Skills - Spirit Shackles

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Spirit Shackles can also be obtained by doing the quest Blood and Smoke. This rather long quest starts with Deep Root, an NPC in Ettin's Back, right outside of Ventari's Refuge.

i like this skill a lot cause if use mindwrack its a huge pain in the as

Just wondering - why is this skill in Inspiriation magic?
To me that doesn't make much sence...

Yeah, this should be domination magic. I was really hoping to grab this skill and use it combination with Mind Wrack...I hope they change this.

this is one of the BEST energy denial skills.

Frankly, I never liked this skill...

It takes too long to cast, I feel... even with Fast Casting on a higher level.

I've also found it to be not too useful against human Monks, Elementalists, and some Necros. Mesmers can also avoid it, although that would decrease their damage output a bit.

And unfortunately, as a Mesmer, I'm often left to take care of the monks. Unless they're a smiter, monks don't attack a whole lot, I've found.

It's really only energy denial for attack-based characters. Who don't have a whole lot of energy to begin with. For casters, it's more attack-denial. 5 energy is far more valuable to them than a couple points of damage.

So, basically, a smart player won't be too hurt by this. I'd rather play something that forcefully drags the energy from them. Ether Lord, Energy Tap... come on, there's bound to be something you aren't already running to trigger Mind Wrack.

If you don't like a whole lot of reading, though, here's the summary: Me no likey dis skill.

I have found that this skill is a great asset, with higher levels of fast casting, you can get it casting about 2 seconds (which is plenty). As fast as it recharges you can lay it down on multiple targets at once. The reason this skill is such a great energy denial, is that once you have drained someone's energy with Energy Tap, Malaise, Ether Lord, or Energy Drain, then tag this one on them. They have 0 energy now...what are they going to do, cast a spell? No. They will attack, ensuring their energy stays at zero. If they do nothing, you've succeeded in destroying their build from inside out. Best they can do at that point is use a signet.

Now, I've used this skill to great effect, especially against warriors. I had a really fun energy denial mesmer, that I build solely for random arena. I was able to go toe-to-toe with most warriors, and kill them. Shackles and Mind Wrack them. If they stop attacking, they aren't going to kill you. If they keep attacking, you can wrack them fast enough to do 70 damage shots quickly to them. If you're draining their monk's energy, with other skills, while they wail on you from behind, they aren't going to get a heal. Throw wastrels on them too. Although less effective on warriors as it is on 0 energy mages, it'll keep their energy out or them taking good damage.

Ever use this skill on a Ranger?

For once, I am forced to quote myself...

"And unfortunately, as a Mesmer, I'm often left to take care of the monks. Unless they're a smiter, monks don't attack a whole lot, I've found."

Emphasis there, my friends. I've gone entire GvG matches without attacking with my healer monk a single time. If a monk has the option between a healing spell and attacking once, most would pick the spell. Hence, Shackles has nothing there.

Overall, though, I see the point in the "press the advantage" argument. It keeps their energy down, or else removes them from combat.

Still, I feel the spell is rather slow. 2 seconds casting time via fast casting may not be much for an elementalist or some necromancers, but for a mesmer... way too slow. It could just be that I'm used to my instant gratification and therefore can't stand slow spells... but this is indeed a relatively slow one.

Wastrel's Worry is an awesome choice for this kind of build... the problem is, it would be very hex-heavy. Backfire (slows down the spell casting while you drain energy), Mind Wrack, Wastrel's Worry, Spirit Shackles, and likely one or two others, such as Ether Lord and/or Malaise. That's 5-6 hexes. Nature's Renewal may have gotten nerfed somewhat, but the reliance on hexes still isn't necessarily a good thing.

I will nonetheless have to give this skill a second shot. I'm a huge fan of energy denial, as it leads to Mind Wrack eating healing monks (my #1 hated class to play against)... but for some reason, this skill never really appealed to me.

you can get this skill outside lion's arch from the gargoyal boss outside the ascalon settlement. At least I did... luck? He has three skills to offer, including a stance.

This is the Ranger shutdown skill. A Ranger without Energy is nothing. This will take his energy quick, or force him to stop shooting.

this is also for those annoying paladins(W/Mo) who use hammer skills,which some of them cost energy instead of adrenaline, and for those war/mes who cast backfire on the casters for group safety. this is for rangers and any war/caster class. my ranga hates it.

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