GvG

[Lurker Wyrm]

Can you give anything more specific than "more than wednesdays"?

It would probably be around the same time frame that I usually would guest with them, that being 10pm EST until enough people drop off due to needing sleep etc.; the more nights than Wednesdays means that almost every night we could do this, it just depends on when we can get 4 from our guild ready.

Also, just to remind you guys, GvG uses a lot of NF skills, so you're going to want to get those as fast as you can. The ones that are seeing the most use are:
War: "You're All Alone!", Critical Chop
Ranger: Burning Arrow
Mes: Spiritual Pain
Ele: Searing Flames, Sandstorm, Stoneflesh Aura, Blinding Surge, Invoke Lightning, Storm Djinn's Haste
Necro: Reaper's Mark, Animate Shambling Horror, Vocal Minority
Monk: Dismiss Condition, Zealous Benediction, Shield of Absorption, Mending Touch, Light of Deliverence, Healer's Covenant
Dervish: Avatar of Melandru, Avatar of Grenth, Eremite's Attack, Mystic Sweep, Lyssa's Assualt, Wearying Strike, Featherfooted Grace, Harrier's Grasp, Harrier's Haste, Ebon Dust Aura, Reaper's Sweep, Wounding Strike, Chilling Victory, Victorious Sweep
Paragon: Crippling Anthem, Spear of Lightning, Wild Throw, Harrier's Toss, Blazing Finale, "Brace Yourself!", Merciless Spear, "Go for the Eyes!", Anthem of Flame, "Stand Your Ground!", Signet of Return
Assassin: Shadow Prison, Black Spider Strike
Rit: Sight Beyond Sight

That list is in no way complete. Bear in mind that's only the NF skills, there are a bunch of other skills from the other campaigns that are getting more usage as well. Also bear in mind that this is just what I can remember off the top of my head.

[Hawkmoon]

I just wanted to warn you guys that I'll be a bit late tonight - I'll probably show up around 9:30 EST. I hope we can get a couple, or three, or four matches under our belts tonight!

[Lurker Wyrm]

We did fairly well last night considering how rusty we are and that we were all using new builds we're not accustomed to yet.

I went to the guild hall this afternoon to see we've switched to Isle of Meditation. When we battle on this map it's important to remember a couple things. First, there are 2 flag stands, the tower stand for morale (lower path) and one to control the obelisk (upper path). In order to get to the tower stand you have to go past some statues that shoot fireballs (not AoE) at you if the other team controls the obelisk and vice versa. The two side gates for the tower stand only open from the inside (there's a lever near the stand), to get in you have to run through the miasma to get to the main gate. It's a very claustrophobic hall in general, so that smite build we ran last night should work well on it. That is, assuming we want to try the same build out again. It's easy enough and doesn't require as much co-ordination thanks to the heavy pressure damage.

[Lurker Wyrm]

I updated the first post to include the various Nightfall skills that I've seen in usage for the various classes.

With the way it's been changing and the proposed changes that have yet to be implemented, I have no idea what to expect from GvG anymore.

[Lurker Wyrm]

Hi guys, it's me again. I just wanted to post a few things. First off, I think it's best that we only do scrimmages for the next couple of weeks while we try out guild halls. This will save us some time since we won't have to wait around for hours to get those last couple people, and it'll also allow us to explore the halls more fully in a way we couldn't if we were in actual competition.

Secondly, I've thought about it, and I think it's time we switch voice chat programs and use Ventrilo. Home brew servers are allowed to have up to 8 people on them at a time, which is fine since that's how many of us there are. This isn't going to be immediate by any means, so don't worry about having it installed for the next couple of weeks. I still have to figure out what we're going to do for a server, but I just wanted to pass that along. I'm making the switch to Vent because the voice quality and response times are a lot better with Vent than they are with TS. But anyways, like I said, probably not happening anytime soon. You can get Vent here if you don't already have it.

Third, this is the build we ran last week and I thought I'd post it up so we can use it again at another time. It's the smite build [cow] was using. Thanks to Shinobu Shinrei of TNE for copying it down. I've filled in a few blanks where they were missing.

Warrior/Elementalist
Strength: 10 (9+1)
Axe Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Tactics: 10 (9+1)
Air Magic: 3
Shock (Air Magic)
Frenzy (Warrior other)
Eviscerate [Elite] (Axe Mastery)
Executioner's Strike (Axe Mastery)
Rush (Strength)
Bull's Strike (Strength)
Healing Signet (Tactics)
Resurrection Signet ()

Dervish/Warrior
Mysticism: 13 (12+1)
Scythe Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Victorious Sweep (Scythe Mastery)
Wearying Strike (Scythe Mastery)
Eremite's Attack (Scythe Mastery)
Wild Blow (Warrior Other)
Rush (Strength)
Heart of Fury (Mysticism)
Avatar of Melandru [Elite] (Mysticism)
Resurrection Signet ()

Dervish/Warrior
Mysticism: 13 (12+1)
Scythe Mastery: 16 (12+4)
Eremite's Attack (Scythe Mastery)
Victorious Sweep (Scythe Mastery)
Mystic Sweep (Scythe Mastery)
Wild Blow (Warrior other)
Extend Enchantments (Mysticism)
Heart of Fury (Mysticism)
Avatar of Grenth [Elite] (Mysticism)
Resurrection Signet ()

Paragon/Warrior
Leadership: 12 (10+2)
Spear Mastery: 12 (11+1)
Command: 11 (10+1)
Spear of Lightning (Spear Mastery)
Harrier's Toss (Spear Mastery)
"Go For The Eyes!" (Command)
Anthem of Flame (Leadership)
Blazing Finale (Leadership)
"Stand Your Ground!" (Command)
Crippling Anthem [Elite] (Command)
Signet of Return (Leadership)

Elementalist/Monk
Energy Storage: 12 (10+2)
Earth Magic: 3 (2+1)
Protection Prayers: 8
Smiting Prayers: 12
Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
Reversal of Damage (Smiting Prayers)
Draw Conditions (Protection Prayers)
Magnetic Aura (Earth Magic)
Balthazar's Aura (Smiting Prayers)
Master Of Magic [Elite] (Energy Storage)
Zealot's Fire (Smiting Prayers)
Resurrection Signet ()

Monk/Elementalist
Divine Favor: 12 (11+1)
Healing Prayers: 11 (10+1)
Protection Prayers: 12 (10+2)
Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
Protective Spirit (Protection Prayers)
Gift of Health (Healing Prayers)
Light of Deliverance [Elite] (Healing Prayers)
Mending Touch (Protection Prayers)
Holy Veil (Monk other)
Glyph of Lesser Energy (Elementalist other)
Aegis (Protection Prayers)

Monk/Elementalist
Divine Favor: 13 (12+1)
Healing Prayers: 4 (3+1)
Protection Prayers: 14 (12+2)
Reversal of Fortune (Protection Prayers)
Shield of Absorption (Protection Prayers)
Zealous Benediction [Elite] (Protection Prayers)
Infuse Health (Healing Prayers)
Dismiss Condition (Protection Prayers)
Holy Veil (Monk other)
Glyph of Lesser Energy (Elementalist other)
Aegis (Protection Prayers)

Mesmer/Elementalist
Fast Casting: 12 (11+1)
Domination Magic: 14 (12+2)
Air Magic: 6
Energy Surge [Elite] (Domination Magic)
Blackout (Domination Magic)
Empathy (Domination Magic)
Shatter Enchantment (Domination Magic)
Spiritual Pain (Domination Magic)
Storm Djinn's Haste (Air Magic)
Gale (Air Magic)
Resurrection Signet ()

The Me/E is the primary flag runner, and tries to stay with the main group whenever possible. I'm not wholly sure about the smiter ele, Fox used that last time so he can say better whether it was good or if we should use something else, like a Searing Flames ele or Reaper's Mark necro, instead. I would be more in favor of the SF ele, since that combines well with the paragon shouts lighting people on fire a lot (we could even find a spot for "They're on Fire!" on the paragon for some added defense).

Anyways, see you guys tomorrow, or rather tonight since today is tomorrow already.

[FoxBat]

The smite damage isn't incredible, but the MoM smiter has one very important job that *does* increase damage: draw conditions spam on melee, to counteract blinding flash. (even if I wasn't doing that job so well. ) I think this is the main reason you see MoM smiters over AoE, even with energy management issues the AoE does more smite damage over time. But keeping the inevitable blind off your melee is more damage yet.

A difficulty with ToF/Searing Flames combo, is that often the enemies you want to kill (casters) and the enemies doing a ton of damage (melee) aren't sitting next to each other. Though it would probably function well against a spiritual pain spike (until you searing through a diversion that is... though that's just about as crippling to a smiter) A well-coordinated ele might set the melee on fire for 7 seconds and then switch to pressuring casters and back again, but I don't know if any of us are that skilled to make it work well.


How are we going to scrimmage? Guildies + koss and friends? Inviting some TNE folks? While exploring the halls with some bots to understand the layout and get a feel for play is a good idea, I think it's important we also try some amount of 8 humans vs 8 human action in some fashion.

[theGrimm]

I'm a useless PvPer, and don't have many skills unlocked, but I'm prepared to play cannon fodder if I'm online and free; my necro is into masochism (140 deaths and counting).

But only if you promise to lay on the conditions. (Burning is my favorite. 8) )

[Seijin]

I'm a useless PvPer, and don't have many skills unlocked, but I'm prepared to play cannon fodder if I'm online and free; my necro is into masochism (140 deaths and counting).

I think some of us are close to, if not already at, 1000 deaths.

I accumulated over 200 deaths with my sin during a green weekend event.

[Lurker Wyrm]

The smite damage isn't incredible, but the MoM smiter has one very important job that *does* increase damage: draw conditions spam on melee, to counteract blinding flash. (even if I wasn't doing that job so well. ) I think this is the main reason you see MoM smiters over AoE, even with energy management issues the AoE does more smite damage over time. But keeping the inevitable blind off your melee is more damage yet.

Yeah, I can see that as being a definite advantage and one I hadn't really thought about. Well, we'll see. If energy management is an issue, maybe you could try out Ether Prism.

A difficulty with ToF/Searing Flames combo, is that often the enemies you want to kill (casters) and the enemies doing a ton of damage (melee) aren't sitting next to each other. Though it would probably function well against a spiritual pain spike (until you searing through a diversion that is... though that's just about as crippling to a smiter) A well-coordinated ele might set the melee on fire for 7 seconds and then switch to pressuring casters and back again, but I don't know if any of us are that skilled to make it work well.

The ToF was more of an afterthought. The main reason behind SF and a paragon was that a paragon with Blazing Finale and the like, stuff will be set on fire anyways, so the SF would be pumping out constant damage instead of having to basically waste a casting to get the target on fire.

It made more sense at 2am.

How are we going to scrimmage? Guildies + koss and friends? Inviting some TNE folks? While exploring the halls with some bots to understand the layout and get a feel for play is a good idea, I think it's important we also try some amount of 8 humans vs 8 human action in some fashion.

Whoever shows up can join in and I'll put a general broadcast over alliance chat that people are welcome to take part. I can ask some TNE people if needs be, but they typically only like to go for rated matches.

[altheas revenge]

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to let everyone know that i am also interested in GvG and will try to make it on wednesday nights but i will be available also for other nights (work schedule permitting).

I play monk, ele and necro but all my experience is just RA.

If you guys are willing to put up with a noob like me I'm more than willing to learn.