User:Raine Valen/Learn 2 Play/Dervish

Your Objectives as a Dervish

Kill Shit.

That. Is. All.
As a Dervish, you cannot pressure. Every time you swing your scythe, it should be a spike. In three seconds, your target should need a heal, a prot, and condition removal. If you're not burning through the other Monks' Energy, you're doing it wrong.
As a Dervish, you have no utility. You cannot knock lock, everything you kill will die standing. You cannot interrupt. Everything that you kill will get its skills off and still die. You cannot punish actions. Everything you kill will die by your actions, not their own. You cannot shutdown key skills save by killing the player that uses them.
As a Dervish, the only thing you can do is assloads of damage. But you can do it well.

Your Tools

The Scythe.

This is the Dervish's best friend, and the Dervish's foe's most bitter adversary. This weapon is not a hammer, nor is it a bow, or sword. At best, this is a two-handed axe, and does the same thing that an axe does: Big Damage.
Big Damage is invaluable in Killing Shit. While you may be able to kill something with a bunch of little puny hits, or degen it to death, or kill it with gay hexes, Big Damage is usually the best way to go.
Any Dervish's selection of scythe skills should include, at the very least:

• Wounding Strike:
  • Spammable, covered Deep Wound is a beautiful thing. This attack is a spike in and of itself, and every time you get it off it means ten Monk Energy used Dismissing conditions and a 20% Healing reduction until they do. If your target is already suffering from a condition, like Crippled, this covers it twofold. Use Wounding Strike on anything and everything (unless, of course, it already has a Bleeding-covered Deep Wound); it is one of your single most valuable tools for making things die.
  • Unfortunately, this skill only functions as a nightmare if you are Enchanted. Otherwise, it inflicts Bleeding. That's so meh.
• Victorious Sweep
  • This skill makes you win. It's an unconditional +30 damage, on top of your normal insane scythe damage. Because anything you hit will have less Health than you (remember, you're doing Big Damage), the Heal on this is an almost guaranteed extra benefit. Victorious Sweep is cheap, spammable Big Damage.
• Chilling Victory
  • This skill is harder to use than Victorious Sweep, but the benefits are so much sweeter. If you meet the condition, this skill can do enormous damage (it's not uncommon to see something down 150 Health from before you launched this at them).
  • On top of being a nuke with a scythe, this skill has a hidden feature that a good Dervish will exploit: it does damage regardless of whether or not it hits. This means that if you're facing a Monk and you've knocked them into low Health and they put up a Guardian, you can kill them anyway. If that Water Ele Steams you as you're about to land that final hit, you can kill them anyway.
  • This skill comes at a price, though: it costs ten Energy, which means that it's subtracting from your ability to use other attack skills.
• Mystic Sweep
  • In theory, this skill should launch a +30 damage attack in a second. In practice, this skill can really only be counted on for 20 of that 30. But the other half of that statement is always true, and that's the reason why this skill shines: "in a second". In one second, this attack automatically worsens your enemy's situation by that much. If something's hovering near death, this skill will often put it in its coffin before a Monk can react.
• Crippling Sweep
  • If Wounding Strike is the single best scythe attack, I'd call this one second. It's one of the only scythe attacks that isn't solely for Big Damage. Yes, that's right, this skill has a bit of utility.
    • Because a Crippled target can't run from you, this attack allows you to freely beat the crap out of would-be kiters.
    • Alternatively, you can use this defensively: if the other team's frontline is giving your team problems, break their legs and laugh at them as they limp around uselessly.
  • The downside of this skill is that it's utterly useless if you are not Enchanted. If you're victimized by something like Rend Enchantments or Gaze of Contempt, this skill becomes a waste of a skill slot.
• Pious Assault
  • I wasn't sure whether to list this attack or not, but it can be useful under the right circumstances. Because a lot of Dervish Enchantments have rather nasty end effects, being able to cancel them on demand is important. Pious Assault does that, and takes a nice chunk out of the enemy's Health in the process.
  • This skill is also useful for inflicting Deep Wound in builds that don't keep Enchantments up.

Mysticism.

Mysticism is free Energy. Whenever an Enchantment on you ends, you gain Energy. Every time you get hit with a Patient Spirit or Reversal of Fortune, you gain almost enough Energy for a free scythe attack skill. And that means more Big Damage, which gives you more power to, yep, Kill Shit.
On top of that, Mysticism has a couple of tools that also help to make things die, including the following:

• Heart of Fury
  • What's better than Big Damage? Fast Big Damage. Heart of Fury gives you the ability to do just that. On top of that, it's an Enchantment, which means that it can put the "Wound" back in "Wounding Strike" after a Rend, it adds damage to Mystic Sweep, it lets Crippling Sweep keep things snared for another seven seconds, and it gives you another 15% IMS with Signet of Mystic Speed up.
  • Because it's an Enchantment, you'll regain some Energy when it ends. That should make its high cost hurt a bit less.
• Faithful Intervention
  • This Enchantment only has two real purposes:
    • (1) To be an Enchantment. That means your Wounding Strike Wounds, your Crippling Sweep Cripples, and your Signet of Mystic Speed gives you Speed. The real beauty of this particular Enchantment is that you don't have to renew it: it lasts until your Monks fail. Now, that also has one serious side effect: if you are below 50% Health, this Enchantment cannot be counted on because it will end the next time you take damage.
    • (2) To keep you from getting spiked out. It gives your Monks an extra 100 Health cushion to fail on.
• Watchful Intervention
  • This skill is better than Faithful Intervention in every way except that you have to renew it. If that doesn't bother you, then by all means, take this instead.
• Pious Haste
  • If your build doesn't revolve around Enchantments (though most effective Dervish builds do), this is a cheap, maintainable 33% IMS. It allows you to catch and kill things, and kite other frontline. However, if your build does consist of Enchantments, it is wise to use another skill.

Wind Prayers

This attribute was expressly designed to help Dervishes Kill Shit. It doesn't have tremendous offensive utility, but it can add more offense to your offense. Some Wind Prayers skills worth considering are:

• Chilling Victory
  • Yes, it is a scythe attack. However, because it was abused in Sway, it was moved into this attribute to prevent secondary abuse.
• Attacker's Insight
  • This makes your scythe attack skills free. That means, you can do free Big Damage then use the Energy you saved to do even more Big Damage. Furthermore, because this is an Enchantment, you'll gain Energy when it ends.
• Guiding Hands
  • This Enchantment makes your attacks unblockable, so it can be useful in Killing Shit through Guardian. If you choose to take this, be sure to only use it when necessary: if it won't make something die, save it until it will.
• Harrier's Grasp
  • While really only useful in builds running high Wind Prayers, this skill is golden. It makes any attempts to kite you laughable.
• Signet of Mystic Speed
  • This Signet is my preferred IMS because (1) it's free, which means I have more Energy to devote to Killing Shit, (2) it's instant, which means that it can't be interrupted and can be activated without taking time from other things, (3) it's irremovable, which means that I don't have to worry about it being stripped, and (4) it's not a Stance, which means that I can use it with a Stance.
  • Remember, this Signet only works if you are Enchanted, and works even better if you are under the effects of more than one Enchantment. Because of this, it is ofter worthwhile to put up a quick Enchantment like Attacker's Insight before (or even while already under the effects of) this Signet.
• Enchanted Haste
  • This is a Stance, but it recharges faster and is more reliable than Signet of Mystic Speed. The downsides of this Stance is that it can't be used with another Stance, costs more than Signet of Mystic Speed (you could be using an attack skill with that Energy), and can't match Signet of Mystic Speed in terms of maximum speed.
  • Like Signet of Mystic Speed, this skill does nothing if you are not Enchanted.
• Harrier's Haste
  • I'd call this skill Enchanted Haste's big brother. Though it can't be kept up as much as Enchanted Haste, this skill has two benefits:
    • You don't have to be Enchanted to use it. So if your Enchantments are stripped, you can still use this without a problem.
    • It hurts. If you hit a kiting foe, you deal more damage. More Big Damage is always better.
• Whirling Charge
  • Though this skill doesn't see as much play as its alternatives, it can still be useful. Because it grants both an IAS and an IMS, it can free up space on your skillbar for other things.
  • Whirling Charge, unlike Enchanted Haste ends if you are not Enchanted. So if your Enchantments are stripped while you are in this Stance, it will be down until it recharges, even if you become Enchanted again before then.
  • The biggest grievance with this skill is the cost: ten Energy is two potential attack skills.

Earth Prayers.

Earth Prayers do not help you Kill Shit. Earth Prayers keep you alive, and that's your Monks' job. I won't say that the attribute is useless, but it will not help a Dervish to fulfill their primary role.

How to Kill Shit

Selecting a Target.

Before you even begin to swing your scythe, you have to choose a target. There are a lot of things to consider in choosing a target, but I will go over some of the biggest factors in deciding what to kill.

• Positioning.
  • Yes, positioning is very important. While running at the Monk in the backline may always seem like a good idea, there are often better ones. Is there a foe that is out of healing range of their Monk? Will attacking a target put you out of healing range of your Monk? Can you body block a target against an obstacle or in a corner? If your team is utilizing some sort of projectile damage, is your target in line of sight? Is your target in a Ward, Well, or some other area effect? Are they standing in AoE (friendly or hostile)? Can you hit more than one foe with your scythe? Minor details about positioning can determine your ability to Kill Shit; it is best that you make note of them.
• Health.
  • Often, a single Wounding Strike or Mystic Sweep (or perhaps both) is enough to kill a target that's already under pressure. If you can put a target in its grave without getting yourself or teammates killed, do so.
• Armor.
  • Needless to say, softer targets (Squishies) are easier to kill than harder targets. If other factors are equal, it is to your advantage to attack a softer target because you'll do more Big Damage. That means (1) you have a greater chance of killing that target and (2) even if you don't, their Monk will have to spend more Energy Healing and Protting them.
• Enchantments, Hexes, and Conditions.
  • For the most part, Enchantments make it harder for you to Kill Shit, Hexes and Conditions make it easier for you to Kill Shit. However, learning what different Enchantments, Hexes, and Conditions look and sound like is also extremely important in judging whether or not to engage a particular target.
    • Guardian appears as two points of light that move around a target, starting at one side and moving in opposite directions until converging at the opposite side, leaving a bluish trail around that character. Guardian greatly impairs your ability to Kill Shit; it is often advisable to switch targets immediately if your target becomes enchanted with this.
    • Protective Spirit will appear as a large, white, swirling force field with two converging halves of a picture above the character's head when cast, and a dimmer force field every time they are hit. Protective Spirit will reduce your damage to 10% of that character's maximum Health, which will usually be between 50 and 60 damage. Because your hits should be doing significantly more than that in most cases, Protective Spirit can drastically reduce your damage. Usually, the best way to deal with this Prot is to switch targets, though attacking through it can also prove worthwhile. When attacking through it, remember that attack skills will largely be a waste as far as damage-dealing ability goes. The exception to this is Chilling Victory: because it deals damage in two separate packets, it can potentially take a target down 20% of their maximum Health.
    • Spirit Bond will appear as a round, white face above the target's head, then quickly disappear. Switch targets immediately.
    • Look for snares on targets, especially Water Magic snares; these appear as white puffs of frost around the targets feet. Snares on targets make them significantly easier to kill.
    • Notably, Cracked Armor appears as a white cloud around the target's ankles. Cracked Armor turns hard targets into Squishies, so it is an important possibility to consider. Keep in mind, though, that Weakness looks exactly the same, and is far less useful in Killing Shit.
    • The presence of Poison often means that there is a Ranger on a target; having more damage (and possibly interrupts)on top of yours can be extremely helpful in taking down a target. Likewise, Disease (often accompanied by Hexes) on a target identifies the presence of a Necromancer, and Burning usually identifies a Ranger or Elementalist.
• Monks.
  • I generally do not advise trying to kill Monks first. Why? Because even bad Monks can Prot themselves appropriately, but it takes a much better monk to appropriately Prot a teammate. Also, Monks will often prioritize Healing and Protting themselves; a Monk under any sort of pressure will often let their team die. Furthermore, many Monks carry defensive measures such as Disciplined Stance, Shield Bash, Smoke Powder Defense, Dark Escape, Recall, and in rarer cases, such things as Gale, Distracting Shot, Kinetic Armor, Grasping Earth, and Cry of Frustration.
  • If you can, have one of your frontline engage the Monk in order to have them Prot themself, then quickly switch targets.
  • However. If you can kill a Monk, it will almost guarantee a party wipe. Also take this into consideration when you decide which target to engage.
• In general, pick the target that you believe you have the best chance of killing, or attack the target that you believe will give your team the best chance of killing something.

Killing the Target.

After you've picked a target that you can take down, it's time to take it down.

• Prepare to engage.
  • Refresh any Enchantments that need recasting. Watchful Intervention, Conjure spells, and similar Enchantments should be recast before every engagement, and then kept up throughout the battle. Ping your target a couple of times. Put up Attacker's Insight; it overlaps itself by 5 seconds, meaning that you can get four free attacks in sequence if timed correctly. As you approach your target, cast Heart of Fury.
• Engage the target.
  • This is usually done by running up to something and Wounding Striking it. This does a few things. Firstly, it shows that you mean business. You are a threat to the other party, and they should devote attention to keeping you down. Keep in mind that any melee hate being directed at you is not being directed at your teammates. Secondly, this gives their Monk something to deal with. Deep Wounds are always serious; a Monk will typically put Energy into removing it.
    • Remember to call your target; a Dervish should be coordinating the fight for their side.
  • Alternatively, a Dervish can open with a snare like Crippling Sweep. This will prevent kiting, and has the added benefit of being covered by Wounding Strike. If you choose to snare the target after opening with Wounding Strike, be sure to wait until after the Bleeding is removed (the target's health bar will turn from pink to red); this means that the Monk's condition removal is on recharge.
• Follow up.
  • After engaging a target, the next goal is to deal as much Big Damage as possible as quickly as possible. This is usually accomplished by following Wounding Strike with Chilling Victory or Victorious Sweep, then Mystic Sweep. In all honesty, your target will usually be close to dead by then. But close to dead isn't dead; do it again until they die or get Protted.
  • If you're running a snare like Crippling Sweep, remember to keep it up. When you land it, note how long it should last. Crippling Sweep will last 7 seconds for each Enchantment on you. When you renew it don't forget to cover it; a Wounding Strike usually does that wonderfully.
  • If at any point your target, for some reason, becomes harder to kill due to something like Spirit Bond, Natural Stride, Armor of Earth, Critical Defenses, or Defy Pain, reconsider your choice of target. Is there something else that would be easier to kill? Take into consideration that if your target gets Protted, that means that something else wont be for a few seconds.

Things That Will Stop You from Killing Shit.

• Prots.
  • Prots are commonly the biggest hindrance a Dervish will come across because of their ability to cut your damage, sometimes to almost laughable levels. Because of this, one should be well-acquainted with different Prots, and exactly how they stop you from Killing Shit. In many cases, the best option when facing a Protted target is to pick a new one, but in many other cases, it isn't. Knowing different Prots and what they do is key in determining which course to take.
    • Guardian.
      • This skill's animation is a pair of points of light that surround the target, starting at one side and moving to the other, leaving a blue glow in their wake. A good Dervish will be very familiar with this skill, as it is one of the most common things that can stop you from being effective.
      • For all intents and purposes, you become 50% (if not more so) less effective against a foe with this Prot. While blocking off damage skills against a foe can be bad, a foe blocking off a Crippling Sweep is worse; Guardian will have mitigated a lot more than half the damage you could have done to that target.
      • Switching targets is usually the best way to deal with Guardian on a target with any decent amount of Health. For targets with low Health, however, a 50% chance of landing the killing blow is worth taking, especially with an IAS up. Also, if you're carrying Chilling Victory or Guiding Hands, you can make the kill almost guaranteed.
    • Protective Spirit.
      • It's a big, bright, loud white swirly with a Hindu-esque picture on top. It's really, really hard to miss.
      • This Prot basically takes the "damage" out of your "damage skills". Crippling Sweep still Cripples, Victorious Sweep still Heals, Mystic Sweep still activates in a second, and Wounding Strike still Wounds. But you won't be doing Big Damage on a target with this Prot up.
      • While attacking something at relatively high Health with this Prot is generally a bad idea, a target with 50 Health will still die in one hit, a target with 100 Health will still die in two (with Mystic Sweep, two hits can happen pretty fast) or one Chilling Victory, and a target with 150 Health is still just a Chilling Victory and a Mystic Sweep away from death.
    • Spirit Bond
      • When you see a white, circular face appear above your target's head, it's best to move on.
      • This Prot will, basically, reduce any damage you do to zero. It lasts for ten incoming attacks, or eight seconds. For ten attacks or eight seconds, you won't be able to kill your target.
      • If you see this Prot, again, it's best to switch targets.
    • Aegis
      • When this Prot is cast, three white crescents will surround everyone within earshot of the Monk that cast it, and will keep one of those crescents around them for the duration of this Enchantment.
      • This Prot is Guardian, on a party-wide scale.
      • Because this affects everyone, switching targets won't help you. I usually conserve Energy while it's up (maybe throw a Crippling Sweep or a Wounding Strike out every now and then), then use that Energy for more pressure when it goes down.
    • Shield of Deflection
      • It's a huge white bubble with white rings that stack around it.
      • This Prot is Guardian plus Guardian. Your target will have a 75% chance to block, which will make you largely useless against them for the duration.
      • Approach this largely the same way as Guardian: only bother if you have skills that can bypass Blocking. Unlike Guardian, attacking through it is almost never an option; a 25% chance of landing a hit roughly equates to "You're not gonna hit them.".

• Self-defense.
  • Self-defense includes all those annoying skills that other classes will use to keep themselves alive, mostly through blocking. Some common ones include:
    • Natural Stride
      • It's a yellow... thing. Though you should never assume that a Rangers isn't carrying this, you can be almost assured that any R/Mo has this skill. If someone else would like to help me out here with a description, I would greatly appreciate it.
      • This Stance is the same thing as a Guardian on the target Ranger, except that it will also give them a 33% IMS. This can make Rangers very difficult to kill.
      • If the Ranger is not snared, they can kite you. Easily. It's usually best to find something else to kill. However, this Stance ends if the Ranger becomes Hexed, so if one of your teammates is carrying a Hex, calling for it can make a Ranger significantly easier to kill.
    • Lightning Reflexes
      • It looks like three yellow swirly rings around the Ranger.
      • This Stance is the Shield of Deflection equivalent to Natural Stride, except Hexes won't end it and it doesn't grant an IMS.
      • Switch targets
    • Escape
      • Rangers with scythes use this. It looks like Lightning Reflexes plus four yellow lines behind them.
      • This skill roughly translates to Lightning Reflexes plus IMS minus IAS.
      • Switch targets.
    • Defy Pain
      • If a Warrior uses this, they're probably bad. They're not a threat to you and you're not a threat to them. Ignore them.
    • Armor of Earth
      • This skill turns Elementalists into Warriors with max Shields.
      • It is generally better to attack something else as you won't be doing Big Damage on an Ele with this Enchantment up.
    • Critical Defenses
      • Assassins use this.
      • This skill gives the Assassin a permanent Shield of Deflection so long as they can continue to land critical hits (and Assassins usually don't have a problem doing that).
      • Because this Enchantment has a relatively short duration if it's not being refreshed, kiting the Assassin for a few seconds will cause this to drop. They will be exposed for the rest of this skill's relatively long recharge.
    • Smoke Powder Defense
      • This skill is used by Monks more often than actual Assassins.
      • When struck, a Monk with this Stance will Blind all adjacent melee for a couple of seconds.
      • Because of the short Blind duration, it's best to stick it out. Autoattack until the Blind comes off, then pelt them with skills.
    • Return
      • This, again, is usually seen on Monks rather than Assassins.
      • Every 15 seconds, a Monk will use this skill if there are any melee attackers near them. This will Cripple the melee and the Monk will Shadow Step out of harm's way.
      • The Cripple duration is relatively short (usually around five seconds), but this skill will make a Monk significantly harder to kill. A lone Monk can't activate this skill, though; killing all of the Monk's teammates will solve this problem.

• Offensive defense.
  • Your opposition will usually bring some form of melee hate, and you will more often than not find it directed at you. Here are some common skills that foes will use to make you less effective.
    • Elementalist Hate.
    • Blinding Surge
      • This will be a small lightning bolt that explodes into a yellow ring when it hits you. Yes, this will always be directed at you.
      • As long as a Blinding Surge Elementalist is using Blinding Surge, you won't be able to do very much. Moreover, when this hits you, it will Blind your adjacent allies, as well.
      • You will have to ask your team for some form of shutdown, like a Distracting Shot, Diversion, or Power Block.
    • Blinding Flash
      • This skill looks like a bright flash of light. Wow.
      • This inflicts a Blind with a moderate duration, and recharges quickly; one Ele can keep two targets Blind indefinitely with this skill, Energy permitting.
      • Ask for a removal, then work on killing the Ele; you won't accomplish much as long as the Ele can use this skill. Alternatively, call for some shutdown.
    • Enervating Charge
      • It's a lightning bolt.
      • This skill inflicts Weakness on you, making your attacks... well... weak.
      • Ask your Monk to remove the Weakness, then devote some attention to killing that Ele. It recharges in eight seconds, so a quick removal should give you plenty of time to eliminate the Ele.
    • Steam
      • A cloud of steam hits you and you are set on fire.
      • This is often used in combination with Searing Flames, Immolate, or Glyph of Immolation, since it will only Blind you if you are Burning. It deals moderate damage and Blinds you for a good while (long enough to keep you permanently Blind).
      • If one of your teammates can interrupt Glyph of Immolation or Steam itself, it will give you enough time to drop the Ele. Otherwise, expect to be Blind for a while.
    • Freezing Gust
      • A cloud of frost forms at your feet.
      • This Hex snare can keep you from getting to your targets, and lasts long enough to be kept up permanently.
      • Hex removal and shutdown are the best ways of dealing with this.
    • Icy Shackles
      • Looks very similar to Freezing Gust.
      • Practically, you cannot move. At all.
      • Hex removal and shutdown are the best ways of dealing with this.
    • Blurred Vision
      • A blue ring spreads from your location.
      • This Hex is about half as bad as being Blind. For the most part, you will be ineffective while Hexed with this.
      • Hex removal is the way to go when dealing with this skill.
    • Ranger Hate.
    • Pin Down
      • Bad Rangers generally use Pin Down at point-blank range before running away as you limp after them. Good Rangers will use this as both an offensive and defensive snare. Because this flies at normal bow speed and has a noteworthy recharge, it is often a good idea to try to dodge this attack. If you get Crippled, call for a removal.
    • Crippling Shot
      • Pin Down, but unblockable, for less energy, and with no recharge.
      • Dodging it is useless since it recharges in two seconds, so your best bet is some shutdown on the ranger. Blind works well.
    • Melandru's Shot
      • More Ranger snareage. It has a recharge, unlike Crippling Shot. To compensate, it deals additional damage, costs no Energy, causes Bleeding, and has a longer Cripple duration. However, the conditions applied are conditional (the target must be moving or knocked down), so if you can't dodge it, you can avoid the snare by standing still when it hits you, then continuing to move.
    • Throw Dirt
      • Bad Rangers use this. Don't take them seriously, just get the Blind removed and continue doing what you were doing.
    • Distracting Shot
      • Because Rangers can interrupt anything, your attack skills are at risk of being dshotted. Having your Wounding Strike dhotted is never fun.
    • Savage Shot
      • Annoying, but not as devastating as Distracting Shot. If you find yourself getting Savaged a lot, stagger your attacks instead of chaining them; this forces the Ranger to rely on reactive interrupts.
    • Mesmer Hate.
    • Ineptitude
      • Your next attack fails, you take a hundred damage, and you're blinded. If you can catch this hex, your best bet is to wait it out. Otherwise, call for a condition removal.
    • Wandering Eye
      • Your next attack fails, and you take fifty damage. Like Ineptitude, your best bet is to wait it out.
    • Clumsiness
      • Your next attack fails, and you take fifty damage. Like Ineptitude, your best bet is to wait it out.
    • Psychic Distraction
      • A Mesmer with this skill can shut your key attacks down just like they can shut down a Monk's key spells.
    • Diversion
      • Wait this hex out, or lose a skill for a minute. It only lasts six seconds, so it's usually much more advisable to wait it out than it is to lose the skill.
    • Empathy
      • This will damage you every time you attack. Because you do more damage than Empathy does, you'd do well to call for a removal while continuing to attack through it.