Talk:Symbols of Inspiration

This skill may need a small rework. its a good source of energy management, especially combined with Ether Signet, but I havent seen many mesmers even use many signets, let alone this elite. --  Wandering Traveler  13:17, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
 * I've never even heard of this... Calor  [[Image:User_Calor_Sig.png|19px|Talk]] 03:44, 10 May 2008 (UTC)
 * This skill is not worth it. When running multiple signets on a signet bar, there's no point to having elite energy management. You want elite e-management when using good, high-energy cost skills. As such, if the amount of energy gained scaled exactly with attribute (9 energy @ 9 FC, 16 energy @ 16 FC), then this would possibly be worth bringing on a bar with one or two signets.
 * So, then, you'd have to use this with something that eats up alot of energy, maybe even passively so, such as Protective Bond, or Succor, on multiple allies. A Me/E build with this would be amusing, if possibly ineffective. I'm pretty sure I saw a build that used Scribe's Insight with Protective Bond, actually, but I can't recall quite where.... Isolina Black 12:05, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

it would see use if it affected elementalist glyphs in my opinion 86.159.128.3 12:28, 1 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Mesmers use Inspiration Magic for energy management. This just isn't worth it because you don't even gain a profit till you use 2 signets (at lower fast casting, that's when you break even >.<). Having more than three signets means you're either running a gimmick, or a bad build. (Or maybe both.) By the way it lasts for half its duration at 15 Fast Casting. (wtf? no one has 15 Fast Casting)
 * The only uses I've ever seen for this is on a fully Fast Casting-Domination Magic mesmer, and you take Unnatural Signet. As long as you can find a spirit/minion, you get free energy refill. (Of course, then you lose Target foe dies as your elite, which is stupid.) Vili [[Image:User Vili sig.jpg|User talk:Vili]] 12:44, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

Update
No.   Raine   - talk  02:29, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Combine with Aracane Mimicry and grab RC while you're at it. Vili [[Image:User Vili sig.jpg|User talk:Vili]] 02:56, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Pffft. Grab WoH and Peace.  [[Image:User_Raine_R.gif|19px]]  Raine   - talk  03:01, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Symbols of Inspiration, Arcane Mimicry, Echo, Arcane Echo... shit. Vili [[Image:User Vili sig.jpg|User talk:Vili]] 03:04, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * "Shit." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.  [[Image:User_Raine_R.gif|19px]]  Raine   - talk  03:08, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Or another Symbols of Inspiration. o_O [[Image:User Wandering Traveler Sig2.png|19px]] Wandering Traveler  04:04, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I have questions. It recharges in 15 seconds. Does that replace the elite you have? Like, can you cut your money and switch out right when it recharges or do you have the wait the whole time? Also, more importantly, do enchants and forms you cast get removed when you switch out the elite? Because I like the idea of stealing Avatar of Dwayna, then 15 seconds later can be spamming WoH on your team. Alt f four 07:04, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Uh? This skill will be only temporarily replaced by enemy's Elite. It does not unlock such skill in your account and will not permanently replace your skill in your skill bar (it's not Signet of Capture). Once you rezone, your skill bar will be restored.
 * It will be replaced by target's elite for 1...25...31 seconds. After that, it will recharge for 15 seconds;
 * Avatar of Dwayna will last for 10...62...75 seconds and will become disabled for 120 seconds (so you cannot recast it, unless you managed to recharge it, either by a Morale Boost or by using the PvE-only skill Eternal Aura). After the 1...25...31 + 15 seconds, you can reuse Symbols of Inspiration to copy another elite from another enemy (you'll have to find an enemy that has the elite you want to copy, though).
 * In PvE, you won't find any monk with Word of Healing on the same area you got Avatar of Dwayna, though.
 * In PvP, you'll probably either have some time finding exact the Elite you want to get (unless you know what build enemy team will use) or will just run out of time before the skill recharges.
 * Just like Arcane Mimicry, you can still keep an enchantment, even if it is no longer in your skill bar.
 * If you want to steal two elite skills from the same mob (two different monsters together), you might want to consider casting Arcane Echo before copying the first skill, them use de echoed copy to get your second skill.
 * As a closing note, this skill is completely useless for non-Mesmer primaries. :D --NIN37 07:46, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * This will not work with Arcane Echo, as this is a skill, and AE only works on spells. Garrick 17:28, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * If you copy Avatar of Dwayna; it should only stay up for 10 seconds because Avatar of Dwayna is not a spell and Symbols of Inspiration only uses your fast casting attribute for elite spells copied.

Does this actually disables the foe you used it on elite? or just does it just copy it. As it doesnt state if it disables it or not. Zuko 08:31, 12 December 2008 (UTC)
 * According to notes: Unlike all other skills that "steal" skills, this does not disable the corresponding original --NIN37 08:53, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

Shouldn't signet of illusions be added to related skills?, they both change attribute alignment to spells Fenrir Dragonbone 23:36, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * You can't use different elite skills with Sig of Illusions, and what you can use with it depends on your own bar, not your enemies'. Big difference. --[[Image:User Mafaraxas_sigimg.jpg|click moar]] Mafaraxas  04:44, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * it's still related though, doesnt have to be exact copy 92.238.76.95 10:36, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

It looks like a fun elite to use but I can't honestly think how one might construct a build around it, at least in PvP, since you'll never know which elite you'll end up stealing.
 * If you run into the same people over and over you can predict who will use what. I was using this to copy RoJ. 71.161.204.237 21:50, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Bugged?
So far when I use this skill in RA or in a scrimmage in my GH, I could use the elite of my targeted foe, but that's all, it didn't use my Fast Casting Attribute and it didn't replace my foes Elite, bugged or wrong discription or am I reading this dicscription wrong?Mal 14:02, 13 December 2008 (UTC)
 * If it is not applying Fast Casting, that's a bug. Not it is not meant to replace your foe's elite. Ɲ oɕʈɋɽɕɧ  14:24, 13 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Is the skill you are getting not a spell? The fast casting attribute only gets used if the skill you got is a spell.Durga Dido 14:50, 13 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I noticed it cast lvl 1 preservation but works with most elites I've copied so far with faster casting for spells.
 * Preservation is a Binding Ritual, not a spell. Therefore your fast casting attribute isn't used. --[[Image:User Mafaraxas_sigimg.jpg|click moar]] Mafaraxas  20:20, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

It's true. The spell you steal won't have the buff applied before it. That elite spell will only cast at lvl 1. Useless! --Redfeather 05:23, 14 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I get the feeling that you're doing it wrong, and copying an Elite that's not a spell. 66.75.136.251 06:03, 16 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Okay, I see what's going on now. The description of the spell will show lvl 1 stats, unless you already have the Symbols of Inspiration buff active before you copy the spell. But the spell will cast at the appropriate lvl, despite what the description is saying. --Redfeather 06:59, 18 December 2008 (UTC)
 * No, its that spirits are not fucking spells.--Thelordofblah 22:25, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
 * You must be talking to the user who mentioned Preservation, and didn't sign it. I've never said it was supposed to work on rituals. I have been using it on Master of Healing and Master of Hexes in the training area. But I made a mistake in assuming it wasn't working, based on what the spell's description was saying. It was only a matter of the description not being accurate about the copied spell's real level. Casting Arcane Mimicry while the Symbols of Inspiration buff is on, will create the proper description for that elite spell. --Redfeather 01:34, 20 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Oh, you were mentioning levels and stuff, i thought you were referring to spirits as well. my bad.--Thelordofblah 10:38, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Spirit's Strength+Locust's Fury
arcane echo->arcane mimicry->arcane mimicry or symbols of inpiration on locusts fury sin->arcane mimicry on spirits strength->get a weapon spell casted on you->kill some people 98.221.135.212 17:04, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Both are primary attributes and that costs a load of energy. Ɲ oɕʈɋɽɕɧ  17:06, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

At least it works with the enemy having Locust's, and the primary attribute doesnt matter. Symbols of Inspiration changes it - theyre both spells =) 98.221.135.212 20:12, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
 * or'Ɲ 'oɕʈɋɽɕɧ  20:51, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Dual-elite monsters
What happens if you use this on an Ancient Skale? ~Seef II &lt;◈|۞&gt; 11:44, 8 February 2009 (UTC)
 * It probably will take the first elite seen on the monster's bar. --[[Image:User Mafaraxas_sigimg.jpg|click moar]] Mafaraxas 07:46, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
 * or....crash ;D - Wuhy  [[Image:User_Wuhy_sig.jpg|18px]] 11:18, 31 July 2009 (UTC)

No longer an Energy Skill
Pardon my wiki noobdom, but as this is no longer an energy skill, might someone please remove it from the Energy Skills category? I'd have done it myself but I couldn't see how (category modification doesn't seem to be a part of the editable code for me). Tried editing the category directly, but that didn't seem right, either. Thanks. Nobu 12:45, 21 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Umm, how is it not an energy skill? it requires energy to use, hence an energy skill. --JonTheMon 14:04, 21 March 2009 (UTC)
 * energy gain/management Vili [[Image:User Vili sig.jpg|User talk:Vili]] 05:04, 22 March 2009 (UTC)

Flawed
Doesn't work with a lot of skills since it uses your fast casting attribute with only spells. Shouldn't it be all skills? You can copy skills that will have no function since they're not spells. It should copy only spells if it stays like it is now, instantly recharging if used on a non spell skill (with energy back - like if you copy a spell then you lose energy for using Symbols of Inpiration), or apply the fast casting attribute to all skills, not just spells. 71.161.204.237 11:17, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Maybe you just shouldn't cast it on people who are unlikely to have a spell elite... Use it on monks, elementalists, mesmers etc, not warriors. Misery  11:55, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
 * You can use it on casters and people who should have a spell but their elites can be a skill as well which wouldn't work. SoI is way too conditional right now, you might not even have anything good to copy and it's elite as well. 71.161.204.237 05:23, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

This skill works pretty well with with arcane mimicry. But, that skill sucks either way. -- Halogod35   12:03, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

I think copying an attack skill would be pretty useless, but it would be overpowered if Mesmers suddenly began using Avatars... Paddymew 20:29, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

utility mesmer?
this could be the source for utility mesmers imo, at the start of the battle you just copy the WoH hybrid, and when your team is ready for spiking copy the stand rit, or the Mind blast eles. this way you could be multiple roles in one battle, though you completely depend on your enemy.. 86.91.141.232 17:34, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I did that with WoH several times. 71.161.204.237 05:28, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

does SoI alert the enemy that just had his spell copied?
Copied may be the incorrect word, it's a bit more exacting that that- but does the enemy have any clue that you just grabbed his spell? "This skill becomes the Elite of target foe" meaning the target foe doesn't get his elite "disabled" from what I think i understand from the previous discussions. So it simply copies foes elite, and the skill symbols of inspiration then changes on YOUR skill bar to show the elite spell of the enemy whom you just copied? What if (for instance)  a monk was using an elite enchant and maintaining it on another player - how would the interface (your screen) change? Are you now maintaining an enchantment on the enemy's buddy that he was maintaining the elite enchantment spell on? Or does the spell get copied and the foe continues maintaing the elite spell on the his buddy- only now you are primed and ready to cast on a friendly player that would benefit from a sustained maintained elite enchantment spell? Final question: As an example, let's say that your fast casting is level 14 and domination magic level 12. Does the enemies elite work at your fast casting level? (In my example: would the coped spell be operating at level 14?) Or is it a different level based on other factor(s)? And to wrap this up, does 31 seconds (level 14 fast casting) mean that it is available to be used repeatedly for as long as that 31 seconds holds out?

What confuses me is the discussion that mentions that the copied spell appears as an icon on the page somewhere (which is why i wanted to know if it appears on your bar), or somewhere else on the screen? Can it be re-activated as needed assuming you are within the 31 second time frame?

Would Symbols of Inspiration be more beneficial for a short duration spell, or a long duration of action spell? And what about activation: does it get the bonus that fast casting casting provides- namely the quicker activation speed?

I just thought of something else: someone in the discussion mentioned a place you can "try out" spells (where is this place, and does the spell have to be capped, or can you try out any old spells and see how they work?)  Maybe some practice would help me get a feel for this skill before I actually commit to it.

I find myself apologizing a lot because I am pretty new to the GW's game, thank you for your patience with this noob player. My dad said if you want something in life, you got to speak up- so I'll risk sounding really ignorant about this skill and hopefully someone will know a little more about it and can provide some assistance.

Thank you again, and sincerelycecil 10:55, 31 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Think of this skill as Echo combined with Arcane Mimicry. All effects from that skill that the enemy has casted remain the same; you get a fresh copy of their elite on your bar that uses your Fast Casting attribute instead of the attribute it is normally from.  For example (in pve): an enemy monk casts Unyielding Aura on himself.  Suppose you have 14 Fast Casting.  You use Symbols of Inspiration on him.  He still has Unyielding Aura on himself, and it acts and recharges normally.  But now you have a copy of Unyielding Aura on your bar, which replaces Symbols of Inspiration for 29 seconds, which uses your Fast Casting attribute (14) rather than your Divine Favor attribute (0) to determine its power.  Otherwise, your copy of Unyielding Aura acts exactly like the enemy monks'.  The end result: you can cast and maintain UA every 10 seconds, you res someone when you stop maintaining it, and have a 57% (rather than 15%) bonus in your Monk spells' healing, and after 29 seconds it will disappear from your bar, replaced by Symbols of Inspiration, which then begins its 15 second recharge, after which you can repeat the process. --[[Image:User Mafaraxas_sigimg.jpg|click moar]] Mafaraxas  16:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't know lots of ennemy pve monks using UA... Do you really plan to have your team diing a lots, keeping such a monk alive to get rezed ? Elephant 16:21, 26 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The whole point of it being an example must be oh so hard to understand these days. So I heard context is a very difficult concept to grasp. Pika Fan 16:26, 26 August 2009 (UTC)
 * When an example is as much theorical as the concept, probably at least one of them is pointless... Elephant 22:10, 1 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I (tho a year late in posting this) do appreciate the example - it helped me understand it, and ty for taking the time to reply :) cecil 12:17, 5 June 2010 (UTC)

PnH
any known reason why the Master of Healing feels like giving me a 0 spec PnH rather than one specced to my FC? pretty lame. :< ···  Danny  Pew   Pew 
 * It shows up at 0 spec on your skill bar, but when you use it, you get the full spec. [[Image:User_Raine_R.gif|19px]]  is for   Raine,   etc.  17:49, 31 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, that's rather annoying, but it makes sense given how attributes and such work. Looks like whoever coded Signet of Illusion should've given a hand on this one. ···  Danny  Pew   Pew 
 * Raaandom question here a bit, but the wording of the skill would suggest that if you copy an elite using Arcane Mimicry while this skill is active it will also use your fastcasting attrib. Anyone want to test? Misery  18:09, 31 March 2010 (UTC)
 * It does. [[Image:User_Raine_R.gif|19px]]  is for   Raine,   etc.  18:12, 31 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Signet of Illusions doesn't show spells on your bar at your Illusions rank when it's active, just like this spell. Though, I do agree it should work that way.--Ph03n1x 02:49, 4 July 2010 (UTC)

Concise Description
exciting one... A world of difference with the normal one ^^ The Hackslasher 18:10, 16 June 2010 (UTC)