melandru's arrows or poison arrow?

krusader

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2005

R/Me

15 Sep 2005 at 11:58 - 1
Hi,
Just started to get a few elite skills and I was wondering which is best out of melandru's arrows and poison arrow? It doesn't say how much life degeneration each gives which is kinda annoying.

Currently I'm having a lot of fun stacking poison or bleeding with conjure phantasm and I was also wondering if there is a limit to how much life degen. you can stack on a foe?
Thanx

chaos dragoon

chaos dragoon

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Warrior Nation[WN]

R/

15 Sep 2005 at 12:03 - 2
degen caps at -10.poison gives 1 more degen than bleeding.but if i want to poison someone,i just use apply poison

aismailuk

aismailuk

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

R/W

15 Sep 2005 at 12:47 - 3
I'd tend to agree,

Using the apply poison skill means that you spend slightly more energy (I think) but once applied, it lasts for more than just the one shot you get per elite.

Melandru's + apply poison is the way to go if you want both bleeding and posion

Macel

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

15 Sep 2005 at 14:50 - 4
Poison arrow costs 5 mana (less w/ expertise, of course), so the cost is almost unnoticeable, and has a fast reuse time, so you can reuse it as needed. Most importantly, poison arrow is an attack, not a preparation, which means you can use another preparation (such as ignite or kindle arrows) in addition to it. For PVP, hunter's shot is fine if you want bleeding damage, as usually your victims meet the 'running around' requirement for the bleeding damage to take effect. So its possible to do poison, bleeding AND extra elemental damage as well..

Shwitz

Shwitz

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

East Coast, USA

Not a Guild [NaG]

R/

15 Sep 2005 at 14:54 - 5
Quote:
Originally Posted by aismailuk
I'd tend to agree,

Using the apply poison skill means that you spend slightly more energy (I think) but once applied, it lasts for more than just the one shot you get per elite.

Melandru's + apply poison is the way to go if you want both bleeding and posion
Both are preparations, though, which means you'd have to prep, fire an arrow, prep, and then fire a second arrow to get both bleeding and poison.

If I want to stack bleeding and poison on a target, I usually take Hunter's Shot and Poison Arrow with either Kindle or Ignite Arrows as my preparation. This way, I do extra damage, poison, and make 'em bleed, and if I forget to re-prep, all I lose is the bonus damage.

Fye Duron

Fye Duron

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: May 2005

Chico, CA, USA

Dragon Fang

15 Sep 2005 at 15:23 - 6
Honestly it greatly depends on what you are using them for. I like to run Melandru's + apply poison + pin down....

ayb

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

WTS SOUL PST

Order of the Fly

Mo/R

15 Sep 2005 at 16:02 - 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shwitz
Both are preparations, though, which means you'd have to prep, fire an arrow, prep, and then fire a second arrow to get both bleeding and poison.
preparations cancel each other out, just like stances. so if i :

apply poison
attack
melandru's arrows
attack

only my first arrow would poison. on casting melandru's arrows, apply poison would be removed.

mr_boo

mr_boo

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

San Diego, CA US

SoF

Mo/

15 Sep 2005 at 16:07 - 8
If you want damage, I'd go with MA.
If you want to spread degen, of course Apply Poison or Poison Arrow.

I prefer dealing damage so I go with MA....there's always an enchanted target running around and the unconditional bleed is a nice touch...of course I'm talking in the context of PvP.

stumpy

stumpy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2005

Canucklehead BC, Canada

Advanced Necro Undead Society

15 Sep 2005 at 16:09 - 9
I wouldn't run apply and melandrus at the same time ... its just not a good use of skills together ... firstly only one of those needs to be up at a time. And you can keep it up almost indefinately. So why waste a skill slot.

Apply poison and hunters for degen

aismailuk

aismailuk

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

R/W

15 Sep 2005 at 16:10 - 10
"preparations cancel each other out, just like stances"

Good point.

I suppose it depends on how you want to use it. If you are wanting to deal bleeding and poison to the same enemy, then you are best without both of these together. If you are wanting to use one, followed by the other while the first recharges, then this setup could work.

My experience has been to try until you find the best way specific to yourself.

Seissor

Seissor

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Squiggilyville. Population: Me.

[oRly] Hello Kitty Death Squad

R/Me

15 Sep 2005 at 16:12 - 11
I prefer melandru's arrows since im a smite ranger and i need my enrgy for smiting and power shots. its really up to the user to decide whats better, I do however LOVE melandrus arrows agaisnst monks in pvp who enchant themselves, I get a sexy +24 dmg vs them with melandrus arrows. And as someone said earlier...conditions do not stack so stick with poison or bleed, dont use both waste of mana and skill slots.

Algren Cole

Algren Cole

Banned

Join Date: Jun 2005

15 Sep 2005 at 16:15 - 12
Hunter's Shot + Poison Arrow + Pin down ftw

Fungus Amongus

Fungus Amongus

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare] | [Rare] Alliance

15 Sep 2005 at 16:48 - 13
If you are focus firing on enemies, consider what type of damage your teammates will be doing. If you have a warrior making the enemy bleed, consider using poison. If you use a pet and use Feral Lunge (bleeding), use poison. If you have two rangers, use the condition the other ranger isn't using.

Shwitz

Shwitz

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

East Coast, USA

Not a Guild [NaG]

R/

15 Sep 2005 at 18:40 - 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by ayb
preparations cancel each other out, just like stances. so if i :

apply poison
attack
melandru's arrows
attack

only my first arrow would poison. on casting melandru's arrows, apply poison would be removed.
I'm well aware of that fact. Which is why I was stating that you'd have to re-prep in the middle of battle to change to bleeding instead of poison... maybe I wasn't clear, but I'm pretty sure we're saying the same thing.

da Phenom

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jul 2005

Junior Mafia

E/R

15 Sep 2005 at 18:59 - 15
the crucial thing about melandrus arrow is that it has massive dps considering that even though they do get 1 extra degen, they get dominated if they have any enchantments on them
+24 dmg is a lot

Bingley Joe

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Philosophers of Denravi

15 Sep 2005 at 19:12 - 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by da Phenom
the crucial thing about melandrus arrow is that it has massive dps considering that even though they do get 1 extra degen, they get dominated if they have any enchantments on them
+24 dmg is a lot

Does that damage stack by any chance?

The description just says "strikes a foe who is under an enchantment", but what about one who is under multiple enchants?

Is it +24dmg/enchant or just +24dmg?

ayb

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

WTS SOUL PST

Order of the Fly

Mo/R

16 Sep 2005 at 05:32 - 17
poison arrow + barbed trap + flame trap + pin down

poisoned bleeding crippled burning crippled again

Bingley Joe

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: May 2005

Philosophers of Denravi

16 Sep 2005 at 06:13 - 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by ayb
poison arrow + barbed trap + flame trap + pin down

poisoned bleeding crippled burning crippled again

If you could throw Virulence on that person for Disease and Weakness, you'd have one seriously messed up dude on your hands!



(course, why stop there? You really want a mesmer in there somewhere with Fevered Dreams to spread those conditions to everyone else, and then Fragility to show them why they should have stayed in bed )

galkraft

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2005

Followers Of Master Jack

R/Me

16 Sep 2005 at 06:14 - 19
Hey, nobody is talking about Melandru's Arrow's other strength: mega damage against enchanted foes. [EDIT]I didn't read the thread well enough, sorry![/EDIT] If you are constantly firing at one target, so long as they're enchanted, you will do more damage over time than adding poison to the bleed. Melandru's Arrow is conditional, but better than Poison Arrow when the condition is met.

If the foe is not enchanted, at least he won't be negating any of your damage.

krusader

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2005

R/Me

16 Sep 2005 at 10:06 - 20
Thanx for the suggestions
Think I'll go with hunters shot, poison arrow, pin down... then conjure
maybe will use melandru's arrows when i start pvping
and am sooooo gonna capture fevered dreams when i get the chance

ayb

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

WTS SOUL PST

Order of the Fly

Mo/R

16 Sep 2005 at 12:54 - 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingley Joe
If you could throw Virulence on that person for Disease and Weakness, you'd have one seriously messed up dude on your hands!



(course, why stop there? You really want a mesmer in there somewhere with Fevered Dreams to spread those conditions to everyone else, and then Fragility to show them why they should have stayed in bed )
dont forget well of suffering