Hero Builds: some overly generic and longwinded thoughts from ian

The Big Question!
What are heroes for?
I guess my answer here dectates everything else that I will write
Basically to help the team
By
Helping kill things faster
stopping you from dying
Although this seems obvious, there are much more than one answer to these suggestions. If you read them too literally, we’d stick with warriors, eles and monks. The easiest to fulfil these things with simple AI. Let me run through the things that go thru my head with each class. But first expand on the 2 premises.

A. Help Kill things faster
1 – attack things (durr) area of effects are good generally.
2 – make others attacks more beneficial (like weapons spells, shouts, some hexes)

B. Stop you from dying
1 – Heal / Protect – monks, but also, some shouts, paragon skills, wells
2 – Increase Armor (Shouts such as watch yourself)
3 – Increase the chance of blocking
4 – Preventing an attack – interrupts, which I need to note, are pretty much one of the things that the computer does better than real ppl. Lots of these also help kill things.
5 – Self heals – obviously, if they stop themself from dying, the monk doesn’t need to do that, and therefore adds to stopping you dying…

So…
Listed below are some thoughts on each class, maybe a recommended secondary. Please… I’m not expert in this, I’ve played a few different classes quite extensively, so have some different thoughts on this stuff.

Warrior
Attacks and some Shouts (watch yourself helps whole team), I’d go paragon secondary, cause there shouts benefit from the adrenaline you are earning with attacks. Obviously… if you need lots of adrenaline in the build go for a sword (quicker), if its not so important, go axe… I’m sure you guys know more about the intricacies of warriors than me. All I’m suggesting is… use the adrenaline to help the whole team as well as help the Warriors attacks. Paragons have a res skill, so that works fine with the overall team build. Also, disruption/knock down where available.

Ranger
2 options really
Barrage or Interrupt. I think some spirits that help the whole team would be handy with a barrage build. I reckon the monk secondary is good for these guys.
I’ve also put a little thought into a hero pet build, that maybe has interruption going on. I checked out the skills, and made this build up… The first 3 skills are all interrupts, so you could probably replace one of them with a good solid yet cheap animal attack. With this build I’d go 15 Beast Mastery (12+3), 9 marksmanship (8+1) and 11 Expertise (10+1). Unless you have a bow that requires more than 9, then just bump down you expertise.
Savage pounce
Bestial pounce
Disrupting lunge
Predatory Bond
Symbiotic Bond
Heal as One (Elite)Charm Animal
Res

Elementalist
The options start with Fire (blast em, and blast em hard) and work their way thru air (shock em round and knock em down) water (freeze them then ice yourself up to protect yourself) then finally earth (with some great attacks, armors like water and added wards – which are area of effect skills that help protect the team in various ways).
I’d pick one attribute, stack it with a superior rune (12+3) and then whack the rest in energy storage (12+1).
If you wanna mix it up, so inspiration magic spells from mesmers can really help with energy (so drop energy storage to 10+1) and give insp 8 (power drain and leech signet are the best 2 to go with for a hero, as they interrupt)

Necromancer
This is where it starts getting a little complex. Some of my fave necro skills are too dependant on working together (like the other night copland, you me, mark of pain and spiteful spirit) So… dunno a good MM works (at least from my experience it does, I’ve heard others say it doesn’t. Some simple damage spells, and things that add health like vampiric gaze or life syphon.
Also… Wells, are area of effect, and pretty good in most part. Mess around and see what you come up with. Oh… I think Spiteful Spirit would be ok, its just that the AI doesn’t always pick the best person to hit with it, so you don’t get the most bang for your buck.

Mesmer
I haven’t actually got a mes hero, but my 2 choices would be insp/dom or insp/ill. Stick with a few interrupts (3 or 4) and a couple of other classics from the attribute (like empathy and backfire for dom, conjure phantasm and clumsiness for ill). The interrupts are what make it really, so I’d probably keep fast casting reasonably high (10+1) then maybe level the other 2 out (8+3) and (12+1) if the superior rune is killing you just go 11,10,10 with 3 +1s.

Monk
I think we’ve covered this yeah?
I don’t know enough about smiting prayers to give an intelligible build

Assassin
I’m just experimenting, but sticking with cheap skills that recharge quickly, with some speed to get her out of trouble.

Ritualist
Haven’t got there yet. But I’m thinking 2 things – lots of spirits or lots of weapons spells. Help the whole team… you know.

Dervish
Ummmm, yeah
This is the one that I struggle with the most

Paragon
Although they can tank, I think for the purposes of a hero it would be best to stick with a support build that helps other kill things quicker (so focus round command). Or… if you have only one monk and/or a heap of casters so for motivation. Keep the spear high enough to help, and a fair bit of leadership Bob’s your uncle. Note there are also some extra awesome skills in leadership, that may make it round out well with motivation. I mainly go motivation/leadership with my paragon

Please add suggestions, in comments or make a whole new post slamming me if I’m simplistic or wrong, that’s fine.
With EotN having 10 new heroes I really want to be able to have 25 builds, ready to go. Mixing and matching them when I need them. Sure… Xyla only has 7 heroes right now, but that will go up, I hope.