SidewayS.3789

Well let aside the dT build,because that build have in mind speed running. Aside of CMs or bosses have shorter phases, i always run SYG,might+quickness mantra+ bow/regenartion mantra for cleansing and of course as elite Feel My Wrath. Or let's just say the final boss on volcanic, i drop SYG for Wall of Reflection. That's the main thingy of a hfb, you must adapt according to the fights, don't just follow 1 build and go with it, because it won't cut it. You are playing with pugs, not a static or a speed clear group, and pugs are doing mistakes no matter how hard you are trying to play HFB, but if you keep them alive in the "OH SHIIIT" situations, everything it's good. I am a fractal god HFB, and i am playing this class for the past 2 years, so let's just say i have some experience with it.

You,as a HFB you must provide perma quickness, and stability on attacks where the boss/mobs are doing knockbacks or at least aegis when these attacks happens.

> @"Mouse.7382" said: > I run PUG CM everyday on NA. Some days I can complete them, others I cannot. Has been that way for me since always (I have a dedicated guild for fractals, but my times are all over the board, so I dont do static guild groups at all). > > I will agree with you (when I dont form the group), the groups that require the most 'kill proof' always seem to be the hardest to complete. > > When I forma group, I always ask the same. 'CM's + T4's. Need HB/ALC/BS/DPS. I play the last dps spot (thief), but switch to dps mirage for CM 100. I find the PUG ppl that join my groups, know their stuff well enough to complete with minimal issues. Yes, it seems everyone likes to be carried no matter the role that they are playing. > @"Cyninja.2954" said: > As more and more veteran players leave the game due to lack of challenging content, the amount of experienced players drops. > > To be fair though, running with a static can make regular CM groups seem amateurish. You have to remember that the spectrum on ability even with still success is still high. > > On EU and only running occasional CMs with PUG groups, mostly due to guild members being available or me just not running daily CMs any more, I can safely say: > - the range in ability on heal firebrands is huge. Some will aegis, stab, condi cleanse and do their share of might uptime with tome+staff blasts, proper rotation of weapon sets, etc. Basically carrying the group through anything which can go wrong. Others you just realize they are not utilizing the class even to50% of it's potential (and I have had situation where I just asked the HFB to go dps and would take over) > - the range on dps players too is huge. Not only performance wise, but in ability to react to other players mistakes or even in just avoiding damage IF needed. There is a huge difference in being able to play down the content versus actively noticing other players skills used, positioning, and intervening when something goes wrong. The amount of players who won't move 1mm in order to step into a green on arc is astonishing > - the vast majority of players has completely lost the ability to run this content without a healer any more. HFB or any type of healer is by now the baseline, where as before this was mostly a CM thing. Again in all fairness: some of the recent fractals and instabilities are also to blame for this behavior and change in setup > > This is just the result of an aging player base which sees more and more segregation. Skilled players form statics, run with guildies or simply stop running the content due to burnout (or just run their dailies and are done with it). Meanwhile newer players with less experience move up but lack the experience of veteran players to teach them. > > Interesting enough, an old raid lead of mine returned to the game after a 2.5 year break. He enjoys fractals and raids and gets back into that content. Suffice to say, I was rather impressed when he used a very old school elementalist skip in uncategorized to skip old tom (yes, I am aware of all the regular skips used but this one I had not seen for over 3 years and tbh, had completely forgotten about myself since I never ran elementalist in the past). That's knowledge lost to newer players and if it wasn't for sites like discretize or other fractal guilds/guides, would probably be lost entirely as time marches on. That's exactly the thingy, i have spent the last 2+ years with a static, whom we runned daily CMs+T4 like a piece of cake, but now that i am forced to go on pugs, i see a big big gap between players,. Usually i play HFB/QFB or Alac (at least to cover one support group) but when sometimes i wanna play dps, i see all sorts of players with big KP, just failing some basics elements, like low Alac, low might uptime,quickness and all the boons. A few days ago i asked if the HFB can run signet (traited) since we kinda had 2 good dps players, i was called retard and toxic... I dunno,maybe it's my experience but i will take your point, some part of the vets (like my static) left the game and now we can see those who just press some buttons and likes to be carried and those who have knowledge of their classes. Overall i say it's pretty sad, that the "5 players end content" it's going this way.