Configuring your Monk Heroes

[Cygnus 0]

Universal Healing Hero

 

 

This build is designed to be effective as the sole healer in a 4 person team or working in conjunction with a henchman or a player monk in an 8 person team. The build also focuses on the Monk AI’s strengths and minimizes its weaknesses. A common mistake people make is omiting condition and hex removal from their team builds. I highly recommend having several charatcers capable of removing conditions and hexes. For addition energy management help, I recommend a Hero Necromancer with Blood Ritual, or Eve (blood henchman)

 

 

Monk/Mesmer

 

 

Healing Prayers 10

Divine Favor 10

Inspiriation 8

Protection Prayers 8

 

*these are base attributes, add runes as desired*

 

1) Reversal of Fortune

2) Orison of Healing

3) Dwayna's Kiss

4) Holy Veil

5) Mend Conditions

6) Power Drain

7) Ether Signet or Channeling

8) Resurrection spell of choice (set to off)

 

 

It is important if you equip a hero monk with a resurrection spell to disable it so they do not attempt to use it in combat. Monks need to stay focused on keeping the living, alive. Even disabled, you can open a hero skill bar and click on the skill to force him/her to use it. There is certainly many other builds that can be used. When designing a build for a monk hero keep in mind the following strengths and weaknesses and behaviors inherent in the AI:

 

 

1) The AI does not anticipate a need for something. It is completely reactionary. Avoid giving the hero skills that are best suited to be used in a proactive manner, unless you wish to manually control the hero.

 

 

2) The healer AI does not have the critical judgment of a skilled and experience monk player. It will not know what is the best skill to use, which is the highest priority target to keep alive, or use Signets to conserve energy to do minor healing. The hero will even heal necromancy minions. It will also not know when it is best to use an entire party heal as opposed to individual healing. Avoid giving the hero complicated, situational skills and stick with low energy, fast casting and recasting (spammable) failsafe healing spells. Also avoid having many minions and pets if you want your healers to stay focus soley on party members.

 

 

3) The hero has computer reactions. It will be able to react faster than most human players. It is exceptional at removing conditions and hexes and using very fast and repeatable heals. Condition/hex removal seems to follow a set pattern. The order the party members acquire the condition/hex is the order the hero will try to remove them, in the event many members are effected at the exact same time, the hero will start at the top of the party list and work down.

 

 

4) The hero seems to wait until a party member will gain full benefit from a healing spell to use it. For instance, if their healing spell does 57 plus 32 from Divine Favor, changes are good they will not use that spell until someone has suffered 89 damage.

 

 

A build one can work towards...

 

Monk/Mesmer

 

 

1) Healing Touch

2) Orison of Healing

3) Dwayna's Kiss

4) Holy Veil or Remove Hex

5) Mend Conditions

6) Power Drain

7) Ether Signet

8) Healer's Boon (elite)

 

Another great anti-hex skill is a no attribute Mesmer elite Expel Hexes.

[Guest gogoblender]

Cygnus, this is brilliant!

The way you have this all set up, the clarity of the your points...lol, even I can get a grip on how to run a good monk healer team now. Woot! I'm pleased to see that a lot of your guidelines regarding how to run good monk AI's run in tandem with what I've picked up. Namely

 

1-spamming low cost heal spells

2-Understanding that they don't choose very well in terms of opportunity.

3-they don't look to make "conserving" heals in times of need.

4-lol, they don't like using those heal sigs which would really help if played as first of their healing optios!

 

I did quite a bit of experimenting as well, and I"m quite pleased to see that I my monk build kind of mirrored what you suggest here with only some small differences which I wish to discuss.

You make the point of saying that the AI won't cast a more powerful heal spell until a toon has dropped low enough in health to trigger the AI. I'm coming to understand why, now, when I had set up my "heals" my monks would only trigger heals at dangerously low points of my chracters health. lol, when the heals started they were magnificent...but it was rather horrid seeing my toon's health swing as crazily as a pendulum. I had put all my points into Divine and Healing. Using two monks this way, each almost mirroring each other. My toons are still pretty early in nightfall, and so hex and condition management wasn't needed yet.

This is how I had set them up.

 

Divine Boon (Fabulous Heal bonus, everytime I cast a monk spell! ), orison, dwayna, word of comfort, blessed signet, channeling, Divine spirit

 

I had done cursory research and those were the best ways I had found to manage my energy...and I had thought I was doing okay, until I found out that the heals would dangerously cut in when my toon's health was a little too uncomfortably low.

With your post now I THINK I understand why.

Are you saying that the AI calculates in advance how much healing, let's say the added values of

orision+divine heal bonus+Divins Boon Bonus are in advance...and then only cast this MUCH higher value of heal on my toons only when they needed it?

This would then explain why the toons would dip so low before a heal would hit, BECAUSE the AI has calculated in advance how much heal it is capable of giving out from any particular situation...and THEN WON'T HEAL until the toon's hp hits that needed low!

eek!

lol, after reading yer guide...I dropped the Boon...what do you think of me doing this?

I ran tests after...with me now running, orison, dwayna's, word of comfort, blessed signet and chanelling, divinie spirit...the heals have become superb! They now hit my toons when they reach about the three quarter mark, and blessed signet and Channeling gives my monks so much energy now that they never run low!

lol, in fact...their is SO much energy now...that I even put in vigorous spirit since I had the energy now to spare. Course..I know that when my team's performance finally begins to drop cuz of hexes and conditions...that will be when I bring in more prot stuff.

 

A few questions.

You mention Energy Drain above...what does that do for our team?

Also...Divine Spirit...any comments on this? I know that when it's cast, the cost of my 5 e spells drop to one...but are you convinced that the AI manages this properly?

Since my points are now split between divine and Healing...waht do you think about WAtchful Healing? IT's cheap...but since it's a divine spell, I won't get that cool, Divine heal bonus of casting a monk spell...right?

Can you name me, let's say TWO elite monk mesmer spells that I should invest time into getting that I can disperse amongst my team?

 

Thank you for the excellent and enlightening post.

Monks do rock...and I'm workin on a movie to show the addictivity of seeing those blue heals splash!

 

 

gogo

[Cygnus 0]

Divine Favor (primary attribute): For each rank of Divine Favor, allies are healed for 3.2 whenever you cast any Monk spells on them. Signets are not spells.

 

Lets say you have 12 Healing and 12 Divine Favor. Orison of Healing would then do 60+38=98

 

Let say you cast Remove Hex does not even do any healing..yet you will still heal 38 damage from your Divine Favor bonus.

 

Blessed Signet (unless it has changed in an update) only gives energy back for each enchantment you are maintaining. A maintained enchantment costs 1 pip of energy and stays active until removed. Channeling and Divine Spirit are regular enchantments..they last a duration and have to be recast. Divine Boon is a maintained enchantment. Typically, only Bond Monks used Blessed Signet..and in your current build..Blessed Signet is doing nothing for you. Chances are your heroes have energy since you are fighting at close range and they have Channeling..and Divine Spirit..and using cheaper healers. You definiately need to replace Blessed Signet in this build.

 

Divine Spirit is a very nice enchantment...I do not prefer it for general use though. It has a rather short duration and a very long recast..and can be removed by enemy mesmers and necromancers.

 

Yes, the AI pre-calculates how much a heal will do and will wait until the target will gain full benefit from the heal...yes..if you run Divine boon..it will increase how much can be healing in one spell..and the computer will wait until someone has reached that damage threshold.

 

Power Drain If target foe is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and you gain 1-25 energy. It costs 5 energy 1/4 casting time 25 second recast. At 8 Inspiration the energy return is 17..so net return in 12 energy if it works. The computer has awesome reflexes and can use this well..just makes sure your hero is set to Defensive. It has the additional bonus of interrupting and enemy spell

[Cygnus 0]

Getting the hang of individual builds will lead you to the next step of understanding team builds. I will take the individual build concept and expand it to two monks on a team of eight while questing and missioning.

 

Cygnus's personal protection build. She uses this mostly with a healing hero on her team. Protection builds are better run by experienced monk players. The protection monk is designed specifically to help avoid damage and to counter big direct damage on an ally.

 

*note the spell desciptions list from 0-12 attribute, for an attribute over 12, the effect will be greater than listed*

 

Protection 16

Divine Favor 13

 

1) Reversal of Fortune. For 8 seconds, the next time target ally would take damage, that ally gains that amount of health instead, maximum 15-67. (5 energy) (1/4th cast) (2 recast). This perhaps my favorite monk spell of all time, very few builds I run do not have this skill. It excels are countering big hits, it is weak at countering lots of little hits or damage over time.

 

2) Guardian. For 5 seconds, target ally has a 20-44% chance to block attacks. (5 energy) (1 cast) (2 recast). 5 seconds may not seem very long, but this spell can make it a lot harder for foes to hit a target or two. It is only effective against actual attacks and is useless against spell damage.

 

3) Zealous Benediction. Heal target ally for 30-150 Health. If target was below 50% Health, you gain 10 Energy. This is an elite skill. (10 energy) (3/4 cast) (4 recast). This is a new and very powerful Nightfall elite skill. It is a protection spell that does a huge direct heal..can be used on any ally and if your target was below 50% health..you get the energy of casting back...at 16 Protection the heal is 190..plus Divine Favor bonus.

 

4) Protective Spirit. For 5-19 seconds, target ally cannot lose more than 10% max health due to damage from a single attack or spell. (10 energy) (1/4th cast) (5 recast). This spell continues to be a mainstay for preventing large spike hits on allies. The goal of the spell is to keep damage on a ally to a healable level, it is often used in preperation against foes you know will hit very hard.

 

5) Mend Condition. Remove one condition (poison, disease, blindness, dazed, bleeding, crippled or Deep Wound) from target other ally. If a condition is removed, that ally is healed for 5-57 health. (5 energy) (3/4ths cast) (2 recast). The fast recast and excellent healing when removing a condition makes this an excellent spell when combined with another monk also removing conditions.

 

6) Remove Hex. Remove a hex from target ally. (5 energy) (2 cast) (7 recast). I prefer Remove hex mostly for the easy of use and the faster recasting.

 

7) Aegis. For 5-10 seconds, all party members have a 50% chance to block attacks. (15 energy) (2 cast) (30 recast) Aegis can be very useful for minimizing the damage from attackers for your entire party. It is very similiar to Guardian..except for the entire party.

 

8) Rebirth. Resurrect target party member. Target party member is returned to life with 25% Health and zero energy, and is teleported to your current location. All of target's skills are disabled for 10-4 seconds. This spell consumes all your remaining energy. (10 energy) (6 cast) (None recast). This is not designed to be used typically as an in-combat resurrection. Its primarily used after combat or if some of the party had escaped a bad encounter to then resurrect and bring party members to a safe location.

 

 

Hero Monk

 

Where my build is to prevent damage and to deal with massive big blows the healer build is designed for steady, solid healing for individuals and the party. It also has the secondary ability to interrupt foes and gain energy.

 

Healing 11 or 12

Divine Favor 10

Inspiration 8

Protection (remaining)

 

*add runes as avaiable and desired*

 

1) Light of Deliverance. All party members under 80% Health are healed for 5-65 Health. This is an elite skill. (5 energy) (1 cast) (5 recast). This is a powerul new Nightfall healing elite. 9 times out of 10 the cause of death for an entire team is the monks have to contend with mass team degeneration damage combined with heavy attacks. Deliverance is specifically suited to counter mass team degeneration. It is also very useful as the monks personal heal.

 

2) Orison of Healing. Heal target ally for 20-60 health. (5 energy) (1 cast) (2 recast) Solid, flexible heal spell.

 

3) Dwayna's Kiss. Heal target other ally for 15-51 points and an additional 10-35 points for each enchantment or hex on that ally. (5 energy) (1 cast) (3 recast). Dwayna's Kiss is my all time favorite healing spell. Most situations will have an ally with multiple enchantent or hexes on them...the additional, secondary healing makes this spell shine.

 

4) Mend condition.

 

5) Holy Veil. While you maintain this enchantment, any hexes cast on target ally take twice as long to cast. When Holy Veil ends, one Hex is removed form target ally. (5 energy & arrow of regeneration) (1 cast) (12 recast). The primary use is to cast on a target and then cancel the enchantment, the Hero uses it quite effectively.

 

6) Remove Hex or Smite Hex

 

7) Power Drain. If target foe is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and you gain 1-25 energy. (5 energy) (1/4th cast) (25 recast). Used as an interrupt and a way to get energy, ensure the Hero is set to defensive to use this skill.

 

8) Leech Signet Interrupt target foe's action. If that action was a spell, you gain 3-13 energy. (None) (1/4th use) (30 reuse). Used as an interrupt and a way to get energy, ensure the Hero is set to defensive to use this skill.

[Cygnus 0]

Can you name me, let's say TWO elite monk mesmer spells that I should invest time into getting that I can disperse amongst my team?

 

Good mesmer elites that a monk can use.

 

Mantra of Recall (Prophecies) for energy management

Energy Drain (Prophecies) for energy management

Expel Hexes (Factions) To remove hexes.

 

 

as for monk elites..very much on what you are trying to accomplish with your build, I'll list ones I find most useful and that the computer can use effectively.

 

Light of Deliverance (Nightfall) party heal

Zealous Benediction (Nightfall) direct heal

Blessed Light (Factions) heal, condtion, hex, removal (Blessed Light is more for human players though...at 10 energy it can be expensive to use constantly..and the computer AI will use it on any player that has a condition, hex...)

Healer's Covenant (Nightfall) very useful for spamming healing spells

Signet of Removal (Nightfall) this is more for a Warrior/Monk or Dervish/Monk useful for removing hexes and conditions.