The latest edition of State of the Game articles is up on the Guild Wars official site. The topic this week is the fine art of playing a monk.
Regardless of whether you regularly walk the Monk path, observing current Monk practices can prove helpful. Monks struggling to keep their teams alive can improve their methods by seeing what works and what does not. And for those aggressive folk striving to break the efficiency of a backline, nothing helps like knowing thine enemy.
Many balanced teams designed for 8v8 combat currently run a two-Monk backline with Light of Deliverance (LoD) and Restore Condition (RC). The LoD Monk uses Infuse Health to catch spikes and often delves into Protection Prayers for Protective Spirit or Spirit Bond. The RC Monk typically uses Protection skills such as Reversal of Fortune, Shielding Hands, or Shield of Absorption, but also delves into Healing Prayers for raw healing power of Gift of Health. Also, following a tradition from the dawn of Guild Wars time, both Monks bring Hex removal.
The LoD Monk provides powerful healing in an efficient package. Even if the opponent has spread Health degeneration Hexes or Conditions around the team, one five-Energy LoD can keep the party's Health high. Additionally, after an Infuse Health or two, LoD simultaneously self-heals the infuser and heals other low-Health teammates (like the all-important the spike victim). LoD Monks typically round out the Skill Bar with Holy Veil for Hex removal, a Condition removal skill for cleaning up the RC Monk (and for self-cleaning during splits), Energy management and/or defensive Stances, and either a big heal (Heal Other anyone?) or smaller heals (think Dwayna's Kiss and Words of Comfort). LoD's power and versatility have incited some pressure teams to bring Signet of Humility or use a talented Ranger with Distracting Shot just to keep that one skill locked down.
Read more here.
