Defending the breach - Raven's point

Hi, I am having some problems getting through this mission. It's going fine until the destroyers start appearing as they just seem to rip through my party fast.
I am playing with heroes and henchmen - so any suggestion on who to bring and what skills? As a mesmer primary my fully equipped heroes are Jin, Jora and Dunkoro.

Builds you and your heroes use, henchmen you use? Fully equiped means what for you?

My skills: (Inspiration 10. Fast Casting 10. Illusion Magic 11.)
[card]Migraine[/card][card]Conjure Phantasm[/card][card]Ether Feast[/card][card]Energy Tap[/card][card]Mantra of Persistence[/card][card]Leech signet[/card][card]Drain Enchantment[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

Jora: (14 Strength. 13 Hammer mastery.)
[card]Berserker Stance[/card][card]Mighty Blow[/card][card]Hammer Bash[/card][card]Power Attack[/card][card]Shield Bash[/card][card]Lion's Comfort[/card][card]Endure Pain[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

Jin: (13 Marksmanship. 11 Expertise. 10 Wilderness Survival.)
[card]Magebane Shot[/card][card]Screaming Shot[/card][card]Distracting Shot[/card][card]Apply poison[/card][card]Lightning reflexes[/card][card]Troll unguent[/card][card]Throw dirt[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

Dunkoro: (13 Protection prayers. 11 Divine Favor. 10 Healing prayers.)
[card]Zealous benediction[/card][card]Orison of healing[/card][card]Watchful healing[/card][card]Reversal of fortune[/card][card]Protective spirit[/card][card]Remove hex[/card][card]Mend ailment[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

Henchmen: N20 Eve (Blood), E20 Herta (Earth), Mo20 Mhenlo (Healer) and W20 Devona (Fighter).

Heroes are "fully equipped" with runes and (survivor) insignias, although only Major Vigor runes yet.

i take it jora is using a hammer by the hammer skills and attribute points, but then why is shield bash there too?

One more question: why where's no elite on Jora?

Shield Bash on a Hammer Warrior? Interesting.

Also, hero monks with ZB will run out of energy fast, as they use it as a regular heal, no matter how much health the target has.

Oops, thanks for spotting that. I just gave Jora a nice hammer and changed her template but I completely overlooked that she is no longer wielding a shield.

Truth is I have none yet.. Any suggestion about what to unlock that works well in PvE?

Thanks, I didn't know that. Would [card]Glimmer of Light[/card] be a better alternative?

[skill]Word of healing[/skill] would be alot better, and please, I mean pleeease get rid of orison.

You only need 2 effective heals, [skill=text]Word of healing[/skill] and [skill=text]Dwayna's Kiss[/skill] are usually the best choices.

And Jora's build is pretty bad. If you really need to take her, use axe for aoe attacks or sword for dslash (although I think heroes don't spam it like they should.)

If you are running illusion there is very little reason to not run [skill]Clumsiness[/skill] and Wandering Eye.
Dump Mantra Of Persistence, E-Tap. E-Feast can also go - [skill]Power Drain[/skill] is a nice replacement (since you have a heal in Drain Ench AND you have monks to keep you alive). If you dumped Megabane you could use BHA which would make Migraine obsolete. Maybe Ineptitude instead. And then Epidemic instead of Leech Signet.



Throw dirt on ranger heroes is bad - since they won't use if defensively but they will rather run in and blind foes.

Word Of Healing.

Agreed with Washi on both accounts. Also, you would probably need to spec around 12-14 into heal, in which case Cure Hex is a better choice because of its big heal. For condition removal, I prefer Spotless Soul, especially with Dwayna's Kiss.

Okay, since you run survivor, i would assume that you run minor runes, so far good.

Jora is kinda weak link, i suggest complete redesign, hammer is no bad, the way you make her use it is.

Jin is okay-ish

Dunkoro could benefit from Aegis, but i would just replace necro hench with second monk hench and get curses necro with weakness

Destroyers are physically heavy, you need to build against that.

Thanks for all the good tips. I'll go pick up some new skills next I guess before trying again.

Personally, I always bring the PvE skill Alkar's Chemical Acid for this dungeon. Also, don't forget to have the Deldrimor Title track active, since it helps a lot against the Destroyers, depending on your rank.

The first time I tried this dungeon, I did not have it turned on...

Also, for Heroes, I like to have a MM along for the ride -- but that's just me. I also like to have a supplemental (in addition to Herta) warder elementalist (usually Zhed) with Ward against Melee, as it is extremely helpful against the melee Destroyers.

When I go up against destroyers I like to load them up with conditions...Cracked Armor, Poison, Weakness, and especially...Blind. An Air ele goes a long way against them. I personally find the most annoying Destroyers to be the melee and ranger ones, which can be almost completely shut down.

If you must bring a hero monk. I'd recommend setting your monk to full heal or prot, and bringing a hench monk.

Personally I'd switch out Jora for an Air ele. Blind + Weakness + Cracked armor = gg

It's a general consensus that hero monks are not needed, and that henchies suffice.

When bringing a hero monk, make it useful, protection will work better. Aegis is almost a must, guardian may help, as well as prot spirit, shielding hands, shield of absorption, or similar.

Destroyers are high level, meaning armor ignoring damage is the king. SS curses necro is the king there. Spiteful spirit, insidious parasite, enfeebling blood (melee shutdown).

Destroyer casters are somewhat annoying, but your first priority must be anti-melee, or destroyer warriors will kill you before you have time to reach the casters. So take either anti-caster mesmer, or interrupt ranger, and replace the other one with another damage dealer.

Please, don't give such advices. How many redundant skills you wanna bring?

Don't ever use hero monks, myself. Hero monks in general = redundant. The two henchies are just fine. Was just saying that if he MUST, it could be improved. Either set him to full heal and bring the prot hench, or go full prot, and bring Mhenlo.

That is bad advice. Yes, it is.

So you run 3 monks? Redundant.

Just do what I do then, without ever having any problems...forget the hero monk, hench are fine. Bring an Air ele, an SS, and whatever else you see fit.

OP since you will be facing melee enemies, I would bring something that looks more like this:

Ineptitude, Clumsiness, Wandering Eye, Frustration (works with clumsiness unless they fixed it), Power Drain, |Open|, |Open|, Res Chant or Death Pact Signet.

For the Open skills I'd (means me personally) bring something silly like Shrinking Armor and something like Drain Delusions. Or you can bring Accumulated Pain and Images of Remorse. If you don't feel safe without a heal then bring Ether Feast or Drain Enchantment.

Attribute point wise 13-15 in Illusion, 9-10 in Fast Casting, the rest in Inspiration.