Team Makeup
x1 Main Tank [Pick your favorite main tank bar]
x1 Frag Caller
OQRSA4APTAe6PYHY6yzTVMO
x3 KS Spikers
OQRDAcwyQ8U/A7AmO5ZTV7iYcA
x1 TF Solo Rit
OACjAqiMJSXTlTfT+gVT0gbMQTA
x1 T1 [Pick your favorite T1 build]
x1 T2 [Pick your favorite T2 build]
Tactics
Main Team
Pulls remain the same as normal manlyway. Spikers will not help the Ritualist at tower. Skip the group after tower and proceed to head to the battlefield [if you catch aggro, keep running, it'll break]. Leave any leftover bonds and impalers from the battlefield spike for the Ritualist and head over to forge. Do a 360 as normal. There are no more changes in route for the main team from here (Lightning forest, griffs quest = gg). One mesmer should be hanging back to get all quests in forge.
Tips:
-When in Lightning Forest, it helps to pop your Ebon Sin on the Spirit of Primal Echoes to speed-up clean up.
-MT may also sliver down SoPE to save time for spikers.
-If someone dies, immediately use Sunspear Rebirth Signet. It will recharge after morale boost (which is easy to get via quest reward, death of menzies, etc.)
-Pulls and spikes should be done fast enough so that nobody needs heals. That is why there is no UA/Healer roll (because it isn't necessary one bit).
-If TF Solo Rit dies at forest, send a mesmer to go res. Forge spikes are still clean with three of the four mesmers.
-MT should die near the ledge after slivering the shard wolf (unless the spikers are being slow, go around)[Erwin's note: Yes, I have seen pug mts go around instead of dying] for faster set-up for Griffons.
TF Solo Rit
This Ritualist's job is more as a soloist versus support. After the first two spikes, you will solo tower, where Rastigan likes to live. To do this, precast your spirits when Rastigan starts to run up the hill. Take his quest when you're done precasting everything and hug the door (Literally hug it. Your character should be up against an invisible wall). The instant the door rises, take one step forward, you should be in the doorway, and hit summon spirits so your spirits wall the opening, preventing the Shadow Lord and Abyssals from reaching you. Immediately recast your spirits when they die. Use painful bond and nightmare weapon at your discretion. You may or may not need to use a summoning stone (depending on if you're going for speed or efficiency). Take the Wailing Lord quest and run past the group the main team skipped (if you catch aggro, keep running; it'll break). Kill any leftover impalers and/or bonds the main team might have left behind. Proceed to the Lightning Forest. Drop spirits half-an-aggro bubble away from the first group of shepherds. Catch aggro of the shepherds, pull back a bit and cast summon spirits. Use other skills at your discretion. After the shepherds die, pop the rock worms and kill all of them. By this point, the main team should be at lightning forest to finish it up. Try to kill and Spirits of Primal Echoes to help the spikers. Finish clearing, run griffs, and job is done.
Tips:
-If Rastigan draws aggro to tower, call it and spikers should be running back.
-When trying to solo for the first time, always carry a few cupcakes and summoning stones just in case.
T1&T2
Same route! Same tactics!
During the test phase
Average times:
7min-8min forge
15min-17min mainteam (with griffons finished)
20min when covering terras
*These are average times with pugs in the group as well during the "PuG-friendly" test phase.
A big thank you to...
-Simulacrum Dei, the original creator and theorycrafter.
-Everyone in Cant Catch The Gingerbread Man [一二三大] who helped test and rework the builds.
I can do Main Team faster with two spikers. Its called One mop and One Hundred Blades Warrior.
This build is meant for pug-friendliness and cleanliness versus overall speed. Most pug FoW groups aren't clean in spikes and are slow at clean-up. I know you know this Fawx.