Staying alive & keeping heros alive in tough fights ...

bjmichaudphd

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2006

W/Mo

I am trying to solo adventure with as few NPCs in the group as possible.
I have read and re-read MANY posts, and have tried several builds, BUT ...
would appreciate some help.

My Warrior/Monk builds always fail due to running short on healing others in a tough fight, once the healer goes down, even if I strip DPS (damage per second) out of attack skills and put more into healing.
For healing, I use:
Orison of Healing
Signet of Rejuvenation
(I have also added 'Healing Signet' to some builds
STR 13, AXE 13, Healing 9, Tactics 5
I am level 20, have max 'Gladiator's Armor', superior vigor, absorption, axe runes
Is W/monk the best choice here, or is there a better W/x to keep both me and dying heros alive?
< OR >
Am I trying to do something that is hopeless?

October Jade

October Jade

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

drifting between Indiana and NorCal

You're better served by not trying to be a monk with measly energy and two pips of regen. It's not really worth it.

Just spec for damage and keep an eye on your party. If your healer is getting smacked around, go help him out. Leave the maintenance to the henchmen; they have much better reflexes anyway.

bjmichaudphd

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2006

W/Mo

thank you.

Are there any secondary professions other than monk which have the ability to resurrect multiple fallen henchies which would be a better choice for damage dealing? Warrior/x

VorianVader

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2006

Blitzers

W/N

Ability to resurrect multiple fallen allies at the same time -> Ritualist

Damage dealing i.e. sustained DPS, Warrior >Ritualist

The previous poster is right. You cannot assume the role of a monk as a warrior. You only have 2 pips of energy regen and 20 or so energy. You may carry a staff etc which gives you higher energy but the energy regen will kill you besides the fact that as a secondary monk, you dont have access to divine favor.

I dont know why you are having problems staying alive while going with henches unless of course you are playing hard mode. I have been able to hero/hench all missions in nightfall for masters on 5 characters as well as quite a few canthan/tyrian ones.

Usually my team set up is:

Me
2 SF Ele Heroes
1 Necro MM or SS
Warrior Hench
2 Monk Henches
Fire Hench

The monk henches are up to the task of keeping you alive (I almost never take the hero monks) provided:

1) You dont overaggro
2) You wait for energy to regen
3) You play wise i.e. take out enemy monks or critical damage dealers first (i.e. searing flame eles ugh), kill spirits of quickening zephyr/quicksand (which deplete energy etc.
4) Your heroes are set up properly with runes/insginias and builds. Furthermore, it pays to set them on guard mode. That way they will attack the targets you call rather than attack the nearest enemy or draw aggro.

Hope that helps

October Jade

October Jade

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

drifting between Indiana and NorCal

Something I just noticed...guess I overlooked it earlier. You mentioned that you try to play with as few NPCs as possible. Does that mean you're attempting to 5-man (or something similar) most of the time? I know it's proven to work in some places like Tombs and Sorrow's Furnace, but for general pve it seems like more trouble than it's worth. Heck, with loot scaling there might not even be a monetary incentive for doing so.

As for keeping your allies alive, you should explore options like "Watch Yourself!" and other indirect forms of protection. Taking a Paragon secondary opens up all sorts of defensive-minded shouts that might alleviate your longevity issues.

rick1027

rick1027

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

W/R

paragons also have signet of return but the rit works well with warrior with all the weapon skills that give extra damage

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

I could've sworn i posted in this thread earlier...........

October Jade

October Jade

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

drifting between Indiana and NorCal

I too have experienced on a few occasions this 'vanishing post' phenomenon. I hit the submit button, the page reloads and shows my new post in the thread, and upon returning hours later it's nowhere to be found.

/hijack. My apologies.

Racthoh

Racthoh

Did I hear 7 heroes?

Join Date: May 2005

Scars Meadows [SMS], Guild Leader (Not Recruiting)

I don't see any funny business with missing posts. Strange.

I've found Shield's Up! and Watch Yourself! to be of a lot of use on my warrior toon for vanquishing. You can almost always expect something to at least be wanding, and an extra 21 AL (12 tactics) is very useful for those soft targets.

Sun Fired Blank

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2007

"Watch Yourself" is particularly amazing. So far as I know, not a single henchman in the game uses it, and if memory serves, a +20 AL bonus drops armor-influenced damage by 25% for a 60 AL character.

Marty Silverblade

Marty Silverblade

Administrator

Join Date: Jun 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
I could've sworn i posted in this thread earlier........... I recall a very similar thread to this being posted in the Warrior forum, just under a different name. Your post didn't disappear.

Francis Crawford

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

20 AL bonus drops damage by 1/1.414 ..., where 1.414 ... = Square Root of Two.

And I agree with the theme of this thread -- if you're a warrior and you want to help people survive, do it with adrenaline and/or skills from your primary (warrior) profession. I.e., Tactics and/or Paragon.

One option, by the way, is to give up your damage elite and go for mass condition removal. Song of Purification is underrated for this. Cautery Signet is more popular, second best, and easy to cap if you have Nightfall (Consulate Docks mission). Martyr is third best.

GeniusLoci

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis Crawford
20 AL bonus drops damage by 1/1.414 ..., where 1.414 ... = Square Root of Two.

And I agree with the theme of this thread -- if you're a warrior and you want to help people survive, do it with adrenaline and/or skills from your primary (warrior) profession. I.e., Tactics and/or Paragon.

One option, by the way, is to give up your damage elite and go for mass condition removal. Song of Purification is underrated for this. Cautery Signet is more popular, second best, and easy to cap if you have Nightfall (Consulate Docks mission). Martyr is third best. Isn't 20 AL on top of 60 just half way to 100AL? If so it's 25% drop for them as they get 100% at AL 60 and 50% at 100. Which makes them 75% in the middle...

Quaker

Quaker

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Aug 2005

Canada

Brothers Disgruntled

Quote:
Originally Posted by VorianVader
The previous poster is right. You cannot assume the role of a monk as a warrior.
I agree too. The only reason I have Monk as the secondary on my Warrior is for the 'hard' rez (Rebirth) as opposed to a rez signet, and Healing Breeze (sometimes).

Quote: The monk henches are up to the task of keeping you alive (I almost never take the hero monks).... If I'm going alone with just Heroes & Henchies, I use henchie monks - they are up to the task - but if I'm in a group that is all humans and Heroes, I bring Tahikora (if more monks are needed). With the setup I use for her she seems to be slightly better than the henchie monks and I can set her to 'Avoid Combat' which helps her survive.

Quote:
4) Your heroes are set up properly with runes/insginias and builds. This is something which seems to be overlooked by a lot of people. It really pays off to spend the gold to fully equip your Heroes with the proper Runes & Insignias and decent weapons (not just crap greens you want to store)

Quote:
Furthermore, it pays to set them on guard mode. That way they will attack the targets you call rather than attack the nearest enemy or draw aggro. More good advice.

LouAl

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Absolutely make sure that your heroes have GOOD insignias, runes, weapons. They are not any better than a crappy PuG if they aren't fixed up with decent gear...

RhanoctJocosa

RhanoctJocosa

Legendary Korean

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Benecia Renovatio [RenO]

W/

Depends on what you're playing; if you're a monk it shouldn't be too hard if you run a decent build. I do most of my PvE on a warrior and, like Racthoh said, SU! and WY! work wonders.

Also, as I play a Warrior, I tend to flag everyone behind me (I only bring myself as a melee), force a Prot Spirit and SoA on me and pull whatever group it is I want to kill. Nuke the meleers and start zerging stuff.

Dazed helps a lot in hard mode, as do wards and such.

Again, as LouAl said, runes help a lot. Weapons and Insignias aren't that much of a big deal (imo) but of course they help.

Lastly, SPAM your targets. It feels good and it makes the heroes and henchmen stick to your targets.

Sophitia Leafblade

Sophitia Leafblade

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

Dragon Slayer Guild [DSG]

R/

I find in Hard fights having a plan and a Warder works wonders . I uses Zhed as a Warder in all the HM Magumma and Kryta missions and it worked wonders at cuting down the damage on the team. Alternativly give them Mantra of Flame and drop winter and Greater conflagration Or Bring along Razah and a protector and give him a few Spirits and some big heal skills.

bjmichaudphd

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2006

W/Mo

Sorry about not telling this; I play a warrior/monk, and use strength builds for 'Rage of Ntouka (e)'
Sometimes emergency self-healing can win a tough fight.
Should I use:
Lion's Comfort (need to wait for adrenaline)
Healing Signet (-40 armor, UGH! when almost dead)
A combination of 'signet of rejuvination' + 'vigorous spirit' (takes 2 skill slots, have to put points into healing)
OR
Is there a better option (including maybe a different second profession)?
Thanks.

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

In a RotN build, Lion's Comfort.

NEVER use Healing Prayers *ever* as a warrior.
Ever.

LouAl

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

you can use healing as a warrior if you want, but why would you when there are better options in a line you already are speccing into (and can rune into as well).

As for Lion's Comfort: why would you need it if you don't have adrenaline? It doesn't help you much after a fight (or before), but works well during a fight, which is when you are most likely to need it.

Insignias are a BIG deal. Why would you want to leave +10ish armor on the table? And, they aren't that expensive for the majority of them. Weapons, maybe they don't have to be perfect, but they should be close. 14^50 is close enough for a fighter if you don't have anything better, 19% hsr is close enough for a caster if you don't have anything closer, but they really should be as good as possible or you are just gimping yourself! All this stuff put together makes a big difference (tolerance stacking anyone?) because it all adds up to a big swing in the effectiveness/efficience of your team.