Archive:Team - Ancestors' Spike

Ancestor's Spike is a build utilizing the powerful spiking ability and large heals that come from the Ritualist line of skills and the fact that the heals and spikes can come from one profession allowing very versatile use of secondary professions. This build is meant for Heroes' Ascent.

Team Composition

 * Caller, Enchantment Removal, Snare /
 * Shout and Chant support /
 * Warder, Water Trident /
 * Interrupter, Hex Removal /
 * 2 Pious Haste Runners /
 * Battery /
 * Vitals, Spirit Spammer / or /

Spikes
The build encompasses two different spikes:
 * Ancestor's Rage Spike: The spiking ritualists target the caller and use Ancestor's Rage as the caller uses Shadow Prison toward the target, preferably a target adjacent that to other enemies. If the spike is properly executed and more than one target is hit, it is almost assured that at least one target will die. This is the preferred spike. A follow-up with Wielder's Strike can be used if the spikes are not working.
 * Wielder's Strike Spike: A cleaner spike, but provides no AoE. The spikers use Wielder's Strike on the called target while the caller uses Augury of Death on the target. Do not use this spike if mulitple people do not have Vital Weapon on them.

Caller, Enchantment Removal, Snare
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 1" prof=n/a Soul=12+1+1 Deadly=12 Curses=3][Deadly Paradox][Shadow Prison][Iron Palm][Rend Enchantments][Gaze of Contempt][Augury of Death][Return][Resurrection Signet][/build]
 * Maintain Deadly Paradox during battles. If spikes are successful, Soul Reaping should provide all the energy you need.
 * Use Shadow Prison followed up by Iron Palm during Ancestors' Rage spikes.
 * Use Augury of Death during Wielder's Strike spikes.
 * Use Return to get back if it is necessary and is recharged.
 * Remove enchantments when necessary.
 * Shadow Prison with Deadly Paradox provides 66% snare for 9 seconds at 10 recharge. Iron Palm provides Knockdown. Sparingly, use Return for a Cripple snare.

Shout and Chant support
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 2" prof=rt/p Channeling=12+1+3 Command=12 Spawning=3][Offering of Spirit]["Stand Your Ground!"]["Fall Back!"][Song of Concentration][Ancestors' Rage][Wielder's Strike][Destruction][Flesh of My Flesh][/build]
 * Use "Stand Your Ground!" when team is under heavy pressure or being spiked.
 * Use "Fall Back!" when the team needs to travel distances or escape the enemy.
 * Use Song of Concentration if spikes are failing by marginal amounts due to interrupts. Use it when the Ghostly Hero is capping the altar in the Hall of Heroes. Otherwise use it whenever charged if opponents are using interrupts, however only if you can surely afford the two seconds for casting.
 * Try to place down Destruction as often as possible when you can find time.

Warder, Water Trident
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 3" prof=rt/e Channeling=12+1+3 Earth=12 Water=3][Water Trident][Ward Against Foes][Ward Against Melee][Gaze of Fury][Ancestors' Rage][Wielder's Strike][Bloodsong][Resurrection Signet][/build]
 * Water Trident and wards as necessary.
 * Use Gaze of Fury on enemy spirits that will falter this build. Particularly Fertile Season. Use Gaze of Fury on Frozen Soil if it backfires and your team can not resurrect.
 * Try to place down Bloodsong as often as possible when you can find time.

Interrupter, Hex Removal
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 4" prof=rt/me Channeling=12+1+3 Restoration=12+1 Spawning=3][Power Return][Wielder's Boon][Expel Hexes][Spirit Light][Ancestors' Rage][Wielder's Strike][Recovery][Resurrection Signet][/build]
 * Use Power Return on important skills. (Ex: Savannah Heat, Aegis)
 * Remove harmful hexes with Expel Hexes.
 * Try to place down Recovery as often as possible when you can find time.

Two Pious Haste Runners
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 5-6" prof=rt/d Channeling=12+1+3 Restoration=12+1][Pious Haste][Wielder's Boon][Spirit Transfer][Mend Body and Soul][Ancestors' Rage][Wielder's Strike][Offering of Spirit][Resurrection Signet][/build]
 * Primary healers.
 * Pious Haste for running relics.

Battery
[build name="Ancestors' Spike 7" prof=rt/n Channeling=12+1+3 Restoration=10+1 Blood=8 Spawning=2][Wielder's Boon][Spirit Transfer][Mend Body and Soul][Blood is Power][Ancestors' Rage][Wielder's Strike][Life][Resurrection Signet][/build]
 * Use Blood is Power on allies needing energy.
 * Try to place down Life as often as possible when you can find time.

Vitals, Spirit Spammer - Hexes and Interrupts meta
This version provides more Hex Removal and uninterruptable spirit spammer. This build requires almost a near constant flow of energy management from the battery though. [build name="Ancestors' Spike 8A" prof=rt/me Communing=11+1+1 Spawning=12+1 Inspiration=6][Vital Weapon][Expel Hexes][Pain][Shadowsong][Displacement][Shelter][Union][Mantra of Resolve][/build]

Vitals, Spirit Spammer - Massive AoE meta
An alternative spirit spammer build, use when the meta is a lot spirit killing AoE damage or unusually high amounts of anti-spirit skills like Spiritual Pain and Unnatural Signet. Generally, spirits without Serpent's Quickness and the additional spirits that the spikers have suffice. By using this build you are able to spam spirits more often but you lose Expel Hexes and become interruptable. When using this spirit spammer build, focus on keeping the spirit spammer above 50% health or it is self-defeating. [build name="Ancestors' Spike 8B" prof=rt/r Spawning=11+1+1 Communing=10+1 Wilderness=10][Vital Weapon][Serpent's Quickness][Pain][Shadowsong][Displacement][Shelter][Frozen Soil][Attuned Was Songkai][/build]
 * Use Serpent's Quickness right before the first of a line of spirits are finished activating as Serpent's Quickness has a lot of downtime.
 * Try to keep Frozen Soil as far from the battlefield as possible while still having effect.

Usage common to either Spirit Spammer

 * Maintain Vitals on the players especially yourself, the caller, and the relic runners if it a relic running map. Keep Vitals on the Ghostly Hero during Kill Count and relic running but if the Ghostly Hero can die early when a morale boost wouldn't help the team team too much, let it die. Otherwise, keep a vital weapon on the Ghostly Hero.
 * While the spirits' main job in the build is to fuel the spirit-powered healing skills and Offering of Spirit, it is possible to use the spirits tactically. Pain and Shadowsong should be placed where they can attack enemies while reserving the hidden crooks in the map for spirits like Shelter. Displacement really helps out relic running if it placed in the right spot.

Equipment

 * Ghost Forge Insignias.
 * Runes as stated in the individual builds and a Superior Rune of Vigor. Rest should be Runes of Attunement.
 * Use a reasonable weapon as long as there are no HCT mods on the weapon. Your combination of wands and specialty shields and high energy staffs is up to you. It does not need to match with the rest of the team.

Annihilation
Generally straightfoward. Spirit location is key. There are many hiding spots and open places for spirits in the Underworld and in the Burial Mounds but there are little places for spirits to live in the Golden Gates map. Try to win battles quickly.

Kill Count
Favorable conditions for this build in Kill Count.

Use "Fall Back!" as much as possible and use movement to your advantage. Run away or attack when it is favorable for your team.

This build incorporates many heavy healing skills and support from wards, shouts, and a battery. Attacking the weaker team quickly will give you kills and leave the stronger team a tough opponent to kill.

Take advantage of teams that like to travel in bunched up groups. Especially chokepoints like stairwells are great opportunities to get multiple kills with Ancestors' Rage. In Broken Tower, if you get sandwiched, be aggressive and fight back. In the Courtyard, if you get sandwiched, retreat to a base. The stairwell creates a chokepoint for those trying to gank you.

Though this applies to other builds, a common mistake for teams is to have the backline carry the Ghostly Hero. This makes your Ghostly Hero vulnerable as he is hanging off the end of the team.

Relic Running
The Snarer and the Rt/P should bodyblock snare and bodyblock the opposing runner.

The relic runners alternate running relics while the battery follows one runner and the interrupter follows another for healing and support. The warder should try to place his wards where necessary.

The Spirit Spammer is free to maintain vitals on as many players as possible, focusing on the relic runners and spamming spirits especially Displacement to help prevent knockdowns when there is time.

King of the Hill
Holding the altar should not be that difficult as there are many healers and wards protecting the Ghostly Hero. Save Spirit Transfer for Ghostly Hero because he is likely to be spiked as spiking one of the Ritualists does little as there are many backup healers. Avoid being adjacent with any of your teammates but try to stay in spell casting range of most of the team.

If you are visiting, try to kill the holding teams' monks first. Most teams will carry both an infuser and a Spirit Bonder. Use Song of Concentration when the Ghostly Hero is capping.

Relic Offerings
While the runners are running relics, have the caller and the Rt/P snare and bodyblock one team. The warder should try to place Ward Against Melee for the runners and Ward Against Foes against the other team. The battery and interrupter should focus on healing as well as bodyblocking when it is necessary. The spirit spammer needs to maintain Vitals on the runners and place spirits like Displacement and Shelter as much as possible.

Capture Points
The recommended split is (1), (2), (5), (7) and (3), (4), (6), (8). Use the time while capturing a point to place a spirit. Whenever the splits are near each other, the spirit spammer must place vitals on the other team as Wielder's Boon is the primary healing skill. Spikes can be coordinated if necessary.