This split dervish is usually referred to as the "Zurrie derv", after a player who popularized it. Tank the lord pit, kill knights, and generally cause as much aggravation as possible with an unkillable bar.
Frequency[]
Seen in many GvG team builds to run flags, lineback physicals or as a solosplit character.
NightfallDervish. Mysticism 12Avatar of LyssaElite FormFor 74 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 50% faster and your attacks deal chaos damage. Whenever you lose a Dervish enchantment, steal 1 Energy from all nearby foes. This skill is disabled for 45 seconds.5220
NightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Harrier's GraspFlash Enchantment SpellFor 10 seconds, attacks against moving foes also Cripple that foe for 4 seconds. This enchantment ends after you apply Cripple 2 times. When you cast this spell, you lose Cripple and 1 other condition. 515
EotNDervish. Mysticism 12Aura SlicerMelee AttackIf this attack hits, you inflict Bleeding for 13 seconds. If you are enchanted, you also inflict Cracked Armor for 8 seconds.4
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Mystic Regeneration (PvP)Enchantment SpellFor 15 seconds, you have +3 Health regeneration for each enchantment (maximum of 3) on you.5¼12
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Mirage CloakFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you have a 67% chance to block incoming attacks. When you cast this enchantment, all nearby foes are struck for 30 earth damage.510
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Fleeting StabilityFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you cannot be knocked down and move 25% faster. This enchantment ends prematurely if it prevents a knockdown.310
NightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Lyssa's Haste (PvP)Flash Enchantment SpellFor 7 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 33% faster. When you activate this enchantment, all adjacent foes are interrupted. When this enchantment ends, all adjacent foes are interrupted. 50% failure chance unless Wind Prayers 5 or higher.525
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Variants
Replace Lyssa's HasteNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Lyssa's HasteFlash Enchantment SpellFor 7 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 33% faster. When you activate this enchantment, all adjacent foes are interrupted. When this enchantment ends, all adjacent foes are interrupted. 50% failure chance unless Wind Prayers 5 or higher.1015:
Holy VeilCoreMonk. UnlinkedHoly VeilEnchantment SpellWhile you maintain this Enchantment, any Hex cast on target ally takes twice as long to cast. When Holy Veil ends, one Hex is removed from target ally.-15112 – counter hex builds on split side. Also useful in 8v8 situations against hexways.
Vow of PietyNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Vow of PietyEnchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you have +24 armor and +2 Health regeneration. Vow of Piety renews whenever an enchantment on you ends.15¼45 – general defense. The increased armour rating decreases armour dependent damage by 34%. Use if you solo split against guilds that are likely to defend against you with elementalists.
Veil of ThornsNightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Veil of ThornsFlash Enchantment SpellWhen you cast this enchantment, all nearby foes are struck for 35 piercing damage. For 18 seconds, you take 25% less damage from spells.1015 – anti-spell defense. Less strong against elementalists than vow of pietyNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers Vow of PietyEnchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you have +24 armor and +1..3..4 Health regeneration. Vow of Piety renews whenever an enchantment on you ends.15¼45, but it improves your survivability against mesmers.
Grenth's AuraEotNDervish. Wind Prayers 10Grenth's AuraFlash Enchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you deal 18 less damage and steal 18 Health whenever you hit with a scythe attack. When you cast this enchantment you steal 18 Health from all adjacent foes.1010 – 10+1 scythe mastery, 9+1 wind prayers, 7+1 earth prayers. Significantly improves the 1v1 performance against necromancers. Allows to kill NPCs through a defending necromancer. Decreases the survivability against other defending characters and the lord damage you deal.
Mystic VigorNightfallDervish. Mysticism 12Mystic VigorEnchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, every time you successfully hit with an attack, you gain 13 Health for each Enchantment on you (maximum 25 Health).3¼15 – application like Grenth's aura, but without attribute reshuffling.
Whirling ChargeNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 8Whirling ChargeFlash Enchantment SpellFor 4 seconds, you move 33% faster than normal. The next time you strike a foe, all other nearby foes take 37 cold damage and this enchantment ends.106 – over Fleeting StabilityNightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Fleeting StabilityFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you cannot be knocked down and move 25% faster. This enchantment ends prematurely if it prevents a knockdown.510. 7+1 Wind and Earth Prayers. Run significantly faster than any other character in the match and deal slightly more damage against balling targets.
Increase your wind prayers to be safe against weakness. Usually not necessary, as the most commonly seen source of weakness is oppressive gazeFactionsNecromancer. Blood Magic Oppressive GazeSpellTarget foe and adjacent foes take 10..26..31 shadow damage. Foes already suffering from a condition are Poisoned and Weakened for 3..10..13 seconds.10110, which puts the weakness on top and allows to remove it with harrier's hasteNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers Harrier's HasteFlash Enchantment SpellFor 2..7..8 seconds, you move 25% faster and deal +3..10..13 more damage against moving foes.1010.
NightfallDervish. Mysticism 12Avatar of LyssaElite FormFor 74 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 50% faster and your attacks deal chaos damage. Whenever you lose a Dervish enchantment, steal 1 Energy from all nearby foes. This skill is disabled for 45 seconds.5220
EotNDervish. Mysticism 12Aura SlicerMelee AttackIf this attack hits, you inflict Bleeding for 13 seconds. If you are enchanted, you also inflict Cracked Armor for 8 seconds.4
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Mystic Regeneration (PvP)Enchantment SpellFor 15 seconds, you have +3 Health regeneration for each enchantment (maximum of 3) on you.5¼12
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10ConvictionFlash Enchantment SpellFor 10 seconds, you have +10 armor if you have a condition and gain 2 Health regen for each condition you have. When this enchantment ends, you are cured of 2 conditions.310
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Mirage CloakFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you have a 67% chance to block incoming attacks. When you cast this enchantment, all nearby foes are struck for 30 earth damage.510
NightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Fleeting StabilityFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you cannot be knocked down and move 25% faster. This enchantment ends prematurely if it prevents a knockdown.310
NightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 9Pious RestorationSpellYou gain 122 Health and lose 1 Dervish enchantment. If an enchantment was removed in this way, you also lose 2 hexes.518
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This build variant is only useful for solo-splitting as it can survive every defending character except for Energy Surge + Energy Burn mesmers.
You can survive most dual character collapses and escape.
Maintains flag running capabilities but can't remove its own crippled condition immediately.
Maintain Avatar of LyssaNightfallDervish. Mysticism 12Avatar of LyssaElite FormFor 74 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 50% faster and your attacks deal chaos damage. Whenever you lose a Dervish enchantment, steal 1 Energy from all nearby foes. This skill is disabled for 45 seconds.5220.
Maintain your defensive enchantments whenever needed.
Flag running
Run past everything that does not apply hex snares.
If you play holy veilCoreMonk. UnlinkedHoly VeilEnchantment SpellWhile you maintain this Enchantment, any Hex cast on target ally takes twice as long to cast. When Holy Veil ends, one Hex is removed from target ally.-15112, maintain it and remove snares from self.
Don't run too far out of monk range to reach the flag stand, as teams may still turn on you and kill you with the damage of multiple casters.
Prevent knock downs with fleeting stabilityNightfallDervish. Earth Prayers 10Fleeting StabilityFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, you cannot be knocked down and move 25% faster. This enchantment ends prematurely if it prevents a knockdown.510, remove cripple with harrier's graspNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers Harrier's GraspFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5..17..21 seconds, attacks against moving foes also Cripple that foe for 2..8..9 seconds. This enchantment ends after you apply Cripple 1..3..3 times. When you cast this spell, you lose Cripple and 1 other condition. 1015.
Main Team
Lineback unless your team can play offensively.
Camp the ranger and interrupt apply poisonCoreRanger. Wilderness Survival Apply PoisonPreparationFor 24 seconds, foes struck by your physical attacks become Poisoned for 3..13..16 seconds.15212 against teams with a poison ranger.
Maintain your defensive enchantments and harrier's graspNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Harrier's GraspFlash Enchantment SpellFor 10 seconds, attacks against moving foes also Cripple that foe for 4 seconds. This enchantment ends after you apply Cripple 2 times. When you cast this spell, you lose Cripple and 1 other condition. 1015, camp opposing frontline characters. Interrupt their spikes.
Priority: (1) FrenzyCoreWarrior. UnlinkedFrenzyStanceFor 8 seconds, you attack 33% faster but take double damage.54; (2) Hammer Warrior; (3) Avatar of BalthazarNightfallDervish. Mysticism Avatar of BalthazarElite FormFor 10..74..95 seconds, you gain +20 armor against physical damage, you gain adrenaline 25% faster, your attacks deal holy damage, and whenever you lose a Dervish enchantment, nearby foes are set on fire for 1..3..3 seconds. This skill is disabled for 45 seconds.5220
Against caster-based builds, lineback key characters and interrupt their important skills with Lyssa's hasteNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Lyssa's HasteFlash Enchantment SpellFor 7 seconds, your Dervish enchantments recharge 33% faster. When you activate this enchantment, all adjacent foes are interrupted. When this enchantment ends, all adjacent foes are interrupted. 50% failure chance unless Wind Prayers 5 or higher.1015.
Example: Take out air of disenchantmentNightfallMesmer. Illusion Magic Air of DisenchantmentElite Hex SpellRemove one enchantment from target foe and all nearby foes. For 5..17..21 seconds, enchantments expire 150..270..310% faster on those foes.10110 in trainways.
When you can afford to play offensively, charge to the opposing team's runner and interrupt healing burstFactionsMonk. Healing Prayers Healing BurstElite SpellTarget ally is healed for 10..130..170. All party members in earshot of your target gain Health equal to the Divine Favor bonus from this spell. Your Smiting Prayers are disabled for 20 seconds.5¾4 whenever possible.
Splits and Skirmishes
Look for opportunities to kill NPCs.
The build allows to survive all NPCs in lord pit if using Vow of PietyNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 5Vow of PietyEnchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you have +24 armor and +2 Health regeneration. Vow of Piety renews whenever an enchantment on you ends.15¼45/Grenth's AuraEotNDervish. Wind Prayers 10Grenth's AuraFlash Enchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you deal 18 less damage and steal 18 Health whenever you hit with a scythe attack. When you cast this enchantment you steal 18 Health from all adjacent foes.1010/Mystic VigorNightfallDervish. Mysticism 25Mystic VigorEnchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, every time you successfully hit with an attack, you gain 23 Health for each Enchantment on you (maximum 25 Health).5¼15, unless the opponent defends with specific damage characters. (See #Counters)
Lure the knights to an archer or the bodyguard for AoE autoattacks.
If a defending monk runner tries to save all NPCs you're attacking, avoid actually killing the knights. If possible, get both archers and the bodyguard instead. The knights will die in no time when your main team dervish eventually pushes into the base or if you killed the bodyguard and ball the knights on the guild lord.
Kill characters caught away from healers using the cripple from Harrier's GraspNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 8Harrier's GraspFlash Enchantment SpellFor 13 seconds, attacks against moving foes also Cripple that foe for 6 seconds. This enchantment ends after you apply Cripple 2 times. When you cast this spell, you lose Cripple and 1 other condition. 1015.
Flag Pushing
Run past your opponent and snare the opponent's flag running character with harrier's graspNightfallDervish. Wind Prayers Harrier's GraspFlash Enchantment SpellFor 5..17..21 seconds, attacks against moving foes also Cripple that foe for 2..8..9 seconds. This enchantment ends after you apply Cripple 1..3..3 times. When you cast this spell, you lose Cripple and 1 other condition. 1015, unless it is another Zurrie Dervish.
Keep an eye on your compass: The opponent may try to collapse you, especially if the flag running character can put some pressure on you.
Coordinate dangerous pushes with your fuse monk.
You can usually attack flag running characters despite you'd normally lose a 1v1 against them (see #Counters) because they'll need to hold the flag and push it past you, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
Counters[]
Interruption of the avatar.
List of how changing the utility skill of the main bar changes your performance against various characters you may encounter outside of 8v8 situations.
Holy Veil – counter hex builds on split side. Also useful in 8v8 situations against hexways.
Vow of Piety – general defense. The increased armour rating decreases armour dependent damage by 34%. Use if you solo split against guilds that are likely to defend against you with elementalists.
Veil of Thorns – anti-spell defense. Less strong against elementalists than vow of piety, but it improves your survivability against mesmers.
Grenth's Aura – 10+1 scythe mastery, 9+1 wind prayers, 7+1 earth prayers. Significantly improves the 1v1 performance against necromancers. Allows to kill NPCs through a defending necromancer. Decreases the survivability against other defending characters and the lord damage you deal.
