This spirit spam build contributes unfocused armor-ignoring single target damage and distraction from spirits. It takes advantage of the Kurzick/Luxon skill Summon Spirits to move spirits and heal them.
The build can be varied to fulfill another team role by providing a sturdy spirit wall to substitute a tank or support party members greatly with weapon spells.
FactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Signet of SpiritsElite SignetCreate three level 13 spirits. These spirits deal 21 damage with attacks. These spirits die after 60 seconds.130
FactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16BloodsongBinding RitualCreate a level 13 Spirit with 260 (+135) Health and 79 armor who dies after 158 seconds. Attacks by that Spirit steal up to 26 Health.5¾30
NightfallRitualist. Sunspear rank VampirismBinding RitualCreate a level 4..14 Spirit that dies after 30..150 seconds. Attacks by this Spirit steal up to 10..20 Health, and you are healed for 10..20 Health. PvE only.10¾30
FactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Painful BondHex SpellFor 21 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes are Hexed with Painful Bond and take 21 damage whenever hit by a Spirit's attack.15112
FactionsRitualist. Kurzick rank Summon Spirits (Kurzick)SpellAll Spirits you control shadow step to your location, and gain 60..100 Health. PvE only.5¼5
Splinter WeaponFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Splinter WeaponWeapon SpellFor 20 seconds, target ally has a Splinter Weapon. Target ally's next 5 attacks deal 53 damage to up to 3 adjacent foes.515 – great armor ignoring AoE damage. Ideally used on an ally which natively attacks with weapons. Can be combined Ebon Vanguard Assassin SupportEotNNo Profession. Ebon Vanguard rank Ebon Vanguard Assassin SupportSpellSummon a level 14..20 Ebon Vanguard Assassin that has Iron Palm, Fox Fangs and Nine Tail Strike. This summoned Assassin Shadow Steps to target foe. If that foe is a Charr, the Assassin lives for 24..30 seconds. If target foe is not a Charr, the Assassin lives for 12..15 seconds. PvE only.10130 if no adequate ally is available.
Great Dwarf WeaponEotNNo Profession. Deldrimor rank Great Dwarf WeaponWeapon SpellFor 20 seconds, target other ally's weapon strikes for +15..20 damage and has a 28..40% chance to cause knock down. PvE only.1015 – greatly improved single target damage output and shutdown with weapon attacks. Easily maintainable on multiple targets due to spawning power.
Utility
Ebon Vanguard Assassin SupportEotNNo Profession. Ebon Vanguard rank Ebon Vanguard Assassin SupportSpellSummon a level 14..20 Ebon Vanguard Assassin that has Iron Palm, Fox Fangs and Nine Tail Strike. This summoned Assassin Shadow Steps to target foe. If that foe is a Charr, the Assassin lives for 24..30 seconds. If target foe is not a Charr, the Assassin lives for 12..15 seconds. PvE only.10130 – use for entering combat and dealing additional damage to priority targets.
TechnobabbleEotNNo Profession. Asura rank TechnobabbleSpellTarget foe and all adjacent foes are struck for 30..40 damage. If target foe is not a boss, that foe and all adjacent foes are Dazed for 3..5 seconds. PvE only.10110 – spirit attacks interrupt dazed spellcasters.
Gaze of FuryNightfallRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Gaze of FuryBinding RitualDestroy target Spirit and create a level 15 Spirit of Fury. This Spirit's attacks deal 21 damage. This Spirit dies after 62 seconds.10¾20 – destroy spirits, especially nature rituals such as Quickening ZephyrCoreRanger. Wilderness Survival Quickening ZephyrNature RitualCreate a level 1..8..11 Spirit. For non-Spirit creatures within its range, all skills recharge twice as fast and cost 30% more of the base Energy to cast. This Spirit dies after 15..39..47 seconds.25560 and QuicksandNightfallRanger. Wilderness Survival QuicksandElite Nature RitualCreate a level 1..8..11 Spirit. All non-Spirit creatures within its range lose 1 Energy each time they attack or use a Skill. This Spirit dies after 30..78..94 seconds.10530. Can alternatively be used to have a sixth attacking spirit; create a spirit of fury from one of your spirits once and then recycle it for the rest of the mission.
Signet of BindingNightfallRitualist. Spawning Power 13Signet of BindingSignetYou lose 70 Health and take control of target enemy-controlled spirit. (50% failure chance with Spawning Power 4 or less.)215 – turn ritualist spirits like ShadowsongFactionsRitualist. Communing ShadowsongBinding RitualCreate a level 1..8..11 Spirit. The spirit's attacks deal 5..17..21 damage and cause Blindness for 1..5..6 seconds. This Spirit dies after 30 seconds.15130.
Spirit to FleshFactionsRitualist. Spawning Power 13Spirit to FleshSpellTarget touched allied Spirit is destroyed. All nearby allies are healed for 212.10¾15 – heal nearby allies except for spirits.
Rupture SoulFactionsRitualist. Spawning Power 13Rupture SoulSpellTarget allied Spirit is destroyed. All nearby enemies are struck for 128 lightning damage and become blinded for 11 seconds.10¾5 – blind targets next to an allied spirit.
Damage
Pain InverterEotNNo Profession. Asura rank Pain InverterHex SpellFor 6..10 seconds, every time target foe deals damage that foe takes 100..140% of the damage it causes (maximum 80 damage). PvE only.10120 – counter to foes causing many damage packets, especially AoE damage.
Ancestors' RageFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Ancestors' RageSkillFor 1 second, nothing happens. When this skill ends, all foes adjacent to target ally are struck for 117 lightning damage.5¼10 – with a melee, minions or ebon vanguard assassin.
Armor of UnfeelingFactionsRitualist. Communing 6Armor of UnfeelingSkillFor 20 seconds, your spirits within earshot take 50% less damage and are immune to critical attacks.5120 – greatly improve the spirit survivability to make a spirit wall substituting a tank viable. Decrease spawning power by 1, increase communing to 6.
Spirit Boon StrikeFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Spirit Boon StrikeSpellTarget foe is struck for 68 lightning damage, and all Spirits you control within earshot gain 68 Health.513 – additional healing for your spirits. Ideal when using them as a spirit wall which would dissolve when using Summon SpiritsFactionsRitualist. Kurzick rank Summon Spirits (Kurzick)SpellAll Spirits you control shadow step to your location, and gain 60..100 Health. PvE only.5¼5.
Healing
Note: This is only intended for party size 4. Decrease spawning power to 6+1, increase restoration magic to 11+1.
Mend Body and SoulFactionsRitualist. Restoration Magic 12Mend Body and SoulSpellTarget ally is healed for 96 Health. That ally loses one Condition for each spirit within earshot.5¾3 – quick heal with condition removal.
Spirit LightFactionsRitualist. Restoration Magic 12Spirit LightSpellTarget ally is healed for 156. If any Spirits are within earshot, you don't sacrifice Health.17%514 – slower, strong heal.
Note: Weapon modifiers such as Halves casting time on spells of item's attribute (Chance: 20%) don't apply to signets and binding rituals as these skill types aren't subordinate to spells.
Switch to your shield set when idle or under attack.
Under effect of Splinter WeaponFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Splinter WeaponWeapon SpellFor 20 seconds, target ally has a Splinter Weapon. Target ally's next 5 attacks deal 53 damage to up to 3 adjacent foes.515: You attack slightly faster with the spear than the staff.
Build
Summon your spirits prior to battle. You can move them into the fight with Summon SpiritsFactionsRitualist. Kurzick rank Summon Spirits (Kurzick)SpellAll Spirits you control shadow step to your location, and gain 60..100 Health. PvE only.5¼5 or lure foes into them.
Initially the spirits should be spread out to avoid that they take AoE damage.
Alternatively you can place them as a wall to prevent that melees break through into your mid- or backline. Avoid using Summon Spirits as that would break the wall by moving the spirits. Against harder hitting foes, such as in Urgoz's Warren, you can play the build dedicated to blocking with Armor of UnfeelingFactionsRitualist. Communing Armor of UnfeelingSkillFor 10..30..37 seconds, your spirits within earshot take 50% less damage and are immune to critical attacks.5120 and Spirit Boon StrikeFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic Spirit Boon StrikeSpellTarget foe is struck for 20..56..68 lightning damage, and all Spirits you control within earshot gain 20..56..68 Health.513. Note that only foes get blocked by the spirits; for allies their collision box is disabled, which allows you to aggro foes and then run through your spirits, trapping pursueing foes in your spirits.
Use Summon Spirits to move spirits out of stationary damage over time AoE effects such as Ray of JudgmentFactionsMonk. Smiting Prayers Ray of JudgmentElite SpellFor 5 seconds, target foe and all foes adjacent to this location take 5..37..48 holy damage each second and begin Burning for 1..3..3 seconds.10220 and provide a small heal to keep them alive.
Increase your damage output by using Painful BondFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Painful BondHex SpellFor 21 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes are Hexed with Painful Bond and take 21 damage whenever hit by a Spirit's attack.15112 on targets under attack by spirits.
Use Spirit SiphonFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Spirit SiphonSpellTarget Spirit loses all Energy. You gain 52% of that Energy.5¼3 to manage energy.
Counters[]
Terrain (walls, hills) blocking spirit attacks. Move the spirits with Summon SpiritsFactionsRitualist. Kurzick rank Summon Spirits (Kurzick)SpellAll Spirits you control shadow step to your location, and gain 60..100 Health. PvE only.5¼5 to a position where they have line of sight.
Blocking.
Spirits spreading their attacks when playing against healers.
AoE damage hitting multiple spirits.
Anti summoned creature skills: Consume SoulFactionsRitualist. Spawning Power Consume SoulElite SpellYou steal 5..49..64 Health from target foe. All hostile summoned creatures in the area of that foe take 25..105..132 damage.515, Spiritual PainNightfallMesmer. Domination Magic Spiritual PainSpellTarget foe takes 15..63..79 damage. All hostile summoned creatures in the area of that foe take 25..105..132 damage.517, Banishing StrikeNightfallDervish. Mysticism Banishing StrikeMelee AttackIf it hits, this attack deals 10..50..63 holy damage. It deals double damage to summoned creatures.513, BanishCoreMonk. Smiting Prayers BanishSpellTarget foe takes 20..49..58 holy damage. This spell does double damage to summoned creatures.5110.
Spirits overridden by another party member.
Notes[]
Spirits attack at longbow range, but will first have to aggro targets.
Spirit AI:
When luring foes into your spirits: They prioritize the first target that moves into range.
Mid-combat: Spirits prioritize targets with the lowest health.
Spirits can only receive health from very few sources:
Summon SpiritsFactionsRitualist. Kurzick rank Summon Spirits (Kurzick)SpellAll Spirits you control shadow step to your location, and gain 60..100 Health. PvE only.5¼5
Spirit Boon StrikeFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic Spirit Boon StrikeSpellTarget foe is struck for 20..56..68 lightning damage, and all Spirits you control within earshot gain 20..56..68 Health.513
Spirit's GiftNightfallRitualist. Spawning Power Spirit's GiftEnchantment SpellFor 60 seconds, whenever you create a creature, all allies near that creature gain 5..41..53 Health and lose 1 Condition.10145
Blood BondFactionsNecromancer. Blood Magic Blood BondHex SpellFor 3..10..13 seconds, target foe and all adjacent foes are hexed with Blood Bond. Whenever an ally hits one of them with an attack, that ally gains 5..17..21 Health. If one of these foes dies while hexed, all allies adjacent to that foe are healed for 20..84..105 Health.518 – health gain when hitting with a spirit attack.
Healing SeedCoreMonk. Healing Prayers Healing SeedEnchantment SpellFor 10 seconds, whenever target other ally takes damage, that ally and all adjacent allies gain 3..25..32 Health.10225 – can't be used on spirits, but they will receive health when a target enchanted with healing seed gets hit adjacent to them.
Spirits have 30 maximum energy which regenerates with 4 pips (1.3 energy/second); they will have fully regenerated after 23 seconds. The net energy gain of Spirit SiphonFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic 16Spirit SiphonSpellTarget Spirit loses all Energy. You gain 52% of that Energy.5¼3 is 11 points of energy.
Spirits don't need energy for their skills and passive effects.
You can drain hostile spirits.
Some hostile spirits have 40 maximum energy in hard mode, such as those in Slaver's Exile.
Signet of BindingNightfallRitualist. Spawning Power Signet of BindingSignetYou lose 200..80..40 Health and take control of target enemy-controlled spirit. (50% failure chance with Spawning Power 4 or less.)215 allows to have two spirits of the same type within spirit range.
Spirit attack skills trigger chants:
Anthem of EnvyNightfallParagon. Command Anthem of EnvyChantFor 10 seconds, the next attack Skill used by each ally within earshot deals +10..22..26 damage against foes with more than 50% Health.61
Anthem of DisruptionEotNParagon. Command Anthem of DisruptionChantFor 1..8..11 seconds, the next attack Skill used by each ally within earshot also interrupts an action.10115
Anthem of WearinessEotNParagon. Command Anthem of WearinessChantFor 8 seconds, the next attack Skill used by each ally within earshot also causes Weakness for 1..13..17 seconds.5110
Zealous AnthemNightfallParagon. Motivation Zealous AnthemChantFor 10 seconds, the next time each ally within earshot uses an attack Skill, that ally gains 1..7..8 Energy.10120 (for Spirit SiphonFactionsRitualist. Channeling Magic Spirit SiphonSpellTarget Spirit loses all Energy. You gain 15..43..52% of that Energy.5¼3)