The 4th Monk (protections)

Aranarth

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

This monk is intended for 8v8 tombs or GvG. This is a protections monk that is supported by 2 healing monks and either some other kind of support caster, or a more traditional protections monk.

Class: Monk / Elementalist

Attributes: (cost)
Divine Favor: 8+1 (37)
Protection Prayers: 12+2 (97)
Earth Magic: 10 (61)

Total attribute points used: 195/200

Skills: [Attribute] (Energy, Cast Time, Recharge TIme)
1) Guardian [Protection Prayers] (5,1,2) Enchantment: For 5 seconds, target ally has a 48% chance to block attacks and magical projectiles.

2) Aegis [Protection Prayers] (15,1,30) Enchantment: For 11 seconds, all party members have a 50% chance to block attacks.

3) Shield of Regeneration [Protection Prayers] (15,1,20) Enchantment: For 11 seconds, target ally gains 10 health regeneration and 40 armor. This is an elite skill.

4) Glyph of Lesser Energy [none] (5,1,30) Glyph: Your next spell cost 15 less energy to cast.

5) Ward Against Melee [Earth Magic] (10,1,20) Spell: You create a ward against melee at your current location. For 16 seconds, allies in this area have a 50% chance to evade melee attacks.

6) Blessed Signet [Divine Favor] (0,2,10) Signet: For each enchantment you are maintaining, you gain 3 energy, maximum 16.

7) Life Bond [Protection Prayers] (10,2,0) Enchantment: While you maintain this enchantment, whenever target other ally takes damage from an attack, half the damage is redirected to you. The damage you receive this way is reduced by 29 points.

8) Balthazar's Spirit [Smiting Prayers] (10,2,0) Enchantment: While you maintain this enchantment, target ally gains adrenaline and energy after taking damage.

As usual, I use Life Bond on the 3 other monks/support casters. I use Balthazar's Aura on myself to gain energy when any of the 4 of us are hit.

I keep Ward Against Melee up as much as possible, and I use Aegis when it refreshes. (If running 4 monks, the other protections can have Aegis up while mine is recharging.)

Shield of Regeneration and Guardian are there to help save someone who is being focused.

Blessed Signet and Glyph of Energy, as well as the energy I get from Balthazar's Spirit ensures that I can always cast my spells when I need them.

Are there any other skills that suit this theme that I should consider?

Linkie

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2005

Norway

P/W

How do you plan on compensating for the lack of offense you will have with 4 monks?

Aranarth

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

I am looking for feedback on the build and what skills might fit in there better.

Harlas Kije

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

NW Indiana

Mo/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aranarth
This monk is intended for 8v8 tombs or GvG. This is a protections monk that is supported by 2 healing monks and either some other kind of support caster, or a more traditional protections monk.

Class: Monk / Elementalist

Attributes: (cost)
Divine Favor: 8+1 (37)
Protection Prayers: 12+2 (97)
Earth Magic: 10 (61)

Total attribute points used: 195/200

Skills: [Attribute] (Energy, Cast Time, Recharge TIme)
1) Guardian [Protection Prayers] (5,1,2) Enchantment: For 5 seconds, target ally has a 48% chance to block attacks and magical projectiles.

2) Aegis [Protection Prayers] (15,1,30) Enchantment: For 11 seconds, all party members have a 50% chance to block attacks.

3) Shield of Regeneration [Protection Prayers] (15,1,20) Enchantment: For 11 seconds, target ally gains 10 health regeneration and 40 armor. This is an elite skill.

4) Glyph of Lesser Energy [none] (5,1,30) Glyph: Your next spell cost 15 less energy to cast.

5) Ward Against Melee [Earth Magic] (10,1,20) Spell: You create a ward against melee at your current location. For 16 seconds, allies in this area have a 50% chance to evade melee attacks.

6) Blessed Signet [Divine Favor] (0,2,10) Signet: For each enchantment you are maintaining, you gain 3 energy, maximum 16.

7) Life Bond [Protection Prayers] (10,2,0) Enchantment: While you maintain this enchantment, whenever target other ally takes damage from an attack, half the damage is redirected to you. The damage you receive this way is reduced by 29 points.

8) Balthazar's Spirit [Smiting Prayers] (10,2,0) Enchantment: While you maintain this enchantment, target ally gains adrenaline and energy after taking damage.

As usual, I use Life Bond on the 3 other monks/support casters. I use Balthazar's Aura on myself to gain energy when any of the 4 of us are hit.

I keep Ward Against Melee up as much as possible, and I use Aegis when it refreshes. (If running 4 monks, the other protections can have Aegis up while mine is recharging.)

Shield of Regeneration and Guardian are there to help save someone who is being focused.

Blessed Signet and Glyph of Energy, as well as the energy I get from Balthazar's Spirit ensures that I can always cast my spells when I need them.

Are there any other skills that suit this theme that I should consider?
Looking at your skills..why would you used Glyph of energy? You have 2 that cost 15 en. but with 20/30 recast time. Glyph costs 5 energy--and the two would still cost 5 energy each right? That would mean you are saving 5 energy by casting glyph and one of those--but with a long recast time--wouldn't it kind of equal out? Or does the min energy drop lower than 5? Just wondering since I have never really used glyph too much.

Aranarth

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

Well, it makes either Aegis or Shield of Regeneration cost only 5 energy in total, saving me 10 energy.

With Glyph I can cast anything I want in my build as soon as it refreshes non stop. Without it I cannot, and so adding another skill in its place would mean I am adding something that I can't afford to cast.

ChristopherKee

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

Total Power = 15
Cast Glyph of Energy -5
Cast Aegis -5
Total Power Remaining = 5
Total Power Saved = 5

trias_e

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2005

No.

Cast Glyph of Energy -5
Cast Aegis 0
Total Power Saved = 10.

Aug

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Maryland

Mo/

I'd consider replacing Shield of Regeneration with Peace and Harmony. Just how much damage mitigation does one target need? You already have Guardian + Ward Against Melee + Aegis.

Peace & Harmony would improve your Blessed Signet casts, as well as give you a pip of energy regen, which you could use to either maintain another Life Bond, or just use to have some passive regen.

How does Balthazar's Spirit work, exactly? Is it same energy gain regardless of damage taken? Does it trigger if the damage = 0? If so, maybe consider using Shielding Hands instead of Guardian, to better work with all the Life Bonds.

Aranarth

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

Ok, there were a few questions here, so I'll divide them up.

First of all, Glyph of Lesser Energy says nothing about a minimum energy cost. Trias has the right result.

Second:

Peace and Harmony is not a maintained enchantment. Blessed signet only works based on maintained enchantments, so it will not give extra energy for having Peace and Harmony.

How much mitigation does one target need? As much as it's possible to give them. Having all of that extra mana wouldn't make much sense if I had nothing to cast with it. I am not having any problem with energy with the build as it is, so I don't need to go in that direction.

I could maintan another life bond, but this narrows my build's function a lot more and makes it less reliable.

Third:

Bathazar's Spirit does trigger when you take a hit for zero. The thing is that between 4 support casters, even with the stacked 50% evade spells, you still see them get hit plenty. Again, I have zero energy issues with this build and do not need to move in that direction.

Fourth:

The problem with shielding hands is that it recharges slowly. Guardian aids my other 50% chance to miss spells, and it's spammable. I can switch targets with it quickly if needed, and it also gives a small divine favor heal each time. I needed one spammable spell, and I chose that.