What are some non mainstream builds?

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

Ok, well as my question stated, what are some good builds, that are based on less used elites, that would be effective if not all of the time, perhaps in a couple scenarios

I am well aware why d-slash, eviscerate, triple chop ect. are popular, but I would like to try out a build with a different flavor so to speak.

Such as, battle rage, steady stance, quivering blade, whirling axe and so on.

Of course many may not be viable options for a somewhat broad spectrum of play.

For Pve please.

Thanks for your advice in advance


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Sorry if this has been posted before

Marty Silverblade

Marty Silverblade

Administrator

Join Date: Jun 2006

You can run Quivering Blade with Plague Touch, to transfer dazed.

Whirling Axe... it just fails... don't bother with it.

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

Oh I know some may certainly not be better than any elite in a certain category, I was just throwing up names of elites I knew weren't all that common.

NJudson

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

I know this probably isn't a very popular elite, but I've used [skill]Warrior's Endurance[/skill] before to spam energy skills before rather than relying on adrenaline so much. Since [skill]Power Attack[/skill] was buffed a several months ago it works well with Warrior's Endurance since they are both in the Strength attribute line. With high Strength you can do some pretty good spammable damage. I usually use an Axe so throw in [skill]Cyclone Axe[/skill], [skill]Swift Chop[/skill] and a couple adrenaline skills in the mix and you probably will have something decent.

This would work fairly well in PvE since you typically face mobs of enemies. I'm sure a lot of folks would trash what I'm saying, but in the mindset of PvE where a lot of your play is mindless button mashing then this would do pretty decent.

Bowstring Badass

Bowstring Badass

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Character selection screen figuring what I want to play...

Purple Lingerie - :D

Quote:
Originally Posted by NJudson
I know this probably isn't a very popular elite, but I've used [skill]Warrior's Endurance[/skill] before to spam energy skills before rather than relying on adrenaline so much. Since [skill]Power Attack[/skill] was buffed a several months ago it works well with Warrior's Endurance since they are both in the Strength attribute line. With high Strength you can do some pretty good spammable damage. I usually use an Axe so throw in [skill]Cyclone Axe[/skill], [skill]Swift Chop[/skill] and a couple adrenaline skills in the mix and you probably will have something decent.

This would work fairly well in PvE since you typically face mobs of enemies. I'm sure a lot of folks would trash what I'm saying, but in the mindset of PvE where a lot of your play is mindless button mashing then this would do pretty decent. PvE is mindless button mashing thats why I run easy to use bars.

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

hmm... warriors endurance energy build, sounds pretty good, but I don't know if I want to invest in a helm of str and such, but good build nonetheless!

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

sexy warriors endurance bar:

[skill]protector's strike[/skill][skill]mystic sweep[/skill][skill]eremite's attack[/skill][skill]hammer bash[/skill][skill]crushing blow[/skill][skill]victorious sweep[/skill][skill]warrior's endurance[/skill][skill]resurrection signet[/skill]

12+3+1 hammer
10+1 strength
8 scythe

The attacks with a set casting time act as a pseudo-IAS. It's surprisingly fun and surprisingly effective.

Oh, and your helm should always be weapon mastery. Always.

A Leprechaun

A Leprechaun

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

Heres just a few ideas on some elites, I hope they help.

[skill]Rage of the Ntouka[/skill]
This is easy and can be used with any weapon, simply fill your bar with high adrenaline attacks and unleash hell as soon as you encounter a mob. Sword works best with this (Galrath slash, Silverwing slash, sun and monn slash or standing slash are good options, also final thrust is good as the build has no problem with the " lose all adrenaline " clause.) but axes and hammers work well too.

[skill]Dwarven Battle Stance[/skill]
This skill is pretty limeted in its uses, but in high end PvE or just in areas when you party will be taking heavy damage it works well, and is very fun. Make sure to bring renewing smash and/or "on your knees!", to keep it up longer. As you cant you attacks while in the stance you dont need to take too many but hammer bash/heavy blow works well as you might as well lose all adrenaline before going into it.

[skill]Headbutt[/skill]
Again not the most practical skill but very fun to play, make sure to have a zealous weapon as the energy cost is very high for a warrior bar. Plague touch works well with this, at 15 strength you can hit foe 100 dmg and transfer 20 seconds of dazed to your foe. It can be a bit clunky and pointless in low end PvE but it can go well with final thrust, against bosses or tough foes its and nice 200 dmg 2 spike finisher.

[skill]Hundred Blades[/skill]
There is a hell of a lot of hate for this skill, although I have always liked it. Add in "for great justice" and you gain 4 adrenaline *per foe you hit*, thus you run into a mob, attack with this straight away, you only have to hit 2 foes to get 8 adrenaline, hit 3 and you got 12, and no need to charge up *10* adrenaline to start it off like with DS builds. This also works very well with skills like Conjure *element* or Strength of honour.

[skill]"Victory is Mine!"[/skill]
This skill is great for surviving but doesnt have the downsides of some other skills. on a sword bar a pet (Sever Artery, Gash, Poisonous bite + others) and with, lets say 10 tactics, you can get 147health and 18 energy every 15 seconds, and thats not including any conditions your party is dishing out. Or you can just slap Virelence on a hero and use it that way.

[skill]Warrior's Endurance[/skill]
I agree with what people have already said so far, this skill is good and really fun to play, but be careful not to use it in heavy stance canceling areas. There are several ways to use this skill, firstly you can grab a weapon...any weapon (sword,axe,hammer,scythe or daggers) chuck a load of energy skills onto your bar (power attack with high strength is nice) and a away you go, or you can do what Dr Strangelove suggested (the more thought about way) and have a high speed attack hammer build. Either is nice, but be careful when PuGing some people dont like to see warriors with scythes or daggers (although these are fun, daggers with a +40 power attack every 3 secs), and truthfully its not as effective as using warriors weapons, but in PvE you can get away with anything.

[skill]Enraged Smash[/skill]
4 low cost adrenaline skills (not used), Flail, Enraged smash, "For Great Justice!" and strength of honour (10 smite) and for 20 seconds your pumping out +51 dmage *every attack*. Thats very nice damage, but if yoiu want it a bit more sustained pack Enduring harmony to keep FGJ up most of the time at the cost of Strength or honours extra damage.

Well thats just a few of the non-mainstream elites, hope that helped, and remember when henching PvE anything goes so just play what you enjoy playing.

~A Leprechaun~

Darkpower Alchemist

Darkpower Alchemist

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

NYC

The Circle Of Nine[NINE]

E/N

Well, in AB I used a swordsman that played [skill]Augury of Death[/skill]. You can never understand the feel of killing a guy by teleporting through him until you actually do it for the first time.

I got alot of lip service for that concept, but I'll let you see it for yourself.

[skill]Augury of Death[/skill][skill]Crippling Slash[/skill][skill]Gash[/skill][skill]Riposte[/skill][skill]Final Thrust[/skill][skill]Flail[/skill][skill]Enraging Charge[/skill][skill]Healing Signet[/skill]

In AB, with so many sins about, riposte is almost a neccessity. The 2 skills that cause DW may seem redundant to most, but one must be prepared for the eventuality that a player has a monk, or [skill]mending touch[/skill] on their bar to clean off the DW.

The true beauty of Augury is that it works no matter who hits your target. Once cast, if someone else delivers the blow that brings them under 50 percent, the hex kicks in and the DW is applied. Best to use it when the foe is closer to 33% or even as low as 20%, as this is when most try to run away. When they take the next hit, the hex takes effect and you'll teleport pass them, more than likely killing them before they can respond. If not dead, be prepared to auto attack to maintain contact, then activate final to finish them off.

This excels in AB/RA because it wasn't expected and when played smart not as able to be countered. Cast the hex too fast, it can be removed, but cast it late in the fight, and it's a sure death sentence.

That's my addition to this thread. Try it, you might like it more than the others did.

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

wow, thanks for all of the responses, that augury skill does sound very nice.

Ok so I'm gonna try out that warriors endurance, and the crip slash build, I already have hundred blades, but I need to get a sword with that has a lightning or fire mod.

Don't have a hammer, but I would like to get one in the near future

sethyp

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jun 2007

UK

W/Mo

i love running balanced stance with the GW:EN dwarven stability skill (for extended time on BS) and Drunken and Desperate Blow. its great spike damage and inflicts max duration conditions- and you don't fall over. for elite i usually bring defy pain but id love to take steady stance (i need to cap it first though).

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

I recently capped Steady stance, and am really loving it, with drunken and desperate you deal good damage, plus loads of conditions, while gaining energy and adrenaline from steady stance, to use skills such as sun and moon, or fear me!

Really fun, I never knew steady stance was that good.


Remembered I had an icy dragon sword, and then found a +30 health mod while killing doing villany of galrath(I was bored)

So yea Hundred blades plus conjure frost is pretty cool


Edit: So is battle rage, any good? I can't really think of how to overcome the adrenaline loss,

DokkyDok

DokkyDok

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2007

Interested in finding one.

Mo/

Hmm, Battle Rage, eh.

Even though I hate using a Monk secondary on a warrior to death.

12 + 1 + 3 Swordsmanship
10 + 1 Strength
8 Smiting Prayers

[skill]Sever Artery[/skill][skill]Gash[/skill][skill]Silverwing Slash[/skill][skill]Galrath Slash[/skill][skill]Sun And Moon Slash[/skill][skill]Battle Rage[/skill][skill]Strength Of Honor[/skill][skill]Holy Wrath[/skill]

Best I could come up with off the top of my head. You could probably go and maintain Holy Wrath on someone else, too, instead of yourself.

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

Battle Rage is... myeh. Not as bad as some of the crap warriors get - Whirling Axe, Defy Pain, take a bow! Well... I kinda...

... I kinda have a soft spot for it, it's what my first Warrior - Alex the Wammo - used to run back in Prophecies.
I had a sword build and an axe build, both were... well... kinda fun ^_^

[skill]battle rage[/skill][skill]sever artery[/skill][skill]gash[/skill][skill]galrath slash[/skill][skill]final thrust[/skill][skill]succor[/skill][skill]purge signet[/skill][skill]rebirth[/skill]

[skill]battle rage[/skill][skill]dismember[/skill][skill]executioner's strike[/skill][skill]penetrating blow[/skill][skill]axe twist[/skill][skill]succor[/skill][skill]purge signet[/skill][skill]rebirth[/skill]

12+1+3 Axe or Sword
12+1 Strength

Put Succor on the monks (my thinking was - instead of wasting time healing myself, give the monks more energy to heal me ), Purge Sig someone being hexed stupidly, and spam attacks.
Your energy will hit 0, but it's no biggie. The times when you need to Rebirth, you'll be able to regenerate your energy easily.

Ahh... I miss them days.
Anyho, you could quite easily run the same bars now - but there's better attacks, stuff like Standing Slash and Agonizing Chop rawk.
[skill]standing slash[/skill][skill]agonizing chop[/skill]

Dutch Masterr

Dutch Masterr

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

Long Island, NY

Elite Knights [SWAT]

W/

I love this build using battle rage...

10 strength
11 tactics
15 axe mastery

[skill]healing signet[/skill] [skill]enraging charge[/skill] [skill]battle rage[/skill] [skill]dismember[/skill] [skill]agonizing chop[/skill] [skill]executioner's strike[/skill] [skill]furious axe[/skill] and for the last skill i use [skill]mending touch[/skill] or a res

MBP

MBP

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2007

Arizona

Clanless Fraggers

R/Mo

I like going secondary Derv with this build

[skill]vital boon[/skill][skill]zealous renewal[/skill][skill]cyclone axe[/skill][skill]counterattack[/skill][skill]decapitate[/skill][skill]flail[/skill][skill]signet of pious light[/skill] rebirth signet

You'll need a zealous axe to counter the energy loss
Attributes are
15 axe
8 earth prayer
12 strength

it works ok enough not recommended for elite areas but it's fun to finish a target with Decapitate.

zling

zling

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

[skill]charging strike[/skill] is also a great non popular elite
use it as a speed boost and/or dmg attack whichever u need for the current situation, also 5 sec recharge makes it much more versatile.
[skill]backbreaker[/skill] is not really unpopular but most hammer warriors use devastating hammer for the hammer chain. however back breaker knocks ur target down for 4 seconds! its got a huge adrenaline cost, 10 so u need FGJ and stuff to use it often but otherwise an excellent alternative to hammer warriors.
[skill]forceful blow[/skill] is also a good unpopular skill, you give up the first kd of the hammer chain to get +42 damage, not such a bad swap. however ppl use hammer warriors mainly for the kd effect so meh... still not a bad skill

wilderness

wilderness

tinyurl.com/6hqar7a

Join Date: Mar 2006

We Couldn't Figure Out A Name [LMAO]

W/N

Plague Nuker

W/N build. It's set up for swords, but if you prefer axes then just replace the necessary skills.

Yukito Kunisaki

Yukito Kunisaki

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago, IL

W/N

I'd run my axe user with Grenth's Balance at times...

Usually for missions where a boss is inevitable [think, Shiro/Abbadon], and it's probably the best use of spike in the game...

For the 1v1 arena in GW:EN, it's like, a MUST have... If you decide to spec a few points for Demonic Flesh and bring Endure pain, you can really empty Bison's HP bar FAST...

GB on a warrior is also a smart combo since:

1. you're taking hits, if you're playing properly
2. it takes an abnormally large spike to kill a well armed warrior so letting your hp drop to the double digits to use GB can yield the single best damage hit in the game. No softie is gonna want to let their hp drop to double digits for obvious risks and reasons.

I used to like Victory is Mine for a farming build but now that it only affects one foe, I've abandoned it pretty much sadly... Warrior's Endurance + Axe = questionable... I'd probably use it with Dismember, Critical Chop, Swift Chop, and Furious Axe. But I don't see it out damaging the classic Evis. Exe. Strike combo [with Mark of Fury, both those skills get spammed ala Cleave speed ]

Perhaps I should cap Warrior's Endurance again and see what an energy based anti-caster W/N can do... [Vamp. Touch, Well of Weariness, Vile Touch, etc. can yield good results if the foe's armor is ridiculously high or they're spamming energy skills too close to their teammates. Well of Weariness has been giving me awesome results in AB]

jesh

jesh

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

San Diego, CA

Penguin Village

Mo/

W/P
14/16 Hammer
12+1 Strength

Earth Shaker {E}
Enduring Harmony
For Great Justice
Crude Swing
Whirlwind Attack
Flail
Enraging Charge
res/Crushing Blow/To The Limit!/Healing Signet/Lion's Comfort


If you use To The Limit or a heal, lower Strength some and dump 8 or so in tactics.
AoE KD is pretty nice, but the area of effect is not as large as I would like.
Oh yeah, stonefist insignia is pretty much mandatory here.
I got the idea for this build from someone else on these forums.

Sweet Victory

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2007

sorry I haven't responded much, my internet was out, thanks all of you for making this post very successful, time to cap GB!