2 PPL UW. 55 Monk Watchful Spirit V.S. Blessed Aura

Raulence

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

Brisbane

MW

Mo/

I have been playing 55 monk for a while. Not a excellenct one. Accidentally, not too bad.

Just because i am in australia at the moment, euro had favor of the god when i was sleeping every single day. Every time i wake up, the god is just like the sun, it is in america now. To simplify the reason, i am bored....o_0

I don't want to start to say oh well here is a new build for 2 PPL UW run. No, it isn't. The only things in this post are all old stuffs like you have already knew it millions year time, which means you will find it is a boring topic or not so "a piece of me".

Okay here is the thing. I got the idea from Cerb's very famous post "Comprehensive Guide to the Solo Monk" with new updates and also another 55 monk version with protective bond. It might be a little bit out of date and not suitable after the nerf with nightmare UW.

Instead of a damage 55monk, 2 ppl UW run most require the monk "alive", with enough regen and ability to interrupt the nightmares. I currently use this build at the moment.

Attributes:
Healing 14
Smiting 4
Protection 13
Divine 13
Tactics 5

Skills are :
Protective Spirit (21sec)
Healing Breeze (+9regen)
Spellbreaker (15sec)
Bonetti's Defense (7sec)
Blessed Signet (max21)
Balthazar's Spirit
Mending (4)
Watchful Spirit (2)

Weapons:

Set 1:
Weapon: Fiery Flame Spitter of Enchanting
Offhand: -50 Grim Cesta

Set 2:
Weapon: Fiery Flame Spitter of Enchanting
Offhand: -20 Storm Artifact

Set 3:
Weapon: Collector's Holy Rod_Customized
Offhand: -50 Grim Cesta

Set 4:
Weapon: Ascalon Bow_Customized


Here is the general review with weapons.


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My Description:
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[Aggro small or big groups]

A, Health Regen

At the moment, i am using watchful spirit for the last "changable" skill. With healing breeze, mending, watchful spirit, i will get +6 natural health regen. In addition with healing breeze, i will get up to +"15" health regen. With the help of +6 natural health regen, even i am bleeding, still i can get enough time to cast healing breeze to make myself alive

Normally, i won't have any problem with a group of 4 or 6 mobs.


B, Energy Control

Couple of runs show me that in most situation i have no worries about the energy problem. So when grouping with another SS, i normallly told no need to take BR for my energy.

C, Bigger Groups

How about big group of mobs, 10 darkness? 10 smites?

I did die once with a necro after taking the request and more than 10 darkness showed up, the reason was i only pre-casted protective spirit without healing breeze or spellbreaker. Forgot his name, say sorry about that. If pre-casting PS with HB, i will have "15" health regen, in most situation i will keep more than half health. With a high divine attribution, i can always cast PS or HB to max my health.

Tatics: In some "low" health situation, i normally cast Bonetti's Defense to quickly recover my health.

[Killing the nightmares]

For a couple of runs with a necro, i normally kill the nightmares myself. Of course, as a 55 monk, you should have the ability to cast or pre-cast SB to avoid the situation to lose all your enchantments.

With a customized holy rod, i can easily make a damage around 100 to a nightmare it self. With a spellbreaker, it is perfectly enough to kill one or two. In some very "lucky" situation, 3 nightmares pop up. Well, team work should be here now with some luck. In my case, i rarely die because of nightmares. Of course sometimes i did not cast spellbreaker with --only-- a nightmare poped up and stripped all my enchantments, hey, i didn't die because of that.

So i guess should be okay.


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My consideration
-----------------------

[Watchful Spirit V.S. Blessed Aura]

I don't personllay put any opinion on this point: one is better than another. Actually, they both work fine with me. So some people will wonder why i should start this post? "Security" or actually what i mean is safe!

For a smites run, i cann't see a lots of differences with a 50%(bleesed auro + 20% enchanting mod) enchantment longer or with a normal enchanting time.
However, i dare to say it is more safer with a watchful spirit which gives +2 natural health regen.


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Future Testing
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As a new rewarding part of UW 2 PPL run, the ice king will become more and more popular. I do not have the chance to test the quest with watchful spirit. I will do it later.


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Discussion
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First post as a 55 monk topic. Only PC before.....New ppl to game since Jan, 2006

I leave the discussion to all ppl intereted with this topic.

Not originally an english speaker, please don't argue about the grammer mistake. Thanks a lot

sno

sno

Look into the Eye.

Join Date: Oct 2005

Detroit, Mi

Oh No Not These Guys [uhoh]

Mo/

You can only have +10 regen at any given time, so the other +5 are just wasted. I (as well as most other 2man Uw monks) run 13 healing, with breeze, mending, and blessed aura. This gives a net +12 regen, which is plenty even if you're bleeding or burning (both can get tricky, since bleeding + burning = -10 regen, netting you +2. In this situation you'd need to utilize bonettis very efficiently, or die.)

For normal smite runs (no dryders) theres no reason for you to ever even consider bringing watchful spirit. Blessed aura gives you an extra 3 seconds on breeze, an extra ~6 seconds on PS and SB, which can be priceless if something bad should happen.

IMO, there is no comparison, take blessed aura, end of story. Against graspings or smites, you will have absolutely no benefit from bringing watchful spirit, since the +2 pips you get are hidden.

Tsunami Rain

Tsunami Rain

mmmmmmmm pie.

Join Date: Aug 2005

Honolulu, Hawaii

Favorable Winds [Gust]

Mo/

meh. I still think that Blessed Aura is the way to go. Having the prolonged SB is great.

Mike8519

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

Mo/

Blessed aura, most definately. I used watchful back in the PB days, but no longer.

I run a setup with 14 healing (net +13 so it negates bleeding), 15 divine (LONG SB) and whatever is left for prot, works well.

cerb

cerb

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2005

Sept-Iles, QC, Canada

Les Tric??ratops Sont Nos [Amis]

Mo/

With your attribs, you definately DON'T need Watchful Spirit. Hell, you don't even need to negate Bleeding totally with Bonetti's Defense. Take Blessed Aura imho.

cerb

cerb

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2005

Sept-Iles, QC, Canada

Les Tric??ratops Sont Nos [Amis]

Mo/

With your attribs, you definately DON'T need Watchful Spirit. Hell, you don't even need to negate Bleeding totally with Bonetti's Defense. Take Blessed Aura imho.

monty123

monty123

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2006

Michigan

None Currently

W/

nvm found it

Rogier

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2006

[GoT]

blessed aura + echancements last 20% longer is about 50% longer at divine favor 13, that would be SB 16 seconds +50 longer is 24 seconds of Spell Breaker, how could watchfull spirit be beter then that?

.killjoy

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

Mo/Me

Yea watchful spirit isnt needed I've seen guys with this build doesnt make to much sense.

The Fenixxor

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

Mo/Me

Depends on the size of the groups you pull really, if ur not pulling everything in sight - maybe watchful spirit would be better as you dont need as much protection from nightmares or in case your breeze gets interrupted alot... Personally, i would never use it - just trying to see your logic really.

Hmm... just read your post more fully - i think the reason you think Watchful might be better is because it gives you an overall "15" health regen but as other people have already said the cap is +10 so its pretty much wasted unless your fighting something that gives significant health degen (like terrorwebs) But even then a longer duration spell breaker might be more beneficial.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogier
blessed aura + echancements last 20% longer is about 50% longer at divine favor 13, that would be SB 16 seconds +50 longer is 24 seconds of Spell Breaker, how could watchfull spirit be beter then that? He has already stated that he has no problems with Nightmares, with that in mind a longer duration of SB may not help him at all, i'm not saying it would hinder him, and it certainly would give him more time for error if he took Blessed aura, just saying maybe he doesnt need it, and works fine without it...


Well, i managed to talk a load of bollocks there and didnt really come to any conclusions - but nevermind eh ?

remmeh

remmeh

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2005

Apathy Inc [AI]

R/Mo

Blessed Aura FTW

RobotMULE

RobotMULE

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2005

Mo/W

I used to use watchful, kind of nice for when an aatxe interrupts you breeze and you're bleeding, you'll have 3 pips of regen instead of 1. Now I much prefer blessed aura; with such a long spellbreaker it makes it easy to round up more enemies without having to worry about nightmares for a bit longer.

I also like to use essence bond instead of blessed signet, as long as you know the necro is taking Blood rit, but I guess thats just a matter of preference.