The Ritualist Invades The Forest

This build utilizes the not-so-high-attack-damage of the forest monsters to succesfully tank and at the same time deal damage using the Ritualist Elite Item Spell:

Vengeful was Khanei - Hold Khanhei's ashes for 5...10 seconds. Whenever a foe strikes you in combat while you are holding Khanhei's ashes, you steal 5...29 Health from that foe.

First up!
EQUIPS
Armor
A Restorer's headgear of Superior Restoration and an Oracle's (armor +10 while holding an item) suit with minor ritualist runes and major/sup vigor is recommended but not necessary. Halycon's, which gives you additional energy, will also do. If you have the resources, craft a separate armor piece with a minor rune of restoration for the run as you will need as much health as possible.

NOTE: The hardest part of this farm is the run. A ranger takes about 80-90 damage from fireball while a ritualist recieves 130+. It takes practice and experience to be able to estimate whether you'll survive tanking the 2 incendiary bonds, 2 fireballs and normal attacks the shadow elementals throw at you, while you aggro the group of Skeletons To them.

Weapon ...yes a weapon!
You will only need a flat or longbow for pulling.

THE BUILD
Restoration - 12+3+1
Wilderness Survival - 12



1. Vengeful was Khanei [E]
2. Vengeful Weapon - For 8 seconds, the next time target ally takes damage from foe, that ally steals up to 15..51 Health from that foe.
3. Troll Unguent - For 10 seconds, you gain health regeneration of +3...9.
4. Distracting Shot - If Distracting Shot hits, it interrupts target foe's action but deals only 1...13 damage. If the interrupted action was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 20 seconds.
5. Storm Chaser- For 8...18 seconds you move 25% faster, and you gain 1...4 Energy whenever you take elemental damage
6. Generous Was Tsungrai - Sacrifice 10% Health. Hold Tsungrai's ashes for up to 15...51 seconds and gain +50...122 maximum Health. When you drop his ashes you gain 100...244 Health.
7. Quickening Zephyr - Create a level 1...8 Spirit. For creatures within its range, all skills recharge twice as fast as normal and cost 30% more Energy to cast. This Spirit dies after 15...39 seconds.
8. Soothing Memories - Target ally is healed for 10...82 Health. If you are holding an item, you gain 3 Energy.

QZ recharges VWK at the same time it starts blinking.
Storm Chaser compensates for the high mana cost of skills. When fighting Sheperds and Worms (which deals lightning dmg) you're able to keep VWK on for 39 seconds!

GETTING THERE
- Cast Generous Was Tsungrai for the health boost. At lvl14 Restoration GWT gives you an additional 134 health for 59 seconds and heals for 268 health when dropped. Keep GWT on at all times.

- At Point X *video hint hint*. A ranger can pull the Skeletons to the Shadow Army because of its high armor. A ritualist will be too soft to tank fireballs and incendiary bonds and you'll be holding GWT anyway. I usually wait for the two groups to wander but here's an alternative.
- Check the Skeleton Army's patrol pattern. Be sure they won't be completely blocking the way or else you'll be sandwiched between the 2 mobs.
- 2 Skeletal Impalers will pop out at Point O, just run past them.

CREEPS
Spirit Sheperds: use your bow to attack, stay out of casting range and you'll be safe
skills used: Aura of Restoration, Lightning Strike, Chain Lightning, Iron Mist

Rock Borer WOrms: it is advised that you take on only 3 at a time as they use Chocking Gas (a preparation) which interrupts spells you cast. Time your VWK and VW in between hits. 2-3 VWK + VW spamming kills them.
skills used: (annoying combination) Pin Down, Chocking Gas, Concussion Shot, Lightning Reflexes, Throw Dirt

Spirit Woods: hard hitters. Just keep up Troll Unguent all the time and you'll be fine.

Amored Cave Spiders: surpirisingly the easiest monster to kill in the forest 1on1. Tanking 2 is possible but for starters aggro only 1. They use Healing Spring right after Apply Poison so be sure to hit it with Distracting Shot. Dead in 20 seconds or less.

**Skeletal Berserkers: Put up QZ and Spam VWK. They use Cyclone Axe and Wild Blow so they can bring down your life a bit. Heal when necessary. They should be dead in about 2-3 VWKs

**Skeletal Impalers: Spam VWK + VF. Keep a good distance away so they won't land Distracting Shot on a skill.
skills used: Spike, Barbed, Dust, Flame Trap, Distracting Shot

**Skeletal Bond: Same deal. NOTE: They use Infuse Health on allies so make sure you lure the berserkers as far away from them as possible.
skills used: Vigorous Spirit, Live Vicariously, Infuse Health, Spell Breaker

**Skeletal Icehand: Try not to fight these guys but they are killable. Watch out for Maelstrom; start moving when you see it casting so you can avoid its AoE. I haven't tried the group on the other side of the bridge tho.

THE FARM
A-Spirit Sheperds
B-Rock Borer Worms
C-Spirit Woods
D-Spirit Sheperds+Spirit Woods
E-Armored Cave Spiders


FIRST HALF OF THE FOREST - AREA 1 and 2


First you'll encounter Spirit Sheperds patrolling the entrance. Cast Quickening Zephyr [25 energy cost], wait for 13 energy then activate Storm Chaser (unlimited energy). Use your bow to get their aggro then cast VWK. Remember to stay out of casting range. Spam VWK and Vengeful Weapon. Reactivate Storm Chaser when needed. They should be...
Speed: dead in 38 seconds, around the time when QZ expires. Requires 3 rounds of VWK.


3 Rock Borer Worms will pop out of POINT B. Cast Quickening Zephyr, wait for 13 energy then activate Storm Chaser. Cast VWK then run towards one group (take only 3 at a time-when more than 3 attack, hit Storm Chaser and run..) Use Troll Unguent and keep it on at all times, Chocking Gas only interrupts spells so Troll Unguent is unaffected. Spam Vengeful Weapon and VWK in between hits.
Speed: Dead in 2 rounds of uninterrupted VWK or one VWK and VW spamming (for a single worm).


Spirit Woods, use your bow to aggro them then cast VWK. Pick one Spirit Wood and watch for it's Troll Unguent. When it uses it drop VWK and hit Distracting Shot. Use Troll Unguent and spam VF. It should be dead before it is able to activate Troll Unguent again. Repeat on the remaining Spirit Wood/s. Use VWK whenever available.
Speed: N/A. VWK lasts for 11 seconds at 12 Restoration and they will often set up expired Nature Rituals which take 4-5 seconds to cast minimizing the effectiveness of VWK.


Wait for the patrolling 3 Spirits Sheperds and Spirit Wood after you've killed the 2 Spirit Woods. Use QZ and Storm Chaser. Unlimited energy = spam spam spam. I usually kill the Sheperds first then the Spirit Woods.


Clearing AREA 1... Armored Cave Spiders - run around Point E to get them to pop out. It is advised that you fight only one at a time. Stand still and wait for Apply Poison to finish then use Distracting Shot on Healing Spring (they use it immediately right after, so you should never miss) Cast VWK then Troll Unguent and keep it on at all times. Spam Vengeful Weapon, they should be dead before they're able to use Healing Spring again.
Speed: Dead in 23 seconds under 1 VWK and 3-4 Vengeful Weapons.


After killing the spiders, feel free to aggro those on top of the ledge. (AREA 3, POINT A and D). Use Storm Chaser then as soon as they get inside your bubble, press X to get out of casting range.


Now to AREA 2... Further north east you will find 2 groups of 3 Spirit Sheperds, 2 Spirit Woods and 3 hidden Rock Borer Worms. Run to a corner to the east and you can aggro all 6 Sheperds.
3 Rock Borer Worms will pop out of Point B kill them. Proceed to the top of the hill and kill the Spirit Woods there. You'll see 3 patrolling Spirit Sheperds and 2 Spirit Woods on the other side, if you haven't killed them yet, you can aggro them using a longbow from here. Pick up your loots its time to head to AREA 3!

ADDED: *KILLING THE SKELETON ARMY
There should be 2 berserkers on both sides of the bridge and a hidden skeletal impaler for each group. Set up QZ at the back first then hit the first 2 Berserkers with your long/flatbow. You should be able to aggro just the two. Chain VWK and heal when necessary. Your QZ would'vee expired already but its ok. Creep up to where the berserkers were to get the burrowed Impaler out. When its out move a little distance back and just spam VWK and VF. Next aggro the last 2 Skeletal Berserkers, kill them then proceed to lure out the remaining Impaler. If there are any Skeletal Bonds (they should be at the middle of the 2 bersker groups) kill them after you're done with the 1st group of berserkers. More often than not you will aggro them along with the first group of berserkers, sit it out and they'll eventually die before QZ expires.
NOTE: Impalers use traps. Make sure you are in full health before picking up their loots. o_o

2ND HALF OF THE FOREST - AREA 3, 4 and 5
Depending on the spawn, 1-3 spiders might pop out at Point E. If more than one does, Storm Chaser to AREA 4. Run back and aggro one (or two if you already can :P). When fighting these spiders be careful of the patrolling Spirit Sheperds. Kill the the patrolling group at Point D then the 2 Spirit Woods to your right. (You should have already killed the 2 groups of Spirit Sheperds patrolling this edge). AREA 3 cleared!

Head to AREA 4 and you will see 2 Spirit Woods on top of a hill. 3 Rock Borer Worms will pop out at the base of this hill so kill them first. There will be another patrol of Spirit Sheperds, kill them then run around the open plain to lure out any hidden Spiders. Once you've cleared the area of Spiders, (AREA 5 now) kill the 2 Spirit Woods guarding the pathway. There are 3 Rock Borer Worms at POINT B and 3 Spirit Sheperds patrolling the exit of the forest. I find that you can pull the Sheperds with a longbow and not aggro the Worms. Kill the Sheperds, then the Worms and that's the..


end of the Forest run! You've cleared The Forest using you're dusty ritualist hooray >_<

ADDED:*Skeletons on the exit of the forest. Difficulty: hard
When you've finished the forest head out the exit and run along the right wall. 2 Impalers will pop out, kill them. I'm not sure if this is spawn dependent but a patrol of 4-6 skeletal berskers, 1-2 skel. bond and an icehand will be visible from your rader coming from the top. They CAN be killed but with precaution. Your main goal is to chain VWK until they kill themselves which is possible with QZ. Cast QZ hit the berserkers with your bow then use VWK. Keep an eye on the ICEHAND. After Blurred Vision and Deep Freeze it will use Maelstrom and by that time you should be moving (either left or right) to get out of its AOE once it hits the ground. Hit VWK once it starts blinking, watch out for the 2nd Maelstrom and repeat until all have been killed. The bonds will only be able to infuse at most 2 berserkers so it should be fine

CREDITS
Special thanks goes to Dahnel whose Ritualist Vengeful Farming build i used extensively and
Remmeh for his amazing R/Me Solo FoW Forest Farm which got me farming FoW in the first place and was the inspiration for this guide.

That's it for my first guide. Comments/suggestions are more than welcome.


-Antoninus The Pious

EDIT: *June11Added FIRST and SECOND HALF OF THE FOREST and THE FOREST MAP
*June15 Added 2 VIDEOS
*June21 Added Killing the Skeletons

*If you have any questions post them here =)