PvP HoX help ... badly needed

[Balacai]

I've experimented a lot with the different class AA's and I really didn't find any to be as useful or effective as Enslaving Fire and Feeding the Pyre. Having a second aoe stun is just great. Especially once you get used to doing jump combos. You won't notice the Burning Skull procs unless you look for them, but they do happen pretty often, 12.5% chance per hit I think and it procs for like 200-500 usually.

From the Beyond is nice occasionally, but usually in a minigame chasing on a HoX is going to get you killed. Best way to play a HoX in PvP is to bait people or wait until they're grouped up, aoe cc them, and nuke. Chasing ranged dps is fine but overextend even a little and you'll get boned.

Red Shadows is just a minuscule difference. A quick look at the character sheet confirms this, and when playing it's a barely noticeable difference.


I prefer Field of War and Decisive Strikes for T1 AA's on my HoX, personally.

Here's my spec: http://goo.gl/zBSX1F

And here are some HoX PvP videos of mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKIzThbaVbk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTX2hsFgyq4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWYcYGG3EZg

Another random tip I'd give you is to be mindful of your HFB's. Don't HFB tanks if there are other targets around. Don't give them free immunity to the interrupt. Wait until they're about to hit you hard or CC you, or a teammate, and use it then.

[Unutterable]

I've experimented a lot with the different class AA's and I really didn't find any to be as useful or effective as Enslaving Fire and Feeding the Pyre. Having a second aoe stun is just great. Especially once you get used to doing jump combos. You won't notice the Burning Skull procs unless you look for them, but they do happen pretty often, 12.5% chance per hit I think and it procs for like 200-500 usually.

From the Beyond is nice occasionally, but usually in a minigame chasing on a HoX is going to get you killed. Best way to play a HoX in PvP is to bait people or wait until they're grouped up, aoe cc them, and nuke. Chasing ranged dps is fine but overextend even a little and you'll get boned.

Red Shadows is just a minuscule difference. A quick look at the character sheet confirms this, and when playing it's a barely noticeable difference.


I prefer Field of War and Decisive Strikes for T1 AA's on my HoX, personally.

Here's my spec: http://goo.gl/zBSX1F

And here are some HoX PvP videos of mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKIzThbaVbk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTX2hsFgyq4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWYcYGG3EZg

Another random tip I'd give you is to be mindful of your HFB's. Don't HFB tanks if there are other targets around. Don't give them free immunity to the interrupt. Wait until they're about to hit you hard or CC you, or a teammate, and use it then.

What's the damage like on burning words? I never specced it because it seems that it breaks too easily as it is.

[Caudilloo]

I've experimented a lot with the different class AA's and I really didn't find any to be as useful or effective as Enslaving Fire and Feeding the Pyre. Having a second aoe stun is just great. Especially once you get used to doing jump combos. You won't notice the Burning Skull procs unless you look for them, but they do happen pretty often, 12.5% chance per hit I think and it procs for like 200-500 usually.

From the Beyond is nice occasionally, but usually in a minigame chasing on a HoX is going to get you killed. Best way to play a HoX in PvP is to bait people or wait until they're grouped up, aoe cc them, and nuke. Chasing ranged dps is fine but overextend even a little and you'll get boned.

Red Shadows is just a minuscule difference. A quick look at the character sheet confirms this, and when playing it's a barely noticeable difference.


I prefer Field of War and Decisive Strikes for T1 AA's on my HoX, personally.

Here's my spec: http://goo.gl/zBSX1F

And here are some HoX PvP videos of mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKIzThbaVbk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTX2hsFgyq4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWYcYGG3EZg

Another random tip I'd give you is to be mindful of your HFB's. Don't HFB tanks if there are other targets around. Don't give them free immunity to the interrupt. Wait until they're about to hit you hard or CC you, or a teammate, and use it then.

Thanks! This is helpful! I do always try to use my HFB in a smart way. I mainly chose FTB as class perk because it is fast to train. I also like to keep pressure on those rangers (which seem to become a plague lately) and FTB is just perfect to counter their lame rotation of running and shooting. You are right tho that this often makes me end up dead behind enemy lines but someone has to do it or their range will just **** my team while they are bashing soldiers.

When I get more AAs my first choice would also be enslaving fire + feeding the pyre. I was thinking of combining this with a tri-build with improved burning skulls and extended range on pillars (so you extend the range of your aoe stun both in general and in avatar tree) but I will try that later when I get more AAs. Since I almost exclusively PvE'd until last month I haven't really practiced the combo-jump thingy.

How much hitrating would you say I need to not miss any hits?
Correct me if wrong but HoX has no real feats to boost the amount of crits right? That means the extra critdamage does not make as big a difference on a HoX as it does on a class that can boos their critrating to >40% like conq. I now have 11.4 hitrating with T1set+Hyrkanian sword, but I am not sure if I will have enough when I change out hitrating for Field of War.

What do you think about Transcendence vs Will of the Sublime btw?

[Balacai]

Thanks! This is helpful! I do always try to use my HFB in a smart way. I mainly chose FTB as class perk because it is fast to train. I also like to keep pressure on those rangers (which seem to become a plague lately) and FTB is just perfect to counter their lame rotation of running and shooting. You are right tho that this often makes me end up dead behind enemy lines but someone has to do it or their range will just **** my team while they are bashing soldiers.

When I get more AAs my first choice would also be enslaving fire + feeding the pyre. I was thinking of combining this with a tri-build with improved burning skulls and extended range on pillars (so you extend the range of your aoe stun both in general and in avatar tree) but I will try that later when I get more AAs. Since I almost exclusively PvE'd until last month I haven't really practiced the combo-jump thingy.

How much hitrating would you say I need to not miss any hits?
Correct me if wrong but HoX has no real feats to boost the amount of crits right? That means the extra critdamage does not make as big a difference on a HoX as it does on a class that can boos their critrating to >40% like conq. I now have 11.4 hitrating with T1set+Hyrkanian sword, but I am not sure if I will have enough when I change out hitrating for Field of War.

What do you think about Transcendence vs Will of the Sublime btw?

I have 8.9% PvP hit bonus chance, but I almost never miss or get resisted unless rogues use their abilities to increase those stats.

I definitely like Will of the Sublime more. You get the most benefit from it vs other Mages as a HoX since you get strength + intelligence whereas others just get int. Also Silence isn't a very common CC, and it never lasts very long and doesn't stop your combos, so Transcendence isn't as nice as the Rogue or Soldier versions.

[konungr]

Well you're going to want to train more AA's for start.

Focus on Decisive strikes, Field of War, the CC break, Invigoration, either get Red shadows of xoti, or the other one that lets you charge multiple times.

For spec

I'd go for something like this.

http://goo.gl/L1dxFj


Bindings and skills are something you're going to have to figure it out on your own.


As for rotation, its simple.

Hox HFB is easy AoE instant spell. With the silence if you time if right you can easily interrupt an entire groups combo/spell.

IF you want to get kills, I'd suggest do what we do in premades, focus the ranged classes ( Ranger/necro/demo) as they will melt your team. If there is no range class, focus bear shaman/barb/tos/pom etc, Tanks should be your last resort/ same with assassins.


Simple rotation could be this, (transform, charge in (Use tome of erik instantly while you charge in, hfb, find your target, put spit fire and chains of anguish on him, hfb again. kite jump around literately jump "AROUND" the group try to make yourself hardest to get hit by melee because you will die. Dance around hfb till your target is dead and gtfo regen health, rinse repeat.) Of course if you have phoenix cloak up use it before you charge in. However I'd save PC for more important times when groups are grouped up.


Just fyi, hox is one of those class you can't try to top kill without dying a lot. If you go in with the intention to kill and survive, you might find yourself die more often than you get kills.

I want to bump this post, because when I added this build and used suggested aa (had to wait for aa to train) it made a BIG difference.

[elefnot]

Once again thank you all for the amazing discussion and pointers,I keep refering to this and following the advice you all have provided.

Nice videos attached as well, I used the enslave fire- burning skull aa's ( rank 1s on both) while i was time training rosx. As avatar for pve i enjoy that perk but the concensus on which perk to use is not definitive, so i guess i will really have to train ftb as well as max ranks of enslaving fire to figure out the playstyle.

My other question is , how good is trial of flame ( hyrk faction swords ) for pvp , should i try to get it or use the t1 pvp weapon ?

[Grominou]

Trial of flame is better than t1 and t2 pvp for me.

[elefnot]

Well just wanted to thank everyone who helped me couple months ago by contributing to this thread. Followed your suggestions and helpful tips and today for the first time I topped a mini with a positive score. A little victory for me, I know I am far from being decent but good to know I am somewhat on the right track Feels incredible to be actually doing damage and helping the team , glad I stuck with it.

Not trying to brag as I do not know the skill level of my opponents but just love seeing the difference AA's make . Next stop trying to get Enslaving fire to 5 or Ftb.

http://imgur.com/6legl3W

http://imgur.com/UqPhga9

http://imgur.com/zmo7rcS

[Lerael]

Well just wanted to thank everyone who helped me couple months ago by contributing to this thread. Followed your suggestions and helpful tips and today for the first time I topped a mini with a positive score. A little victory for me, I know I am far from being decent but good to know I am somewhat on the right track

http://imgur.com/6legl3W

Just did a mini against you and you're not doing bad.

If you manage to go positive in minigames with a HoX, that means you are at least above average.

[Unutterable]

Well just wanted to thank everyone who helped me couple months ago by contributing to this thread. Followed your suggestions and helpful tips and today for the first time I topped a mini with a positive score. A little victory for me, I know I am far from being decent but good to know I am somewhat on the right track Feels incredible to be actually doing damage and helping the team , glad I stuck with it.

Not trying to brag as I do not know the skill level of my opponents but just love seeing the difference AA's make . Next stop trying to get Enslaving fire to 5 or Ftb.

http://imgur.com/6legl3W

http://imgur.com/UqPhga9

Good work man. It's so disheartening to listen to new players or recent returnees who complain x is op, y is op and refuse to listen and learn and adapt.

Also

http://imgur.com/zmo7rcS

Lol axtim