Earthbind: the wonder spirit

First, a clarification: the ritualist spirit Earthbind has two effects, the stated effect of extending knockdown duration and an undocumented one: it makes it possible to knock down targets that can't usually be knocked down.

So, first I'd like to ask: does anyone know who (if anyone) still cannot be knocked down? While the lack of an animation makes it hard to see, I'm pretty sure I've knocked down Shiro, Kuunavang (extremely handy, actually, you can finish the mission in 2 minutes), the Disk of chaos and who knows who else. I curse myself for not checking when I was engaging Mallyx yesterday, but he did seem to be standing still at times...

Second, who would this really work against well? Where can you really benefit from keeping an enemy forever down?

And third, what would be a really nice build to use this with? My ritualist was playing with Wanderlust, but it's annoying, since it almost never targets who I want it to target. Great dwarf weapon sure would be nice, but I'd need to dedicate at least a few of my party to physical damage.

With earth shaker its really good.
aoe longer KD is epic, brought with RoJ,you'll blast away anything.
Also Dhuum can be kd'd, witch is very good.

Take "You Move Like a Dwarf!" instant KD on anything. Follow up with the vanguard sin.

That and brawling headbutt if you're a fighter make for some pretty neat action. If I know I'm going to be fighting stun proof stuff, i'll usually slip in earthbind. It works well against the Jotuns in their dungeon too, and I think the wurms in frostmaw(I forget but I think I've used it against them).

Just note, if they get their anti-KD from a skill like balance stance or something similar you still can't KD them.

Am I missing something here? ES lasts 3 seconds with or without earth bind, right? (stonefist...)

Sorry.
still good though

You are right Iuris. From the unofficial wiki:

"Foes that are originally immune to knockdown can be knocked down while under the effect of Earthbind. No animation will show, but they will freeze in place for a few seconds."

I like using Earthbind in an E/Rt build with Unsteady Ground. It's loads of fun to use against Dhuum, too. With seven heroes it should be even more fun, since I can put the spirit on a rit hero to make it last longer.

Does anyone know why this is not documented, btw? I mean, it's quite a big thing, probably more important than the knockdown extension alone...

This has been known for ages (statement of fact, not any jab at OP).

Interesting how gimping players with henchmen make stuff like this go undetected.

Additionally many enemies aren't really immune to knockdowns - they have a resistance.

For example it is possible to knockdown shiro with backbreaker.

Mallyx has been a joke for years - gdw+earthbind =gg mallyx. Or Dhuum.

If you read the description you will see it doesn't say it extends knockdowns - it says knockdown foes are knocked for at least 3 seconds.

It is like old avatar of melandru.

While it said it was immune to conditions, it really wasn't - conditions simply lasted 0 seconds, meaning fragility would trigger multiple times instantly.

For example, from this thread from 2008(good for any guys wishing to do DoA, although a bit outdated, but a decent starting point) http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...ht=doa+heroway

Bottom line: What we would generally call Immunity, in guild wars has the form of "cannot be property" . When something in guild wars says it is immune it means the effects are reduced to 0 seconds.

I'll have to try to see if Avatar of Grenth takes damage from fragility if he is targeted with something that causes Disease

EDIT: Just tested with the help of higherminion, and indeed even though Avatar of Grenth says it is immune to disease, it still takes damage from fragility + rotting flesh.

Great Dwarf Weapon + Earthbind=raep on floor

Um, you need GDW + Earthbind + Armor of unfeeling + Summon spirits to maintain the bloody thing. Otherwise, you'll only get very very few knockdowns...

I wonder if it does anything for Abaddon...

Soul Twisting or Ritual Lord are good ways to get more usage out of earthbind.

I'll make this easy for you so you don't have to test in every area.

It_works_on_everything.

I checked the effect on Abaddon. It seems that while it stops his skills, knocking him down doesn't prevent hit from tearing his head away. So, safer, but no one-set-kills.

Last time I used it on Cynder the Mountain Heart it resulted in a bugged and invincible Cynder. This is maybe not desirable.