Looking for a build
This is what I use for solo roaming HoT.
If I am in a group, then I switch out Spite for Blood Magic and use Transfusion and other healing skills. For zerging in HoT, I will also swap Berserker’s equipment for Cleric’s and focus on tagging and healing. In either case, I try to maximize the amount of time I am in Shroud.
Signet of the Locust can change to another shout or to Signet of Spite during escort events where there is plenty of swiftness and NPCs proceed slowly.
p.s.
Axe can be used in place of staff when roaming solo or with 1-2 others, as long as vulnerability does not cap and you do not need staff’s utility. HoT mobs can have boons so Unholy Feast is not completely awful. Trait axe and focus, of course, and switch Soul Marks to Speed of Shadows.
(edited by Anchoku.8142)
This is what I use for solo roaming HoT.
If I am in a group, then I switch out Spite for Blood Magic and use Transfusion and other healing skills. For zerging in HoT, I will also swap Berserker’s equipment for Cleric’s and focus on tagging and healing. In either case, I try to maximize the amount of time I am in Shroud.
Signet of the Locust can change to another shout or to Signet of Spite during escort events where there is plenty of swiftness and NPCs proceed slowly.
p.s.
Axe can be used in place of staff when roaming solo or with 1-2 others, as long as vulnerability does not cap and you do not need staff’s utility. HoT mobs can have boons so Unholy Feast is not completely awful. Trait axe and focus, of course, and switch Soul Marks to Speed of Shadows.
So, recommending anything with a bit of power?
Time to fiddle with the build again :P
Very much appreciated
Condi in HoT solo takes too long. Sure, it works, eventually, but kiting where more mobs may aggro or re-spawn is courting death. I charge in and put down HoT mobs as quickly as possible to get back out of combat and reexamine the playing field. Shroud and Rise are as crucial as being able to crit right from the start and as much as possible.
I lead off with Death Spiral for vulnerability, then Nightfall, often saving Grasping Darkness to interrupt enemy skills. I use shroud a lot and finish with Gravedigger once I see an enemy’s health fall below 50%. The combination of vulnerability, might, Close to Death, chill, and high precision and ferocity is what finishes fights quickly enough to solo roam. I need to be 100% committed to zerker-melee for this to work, though. The moment I start playing defensively, the build becomes a glassy death-trap. Kiting does not generate LF or do damage with this build.
Alternatively, if you want to use scepter, use minions to hold aggro. A MM build is the easiest HoT roaming build but your minions will pick up aggro and land you in combat more than you might wish. In that case, a dire or rabid setup for traditional condi-MM possible but does not beat full zerker-shout builds in effectiveness.
Condi in HoT solo takes too long. Sure, it works, eventually, but kiting where more mobs may aggro or re-spawn is courting death. I charge in and put down HoT mobs as quickly as possible to get back out of combat and reexamine the playing field. Shroud and Rise are as crucial as being able to crit right from the start and as much as possible.
I lead off with Death Spiral for vulnerability, then Nightfall, often saving Grasping Darkness to interrupt enemy skills. I use shroud a lot and finish with Gravedigger once I see an enemy’s health fall below 50%. The combination of vulnerability, might, Close to Death, chill, and high precision and ferocity is what finishes fights quickly enough to solo roam. I need to be 100% committed to zerker-melee for this to work, though. The moment I start playing defensively, the build becomes a glassy death-trap. Kiting does not generate LF or do damage with this build.
Alternatively, if you want to use scepter, use minions to hold aggro. A MM build is the easiest HoT roaming build but your minions will pick up aggro and land you in combat more than you might wish. In that case, a dire or rabid setup for traditional condi-MM possible but does not beat full zerker-shout builds in effectiveness.
I have found condi or hybrid to work better than straight power builds, in my experience. I’d suggest the MM condi builds, because the minions tank for you while the condi damage does the heavy lifting. Definitely rabid gear, as you will want the precision to make plague sending proc as often as possible. If you are getting hit with a lot of condi from enemies, you could even go rampager, so long as your minions are the ones drawing aggro.
^^ what Bearshaman said
Minions with Curses and Death Magic will allow you to wear any armor you want. Your minions do flat damage, most of which is direct, ensuring you have a hybrid build no matter how deep into condition damage and defense your gear goes. Taking Blood Magic will also allow you to heal your minions but that may eliminate SR or Reaper, which are also useful.
MM is definitely easy mode and I recommend everyone use it as a baseline HoT roaming build. I compare all of my HoT test builds to it.