Sylvan Combat

Laial

Hello!

Long time veteran of Achaea coming back from a long absence, but I am just now getting around to learning to actually fight. I was hoping to learn a bit about how the Sylvan class fights. Is it prep or momentum? How does its kill path work (I'm assuming heartseed)? What is the purpose of Propagation (that's new since I was last around)? Do people actually use any Grove abilities in combat? I would appreciate any and all help anyone is willing to offer.

Aegoth

spam weatherweaving, win

Laial

Oh and I do have trans in all my class abilities, and trans Survival as well, if that makes a difference

Ryzeth

Laial said:

Hello!

Long time veteran of Achaea coming back from a long absence, but I am just now getting around to learning to actually fight. I was hoping to learn a bit about how the Sylvan class fights. Is it prep or momentum? How does its kill path work (I'm assuming heartseed)? What is the purpose of Propagation (that's new since I was last around)? Do people actually use any Grove abilities in combat? I would appreciate any and all help anyone is willing to offer.

Heartseed path is likely easier to learn, but it's also easier to not die against provided the person you're fighting knows how Sylvan fights... Barring that it's basically a momentum class; in Makarios's words, probably the last class you'd want to try and stand toe-to-toe with in a single room. Shockwave is still extremely powerful, as is their generic nuke setup with bolt-blackout.

Propagation's purpose is to allow dual afflictions to be delivered on thornrend: one with the propagate (which can be done immediately prior to thornrend) and the second with envenom (which I think you'll have to get in weaponry, I don't remember if Sylvan gets it at baseline)... So something like propagate arms with bloodroot/thornrend aegoth kalmia -> that'd give paralysis+asthma.

With weatherweaving you'll have to summon clouds in the room, and then link the person you're attacking to them (forget the exact command) so that you can build arcane power on them with your combinations. Don't forget to flood (deluge) rooms, if you don't you can't use waterspout. You can actually get by without using thornrend at all, just use propagate for the defences you obtain pretty much.

Groves has the most hated entity in the game: bees. They hurt, and they can deliver paralysis. Barring those, most things have niche uses. Be sure to keep staff spun for the mitigation it provides. Panacea and Vigour also make great tanking ability.

Mathilda

Groves is amazing. Aside from the mentioned damage mitigation, panacea, and vigour, you also have prismatic barrier. Targetable prismatic barrier. Just make sure your staff has a good amount of sunlight to power the abilities!

Rangor

Sylvan ways to win:

weatherweaving - save AP until 70, burst affs into lock
weatherweaving - save some AP, burst damage into kill
propagation - prep limbs and torso, break and heartseed.

Combine breaks with burst damage or lock against tricky targets.
Good utility, high damage, good affs, limb damage. 

Arties of choice: Diadem->Collar->sash->tanking

Laial

Very helpful information so far, thank you. I do not have envenom in weaponry yet and it'll be awhile before I can get it so looks like Weatherweaving is going to be the ticket. Is there a certain order of spells that is recommended or is it situational?