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diff --git a/blocking/blocking.tex b/blocking/blocking.tex index 8e2f33e..6098dd1 100644 --- a/blocking/blocking.tex +++ b/blocking/blocking.tex @@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ % Metadata \title{Triple Trouble Eggblocking Guide} \author{Peter Parker IV \& others} -\date{2019-07-02 \color{gray}{r0}} +\date{2019-07-10 \color{gray}{r0}} \begin{document} @@ -120,9 +120,8 @@ Make sure that you have the latest version, especially if you are viewing this i I never thought I'd use \LaTeX to write Triple Trouble Blocking Guides of all things, but here we go. This document explains the mechanics of the special role called the \emph{Eggblocker}, which is needed at the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Triple_Trouble}{Triple Trouble} event. - Unlike other guides, the information in this guide is freely licensed and as such can be redistributed under the terms of the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license. - This guide contains both information for a beginner, and advanced techniques. + This guide contains both information for a beginner, but also advanced techniques. You can skip over a lot of the text if you are just starting out, so don't be scared. Each class guide is supposed to be usable stand-alone, so you can skip to the class that you want to learn about. @@ -189,8 +188,8 @@ However, there are a few things to consider, especially if you are solo blocking \subsubsection{Positioning} -Of course your projectile reflection or destruction has to be positioned in way that it actually catches all the flying eggs. -The best thing to do here is to place the skill at the wurm's base, which is the origin of all projectiles. +Of course your projectile reflection or destruction skill has to be positioned in way that it actually catches all the flying eggs. +The best thing to do here is to place the skill at the wurm's base, which is the origin of all projectiles (see also Section \ref{ss:sweet-spot}, \emph{The Sweet Spot}). Some very easy to use skills are: \begin{itemize} @@ -212,7 +211,7 @@ In any case, even blocking the majority of eggs is already a big help, but takin Another factor that you have to consider here is the cast time of the skill: While some of them will activate instantaneously (like \uskill{Feedback}), others have a bit of cast time (\uskill{Swirling Winds}). -You have to consider that when pressing the skill, and there is only so much time between the animation start and the point at which eggs are actually flying. +You have to consider that when pressing the skill, and there is only so much time between the start of the animation and the point at which eggs are actually flying. \subsubsection{Cooldown} @@ -226,7 +225,8 @@ There is also no rule about which spit the wurm does first, so you cannot rely o Why is this bad? Well, since you cannot differentiate between the egg and the husk spit, you might end up wasting your reflect on a husk spit, which would leave you without reflect for the next egg spit. -Husk spits have a cooldown of approximately 90 seconds, which means you should have at least a second reflect skill ready. +Husk spits have a cooldown of approximately 90 seconds, which means you should have at least a second reflect skill ready before that time. +Every second egg spit can theoretically line up with a husk spit. Another way to deal with this is to have multiple egg blockers, and to have them coordinate on who uses their reflection skill first. That way, the other blocker will have theirs ready in case the wrong spit was blocked. @@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ Keep in mind that you can use \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Aegis}{Aegi \subsection{The Sweet Spot} +\label{ss:sweet-spot} Now that the basics of egg blocking have been explained, we can start venturing into some of the more advanced knowledge. One important point (literally) is the so-called \enquote{Sweet Spot}. @@ -294,14 +295,14 @@ If you don't have a single skill that provides the required amount of invulnerab \subsubsection{Cooldowns \& Checking} -Husks spits have a cooldown of around 90 seconds, which means that your invulnerability skill needs to have less if you want to be able to block husks. +Husks spits have a cooldown of around 90 seconds, which means that your invulnerability skill needs to have less than that if you want to be able to block husks. And since you cannot distinguish between egg spits and husk spits beforehand, you actually need two invulnerability skills to reliably block all husk spits. There is a small trick however, which is called \enquote{checking}. We know that egg spits and husk spits look the same from the outside, but there is actually a difference if you block them by using invulnerability: For an egg spit, each cough will produce 3 \emph{Invulnerable!} messages on the screen. For a husk spit, each cough will only produce 1 \emph{Invulnerable!} message (Figure \ref{fig:invuls}). -You can use this information to \enquote{check} on a spit, by using a short-duration invulnerability skill for the first cough, and then casting your long-duration invulnerability or projectile reflect once you know what the wurm is spitting. +You can use this information to \enquote{check} on a spit by using a short-duration invulnerability skill for the first cough, and then casting your long-duration invulnerability or projectile reflect once you know what the wurm is spitting. \begin{figure}[ht] \centering @@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ You can use this information to \enquote{check} on a spit, by using a short-dura \subsubsection{Staying on the Spot} Just like with egg blocking, you have to make sure that you stay alive and you dodge the wurm's attacks. -However, for husk blocking, you also want to stand still on the Sweet Spot, to avoid unnecessary repositioning after each spit. +However, for husk blocking, you also want to stand still on the Sweet Spot to avoid unnecessary repositioning after each spin. Therefore it is useful to bring any evades, blocks, aegis, stability, \textellipsis that you can find, as they will allow you to mitigate the spin without dodging away from the Sweet Spot. @@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ For the start, you can run more defensive gear (for example, gear with \href{htt If you feel more confident in your ability to evade the wurm's attacks, you can run more offensive gear, like Berserker's. This will provide you with a little damage boost during burn phases. -Keep in mind though that your main job as a blocker is to block eggs/husks - don't worry about the damage if it negatively impacts your blocking! +Keep in mind though that your main job as a blocker is to block eggs and/or husks - don't worry about the damage if it negatively impacts your blocking! \section{Class Guides} @@ -352,11 +353,11 @@ If you do not want to read every single one, here is a small (biased) ranking: \item Advanced fun for fans of the class: Base Elementalist (Section \ref{ss:ele-class-guide}) and Scrapper (Section \ref{ss:engi-class-guide}). \end{itemize} -Note that this guide is not exhaustive or authoritative. -It is possible to block with different builds than the ones listed below. -However, they should give you a starting point and some explanations behind the specific trait and skill choices. +Note that this guide is neither exhaustive nor authoritative. +It is very possible to block with different builds than the ones listed below, and you can come up with your own way which might not be listed here. +However, the builds here should give you a starting point and some explanations behind the specific trait and skill choices, and they can provide you with a working setup if you don't want to spend too much time thinking about it yourself. -Some classes naturally offer more potential for blocking beyond simple eggblocking while others just lack the necessary utilities. +Some classes naturally offer more potential for advanced blocking while others just lack the necessary utilities. Therefore, some guides (like the Mesmer's) are a bit more detailed and in-depth than others (like the Ranger's), as there is more to explain in terms of husk blocking etc. This does not mean that you have to go ahead and create a Mesmer now, but it is worth keeping in mind. @@ -369,7 +370,9 @@ The profession just doesn't provide any skills which could be used for anything That being said, eggblocking as Revenant works as follows: Make sure to bring \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Legendary_Centaur_Stance}{\uskill{Legendary Centaur Stance}} (Ventari) and place your tablet inside the wurm (the closer to the Sweet Spot, the better). -Your blocking skill is \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Protective_Solace}{\uskill{Protective Solace}}, which is a reflect until you deactivate it again. +Your blocking skill is \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Protective_Solace}{\uskill{Protective Solace}}, which acts a reflect until you deactivate it again. +Note that the reflection originates from the tablet's position, not your own. +This allows you to move around freely, as long as you are not going out of range for your tablet. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that \uskill{Protective Solace} will go on a 5 second cooldown if you deactivate it, which means you might not have enough time to re-activate it when you get a double spit (husk spit immediately followed by an egg spit). As such, it can be worth just leaving it up. @@ -433,14 +436,14 @@ It allows you do dodge them while not moving from your position. This is not important for core Mesmer egg blocking, but it will be important later when we take a look at husk blocking. For the off-hand weapons, a good choice is a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shield#Chronomancer}{Shield} (requires the Chronomancer elite specialization). -The reason for that is access to another block in the form of \skill{Shield}{4}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Echo_of_Memory}{Echo of Memory}}. +The reason for that is that you will get access to another block in the form of \skill{Shield}{4}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Echo_of_Memory}{Echo of Memory}}. \uskill{Echo of Memory} is a long channeled block, and if you successfully block an attack, you will be able to re-cast the skill to block for a second time. For the second weaponset, we're going to take a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Focus#Mesmer}{Focus} off-hand. The reason for this is the skill \skill{Focus}{4}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Temporal_Curtain}{Temporal Curtain}}. On its own, this skill is not very useful for blocking, but we will combine it with the trait \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Warden%27s_Feedback}{\trait{Warden's Feedback}} (Inspiration, middle column up). This trait will turn \uskill{Temporal Curtain} into a 5 second reflect. -You will usually not need this, but it is good to keep in mind: +You will usually not need this, but it is a good back-up keep in mind: If you mess up somewhere, swap to Focus and use \uskill{Temporal Curtain} as a reflect! \begin{infobox}[About skill placement (the \enquote{UI trick})] @@ -587,7 +590,7 @@ Usually, you want to have your Conjured Earth Shield already in your hands and u Especially if you use \uskill{Mist Form} as well, keep in mind that you will not be able to cast any other skills during the duration of \uskill{Mist Form}. As for your egg blocking skills, you still have access to \skill{Air Focus}{4}{Swirling Winds} and \skill{Earth Focus}{4}{Magnetic Wave}. -You can use one of those if you know that the next spit will be an egg spit. +You can use one of those if you know that the next spit will be an egg spit, or if you checked a spit and it turned out to be an egg spit. Keep in mind that \uskill{Magnetic Wave} on its own is not enough to block a full spit, so you should only use it after checking a spit. If you know in advance that a spit will be an egg spit, use \uskill{Swirling Winds} directly. @@ -597,13 +600,13 @@ You can take \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Arcane_Shield}{\uskill{Arcan \subsubsection{Advanced Mode - Tempest Full Blocking} -The last section describes full blocking from the perspective of a base Elementalist. +The last section described full blocking from the perspective of a base Elementalist. While blocking with elite specializations doesn't get as easy as Mesmer blocking, Tempest still has a few bonus things to offer. One of the nice things Tempest gives you is you access to Shout skills, and of those, \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Aftershock!%22}{\uskill{"Aftershock!"}} is very useful because it is a four second long reflect. This means you can use it as an additional reflect, and since it is a utility skill, you can use it regardless of your current attunement. It might not seem like much, but it makes things easier! -You can also take \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Rebound!%22}{\uskill{"Rebound!"}}, which you can use if you think you would go down in the next seconds. +You can also take \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Rebound!%22}{\uskill{"Rebound!"}}, which you can use if you think you will get downed in the next seconds. Tempest also gives you the ability to \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Overload}{Overload}, and especially \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Overload_Earth}{\uskill{Overload Earth}} is very nice, because it gives you Stability and Protection. This allows you to ignore the big spin. @@ -626,14 +629,15 @@ In addition, they can block up to two husks each spit. Eggblocking on Guardian can be done with a single skill: \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shield_of_the_Avenger}{\uskill{Shield of the Avenger}}. -The duration of this skill is long enough to cover a full spit, it is easy to intercept all projectiles and you can cast it at range. -The \emph{charge} system means that you will not have to rely on a \enquote{back up} skill, as you will always have at least one charge for the next spit. +The duration of this skill is long enough to cover a full spit, it is an AoE and therefore easy to place and you can even cast it at range. +The \enquote{charge} system means that you will not have to rely on a \enquote{back up} skill, as you will always have at least one charge ready for the next spit. The only downside to this skill is the relatively long cast time. You have to press it as soon as the animation starts, otherwise you might miss eggs from the first cough. To block, simply use \uskill{Shield of the Avenger} on the wurm whenever a spit is happening. No need to specifically differentiate between egg or husk spits, as the recharge time is low enough anyway. +Go crazy if you like! \begin{triviabox} \uskill{Shield of the Avenger} used to have a bug which made it block unblockable projectiles. @@ -651,7 +655,7 @@ The first one is \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Wall_of_Reflection}{\usk The downside of this skill is that the placement needs to be a bit more accurate, since it is not a dome. As such, you should either adjust the angle to cover all three egg spit paths, or you should place the \uskill{Wall of Reflection} right on top of the Sweet Spot. -The second reflect comes from taking a Shield off-hand, namely \skill{Shield}{5}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shield_of_Absorption}{Shield of Absorption}}. +The second reflect comes from taking a Shield off-hand, giving you access to \skill{Shield}{5}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shield_of_Absorption}{Shield of Absorption}}. This skill is a dome, which means you can cast it as long as you stand somewhat close to the Sweet Spot. The downside to this reflect is the short duration, which means you have to time it a bit better. If you are unsure, you can always use \skill{Shield}{5}{Shield of Absorption} first to check the spit, and if necessary follow up with a \uskill{Wall of Reflection} between two coughs. @@ -672,7 +676,7 @@ This lowers the cooldown to 72 seconds, which is enough. The next thing that we want to take a look at are ways to avoid dodging so you don't have to move away from the Sweet Spot. Luckily, Guardian has a lot of access to Aegis to block the spins. -You can take a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mace#Guardian}{Mace} main hand, which gives you access to \skill{Mace}{3}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Protector\%27s_Strike}{Protector's Strike}}, a channeled block. +For example, you can take a \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mace#Guardian}{Mace} main hand, which gives you access to \skill{Mace}{3}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Protector\%27s_Strike}{Protector's Strike}}, a channeled block. In addition, since you are already running a Shield, you can use \skill{Shield}{4}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shield_of_Judgment}{Shield of Judgment}} to give yourself Aegis. As your healing skill, you can take \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Shelter}{\uskill{Shelter}}, which is a two second channeled block. @@ -711,7 +715,7 @@ However, accessing it takes some time, as it has a one second cast time in total Engineer (especially with the Scrapper elite specialization) is a good egg blocker, and can reliably block up to two husks, putting it in the same spot as a Guardian blocker. If the stars align, and your timing is right, you can even block all three husks. -However, this requires the spits to come through in the correct order, which is something that you cannot influence. +However, this requires the spits to come through in the correct order, which is something that you cannot influence and it's determined by pure chance. \subsubsection{Basic Mode - Eggblocking} @@ -723,7 +727,7 @@ In order to check a spit and not waste your \uskill{Defense Field} on a husk spi You can use this if you are not sure if a spit will be a husk or an egg spit, and then cast \uskill{Defensive Field} accordingly, as \uskill{Magnetic Shield} is not quite enough to block a full spit. \begin{triviabox} - Disregarding the Holosmith elite specialization, there is only one main hand weapon for engineers: + Disregarding the Holosmith elite specialization, there is only one main hand weapon available to engineers: A Pistol. \end{triviabox} @@ -739,9 +743,9 @@ Since you still have a third utility spot free, you can take \href{https://wiki. As a backup, you can also bring the trait \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Experimental_Turrets}{\trait{Experimental Turrets}} (Inventions, middle column top). This causes every turret that you place to reflect missiles for 4 seconds after placing it. -Therefore you can take any turret to get some extra reflects, such as the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Healing_Turret}{\uskill{Healing Turret}} as your heal skill. -Note though that the reflect takes some time to be active, so you must be fast. -And don't forget to pick up the turrets after they're no longer needed, otherwise they will not go on cooldown. +Therefore you can take any turret to get some extra reflects, such as the \href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Healing_Turret}{\uskill{Healing Turret}} for your heal skill. +Note though that the reflect takes some time before it activates, so you must be fast. +And don't forget to pick up the turrets after they're no longer needed, otherwise their cooldown will not start to tick down. \begin{figure}[ht] \centering @@ -760,12 +764,12 @@ And don't forget to pick up the turrets after they're no longer needed, otherwis \label{ss:ranger-class-guide} As a base ranger, you pretty much have only one reflection skill in the form of \skill{Axe}{5}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Whirling_Defense}{Whirling Defense}}. -This means that you have to have a second person with a reflection skill and coordinate with them in case you waste your reflection on a husk spit. +This means that if you want to reliably block, you have to have a second person with a reflection skill there and coordinate with them in case you waste your reflection on a husk spit. -In order to use \uskill{Whirling Defense}, stay on or close the Sweet Spot. +In order to use \uskill{Whirling Defense}, stay on or close to the Sweet Spot. If you can use the Druid specialization, you have access to a second projectile destruction skill in the form of \skill{Staff}{5}{\href{https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sublime_Conversion}{Sublime Conversion}}. -This means that you can reliably block eggs alone as a druid. +This means that you can reliably block eggs alone as a Druid. Since \uskill{Sublime Conversion} is like a wall, place it by using the UI trick. There are no special traits used or needed for Ranger/Druid blocking. @@ -810,14 +814,17 @@ This section has some general tips and tricks that might make blocking (or fullb \item Even if not specifically stated, a channeled blocking skill like Chronomancer's \skill{Shield}{4}{Echo of Memory} or Guardian's \uskill{Shelter} can also be used to block parts of an egg spit, given that you stand on the Sweet Spot. This can be used as a back up if you really don't have anything else available. + + \item + Don't panic when blocking on Amber, as it has the \enquote{spitting people out of the stomach} animation. \end{itemize} \section{Duo Blocking} -A lot of the guides above assume that you are the only blocker, and that you will block all eggs and/or husks on your own. +A lot of the guides above assume that you are the only blocker and that you will block all eggs and/or husks on your own. Theoretically, having a second blocker does not change anything about that. -Reflects don't cancel each other out after all. +Reflects don't cancel each other out after all, if anything, having more of them helps to get the timing right. There is a very important limitation that you have to keep in mind though: If you use invulnerability to block or check a spit, \emph{only one of the blockers} will see the floating \enquote{Invulnerable} texts. @@ -826,6 +833,8 @@ This is why it's important to communicate and to tell the other blocker what you If you don't do that, the other blocker might have trouble adjusting. For example, Chronomancers needs to know if they need to recharge their \uskill{Distortion} or not. +A common way to do that is to put an \enquote{e} into party chat if you blocked eggs, or a \enquote{h} if you blocked husks. + \section{Personal Closing Words} |