Skills - Power Block

Guild Wars Guru

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

You can view this database entry at: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/skill/327-power-block.
You may add your comments in this thread.

Armada Hunter

Armada Hunter

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

omghaqr

[bulletproof]

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: May 2005

W/R

wow, impressive spell. does anyone know where I can find it?

Rey Lentless

Rey Lentless

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Can be found in Perdition rock, flesh golem boss Lyssa's Cursed.

ZenBoy

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jun 2005

now THIS is how you shut someone down in PVP...

Elythor

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2005

Elysium Protectorate [EP]

This skill is best use against Elementalists because of their higher cast time. Against monks...it's not that great because most monk spells has short casting time and it's much harder to time correctly.

Skillful Slayer

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: May 2005

So god invented arcane conundrum etc etc so monks cast slower even just interrupting one healing breeze shuts down all heals

Tacko

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jun 2005

Celestial Legion

Mo/Me

where's perdition rock?

Eonwe

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

New Jersey

Idiot Savants

It's the explorable area outside of Ember Light Camp (the outpost you get after you beat the mission Thunderhead Keep).

mariano

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2005

Which advantages would have using this spell over using Back Fire?

I mean, they are different and may have differente purposes... which? For I see that Back Fire for 10 seconds either causes damage, else, disallows using any spell, whilst Power Block for 15 seconds (with 15 points on domination) disables a kind of skills.

But:
Back Fire can be easely casted, Power Block has to interrupt a spell casting.
Back Fire is not elite, Power Block is elite.
And last, these spells are in a high degree mutually incompatible, so I think it is right to present them as alternatives for a similar function; and I think, that for a foe, it is a greater challenge to counter Back Fire than Power Block.

Any expert's comment?

The Red Knight

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2005

Zero Files Remaining [LaG]

R/Mo

you can't remove power block

Finch

Finch

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2005

Accident Prone [AP]

This skill is very good on those long casting fire eles. Its also very good if your using Arcane Conundrum. While its recharging jsut load a ton of wastrels worries on them.

LynGrey

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2005

Glorium de Mori

E/

Here's the trick... interupt a big nasty spell from happening or wait for it to happen and make them pay for it. With a backfire on my mage.. i usally just don't cast, or i will cast stuff thats going to kill you or alter something.

Now back fire is good for fast casting spells or spikers.. while Black out is good for catching that monk off guard and diabling all his healing skills. =)

This skill is why i don't go pure one attribute of skills on my bar now, i have like 2-3 atleast from each profession and each attribute. The worst thing that happned was with my fire mage... i was casting my fireball into a cluster of peole fighting.. and BAM all my skills but 2 are disabled.. one was serpents quickness which was recharging and elemental attunement eerrgg!

Its a great skill, you just got to know how to intterupt it and use it wisely, just like everyother skill out there.

romO

romO

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

Chicago

Idiot Savants [iQ]

Mo/

yeah backfire is a very important hex, and so other teams will remove it right away. even with a cover hex. once you are power blocked, it is something that you have to deal with. and it is very easy to use, even on monks.

CKaz

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2005

And backfires can be blocked at the getgo - hex breaker.
Or a Holy Veil can be waiting for it. Or as mentioned, remove it.

PowerBlock - nuttin but net
Even easier with monitor stuff up

MIGHT even be useful PvE as you knock out a line, most mobs don't have much more than 1 line..

Ruoenkruez Tudor

Ruoenkruez Tudor

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

with Jessica Alba

Me/W

use this with migraine and arcane conundrum and watch your foes curse at you and u get this in Hells Precipice mission

Murder In China

Murder In China

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2005

/B/Chan

Looking for one

W/

Isn't migraine an elite also?

rii

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2005

UK

teamwork?

Man With No Name

Man With No Name

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

Manchester, UK

W/

I've gotta be honest -- I look at the Mesmer elites and I can never really not pick this one.

It's a non-touch Blackout on steroids. Knocking out one or two important foes for up to 16 seconds is just too tempting to put down. An aweful lot can be achieved in 16 seconds.

Would I be dramatising if I said this elite is a game winner..??

Finch

Finch

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2005

Accident Prone [AP]

(quote) Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruoenkruez Tudor
use this with migraine and arcane conundrum and watch your foes curse at you and u get this in Hells Precipice mission (/quote)

hmm not too sure on this one. Like the person above stated, you can't use 2 elites. And also, you get it at Perdition Rock. The Hells Precipice elite is Panic.

And yes, it definetly could be a game winner. Watching a healing monk stand there for 16 seconds is crutial.

lg5000

lg5000

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Australia

It works great in Pve, just use it on the titans

The big difference between backfire and powerblock is that while backfire does damage, their spells still get cast and you take damage because of it, with powerblock, they don't take additional damage but can't do a thing (in that particular line).

and for 2 elites, that's what mimicry is for, now try convincing someone on your team to take panick instead of their prefered elite :P

super dooper

super dooper

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

W/

bah, forget the titans :P

this spell rocks Sorrow's Furnace monk bosses.. 16 domination, Power Block and Shatter Enchantment - they sit there like idiots.

makes our 5 man FA runs easy cheesy..

Rajamic

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

IA

Chronicles of Heroes [CoH]

R/Me

Eles tend to be the best targets, as they have longer cast times and almost always focus there entire skillbar on one elementalist line and energy management. Hit them with Power Block and they are completely shut down.

Monks work the same way, but their spells tend to be much quicker, so this is harder to hit.


I can think of one counter for Power Block, but it is rather impractical and inconsistant for almost everyone who needs to fear Power Block: Oath Shot.

Warriors and Ranger don't have much to fear from Power Block since it only will disable skills if it interrupts a spell. A mage, however, could go Ranger secondary, bring a bow and Oath Shot, and have a 50% chance of reversing Power Block's effect. This would however lock you in to Ranger as your sub, take up your elite slot, and be of essentially no use unless you were hit by Power Block. It's a bit to specific of use for its cost, but if you know your opponent well, you might be able to justify it.

damocles

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

The Netherlands

Guidless :(

W/

Another Counter I can think of is Signet of Humility.

Karel Franz

Karel Franz

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Nov 2005

TNT The Dynamic Forces

Me/N

well there are alot of if if if if's in this game take arcane echo and have even more fun

(reature111

(reature111

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

STW

N/Me

what -1 is to 1, is what Power Block is to Spellbreaker

Sereng Amaranth

Sereng Amaranth

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Amazon Basin [AB]

Arcane Echo + Power Block = 2 bosses dumbfounded

Orochim4ru

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

mustache riders

Don't use power block unless you don't need hexes to pull it off. 1 second cast time abilities should be fodder for you during your first few days of blocking, afterwards try to get all the 3/4s and above.

Most importantly, CUSTOMIZE your interface so that the enemy skill doesn't appear at the top of your screen. The time it takes to move your attention from your party's status/skill recharge timers/positioning/etc to the skillbar is too much to allow you to identify which spell is being used (critical, seeing as you don't want to even TRY blocking a Reversal of Fortune, or any similar 1/4 cast spell) and react with either a power block/drain/leak.

As for mind games, shame by FAR outdoes backfire, since it ends sooner, and carries a far steeper penalty. Losing 140~ hp isn't terrible if you aren't being wailed on and you need a clutch heal. Charging the mesmer, losing a skill for the duration of its recharge, dropping a fair bit of energy AND telling a mes he should be ready to throw a block? Far more dangerous.

Also, if you're fairly good at timing, you can measure the time it takes for a monk to return to 5 energy after you've drained him. This, however, will NOT work on a good monk, since a good monk has enough experience to cast himself under 0 energy.