Stuck with the earth prayers/avatar of balthazar derv build
Winterclaw
Victorious Sweep plus AoM or AoD FTW.
Enchanted Haste and Harrier's Grasp would probably be pretty good in PvP. If you have 2 enchantments on you, Pious Restoration is a good way to remove enchantments (if you don't have AoD).
Enchanted Haste and Harrier's Grasp would probably be pretty good in PvP. If you have 2 enchantments on you, Pious Restoration is a good way to remove enchantments (if you don't have AoD).
draxynnic
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Originally Posted by dan-the-noob
I'm agreeing that it's far from the most useful elite on the Dervish bar (I tend to use Lyssa, Dwayna or EDA myself). I just want to point out that there's a difference between a skill that's only occasionally useful and one that's outright bad.
Stormlord Alex
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Originally Posted by draxynnic
I just want to point out that there's a difference between a skill that's only occasionally useful and one that's outright bad.
And Balth is of the latter. Now you see that...
Welcome to the fold, young Dervish.
Welcome to the fold, young Dervish.
~ Dan ~
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Originally Posted by draxynnic
Personal attacks, eh? I guess you didn't read my line about 99% of the time it's more useful to use something else?
I'm agreeing that it's far from the most useful elite on the Dervish bar (I tend to use Lyssa, Dwayna or EDA myself). I just want to point out that there's a difference between a skill that's only occasionally useful and one that's outright bad. I read your line. It's not even useful 1% of the time. Name ONE situation you would take it over any other elite. There is a difference between occasionally useful and outright bad - AoB is just outright bad.
I'm agreeing that it's far from the most useful elite on the Dervish bar (I tend to use Lyssa, Dwayna or EDA myself). I just want to point out that there's a difference between a skill that's only occasionally useful and one that's outright bad. I read your line. It's not even useful 1% of the time. Name ONE situation you would take it over any other elite. There is a difference between occasionally useful and outright bad - AoB is just outright bad.
Str0b0
I can personally only think of two uses for AoB that are used with some regularity. A minion army destroyer in AB with banishing sweep and the inherent holy damage and Temple of the Damned because of all the undead. Those are only two instance which, I'm sad to say, does not even come close to making 1%. AoB is bad. There is no defense for it. It is used in a couple of very very niche builds with no practical application outside of the setting those niche builds were designed for.
When I see another dervish using AoB I chuckle as I wade into the mod with my lyssa build and out damage them and yet somehow still manage to survive without that pointless armor bonus. I laugh as I hear the distinctive sound of attack skills canceling on them because I already took out their intended target group with a single attack chain. I get a kick out of watching them try to farm undead in Kryta and get blinded into oblivion while I, in my swanky little melandru mow right through the undead menace and get my loots. what I'm trying to say is any situation where you would use Balthazar, outside of the AB build since it does work fantastically well, another form could do the job better and that my friend makes for a BAD skill and an ABYSMALLY BAD elite.
When I see another dervish using AoB I chuckle as I wade into the mod with my lyssa build and out damage them and yet somehow still manage to survive without that pointless armor bonus. I laugh as I hear the distinctive sound of attack skills canceling on them because I already took out their intended target group with a single attack chain. I get a kick out of watching them try to farm undead in Kryta and get blinded into oblivion while I, in my swanky little melandru mow right through the undead menace and get my loots. what I'm trying to say is any situation where you would use Balthazar, outside of the AB build since it does work fantastically well, another form could do the job better and that my friend makes for a BAD skill and an ABYSMALLY BAD elite.
draxynnic
Young?
I used it for Gate of Madness, actually. Armour helped for tanking Shiro when he switched from Riposting Shadows to Impossible Odds, holy damage helped for taking the Lich down fast (he doesn't spend much time using skills, from memory, he just has attacks from hell) as well as helping with the Portal Wraiths, and the speed boost helped with luring mobs and moving between shrines.
To go through the others:
Ebon Dust: Other members of the party were concentrating on hexes rather than conditions, and I didn't want to get the Blind back interfering with breaking Scars with Wild Blow.
Vow of Strength: Interferes with Wild Blow
Arcane Zeal: Not spamming spells
Avatar of Dwayna: Not spamming skills enough
Avatar of Grenth: Neither Shiro nor Khilbron use enchantments
Avatar of Lyssa: Close competition for the extra damage against skills, but I didn't figure the Lich would be using skills enough for it.
Avatar of Melandru: Didn't want to burn all the energy.
Pious Renewal: Didn't seem useful
Vow of Silence: Neither Shiro not Khilbron use targetted spells.
Reaper's Sweep: Didn't want Deep Wound coming back when he Impossible Oddsed
Wounding Strike: See above.
Anything from Wind Prayers: Wasn't carrying that line.
Lyssa was close competition (and was what I brought for Imperial Sanctum), but in short in this particular case the unfocused buffs Balthazar gave happened to be what I was looking for.
I used it for Gate of Madness, actually. Armour helped for tanking Shiro when he switched from Riposting Shadows to Impossible Odds, holy damage helped for taking the Lich down fast (he doesn't spend much time using skills, from memory, he just has attacks from hell) as well as helping with the Portal Wraiths, and the speed boost helped with luring mobs and moving between shrines.
To go through the others:
Ebon Dust: Other members of the party were concentrating on hexes rather than conditions, and I didn't want to get the Blind back interfering with breaking Scars with Wild Blow.
Vow of Strength: Interferes with Wild Blow
Arcane Zeal: Not spamming spells
Avatar of Dwayna: Not spamming skills enough
Avatar of Grenth: Neither Shiro nor Khilbron use enchantments
Avatar of Lyssa: Close competition for the extra damage against skills, but I didn't figure the Lich would be using skills enough for it.
Avatar of Melandru: Didn't want to burn all the energy.
Pious Renewal: Didn't seem useful
Vow of Silence: Neither Shiro not Khilbron use targetted spells.
Reaper's Sweep: Didn't want Deep Wound coming back when he Impossible Oddsed
Wounding Strike: See above.
Anything from Wind Prayers: Wasn't carrying that line.
Lyssa was close competition (and was what I brought for Imperial Sanctum), but in short in this particular case the unfocused buffs Balthazar gave happened to be what I was looking for.
Dr Strangelove
Quote:
Originally Posted by draxynnic
Young?
I used it for Gate of Madness, actually. Armour helped for tanking Shiro when he switched from Riposting Shadows to Impossible Odds, holy damage helped for taking the Lich down fast (he doesn't spend much time using skills, from memory, he just has attacks from hell) as well as helping with the Portal Wraiths, and the speed boost helped with luring mobs and moving between shrines.
To go through the others:
Ebon Dust: Other members of the party were concentrating on hexes rather than conditions, and I didn't want to get the Blind back interfering with breaking Scars with Wild Blow.
Vow of Strength: Interferes with Wild Blow
Arcane Zeal: Not spamming spells
Avatar of Dwayna: Not spamming skills enough
Avatar of Grenth: Neither Shiro nor Khilbron use enchantments
Avatar of Lyssa: Close competition for the extra damage against skills, but I didn't figure the Lich would be using skills enough for it.
Avatar of Melandru: Didn't want to burn all the energy.
Pious Renewal: Didn't seem useful
Vow of Silence: Neither Shiro not Khilbron use targetted spells.
Reaper's Sweep: Didn't want Deep Wound coming back when he Impossible Oddsed
Wounding Strike: See above.
Anything from Wind Prayers: Wasn't carrying that line.
Lyssa was close competition (and was what I brought for Imperial Sanctum), but in short in this particular case the unfocused buffs Balthazar gave happened to be what I was looking for. Ebon Dust Aura would have been better.
What do I win?
For demolishing minion armies, run heart of holy flame and an elite that doesn't suck. In fact, melandru is really, really good in the undead areas thanks to condition spam.
I used it for Gate of Madness, actually. Armour helped for tanking Shiro when he switched from Riposting Shadows to Impossible Odds, holy damage helped for taking the Lich down fast (he doesn't spend much time using skills, from memory, he just has attacks from hell) as well as helping with the Portal Wraiths, and the speed boost helped with luring mobs and moving between shrines.
To go through the others:
Ebon Dust: Other members of the party were concentrating on hexes rather than conditions, and I didn't want to get the Blind back interfering with breaking Scars with Wild Blow.
Vow of Strength: Interferes with Wild Blow
Arcane Zeal: Not spamming spells
Avatar of Dwayna: Not spamming skills enough
Avatar of Grenth: Neither Shiro nor Khilbron use enchantments
Avatar of Lyssa: Close competition for the extra damage against skills, but I didn't figure the Lich would be using skills enough for it.
Avatar of Melandru: Didn't want to burn all the energy.
Pious Renewal: Didn't seem useful
Vow of Silence: Neither Shiro not Khilbron use targetted spells.
Reaper's Sweep: Didn't want Deep Wound coming back when he Impossible Oddsed
Wounding Strike: See above.
Anything from Wind Prayers: Wasn't carrying that line.
Lyssa was close competition (and was what I brought for Imperial Sanctum), but in short in this particular case the unfocused buffs Balthazar gave happened to be what I was looking for. Ebon Dust Aura would have been better.
What do I win?
For demolishing minion armies, run heart of holy flame and an elite that doesn't suck. In fact, melandru is really, really good in the undead areas thanks to condition spam.
Str0b0
FAIL! The lich shouldn't even enter the equation there. He's easy to take down withou the Holy damage from Balthazar. The extra armor vs Impossible Odds is foolish. By the time he hits the point where he will use it you should be able to spike him down in two or three attack chains. In the end you raped your party Damage output and exposed them to a potential wipe because you preferred to tank instead of do real damage. Shiro is not about drawing the fight out and being the last one standing. Shiro is about a fast kill. If you're the last one standing in a party by virtue of your tanking then you'll join your party shortly.
Personally I use Lyssa or EDA for Shiro and here is why. Lyssa spikes and with the right attack skills by the time he hits impossible odds you can spike him down before he gets the chance to do it again and wipe your party. EDA is generally the superior choice because the odds of him landing an impossible odds blow and putting the condition on you is slim to none. He has to hit you to transfer the condition. If you should take a blind then your monk should be able to hook you up since a competent team will have their casters spread out while you draw his attention and WB Battle scars.
Personally I use Lyssa or EDA for Shiro and here is why. Lyssa spikes and with the right attack skills by the time he hits impossible odds you can spike him down before he gets the chance to do it again and wipe your party. EDA is generally the superior choice because the odds of him landing an impossible odds blow and putting the condition on you is slim to none. He has to hit you to transfer the condition. If you should take a blind then your monk should be able to hook you up since a competent team will have their casters spread out while you draw his attention and WB Battle scars.
~ Dan ~
Quote:
Originally Posted by draxynnic
Quote: holy damage helped for taking the Lich down fast As Str0b0 said, the Lich is a joke.
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A potentially hard-hitting joke. He normally does go down fast, but reducing the risk that he'll take someone down with him is good.
and the speed boost helped with luring mobs
The faster you run, the more chance you have of breaking aggro. Quote:
Every little bit helps.
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how about a non-elite speed boost? [skill]pious haste[/skill]
The faster you run, the more chance you have of breaking aggro.
On the other hand, it means you're in the danger zone where you might get hit by an overlapping patrol for less time. Quote:
So by your own admission it is an inferior skill choice in light of your alternatives in PvE. Now if it comes down to picking an inferior skill or a superior skill then yeah it becomes indefensible in any instance unless you can honestly tell me with a straight face that you would willfully use an inferior skill just to prove a point? That is your word there too inferior.
I'd like to talk about that word there too if I may. Inferior, in this instance it is used to mean of comparatively low grade or quality or performing in a way that is substandard or mediocre. Hmm sounds an awful lot like bad to me. Let's check shall we? Quote: Another telling phrase you chose to use. Quote:
'Holy Trinity' was for mega puggers who don't know anything else anyway,and besides the newer things allow flexibility.
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Also, unless there's something missing from the skill description, the armour boost DOES help against elemental damage. That the argument can be made that you usually don't need it says more about Mystic Regeneration than it does about Balthazar.
Enchantments for protection>petty armour buff:including the fact that most AoB dervs use half of their bar for enchantments/defense and using like...eh?1 skill slot for an attack and res or just 2 attack skills that have no use? Quote:
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