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Durik's PvP Journey: DC Basic PvP Guide

hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
edited January 2014 in The Temple
Module 2 Devoted Cleric PvP

I’ve been maining the Devoted Cleric character since I joined Neverwinter, and I’ve been through some serious re-evaluations of the PvP setup for good performance. So, treat this post as a guide formed by observations gathered through PvP experience as a PuG rather than structured PvP where everything is easier.

Also, considering that resources are not unlimited and that people don’t always want to spend millions of AD in order to get to rank 10/perfect enchants, I will keep this as low-AD-spending as possible. The idea is to discuss gameplay rather than showcase amazing enchants and fully legendary artifacts. So, if you are a Devoted Cleric, and a PvPer at heart then I hope that you’ll have a good read.

Stats and Race selection (and why)

Since GCTRL thought out of the box and identified that DC PvP requires a tanky setup (since it gets focused a lot) then running as a cleric in Domination maps became synonymous with running a tank in PvE. You need to survive and be able to help your party survive as well. Neverwinter is not shaped around healers kiting and spamming hp-giving spells, but it requires two difficults things to do:

a) Understanding the fight at hand and identify who is getting focused

b) Keep mobile and learn what to dodge and when

In order to be there for the team you need to survive. So, it’s clear that you will need to boost your defensive stats. The obvious stat to increase is Constitution since a high health pool is needed for many of your abilities and Regeneration to work better while you also get some indirect damage reduction through Dexterity. So the path most taken is going Halfling and getting the highest DEX/CON combination that you can get, while putting points only on those stats along the way.

However, there is a different path, since DEX is only giving you Deflect chance, and although you can climb to some good values without speccing for it, you will certainly need to enchant for it, in order to be viable. You can climb to somewhat 20-25% of deflection chance. The bad thing about deflection is that it’s random, so it always works in funny ways…meaning that you need to get lucky in order to deflect THAT attack instead of a ping from a Cloud of Steel. Of course it’s a passive stat and it’s always on, but really going DEX and enchanting for an almost 5-10% damage reduction isn’t too hot.

The different path came up to me when I kept coming to the conclusion that the worst enemy of the DC is getting crowed controlled. During this time you can’t kite, can’t cast and of course you can’t Shift, making you a defenseless dummy against an angry mob. Going full WISDOM can give CCers a run for their money, since in really high numbers you get to be as resilient as 19-20% CC resistance, not counting Halfling’s inherent bonus. So, although I liked DEX increase and it obviously works, I ran with my dwarf at 27 WIS, putting points at CON and WIS and never looked back. My toon is really tanky, and the CC resistance is so good that I can say that it has saved my hide much more than Deflection had. Anyway, you can choose both according to your gameplay style and whethere you are able to get high level Silvery Enchants (rank 8+) for defense slots.

Bottomline, Halflings and Dwarves seem to be the most fitting classes for PvP healers, but I always said that you should run whatever makes you happy to play. Regardless, I would suggest either going CON/DEX or CON/WIS and check what you like most.

Paragon paths and feats

I’ve given sometime to Anointed Champion, but it didn’t make the cut for me. It’s a different playstyle and it felt a bit clankier than Divine Oracle. Exaltation was awesome when it worked, but apart from that, I missed Sunburst and I missed Foresight for a reason. Also, I felt that Sacred Flame/Astral Seal was too good to pass…thus I quickly respecced back to Divine Oracle.

Now, before writing it off…I would like to hear some thoughts on the new paragon path from someone that used it a lot (preferably on PuG PvP) but I always felt that Sunburst/Healing Word/Astral Shield are too good to pass. So,

I am going for Divine Oracle and this is what I am going to discuss here. An Anointed Champion section can be added later on, but I would ask someone more experienced than me to step forward.

The only powers I’ve been using so far are:
  • Astral Seal
  • Healing Word
  • Sacred Flame
  • Sunburst
  • Astral Shield
  • Foresight
  • Divine Fortune
  • Guardian of Faith
  • Divine Armor
  • Hallowed Ground (for PvE mostly)
  • Hammer of Fate (solo PvE)
  • Flame Strike (solo PvE)
  • Divine Glow (solo PvE)
  • Chains of Blazing Light (solo PvE)

Those are the powers that you’ll need to get 3/3 while leveling up and frankly the only powers you will need in the endgame DC. Of course if you want to go more in depth with PvE, don’t forget to tick on other relevant abilities like Bastion of Health or whatever you feel like.

My PvP setup is quite obvious and it’s
  • Sacred Flame/Astral Seal
  • Sunburst/ Healing Word / Astral Shield
  • Foresight / Divine Fortune
  • Guardian of Faith / Divine Armor

Here’s the reasoning behind it all.

Astral seal, is an amazing tool for healing people while you kite around and at the same time reducing the target’s damage and critical chance. Have it, love it and spam it around.

Sacred Flame is the best Divine Power generation along with temporary HP generation on the third hit. It’s very good especially if you find yourself the time to cast 3 in a row (rare, but happens if you manage to pass the initial onslaught focusing)

Sunburst is one of the best tools we have. Low cd, healing, damaging, distance creating, AP generation. Amazing…but needs to be used wisely. Most of the times you’ll need this on Divine mode if you are focused since the pushback is quite good and the flying time gives the breathing space for some regen ticks from Healing word/Regeneration which usually makes the difference between staying there or going back to the campfire. It’s also amazing to peel off that GWF that is chasing poor CWs or as we’ll discuss later popping the Ranger away before unleashing the Fox Shift burst.

Healing Word is the bread and butter ability. Use it whenever it’s off cooldown and always try to give it to someone else that is around (i.e. don’t self cast it if there is no reason). The regen comes back to you regardless if you are targeting yourself or not so put it out open-handedly. The Divine version of this spell is a good straight heal and also gives regeneration ticks. The good thing about the divine version is that it doesn’t consume a charge, so whenever you got Divine power pips you can Healing Word for some ‘burst healing’. Experience says that it’s the last priority divine spell that I will throw out, but judge according to the situation. Some times when the target is down and Astral shield is on CD, a Divine Healing Word followed by Channeling Divinity is enough to get the target back on its feet. Also…Healing word is the reason we run Divine Fortune. If you put it on many targets, then the Divinity keeps pouring in.

Astral Shield, besides being the trademark of DC it’s one of the best defensive abilities in PvP. Literally, it doubles the lifespan of anyone sitting on it. It provides damage mitigation by itself, it heals-ticks per second, and in turn the heals proc Foresight on the target (won’t even mention Cleanse procs). It’s your best ability and while you have it up, you are in super-tank mode. So learn to use it in 100% of its potential. More tips are in later chapters, but let’s say a bit earlier that although it’s better to use it on divine mode, sometimes even non-divine mode will do. Most of the times, this is done if you have only one pip of Divinity and you really need it to get a divine sunburst on. Example: a Ranger just used Forest Ghost and gets near you.

Foresight, is simple and amazing. 11% Damage reduction. Heal someone, share it with him/her. Amazing passive, reason to go Divine Oracle and part of the reason why people love good DCs in PvP.

Divine Fortune is all about Divine power management that works with our ‘spammable’ ability, being Healing Word. Other than that it provides nothing more. Seems like the next best choice after Foresight. If you run without it you will notice a huge difference in your divine power gain.

Guardian of Faith, is a much more reliable prone than Hammer of fate, which is putting the target in place for your team-mates to feast upon, unlike Hammer that pushes him away. It’s also a one-frame Daily rather than a three frame daily, although Hammer is much much more damage. Guardian is also coupled with some healing when the prone ends, so it’s quite nice. On Hammer’s defense, you get immunity during the casting time…so depending on what you like most, choose which one to slot.

Divine Armor is your ‘oh-$hit’ button. It grands defense boost and temporary hit points to the targeted area allies for a good time interval. Capable of saving near death experiences and turning battles around. It’s a must have daily and it’s the reason why you need Recovery in order to generate more AP from your damaging/healing abilities.

Powers

It's the Righteous tree with all the PvP goodness and specced Foresight from Faithful. I got one point out of Foresight, to feed my Recovery by putting one point on the Virtuous tree. If your Recovery is high enough, neglect this and go 5/5 Foresight.

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Never leave home without Healing Step.


Gearing up and attributes

Up to module 2, there was no tier 2 epic set for the DCs that was worth the shot as far as survivability was concerned. Module 2 didn’t change anything gear-wise but introduced Artifacts and Dread Ring boons that boosted the Regeneration stat by 500-550 just by getting the Bloodskull artifact (24,000 glory points) and getting the Phantasmal Regeneration boon from the Dread ring campaign. Since the most obvious defensive stat that was missing from a Cleric set was Regeneration, the new module offsets the need to stack it through blue gear by a bit, allowing some funky gearing up with your favorite epic set, being Miracle healer. However, I chose to still rely on blues to get my Defesne, Regeneration and Recovery up, relying on the Exemplar gear (of youth) for anything but the chest piece. For the chest piece I went for Grand Templar’s stats boosting my Recovery to very good numbers allowing me to get the Astral Shield cooldown as low as possible (4 seconds without Astral Shield).

So my suggestion, for gearing:

Head: Exemplar’s Helmet of Youth (really cheap from AH, blue drop)

Chest: Grand Templar’s Armor (T2 chest drop, Temple of the Spider, quite high on AH)

Arms: Exemplar’s Gloves of Youth or if you have good Recovery Angelic Gauntlets. (Both from AH, however Angelic Gauntlets are quite high on price since they got popular from GCTRL’s guide).

Main Weapon and Off-hand: Ancient Royal Priest’s set is one of the best (if not the best) you can get. They drop from Castle Never runs or you can get them from AH. Since module 2, the prices went REALLY high, so if you search for an alternative aim for the ones with the highest Recovery.

Feet: Exemplar’s Graves of Youth (really cheap in AH, blue drop).

Neck: Ancient Brawler’s Necklace of Guts, simply due to the fact that it’s the most defensive neck piece you can find. I got it for 40k in the AH, but it can drop from Castle Never, just like every other ancient gear.

Rings: Ancient Priest’s Ring of Burning Light. Again, we are looking for the most defensive set of stats along with defensive enchant slots. They come with an HP boost, so they are a perfect match.

Belt: Thickgristle’s Sturdy Belt. One of the best value for money belts out there. It drops from the omonymous boss in Pirate Lair or you can get it for just 7-8k AD in AH. It’s a very nice piece of defensive equipment.

Artifacts

From your artifact recovery quest, grab Waters of Elah’zad. It’s obvious since it boosts your recovery and defense.

Then get your hand dirty and gather 24k glory points for the best PvP artifact around. Get the Bloodskull and assign it to your primary artifact slot. This along with Soulforged enchantment, will be your ‘get-out-of-jail’ card.

For the third artifact, get any defensive oriented one. Personally I haven’t seen anyone floating around my PvE runs or Dread Ring coffers, so I wouldn’t worry if I run without a 3rd artifact. Especially, if your only means of getting it is through the AH. The prices are very high still, so just focus on your other two artifacts and get them as high rank as you can. Especially Bloodskull.

Enchants

Defensive slots: Radiant enchantments. The higher rank the better.

Offensive Slots: Silvery Enchantments. And yeah higher rank is better (duh)

Armor enchantment: Soulforged. Don’t even look to Barkshield. The new artifact makes Soulforged a must-have.

Weapon enchantment: I like Holy Avenger. Other people like Feytouched. You don’t have too many options when you search for a defensive weapon enchantment that matters, so choose between those two. Just remember that Feytouched requires good use of Sunburst, while Holy Avenger is fire and forget until it procs.

So,in a nutshell. Get as high in defense as possible (aim for a 35-40% Damage Reduction before Foresight is applied…remember that it doesn’t show on your character sheet), get to 1300ish Regeneration which is translated to 10% missing health back (maximum 50% health) and then get your Recovery as close to 3000 as possible. Don’t forget to keep a healthy critical chance (mine is somewhere around 24%). Also, the HP pool which is really important should be near 30k-33k.

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The Metagame

This section is dedicated to who is in the top of the food chain right now in PvP, and what you should be aware of, when you are facing other classes. I will emphasize on module 2 metagame, which is the time that I am writing this.

Great Weapon Fighter’s Era

Right now they are everywhere. People play them because they are the most tanky class with access to unstoppable to virtually stop damage while they are healing up with Regeneration. You are going to see a lot, and that’s good since from all damaging classes, they are the least effective on bursting you down. Emphasis should be given to the Sentinel specced ones, since they are much more common than their damaging counterparts in PvP.

Most of the times GWFs go in PvP with Roar,Takedown and Indomitable Battle strike. The first two are means to control and the last one is their most damaging encounter. Obviously you have to worry about the first two. In 1v1 situations it’s highly unlikely that he will be able to drop you to 50% hp. When people are zerging you, then Takedown/Roar becomes a killer so keep your dodge ready for those. Send in an Astral Seal when you see them and remember to Divine Sunburst while they are in normal mode. They are not a difficult opponent, and you may even be asked to face tank a Sentinel GWF in order to prevent him from claiming a node. If you play it right (and it’s not tough to learn the ropes of the fight), GWFs won’t be able to kill you without any major external help.

Trickster Rogues

Probably the most popular class in the entire game. The choice of most ‘pro’ Damage dealers, due to the fact that they got all the cool toys to nuke and escape. Plus they look cool and ninja-like, which is a teenager’s wet dream all combined in a NW class. So, you are going to face a lot of them so better learn what you expect.

There are two major paths that are followed in TR PvP. The ones that swear to Bilethorn, and the ones that swear to Vorpal. Although the current metagame works better for the Bilethorn ones, you have to worry about the Vorpal users more. The reasoning behind this, is that Greater and Perfect Vorpal users are capable of high spikes of damage capable of sending you to Shocking Execution range. The Bilethorn ones are bugging GFs, GWFs and other TRs but they are not THAT good against DCs, since their damage comes in two parts (encounters and 4 secs afterwards poison dots).

The idea behind facing rogues is to understand where their damage is coming from. The Vorpal kind of TRs will probably go with Lashing Blade/Impossible to Catch and Impact Shot. They rely on Lashing blade to get big numbers from their enchant so…your best defense is to be mobile and know when to dodge. It’s not that tough to get awareness of what they are about to do, provided that you know they are around. Divine Sunburst when you know they are near, or dodge on the correct timing when you see them going into stealth. Keep running around and stay in your Astral Shield and you are going to be okay.

The Bilethorn ones will probably come with Shadow Strike/ Impossible to Catch and either Impact Shot or Path of the Blade. They are much easier to counter since they don’t have the burst damage.

Really important note, is to learn how to move away from the 3rd frame of Duelist Flurry. This is why it’s so important to move all the time, even if the rogue is in stealth. Best rogues around go in stealth, and start jumping around during the first 2 frames of Flurry, in order to land the 3rd frame in front of you. Learn how it works and counter it. Keep mobile, move away, dodge around, keep track of timing between their flurries.

Guardian Fighters

Module 2, allows them to boost their offensive stats while they keep their Regeneration and Defense up high. An example I have from my own GF is that I got to 3100 Def, 1400 Defl, 1200 Regen, with 6000 power (Conqueror), 21% Critical chance and 2100 ArmPen with 20 Dex (meaning 33% of DR ignore). And imagine that I am not BiS geared, so don’t think that they hit like wet noodles, but treat them as a threat. However, they are not as bursty as the TRs/HRs or CWs...but they come with the Prone-package which is fearsome. GF’s only way to burst you down without using Knight’s Challenge is to get you in a prone chain which starts from Frontline Surge, gets to Bull Charge and ends up with Indomitable Strength. If he is properly specced he can get you dangerously low or kill you if you weren’t in 100% health. Your defense apart from random CC resistance, is knowing what you have to dodge and be mobile in order for Frontline surge to not hit you easily. You ONLY have to dodge Bull Charge. If they miss Bull Charge, there is no way to control you. Remember that most GFs that you have to worry about, have Bull Charge on a 9-10 sec CD, so keep track of your Dodges.

It goes without saying that Tank specced GFs, won’t be able to even hurt you.

Control Wizards

The natural predators to DCs. They have burst damage and Crowd Control to keep you at place while they are bursting you down. Their main ability to kill you is Icy Knife, since the rest of their encounters can be healed around. The most usual way to die against a CW, is having them free casting at your head. You can withstand major damage from them, but if they manage to Entangling Force->Eye of the Stormed Icy Knife you are pretty much toast. Good CWs go for High Vizier set, which also draws some DEF away (-1350 Def if you get struck by 3 encounters). There is not much to be said about them, since CWs that know how to use Shard can multi stun you while dealing damage, making them your worst enemies. Your best bet is to learn their encounter animations/sounds and learn to dodge what you need to dodge. Dodge Icy Knife at all costs and try to get behind pillars/walls in order to stop their free casting on your head. A strategy I found very effective is placing an Astral Shield near a pillar/wall and play with their Line of Sight while you are healing up.

Fortunately, the current meta is not kind to our main adversaries, since GWFs and TRs are quite a counter to them. So guide your team-mates accordingly, i.e. tell them to focus CWs first while you are keeping them alive and know when to kite or when to stay in your circle. Also, know that most HV builds are gaining AP very fast, so expect an Icy Knife quite often. Learn to distinquish it by the characteristic casting animation and the ‘cha-chank’-like sound. J

Hunter Rangers

New kids on the block, who fortunately if they are not specced in Combat they can be ignored forever – (damage-wise). The thing that they bring along, are roots that some of their encounters apply to you. The roots work in a very peculiar way, since they keep drawing you back to the place you got hit by the root. If they are weak roots (e.g. like the ones applied from Hindering Shot’s ranged ability), they will push you back gently, while strong roots (e.g. applied from Hindering Strike’s melee ability) keep pushing you backwards violently for a brief time interval. So potentially it can be very bad for you, if you have set your Astral Shield somewhere and you need to kite a bit around. Other than that the Archery tree has nothing more to offer.

Combat is a different story. They are currently able to burst down anything if they go with a P.Vorpal and lots of Armor Penetration…which is easy to come across. The burst comes from the interaction of Forest Ghost (daily) with Stormstep Action (passive). The HR will activate Ghost (bushes appear around him) go stealth and will be able to Fox Shift more than one time since the CD will be resetting during the Ghost duration. 2 Fox Shifts from a P.Vorpal Combat HR is enough to get anything from 100 to 0. The counters to this are quite easy, but they demand you to be prepared and understand what the HR is doing. The trick is to use Divine Sunburst when the HR activates Ghost. This will throw him away and will be enough for you to move away for the remaining seconds of Ghost’s activity (it lasts 5 seconds). Another good trick is to keep hitting the HR with Sacred Flame since incoming damage stops Forest Ghost Activation.

Devoted Clerics

The DPS counterparts, can’t kill you if you are half decent at what you are doing.

Tips on PvP
  • Always go for the mid node first. The way domination maps are right now, the main battle happens first, at node 2. If you decide to go in any other base you are wasting your capability to hold the main node.
  • Before joining Domination PvP, hit some dummies in order to get your Divinity to 3 pips. It won’t reset upon joining the map.
  • You can’t kill anyone half decent. Never fight on your own, but get someone along to help you. 1 DC with a decent damage dealer can even kill 3 enemies.
  • It takes two good damage dealers to burst you down if you are out in the open and out of tricks. Know this and plan accordingly. Don’t charge in the enemy like you are a 17k gs Sentinel GWF, but keep your tricks up your sleeve to survive and help other survive.
  • Always keep close to your team-mates, even if this means that you are next to their toons. This screw up the targeting of the opposing Damage dealers.
  • Keep a good stock of the PvP pots. They are good for when taking damage and start falling under 50%
  • Always keep Bloodskull for Soulforged resurrection in case the $hIt hits the fan.
  • Learn the kiting paths. In Hotenow domination, node 2 has 4 rocks where you can play with Line of Sight (in the edge of the platforms), while node 1 and 3 have the pillars near the stairs. In Rivenscar ruins, avoid nodes 1 and 3, and keep close to the wall in node 2 (this will make you less vulnerable to snipers that go on the bridge.
  • Remember to put AS on strategic spots if you are the one that is getting focused. For instance the places described above are amazing ,since you can hide and regenerate at the same time.
  • If you have excess Divinity, remember that Channeling it to damage people on mounts will take 2 seconds to drop down anyone. Free stuns=good (although it won’t work on good players).
  • Remember to keep Astral Seal on targets.
  • Don’t lose hope until you learn how to play. Some PuG PvP matches will be very difficult since sometimes your team will be less competent than the opponents, so your role will be tough.
* Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
Post edited by hidahayabusa on
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Comments

  • immahealyounowimmahealyounow Member Posts: 57
    edited December 2013
    I’ve given sometime to Anointed Champion, but it didn’t make the cut for me. It’s a different playstyle and it felt a bit clankier than Divine Oracle. Exaltation was awesome when it worked, but apart from that, I missed Sunburst and I missed Foresight for a reason. Also, I felt that Sacred Flame/Astral Seal was too good to pass…thus I quickly respecced back to Divine Oracle.

    Now, before writing it off…I would like to hear some thoughts on the new paragon path from someone that used it a lot....

    I'm an AC cleric that does nothing but PVP, and I solo or duo queue about 80% of my matches. After spending a considerable amount of time with both paths, I feel like Divine Oracle is better for pugs because you usually don't have to heal against the insane coordinated burst damage, focus fire, and CC coordination that premades have. That 11% Damage Reduction combined with a well-placed sunburst and judicious astral sealing will get you through about 99% of pug healing situations. Proper use of AS/DA when you anticipate burst (which generally won't be too bad against a pug), and you're set.

    Anointed champion tends to shine more in geared premades where burst damage occurs at specific times. During these times, that 11% DR from DO's foresight even when combined with Astral Shield, Break The Spirit, Divine Armor, Power of Oppression, or Feytouched Debuffs often isn't enough to keep the focused target alive. In some cases you can divine sunburst to save the target, but this won't always apply. Divine Exaltation SAVES LIVES in these situations, and if you time it correctly, you can prevent HUGE amounts of damage.
    * Blessing - 60 DC * * Blessa - 60 GWF * * Blessed - 60 TR * * Bless - 60 GF * * Blessings - 50 CW * * BlessedArr0w - 30 HR *

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • jenisydejenisyde Member Posts: 198 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Very nice guide. Good read. Prepare for elitist who don't agree with your opinions lol. On that note quick questions.

    1. Why 3/3 Cleanse Feat and not 1/3? Is it because of PVP aspect where you need to constantly cure negative effects?
    2. Does your lack in Bountiful Fortune feat hinder your divine gain too much or does it balance with the Righteous Rage of Tempus / Ethereal Boon and swapping passive Divine Fortune?
    3. I got flamed in my guide for puting in Domain Synergy feat 3/3, but I think it is a great feat. What is your reasoning for 3/3 on it?

    Thank you for your effort on this guide. Great job again.
    Jaylo
    Halfling - Devoted Cleric - Divine Oracle
    Neverwinter Tribunal
    <Genocidal Tendencies>
    www.genotendencies.enjin.com
  • shadow5930shadow5930 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 502 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    awesome guide!

    I play a DPS DC as DO. BotS + Seal = constant divinity coming in. :)

    I have won in DC vs DC fights when they're heal focused and I'm DPS focused. It's very, very, did I mention VERY slow? But it can happen.. You did a really good job here and I'd recommend everyone to follow this guide to start with, before venturing into DPS DC land. :)
  • lazaroth666lazaroth666 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,332 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Title should be changed to DC Tanky guide. Playing a DC does not mean you have to go as a tank in every match since this class is very versatile.

    When you get high GS, you can easily go both dps and tanky just switching a couple of skills.

    AC and DO are good, it just depends on your playstyle.

    Nice tips btw.
    fkze9t.jpg
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    Proud founder of the 'Primacy' alliance
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    jenisyde wrote: »
    Very nice guide. Good read. Prepare for elitist who don't agree with your opinions lol. On that note quick questions.

    Thank you very much. Part of the reason I like 'guide' posts, is that elitists appear and throw out their opinions so we all can benefit from it. If bashing me for something is what it takes for them to pop out and throw some tips, I'll be fine with it :)
    jenisyde wrote: »
    1. Why 3/3 Cleanse Feat and not 1/3? Is it because of PVP aspect where you need to constantly cure negative effects?
    Yes. I was a 1/3 supporter, but when I respecced to 3/3 I never looked back. There are tons of negative effects and increasing the chance to throw something away immediately is important imho.
    jenisyde wrote: »
    2. Does your lack in Bountiful Fortune feat hinder your divine gain too much or does it balance with the Righteous Rage of Tempus / Ethereal Boon and swapping passive Divine Fortune?

    Never felt like I didn't have enough divine power. Ethereal Boon and Divine Fortune work fine and produce good results for doing what you are supposed to be doing (and not damaging people). Also, I haven't any point in the Rage of Tempus. Probably you mean something else or I didnt' get it?
    jenisyde wrote: »
    3. I got flamed in my guide for puting in Domain Synergy feat 3/3, but I think it is a great feat. What is your reasoning for 3/3 on it?

    It's OK. Not amazing but OK. 5% more Recovery is like having another Rank 8-ish Silvery. Not bad. Also I am not very keen on the rest of the feats available instead of it.
    Anointed champion tends to shine more in geared premades where burst damage occurs at specific times. During these times, that 11% DR from DO's foresight even when combined with Astral Shield, Break The Spirit, Divine Armor, Power of Oppression, or Feytouched Debuffs often isn't enough to keep the focused target alive. In some cases you can divine sunburst to save the target, but this won't always apply. Divine Exaltation SAVES LIVES in these situations, and if you time it correctly, you can prevent HUGE amounts of damage.

    Great feedback, and thanks for stopping by. I never gave it too much time, and probably I gave AC less time than I should, due to the fact that I almost always PuG. I agree that Exaltation is amazing, and having the ability to complete negate damage and CC at a given time, is a game-breaker.

    shadow5930 wrote:
    I play a DPS DC as DO. BotS + Seal = constant divinity coming in.

    Sounds like fun. Thanks for the good words on the guide and I really hope that it helps people get the basics of the DC. It seems that since module 2 I see less and less DCs around.

    I was lucky to have Blessing (immahealyounow) healing some of my other toons in some PuGs I got while farming for Bloodskull for all my dwarves :)
    Title should be changed to DC Tanky guide. Playing a DC does not mean you have to go as a tank in every match since this class is very versatile.

    When you get high GS, you can easily go both dps and tanky just switching a couple of skills.

    AC and DO are good, it just depends on your playstyle.

    Nice tips btw.

    Thank you. I have no experience with DPS DC, so I wouldn't know but I guess you are right. They are very versatile. My take on the post was to gather the basic observations from my experience as being a healing DC that drew the most attention from enemies during PvP.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • shadow5930shadow5930 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 502 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    I agree, Blessing is an amazing healer, to be sure.

    My DC is actually a dwarf too. I love watching GF's bull rush just make me take a few steps back. It causes me to snicker. :)

    I use to play my DC all the time in puggin PVP. Then I got the HR. I haven't looked back since. Other than AD farming from leadership/invoke.
  • jenisydejenisyde Member Posts: 198 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    It's true that between their, "you are wrong, i'm right bc i've been around longer", they sometimes do leak useful information. I may have mixed up the feats. I am at work and it's hard to reference what I'm talking about sometimes from here. Are you guilded? Looking for one?
    Jaylo
    Halfling - Devoted Cleric - Divine Oracle
    Neverwinter Tribunal
    <Genocidal Tendencies>
    www.genotendencies.enjin.com
  • inquisitorrahlinquisitorrahl Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Forgive me as I'm still new, but what's the big deal with DO vs. AC? You say that you miss sunburst too much, but why wouldn't couldn't you use sunburst as an AC? It's not a paragon skill and as far as I can tell(correct me please) the only thing that your paragon path changes in the feats skill trees is the 3 passives that are 2nd tier in each of the trees, otherwise it doesn't matter what you pick, so what's the issue?
    Father McGruder - Scrub geared DPS DC - I kick HAMSTER for the Lord!

    Explosivo - Scrub geared MoF CW - Climb upon my BIG ASSED steed....
  • immahealyounowimmahealyounow Member Posts: 57
    edited December 2013
    Forgive me as I'm still new, but what's the big deal with DO vs. AC? You say that you miss sunburst too much, but why wouldn't couldn't you use sunburst as an AC? It's not a paragon skill and as far as I can tell(correct me please) the only thing that your paragon path changes in the feats skill trees is the 3 passives that are 2nd tier in each of the trees, otherwise it doesn't matter what you pick, so what's the issue?

    I can't speak for the OP, but here's how I see the argument:

    The standard PVP healing setup for a DO is HW, AS, Sunburst. HW is used for divinity building with divine fortune + stacking regen on yourself and another target, working in concert with foresight to make it difficult to take a target down except with a large amount of burst damage. AS is obvious, and sunburst is used either as a divinity builder or a strategic push to save yourself, an ally, push enemies out of an AS, etc.

    If you go for AC over DO, you are doing it because you want to use Exaltation for its damage immunity in divine mode, meaning you must replace one of these powers. In addition, AC's cannot spam exaltation since they are saving it for the right moment, so this really only leaves non-divine AS + HW or sunburst to generate divinity. With divine fortune, HW generates roughly as much divinity as non-divine sunburst, doesn't require you to hit a target, is spammable, improves your survivability by stacking with your natural regen, and with a good vorpal can provide burst healing. This is arguably superior to what sunburst gives you in its non-divine form (a little damage, a small heal, but without DO no foresight proc on everyone, though I can see running it as an AC with a perfect feytouched being viable). In other words, given the choice between dropping HW and Sunburst for Exaltation, sunburst will most likely be dropped. And yeah, you do miss it a lot.

    Of course, there are times to slot it in PVP as either a DO or AC, but it probably won't be your "standard" setup if you are an AC.
    * Blessing - 60 DC * * Blessa - 60 GWF * * Blessed - 60 TR * * Bless - 60 GF * * Blessings - 50 CW * * BlessedArr0w - 30 HR *

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • shadow5930shadow5930 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 502 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    I can only speak from my perspective.. which isn't the unkillable blessing level. :)

    I run either 1 of 2 setups.

    a) daunting light, chains/divine glow, shield
    b) break the spirit, forge fire, shield

    When I'm doing most pugs/some premades, that set up works well. I can burn through individuals with the dot line + BotS and seal. Otherwise if they ignore me or leave me mostly alone I can take down groups with the other set. When going into a serious PVP match, sunburst for movement is an absolute *must* have ability... I've learned how to get along without it, however there are plenty of times when it'd be one of those moments I wished I had it too. :)
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    Couldn't say it better. DO and AC differ in the slot you sacrifice for Exaltation. Be it Healing Word or Sunburst, they are both cornerstones for DO. Thus you need to drastically change your style, and you need to drastically change the way that you heal. My experience and skills didn't provide good results with AC, but that doesn't mean anything.

    Divine Oracle feels more like the 'safe choice' if you are joining PuGs. AC needs a more clear role, and works amazing if you can spot the incoming nuke.

    @jenicyde: I am at friend's guild right now, but we are like 2 people in there, since most of our friends are not that active lately. I've made an application to Old Timers Guild, since I have all the proper age qualification ( :) ). Thanks anyway.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • jazzfongjazzfong Member Posts: 1,079 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    This is definitely the most detailed guide for new pvp DC. Your thought are absolutely correct for a DODC.

    Blessing said the power you use depends on your role, i agree. As a AC, i NEVER drop sunburst but instead i drop HW. Sunburst do a lot of trick especially proc linked spirit, giving 1.2k to 1.6k temp hp per 8.8 sec or less, generate divinity, and can push those tricky gwf gf and tr away from you. It is the core for ACDC. HW do nothing especially to those p.vorpal high burst damage, you cast a HW, and your cw/hr/tr die in 2 sec after, better cast Exaltation instead.

    My play style is totally opposite of most DC, i sacrifice all my ability to survive to boost my teammates' abilities. Along with those roaming gwf in my guild Seraphim (morthos, worthwag, svornak etc), i just need to keep them alive and they will help to sweep all enemies beside me. The sunburst always bless them with a 2k heal and a 1.2k+ temp hp every 8.8 sec, and Divine Exaltation will save them from all damage for 2 sec. KEEP boosting them with temp hp so they cant die even tanking 3!! I feat my daily and provide them with 3 hit damage/control immune and some hp and 5% action point. Btw I am a sun elf, less 7% deflect than dex halfling but 2% more AP gain and much more balanced. I tried to pull back my teammates hp at least from the last pip to half if they are dying. Never let the tanks down, the same rule in pve and pvp.

    @jenisyde, not flaming you because "i play longer than you". I just simply curious about why u pick 3/5 in domain synergy instead of 3/3 in holy resolve. Although hidahayabusa maxed out domain synergy but he has his life saver turned on. Holy resolve is the best mechanic in heroic feat for us DC in pvp, second is cleanse.

    Any correction to my words is appreciated. Oh ya, you should add a TR perma-stealth counter. The regen-perma-stealth back capper from essence of aggression is so annoying and what we can do is send a gwf to play with him while we cap the other 2. Still lose because of that pro TR stopping the generation of our points. Hate this play style: "I don't fight or kill you, but you will lose."
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    I don't think that perma-stealth TRs are a thing right now. Since Bilethorn got popular, a single Path of the blade or a lucky hit from CoS will get them out...and if this isn't enough, just send a combat HR against them.

    Thanks for stopping by, and adding your feedback for AC.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • lazaroth666lazaroth666 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,332 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Holy Resolve is one of the most important heroic feats in a DC, remember that you are a very important member of the group and usually the only one, you must not die, as simple as that. Domain synergy is a poor investment, if you need recovery there are many ways to get more.
    fkze9t.jpg
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    Proud founder of the 'Primacy' alliance
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    True, it's just that the rest of the heroic feats don't really impress me. So I just went for the +Recovery since it's something that will always be helpful.

    Also, Holy Resolve and Healing step are the best things for DC. Call it PvP, PvE or whatever...those skills are life savers.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • jazzfongjazzfong Member Posts: 1,079 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Healing step is really a great life saver especially when u hold a node with 3 or more focusing on you. The "immune" pop up so frequent and at least 2/3 of them are cc powers. But i feel that i become a tank when i always utilize healing step as i need to tank till i was crited to gain its effect. Nice, it is really nice but i want to try another taste of deflect cleric. (dps/heal +tank)

    I currently working about dex/cha cleric, sacrificing 12% hp from cons to reach another equilibrium. I will get 19 str 20 dex 12 cons 13 int 17 wis and 19 cha at 60. 19 str for greater crit and slight extra stamina regen and 19 cha for more AP gain and recovery speed as less recovery needed = more def/deflect/regen items and stats + more healing Hallowed Ground. I will go faithful, taking temp hp feat, linked spirit, "unknown", HG feat. Still cannot decide third paragon feat for my new ACDC. Anyone giving suggestion to my new build?? Is healing role in pvp great enough to become a new era than healing step node holder? I'm investing my time to prove it that DC can dps/heal +tank well at the same time, not only dashing here and there taking attacks like dummies. These days line got some problem as it reach end of a month, sorry if i killed you with my Elfv3, clerics are OP in lower lvl even before we get daunting light and chains.
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    The role of the DC is not that of a node holder. To be an effective node holder, you should be able to kill in 1v1. Healing DCs can't. I am not sure how you will be able to get to be able to nuke everyone that 1v1s you down while you maintain tanking capacity. But it would be interesting to see if you get some experience with that playstyle.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • josiahiyonjosiahiyon Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 396 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Some really good info in the OP, and some good questions / comments too.

    1 quick question -- why go Dwarf @ 27 wisdom for CC resist when standard halfling at 17 wis + 10% racial gives same CC resist but more deflection? Seems like the trade-off there is deflection chance for dwarf's knock-back resistance.
    Pvpbysynergy.png
    Iyon the Dark
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    Wisdom on clerics is not only CC resist.

    Plus, Dwarves look way cooler than halflings :)

    In a nutshell, personally I would go dwarf anyway (I have 6 dwarves as you can see in my sig), but truth is they are very good for PvP. Close second to halflings.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • josiahiyonjosiahiyon Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 396 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Some thoughts on ACDC vs DODC:

    Like blessing, have played both quite a bit in PMvsPM and Pug. Found DODC to be more effective in almost every case with regard to PVP.

    Exaltation is nice if timed right, but divine sunburst can provide almost the same effective dmg immunity if used well.
    Feated BotS being on the Righteous path is awesome.
    BtS is great to swap in when going toe-to-toe with a CW. I kill most CWs 1v1 using BtS, ASeal, BotS, Chains/PoD. Also effective against TRs & HRs. This is with a pure tank DODC.
    Challenge is swapping skills in/out quickly, as PVP situation changes dynamically

    Other comments:

    Ever try Flame Strike rather than GoF? Harder to dodge, longer prone, more damage, multiple targets, faster cast.
    Haven't tested recently, but afaik 1 point in Healing Action is standard. Do you prefer DoSyn over Bountiful Fortune?
    Also, tip that a lot don't know about: there are new pants/shirts that give deflection and regen for DCs.
    Pvpbysynergy.png
    Iyon the Dark
  • lazaroth666lazaroth666 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,332 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    jazzfong wrote: »
    I'm investing my time to prove it that DC can dps/heal +tank well at the same time, not only dashing here and there taking attacks like dummies. These days line got some problem as it reach end of a month, sorry if i killed you with my Elfv3, clerics are OP in lower lvl even before we get daunting light and chains.

    And that is, IMO, how a DC should play, since we are very versatile. According to the enemy team, if the group needs a healer we have many skills to heal them but we can also go DPS and kill a lot, sometimes in a fight all you need is bit more of dps if you want to win instead of healing here and there.

    I like to say that my playstyle is a "well-rounded" one, I switch to dps or tank if needed and my stats allow me to do that: 2.4k arpen, 40% dmg resistance, 20% deflection, 2k def, 1.3k regen, 1.3k lifesteal. CW, HR and TR will go down 1vs1 (depends on your own skills as player too) GF and GWF are just harder but they can die too. I'm close to get Bloodthirsty title, showing that DC is also great for killing and even thought most people say that this class only gets kills ksing, you can't kill steal in 1vs1. :)

    I'm mentioning this because I do not like when I see a tanky DC being ganked and he is unable to react against the enemy, ppl likes to attack a DC if all they do is "tank and heal", they feel safe due to the fact that it is possible to hurt you but you can't hurt them back.

    Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense.
    fkze9t.jpg
    ▄▀▄▀ Check out my blog for more information and cool videos: NWO-Battleground ▀▄▀▄
    Proud founder of the 'Primacy' alliance
  • slushpsychoslushpsycho Member Posts: 657 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    Title should be changed to DC Tanky guide. Playing a DC does not mean you have to go as a tank in every match since this class is very versatile.

    When you get high GS, you can easily go both dps and tanky just switching a couple of skills.

    AC and DO are good, it just depends on your playstyle.

    Nice tips btw.

    As far as PVP goes. You can't be dps and tanky the same time, and tanky is the only way to go. Or you will get 2 shot by p.vorpal TR everyday.
  • lazaroth666lazaroth666 Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,332 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    As far as PVP goes. You can't be dps and tanky the same time, and tanky is the only way to go. Or you will get 2 shot by p.vorpal TR everyday.

    If you get killed so easily by a TR like that, there is something really wrong with your DC.
    fkze9t.jpg
    ▄▀▄▀ Check out my blog for more information and cool videos: NWO-Battleground ▀▄▀▄
    Proud founder of the 'Primacy' alliance
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    To be honest module 2's artifacts and boons have given an offensive aspect to defensive builds and a defensive aspect to offensive builds that you can't really know what to expect. I mean, obviously Damage dealing DC is a whole world of difference than the one I am playing but with all the boons+full legendary artifacts and R10s you can achieve everything.

    So back to the Tanky healer subject, I think that the aforementioned metagame change is the reason why DCs in PvP are so low in numbers. Today I was running dailies and came across several destroyer GWFs that were able to almost solo me due to threatening rush making them stick to me forever. It was a bit annoying but I guess we'll have to live with that :)
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • jazzfongjazzfong Member Posts: 1,079 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    If you get killed so easily by a TR like that, there is something really wrong with your DC.

    Yup, i usually prepare and reveal a stealth TR by cast-tabbing sunburst for linked spirit and temp hp from class feature, if i gain divinity means he is really close to me and i cast exaltation instead, that time after i cast-tab sunburst i already in divine mode. Then, it is the time for dashing and calling for help~ :D

    Cleric can heal or dps while having tanking ablity. i just get the high deflection and use both hybrid abilities (SB FF), did play couple of pug games with my main Elf, killed some squishy cw and help my team in 3v5 situation (AS FF Bts), still lose anyway. Btw im just trying a new build as HG cleric is rarely seen and being competitive in pvp, mostly we see divine armor on every DC and Flamestrike and GoF for those killer DC. Healing HG is not so famous because faithful DC mostly go pve though...
  • yogokouyogokou Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    My understanding was that Foresight gives 6% damage resistance, while Benefit of Foresight feat gives 5% defense bonus, despite what the tooltips mention (we all know how good they are in this game). Which is a small difference for the DC himself, but more important for his opponent to know how it works.

    I can't recommend this guide as it forces honest TRs to spend gold swapping their Bilethorns for Vorpals, back and forth. True story.
  • josiahiyonjosiahiyon Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 396 Arc User
    edited December 2013
    Nope, Foresight + 5/5 BoF give 11% DR., not 6% DR + 5% Defense Stat.
    Pvpbysynergy.png
    Iyon the Dark
  • slushpsychoslushpsycho Member Posts: 657 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    If you get killed so easily by a TR like that, there is something really wrong with your DC.

    If you fail to dodge a LB or get Impact shot chain, you are dead.

    My DC is 31K hp with 40% DR, 22.5% deflect and 11% regen. That is only with the AC path feat. And I never need to worry about those TR anymore.

    PLZ do link your build that can DPS AND TANK the same time. I would love to see that, cause every DC should actually run it if you claim that is good. I have not seen a single DC that can pull off a build with DPS AND TANK the same time.

    Nvm just take some time read through the thread full of n88b like you that only know how to do pug PVP with those unexp player, keep playing in your backyard. And pray you never meet the big boys. Don't brother reply thx.
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    yogokou wrote: »
    I can't recommend this guide as it forces honest TRs to spend gold swapping their Bilethorns for Vorpals, back and forth. True story.

    :) Honest rogue is a paradox!

    See you in game!!
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
  • hidahayabusahidahayabusa Member Posts: 634 Bounty Hunter
    edited December 2013
    Nvm just take some time read through the thread full of n88b like you that only know how to do pug PVP with those unexp player, keep playing in your backyard. And pray you never meet the big boys. Don't brother reply thx.

    Just a small note that I thought about, is that I gathered observations from my PuG games since I thought it was better to provide feedback on what new player will be experiencing more. I do understand that the PMvsPM will be a whole different world, but while you are getting bashed by the best, you are also protecting some of the best.

    Anyway, back to the thread.
    * Notorious Dwarven Bear Cavalry Leader *
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