Build:Team - Frostmaw Auraway

The PvXwiki community finds this to be a great build. This build has received an overall rating in the range from 4.75 to 5.0 and thus qualifies for the highest category of working builds: Great. This build has been designed for the following use: PvE team PvE SC

This is part of the Dungeon Build series, see Dungeon Guide for all Dungeon builds.

This build requires an Essence of Celerity to operate properly.

A speed clear build utilizing Shadow Form and life steal to quickly complete Frostmaw's Burrows. Requires three Essences.

Overview

• / Tank Shout Supporter

• / GDW Aura (x5)

• / LoD Aura

• / Barbs

Tank Shout Supporter

Assassin / Paragon 12 + 1 + 3 Shadow Arts 12 Command 3 Critical Strikes You have an additional 3% chance to critical hit. Whenever you critical hit, you get 1 Energy. Shadow Form FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shadow FormElite Enchantment SpellFor 22 seconds, you cannot be the target of enemy Spells, and you gain 5 damage reduction for each Assassin enchantment on you. You cannot deal more than 26 damage with a single skill or attack.5130 Shroud of Distress FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shroud of DistressEnchantment SpellFor 62 seconds, if you are below 50% Health, you have 8 health regeneration and a 75% chance to block attacks.10145 "I Am Unstoppable!" EotNNo Profession. Norn rank "I Am Unstoppable!"ShoutFor 16..20 seconds, you have +24 armor and cannot be knocked down or Crippled. PvE only.530 Ebon Battle Standard of Honor EotNNo Profession. Ebon Vanguard rank Ebon Battle Standard of HonorWard SpellYou plant an Ebon Battle Standard of Honor at your current location. For 14..20 seconds, non-Spirit allies in this area strike for +8..15 damage and an additional +7..10 vs. Charr. PvE only.10120 "Can't Touch This!" NightfallParagon. Command 12"Can't Touch This!"ShoutFor 20 seconds, the next 4 Touch Skills used against allies within earshot fail.520 "Fall Back!" NightfallParagon. Command 12"Fall Back!"ShoutFor 9 seconds, all allies within earshot gain 13 Health per second while moving and move 33% faster. "Fall Back!" ends on an ally affected by this Shout when that ally successfully hits with an attack.1020 Feel No Pain EotNNo Profession. Norn rank Feel No PainSkillFor 30 seconds you have +2..3 Health regeneration. If you are drunk when activating this Skill you also have +200..300 maximum Health. PvE only.520 Death's Charge FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Death's ChargeSpellShadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 209.5¼30   Template code

Equipment

• Full Blessed armor.
• Zealous Scythe of Enchanting.
• Weapon of Enchanting and a shield with +10 AR vs. Cold damage.
• Switch to a shield with +10 vs Lightning when going to pass the Stormcloud Incubi.
• Staff of Enchanting for a high energy set.

Usage

• Use alcohol if you brought Feel No Pain.
• The whole team runs to the wurm at the end of level 1 and kills it.
• Support the team by getting them to the called target with your shouts. Chromatic Drakes spam Lightning Touch that cause blinding to the team. Your job is to keep "Can't Touch This!" on the team so that the A/D Aura's gain energy back from their zealous scythe hits.
• Ping honor as a sign for the team to jump to you after you tanked the worms.
• On level 3, kill the wurm with the snowball. Call the team to follow and run through the room, avoiding the Incubi Patrol.
• Run past Stormcloud Incubi with "I Am Unstoppable!" and Deaths Charge and help the team with a little healing from "Fall Back!" and "Can't Touch This!" to prevent Lightning Touch.
• Rush level 4 solo or have some more team members to make it to the gate. Glitch the gate by letting you get pushed trough it by the Jotuns.

Variants

• Dark EscapeFactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts Dark EscapeStanceFor 5..13..16 seconds, you move 25% faster and take half damage. Dark Escape ends if you successfully hit with an attack.530 instead of Feel No Pain.
• Dwarven StabilityEotNNo Profession. Deldrimor rank Dwarven StabilityEnchantment SpellFor 24..30 seconds, your Stances last 55..100% longer. If you activated this Skill while drunk, you cannot be knocked down.
  PvE only.5¼30 and DashFactionsAssassin. UnlinkedDashStanceFor 3 seconds, you run 50% faster.58 instead of Feel No Pain and "Can't Touch This!".
• Shadow SanctuaryFactionsAssassin. Kurzick rank Shadow Sanctuary (Kurzick)Enchantment SpellYou are Blinded for 10 seconds. For 10 seconds, you gain +5..10 Health regeneration and +40 armor.
  PvE only.5¼30 instead of Feel No Pain - remember that it blinds you.
• "Stand Your Ground!"NightfallParagon. Command "Stand Your Ground!"ShoutFor 5..17..21 seconds, all party members within earshot receive +24 armor when not moving.1020 instead of Feel No Pain.

GDW Aura (5x)

Assassin / Dervish 12 + 1 + 3 Shadow Arts 12 Wind Prayers 3 Critical Strikes You have an additional 3% chance to critical hit. Whenever you critical hit, you get 1 Energy. Shadow Form FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shadow FormElite Enchantment SpellFor 22 seconds, you cannot be the target of enemy Spells, and you gain 5 damage reduction for each Assassin enchantment on you. You cannot deal more than 26 damage with a single skill or attack.5130 Shroud of Distress FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shroud of DistressEnchantment SpellFor 62 seconds, if you are below 50% Health, you have 8 health regeneration and a 75% chance to block attacks.10145 "I Am Unstoppable!" EotNNo Profession. Norn rank "I Am Unstoppable!"ShoutFor 16..20 seconds, you have +24 armor and cannot be knocked down or Crippled. PvE only.530 Great Dwarf Weapon EotNNo 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 Grenth's Aura EotNDervish. Wind Prayers 12Grenth's AuraFlash Enchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you deal 21 less damage and steal 21 Health whenever you hit with a scythe attack. When you cast this enchantment you steal 21 Health from all adjacent foes.1010 Attacker's Insight NightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 12Attacker's InsightFlash Enchantment SpellFor 9 seconds, you have a 50% chance to block while attacking. When this enchantment ends, you inflict Weakness on all adjacent foes for 13 seconds.1010 Great Dwarf Armor EotNNo Profession. Deldrimor rank Great Dwarf ArmorEnchantment SpellFor 22..40 seconds, target ally has +24 armor, +60 maximum Health, and an additional +24 armor against Destroyers. PvE only.5110 Death's Charge FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Death's ChargeSpellShadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 209.5¼30   Template code

Usage

• The 24 armor from IAU and and 24 armor from Great Dwarf Armor do stack with each other and make you a lot less vulnerable, however bringing more armor skills will cancel each other out, due to an armor skill limit.
• Use Great Dwarf Armor on the A/N and A/P if you see that they need it. Maintain GDW on A/Ds in combat.
• When fighting elementals on level 3, use Attacker's Insight and kill Chilling Wisps first.
• When the caller calls a target, shadow step to his location. While still running to the caller, hit your Called Target Button [T].
• The whole team runs to the wurms at the end of level 1 and kills them.
• On level 2, wait for the caller to ping and spike.
• On level 3, wait for the caller to kill the wurm with the snowball, and then run through the room, avoiding the Incubi Patrol.
• For further instructions on level 3, 4, and 5 learn from videos on YouTube, watch it and gain experience how to do it.

LoD

Assassin / Dervish 12 + 1 + 3 Shadow Arts 12 Wind Prayers 3 Critical Strikes You have an additional 3% chance to critical hit. Whenever you critical hit, you get 1 Energy. Shadow Form FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shadow FormElite Enchantment SpellFor 22 seconds, you cannot be the target of enemy Spells, and you gain 5 damage reduction for each Assassin enchantment on you. You cannot deal more than 26 damage with a single skill or attack.5130 Shroud of Distress FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shroud of DistressEnchantment SpellFor 62 seconds, if you are below 50% Health, you have 8 health regeneration and a 75% chance to block attacks.10145 "I Am Unstoppable!" EotNNo Profession. Norn rank "I Am Unstoppable!"ShoutFor 16..20 seconds, you have +24 armor and cannot be knocked down or Crippled. PvE only.530 Light of Deldrimor EotNNo Profession. Deldrimor rank Light of DeldrimorSpellAll foes in the area are struck for 55..80 holy damage. The location of hidden objects are briefly indicated on your Compass. Any hidden objects in the area are revealed. PvE only.5¾20 Grenth's Aura EotNDervish. Wind Prayers 12Grenth's AuraFlash Enchantment SpellFor 20 seconds, you deal 21 less damage and steal 21 Health whenever you hit with a scythe attack. When you cast this enchantment you steal 21 Health from all adjacent foes.1010 Attacker's Insight NightfallDervish. Wind Prayers 12Attacker's InsightFlash Enchantment SpellFor 9 seconds, you have a 50% chance to block while attacking. When this enchantment ends, you inflict Weakness on all adjacent foes for 13 seconds.1010 Great Dwarf Armor EotNNo Profession. Deldrimor rank Great Dwarf ArmorEnchantment SpellFor 22..40 seconds, target ally has +24 armor, +60 maximum Health, and an additional +24 armor against Destroyers. PvE only.5110 Death's Charge FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Death's ChargeSpellShadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 209.5¼30   Template code

Usage

Same as above for the GDW Aura with the following exceptions:

• Be fast with LoD to pop all treasures, so that you do not slow down the run. The spots will be visible as soon as you use LoD, or check this treasure map to see where the spots are.
• On level 5 you open the treasure room. As soon as the rest of the team has killed the small wurms and Frostmaw Spawns the rest of the team retreats into the treasure room, and only the caller stays to pull Frostmaw under the boulders.
• Call (shift+control+spacebar) a wurm so that the Norn follow you to the treasure room instead of stealing aggro when the caller tries to pull Frostmaw under the boulders.

Barbs

Assassin / Necromancer 12 + 1 + 3 Shadow Arts 12 Curses 3 Critical Strikes You have an additional 3% chance to critical hit. Whenever you critical hit, you get 1 Energy. Shadow Form FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shadow FormElite Enchantment SpellFor 22 seconds, you cannot be the target of enemy Spells, and you gain 5 damage reduction for each Assassin enchantment on you. You cannot deal more than 26 damage with a single skill or attack.5130 Shroud of Distress FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Shroud of DistressEnchantment SpellFor 62 seconds, if you are below 50% Health, you have 8 health regeneration and a 75% chance to block attacks.10145 "I Am Unstoppable!" EotNNo Profession. Norn rank "I Am Unstoppable!"ShoutFor 16..20 seconds, you have +24 armor and cannot be knocked down or Crippled. PvE only.530 Unseen Fury FactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts 16Unseen FuryStanceAll adjacent foes are Blinded for 10 seconds. For 31 seconds, you cannot be blocked by Blinded foes. 520 Barbs CoreNecromancer. Curses 12BarbsHex SpellFor 30 seconds, target foe takes 12 more damage when hit by physical damage.1025 Mark of Pain CoreNecromancer. Curses 12Mark of PainHex SpellFor 30 seconds, whenever target foe takes physical damage, Mark of Pain deals 34 shadow damage to adjacent foes.10120 Feel No Pain EotNNo Profession. Norn rank Feel No PainSkillFor 30 seconds you have +2..3 Health regeneration. If you are drunk when activating this Skill you also have +200..300 maximum Health. PvE only.520 Ebon Escape EotNNo Profession. Ebon Vanguard rank Ebon EscapeSpellShadow Step to target other ally. You and that other ally are healed for 70..110 health. PvE only.5¼10   Template code

Usage

Similar to the above GDW Aura usage with the following changes:

• Use your hex spells on the target and use Unseen Fury to blind the foes.
• Run past Stormcloud Incubi with IAU and Ebon Escape.

Variants

• Shadow SanctuaryFactionsAssassin. Kurzick rank Shadow Sanctuary (Kurzick)Enchantment SpellYou are Blinded for 10 seconds. For 10 seconds, you gain +5..10 Health regeneration and +40 armor.
  PvE only.5¼30 instead of Feel No Pain - remember that it blinds you.
• Death's ChargeFactionsAssassin. Shadow Arts Death's ChargeSpellShadow Step to target foe. If that foe has more Health than you, you are healed for 65..173..209.5¼30 instead of Ebon Escape.
• Ebon Battle Standard of HonorEotNNo Profession. Ebon Vanguard rank Ebon Battle Standard of HonorWard SpellYou plant an Ebon Battle Standard of Honor at your current location. For 14..20 seconds, non-Spirit allies in this area strike for +8..15 damage and an additional +7..10 vs. Charr.
  PvE only.10120 If choose to not bring an A/P tank.
• Order of PainCoreNecromancer. Blood Magic Order of PainEnchantment SpellFor 5 seconds, whenever a party member hits a foe with physical damage, that party member does +3..13..17 damage.17%102 instead of Mark of Pain - So the A/D's reach the maximum damage cap from Shadow Form, besides the life stealing from Grenth's Aura. Change Curses to 10 and Blood to 8.
• 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 instead of Unseen Fury.

Team Strategy

Level 1

• Everyone runs to the door and kills the Wurm spawns.
• Head to the next level.

Level 2

• Kill the Wurm spawn at the left door.
• Wait in the doorway where a treasure pops. Let the tank go in first so he can ball the Frostmaw Spawn group. Shadow step to his location after he pings.
• You can go either route next:
  • You could run through the Incubi spawn with help from the A/P Tank, who should use C.T.T, and F.B. on the team.
  • Or go kill the third Frostmaw spawn in the room on the right - this way is now Incubi free.
• Don't worry about aggroing the Jotuns, since this team is strong enough to survive them. Run to the Siege Wurm and attack it - adjacent Jotun will die. Just be careful with Jotun Skullsmashers since they carry Skull Crack which can interrupt and daze you. Attacker's Insight helps to block the hits, or blind him with Unseen Fury if you brought it.
• Kill the Frozen Elementals that spawn alongside the Siege Wurm and head through the door.

Level 3

• The tank will pull the first Frostmaw spawn under the snowball and let the team know when its good to go.
• Run past the Incubi patrol to the next room, do not aggro them!
• The hallway ahead will have a Wurm spawn and a large spawn of Incubi to get past. Kill all the enemies in the hallway unless you are confident your group can make it past the large spawn of Incubi.
• If your group manages to make it past, head down the left where you will meet a Wurm spawn, the main tank can pull this spawn into the snowball as seen in the video. Watch out for the Incubi patrol - the team can temporarily hide near the shrine.
• Go through the now open wall and head left. There is another Incubi patrol and Wurm spawn here. The group can run to the far left side as a safe spot.
• Target the Frozen Elemental, get as many enchants up as possible after use of SF, use IAU and CTT to run pass the Incubi and Death's Charge to your target.
• Run to the end, avoid the Incubi patrol, and pull the Frostmaw group into the snowball to open the next area.
• Head to the next level.

Level 4

• This level does not require an Essence since the Icy Stalagmites use Quickening Zephyr, providing you with a sufficient reduction in spell recharge to maintain SF.
• Avoid the Incubi patrols and head to the end.
• Either kill the Frostmaw Spawn or glitch through the door.

Level 5

• This level does not require an Essence.
• Run through the boulders, with the LoD splitting off left to operate the switch and the rest of the team heading right.
• With one player shadow stepping in each time to reduce scatter, kill all of the Wurms to spawn Frostmaw the Kinslayer.
• You can do the next bit two ways:
  • Head to the far edge of the room to avoid aggro from the three siege wurms and have the team spam skills until Frostmaw dies.
  • After killing the small wurms, retreat into the treasure room, and have the tank pull Frostmaw under the boulders near the start.
    • Someone else in the team should call/ping (shift+control) a Siege Wurm so that the Norns follow you into the treasure room and don't steal aggro from the tank.
• Everyone can now collect the chest.

Usage

• Exit from Sifhalla and run to the dungeon.
• Try not to get too close to the Avalanches which spam Frozen Burst through your Shadow Form.
• Do not make unnecessary movements during the spike, or the target wurm will disappear into the ground and pop up at a new spot, prolonging the run.
• It is a good habit to always use IAU before casting SF and SoD, so that the knock down from the wurms that pop up will not interrupt you.
• Run past Stormcloud Incubi with CTT, IAU and as many enchants as you have to cover Shadow Form/Shroud of Distress to avoid enchantment strip.

Counters

• Not maintaining your enchantments.
• Players who fall behind the team during crucial moments will result in their deaths, slowing the run down.
• The team not balling up on the caller, so the enemies spread out.
• Killing the balled wurms terribly slow, usually leads to deaths in the team.
• Not using G.D.W. on team members, so one third of the damage is lost since Honor has no effect without the extra +20 damage from G.D.W.
• The team not using Attacker's Insight to block and apply the weakness condition.
• Whirling Wisps use Lyssa's Assault and can interrupt the tank on level 3 while they are pulling the Frostmaw spawn to the snowball.
• Unnecessarily aggro from the Incubis patrols will result in stripped enchantments by Soulrending Shriek.

Videos

• [1] Auraway A/N (MoP) tutorial

Full Frostmaw run on YouTube, divided into 3 parts:

• Part 1 (Ashway)
• Part 2 (Ashway)
• Part 3 (Ashway)

Main tank (outdated, glitches no longer work):

• Main Tank (with glitches at lvl 1 and lvl 4) (Ashway)