Defend Against Lightning Staff Heavy?

Zama666

Lightning Staff attacks are impossible to avoid or are they?
Bow/Fire/Cold weapons have to be aimed...and you can get away...
Try to block an LS HA is not really possible so by the time one gets close or way...it hurts...

Or should I just get an Lightning Staff?

Thotz?

thesarahandcompany

Zama666 wrote: »

Lightning Staff attacks are impossible to avoid or are they?
Bow/Fire/Cold weapons have to be aimed...and you can get away...
Try to block an LS HA is not really possible so by the time one gets close or way...it hurts...

Or should I just get an Lightning Staff?

Thotz?

Lightning heavy attacks are AOE damage over time effects. Therefore, they cannt be dodged or block, except for the final tick which is a burst of direct damage. That is because DOTs are unblockable, and AOE is undodgeable. If you want to reduce your damage taken from lightning heavy attacks you can do the following:

1) Slot major evasion using cloak from the dualwield line, the 5 piece medium armor skill, or some other source. Minor evasion is available to Wardens.

2) Make sure you roll dodge the final tick (heavy attacks takes 1.8+ seconds to case depending on the weapon). This also robs the user of resources gained, which could be the only way they receive them on heavy attack builds.

3) Consider stunning the user before the final tick of the heavy attack.

4) Immobilize the target and move behind them so the cast has to restart.

5) Ensure you are keeping your armor buff up at all times.

6) Try vampire stage three for the "undeath" passive if you don't have access to major evasion.

7) Have 2-3 reinforced heavy armor pieces (esp. on the chest) gives you that added bonus to armor.

8) Consider a frost enchant to apply minor maim.

9) Slot more HOTs to your bar such a vigor, radiating or other HOTs.

buzzclops

Heavy attacks builds are forced into using some sets (sergeant etc). They usually are pretty straight forward builds and have no room to build for good defense. The best defense vs them is to be aggressive and jump them. They usually die very quickly and tunnel vision. I have yet to see a heavy attack build able to do dmg and be unkillable. Its a one trick pony that stays in the backlines. They have no burst and no healing. You win by outpressuring them!

katorga

buzzclops wrote: »

Heavy attacks builds are forced into using some sets (sergeant etc). They usually are pretty straight forward builds and have no room to build for good defense. The best defense vs them is to be aggressive and jump them. They usually die very quickly and tunnel vision. I have yet to see a heavy attack build able to do dmg and be unkillable. Its a one trick pony that stays in the backlines. They have no burst and no healing. You win by outpressuring them!

Normal healing over time, block casting burst heals, and defensive moves should be enough to counter the aggregate incoming damage from the people in your face and backliners, but once enough players target you its over. Even the "unkillable" tank builds hit a threshold where numbers overwhelm them.

Head to head, any build can easily kill a heavy attack build - they have niche, conditional damage and high health, but no healing or defense.

HA pvp builds thrive in IC. But there is no one in IC anyway, so who cares?

fred4

If you got killed by a lightning heavy attack, check whether that happened in a PvPvE context. That could be IC, but also keep fights. The final tick on an NPC does insane AOE splash damage, because Battle Spirit does not apply to NPCs. Also it can crit on the NPC, but I don't think the splash damage counts as a crit. This effectively bypasses your crit resistance as well and will hit squishy builds, such as me, for up to about 16K in CP PvP. In other words, if you see a heavy attack player doing a boss in IC, stay out of the splash zone.