PBAoE nuker survivor

Warning spoilers follow.

Quick Newz is my latest survivor project. The goal was a PBAoE nuker survivor. The key ideas were use of a hero monk as a bonder and the use of elemental mantras and skills that change damage to elements to provide damage reduction. Both using a hero to provide Greater Conflagration and Winter, or using Stone Striker herself proved useful.

She began her career as a mesmer/elementalist on Shing Jea, because I like the look of a mesmer better than the elementalist. On the island, she remained a domination mesmer, because of its devistating effects on most Shing Jea enemies (Backfire and Empathy). She was off to the mainland by lvl 15, leaving some quests to be completed later.

After getting max armor in Kmart, I rushed her with another toon of mine (my other another account) through “Sunspears in Cantha”. Now in Nightfall, she picked up the heros that would allow the survivor build plans. She took a short trip to Tyria to “Gain Olias”. Then she went back to Cantha to finish SJI and the FedEx quests in KC to raise herself and heros to lvl 20 (the first survivor title )

The next milestone was ascension in the desert, to get the big xp award against the Doppleganger. Quick Newz worked her way carefully by the direct route from LA to Sanctum Cay via Temple of Ages. She took Tahlkora (prot boon), Jin (interrupts/barrage with GC and Winter), and Olias (MM). Stefan and Thom rounded out the party. Sanctum Cay was not a problem. Olias was able to keep a full complement of nasty creatures to deal with the waves of White Mantle. They escorted the ghost to the graveyard after the tide of WM washed out and then got on the boat to the Desert.

The same party had no real problems moving through the desert or doing the desert missions. Quick Newz had little problem with the doppleganger using the normal mesmer plan. She then worked through the dragons, grabbed Mantra of Recall, and skipped the bonus. It was time for her to put aside the rest of Prophecies and return to Cantha to pick up a good PBAoE elite, so she said good by to Droknar's Forge and returned to Cantha.

She carefully progressed through the Cantha story line to get Starburst. Even with great care and working with heros/henchy party, she was able to get Masters in Vizunah Square and Nahpui Quarter. (Other team in Vizunah had a MM too). Tahnnaki was only a standard as expected.

Now with a better set of PBAoE set of skills. (Starburst, Phoenix, Flame Burst), She carefully worked her way to Arborstone (Quick Newz, Tahlkora, Dunkoro, Jin).

Since I really hate Arborstone, and had not done much in Nightfall, Quick Newz set off to see the sights in Elona. With a few skill purchases she began using Mantra of Earth, Stonestriker and Stoneflesh aura ( Quick Newz, Tahlkora, Dunkoro, Olias) for the most part with a shift to Jin with Winter/GC for Rilohn Refuge. I switched Quick Newz to Domination to take out that boss.

Looking Ahead to the need for snares in Moddock Crevice, I decide that Quick Newz would take a detour through Kryta and Maguma Jungle to pick up some more skills for free. I thought that she could use Iron Mist/Lightning Surge on second scout while the party took out the first scout (Zhed on Water snares for him), but this did not work. The first scout got to the insects, and the party took too long to kill him and the insects.

Tihark Orchard was a little tricky. Quick Newz shifted to Domination and relied on Empathy and Wastrels worry. The fights for the bonus were close affairs, but the harpies were not much of a problem.

She used both necromancer heros as minonmancers for Dzagonur and went without a bonder monk. Careful attention needed to be paid to maintaining Mantra of Earth and StoneStriker. It took 5 tries before Olias and MoW figured out where to stand (about halfway between the catapults and the ends of the bridge).

So at this point, I think that the experiment is largely a success. With careful play and adjustments to skills and tactics for special problems, a point blank area of effect nuker can be a survivor with the proper support from heros. http://www.theamazonbasin.com/gw/forums/index.php?showtopic=7880