User:Ocean Gipsy/Sandbox/WIP

Introduction
A Guild versus Guild backline usually consists of 2-3 characters with builds designed around protecting and healing the party. The most common backline consists of a healing-based monk who uses protection prayers aswell and protection monk with Gift of Health. Even backlines consisting of two monks running Word of Healing and a selection of protection prayers can be seen. One of these two combinations is usually run although in a few specific builds other monk set ups, ritualists and even necromancer/ritualist healers can proof effective.

Monks
Monks are the most common form of backliners, as they offer a huge amount of versitility within their own attributes, allowing them to run a secondary profession for energy management or self-survivability. The standard backline in a Guild versus Guild team is one Word of Healing monk and one  Restore Condition monk or Shield of Deflection monk, although other builds such as  Zealous Benediction monks are used sometimes too. Most of this guide will be about monk backlines.

Ritualists
Although rarely used, Ritualists can also make effective backline characters, usually utilising Weapon of Remedy or Expel Hexes as their elite. Ritualists have extremely poweful healing skills, such as Spirit Light, Spirit Transfer and Mend Body and Soul, but they are lacking in hex removal skills, which can be remedied through propper use of secondary professions, and the protective skills that Monks have, such as Reversal of Fortune and Spirit Bond, which makes them less desirable in a balanced backline. These are most often seen in NR/Tranq teams.

Necromancer/Ritualists
This type of backline build takes advantage of the Necromancers primary attribute, Soul Reaping, and the powerful heals found within a Ritualists Restoration Magic attribute to form a powerful healer with extremely strong energy management as long as there is a constant rate of deaths within Soul Reaping range. This form of backliner is normally found in gimmicky Heroes Ascent teams such as Spiritway or Thumpway, or in NR/Tranq teams, which exploit Nature's Renewal and Tranquility to cause indirect pressure. Although these make for strong healers, they aren't as versitile as Monks or primary Ritualists, as they can't deal with hexes, and have little in the way of protective spells.

Basic Skill Choices
When building your own backline, you need to take several things into consideration to ensure that it is effective and versitile. There are:
 * Some single target heals. A standard backline will generally take Word of Healing, Dismiss Condition, which can work as a potent heal when the target is enchanted, and Gift of Health for this. Some prefer not to use Gift of Health on the protection monk and try to compensate this with more use of Reversal of Fortune. Other single target heals which are used but currently not in metagame are Signet of Rejuvenation and Dwayna's Kiss. A ritualist backline would take Spirit Light and Mend Body and Soul.
 * A party wide heal. Heal Party is sometimes used, although these days party healing is usually externalized. Ritualist flagrunners can make use of Protective Was Kaolai while elementalists with Mind Blast and elementalist flagrunners with Ether Prodigy often run Heal Party. Many monk flagrunners make use of Heal Party too, although in the present metagame ritualist/dervish flagrunners are standard. For more information on this see GvG Flag Runner. Another way to introduce party wide healing is the paragon profession. Paragons can use Song of Restoration and Ballad of Restoration to heal party members within earshot while keeping Mending Refrain up on them.
 * Some 'small' protective spells, such as Reversal of Fortune, which should always be run as long as you are running monks, Guardian and Shield of Absorption. Although ritualists are not as strong as monks in this department, they do have Weapon of Warding, Weapon of Shadow, Vengeful Weapon and Weapon of Remedy.
 * Some 'big' protective spells, which are almost always Spirit Bond and Protective Spirit, with one on each monk. Shield of Deflection is also an extremely popular replacement for Restore Condition as an elite choice. Ritualists don't really have any good 'big' protective spells to use, as they are more heal focused.
 * A spike heal, usually in the form of Infuse Health, although ritualists can take Spirit Transfer instead. Note that although you do not need a spike heal, it is highly reccomend bringing one, as without one your backline needs to prot perfectly.
 * Condition removal. For this, if you are running monks, you have a choice of running Restore Condition on one monk and Mend Condition, Dismiss Condition or Draw Conditions on the other one or Mending Touch on the monk with RC, or two copies of either Dismiss Condition or Mend Condition. If running ritualists with spirits, use Mend Body and Soul, or with weapon spells, you can use Wielder's Remedy.
 * Hex removal. Normally either Holy Veil, Deny Hexes or Remove Hex is used.
 * Energy management, usually in the form of Glyph of Lesser Energy, is taken on the monks if they are bringing costly skills such as Shield of Deflection or Aegis.
 * Self-defence skills. There are many too many choices for this to list, but the most popular are Return and Dark Escape. One of these, usually Return is often found on the monk or ritualist carrying Infuse Health or Spirit Transfer respectively, and is an optional skill choice on the other monk.

Building A More Effective Backline: Build Synergy
For a backline to be at its most effective, it must consist of two builds that synergise well together. Examples of this are not taking two copies of the same powerful enchantment that will cancel each other out, but instead taking similar, but different ones, or having elite skills that work well together, such as Word of Healing or Restore Condition. To get a better idea of how to build an effective backline, let's look at a standard dual monk backline in a balanced build.

As you can see, this backline has a clear definition of which monk is the main protter and which monk is the main healer. The entire build is based around reducing taken damage to a lower amount, while healing the damage that is taken in the most energy efficient manner possible. Each monk is designed to synergise with the other, in how they have Spirit Bond on the RC and Protective Spirit on the WoH. While Restore Condition is the primary condition removal skill, Draw Conditions works as an emergency spell when the RC suffers from dangerous conditions or a fast remove is needed on other characters. Some like to run Draw Conditions on a midline character in which case the WoH would usually run Dismiss Condition. However, despite being designed to work together, each build can also operate reasonably well by itself, which is the sign of an effective backline.