does its job well.

Ishtar Serket

Ishtar Serket

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2007

Gods and Legends (GODS)

RoF does what it needs to do, provides a cheap heal and it has a fast recharge. Like Lurid said, its useful when you don't have the time to use the signet. Devotion takes 2 seconds to use. Doesn't seem like much but it definitely can help in the long run. Sig of Devotion is preferred since it can save energy if you're using no other energy management skills but otherwise I tend to have RoF in my builds.

Effigy

Effigy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Illinois, US

Heroes of Talia [HoT]

Mo/

The low heal is deceptive because you're effectively negating twice the amount of damage as is healed. If RoF triggers on a 35 dmg packet (which is a fair medium) the total damage negated is 70. With such as attractive cast time and recharge, RoF is hard to pass up. It also shines when you're facing large packets, as in the case of casterspike or adrenospike.

pingu666

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2006

guildhall

[DETH]

cast time is the kicker i think,

Mesmer in Need

Mesmer in Need

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2006

[ToA]

Hard to interrupt, quick recharge, low cost, spammable(ish) moderate heal. Its great for any prot bar as it both heals and protects, and healing is a precious commodaty on a prot bar.

Raven Nebula

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2007

Serenity Gaming Community

R/E

I don't see how you would not want to use it....you have the ability to have over a 160 hp swing....instead of losing 80 he goes up 80.

My biggest reason for using it is that i can preprot. If you could preprot with GoH, well then. However, it's not like that. RoF can be put on somebody about to get hit by a warrior and you effectively negate that. MOST importantly, it gives you time. That time when the warrior is running to that target, you can switch targets and prot somebody else then go back to that other target. Other skills don't give you that second or two that can be oh so valuable as a monk.

Pericles

Pericles

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2007

[GoD]

R/

My biggest reason for using it is that i can preprot. If you could preprot with GoH, well then. However, it's not like that. RoF can be put on somebody about to get hit by a warrior and you effectively negate that. MOST importantly, it gives you time. That time when the warrior is running to that target, you can switch targets and prot somebody else then go back to that other target. Other skills don't give you that second or two that can be oh so valuable as a monk.

I'm srry i dont know how to 'quote',
i think Raven has a very valid point there, preprotting is really important in high-end pvp and RoF is best suited for it.

MakeMeHealFfs

MakeMeHealFfs

Banned

Join Date: May 2007

Get A [life]

Mo/

I think the fact thats its a 1/4 second cast, 2 second recharge (spammable), not forgetting the ability to divert 84 dmg, makes it an ideal prot skill.

*cough* how anyone cant realize that this skill is at the least useful, must either be blind, or not able to read.

Edit : I hope your'e not forgetting that with maxxed / high divine favor, you will dish out heals of over 100, which imo, isnt bad.... after all, very few spammable skills e.g. (glimmer of light, orison of healing, word of healing) heal for more then 84. And in conclusion considering that its 1) spammable 2) 1/4 cast and 3) 2 secon recharge, an ideal skill, that can be a life saver in many situations.

And if you think that eles in hard mode can hit for less then 84, u must be insane.

Tingi

Tingi

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mo/

RoF is a very good skill. Why?

Becuase it is a 1/4 second cast
It is a 2 sec recharge
It is 5 energy
It is a decent heal AND negates dmg.
You can pre-prot.

Easily one of my favourite skills.

Ayan

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

KoR

Mo/E

Well, by all the comments I can see that I didn't overlook anything. Sure it CAN negate a 160 damage fireball... but it can also negate a wand attack that does 15 damage. It's not very consistent in its use.

Think I'd rather go GoH unless it's an area where I'm sure that they will hit for more then 30 each hit

Ravengar Silvertree

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2006

Washington USA

Demon Dawg Knights [DAWG]

RoF is amazing in all regards, except the one thing you keep bringing up. The fact that if a wand hits RoF it heals for like 15. However, a good monk isn't going to cast it on someone if they're being wanded, or are going to time it to get hit by something big and not the wand.

creelie

creelie

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

Alberta

Charter Vanguard [CV]

Mo/

The thing is it's not actually healing for 87 health. It's healing for infinity + 87 health.

-first it's as if the target ally took infinity damage that was simultaneously healed for an equal amount, for a net result of 0 damage taken.
-then the target ally is healed for 87.

And this is why people enjoy Protection Prayers, especially if they've worked hard as a healing monk in the past. Obviously there is the caveat you pointed out - you have to be reasonably sure a spike is coming for that particular ally.

Protection takes more thought, awareness and timing than healing - different enchantments are required for different areas. But the rewards are greatly increased survivability for you and your party.

NinjaKai

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2006

UK

Duality Of The Dragon

@OP: Generally in a team you'll have 1 healer and 1 prot. I see the job of prot as negating damage and to provide utility to a team. As a protection monk I attributes dipped into prot and divine fav. If I want to heal there are alternatives to dipping points into healing.
Some sample skills Release Enchantments, Blessed Light, Zealous Benediction, etc. I know those are elites but those are skills I use in my builds to provide healing and utility to a build.
A prot monk is supposed to work in synergy with a heal monk. The prot monk negates damage and utility (by utility I mean things like healing, hex removal, etc). While, the healing monk heals any damage that has gotten through the defences that the prot monk has placed on a character.
RoF can negate a lot of damage when used correctly. In the long run it spares your heal monk having to waste energy on a couple of spells healing such fatal damage.

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

RoF is awsome. it heals 2 times for 5 energy and can prevent alot of damage. orison is so useless compared to it.

Lutae

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2006

RoF is useful in PvP, where if a spike is incoming on a character, there wouldn't be anything weak hitting that character for fear of giving the spike away.

But in PvE, where the monsters could stand to attent a few sessions of Wandaholics Annonymous, the practical usefulness of RoF is limited.

Thom Bangalter

Thom Bangalter

Grindin'

Join Date: Dec 2005

MO

E/Mo

It's actually really overrated. RoF is an "OH SHIT" skill usually. It's something you throw on people when you don't have the energy to use something else, or that other thing you want to be using is recharging. Most people RoF when they should be using gift or spirit bond.

It's a really efficient heal for 5 energy, and outclasses orison and most other 5 energy monk spells (GLIMMER OF LIGHT HI THAR) but slightly worse than most people think it is.

LightningHell

LightningHell

(????????????)???

Join Date: Aug 2005

Hong Kong

Guildless

Mo/

RoF is used (for me anyway) mainly as a quick-reflex heal, where I buy time to think of whatever else I should do in that situation.

Of course, it's a good skill in itself as well.

Our Lady Of Health

Our Lady Of Health

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

Mo/E

Try running a Prot build without and you'll see how useful this spell really is.
i tried very hard to get rid of RoF on my build, and end up failing miserably

TheOneMephisto

TheOneMephisto

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Rof is one of those skills that can do a little of everything, and still does its job well.

It's your knee-jerk response to anything unexpected, giving you time to properly analyze the threat and cast a longer cast time heal.

It's a meh preprot but is cheap and fast, and gets actually very good against high-packet damage.

It's a decently efficient heal if used properly.

It's what you use when everything else that would be applicable is recharging, since it's always there when you need it.

Nadia Roark

Nadia Roark

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2007

Tomb Refugees [ToRe]

Mo/Me

Someone mentioned something about RoF stopping a 15 pt wand hit or whatever--and this used to be my major complaint with it too. And then, one day (and I don't know quite how this happened but it did) I... stopped being a noob. Take it from someone who tried to run a RC prot in HA without RoF for a few months-- RoF owns.

RoF is the single best prot skill in Guild Wars, aside from possibly prot spirit and in some cases SoA. Prots without RoF (or ps for that matter) usually earn a huge "RETARD" stamp on their forehead, in my book. Of course you're going to get unlucky from time to time and negate a negligible amount of damage, but it happens a lot less than you might think... if you pay attention to what's going on and know who is taking what type of damage at any given time.

Talon one

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

ice

W/

RoF is also very good to prevent overhealing. when you use only high heal skills you have to wait till your target has actually less than 80% health or you are wasting your energy.
lets say one ally suddenly takes 200 damage and his bar drops to 60%, both monks in the team cast gift of health or orison or whatever and heal him up to 110%. if one of them had used RoF, the ally would only be up to 95% health but still pre protted against the next attack.

Corinthian

Corinthian

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

And with divine boon up you can heal for 100+ AND negate the damage AND heal for the amount of damage that would've occured. So therefore it's irrelative if it negates a wand attack or executioner's strike. By the time the attack hits, RoF has already paid itself back in health.

samcobra

samcobra

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

USA

Mo/Me

who runs divine boon nowadays? there are much better monk elites around nowadays, and inspiration has been nerfed making it difficult to use. It's still viable, though it requires more skill now and it isn't as powerful as before

pooface_po

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

canada

N/W

personally, I use RoF to prepare for a "larger" heal that takes longer to cast. It makes sure the ally is still alive when you cast said heal. You can also spam it when ally is at near full health, doesn't matter. RoF is a staple for all prot monks, and is evens used by healing monks

LouAl

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

@OP: I know exactly what you mean, but I still think it is a good skill. It really just depends on how you use it. Your original example where you throw it on someone with a bunch of other prots on them as well is wasteful and you just about guarantee that it is not going to heal for much, but if you leave that person alone and use RoF on someone who has nothing on them, you can really save them from taking big damage (obviously).

So, I don't really use it if the person already has SoA, PS, SoR, SoD, whatever else on them because you end up wasting it. Also, that person is usually taking lots of hits, big and small- with more small hits than big, so it makes it extremely likely that you will stop a wand hit or something. That is not really the way that I see it used in a lot of situations (especially not by heroes/henchies), but that is how I use it...

If you have a tank and a good team that knows how to control aggro, it might end up being mostly useless, but when/if aggro breaks it will save you.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

RoF is awesome for helping catch spikes. Your alternatives (gift, sig of devo) aren't fast enough, and plus gift is used to move red bars up. During a spike, the enemy is likely to deal 40-50 damage, meaning RoF would soak up all the damage and provide a decent heal. Plus it's fast cast and has good recharge.

moriz

moriz

??ber t??k-n??sh'??n

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada

R/

on average, RoF will completely negate the next 2 attacks on the target. the first hit heals instead of damages, and the second hit brings the target back to whatever health it was at before. RoF is great for buying you more time, which will make your job much easier. there are no other spell that gives such a strong effect.

Trylo

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

[Here] | CKOD

E/R

its a VERY tricky skill to master. I have trouble with it sometimes and ive been monking for a little more than a year now (pve and pvp). But for PvE... it really doesnt shine that much. Enemies (havent played much HM, not sure how true this is for HM) will never coordinate a spike together... making RoF quite useless. In PvP, this is the opposite case. Watch where those red dots are, which ones move, which foes those are. If ones a war look at the last skill he used (memorize adrenaline costs, know approx how much he has)... thats how you fight an adrenal spike...If any ally takes more than 60 damage on a hit, RoF them, see what happens! They will most like be healed for a LOT. Watch what the enemy ele is targetting, ever played an ele only to find your liquid flame finale spike just heals them for health? its very annoying and you know youre facing a great monk... its demoralizing .

So, try some PvP with RoF. It doesnt shine in PvE. I sometimes dont even bring it in PvE, all you really need is WoH/ZB and youre practically set for anything (5 fire imps + 3 spiders in Ring of Fire all against Cynn and Aidan... not that hard to outheal them with just WoH, Sig of Devo, Dwaynas Kiss)

Kuja

Kuja

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

MA

Kame

Mo/W

bc it is best skill in game

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trylo
its a VERY tricky skill to master. I have trouble with it sometimes and ive been monking for a little more than a year now (pve and pvp). But for PvE... it really doesnt shine that much. Enemies (havent played much HM, not sure how true this is for HM) will never coordinate a spike together... making RoF quite useless. In PvP, this is the opposite case. Watch where those red dots are, which ones move, which foes those are. If ones a war look at the last skill he used (memorize adrenaline costs, know approx how much he has)... thats how you fight an adrenal spike...If any ally takes more than 60 damage on a hit, RoF them, see what happens! They will most like be healed for a LOT. Watch what the enemy ele is targetting, ever played an ele only to find your liquid flame finale spike just heals them for health? its very annoying and you know youre facing a great monk... its demoralizing .

So, try some PvP with RoF. It doesnt shine in PvE. I sometimes dont even bring it in PvE, all you really need is WoH/ZB and youre practically set for anything (5 fire imps + 3 spiders in Ring of Fire all against Cynn and Aidan... not that hard to outheal them with just WoH, Sig of Devo, Dwaynas Kiss) PvE consists of spamming prot spirit or shelter, and using big heals like ZB or WoH. RoF is still a decent choice in hard mode, mainly because every monster hits for like 50 damage even with their regular attacks >.>

Sun Fired Blank

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2007

I've always felt rather strongly that Reversal of Fortune isn't a great skill, but I've never found a replacement for it, and it was quite a few games before I could explain it. The problem is that Reversal of Fortune does everything that other skills on your bar can do, except in a far more limited capacity. When you regard that lack of concentration as a weakness, you're very much searching for a replacement. If you also view it in terms of realizing potential, it's a rather undesirable skill. I use a setup with 14 Protection Prayers and 13 Divine Favor, which gives it potential to negate 194 damage. However, I seldom realize that potential.

What makes it invaluable is that I can use it as a very quick replacement for any skill on my bar except hex or condition removal. It can help mitigate a spike like Protective Spirit / Shield of Absorption. It has remarkable healing potential under the right circumstances, enough to rival Zealous Benediction. It can be used with enough frequency to simulate the damage mitigation of blocking from Guardian or Aegis.

Reversal of Fortune isn't a skill that I often grey on the bar. In this respect, I agree with Thom Bangalter and TheOneMephisto: I really only use it only when the enemy has managed to exhaust every other skill. It's not amazingly powerful, in and of itself, but it's amazingly useful and versatile, and by that grace (and often by a lack of another decent alternative), it should always make a protection monk's bar.

In terms of a replacement option: Gift of Health ranks up there with Shield of Regeneration and Shielding Hands for skills that I don't really understand as having a place on a protection monk's bar. They look fine on paper, but I always have other skills that I wish to use in their place, and they're strictly worse than whatever they replace.

Seef II

Seef II

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

US

R/Mo

Gift is necessary on a prot monk to push the red bars up. If you're always on a team where you can rely on a healer to do the healing, you can probably spec prot/df only, but spreading out to 3 attributes is a more efficient use of your points.

Shands and Shield of Absorption function as "prot" - they reduce damage, and while the former is kind of on the fringe of playability, isn't a bad skill. Shield of Regen is niche but excels at what it does.

creelie

creelie

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2007

Alberta

Charter Vanguard [CV]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by pooface_po
personally, I use RoF to prepare for a "larger" heal that takes longer to cast. It makes sure the ally is still alive when you cast said heal. You can also spam it when ally is at near full health, doesn't matter. RoF is a staple for all prot monks, and is evens used by healing monks Yeah, all too often my target dies before I finish casting Zealous Benediction; RoF can help with that.

How I used to manage casting all 1-second heals, I don't know.

ctbear

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2006

Mo/

RoF imo is probably the best non-elite monk skill
If you do HA recently facing all that spiritway with bestial mauling theres not much you can do, in this case RoF will be your life saver
Of coz SoD can save you thats why imo SoD>ZB, but its an elite anyway
try to bring RoF more, you'll love it

Quote:
Originally Posted by creelie
Yeah, all too often my target dies before I finish casting Zealous Benediction; RoF can help with that. Definitely. Its pointless to cast a spell that heals 1000HP but is too slow to save your teammate at low health
RoF can turn the tide of it

Nagorak

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayan
Well, by all the comments I can see that I didn't overlook anything. Sure it CAN negate a 160 damage fireball... but it can also negate a wand attack that does 15 damage. It's not very consistent in its use.

Think I'd rather go GoH unless it's an area where I'm sure that they will hit for more then 30 each hit Even if you reversed a 15 damage hit, that's effectively a 30 damage heal (15 negated, 15 healed), plus another 30+ from Divine Favor. It has a low recast, and it only costs 5 energy, so you pretty much recharge the energy before it can be cast again.

I have to disagree that this skill doesn't have a place in PvE. In PvE I have played a Smite monk with secondary in Protection. The only Protection spell I usually carry is RoF, because when someone is about to die I can start spamming it and help keep them alive till the healer/real protect monk can get back on top of things. No other non-elite skill can pretty much assure that the next hit is not going to kill the person.

Some may say why not just go healing? The answer is, my monk isn't a healer, he's a smiter. I have extra points that I can put into other lines. If I take one emergency heal skill, what are my other options...Orison??? The spell can't cost a lot (no more than 5) because it most likely will be needed when we're in a bad situation, and it can't be target other ally because there's a good chance I'll need it for myself.

I like RoF because the harder the person is being hit the more it negates/heals for. And, at least for the purposes of my monk, if someone is not getting hit hard then I most likely won't be needing to use RoF anyway.

JDRyder

JDRyder

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2007

Great temple of Balthazar

Mo/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayan
I just don't get it, please tell me what I'm missing. I'm talking about nearly full prot bars with this... what's the point?

At 16 prot, it will heal for 87 health, but only if the target actualy does 87 damage. If the opponent decides that it's time for a weak spell/hit in between then RoF will only heal for (lets say) 10, 20 or even less. Considering that the target you cast this on is normally well protected with other spells aswell like Prot Spirit, Shielding Hands, or Shield of Absorption, the hit is normally going to be low.

It doesn't seem energy efficient at all, I'm pretty sure that even Orison will end up more energy effective in the long run. Alright.. end of my rant, someone please clarify note, I do love the casting time of it but that's all it has as far as I can see.. i looked at like the 1st 5 players talk about this and all i got to say is ITS NOT A HEAL

"At 16 prot, it will heal for 87 health, but only if the target actualy does 87 damage" ZOMG that means he didnt take damage O_O prot skills keep players taking damage and removes hexes and conditions NOT HEALING

Shielding hands does the same as RoF but for not as much damage and for more then 1 attack same for SoA but Rof you can spam and its like saying stop taking damage it cuts the damage by like 50% if hes not taking a ton of damage from like 5+ attackers thats where SoA is better

with only 5 energy and 2 recharge and its got a fast casting time this has got to be 1 of the best skills a monk can have

Kaida the Heartless

Kaida the Heartless

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2006

N/

Consider that RoF is not used to heal regular pressure damage (as much as GoH is) but instead, shines when a target is getting spiked.

Most hits in a spike wont trigger for anything less than 50 damage, so, it's a 100 health heal. RoF, in a break down, actually prevents two attacks, since your (probably) healing for the ammount the next attack is going to do. Negating two attacks in a spike is very powerful!

Also consider that the skill is one of the most efficient healing skills in the game. When comparing it to the famous (broken/overpowered, but lovable) skill Gift of Health, it would be the unstable brother. Gift may heal for a consistant ammount, but RoF has the power to heal for MUCH more, or MUCH less. It's the monk's job to optimize the use of this skill by picking moments in which the maximum effect is going to be achieved!

In short, Reversal is actually healing for double the amount of damage your ally takes since it is both negating the damage and healing for it as well. For 5 energy, the skill is incredibly efficient, assuming your not healing wand hits with it :P