Altering Henchmen's Skills

Doing the Z-quests today, I got extremely annoyed by the amount of hex spam in unwaking waters that basically disabled my warrior and ranger (siphon strength,binding chains ), which lead me to rage to some friends that hench monks never have enough hex removal.

My idea is that there a few skills that you can swap in at maybe 3 'variant slots' per henchmen. This way it's not reskilling them but adjusting them to what ever area you're in, as you can't just apply one build throughout the entire campaign, even adjusting what heroes/henchmen you take is not always enough for things like HM. Alternatively you could have a few templates that you can switch the henchmen onto, so like hex remover, condition spreading, interupter and so on...

Thoughts?

Heroes. They are the answer.

Which you can only have 4 of,there's no way in hell i'm using up slots i can alter on something as standard as remove hex and so on.

You know there is heavy hexing in the area and you have a means to counter it, if you can't be bothered to equip the heroes with hex removal then please keep quiet and stop complaining.

I semi-understand your problem, I did that quest on HM with my Ranger. Just get one hero with Peace and Harmony. Poof, no hexes and conditions for a looong time. And most of them run out too fast.

Standard trolling.

Yeh abedeus I usually run sab/discord,and when I tried using a mesmer with empathic removal and other hex removals instead of one of the other heroes, the whole ensemble just doesn't work effectively, same happened when I tried a PnH prot. My point is it just leaves a whole in hero options.

Sab/discord makes PvE more easy than it already is, why not try running something diferent on heroes? There are pleanty of options, notas good a d/s-way, but they still work.
If you are really desperate to run D/S-way, then put some more hex removal on your MM, or if you running S-way, you could put hex removal on the SS.

My opinion - dont use a henchmen healer, you were with players i cant see why there wasnt heroes. im asuming yall have all games.

the henchmen slot thingy sounds like the same things you can do to a hero.

i suggest getting a variety of builds for your heroes. you said you can't just apply one build throughout the entire campaign, so kick discord and go with something more defensive. sorry i cany give any suggestions for builds, but look around there is a ton. Ive h/hed nearly 90% of this entire game, on hm no doubt! just gotta be crafty and research what your doing.

As MisterB said, heroes. I just did this quest with h/h on my warrior in HM and I had no problems, nor deaths. If you don't like henchmen, then team up with other players. Other than their horrible AI, they don't need to be changed.

/notsigned

So... by giving you constructive advice... he's trolling...

Look, this game is about counters and developing build synergy. I know the standard sabway/discordway/smiteway builds are out there, but sometimes you have to *gasp* adapt.

I hear what you're saying guys, and I only every run sab/discord in HM when I know i'l need it, most of the time I use an ineptitude mesmer, an avatar of lyssa derv and a smite monk, using hench healers which is all fine for NM. HM however brings lower recharge times/more hex spamming which my discord can't keep up with, they always remove the most harmless ones. I started using resilient weapon which seems to help.

Having at least one hex removal skill on a monk seems standard, and me and my mates don't want to bog down eachother by packing a ton of hex removal, condition removal seems much easier as things like dismiss have decent recharge times and

You clearly can't read and repeatedly fail at counter trolling. Go back an reminisce about the 'good old days' when ectos were above 5k and paladins were accepted. What I've been talking about is all about making henchmen more adaptable to areas and heroes, rather than dumping all the support role on them, which leads to the need for things like discord.

out of 3 heroes you can change 24 skills, when your preparing for massive hexes think about devoting a few slots just for hex removal. a good defensive is a good offense. here is skill suggestions.
--------------------------------------------
List of hex removal skills
Blessed Light
Contemplation of Purity - self
Convert Hexes - other allies
Cure Hex
Deny Hexes
Divert Hexes
Empathic Removal
Holy Veil
Peace and Harmony
Purge Signet
Remove Hex
Reverse Hex
Signet of Removal
Smite Hex
Spotless Mind
Withdraw Hexes
Drain Delusions - Foe, mesmer hexes only
Expel Hexes
Hex Eater Signet
Hex Eater Vortex
Inspired Hex or Revealed Hex
Shatter Hex
Hexbreaker Aria
Avatar of Dwayna - Self
Pious Restoration - Self

Then there is no way in hell your current build is going to work. Its not the game's fault you aren't doing well if you insist on using a bad build.

this is what i tried saying in my first post, except not as harsh .

Seriously can you people not read? I don't just roll around with discord munching through pve, I roll different set ups on every character when I can but that limits their other capabilities in offense, it just isn't enough as pve means they'l get more hexes on than you can remove yourself with your heroes, hench AI for removing hexes isn't the best anyway.

Hexes are only one problem I was addressing, you may want Aidan spreading conditions or pressure, thus roll on what ever template that best fits it. It's not having the power to change every skill and attribute on their bar.

Or just roll a MM and laff as 90% of hexes land on the minions.

Three skills is pretty much 90% of most builds. Might as well have made the thread asking for all hero parties.

How about this, run a dom mesmer with shatter hex and hex eater vortex. That's AOE damage, AND hex removal, AND mass enchantment removal.

Then give that mesmer interrupts and keep the ritualists locked down so they don't Binding Chains your team.

Sounds like a pretty swell option to me.

I think: It would be a great addition to henchmen if you did this: Give them skill setups

How it should work (in my dream):
Every henchman should have 3 different skill setups that you can chose from when going out in an area. You can only give them those 3 skill setups and you can't move the individual skills around.

An example:

Kai Ying (Earth Henchman):
Skillset 1)
Aura of Restoration
Dragon's Stomp
Earth Attunement
Resurrection Signet
Second Wind (E)
Stone Daggers
Ward Against Melee

Skillset 2)
Earth Attunement
Resurrection Signet
Obsidian Flame
Stone Daggers
Obsidian Flesh (E)
Sliver Armor
Aura of Restoration

Skillset 3)
Aura of Restoration
Teinai's Crystals
Ward Against Foes
Unsteady Ground (E)
Stoning
Earth Attunement
Resurrection Signet

This would add a great deal to henchie tactics + make henchies in proph and factions where there's no heroes more efficient especially for HM.... Or does this overpower the henchies? Please give me constructive criticism!

I feel for you Factions henchmen are pretty pitiful especially the monks. The healers spam 3 ten energy cost spells so they run out of energy ridiculously fast and the protectors have 3 conditions removal skills but don't have shielding hands, protective spirit or guardian. I would love for Anet to at least update the henchmen builds and maybe add new henchmen. I think there is no reason to not have 3 warrior henchmen, a curses and death necro for each campaign. I don't think I'd like the manual skill changing though just because that would be a lot of extra management which I probably do too much of already. Besides I'm sure I'd forget to change the builds back a lot but it would definitely be better than how it is now.

But hexes are going to be problem even if you take removal cuse like you said they'll recharge faster and siphon already has a mere ten second recharge, the best option I think is to take classes that aren't affected as much by the particular hex. And if the hex pretty much affects everyone just as bad I'd take a practiced stance + choking gas ranger since it works well on Eotn dryders and those are the nastiest hexers around.

The rit healers are very effective though. Not only do they have a good skill set, they also have high hacked attributes (19s and 20s). No hex removals, but then hard mode PvE should require at least some SLIGHT amount of build management. My favourite healer/prot henchies outside of Godly WoH Mhenlo.

This is a great idea that has been discussed to death many times, usually started by me =D.

I would like to have it, even though unwaking waters is easy to H/H, the factions henchmen are still terribad.

The factions monks have rubbish build management and terrible synergy. They do not work, they are horrible, and yes, the rits are far far far better.

Rits and Erys Vasburg are good. The rest are crap. Dont you ever get bored of using the same henchmen and builds again and again? I know that I definately do and wish I could change them for something new, different and unique.

Change builds? Yes please. But not just for Henchmen, for monsters and allied NPCs too! PvE and PvP! Give those darn Whisper'ers in DoA Lightbringer Gaze and Lightbringer Aura... >_>

Come on! Let's all cheer for Linsey to see to these changes! High! Ho! Get to work! High! Ho! We're going to war! He! Ho! Let's move these barrels!

To War We Go! Grab your spears! Grab your shields! Grab your axes and knives! Lets go to fight the evil builds! Kill them and we shall replace them with good builds! High! Ho!

This idea was implemented with the introduction of heroes. I seem to remember some wording in the release notes about "customizable henchmen" as well. But I could be misremembering.

Regardless, and since we're off topic anyway, closed.