Guild Wars 2

i see a lot of complaints about dungeon difficulty, button-mashing combat, shallow combat, weak builds, etc. i invite you to spend some time learning combo fields with a friend. this is where a lot of the complexity lies. well-executed combo fields make ALL the difference in dungeons and pvp. please take some time to understand this crucial game mechanic…it’s rewarding, fun and deep.

Love to. Please show me where the practice areas are so I can do this.

If you mean, “just pay the price in silver to figure it out”… um. No thanks. And this is exactly why few people know how these work.

Actually, few people know IF they work, and what they do if they do work.

Combos are an AMAZING idea. But the implementation was painfully obtuse.

uh what? get a buddy, go to the mists, practice on the golems. combos arent an IDEA, theyre an existing, viable mechanic. they were left as a bit of a mystery for us to figure out. get it?

I never really payed them much attention until this afternoon. Some random elementalist and I were killing risen when we accidentally aggroed a veteran. She poppsed a fire field and I happened to be standing near and I noticed the burning condition going crazy. And then a light clicked in my head…..I stayed near her as we kited and everytime she dropped a fire circle or a wall I made sure I had the shortbow combos lighting that thing up.

Don’t need to be in the dungeons or in pvp to try stuff and see how things worked…I wasn’t even looking and I found out just one thing. =P

I throw my Ring of Fire at people all the time in events. Since I play her with my guildie’s thief it’s handy for her shortbow, and random other people might use it accidently even if they don’t know about the combo.

We learned that one just by happening to play them together, I might add.

They’re pretty neat but I really only think two or three of them are necessary, the rest are just nice small dps increases or buffs. Anything that removes conditions is always good and chaos armor, gives you random buffs everytime you are hit. As a mesmer if I can get chaos armor on myself and put down a chaos storm on me I’ll get nearly every buff there is to get and I’ll take so little damage. That makes a pretty big difference but I don’t all of them making a huge difference.

Saying the info is easily available completely misses the point that we must first know to look for it. If the game can’t even give you basic info, don’t expect people to know to look for more detailed info.

For example, I still don’t know what armor and toughness does except that they mitigate damage. Ok, that’s it? no other basic info?

It’s like the game was designed so these things wouldn’t matter. Just slap on any armor and just spam what abilities you have and everyone run like forrest gump and kite. leveling 1-80 seems to reinforce that.

“Just slap on any armor and just spam what abilities you have and everyone run like forrest gump and kite.”

Every bit of this.
Just have the #1 attack for every weap and 2-10 speed bursts on separate RuTs just for the lol factor.

They’re a real hodge podge in reality. For example fire field plus blast is 3 stacks of area might lasting 20 seconds, pretty worthwhile. Ice field plus blast is Frost Armour that lasts less than 1 second. Somewhat less so.

Combos are pretty much the only reason I stuck with Elementalist.
Since our normal skills are so weak, I can’t imagine playing an Ele without constantly self combo-ing while cycling through atunements.
When I’m with other people it’s great. I can pop-off twice as many combos without waiting for my own cool-downs.

I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.

Combo fields are the least of a group of issues in dungeons let alone pve in general. the majority of people build their characters to be strictly dps looking for the highest numbers possible wether it be single target or a small aoe. Very few look into support for the group like regen, protection, retaliation, swiftness, condition removal. If they do take these into mindset its strictly for themself and not the group.

Its this mindset that I run my necro in dungeons ( dispite being unbalanced ) to apply 4 4sec protections, perma-regen, 2 heal over times and consistant condition removal along with the effects of poison, dark and light combo fields. all this while keeping a 50% crit rate, 105 dmg bleeding ticks x10-15,Blinding, crippling, vulnerability, 2 poison skills to keep it up constantly and the ability to do a small burst with well of suffering and life transfer with just over 20k hp, 2185 defense, 1700 might.

I could spec to do much more dmg but I sacrifice my dmg ability for healing and support to make up for others mindset of ZOMG I GOT TO BE TOP DPS.

Peaple really need to learn the meaning of teamwork.

RebelYell.7132:

I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.

Playing the game right does, though.

we should have been able to solo

1. Might be hard to see what fields are going on to combo with.
2. Players might not be in the right position to combo with them.
3. Their skill to combo with might be on cooldown.
4. The combo field doesn’t last long enough for players to react.
5. They don’t know about it.

If it bothers you, why not tell them what you want and how they need to use it?
And how can you blame people not knowing about a combo field with a profession they never played or experimented combo fields with?
I’ve only played 2 professions so far, and I wouldn’t know what to combo with a Necromancer…

Greyfeld.7104:

Derpinator.2894:

Love to. Please show me where the practice areas are so I can do this.

If you mean, “just pay the price in silver to figure it out”… um. No thanks. And this is exactly why few people know how these work.

Actually, few people know IF they work, and what they do if they do work.

Combos are an AMAZING idea. But the implementation was painfully obtuse.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Combo

Instead of being content to remain ignorant, you should learn to use google. And failing that, asking somebody in-game for information.

I agree that there should be some sort of in-game tutorial for this sort of thing, but the information is still easily attainable.

No, it should be available for testing and experimenting ingame. We shouldn’t have to go to some website to read up on them…

all fields have a combo effect interaction wether its ranged or melee. I stagger my wells to maximize the effect of protections and center my healing well over the majority of the group so its basically automatic. Most people arent bringing support for the party to the table thus is why I say using combo fields is the least of the problems. Bring some support and learn to dodge/evade, learn to read an up coming massive attack, learn to not over aggro or leeroy into 100 mobs and things might turn out for the better.

The issue isn;t combo fields the issue is lack of understanding this game is a combined team mechanic not a solo glory hound.

“No, it should be available for testing and experimenting ingame. We shouldn’t have to go to some website to read up on them…”

Eh, I mean, whether skills are combo finishers or combo field creators are listed on the skill’s tooptip. So you can easily look at which one of your skills create a field/combos off of it. And as several people have said, it’s off to the Mists to test them.

I love playing with my elementalist, i can create many fields and finishers with it all by myself, it fun really.

And people, it isn’t even difficult, you have “combo: field” and “combo: finisher” LOL There are only two parts to a combo.

As for a testing ground…JUST USE THEM! You don’t even have to go to the mists, just flippin’ use em.

The biggest problem I have with combo fields right now is their duration. By the time I realize one has been dropped, its already to late to run over to it and activate a finisher. Theres also loads of worthless combos such as the frost armor that was already mentioned. The bolt combos are also in that category since they fly off in random directions and never hit anything.

The might, retaliation, chaos armor, and blindness combos are all pretty awesome. The heal one is worthless since it only heals for like 100-200. Everything else is meh. It would be awesome if the blast finishers actually did additional damage in addition to their effects, but they don’t. As such, its not going to change the outcome of a fight in the slightest.

As far as I know, my class has nothing to generate a combo field.

The whole mechanic seems a little underdeveloped.

Here is the sad fact….. unless you are in an established team with voice chats; combo-fields are nothing more then lucky based opportunity gimmicks.

Dynamic Events = Zerg, sPvP = Zerg, WvW = Zerg
You get enough people in the area… someone drops a combo-field, someone else is bound to drop a combo-finisher..

THIS IS NOT SKILL !!!!!

This was not planned, there is no strategy, it can not be used as a tactic!
It is nothing more then fluke based fluff!!!.

Anyone who says they have full control of combo’s out in the open are full of kitten!
they don’t… !!

I play a warrior.. I have no combo fields, yet I am often setting of combo finishes…
no skill.. no strategy.. just happen to be in the right place when a combo finisher was not on cool down…. AND I used the combo finisher for its normal skill, not because I wanted to activate a combo..

WHY?? because in this zerg of a game, with ultra quick combo fields, I don’t have time to plan out an entire chess game in moves; I spam whatever the hell is up.

and again.. anyone who says different is full of it, and just trying to make out they have skill… which they don’t.

this game is a kiting, dodging, ranged favoured, zerg fest :P

deal with it

Auraka.6238:

I play a warrior.. I have no combo fields, yet I am often setting of combo finishes…

The longbow burst skill, Combustive Shot, is a combo field. However, the longbow itself is crap since its useless outside of its long cooldown abilities.

I’m in the same boat with many others. I can’t react fast enough to pull out a combo. First thing i have an hard time undestanding what field is deployed. I mean, most of them are just circles… and then they are way to fast to take advantage. I can see the mechanic working with team speak cordination but i doubt it can be pulled of in a pug or in a dynamic event if not by chance.

Say I were to drop an Ethereal Combo field via Chaos storm.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Chaos_Storm

Then someone were to use a blast finisher, to give AOE chaos armor:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Chaos_Armor

This essentially means these effects are happening:

• You gain Swiftness
• You gain retaliation
• You gain Aegis (Avoids one attack)

Ontop of this you gain Chaos armor:
Which upon being hit gives you:

• Protection (33% damage reduction)
• Regeneration (390~ HP heal).
• Swiftness again.

Enemies that hit you get:

• Blindness
• Cripplied
• Chilled
• Weakness

All in all this combo field means that:

You move 33% faster, You reflect damage, block hits every few seconds, all hits that aren’t blocked are reduced by 33%, You heal 390 damage.

• The enemy is slowed by 50%
• Chilled so it’s speed decreases by 66% more
• It will miss it’s next attack (which you will avoid with aegis anyway)
• Any attacks it does land will do 50% damage, (further reduced by 33% due to protection).
• Finally the enemy will damage themselves due to confusion.

Overkill? Overly Complicated?

Couldn’t it simply be the target can’t attack for the next X seconds, you can’t be damaged while under the chaos storm. Targets are also slowed by 75%~.

Cloesd.3025:

Then someone were to use a blast finisher, to give AOE chaos armor:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Chaos_Armor

Ontop of this you gain Chaos armor:
Which upon being hit gives you:

• Protection (33% damage reduction)
• Regeneration (390~ HP heal).
• Swiftness again.

Enemies that hit you get:

• Blindness
• Cripplied
• Chilled
• Weakness

Keep in mind that chaos armor has only a 33% chance to give u either boon for 5 seconds. U may also end up getting 3x swiftness.
If u don’t get hit, chaos armor via combo, does nothing at all except for a nice purple bubble! Which like some animal coloring may indicate “don’t shoot/eat me” !

Combos are absolutely awesome. You actually don’t need another person at all…most professions have combos fields and finishers (maybe all professions do), so you can do them by yourself and they make a substantial difference.

Also, if you understand combos, you can “play the battlefield” even when you aren’t working out strategy with other players. Just yesterday I was taking on a champion mob with one other person. He was a warrior, and was using a ranged weapon. I’m playing a guardian. When I noticed that the champion was applying a lot of conditions, I switched to my hammer and started laying down a light field. This meant that the warrior’s ranged projectiles started curing my conditions, and I was able to stay in melee range the whole time. The warrior and I didn’t talk strategy, but I was able to utilize combos based on what he was doing already. It’s a great system and works well solo, in casual groups, and in organized groups.

I’m hammer warrior 99% of the time.

1. I see field..
2. EARTHSHAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
3. Sparkles everywhere
4. YEY

My second weapon is bow, which has a F1 fire field for 9 seconds and bow3 is a blast finisher. That’s triple might and burning.

If I see a water field, ima splash that thing no matter what.

Guardian fields seem an issue though because some of them have super short durations. Other fields seem ok.

Eles/Rangers I play with know that I’ll jump any water field I see. When I roam areas with guildies, they know I take advantage of any combo fields, especially healing fields so they’re more likely to spec for fields. They also know I will push mobs out of enemy fields or into friendly fields (latter is harder to do) and they know I almost always open with a knockdown, snare or EARTHSHAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, giving them an incentive to use fields/aoe. Eles will whip out their staff instead of daggers.

I played axe for a while. The F1 is a leap (hammer F1 is blast) and it charges quickly so I’d try to always combo it. Most common is the fire field so I’d have a fire armor that burns everyone near me while I whirl and shoot burning bullets everywhere.

Combos are awesome and should be used and learned.

I learned them by just equipping a bow in DE’s and looking at the popups, then earthshaking with them.

an example of the combo field: Ranger drops the Healing Spring, Warrior does a whirling attack inside of it and suddenly the Healing Spring becomes an AOE heal.

You can do similar things with Ele’s rings of fire and that mesmer confusion bubble thing. I love shoot arrows through combo fields. Lots of fun.

Don Zardeone.8730:

Guardian fields seem an issue though because some of them have super short durations. Other fields seem ok.

There are traits which extend the duration of the guardian fields and make them bigger. My fields are sweet to play in. =D

My favorites are AoE might, AoE retaliation, or anything with condition removal.

Rpgtabbycat.5869:

an example of the combo field: Ranger drops the Healing Spring, Warrior does a whirling attack inside of it and suddenly the Healing Spring becomes an AOE heal.

Nice in theory, kinda useless in practice. Its not a “AOE” heal, first those bolts heal for like 125HP, than there will be like 5 bolts flying randomly around in a few seconds. Now simply try to “catch” such a bolt, even if u perma “whirl” inside the spring, u might get lucky and get 2 bolts every 10 seconds for a whooping 250HP heal….
This is the same with all whirling finishers, the bolts will mostly miss. They need to adjust those either to deal more dmg/heal or make those auto target players.

The biggest problem atm, is that its really hard to effectively test combo fields, no one has a real idea how much dmg/heal/effect u get out of what combo. The most testable are blind/condition removal fields, but than again how do i test this if i have no reliable source to get conditions. This was much better solved in GW1 and the test area.

@RebelYell – “I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.”

Actually, smoke and dark fields do… Sorry to burst your bubble =)

My problem with combos is that they don’t seem balanced against themselves.

Condition removals, Might, Healing and Blindness are very good ones.

And the whirl bolts are very lackluster. They should be way more powerfull to justify positioning and setting up for them and after that, having to deal with their completly chaotic nature.

“Combo fields are the least of a group of issues in dungeons let alone pve in general. the majority of people build their characters to be strictly dps looking for the highest numbers possible wether it be single target or a small aoe. Very few look into support for the group like regen, protection, retaliation, swiftness, condition removal. If they do take these into mindset its strictly for themself and not the group.
Its this mindset that I run my necro in dungeons ( dispite being unbalanced ) to apply 4 4sec protections, perma-regen, 2 heal over times and consistant condition removal along with the effects of poison, dark and light combo fields. all this while keeping a 50% crit rate, 105 dmg bleeding ticks x10-15,Blinding, crippling, vulnerability, 2 poison skills to keep it up constantly and the ability to do a small burst with well of suffering and life transfer with just over 20k hp, 2185 defense, 1700 might.
I could spec to do much more dmg but I sacrifice my dmg ability for healing and support to make up for others mindset of ZOMG I GOT TO BE TOP DPS.
Peaple really need to learn the meaning of teamwork.”

finally someone know how to play the game. If your not supporting allies while dpsing and controlling the mobs all at the same time… ur doin it wrong.

Regarding Chaos Armor, it is a lot better than you think. Aside from the random boon/condition thing, you are guaranteed Protection.

I agree completely with what was said about whirl finishers though, at the moment they are terrible. The other finishers are fine, however.

I’d like to see blast finishers get spread around a bit more, however. For most classes, if they have a blast finisher, its on a long cooldown, often a utility slot, although a few classes can almost spam them (thieves, guardians). Blast finishers offer the most dramatic effect… I think more people would be consciously using the combo system if they had the opportunity to blast finish more frequently.

The other issue is overwriting. It’s frustrating when an ice field overwrites a water field, or a fire field overwrites a smoke/dark field for example. I don’t have a solution for that though.

I like the concept of combo fields, but they are difficult to identify in game.

I think it would be cool if you saw some text spam when one goes off, like a huge “(Insert name of Combo) Success” or something on your screen. This would help players identify when they are hitting combos and aren’t even aware of it. Plus it makes you feel like you did something uber cool when you see the spam.

Just an idea!

FarFarAway.6579:

I think it would be cool if you saw some text spam when one goes off, like a huge “(Insert name of Combo) Success” or something on your screen.

Just an idea!

Umm… it already does that. It shows up as a heart with the name of the effect whenever either you finish a combo or an ally finishes off a field that you set up.

ring of fire + earthquake + churning
burning speed + rolling back into it

I’ll take my 9 stacks of might now please.
Combo fields are delirious bizznasty.

I think people are just to lazy to figure it out.. they can make parts of dungeons SO much easier because you are increasing the power of usually everyone around you for little to no effort, making use of light and smoke fields with different finishers made my earlier Ascalonian catacombs explorable run a complete piece of cake

Enfurion.6478:

Regarding Chaos Armor, it is a lot better than you think. Aside from the random boon/condition thing, you are guaranteed Protection.

No its not and also stated at the wiki entry, the “guaranteed Protection” is only given on the 40sec skill version to yourself, not for the combo field version. This is often misstated and makes the combo field version much less usefully, sine it only nets 2x 33% “lucky” protection/blind chances on hit, which will noticeable reduce the incoming dmg, which is the main reason u want chaos armor in the first place. In addition the AE version of chaos armor only last 3sec instead of 5, so its even less usefully, since u need to get hit in this 3 sec and than have the 33% chance to get your protection/blind also just for just 3 sec.

I still like the combo/leap chaos armor, since mesmer have many usefully etheral fields, simply don’t assume a null-field + ae chaos armor makes any difference for dmg, just pop the null-field if needed and add the ae/leap chaos armor as a small lucky bonus effect.

The combo with chaos storm + chaos armor “looks” so strong, since u get 1-3 aegis out of the chaos storm, thats what most will notice, simply don’t overestimate the chaos armor part if used with other ethereal combo fields.

Ruggy.7819:

making use of light and smoke fields with different finishers made my earlier Ascalonian catacombs explorable run a complete piece of cake

Thats also what i noticed, ae “blast” heals and blinds really outperform most other combo fields, especially if u stack a bunch of guardians/wars in front of a WvW door :p

@xErtherx

I agree with you 100%. My husband and I both run support based builds in dungeons and at the end of every run, the rest of the group claim that was the smoothest run they have had in so and so dungeon.
What ends up happening is he and I work our ‘kittens’ off carrying the 3 Dpskittens (that sounds familiar doesnt it?). We work off eachother’s combofields, communicate, change aggro as necessary, and understand what the other is capable of – while the other group members faceroll with their pure damage builds and wonder why they get downed so much. People seem to think they can enter a dungeon with the same build they use in DE’s and soloing with the racial skills for flavor instead of bringing their best tools for the challenge ahead. These dungeons are not come as you are and have fun, they are come with the best you have and adapt as necessary.

If everyone would build their characters with support in mind, there would be no ‘carrying’, and there would be no failed dungeon attempts. It is about knowing what you and the rest of your group are capable of and working together.

I agree, OP. Considering how long this game has been out, it’s disgusting that most players aren’t as pro as you already.

Maybe you should write a guide.

DusK.3849:

RebelYell.7132:

I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.

Playing the game right does, though.

Dodging all their attacks (if they’re properly telegraphed, which they are NOT in most encounters) can mitigate all incoming damage, yes. That doesn’t change that they hit for way too much damage.

You also see a lot of projectiles homing in on you when the creature that fired them is facing over 90 degrees away from you, in this supposed skill based game where learning to play triumphs gear.

deriver.5381:

@RebelYell – “I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.”

Actually, smoke and dark fields do… Sorry to burst your bubble =)

Well done, sir!

deriver.5381:

@RebelYell – “I know how field works. Fields don’t make champions not two-shot you.”

Actually, smoke and dark fields do… Sorry to burst your bubble =)

You haven’t.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Defiant

“Defiant is an always on buff on the boss. If you hit the boss with CC and he has no stacks of Indignant he will gain a number of stacks (from 10 to 25). While Indignant the boss will be immune to CC, CC skills remove indignant stacks. So in effect every 11th CC on the boss sticks (if boss is the kind to get 10 stacks).”

Good luck permablinding through that.

RebelYell.7132:

You also see a lot of projectiles homing in on you when the creature that fired them is facing over 90 degrees away from you, in this supposed skill based game where learning to play triumphs gear.

You do know that there are skills that bounce back or nullify those projectiles, right? You do know that, during a dodge, you’re invulnerable for a certain amount of time, right?

I have a feeling you don’t know this. Anyone who does wouldn’t be complaining about bosses doing “too much damage”, because they wouldn’t be getting hit by the attacks that do “too much damage”.

Seriously, feel free to post your main profession. I’ll help you out. I’ll point out what skills you should be using to stop getting two-shotted.

I know dodge gives invulnerability and that many professions have an ability (always on a non-trivial cooldown) that reflects or nullifies projectiles. That doesn’t mean I find them to be interesting or challenging from a tactical standpoint.

RebelYell.7132:

I know dodge gives invulnerability and that many professions have an ability (always on a non-trivial cooldown) that reflects or nullifies projectiles. That doesn’t mean I find them to be interesting or challenging from a tactical standpoint.

So wait wait wait. You refuse to use them because they’re not “interesting or challenging from a tactical standpoint”, and then complain about dying?

Seriously, this can’t be real. You gotta be trolling.

raynemaker.2731:

People seem to think they can enter a dungeon with the same build they use in DE’s and soloing…

If everyone would build their characters with support in mind,

How does a support build work out for DE’s and soloing?

I wouldn’t want to respec traits every time i’d switch from DE/solo PvE to dungeon.