« Ackadia's Guide to Guild Wars: Choosing and Using Heroes »
My reasons for liking Heroes!
I prefer real players with me, but I have several reasons why I hardly ever bother:
- They are predictable.
I know exactly how heroes and henchmen will act in any given situation and, within programmed boundaries, they are invariably better than most players! They don't rage quit after one death, they don't go AFK, they don't get abusive, they don't run ahead, drawing every aggressive group in the area down on your heads, they don't - well there's a lot of stupid and annoying things there don't do that an uncomfortable number of player can and will do… - Home life issues:
If the children are home and I'm playing I can't always concentrate, to say the least. Heroes and henchman are cool with this. They will, if necessary, stand guard forever while I see to whatever arises. - Heroes don't care what class you are!
Whilst I am one of those that firmly believes many Warriors are a liability, I understand that is it the individual player that counts most. For the most part, any class or combination of classes can work provided the person/team is/are experienced enough. Sadly, a lot of older people* have either had several bad experiences with certain classes, or they are happy with what they know and don't understand the strengths and weaknesses of all the other classes.
*(Older in game terms, not real age)
Because of this some people will have a terrible time getting in a group in a number of areas, not because they are useless, but because one or more members are not willing to be in a group with your character class.
Indeed there are a few areas - particularly Elite missions - where some classes face a torrent of abuse for even daring to turn up and ask to join a group. These name calling control freaks and immature people simply cannot concieve that anything other than what they themselves like is viable. Then what do you know, some of these 'noobs' are the same bright sparks that work out how to solo or duo the area with a dervish, an assassin, a … - Henchmen are never abusive!
New players are NEVER 'noobs', they are people that are just learning the game - like we all have/had to. In my experience, using the term in the derogatory way it is intended, 'noobs' are the usually the first to complain, the first to call other people a 'noob' and the first to leave. Mature players have more respect for themselves and others than this, while heroes simply have no prejudices!
Similarly, suggesting something 'different' doesn't make you an idiot or a 'noob' either. To say the least, I first it highly amusingly to be told I'm stupid because THEY cannot do something! If you take these same doubters with you, despite being told about patrols and such, they either hold back, getting you killed, or run ahead, getting you killed - and apparently this proves they were right.
- Heroes are spoiling Guild Wars!
Another fallacy, usually moaned about by players unable or unwilling to change. The people - like myself - that almost exclusively use heroes are the same one that previously only used henchmen; the only thing that has changed is our henchmen are now vastly superior!
Also, one of the main reasons people like me use heroes is we can't get into groups because people like (the proverbial) you decide we are not what you are looking for!
Besides, if, for example, you are doing a mission / farming / exploring do you and are a healer short, do you a) wait for hours spamming 'looking for a healer/bonder' until you either get one or give up trying and play on your x-box, or b) add a hero monk and get on with it?
Well, d'oh!
The making of a Hero!
The default hero - even taken up to level 20 - is little better than a henchman until you upgrade it.
This means buying or farming for new runes and weapons, buying new skills, leaning which spells are best for general use, or for specific areas.
The more campaigns you own with your account, the more skills you have access to. Any skills you unlock, elite or otherwise, are available for all your heroes across your account. I may cover this in detail in a separate page, but the 'trick' here is to equip your heroes as well or better than you equip yourself. Runes, weapons, offhand, skills, these all need to be upgraded.
Essentially your main Heroes need to be at least as good as you or any player you meet. Blue runes are very common - health (vitae), attunement, skills… instead of selling them, use them on a hero - you can always salvage them back later if needed as hero armour doesn't get destroyed!
I've spent a lot of time, effort and gold on my Heroes and it's been worth every penny. I even tried an Elite mission (meant for 12) with 3 heroes and still got further than many of the times I tried with 11 real players. If you put the effort in, to use the vernacular, Heroes Own!
[ See also my page on farming which looks at using Heroes ]
To varying degrees all of my heroes are upgraded, with those I choose every day having the most lavished on them.
Olias the Necromancer, shown here is equipped what I considered the best combination for a Minion Master:
Bortak's Bone Claw, Konruu's Fervor offhand, Minion Master armor (via runes), Superior Vigor, Death and Bloodstained runes for maximum health and Death skills, with the last few spaces taken up with runes of Attunement (+2 energy) and Minor Soul Reaping.
Put together he has 66 Energy, 455 Health and in the case of a massacre he is often the last one left standing, which is just as well as his minions can be level 28 in the case of the Animated Flesh Golem. Disowned minions get aggressive, if you didn't know - having your necromancer die in a tough battle and finding ten undead allies attacking you is never a good thing!
Like myself, most of my other spell casters are equipped with Radiant (armor) of Attunement for maximum Energy, while the others are equipped with green or gold Sundering (weapons) of Fortitude and similar enhancements. In fact half the time I farm various bosses for items for my heroes rather that selling via trade chat, which is mind-numbingly boring!
