As of lately there is a huge influx in new folks asking the same things again and again so i'm making this thread. The purpose of this thread is to concentrate all the farming builds into one single thread. Add more builds if you feel like. However i'm not going into detail, figure those out... yourself. The key rule to be an effective farmer is to understand your build. I'm using the quotes to structure things.
Thats it for the warriors...Quote:
Warrior
The Warrior is basically the king of the farming hill. No second class can farm such a wide variety of enemies as effectively as the warrior. Therefore, the builds are plentiful.
Warrior/X
A basic warrior is allready very effective in the means of farming. What he lacks in power to take on more than a small group of enemies, he makes up with a fast killing speed and a versatility uncompared.
Common farming Builds include:
________________________________________
Riposte Build
Build to fight single high damage mobs and small medium damage mobs. This build is the bane of Wurms and Avicara.
Based upon the Swordline you will be bringing:
Deadly Riposte
Riposte
Dolyak Signet
Watch Yourself
Healing Signet
Bonettis Defense
Sprint
This is basically allready enough to farm those mobs, however you will sometimes run into trouble and you still did not use your Eliteslot. What about Skills like Gladiators Defense to boost the damage? Or what about VIM and some Condition Skills (Sever Artery and Gash) to boost up your Healing? And Hundred Blades isn't so bad to build up your Adrenaline for Riposte.
Favorite Spots: Mineral Springs (Southern Route), Dunes of Despair (Wurm Farming for Bleached Shells). Why Sprint? Because you'll want to avoid those annoying hammers and dwarves.
________________________________________
Damage Spammer
This build is based upon the theory to spam many attack skills and be ready to spam them again. This build is quite good to farm smaller mobs of various mobs and kill them efficiently and fast. Think about Hydras. Bring your favorite Eliteskill for the weapon you'll be using. Eviscerate for Axe Warriors, Flourish for Swordies
Power Attack
Desperation Blow
Dolyak Signet
Watch Yourself
Healing Signet
+ Your chosen Skills
Never use Desperation Blow without first firing your Dolyak Signet. This way you'll get a nice +50 Damage Boost + a condition with no down sides to it. Sounds quite good, doesn't it? The way to farm things with this thing is to run up to them, fire all your defenses and mown them down. Switch targets, rinse... repeat. You won't need your healing signet most of the times as this thing will be killing fast.
Favorite Spots: Hydras (No matter which), Drakes + Dryders near Ember Light Camp Never let your energy go above >50% and the Dryders will NOT hurt you. If you do, their shadow strikes will bring you below 50% and they will stop using skills... funny to farm mobs that only attack with their "wands" which your rune and armor will easily absorb completely. Ettins in NPK (if you do so, bring an interrupt)
After those generic builds...
Warrior/Monk
The famous, and the hated. Your typical Warrior/Monk is the fastest and most efficient way to kill huge mobs of enemies that lack enchantment removal. Most Warrior/Monk Builds are based upon the powerful healing effect of Vigorous Spirit + Live Vicariously in combination with a Cyclone Axe or Hundred Blades. So let's start with the basic beginners build:
________________________________________
Healspammer (Beginners Version)
What this thing basically does is grant you an insane amount of healing powerful enough to take on larger mobs of enemies. However, your power will dwindle with each enemy dead. So most of the time you kill the large mobs fast and will have to fight a few smaller ones the hard way. However, this is the beginners version and you'll have plenty of safety nets. Keep your Healing Prayers above 10, put the rest into your normal skills.
Cyclone Axe or Hundred Blades (if you use HB, be sure to know a dime about kiting)
Vigorous Spirit
Live Vicariously
Healing Hands
Bonettis Defense
Dolyak Signet
Healing Signet
Healing Breeze
As soon as you prepare for combat fire up Live Vicariously and Healing Breeze. Then lure as MUCH MOBS AS POSSIBLE. Don't be affraid to take on 20 or more enemies, you'll survive. As soon as you notice the first mobs dropping the chase stand still at once. Fire up Dolyak Signet, Vigorous Spirit and then do an Axe Cyclone followed by a bonettis defense. From then on, do not cast ANYTHING without Bonettis Defense active. Why that? Because most mobs have some sort of interrupt. However if they DO interrupt you, your Healing Hands Elite will keep you standing long enough to recover. So do not waste it. As soon as your health drops low fire up your cyclone Axe and keep on fighting.
Favorite Spots: Everything? Mostly Griffons and Mountain Trolls though.
________________________________________
Healspammer (Advanced Version)
So you've mastered your Spammer and want to be faster and more efficient? Good, this one is for you. We will correct the overhealing from the build before and replace it with something that adds damage. This could be Gladiators Defense as an Elite or even better... Shield of Judgement.
So, re-allocate your stats to have atleast 10 in Healing and 10 in Smiting Prayers. Don't be affraid to lower your strength attribute. You won't be needing it too much. Keep your weapon Attribute high though and... don't be affraid to use superior weapon runes and a few major runes. Unlike most think, high hitpoints are NOT needed for farming.
So you've made up your stats?
Here is your build:
Shield of Judgement
Cyclone Axe
Vigorous Spirit
Live Vicariously
Dolyak Signet
Bonettis Defense
Strength of Honor
Judges Insight
Its basically the same as the normal healspammer, but you need to time your spells a bit better and please... NEVER cast anything without activating your defense first. This way you Cyclone won't only heal you, but do 4 times as much damage as before (about 40-50 to adjacent foes). And on top of that, anyone hitting you will take heavy amounts of damage.
Favorite Spots: Mountain Trolls, Griffons, Any kind of Undead
________________________________________
Warrior/Mesmer
Quite a newcomer in the farming business. This one is for the IDS and Fissure Farmers. You'll need semi decent equipment (don't start without Max AL, a stance shield and a major absorption!). The skills you take mostly depend upon your favorite flavor. You will need a basic skillset though... this one:
Dolyak Signet
Watch Yourself
Physical OR Elemental Resistence (Depening upon WHAT you want to farm)
Healing Signet
Bonettis Defense
If you've got a zealous mod for your weapon you won't be needing Bonettis Defense. This thing is just very heavy on the defense side. Against the mob you are planning to fight you'll be almost invincible. (For example even an AATXE will only hit you for about 10-20 Damage... unless you activate your Healing Signet... well and the ripostes will kill you, so no Aatxe Farming this way). The use is as simple as it can get... use defenses, heal with your signet and else just bash away.
Favorite Spots: Fissure of Woe (killing Snarling Driftwoods and Spiders), Ice imps in the cave of Lyssa.
________________________________________
Warrior/Ranger
This is not the most favorite of farmers, but can be even faster than a Warrior/Monk if done right. You'll be working a lot with conditions and sneaky tactics.
I'm just giving you one example...
Victory is Mine
Apply Poison
Cyclone Axe
Troll Unguent
Bonettis Defense
Edge of Extinction
Predatory Season
Antidote Signet
With this thing you'll be farming the Grawls near Droknar like no tomorrow. Setup your spirits where they won't take hits. Then engage as many mobs as possible, apply your poison and poison them all at once. Due to predatory season your Cyclone Axe will give you a healboost, similiar to the one the Healspammer gave you. And to boost healing even more, firing Victory is Mine will result in full health. Just keep on Cyclone Axing them with your poison up. As soon as one of them dies, they'll ALL die at once (thanks to Edge of Extinction).
Warrior/Necromancer
I haven't played a Warrior/Necromancer Farmer yet, but i'm quite sure he can do some major havoc by using Spiteful Spirit and Enfeebling Blood on top of his normal attack skills.
Warrior/Elementalist
Well... i'm not quite sure, the only use i could think of is to stack up on defenses and then fuel your damage with Bonettis Defense.
Quote:
Monks and other 55 hp Platforms
Monks were never really the farmers... until someone discovered the true power behind a damage reduction based upon percentages. Nowadays the Monk is one of the most powerful farmers. The basic build for almost every Monkfarmer is the 55 Hitpoint Platform. In order to achieve this, you will need some basic equipment:
A full (!) Stack on Superior Runes applied (Without Vigor). Even if multiple Runes won't stack, the penalty will. So with all your runes applied you will have 105 hitpoints. The next step is to acquire the Cities of Ascalon Cesta which will lower your health by -50. In order to get this item, you'll have to speak to Symon the Scribe in Ascalon.
Almost every 55 HP Platform is based upon the following Skills:
Protective Spirit
Mending
Healing Breeze
Balthazars Spirit and/or Essence Bond
These basic skills will be your life insurance. Be sure that none of which depletes at any given time or you're dead. When your protective spirit and your healing breeze runs out at the same time, cast Protective Spirit. Without your healing Breeze you can take on 10 direct hits. Without your spirit you're dead. DP actually helps you with this kind of build. The ideal hitpoints to have is 19. Due to the way Protective Spirit works. 19 hitpoints equal: 1 Damage taken, 19 hits until death with no regeneration used.
Speaking of Regeneration, there are a few things that will kill you dead in the tracks. DEGENERATION. If this gets high enough you're dead. The 55 HP Platform can barely handle the 3 pips of Bleeding, anything above and your health will dwindle.
There are about as much variations to the platforms as there are good monks out there. Like 10 or 12.
The most common ones either add Shield of Judgement for the damage, or bring Spellbreaker if they have a necromancer Sidekick with them.
Basically EVERY Class can do the 55 HP Dance, some more efficiently than others. The more efficient ones are: Monks (d'oh), Mesmers (Using Powerdrain and Sympathetic Visage -> Interrupting and draining while they tank the mob and mown it down with Illusionary Weaponry), Necromancers (Using Spiteful Spirit of course).
The way to play this platform is quite simple, yet takes some practice to learn. As soon as you've done so you can however effectively farm the Underworld, Titans and other Highlevel Mobs. That is until the 22.nd february when the next big nerf hammer is announced.
Quote:
Necromancer
When a necromancer is not 55 HP Farming, you'll see him Minionmastering. As soon as the first mob is dead the Minionmaster will slowly create an army and steamroll his enemies. The more advanced version is the small or large minionfactory but requires the help of others. Basic Skills are:
Summon Bone Fiend
Veratas Sacrifice
Heal Area
Blood of the Master
Your Deathmagic Attribute has to be 16 in order for this to work. Your soulreaping should be high as well. An +15/-1 Energy Focus doesn't hurt either. I'll speak more about the minion factory later.
Summon your minions, keep them alive, steamroll the enemy.
Favorite Spots: North Kryta Province and every place that has some sort of animal in front of it (those green thingies you can quickly kill to get a corpse and get your army started).
Quote:
Rangers
I've honestly never farmed as a ranger and thus do not know any builds. But i can imagine them mostly focussing around hit and run tactics, poisoning several enemies then killing one and starting the Edge of Extinction Chain Reaction.
Quote:
Elementalist
When not 55 HP farming, the Elementalist is most probably a geomancer who stacked up on Defenses. I have never farmed as an elementalist either. So i can't say much but i've seen geomancer Tanks in Action to know they are quite powerful when being supported by other classes.
Quote:
Mesmer
Go, choose another class O_o
Unless you are 55 HP Farming, you'll have a very very hard time inflicting sufficient damage and gaining enough health to stay alive at the same time.
Quote:
Group Builds
Group Builds are highly efficient farming builds, focusses around supporting other classes so they can do their business much better. I've not much experience in group builds though.
Famous ones are:
Sorrows Furnace Minion Factory
Underworld Trapperteam
Perhaps someone who is doing these runs can add those? I can only guess and would be probably quite wrong with my guess.