Dunham and Claude

Silent Kitty

Silent Kitty

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

Netherlands

[TYW] "The Young World"

A/Me

There should really be a FAQ about hench, because they are the less stressful way of playing and I choose them above pugs 90% of the time.
What do Dunham (Enchanter) and Claud (Cultist) do? I usually just tag them along, because they lessen the chance that I'm attacked. I am currently in Maguuma Jungle. I know that later in the game Claude starts casting Well on corpses, but in Maguuma he is just to low lvl. I don't think that hench are supposed to be just decoys. Dunham casts Distortion, but is that all?

eightyfour-onesevenfive

eightyfour-onesevenfive

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

7??13'35" E - 50??06'27" N

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

I would point you to guildwiki, if it wasn't down at the moment. The skill lists for the henches are quite complete there, I think.

Claude likes to put stress on the healers by spamming Blood Ritual whenever possible (only time he doesn't do this is when you actually need energy). I've even witnessed him sacrificing himself to death once. Other than that he deals a little damage with Deathly Swarm. He's always my last choice.

I find Dunham actually quite useful, as he casts Empathy and on occation he can tank quite well, using Distortion. From Dragon's Lair on iirc he has Crippling Anguish instead of Imagined Burden. And yes, he does divert a lot of enemy attention from the monks.

Silent Kitty

Silent Kitty

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

Netherlands

[TYW] "The Young World"

A/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by eightyfour-onesevenfive
I would point you to guildwiki, if it wasn't down at the moment. The skill lists for the henches are quite complete there, I think.

Claude likes to put stress on the healers by spamming Blood Ritual whenever possible (only time he doesn't do this is when you actually need energy). I've even witnessed him sacrificing himself to death once. Other than that he deals a little damage with Deathly Swarm. He's always my last choice.

I find Dunham actually quite useful, as he casts Empathy and on occation he can tank quite well, using Distortion. From Dragon's Lair on iirc he has Crippling Anguish instead of Imagined Burden. And yes, he does divert a lot of enemy attention from the monks.
I think Alesia is a much better decoy, as she tend to run around like mad, randomly spamming heals and Reversal of Fortune on herself.
Claude is my last choice too. Actually, I choose Alesia over him, though I am playing healer Mo/Ra at that moment.

The undead Mesmer

The undead Mesmer

Delphian Scribe

Join Date: May 2005

Holland

No guild ;_;

N/Me

Dunham is da man he saved my ass lots of times (on accident ofcourse)
His skills could have been better but he is a nice guy once you get to know him.
And about Claude he gives you a blood ritual from time to time and ofcourse heals the enemy with Grenths Balance.

*drinks some coffee*

Coolniceronguy

Coolniceronguy

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2005

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Amidst A Sea Of Darkness[Star]

For the longest time, I have always had a spot in my party for Claude/Eve.

Reason: Blood Ritual. With these guys battery necroing you, and your healers, you will rarely run out of energy. It is usually triggered when your energy bar drops down to 10 or less.

Jenosavel

Jenosavel

Master of Beasts

Join Date: Jul 2005

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Dunham amuses me, because as far as I know, he's the only hench who will aggro friendlies on the map... namely warthogs. He apparently has some terrible and deep-seated fear of them, because whenever the friendly little guys wander too close he throws an Empathy up on them. Self-fullfilling prophecy? I'd say so.

jciardha

jciardha

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

International Districts

The Labyrinth of Night [LoN]

Me/

I bring Dunham along when I have the chance, mostly because then I have an excuse to not bring along certain mesmer skills. I let him cast Empathy, Crippling Anguish and Drain Enchantment, leaving me free slots to drop in different spells than his.

And I can corroborate what Jenosavel said ... Dunham does attack random friendlies for no reason. I've seen him Empathy lynxes and warthogs just out of the blue.

Str0b0

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

North Carolina

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by jciardha
I bring Dunham along when I have the chance, mostly because then I have an excuse to not bring along certain mesmer skills. I let him cast Empathy, Crippling Anguish and Drain Enchantment, leaving me free slots to drop in different spells than his.

And I can corroborate what Jenosavel said ... Dunham does attack random friendlies for no reason. I've seen him Empathy lynxes and warthogs just out of the blue.
Lynxes and warthogs deserve what they get. Always running around setting off traps prematurely and leaving little presents on the lawn that of course I step in with my nice clean Knight's boots. Vermin I tell ya vermin.

I do love Claude though. Spam your energy and he'll hit you with BR. Good looking out there Claude.

fiery

fiery

Banned

Join Date: Oct 2005

maryland

InYurFace Gaming [IYF]

R/

Useally grab both fighter/brawler, heal/prot, mage than the cultilist depending if I am a caster profession.

felinette

felinette

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

Girl Power [GP]

Me/

Quote:
There should really be a FAQ about hench, because they are the less stressful way of playing and I choose them above pugs 90% of the time.
Ditto.

Quote:
What do Dunham (Enchanter) and Claud (Cultist) do?
Claude can be a decent battery. I always take him when I'm playing a caster. Also, he casts Deathly Swarm which helps out, too. I'm not sure what else he does. I rarely take Dunham.

Quote:
Claude likes to put stress on the healers by spamming Blood Ritual whenever possible (only time he doesn't do this is when you actually need energy). I've even witnessed him sacrificing himself to death once.
lol. I just saw this over the weekend in Dragon's Lair. We were in the first section where you're constantly losing health. He died, and when Lina rezzed him, he cast something and died again. Hilarious.

My preferred group is Stefan, Little Thom, Alesia, Reyna, and Claude (for a party of six). I rarely take Orion since he doesn't help much, IMO, and tends to die often. Though when the party is bumped to eight, I add him and Lina.

Reyna seems to be the hardiest--if a disaster happens, she's often the last one standing. Even when I'm playing my ranger, I take her. When out with all henchies, Alesia tends to stick near the human player, I've noticed.

Prefectus

Prefectus

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

New Jeresy

R/

there is a guide to henchies ill get you all the link in a min

DeanBB

DeanBB

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2005

Arizona

Wizardry Players Guild, http://4guildwars.7.forumer.com

Quote:
I know that later in the game Claude starts casting Well on corpses
Not true actually.

Anet has done a pretty good job of picking skills for the henchies that interfere with player builds as little as possible. I know as a MM it would really stink to have the necro henchie using corpses, yet it is nice to have them for the energy boosts.

It was nice in the Factions preview to have a henchie interrupter archer, I hope they remain in the game. It was cool to have multiple rangers to choose from actually.

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

Dunham doesn't do much at all. Most of the time, he spams distortion, even if he isn't being attcked. Sometimes, if you're lucky, he may just throw up an empathy on a caster mob. In extreme cases, if he hasn't drained his energy to all heck with distortion, he may just cast crippling anguish. Dunham is the reason why people think mesmers are worthless IMO.

Claude will BR you which is always nice. Other than that, I think he uses deathly swarm and occasionally grenth's balance. The BR is the only thing that really matters

Carinae

Carinae

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jun 2005

Inside

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

Quote:
Originally Posted by felinette
My preferred group is Stefan, Little Thom, Alesia, Reyna, and Claude (for a party of six). I rarely take Orion since he doesn't help much, IMO, and tends to die often. Though when the party is bumped to eight, I add him and Lina.
That's the squad I take also. 3 physical fighters, a healer and a battery for the healer and me.

Claude is actually a really good hench just because of his spamming of Blood Ritual. He KNOWS when party members are low on energy, and only casts BR when you are very low. Apparently he already has the much desired 'party-energy readout'.

Take a party to a difficult area and see how long your hench healers last with and without Claude. He makes a big difference, endurance-wise.

Jenosavel

Jenosavel

Master of Beasts

Join Date: Jul 2005

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood
That's the squad I take also. 3 physical fighters, a healer and a battery for the healer and me.

Claude is actually a really good hench just because of his spamming of Blood Ritual. He KNOWS when party members are low on energy, and only casts BR when you are very low. Apparently he already has the much desired 'party-energy readout'.

Take a party to a difficult area and see how long your hench healers last with and without Claude. He makes a big difference, endurance-wise.
It's true. There's just that unfortunate side effect of the warriors thus being the first ones to get a BR often times. If you're unlucky, his quick run to the front lines to sac will get him killed fast; however, he still manages to be useful even with those suicidal tendancies.

d4nowar

d4nowar

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2005

Mo/

Claude is definitely useful... but just imagine what you are going to do in Cantha O.O.

Sooooooo many henchmen in some areas. Its insane.

Amadei

Amadei

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2005

Blinkie Ponie Armie

R/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by eightyfour-onesevenfive
Claude likes to put stress on the healers by spamming Blood Ritual whenever possible (only time he doesn't do this is when you actually need energy).
Claude is... special. I recently did Defend Denravi with a couple of guildies. We had a warrior, ranger, mesmer, a monk (me), Claude and Reyna. The plan was for the warrior to catch and hold aggro while the rest of us killed stuff from a distance. Claude was right up front with our warrior, casting Blood Ritual on her. Rather than say, me, the monk.

._.

Oh, Claude <3

Quote:
Originally Posted by fiery
Useally grab both fighter/brawler, heal/prot, mage than the cultilist depending if I am a caster profession.
I never take Cynn/Orion anymore because they still carry Firestorm. Dear Anet: please please please PLEASE take Firestorm away from them. Please. I'm begging you here. I'd like to take Cynn a long because she's a fairly solid damage-dealer, but I can't, because her damn Firestorm will make the enemies run every which way.

Gonzo

Gonzo

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2006

Netherlands

Defenders of the Blackblade [DotB]

W/

I love Claude, only because he carries Blood Ritual.

Raziel665

Raziel665

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2005

Defenders of the Blackblade [DotB]

N/Mo

I always take Claude or Eve, and not just cause I have a giant cardboard cutout of Eve in my room that I got from some store >_>

Numa Pompilius

Numa Pompilius

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

At an Insit.. Intis... a house.

Live Forever Or Die Trying [GLHF]

W/Me

Dunham isn't too bad. I know he spams empathy and illusioned burden/crippling anguish (unfortunately one is Domination and the other Illusion, meaning neither is very strong), and of course he's permanently Distortion'd.

Claude, yes, he does keep the team with energy quite well. You can signal to him to give you an energy fix by clicking a spell you've not got energy to cast - that'll usually trigger a blood rit from Claude.

Their downsides are that either he or Dunham are always the first to die, but as they're basically support it doesn't hurt too much.

Reyna is always my last choice, but she's not bad either. Like someone said, she's usually last woman standing, presumably thanks to Troll Unguent, and I *think* she do decent damage with those Ignite Arrow shots. I'm also pretty sure she's got some interrupt, although she does so way too rarely. The interrupt hench will be everyones darling in Factions.

A story from yesterday... I was going through Sanctum Cay with a new avatar, and died in the final battle. The ship surfaced, the henches kept fighting, and died, one by one. Eventually only Reyna was left, and I was watching in what I knew was a vain hope that she'd rez me so I could run aboard. I knew of course that she wouldn't, she'd fight until she died and the mission would fail. At best she might use her rez-sig on Alesia, who'd then die trying to hard-rez Dunham.

Then, out of the blue, she rezzes me. I run aboard. Mission accomplished!

Rathcail

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Numa Pompilius
Then, out of the blue, she rezzes me. I run aboard. Mission accomplished!
Yup, they occasionally res you before Alesia if you have a res spell with you.
Also I was pleasantly surprised with Dunham when he was spreading Empathy to others than just the target. Really handy during a fight. Of course sometimes it's a bear or a warthog instead of an enemy...

felinette

felinette

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

Girl Power [GP]

Me/

Sometimes the AI goes nuts if you're dead just outside the aggro range of a mob, though. The other night, I had almost finished a mission when I carelessly aggroed a mob and was swarmed. Everyone died except Reyna. The mob moved just out of aggro range, and then Reyna kept running up to my body, away from my body, up to my body, away from my body, up to my body, away from my body. In the end, I had to map out. Boy, was I p*ssed--so close to finishing.

Silent Kitty

Silent Kitty

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

Netherlands

[TYW] "The Young World"

A/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carinae Dragonblood

Claude is actually a really good hench just because of his spamming of Blood Ritual. He KNOWS when party members are low on energy, and only casts BR when you are very low. Apparently he already has the much desired 'party-energy readout'.

Take a party to a difficult area and see how long your hench healers last with and without Claude. He makes a big difference, endurance-wise.
Tried it and it really works. He actually did BR on me, when I was low on energy. Now all he need is to lay off the booze. He just keeps on falling down.
I think he has an authority problem. Somethimes he just followed Thom, when I called targets. Maybe he likes to be a warrior one day and stays up close so he can learn

Rathcail

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

Oh, I forgot to mention that Claude is actually the best looking male necro there is. Not a hunchback like all the players. And what's up with everyone having their legs positioned like... well I dunno what but it looks very silly.
The reason why I made female necro really.

Moa Bird Cultist

Moa Bird Cultist

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

Hastings (UK) / Latham (USA)

Freedom Fanatical Scots [FFS]

E/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by Raziel665
I always take Claude or Eve, and not just cause I have a giant cardboard cutout of Eve in my room that I got from some store >_>
You too? O_o

Must refrain... from... looking... at... eve's...

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

I prefer got Dunham and Claude in my team than taking Cynn/Orion. Sorry for Cynn/Orion lover on what I will say, I hate the Firestorm spam.

In all, when I play alone:

Stefan/Devona
Little Thom
Lina
Alesia/Menhlo
Reyna
Claude/Eve
Dunham
(Myself)

Rayea

Rayea

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

west yorkshire, Uk

Sisters of Serenity

N/Mo

well, playing as Msiha (necro/monk) i ALWAYS take Claude, whenever i can..i hardly ever leave him behind now.....after the AoE nerf, i did for a while, along with Orion, but whenever i can take him, i take him...

not just cause Misha has a thing for him ^^...but because he is a realy usefull lad to have about.
im gladd the henchies are getting infused armour (i htink they said ther are) now, they deserve it ^^ (i just wish tere was some whay i could tell the diffrence between un-infused and infused stuff from looking at a character rather than looking at the specific armour item ect)

with my new Ele/mesmer, who is still in ascalon, im taking orion out again arther than reyna...for some reason she dosent seem to like my girl characters...*pouts* maybe its cause she sees them as compettion for the guys ^^

but i have found that durnham isnt that bad a fellow..i havent sen him go balistic on friendlies yet....hm...maybe thats why those dune lizards sometimes attack in elonas when i take my full squishies party....

Asrial

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2005

Centurion Guard

Mo/E

Wow, I can't believe no one mentioned this. It also looks like Guild Wiki doesn't list this as a skill he has, but this skill is the only reason I bring him.

Dunham, 9 times out of 10, is the best 'level 20' henchman in the game.

Why?

Conjure Phantasm.

The reason I say level 20 is because he doesn't start using it until that level.

Rathcail

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

It's Crippling Anguish, not Conjure Phantasm.

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

I always take Cynn or Orion. Even when they do cast Firestorm its normally after the enemies have all died anyway

leprekan

leprekan

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Posers and Wannabes [nubs]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
I always take Cynn or Orion. Even when they do cast Firestorm its normally after the enemies have all died anyway
LOL so true. Don't forget Lina and prot spirit at the END of a battle

TheMosesPHD

TheMosesPHD

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2006

Oregon

Mo Mo Patty Blinks [MoMo]

R/

What I don't understand is why they can't teach Lina and Alesia that if both of them try to res the same person at the same time, one of them will always end up wasting my time. Alesia is just a problem that we can't get around, I really like the healer henchman in Cantha though, I went out into that big grassy area with her and only 2 other henchman and we managed to survive nearly everything. Lina I still respect because she always casts a prot spirit on people as soon as they're ressed at 25% health.

Silent Kitty

Silent Kitty

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

Netherlands

[TYW] "The Young World"

A/Me

May I remind you all that this thread is about my GW hunks Dunham and Claude?
Leave the GW blondes out of this one!

-Six-

-Six-

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

Colorado

Dunham and Claude == cannon fodder

I don't spend a lot of time watching them, but it seems like dunham does more damage. *snicker*

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

Even he is Distortion Spammer, Dunham can remove enchantment anyway (Mark of Protection from Doylak at Grenth Footprints).

Rayne Nightfyre

Rayne Nightfyre

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Acolytes of Lyssa [AL]

Me/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis Demeules
Even he is Distortion Spammer, Dunham can remove enchantment anyway (Mark of Protection from Doylak at Grenth Footprints).
And that reason alone nets him a spot in my parties when there's no other Mesmer. And believe it or not, he actually does at times cast Empathy on your enemies instead of a poor innocent Black Bear. But it is amusing when he spams Distortion even when there's no enemy in sight.

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rayne Nightfyre
And that reason alone nets him a spot in my parties when there's no other Mesmer. And believe it or not, he actually does at times cast Empathy on your enemies instead of a poor innocent Black Bear. But it is amusing when he spams Distortion even when there's no enemy in sight.

I already see that pic in another thread Rayne (Profession dumbest thing). It stills quite funny .

Perhaps you're desperate to see that but when you win THK by henchies... with HIM and not with *experienced* PvE players, ask you some questions.

felinette

felinette

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2006

Girl Power [GP]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMosesPHD
Alesia is just a problem that we can't get around
I don't mind Alesia too much. I take out henchies so much, I was disappointed when they replaced some of them for the final missions. It was like, hey, the old crew brought me this far--I'd rather stick with them!

Quote:
Lina I still respect because she always casts a prot spirit on people as soon as they're ressed at 25% health.
Yeah, Lina is a great addition to the party.

Asrial

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2005

Centurion Guard

Mo/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rathcail

It's Crippling Anguish, not Conjure Phantasm.
Could have sworn I saw him use it, because I was wanting to know what was causing the degen on creatures and so I flipped over to him when I noticed it starting.

Now, I can't even get him to use ANY degen where he used to use it ALOT more.

lg5000

lg5000

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Australia

Quote:
Originally Posted by Amadei
Claude is... special. I recently did Defend Denravi with a couple of guildies. We had a warrior, ranger, mesmer, a monk (me), Claude and Reyna. The plan was for the warrior to catch and hold aggro while the rest of us killed stuff from a distance. Claude was right up front with our warrior, casting Blood Ritual on her. Rather than say, me, the monk.

._.

Oh, Claude <3
That's nothing, we had a real monk cast bip on our warrior

There are certain combinations for henchies that work well, or have worked for me. Bring Alesia and she'll demand that you bring Claude, or else, she won't heal you. Bring Mhenlo and you might want to bring Aidan, he does his job better when Aidan is on the team, god knows why.

Incidently, both claude and durnahm find themselves on my team a lot, and someone interupts, I'm assuming durnahm is the one who interupts once in a while... unless Aidan has an interupt?

Claude will suecide if you rebirth him first