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This guide has been archived as of 08:04, 17 September 2008 (EDT), for the following reason:
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Introduction[]
This guide is to help people to utilize the selection of elite Norn aspects. All of the aspects have their strengths, making them effective damage dealers, tanks, and support all at the same time. The fact that any profession can utilize them somewhat effectively make them again great skills.
The Blessings/Aspects[]
You have a choice of 3 Blessings, all of which have their positives and negatives.
Ursan Blessing[]
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- Effective Tank with additional Armor and Health
- Very high damage output
- Weakness and damage support
- AoE Knockdown
Volfen Blessing[]
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- Effective Tank with additional Health and Health Regeneration
- High damage output
- Deep Wound
- Party IAS support
Raven Blessing[]
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- Effective Stance Tank with Block chance, Knockdown immunity, and additional Health
- Crippling and Bleeding
- AoE Blindness
- Decent damage
Professions[]
Professions aren't needed if you are relying completely on your aspect, but can be very helpful in keeping up the Blessing for a long period of time or just for damage output.
Elementalist[]
With high enough Energy Storage, your Blessing can be kept up for a long time. However, if not completely relying on your Blessing, you'll be vulnerable when it wears off as most Elementalist skills take moderate energy to cast. Also, with the low 60 AL, even an armor booster will make you semi-vulnerable
Necromancer[]
With high Soul Reaping, you can keep up your Blessing for a long time in battle. However, like the Elementalist, most Necromancer skills require moderate energy to cast. Again, like the Elementalist, low armor can be a factor to trying to take most of the damage.
Assassin[]
One of the more effective choices, the Assassin's Critical Strikes can fuel a Blessing. Along with the ability to Double Strike and keep you in attack range with regular melee attacks, Assassins are probably a favorite. Another perk with the Assassin is energy can quickly be gained back when the Blessing wears off, allowing you to use normal Assassin skills when the Blessing dies. The decent 70 AL and great energy management makes this a favorable choice.
Warrior[]
The Warrior's Strength attribute can help add some extra damage and stonefist insignia can improve the shutdown ability of Ursan Rage, but that's the most of the Warrior's options. With low energy to begin with and low energy regeneration, bouncing back after the Blessing dies is improbable. However, adrenaline heavy Warriors can use their skills afterwards free of energy cost. Also, the hefty 80 AL (100 vs. physical damage) make this the best tank.
Paragon[]
The Paragon is useful with a team heavy on Shouts and Chants. If your team is able to use enough Shouts and Chants, the Blessing can be kept up even out of combat. The Paragon's good 80 AL can also make this more survivable. Paragons may also apply ever-lasting refrains before entering the aspect, thus helping his team the most compared to other professions.
Dervish[]
The Dervish is useful on a team heavy on Enchantments. Like the Paragon, the Dervish can keep up the Blessing out of combat if your team has a spammable enchantment like Reversal of Fortune or Guardian. Dervishes can also hit up to 3 adjacent foes with a scythe, but are otherwise average. Another thing to note is the Dervish's 70 Armor Rating which makes it a decent tank.
Ranger[]
Although expertise offers no help in maintaining the blessings, the beast mastery attribute can come in helpful as it allows you to take a pet without blocking up your skillbar once transformed, periodically reverting to normal in order to ressurect your pet would be required however. Rangers also have moderately good energy regen outside of the Blessing and the 70 armor rating also makes them a useful tank in Blessing.
Other Professions[]
Most other professions have little to offer, as their primary attribute doesn't add damage or help energy. You can still play as a Blessing on any profession, but the ones above are probably the favorable choices.
Weapons[]
Since the main issue behind all of the Aspects is energy management, a Zealous weapon is the best choice. Since it doesn't add to your energy degeneration, this is a great choice. You may also consider an offhand with a energy +15^regen -1 offhand as it again doesn't count towards the degeneration. Depending on the aspect you choose, you may consider different prefixes. For example, if playing as the Raven Blessing, you may consider a Barbed or Crippling prefix, as it can help Raven Talons. The inscription for your weapon should be an energy +5, and the suffix should be "Of Fortitude" or, depending on your team, "Of Enchanting" or "Of Defense".
Skills[]
The big downside to all the Blessings is the fact they remove all enchantments on you when activated. This means you can't put any of your enchantments on yourself, even Illusion of Weakness and Faithful Intervention. However, there are still some skills you or your team can utilize.
Self[]
"I Am The Strongest!" is one of a few skills that can be used effectively. Since it's not an enchantment and has no duration, you can use it before your Blessing to boost up your attacks. The fact it is usable by any profession and is in the same rank make it very useful. It should mainly be used by melee characters. Signet of Strength is similarly effective on Warriors with high strength and can be used in conjunction with "I Am The Strongest!"- Serpent's Quickness and Quickening Zephyr are good if you are in a fast paced environment. Serpent's Quickness should be used for a very brief battle, or for non-Volfen Blessings, to help recharge skills faster. Quickening Zephyr is for longer battles. With enough points in Wilderness Survival, it can help the recharge of the Blessing after battle. However, the unability to keep it up continuously and its high energy cost make only so-so.
- Burning Refrain, Aggressive Refrain, Mending Refrain and Bladeturn Refrain are probably some of the best choices. These are great with a Paragon primary playing as either an Ursan or Volfen Blessing. Since both have shouts, these can be kept up constantly, providing extra Armor, Burning, and an IAS. However, these can ONLY be played on Ursan or Volfen Blessings, as they have shouts to maintain them. Energy can also be a problem, since they're most effective on primary Paragons who only have 30 base energy along with little energy regeneration to cast the refrains before the Blessing.
- Mantra of Flame and all the other elemental Mantras are highly suggested. Especially on an Ursan tank, the Mantras will provide up to 40% additional damage reduction and help with your energy issues. You can also put these on an Any/Me, so anything can be a tank.
- Dwarven Stability, although an enchantment (which will be removed), it still helps. If you bring a stance such as Serpent's Quickness or a Mantra, you can cast this, then your stance to make it last for a significantly longer time.
- Summon Ruby Djinn Due to its long duration and that it can fight alongside you when using your blessing this skill, as well as the other Asuran summons, can help to add more damage output to the team generally.
- Optional skills include other Nature Rituals and Shouts such as "Go For the Eyes!" for a good critical chance in your Blessing and "Shields Up!" for additional Armor.
- as not many people realize, avatars can also be maintained at the start, you can use those advantages for a decent time when your fighting
Team[]
- Great Dwarf Weapon and other weapon spells can help your team's damage output. Since weapon spells can help block, heal, deal damage, and increase health, they're all great options.
- Life Bond and Life Barrier are great for farmers. An Ursan Blessing tanking with these skills on them can take significant damage.
- Balthazar's Spirit and Essence Bond are another option for farmers. These are mainly to help energy for both yourself and your teammate. Balthazar's Spirit on any of the Blessings who are tanking will significantly help energy management, and Essence Bond on tanks will significantly help the caster's energy management.
- Great Dwarf Armor is good for non-Ursan Blessing aspects. Since the Ursan Blessing already provides armor, this should be used on the other 2 Blessings. This, especially on the Volfen Blessing, can make an effective tank, even more so than the Ursan Blessing.
Notes[]
- Since it is extremely hard to rely completely on a Blessing, some normal basic attacks should be equipped.
- Ursan Strike actually doesn't deal additional damage, but the damage listed.
- The Blessing's skills given to you for the 3 Norn primary quests are equal to about rank 8 or 9 in Norn rank, compared to the actual Blessings.
- Blood Ritual and Blood is Power cannot stop the energy degeneration. Your energy will ALWAYS be -2 while in the Blessing, regardless of weapons or skills.
- All Blessings give additional Health
- Ursan Roar and Volfen Bloodlust can help energy management for Paragons.
- Volfen Agility and Volfen Pounce can help energy management for Dervishes.
- You can bring some zealous weapons with you for some better energy management since that you don't get -3 energy regeneration from a zealous weapon. Daggers are recommed because they hit fast and they can double-hit.
