So now I need assistance in fine tuning my heroes. However, I want to go further with it - I want my heroes to support me in any way they can in hitting things. I want them to work for me. You know, for those times when I just want to go out bitch slapping pests for fun, and I don't need some super optimal build capable of singularly wiping out enemies in moments. Especially before I get to hit them around according to my satisfaction. Instead, I want to pursue the old Tim Taylor mantra of "More power". Heroes should be fun to work with. And fun lies in making me feel more powerful.
And I could always switch them to a more helpful build as the situation calls for it.
So, I want to post a series of builds and questions to help me create heroes that will compliment my warrior directly or indirectly. I don't want to post all of the builds at once, as I want to ensure each gets a good amount of attention and that nothing goes uncriticized. Instead, I'll post them according to profession.
Some preliminaries.
- CONDITIONS
Every condition is helpful, but some simply help a warrior more than others.
DEEP WOUND: Lowering a target's max health means less health I have to take away myself. Often I do this on my own, but from time to time I use a build that focuses more on damage and I don't have room for it. Or, in some cases when it comes to PVE, certain creatures are immune to the conditions that would allow me to place a Deep Wound (immunity to knockdowns, immunity to bleeding, etc.). Having a hero help me place this condition is welcomed.
DAZED: Those silly spell casters think they're so smart... until they've been dazed. Now anytime I do so much as poke them, they can't get their spells out. No careful timing necessary, just hack away. Its a warrior's best friend against a spell caster.
CRACKED ARMOR: Recently implemented and very helpful. Reduced armor means less damage against a warrior's attacks. Definitely a welcomed addition against high armor targets. Unfortunately, the skills that apply it are currently limited.
These conditions provide the most direct help against mobs that a warrior like myself can receive. All of the other conditions are helpful in their own right,
SKILL AND HERO ACCESS: I have access to every campaign. Thus, I have access to every hero and skill available, and can purchase/cap/earn whatever I might be missing.
NOT EVERY SECONDARY A MESMER: I've played around with having all my caster heroes utilizing interrupt skills for energy management. Its certainly fun watching the enemy act utterly useless, but for the purposes of this thread I'm looking for other ideas. In fact, I enjoy having my hero utilize skills from only his/her's primary profession. Sort of a challenge. And, again, heroes are flexible enough that I could always alter the build according to need.
Okay, now to get started.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASSASSIN
I have little experience with assassins, and even less with the assassin heroes. I don't often find myself thinking that this mission/quest/area requires me to have one accompany me. But I want to give them a chance. So I feel its appropriate to begin with them.
You receive a maximum of two assassin heroes. Thus, having one using skills from the Deadly Arts line and the other using skills from the Shadow Arts line seems to make sense. Assassins offer several skills that could be used to help a warrior out.
These include the following:
CRITICAL STRIKE
[skill]Twisting Fangs[/skill]
DAGGER MASTERY
[skill]Golden Fang Strike[/skill][skill]Golden Skull Strike[/skill][skill]Temple Strike[/skill][skill]Wild Strike[/skill]
DEADLY ARTS
[skill]Augury of Death[/skill][skill]Expose Defenses[/skill][skill]Impale[/skill][skill]Shadow Fang[/skill][skill]Siphon Strength[/skill]
SHADOW ARTS
[skill]Beguiling Haze[/skill][skill]Shadowy Burden[/skill]
NOTES
- As a warrior, I'm used to the weapons attribute being at a minimum of 14, and optimally at 16. I'm assuming the same idea applies to assassins.
- From what I understand, assassin heroes do best with simple Lead-Off-Dual chains. Complicated ones that involve meeting certain conditions are more difficult for the AI to use effectively.
- Assassins can provide Daze, Deep Wound, and Stance Removal. Additionally, they have hex similar to Rigor Mortis, which prevents blocking, and another that acts like Cracked Armor, reducing the target's armor by 20 if certain conditions are met. I am uncertain at this time if it stack with the condition Cracked Armor.
-Survivability is problematic with assassins. A shadow assassin hero will likely survive more easily than a deadly assassin hero.
- Shadow stepping can be problematic. If the the assassin shadow steps into the group ahead of me, it is likely it won't survive the initial onslaught of most mobs. That's assuming it will activate a shadow step quickly enough. I'm not sure how the AI utilizes shadow steps.
- The long recharge on certain attack skills means that the Assassin doesn't complete a chain quickly. And since most individual mobs die quickly enough to begin with, a missed chain means they might not be able to start another one quickly enough to have much effect.
- Energy management appears like it will be an issue. My inexperience with assassins means that I don't understand how much of an issue energy can be with many builds, especially with the AI.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on my first impression, the following skills seem the most helpful to the warrior on an assassin hero: Twisting Fangs; Wild Strike; Augury of Death; Expose Defenses.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus, the first sets of builds I wish to submit are the following:
SHADOW ASSASSIN
ARMOR:Nightstalker
WEAPON: Sundering/Cruel; Defensive; Damage+15%^50/Damage+15%(Enchanted)/Energy+5
CRITICAL: 9+1
DAGGER: 12+2 (12+4)
SHADOW: 9+1
[skill]Golden Fox Strike[/skill][skill]Wild Strike[/skill][skill]Twisting Fangs[/skill][skill]Critical Eye[/skill][skill]Way of Perfection[/skill][skill]Shroud of Distress[/skill][skill]Beguiling Haze[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill]
DEADLY ASSASSIN
ARMOR:Nightstalker
WEAPON: Sundering/Cruel; Defensive; Damage+15%^50/Energy+5
CRITICAL: 9+1
DAGGER: 12+2 (12+4)
DEADLY: 9+1
[skill]Augury of Death[/skill][skill]Black Mantis Thrust[/skill][skill]Lotus Strike[/skill][skill]Vampiric Assault[/skill][skill]Expose Defenses[/skill][skill]Sadist's Signet[/skill][skill]Critical Defenses[/skill][skill]Death Pact Signet[/skill]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
So those are just two initial builds that I could come up with. All advice and discussion is welcomed, particularly concerning attributes and skill placement, as I was told that placement can affect the way that the AI will utilize skills.
Remember, I'm a warrior who wants his assassins to work in his favor.
Thank you all in advance.
