Build Critics

Is anybody else annoyed at all of the "Build Critics" out there?

This is something I run across constantly, and frankly I find it very annoying. Today it happened to me 2 times. And it was with a character that has 3 different Defender titles, and several others.

People play different ways. I especially love it that the person that was so critical said afterwards that they have never played a Ritualist. So what gives them a right to complain? Or that they see that half of my hero monk's skills are Rit skills, so that means it is a junk build.

So what that "Mend Body And Soul" is a Rit skill. It heals 39 points, and removes 1 condition per spirit (of which there are a lot since my main character is a Spirit Spammer).

Let's see another monk skill that removes Poison, Burning, Cripple, Deep Wound, and heals you at the same time. At a cost of only 5 energy no less.

Or Spirit Light, 5 energy and 84 health. And yea, my monk spams Preservation everywhere. But nobody complains about that when things go sour, and they run past it and it heals them for 94 as they pass by.

I suggest to those that read the forum, try not to be build critics. Sure you may be an ace, but the other person often has something quite specific in mind, that you are not thinking about. And if you actually see them in action, you might be amazed at what some of the "unconventional builds" can do.

Of course, this does not apply to the legitimate "junk builds" out there. And yea, I have seen a lot of them. But come on, by the time a person makes it to Hell's Precipice (or any of the other endgame points), they should have a good idea what is working, and what is not working.

BTW, this is the Rit "junk build" I had earlier, tweaked slightly for Hells Precipice.

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I'd have to agree, sorry.
Your builds trying to do healing and damage - and though the healing side is fine, i'd have to say that the general damage of 3 spirits that'll take ~ 10 secs to get up along with the hex wouldn't be as efficient as some other combinations.

And i agree that by the time people reach the endgame areas they have an idea about what doesn't work - but that doesn't mean they'll have an idea about what works the best.

You need a lot of energy, and the more effective skills take 15 energy and you do not have any kind of energy management.

Then you are a mix of healer and also a bit of a damage dealer. Especially in Hard mode going for the weapon spells would yield better results.

Be a healer, a spirit spammer or do something with weapon spells, at the moment you are a healer/spirit spammer with energy problems.

Rather provide some blocking than excessive condition removal. The melee Titans are something you can take care of. The worst thing that happens is something you can hardly prevent, Sparks of the Titans causing burning over and over.


I also wonder what a legitimate junk build is. Just test it in Hard Mode, and see if it works yourself.

Restore Condition.
Draw Conditions.
That's two off the top of my head.

And since you love build criticism, here's more: that rit build is, in fact, "junk". Bloodsong is a waste of time at 3 Channeling, Painful Bond is also questionable at that low of a spec. Preservation is an awful skill because not only does it only heal once every four seconds, you can't even control who it heals. It's just as likely to hit your 100% health guy as it is your 10% health guy. No energy management even with three 15e skills. Spawning Power is useless in that build because you have no spirits that are losing health over time and no weapon spells, and 28% more health of ~140 health means it'll still die just as fast. And yes, I've played a Ritualist.

Some people like to criticize just to try to be a complete douche. Some people like to criticize to try to help people learn. Personally I've been known to do both, and am admittedly doing somewhat of both right now.

The key point to all this though - if you like a build even though it's subpar, ignore everybody telling you otherwise and run it anyway. The game's supposed to be about fun, if you enjoy the build and it gets you through areas, run it! Criticism is not intended to be an insult to you (at least when I do it) - it's only supposed to make you realize where your build has faults so you know where to go if you're having problems.

Your build does need alot of work, but if you like it, keep it. I'd never be caught dead using it though.

What's your normal build?

Most of the time, people who know the game well only want to play with other people who play at a similar level. So if they encounter someone who runs something sub-par, it is common sense they WILL criticize it. Though, you should appreciate a fact that an experienced player tries to help your build when they do.
The only way to get better at Gw is via criticism. And if you don't get better, people won't want to play with you and you should not beg people to be in their group. Simple as that.

I'm sorry, but have you been in any PuGs lately for the PvE Zaishen Quests in HM? There a plenty of people who play without a clue on how to make a proper build.

*takes a breath of relief*
Got away safely!

I thought you might be one of the guys I yelled at for running crap. The last guy I actually played with, I told him to kick all his heroes and I replaced them with hench. I guess, he couldn't take it because after that - he raged and got himself a runner. I completed the mission with masters.

doubt he means elite skills. And draw doesnt remove. it transfers. and it heals the transferer, not the person the condition is on.

But as for eveyrthing else. You are right.

Considering I'm fairly certain it's possible to get to HP in NM just using the default henchies and an empty skillbar, and I know I've seen a screenshot of Ate beating HP (on HM or NM, I forget) with 2 para heros, himself as war, a war hero, 2 war henchies, and the two monk henchies with no skills save one res on each of the heros (and at 10% morale at the end, too), no, getting to HP doesn't mean crap about their knowledge of what's good and what's not. This is entirely discounting the possibility of a truly terrible player getting dragged along by PUGs, friends, or guildies, too.

BTW, your builds are horrible, for the reasons already posted. Whether or not you care to change them is your perogative; I'm not being a jerk, just stating a fact.

Thicker skin, tbh. Never been bothered enough by what anyone said to me about a build to post a thread about it. These so-called "critics" typically fall into three categories: Clueless scrub, bored troll, and skilled person actually trying to help you improve. Ignore the first two, but when the third type comes along, listen. You might just become a better player for it.

What bothers me is the people who never listen, no matter how genuinely helpful someone is trying to be. News flash: There are people who are better at GW than you and me. When they're around and giving advice, drop the ego and hear them out. Too many people have this false sense of entitlement, or write off legitimate advice as "elitism".

Your monk's mend body and soul is only healing for 39 and you waste a skill slot for it? Wait, the Spirit Light is only healing for 84? Wait, WHAT?

Sorry to be a complete scrub, but you need a huge improvement in learning how to play, and the game does get more fun as you get better at making good skillbars.

As for Preservation, sorry, I cant help but lol if anyone actually likes wasting their elite slot for a random heal every 4 seconds limited to area range. Vengeful or Xinraes Weps are too much better, or even Spirit Light Weapon with Recuperation + Rejuvenation for absolutely epic red bar up healing.

Still cant touch Ether Prism or Soul Reaping healing heroes though.

I'm thinking exactly the same thing.

They're right you know, your build is pretty junk. :/

You should have either gone pure heal, or channel/resto, or maybe even channel/commune with signet of ghostly might.

but the bar you posted, is in all respects, terrible.

Few reasons why off the top of my head...

No energy managment.
Low Damage. (only damage is from your 3 spirits + painful bond, which are relatively low level... you'd want higher channel and lower commune... and more spirits. plus they'd die super easy, especially in the area you were in)

Low Healing compared to a real healer. (if you're just being support heals that's fine, but really your healing is quite nominal)

Overall, it IS a junk build. :P (This coming from someone who DOES play rit, btw)

If you don't want critics don't post the build, that's the law.

"For each rank of Divine Favor, allies are healed for 3.2 whenever you cast Monk spells on them. Several Monk skills, especially spells relating to energy gain and healing, become more effective with a higher Divine Favor."

Here's the reason why you shouldn't stick with restoration stuff as a primary monk. The best thing about restoration line is that you can turn primary eles and necros into healers, the only E/Mo worth using is the Ether Renewal prot spammer, and N/Rt > N/Mo if it's not prot.

Mend body and Soul is a small non-elite Restore Condition, yes, but it's limited to spirits, kill them and you lose a condition removal, that's why you shouldn't always rely on it, even if you're a spirit spammer, an ele can wipe your whole army.

now for the 'junk build' you posted:
[Anguished Was Lingwah][Bloodsong][Shadowsong][Painful Bond][Preservation][Mend Body and Soul][Spirit Light][Winter]
3 channeling
4 wilderness survival
7 spawing power
11 restoration
11 communing

You have nothing that makes spawing power worth of using, so drop it and put the points into channeling, for a stronger Painful Bond. The build is fine, but you have serious energy problems, so I suggest dropping Preservation for Offering of Spirit to have some kind of energy management, or simply get a necro with blood ritual.

Martyr, although its transferred to you, dismiss conditions, Draw conditions, Life sheath

And as far as build critics go, im probably one of them, and when i see a bad build go out in AC i tell the person how to improve it and why it wont work, theres nothing wrong with it.

dismiss condition mend condition/touch/aliment are all 5 energy and plenty of others like it; Also synergy is usually only good when its better then somthing else, so Mend body and Soul isnt better then mend condition at the same point spread

Back to the main idea, if u find insults annoying dont party with humans. Then you dont hve to deal with it at all.

No offense but QQing about how people act wont make them change

If I see anything without an elite, I think, OMFG FAILWAYS KICK NOOB!!!!11!1ONEEVELENONE!1 So I'm a big build critic.

This thread is funny because the OP is complaining about build critics, and what happens, the majority of the posts are criticizing the build.

Suppose I pose this question instead... Is anybody else annoyed at players who think they have "epic" builds, but really do not?

You'd be surprised at the number of warriors with healing hands there.