Archive:W/any Enduring UW Farmer

This build uses Dolyak Signet and Warrior's Endurance combined with Energy-based attacks and spells to farm the Smite Crawlers in the Underworld. Because it does not use Healing Signet, it can also kill Coldfire Nights. It has a very high survival rate and has the privilege to survive a couple of hits from Bladed Aatxes, making the run easier.

This build has two major variants: W/Me, using Visages and an Axe, and W/D, using Rending Aura and a Scythe.

Attributes and Skills
[build prof=warri/d streng=11+1+3 scythe=11 windprayers=8][rending aura][warriors endurance][dolyak signet][counterattack][power attack][Natural Healing][sprint][Optional][/build] [build prof=warri/me streng=12+1+3 axe=9+1 illus=9][ancestor's visage][sympathetic visage][warriors endurance][dolyak signet][counterattack][power attack][lions comfort][sprint][/build]

Optional
If you are using the W/D variant:
 * for extra overall damage
 * for extra health combined with damage
 * for a no-recharge scythe attack
 * for even greater survivability (recommended for new users)
 * for faster attack rates.
 * for extra overall damage at a low energy cost
 * for extra healing during the Smite farm

Equipment

 * Armor
 * Knight's Insignias on all pieces.
 * Rune of Superior Strength
 * Highest affordable Vigor rune
 * Superior Absorption
 * Runes of Vitae
 * Weapons
 * A Zealous Scythe or Axe (depending on the build) of Enchanting with a "Strength and Honor" inscription.

The Grasping Darknesses

 * Take the quest Clear the Chamber as soon as you can without being seen by any Aatxes.
 * Turn your back to the mob of Grasping Darknesses you want to pull, and wait until it moves near a group of Aatxes.
 * Hit either "F" or "C" so that you don't cast spells on the Lost Soul.
 * If you brought the Visages, cast one on yourself immediately before aggroing.
 * Back up, aggroing the Aatxes. Instantly hit Sprint and rush for the wall in front of you.
 * When the Aatxes aggro, the Grasping Darkness will come along with them.
 * The Aatxes will give up very quickly, but the Grasping Darkness will keep coming.
 * As soon as you think you've lost the Aatxes, hit Dolyak Signet.
 * Use Warrior's Endurance.
 * Spam your attack skills and keep up Warrior's Endurance and Dolyak Signet, and the Visages if you brought them.

Notes:
 * If you aggro a Dying Nightmare either while getting the quest or while luring Grasping Darkness, run like heck for the far wall and hope the Aatxes with it break aggro before you get there.
 * If they don't break, you will probably die. Just keep running around using Sprint and hope they give up.
 * Sometimes the third group will get itself stuck on the stairs to the right. If this happens, kill the other two groups first, then hit Sprint and run past the right side Aatxes.  Aggro the Grasping Darkness, then run to the right, straight into the closed door.  You should have lost the Aatxes, but the Grasping Darkness will follow you, and can now be killed alone.

The Dying Nightmares

 * Since you couldn't care less if they strip your enchants (which you don't have on you while fighting Grasping Darknessess), these enemies pose no threat to you whatsoever after they have spawned (except possibly around Smite Crawler) and can either be killed or ignored at your leisure.

Notes:
 * The threat Dying Nightmare do pose is in spawning.
 * All Dying Nightmare in the starting room have Bladed Aatxe mobs associated with them. Aggroing them is considered a bad idea.

The Bladed Aatxes

 * Just don't try to kill them. Try to avoid them at all costs.  If you do manage to aggro some, just keep running away until they leave you alone.
 * Unlike some builds, you will not die in one hit from an Aatxes, it usually takes five or six.

The Run

 * Once you have completed the quest, run along the right side to the open gate, being sure to break aggro with the three or four nearby Bladed Aatxe.
 * If there are enemies in the passageway, this is a (mostly) safe point to stop and wait. Be careful of the patrols nearby.
 * As soon as the passageway is clear, run through it. Try to time your run so that you will not be seen by the Grasping Darkness patrol, as even with Sprint you cannot outrun them and will be forced to fight. Use Sprint just as you leave the passage, and head to the left.
 * If you can, try to run all the way past both groups of Bladed Aatxe in one shot. If you can't, break aggro and wait in the big room (avoiding patrols) until Sprint has recharged, then run past the last pair of Bladed Aatxe.

Notes:
 * Lag is extremely dangerous when running through the narrow passage with the Aatxes. It's very easy to get body blocked without you knowing it. Your character will keep running but in fact he is stuck between the Aatxes, if this happens, your run will most likely end here. The best thing you can do is just wait until they are far away from the Passage.

The Smite Crawlers

 * Pull one group of Smite Crawler with your bow to a place where you can fight them alone. When fighting multiple groups, a mistake often leads to death.
 * Once you've gotten to the spot you want to fight at, hit Dolyak Signet.
 * As soon as they start to reach you, hit Rending Aura or Ancestor's Visage (depending on your choice) and Warrior's Endurance.
 * Start attacking.
 * Keep up Rending Aura / Visage, Dolyak Signet and Warrior's Endurance.
 * Handle them just like Grasping Darknesses, but here Rending Aura or your Visages are required to stop their healing and Shield of Judgement. Warrior's Endurance will provide you with plenty of energy to maintain them.
 * If you chose the Visages, do not start attacking until you think the Smites are sufficiently drained of energy, otherwise you will be hurt by their Shield of Judgment.
 * You can use Lion's Comfort twice per Dolyak Signet, once just after it's used, and once about 4 to 6 seconds later. The rest of the time, just keep the adrenaline stored.

Notes:
 * Occasionally, for unknown reasons, a Smite Crawler group will become hostile to all other Smite and Coldfire groups in the area. Just let them die, it's not worth running in for the loot.
 * You should be able to handle up to five Smite Crawlers at once, which is the largest that most groups contain.
 * When the Smite Crawlers use Shield of Judgement, stop attacking them, and wait until the disenchant themselves by attack you (Rending Aura will disenchant them).

The Coldfire Nights

 * First, identify their patrol route. Stand in front of their path, so they're walking towards you when they see you.
 * Hit Sprint just before getting in their range, you should be able to reach them before they can cast Shard Storm or Maelstrom.
 * As soon as you get in melee range, hit Dolyak Signet, Lion's Comfort, and Warrior's Endurance.
 * Fire off both your attack skills. Keep attacking as often as you can with your attack skills, using Warrior's Endurance and Dolyak Signet when they recharge.
 * You can use Lion's Comfort twice per Dolyak Signet, once just after it's used, and once about 4 to 6 seconds later. The rest of the time, just keep the adrenaline stored.
 * You will be at around 100-200 health the whole time, but if done properly, you should survive.
 * As they cast Shard Storm often, running away is unlikely to succeed.

Notes:
 * Coldfire Nights have no valuable drops, and thus it is often better to skip them altogether then to kill them, unless they are blocking a mob of Smite Crawlers.
 * Killing groups of two is fairly easy, but groups of three are not recommended.
 * If you do need to kill a group of three, try to find a barrier that you can pull them to. Hide behind it to block Shard Storm until you see them cast at least two of their Maelstroms, then engage.

Survival Tips

 * When trying to run around Aatxes, always try to go past on the most open side. They like to trap you by forcing you to run to one side, then cutting you off. Running past them close to walls is a good way to dig an early grave, as is running past them without Sprint activated.


 * If you accidentally use Lion's Comfort just before Dolyak Signet recharges, just hit Sprint and run. You can't tank more than 5 Smite Crawlers safely without it.
 * If you have more than 150 health, you can easily survive a group of 5 or fewer smites until Dolyak Signet recharges. They will typically do ~100 damage during the intervening 12 seconds if you're wearing the recommended armor.
 * You may have some difficulty outrunning Smite Crawlers; if you find yourself in this situation consider using a consumable instead.


 * If you hit Dolyak Signet when you didn't mean to, just stop running. You can't escape anything while slowed, so stand still and tank if there are any enemies in the area.

Variants

 * Counterattack can be replaced by any other 5 Energy attack skill with a quick recharge. Be warned of energy problems if you do change it. This is not recommended unless you do not have access to Counterattack.
 * Natural Healing can be replaced by Lion's Comfort in the W/D build (Scythe Mastery 12 and Wind Prayers 6). It provides more healing and adreline, but comes at the cost of disabling Dolyak Signet for a significant amount of time.
 * There are many variants to the strategies proposed for pulling, running, and tanking. None were considered effective enough to include here, but if it works for you, use it.
 * For the W/D variant, you can remove Rending Aura (as it is not necessary) and replace it with a skill of your choice to solo farm the hulking stone elementals in Old Ascalon Hard Mode. Still, however, be wary of the elemental bosses.

Counters

 * Bladed Aatxes
 * Lag
 * Skeletons of Dhuum