User:Jax010/Build:Gothspike

This was a team my guildies and I encountered in TA. Through the use of good timing and teamwork, this team created an unstoppable spike that made our team fall on our heels.

1 Shove Warrior

1 Healing Prayers Monk

1 Protection Prayers Monk

1 Smiting Prayers Monk

Shove Warrior
[build prof=Warrior/Any HammerMastery=12+1+1 Tactics=10+1 Strength=8+1][Shove][Crushing Blow][Staggering Blow][Fierce Blow][Heavy Blow][Bull's Strike][Frenzy][Rush][/build]


 * A Vampiric Hammer Of Fortitude with the +15% while enchanted inscription


 * This is the most important player. He starts the spike with Shove, and follows with Crushing blow. He should be spoiled beyond belief with 3 monks, pre-veiled, all conditions and hexes removed, etc.


 * Be sure to call blind, empathy, etc etc.


 * Use Frenzy as an IAS


 * Cancel Frenzy with rush while under pressure


 * Use rush to catch a running/kiting opponent, and snare with Bull's Strike


 * Make sure to wear 2 Stonefist insignias, or else there will not be a long enough KD time for both Holy Strike and StoneSoul.


 * Make

Healing Prayers Monk
[build prof=Monk/Assassin HealingPrayers=11+1 SmitingPrayers=12+3+1 ShadowArts=6][Holy Strike][StoneSoul Strike][Word Of Healing][Patient Spirit][Infuse Health][Holy Veil][Return][Renew Life][/build]


 * Heal targets taking huge damage with Infuse Health, and migate the health back with WoH


 * Remove harmful hexes off allies with cure hex, and keep the warrior under holy veil


 * Snare opponents/escape pressure with return. Switch to a 33% crippling offhand before doing so

Protection Prayers Monk
[build prof=Monk/Elementalist ProtectionPrayers=12+1 SmitingPrayers=12+3+1][Holy Strike][StoneSoul Strike][Shield of Deflection][Shielding Hands][Reverse Hex][Protective Spirit][Dismiss Condition][Glyph Of Lesser Energy][/build]


 * Prevent Spikes with Protective Spirit


 * Use Shielding Hands to reduce damage on allies


 * Reversal Of Fortune as a small heal and damage prevention


 * Aura Of Stability on allies pressured by hammer warriors, thumpers, shock axes, etc.


 * Dimiss Conditions to remove conditions, and reverse hex to remove hexes


 * Shield of Deflection on allies taking heavy melee pressure.


 * Glyph of lesser energy as energy management; best used before Protective spirit and/or Shield Of Deflection.

Smiting Prayers Monk
[build prof=Monk/Necromancer DivineFavor=10+1 SmitingPrayers=12+3+1 Curses=8][Holy Strike][Corrupt Enchantment][Reversal of Damage][Smite Hex][Smite Condition][Signet of Devotion][Smiter's Boon][Strength Of Honor][/build]


 * CE to get rid of anti spike enchantments on the target


 * Signet of Devotion as a small heal and energy management


 * Maintain Strength Of Honor on the shove warrior, and Smiter's boon on yourself

Usage
The spike chain completely depends on timing; if even one holy strike misses, the target will not die. It should be coordinated over Vent or TeamSpeak. If none of these are available, then you may have to use teamchat. If using teamchat, make sure to turn all other chats off, and the team should never say pointless things or ping a target more than once, otherwise the chain will be very difficult to coordinate. The Spike is:

Shove Warrior: Shove->Crushing Blow

All Monks:           Holy Strike

The spike is very fast, involving at max only two skills and neither Protective Spirit or Spirit Bond can prevent it; ironically though, small prots like Shield of Absorbtion and Shielding hands can be devastating on the damage, and should be remove via Corrupt Enchantment.

If the spike is successful, the target will take a lightning fast 580 damage + DW, which will probably result in death. If the target appears to have a large amount of max health, be sure to soften him/her up before the chain.

Though it pains me to say it, the team has to clutter together, since all monks and the warrior have to be within touch range of the target when the spike happens. Don't let the target get away, use Siphon Speed at the right time so the target isn't totally predictable, but will still be effective.

Body Blocking is also a viable option for stopping foes in their tracks, since you have to clump anyways.

Counters
The team was seemingly designed with the idea of having the least/no counters in mind, but it can definitely be stopped. Though obvious, death is a very viable and headaching counter. If a single monk dies, the team will probably collapse. There is good reason no one but the Healing Prayers Monk has res; you are expected to not die. If death happens, the monks should drop everything and cover the Healing Prayers while he/she resses. If the healing Prayers monk dies, you are pretty much doomed as you will have no hard healing and no res.

The team can stand up against extreme pressure, of any kind. Daze is not a huge problem, as each of the monks all have condition removal, same goes with hexes.

Variants
If you really hate the warrior bar, there is the option to remove him and have a Shock Axe warrior take the spot. However, you will have to play it very differently from a regular Shock Axe, obviously. Eviscerate must be charged before the KD, and the chain will be Shock->Evis instead.