One of the things my Guild Leader has been wanting to do for a while was an all-pet team build, where every player brings along a pet for maximum press of bodies. Not that long ago, we finally got to give it a try, and it worked. Sorta. We, being my GL, one other officer and myself, could see right away that we needed some work. This is what we came up with (with details where I know them):
1) W/R Hobbled Tiger Axe (My build)
Attributes: Axe Mastery, Beast Mastery, Strength
Skills:
Endure Pain
Penetrating Blow
Cleave {E}
Tiger's Fury
Disrupting Lunge
Bestial Pounce
Charm Animal
Res Sig
2) Mo/R Healer type
Attributes: Healing, Beast Mastery, Divine Favor
Skills:
Word of Healing
Orison of Healing
Signet of Devotion
Healing Touch
Healing Breeze
Blessed Signet
Res Sig
Charm Animal
3) N/R Damage Increaser type
Attributes: Blood Magic, Death Magic, Beast Mastery, rest into Soul Reaping
Skills:
Order of the Vampire
Order of Pain
Vile Touch
Deathly Chill
Putrid Explosion
Well of Blood
Res Sig
Charm Animal
Our 4th spot was changing all the time, because we were the only 3 in the guild online at the time (sometimes, small guilds suck). We all agreed that it would be a good idea to have an interupter type on the team as well. I came up with this, but it's entirely untested.
4) Me/R (Untested)
Attributes: Domination, Illusion, Beast Mastery, rest into Fast Casting
Skills:
Illusionary Weaponry (just an idea, pump out some extra damage for a time)
Backfire
Res Sig
Charm Animal
Call of Protection
Comfort Animal
---X
---X
The basic strategy of the group is damage, where we bring a much larger force to the field, giving us the advantage of numbers. The real problem here is that not one character is powerful enough, by themselves, to do anything worthwhile. But, as a team, it has much better DPs. There are some weaknesses to the build, like if the other team figures out which pet belongs to the healer, we're in serious trouble (but, honestly, who attacks pets?). The only thing that the group really needed was some kind of denial or interupter to stop the healers from healing. That was the only thing that really messed us up.
So, does anyone here see anything that could be improved upon? Probably the healer, but I'm always up for a suggestion.
4v4 Group Pet Build, LF critique
VGJustice
jesh
This might be a mistype or something, but blessed signet will do exactly nothing in the healing build posted. If he's going ranger secondary, maybe you'd want to use Melandru's Resiliance {E} or Ferocious Strike {E}, or have a battery on your team. Otherwise, energy would seem to be a big concern.
If you're using four pets, I'd take Otyugh's Cry. It will affect all of your pets at once.
Also, have someone bring Revive Animal to res all the pets at once, in case there's a huge emergency.
Lastly, you could always be a trend wh*re and switch from your healer build to a boon protection monk. If you went with a battery on your team, they'd be free to put a large amount of points into BM without a loss.
Ah, almost forgot. You'll want a cover enchant if you ever want to use IW outside of the arena. How you accomplish that is up to you, but if that IW gets stripped, you just waste an elite slot.
If you're using four pets, I'd take Otyugh's Cry. It will affect all of your pets at once.
Also, have someone bring Revive Animal to res all the pets at once, in case there's a huge emergency.
Lastly, you could always be a trend wh*re and switch from your healer build to a boon protection monk. If you went with a battery on your team, they'd be free to put a large amount of points into BM without a loss.
Ah, almost forgot. You'll want a cover enchant if you ever want to use IW outside of the arena. How you accomplish that is up to you, but if that IW gets stripped, you just waste an elite slot.
Rico Carridan
Quote:
Originally Posted by VGJustice
1) W/R Hobbled Tiger Axe (My build)
Attributes: Axe Mastery, Beast Mastery, Strength
Skills:
Endure Pain
Penetrating Blow
Cleave {E}
Tiger's Fury
Disrupting Lunge
Bestial Pounce
Charm Animal
Res Sig
Quote: Originally Posted by VGJustice
2) Mo/R Healer type
Attributes: Healing, Beast Mastery, Divine Favor
Skills:
Word of Healing
Orison of Healing
Signet of Devotion
Healing Touch
Healing Breeze
Blessed Signet
Res Sig
Charm Animal
No balthazar's aura in a pet build? Way too many healing spells here anyway. Drop breeze, blessed signet, and signet of devotion and find some better skills for this build.
Quote:
3) N/R Damage Increaser type
Attributes: Blood Magic, Death Magic, Beast Mastery, rest into Soul Reaping
Skills:
Order of the Vampire
Order of Pain
Vile Touch
Deathly Chill
Putrid Explosion
Well of Blood
Res Sig
Charm Animal
No death nova? I'd drop vile touch from this one.
Quote:
Endure is actually quite nice with spike around, and it allows your warrior to extend a bit more without having to worry about staying in range of their monk all the time. It works quite nicely in this metagame, and their is spike around in arena. I would keep it in. |
Originally Posted by VGJustice
The basic strategy of the group is damage, where we bring a much larger force to the field, giving us the advantage of numbers. The real problem here is that not one character is powerful enough, by themselves, to do anything worthwhile. But, as a team, it has much better DPs. There are some weaknesses to the build, like if the other team figures out which pet belongs to the healer, we're in serious trouble (but, honestly, who attacks pets?). The only thing that the group really needed was some kind of denial or interupter to stop the healers from healing. That was the only thing that really messed us up. So, does anyone here see anything that could be improved upon? Probably the healer, but I'm always up for a suggestion. The problem with your build is that you're using a pet build, but you aren't making effective use of your pets. First and foremost, nobody has revive animal, which just seems silly. As I mentioned, I think your monk should pick up a bit of smiting and get balthazar's aura (and some energy management...). I think you need someone more dedicated to looking after your pets. If you want them to do any damage, most of your people are probably going to be using high beast mastery, but you don't have the skills for it on anyone to justify it. That aside, pet skills are generally much more powerful than player skills, particularly AoE type ones. Why aren't you using call of haste? 25% attack increase on all pets for 30 seconds, with no downside! Call of protection and Otyugh's Cry are also skill that you should be looking at. Rico
jesh
I didn't really look at the other builds, but yeah, Cleave and Endure Pain do seem out of place. As for smiting.. meh. It'd take up slots on the monk.
I don't really see any reason for death nova, he's not using an edge build. I'd rather see BR/BiP on that character. By the way, I'm pretty sure that Call of Haste/Protection are both only your pet. As for taking pet attacks, I definitely agree. You'd get the most milage out of feral lunge and predator's pounce. Maybe Melandru's Assault, since the condition will be fulfilled for it most of the time already.
JR
First off, please disregard just about everything Rico said, because it was largely rubbish. Now, to business.
Originally Posted by VGJustice
Quote: Attributes: Axe Mastery, Beast Mastery, Strength Skills: Endure Pain Penetrating Blow Cleave {E} Tiger's Fury Disrupting Lunge Bestial Pounce Charm Animal Res Sig |
Definately drop Cleave for Eviscerate, just look at the skill stats to see why. Also, as much as I dislike IWAY, if you are running so many pets you may aswell fit it in.
Also I would be tempted to drop the pet attack skills for Executioners strike and Distracting Blow.
Quote:
Attributes: Healing, Beast Mastery, Divine Favor
Skills:
Word of Healing
Orison of Healing
Signet of Devotion
Healing Touch
Healing Breeze
Blessed Signet
Res Sig
Charm Animal
Maybe drop breeze for heal other, it's a far more effective use of 10 energy. However, breeze is a self heal also, so you maybe test with both. You may also want to consider dropping Signet of Devotion and Res Sig for Mend Ailment and Holy veil. Condition and Hex removal is key in any serious build.
Word is all the energy management you need, if you use your skills intelligently.
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The problem with endure pain, particularly in comp arenas where spike is limited, is that when someone casts endure pain, it looks to the monk like you've healed yourself. Unless you're calling it when you're using it, he could just as easily assume you used healing sig, or some equivalent spell on yourself and don't need a heal at that moment, but the truth is, the only thing this spell gives you is time, not healing, so you aren't really doing the monk any favors.|
3) N/R Damage Increaser type Attributes: Blood Magic, Death Magic, Beast Mastery, rest into Soul Reaping Skills: Order of the Vampire Order of Pain Vile Touch Deathly Chill Putrid Explosion Well of Blood Res Sig Charm Animal Dual orders could be nice, but for the rest of the skills; if your speccing primarily in blood, pact and gaze is pretty decent damage, and a bit of a self heal. Well of Blood can be quite nice, slightly conditional, but it works. Instead of Death, maybe spec this guy in Wilderness Survival aswell, and have him bring Winnowing. Also, Blood Ritual for your monk might go down very nicely in drawn out rounds. Quote:
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Quote: Originally Posted by JR- Not Otyugh's Cry, for the love of god any skill but that. Why the heck not? You can give all of your pets a quick +20 armor. Forget the rest of the skill, because that's garbage, but that def boost can really help. Unless, of course, it effects your enemies pets as well, in which case your point is entirely valid. Can anyone confirm that? Quote:
Call of Haste - Shout
For 30 seconds, your animal companions have 25% faster attack speed, and move 25% faster than normal. Call of Protection - Shout For 120 seconds, your animal companions have a 1-11 base damage reduction. Assuming that these descriptions are accurate (referencing this from GWG), it would appear to me that since these affect "companions", they should affect all pets in the area, but I haven't confirmed. Quote: |
). Also, I tried Call of Haste with my first try on the W/R, but I used the wrong armor, so I killed my energy too fast. I'll see if I can work that back in, because I know CoH and then making the pet cripple the target can be a life saver for my team. Truth be told, I really wanted to step away from the IWAY build, and that's why I didn't even concider the skill. I chose Endure Pain not so much for Spike damage (which it is very effective with) but rather so that my Healer would have a few extra precious seconds in which to heal my butt (15 seconds, to be exact. I had a lot of Strength on that build).
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Why the heck not? You can give all of your pets a quick +20 armor. Forget the rest of the skill, because that's garbage, but that def boost can really help. Unless, of course, it effects your enemies pets as well, in which case your point is entirely valid. Can anyone confirm that?.
I think Otyugh's cry does affect enemy pets. On the other hand, it is unlikely that you will find another team with as many pets as you, and many teams don't have any at all, so it still may be worth considering.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al the Dead
2jesh Melandru's assault is against enchanted ones, Scavenger strike requres conditions. It is a little weaker though (Melandru is one of the two most damaging pet attacks).
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Trusting skill descriptions, are you? How about make a beast master, and then tell me that. Cause it doesn't work that way. I can't verify protection, but haste is definitely a 1 pet skill.|
Originally Posted by VGJustice
Quoted for truth. But, sadly, that defeats the purpose of the build. I'll fight using a Boon Prot until I can see no viable alternative.
What exactly is the purpose of this build? In its present incarnation, this looks to me like more or less a regular balance build except that everyone happens to have pets. But your pets aren't really contributing--they aren't corpse fodder for your necro or an IWAY, you don't really have any pet attack skills for the majority if you team. Honestly, you'd probably be better off without the pets and just playing a normal build. Half measures won't really help you. If you want to run a pet build, be prepared to invest heavily in making your pets work for you; if you don't want to run a pet build, drop charm animal entirely.
Rico
JR
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rico Carridan
Honestly, you'd probably be better off without the pets and just playing a normal build. Half measures won't really help you. If you want to run a pet build, be prepared to invest heavily in making your pets work for you; if you don't want to run a pet build, drop charm animal entirely.
Rico The orders work for the pets also.
VGJustice
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rico Carridan
The problem with endure pain, particularly in comp arenas where spike is limited, is that when someone casts endure pain, it looks to the monk like you've healed yourself. Unless you're calling it when you're using it, he could just as easily assume you used healing sig, or some equivalent spell on yourself and don't need a heal at that moment, but the truth is, the only thing this spell gives you is time, not healing, so you aren't really doing the monk any favors.
AH HAH! Now we're getting to the root of this. Yes, you are correct about the fact that it does look like you just healed yourself, but if you call it, and the healer is paying attention, then you just told them you didn't heal yourself. Or, even better, tell your healer ahead of time that the only thing you've got that even looks like a heal is Endure Pain. And I don't see what's so bad about playing for time. You know, because Endure Pain is instant, and it makes the big, burly warrior last longer.
jesh
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rico Carridan
For 30 seconds, your animal companions have 25% faster attack speed, and move 25% faster than normal. Call of Protection - Shout For 120 seconds, your animal companions have a 1-11 base damage reduction. Assuming that these descriptions are accurate (referencing this from GWG), it would appear to me that since these affect "companions", they should affect all pets in the area, but I haven't confirmed. |
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jesh
Maybe Melandru's Assault, since the condition will be fulfilled for it most of the time already.
I was aware of that already. My reasoning was that you'll find a lot of people enchanted in TA anyway.
Al the Dead
Protection is 1 pet skill too. 15 damage reduction at 16 BM if anyone interested.
hmmmm there are really tons of enchanted there..... gonna try melandru. If only it was apammable 
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