Spirit Bond in PvE, viable?

LifeInfusion

LifeInfusion

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

in the midline

E/Mo

I know people use Spirit Bond on their heroes/for 600 monk. But why use it instead of Protective Spirit?

Some observations:
The duration is much shorter than Protective Spirit and only affects 10 attacks/spells ...the thing that it has that helps is a recharge of 2 (something that's not going to be much use unless you have insane energy management).

At 14 Prot it will heal 96, which isn't enough to counter any sort of damage in Hard Mode form just about any weapon user. Granted, it is one of the few actual heals in Protection Prayers (the other being dismiss condition without a condition, Zealous Benediction, and Mark of Protection).

The only use I can see is after putting on Prot Spirit to counter melee pressure. Is this analysis correct?

John Panda

John Panda

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2007

in my house

The Arctic Maruarders [TAM]

A/

If I have two hybrid monks one runs Protective Spirit And one runs Spirit bond

if i only have one i choose Protective spirit.

I Phoenix I

I Phoenix I

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

The Elite Lords of Chaos [LoC]

R/

PvE Bosses = 300 or so damage.

Spirit Bond: 300 dmg, 96 heal, take 204 dmg
Protective Spirit: 300 dmg, reduced to about 60 dmg on an average character


The thing is, in PvE, things hit crazy hard, but not necessarily repeated, while in PvP, things hit pretty hard and repeatedly during spikes. Hard enough to trigger SB, but not 300 dmg.

RhanoctJocosa

RhanoctJocosa

Legendary Korean

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Benecia Renovatio [RenO]

W/

If the bosses are free to do their 300 damage you're going to wipe anyway. Spirit Bond for me. For melee pressure, in PvE, you just need a big prot then SoA.

LifeInfusion

LifeInfusion

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

in the midline

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by RhanoctJocosa
If the bosses are free to do their 300 damage you're going to wipe anyway. Spirit Bond for me. For melee pressure, in PvE, you just need a big prot then SoA. Why would you spirit bond though?

Your reasoning consists of "they shouldn't be doing 300".

moko

moko

??uo??o??

Join Date: May 2006

run both.

if you have to pick; PS.

CR3AT0R

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2006

2 paras and a war is strong aoe [lol]

Whats going on [sup]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mokone
run both.

if you have to pick; PS.
dont run a monk run 1 n/rit 2 mms else UR BAED D:<

nighthawk329

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2005

Guildless

Mo/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by CR3AT0R
dont run a monk run 1 n/rit 2 mms else UR BAED D:< don't listen to him.

In HM, no question. Protective Spirit > Spirit Bond. If the two monks on your team have good communication (vent), both should bring Protective Spirit IMO, making sure not to overlap.

But NM is a different story. Protective Spirit is better against NM bosses that do 200 or more damage per hit.

But against NM normal mobs and some bosses that hit around 100 each, SB is the better choice. Let's consider a 100 damage hit.
SB: 100 dmg + around 90 SB heal = around 10 hp net loss
PS: 50-60 dmg = 50-60 hp net loss

But PS also lasts a lot longer than SB, which means it will catch more spike hits, since PvE spike damage is more spread out over a long period like I Phoenix I said.

So...Final Verdict:
HM: PS on both (with good communication)
NM: PS on one, SB on another

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

same thing in an HA group as a PvE group, 1 monk runs prot spirit, and one runs SB.

following the monk build template: RoF, spike heal, light prot, heavy prot, hex removal, condition removal, optional/e-managment

i Valinor

i Valinor

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

victoria

E/R

in HM spirit bond is good. even in normal its good, but i would run it on my bar before a heros.

Arkantos

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mokone
run both.

if you have to pick; PS. /agreed

12345

dasullybear

dasullybear

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2007

You're basement, eating a ham sandwhich

Mo/

Most of the time id say neither.

If your PUG/HeroHench'ing it, you're not gonna have an organized situation where theres a tank or 2 with most of the aggro, to make either one fully effective.

Also, monk npcs are in no way capable of using either of these:
10En down the drain to watch SB waste itself on me as the enemy mobs a monk? Nty.

If your a player monk, prot spirit is perfectly viable. I dont condone the use of SB in any situation however, the main reason its used in pvp is the player coordinated spikes. Unless theres a new update where npcs have vent/ts and organize spikes?

I dont even see why SB is used in GvG, sure it is actived well by the spikes, but wait! hold on! heals for around 70Ish health? Theres only... a billion skills in the healing prayers line, and half a billion skills in the prot line, that heal for more with 1/2 the energy cost.

Other than the rare solo/dual farm use, SB is a completely useless skill if you ask me.

Wakka

Wakka

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2006

Northern Ireland

R/

Quote:
I dont even see why SB is used in GvG, sure it is actived well by the spikes, but wait! hold on! heals for around 70Ish health? Theres only... a billion skills in the healing prayers line, and half a billion skills in the prot line, that heal for more with 1/2 the energy cost. Completly kills the spike, and considering most builds except maybe a pressure build involve a spike of some sort, its far from useless. Monk hero's may not use it the best but its a great skill if used right

Avarre

Avarre

Bubblegum Patrol

Join Date: Dec 2005

Singapore Armed Forces

Quote:
Originally Posted by dasullybear
I dont even see why SB is used in GvG, sure it is actived well by the spikes, but wait! hold on! heals for around 70Ish health? Theres only... a billion skills in the healing prayers line, and half a billion skills in the prot line, that heal for more with 1/2 the energy cost.

Other than the rare solo/dual farm use, SB is a completely useless skill if you ask me.
Excuse me sir, but I do believe you are mistaken!

Spirit Bond triggers on the next 10 attacks while it is active, healing for its quantity. That is not a heal for 70ish health. That is a maximum potential heal of seven hundred health, and that's assuming the monk has a very low protection attribute.

Of course if you're terrible and use it when red bars go down it won't seem to heal much better than Orison, but if you look at what's going on and put it on someone about to be hit by multiple attacks, you can get an extremely efficient heal out of it.

The problem with this skill in PvE is if monsters hit much higher than the amount SB heals for, the reduction is much less noticeable than if you had used Protective Spirit, as Nighthawk points out several posts before.

Oh, and this is a fact. I know because of my learnings.

LifeInfusion

LifeInfusion

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

in the midline

E/Mo

The reason why I asked this is because when I was PUGing *Gasp* for the second time in about a year (way to end the year haha), a monk used Spirit Bond on me (while playing as a caster). I forget where it was, but I didn't have Prot Spirit on me.

Other than that, I think Nighthawk/Avarre basically sum it up as PvE mobs hit harder than players would. I think it is worthy to note that it IS a 700+ heal provided the condition is met and you have 8-10 prot.

IMO it is a design flaw when Prot Spirit is basically *required* in Hard Mode.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dasullybear
I dont even see why SB is used in GvG, sure it is actived well by the spikes, but wait! hold on! heals for around 70Ish health? Theres only... a billion skills in the healing prayers line, and half a billion skills in the prot line, that heal for more with 1/2 the energy cost.

Other than the rare solo/dual farm use, SB is a completely useless skill if you ask me. Um it only heals for when >60 damage and only a portion of skills do more than 60 damage when the target has a shield swap and/or armor. That means it activates when you NEED it (like criticals/Eviscerate/Body Blow, etc.). So it is effective in PvP, I can see that. We're not talking about PvP though.

The whole point of the thread was just to affirm whether Spirit Bond is useful when mobs hit for more than 60... From experience, healing prayers isn't enough to deal with constant high damage like that of Hard mode unless you have prot and stuff like paragon support characters (paragon in PvE is still good after about 50 nerfs) and blinding surge eles (the problem being the lack of anything but single target damage outside of Chain Lightning). Healer's Boon and the Word of Healing buff sort of changed this but I think it still will remain that prot is king everywhere (considering restoration magic is numerically better for red bars go up).

P.S. for shits and giggles I'm going to run a hero monk with no prot spirit, only spirit bond in hard mode just to test this whole thing out. I personally feel hero AI is atrocious when it comes to prot (one of the reasons why I think Prot Spirit is better in general since it isn't wasted when they misfire it).

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Prot Spirit prevents damage over 60
Spirit bond heals for 80 when the damage is over 60

Spirit bond > Prot spirit in damage up to 140.

In PvP most high damages are 70-110. Therefore spirit bond is better
In PvE (especially HM) high damage can go up to 300. Prot spirit is prefered

Bring both on two different monks is better tho.

Yichi

Yichi

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Sep 2005

Guild Hall, Vent, Guesting, PvE, or the occasional HA match...

Dark Alley [dR]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
In PvP most high damages are 70-110. Therefore spirit bond is better ... This line made me laugh

Kwan Xi

Kwan Xi

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

Writhe in Pain

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyro maniac
Prot Spirit prevents damage over 60
Spirit bond heals for 80 when the damage is over 60

Spirit bond > Prot spirit in damage up to 140.

In PvP most high damages are 70-110. Therefore spirit bond is better
In PvE (especially HM) high damage can go up to 300. Prot spirit is prefered

Bring both on two different monks is better tho. That is assuming the Character you want to Protect has 600HP if they have less then 600 then Spirit Bond won't heal on a character with Protective Spirit on because their damage won't be high enough to activate it.

Note: Before you all start whining about having less then 600HP. I'm referring to PvE which what I assume from the the title of this thread where you have control of only your own HP and that of your Heros. Not henches and other players you group with.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

Wow, I don't check monk forums for a day and so many epic posts I missed out on. Moko has the answer to everything.

RhanoctJocosa

RhanoctJocosa

Legendary Korean

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Benecia Renovatio [RenO]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeInfusion
Why would you spirit bond though?

Your reasoning consists of "they shouldn't be doing 300". Because Spirit Bond is so much better than Prot Spirit?

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 Mokone
run both.

if you have to pick; PS.
Posts should have stopped here. As Mokone has just said the truth.

Teutonic Paladin

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

TW

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kwan Xi
That is assuming the Character you want to Protect has 600HP if they have less then 600 then Spirit Bond won't heal on a character with Protective Spirit on because their damage won't be high enough to activate it.

Note: Before you all start whining about having less then 600HP. I'm referring to PvE which what I assume from the the title of this thread where you have control of only your own HP and that of your Heros. Not henches and other players you group with. You're wrong. PS + SB will heal you if the original damage would have been over 60 even if you have two health I run a 600 monk occasionally with less than 600 health.

I tend to use Spirit Bond over Protective Spirit because I feel like the few times I need a prot up is when I'm fighting multiple HM Axe/Hammer Warriors. They consistently hit in the 70-90 range and are completely blocked by Spirit Bond. The few times I use PS is when I know I'll be going up against boss Rits/Eles in Cantha and Elona. However, if you don't use Candy Canes or find yourself dying alot, you could probably make amazing use of PS on DPed characters.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mokone
run both.

if you have to pick; PS. That would be ok on pure protection Monk not a hybrid.It might be best depending on the area to bring a Bond/Barrier and to use Barrier on the melee types.

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 Age
That would be ok on pure protection Monk not a hybrid.It might be best depending on the area to bring a Bond/Barrier and to use Barrier on the melee types. As doji would say, you are so terrible at the game.

Burst Cancel

Burst Cancel

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2006

Domain of Broken Game Mechanics

SB is still on-par with PS against normal enemies in HM, especially with any midline damage reduction in the build. Rounding the math, assuming an 80-point SB and 600 health on the target, SB prevents more damage per-hit than PS for all damage packets smaller than 140. Granted, PS can last much longer than SB, which means the optimal window for SB is at 60~100 packets. This is what you'll usually see from normal HM enemies if you're running basic armor shouts or wards.

One key point of SB that tends to get overlooked in pure efficiency comparisons is that it can actually reduce net damage to zero - or even heal the target - which means it can save someone about to die, whereas PS never can.

If you have to pick between one or the other, PS always wins in HM simply because double-damage bosses are too ridiculous without it. There's simply no way SB can compete against 400+ point spikes.

blackknight1337

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

USA

Mo/

nvm....posted before i read 2nd page

Kwan Xi

Kwan Xi

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

Writhe in Pain

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Teutonic Paladin
You're wrong. PS + SB will heal you if the original damage would have been over 60 even if you have two health I run a 600 monk occasionally with less than 600 health. . Ok if thats true, then yeah bring both then or use PS first then SB.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by holymasamune
As doji would say, you are so terrible at the game. I got through 3 campaigns and an addon didn't I.

moko

moko

??uo??o??

Join Date: May 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Age
I got through 3 campaigns and an addon didn't I. lol, people can beat the game with an empty skillbar with H/H. doesn't say anything. x.x

Yichi

Yichi

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Sep 2005

Guild Hall, Vent, Guesting, PvE, or the occasional HA match...

Dark Alley [dR]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Age
I got through 3 campaigns and an addon didn't I. You win at GW. Train me my master.... I'll be your Padawan Learner and I wont turn to the darkside I swear it.

Martin Firestorm

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

Louisiana

E/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mokone
lol, people can beat the game with an empty skillbar with H/H. doesn't say anything. x.x Beating GW's 3 campaigns and expansion says NOTHING about the player's ability to play GW? Your words must mean something different to you than me.

Burst Cancel

Burst Cancel

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2006

Domain of Broken Game Mechanics

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Firestorm
Beating GW's 3 campaigns and expansion says NOTHING about the player's ability to play GW? Your words must mean something different to you than me. Well, put it this way: do you know anyone who can't beat GW?

Most modern games are so easy that anyone with basic familiarity with the controls could beat them. Ergo, being able to beat said games doesn't make you good at them. In well-designed games, entry-level play will be accessible to everyone, but the ceiling for high-level play is far beyond all but the most dedicated. I wouldn't say that GW is quite one of those games (instead, look at RTS, FPS, or fighting games), but the system is certainly pliable enough that the difference between a good player and a bad one is quite striking - even if they're both able to beat the game.

On-topic: SB + PS is basically godmode for 10s or 10 strikes, whichever comes first. Ergo, if you can take both, do so.

Hundbert

Hundbert

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2006

In normal mode Spirit bond usually works fine. In hard mode however with the monster damage ~ 170-300 it just isn't as effective.

Melody Cross

Melody Cross

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2006

Alliance of Anguish [aOa]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeInfusion
Why would you spirit bond though?

Your reasoning consists of "they shouldn't be doing 300". They shouldn't be, tbh. Weakness is uber easy to apply in PvE, with fewer condition managers countering it. Shutdown can break caster bosses as easier than any GvG spike. Save Yourselves spam is just so imba i regularly ask myself why the heck Anet ever nerfed Seed of Life.

The situation calls for the skill, and the area you are in and players you run with dictate your situation.

Prot Spirit is one of those skills that should be in every HM party bar for obvious reasons. It becomes more powerful with DP, and has a solid effect with 10% morale.

Spirit Bond is equally useful for different reasons. Its a quick cast/quick recycle pressure saver. You can't realistically keep Prot Spirit on everyone who will get hit without siphoning your energy to zero, but you can throw SB where you need it when you need it. it goes to reactive prot versus pre-prot. Both are valuable. Pre-prot is valuable because it softens the initial blow HM mobs can deal. Reactive prot is (in all fairness) equally effective in pressure situations like Slaver's where your team has to deal with 3 or more monks and rez chaining.

So many backlines that hybrid take both, wisely, to differentiate jobs during a PvE run. One pre-prots the tank, the other is on a reactive role. And the paragon spams save yourself. And the wars spam Ursan weakeness...or the necro does. Its not just two players out there doing the defense game anymore, even in PvE. its a team effort.

GGs

Avarre

Avarre

Bubblegum Patrol

Join Date: Dec 2005

Singapore Armed Forces

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Firestorm
Beating GW's 3 campaigns and expansion says NOTHING about the player's ability to play GW? Your words must mean something different to you than me. It's quite simple. Guild Wars is really easy. With PvE skills, should you use them, it becomes even easier. You quite literally have to be so terrible to fail at most parts at PvE that you are worth less than an 8th henchman would have been.

Beating the game shows, and takes, very little player skill. At most, it demonstrates player competence. Sometimes, not even that.

Wakka

Wakka

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2006

Northern Ireland

R/

Quote:
It's quite simple. Guild Wars is really easy. With PvE skills, should you use them, it becomes even easier. You quite literally have to be so terrible to fail at most parts at PvE that you are worth less than an 8th henchman would have been.

Beating the game shows, and takes, very little player skill. At most, it demonstrates player competence. Sometimes, not even that. Indeed.

Even if you look at elite areas, such as UW and FoW, the amount of players you see in PUG groups that truely dont have a clue what thier doing is unbelivable! Its even worse as thier team may carry them, they make money, and end up thinking thier good :/

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 Avarre
It's quite simple. Guild Wars is really easy. With PvE skills, should you use them, it becomes even easier. You quite literally have to be so terrible to fail at most parts at PvE that you are worth less than an 8th henchman would have been.

Beating the game shows, and takes, very little player skill. At most, it demonstrates player competence. Sometimes, not even that. Wow Avarre you elitist. I'm getting stuck at Ruins of Surmia. I'm level 20 with max armor and a lot of skills. I need help. Those level 8 charr are too much for me...

Snow Bunny

Snow Bunny

Alcoholic From Yale

Join Date: Jul 2007

Strong Foreign Policy [sFp]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Age
That would be ok on pure protection Monk not a hybrid.It might be best depending on the area to bring a Bond/Barrier and to use Barrier on the melee types. Uninstall please.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burst Cancel
Well, put it this way: do you know anyone who can't beat GW?

Most modern games are so easy that anyone with basic familiarity with the controls could beat them. Ergo, being able to beat said games doesn't make you good at them. In well-designed games, entry-level play will be accessible to everyone, but the ceiling for high-level play is far beyond all but the most dedicated. I wouldn't say that GW is quite one of those games (instead, look at RTS, FPS, or fighting games), but the system is certainly pliable enough that the difference between a good player and a bad one is quite striking - even if they're both able to beat the game.

On-topic: SB + PS is basically godmode for 10s or 10 strikes, whichever comes first. Ergo, if you can take both, do so. There are games out there I doubt that you could play that well if you are so use games like this one.I play one that is a lot harder than GW called Star Fleet Command 2 Orion Pirates as well as the rest of the series.This is an old game and requires more skill possibly than GW does as you are more solo.

To holymasamune.What part of my post do you disagree or what part do you think is wrong?Post something intelligent instead of what you said.This is what being an adult is like.

To Mokone. I would really love to see you do that don't forget to film it and put it on filefront for DL.

Tab

Tab

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2006

Under a bridge

Team Quitter [QQ]

Mo/

That was beautiful.