Forum Link Code:[url=]Mo-W Aggressive Totem 55hp Monk[/url]
This build is a more aggressive version of the 55hp solo farmer
builds. It adds speed to your killing power but sacrifices the
safety and security of health regeneration and the energy
management boost of the Blessed Signet. This build profits from the
fact that many 55hp monks will be wielding an Axe of Enchanting for an added duration on
Enchantments. This build turns the axe to a very formidable weapon
and useful option.
The build can be used in many solo farming areas and does not
rely on Healing Prayers at all. This build can take
on any number of monsters as you like without worrying about your
health dropping below 55. Shield of Absorption reduces
damage by 5, and this build has a maximum health of 55. With Protective
Spirit, this means that every attack against you will do zero
damage. This means that you can tank as many monsters as you want, similar to the old Spirit Bond monk. See the Invincible Monk
article for more information on these kinds of builds.
Attributes and Skills
Equipment
- Ascetic's Armor for a larger energy pool, with a +1 Smiting Prayers
scalp design. You will need to upgrade your armor so as to bring
your health down to 55 hp (as seen on this section of the Invincible Monk
page).
- Any Axe of Enchanting. The
bonus must be +20%. Also, a +5 Energy modifier (or the inscription "I Have the
Power") helps to increase the energy pool even more. The Totem Axe is a good choice
for this. A two-handed weapon cannot be used or your health will be
more than 55.
- Consider bringing a scalp design that provides a bonus in Divine Favor
and/or a staff of
Mastery in Divine Favor.
Usage
- First cast Blessed Aura. If you are using a Divine Favor
headpiece and/or a staff of Mastery in Divine Favor, equip them now
to maximize its effect. Note that if you are using a staff of
Mastery, it may take multiple castings for the Divine Favor boost
to kick in. Be sure to re-equip the Smiting Prayers scalp and your
axe/offhand combo after you are satisfied with your cast.
Note: These three enchantments can be cast in any order
according to preference.
- After all of the enchantments are cast, head towards your
enemies (but see Choosing Enemies, below).
- Aggro your enemies. You
must keep up Shield of Absorption (near-)continuously. Depending on
how high your Divine Favor attribute was when you cast Blessed
Aura, you can have as little as .5 seconds to recast it - or you
may have as many as 1.85 seconds. Note that if you miss a recast by
a few seconds, the health gained from the Divine Favor Attribute
alone and combined with the damage reduction from Protective Spirit
will help prevent death, but don't take your time about recasting
it. (Be aware that larger mobs mean faster death in this
situation.)
- Use Lacerating Chop and Cyclone Axe for damage.
The steady supply of Adrenaline should help recharge your
Lacerating Chop fast and if you pair it with the Knockdown effect of Shield
of Judgment your target will start to bleed. A good strategy is
cycling your targets for the Lacerating Chop thus getting more to
suffer from Bleeding.
Use the Cyclone Axe as long as your energy management is
comfortable to strike all adjacent opponents.
- Cycling targets is in generel a good idea - the longer you have
the more enemies the better is your energy management and the
adrenaline gain on which your Lacerating Chop thrives.
Counters
- Enchantment
removal can be deadly if it hits Protective Spirit and/or Shield of
Absorption. Because Necromancers and Mesmers have so many skills to do this, avoid
them.
- Most health degeneration will also kill you as
you only have the raw Divine Favor Attribute as your healing.
Again, avoid places with Necromancers or Mesmers. (Note that minor
health degeneration may not necessarily be deadly as you will heal
yourself every time you cast a spell on yourself due to the healing
bonus from the Divine Favor attribute.)
- If Shield of Absorption is interrupted, you could be in
trouble. You will have to last ten seconds with only the healing
boost from casting Protective Spirit on yourself - although
Protective Spirit has a five second recharge.
Variants
- Healing
Breeze is useful when killing foes that cause -3 (or greater)
health degeneration.
- Zealot's
Fire can provide relatively consistent AoE damage; you must be cautious as to how you time
your spells so that there is at least three seconds between each of
them, or you will cause your enemies to scatter.
- Consider bringing Judge's Insight if farming undead, but beware
that it can strain your energy management.
- Consider changing the Axe skills to something causing various
Conditions or one
causing Interrupt
to make you better suited at farming bosses. If centering on
bosses, as oppossed to a mass of enemies, it might also be an idea
to trade the Shield of Judgment in for another elite.
Either an aggressive one to increase your damage or something to
protect you from the bosses skills or spells. It doesn't really
matter about the adrenaline cost, as your adrenaline is virtually
infinite.
Warrior
Choosing Enemies
Only certain enemies will be effectively damaged by this build.
Enemies that are knocked down by Shield of Judgment are preferred
even if they do scatter; enemies such as the Mountain Trolls
at Talus Chute
can be knocked down and therefore will be vulnerable to this build.
It is also possible to take out a range of other groups in the
Chute including the Blessed Griffons, the Azure Shadows and any
group of Tengu as long as
they have no Avicara Guile as they can strip your
enchantments.
Before you use this or any other build with Shield of Judgment
to farm monsters, do some
research to see if they can be knocked down or not. Shield of
Judgment can cause scatter but the use of melee damage might be
off-setting. And the added DPS
of this build decreases the problem of scattering as they often die
before getting away, or at least that they do not have to attack
you to receive damage as with the builds depending on the Shield of
Judgment alone. Your axe is your main damage dealer.
This build is also useful, and somewhat faster than less
aggressive 55hp builds, on those monster that cannot be knocked
down, but you'll forego the Bleeding and might consider another
Adrenaline Axe Mastery skill in place of Lacerating Chop.
Also, when considering choosing an area, try to find an area
with abundant melee attackers, who will be drawn close to your and
the range of your axe.
Notes
- Like all invincimonk builds, this build will be easier with
practice.
- While this build will work if you are reduced to 1 hp,
it will require very quick reflexes to maintain constant coverage
from Shield of Absorption.
- Try not to cast Protective Spirit and Shield of Absorption at
about the same time; try to parse them so there is a one second lag
between the two so as to phase out the healing from Divine
Favor.
See also
Monk / Warrior 
