Confused about Discordway, do you NEED the AP caller?

Library Science

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Mar 2011

31 Mar 2011 at 18:43 - 1

Hello everyone

I've recently taken a long break from the game, and upon my return I have found that Sabway no longer dominates Meta-game. It didn't take long to find Discordway was on everyone's heroes these days, so I dug into wiki articles and threads here on guru to find out how it's used.

Everything has been pretty straight forward, however there seems to be an ongoing argument about whether you need to be running an AP caller build for Discordway to really make the magic happen. I've always loved Dervishes, and at this point I think that switching to this build will change my play style more than I would like, and just be an overall pain. So I come to you, do I have to run a special build to use Discordway, or can I continue using my VoS Earth dervish (that I'm having a blast with

)?

Thanks in advance, and I would also like to apologize for my sub par English skills

cataphract

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2005

Ashford Abbey

Hey Mallyx [icU]

Mo/Me

31 Mar 2011 at 19:02 - 2

You don't need an AP caller to make the magic happen but it does help. If you're not playing a caster class or simply don't have AP, EVAS or whatever look how you can help your discord heroes - apply hexes, apply conditions or even both.

Library Science

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Mar 2011

31 Mar 2011 at 19:10 - 3

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll look into a more condition heavy build!

aga

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2009

England

31 Mar 2011 at 19:29 - 4

The point of the AP caller is to quickly apply a hex and condition to the target so your heroes can spike with discord faster, while doing damage with EVAS/YMLaD and 'finish him' for the killing blow. Ap allowing the constant spam of the powerful PvE skills. So you don't need the Ap build, but it will definately help if you can have cheap and spammable hexes/conditions on your bar, as heroes tend to be slow at getting them off themselves.

Since your playing Derv yo have plenty of spammable conditions to spam, but you don't have any hexes, so consider something like Asura Scan, which only has a 5sec cd, and will help you a lot in area with lots of blind and blocking.

Library Science

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Mar 2011

31 Mar 2011 at 19:35 - 5

Thanks, makes sense now. I'll be sure to throw Asura Scan in there.

Outerworld

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2010

Gil Worz Is Srs [Bsns]

31 Mar 2011 at 19:35 - 6

Really it makes little sense using Discord as a physical with all the buffs available.

cataphract

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2005

Ashford Abbey

Hey Mallyx [icU]

Mo/Me

31 Mar 2011 at 19:37 - 7

Dre

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2007

Belgium

Dutch Doom Brigade

31 Mar 2011 at 20:20 - 8

Quote:

Originally Posted by cataphract

I wouldn't take a hex on my bar. Chances are you're going to spec one of the necros to death and curses so keep Discord and give him MoP, Barbs, Weaken Armor and Reckless Haste. You can easily micro Reckless when you apply your conditions. He's playing physical, so Asuran scan is an excellent skill to use;
The only times I'm not using Asuran scan is when using either 100b or VoS (and even then I usually have it on my bar)

That said, there are better options to run as a physical, but you could do a lot worse than discord

Star_Jewel

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2010

Denizen of Tyria since Feb. 2009

31 Mar 2011 at 20:41 - 9

Discord can be powerful, but the standard hero bars are definitely skewed more to caster players. You miss a lot of the good physical support skills unless you tweak the hell out of the heroes. As a physical, spamming a hex and applying a condition while the heroes do all the work isn't a very satisfying way to play, in my experience. Now that we have 7 heroes, you can probably come up with something quite effective, though, some sort of mixture of Discordway/Sabway, maybe.

And as has been said, no you don't need the AP-YMLaD!-EVAS-FH! chain. Spammable hex (Asuran Scan) + conditions and you're good to go.

Bandwagon

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2010

31 Mar 2011 at 20:49 - 10

If your a physical and you want to use discordway, an AP caller is ideal, or at the very least using the T button so the heroes don't discord random targets (thus achieving dick all since the point of discord is to spike a target). AP calling works even on dervish primaries since they have 4 pips of energy recovery (you may need to space out your skill usage though otherwise you may experience energy deficits. I would recommend bringing a staff for the extra energy so you can frontload your spells more often.

BrettM

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2008

Fuzzy Physics Institute

31 Mar 2011 at 22:16 - 11

Before the 7-heroes update, I used Discord only with my casters and always ran an AP caller. For physicals I stuck to Sabway or Spiritway. After the update, I found that adding two mesmers and spirits to the team provided so much hexing and conditioning that I tried discord with my physicals as well. Worked great.

I don't even use an AP caller build with my casters any more, but went back to playing bars that are a lot more fun. My ele can go back to being an ele, now, and my smiting monk is in heaven. Almost all my player bars have a condition in there somewhere -- blind, burning, and/or weakness mostly. I try to apply a condition on the called target with the first attack, knowing one of the heroes is sure to slap a hex on it at the same time. So, discord requirements are being met about as fast as they are with AP caller, and sometimes faster since an AP caller can't apply both hex and condition simultaneously.

Outerworld

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2010

Gil Worz Is Srs [Bsns]

31 Mar 2011 at 23:09 - 12

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrettM

So, discord requirements are being met about as fast as they are with AP caller, and sometimes faster since an AP caller can't apply both hex and condition simultaneously. errm...yes it can...

BrettM

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2008

Fuzzy Physics Institute

01 Apr 2011 at 02:32 - 13

aga

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2009

England

01 Apr 2011 at 02:37 - 14

Well they do, since you can use YMLaD (cripple) and AP (hex) at the same time.

Daesu

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2008

01 Apr 2011 at 05:37 - 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Library Science

Everything has been pretty straight forward, however there seems to be an ongoing argument about whether you need to be running an AP caller build for Discordway to really make the magic happen. I've always loved Dervishes, and at this point I think that switching to this build will change my play style more than I would like, and just be an overall pain. So I come to you, do I have to run a special build to use Discordway, or can I continue using my VoS Earth dervish (that I'm having a blast with

)? Strictly speaking, you dont need a AP caller setup if you already have hexes and condition inflicting skills in your team since discord can only work if the target is hexed and suffering from a condition.

You can either wait for the hero to be smart and cast the necessary hex and condition so that they can get onto discord, or you can micro your heroes. Or, better yet, use an AP caller setup with AP+YMLAD to prep each new target for your heroes to discord it.

Outerworld

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2010

Gil Worz Is Srs [Bsns]

01 Apr 2011 at 09:19 - 16

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrettM View Post

errm .. while there are hexes that impose conditions, most people are going to want to cast AP first to ensure that AP is on the target before it dies. In typical use the AP caller build does not impose a hex and condition simultaneously at the start of a spike. Ymlad zero cast time means you can use at the same time as a hex.
Also throwing AP on the foe first can be risky, makes more sense to save it for when the enemy is definitely going to die.

cataphract

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2005

Ashford Abbey

Hey Mallyx [icU]

Mo/Me

01 Apr 2011 at 09:27 - 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dre View Post

He's playing physical, so Asuran scan is an excellent skill to use;
The only times I'm not using Asuran scan is when using either 100b or VoS (and even then I usually have it on my bar) I've never used Asuran on any of my physical chars. It just seems unnatural to me. Wasting time casting spells when you could be leeroying about or happily chopping up enemies. Thanks, but no thanks. C+Space FTW.