GM Trapper GuideIntroI decided to make this guide because there doesn't seem to be any good modern trapper guides. This guide is geared towards East NL and for GM dueling.
The trapper is a highly versatile caster with great capabilities offensively and defensively. I will discuss my build and why I believe it's superior.
I will be using many acronyms throughout this guide (I will also be saying "claw block" instead of "weapon block"). Here's a short list of what they are, even though I expect the general population to know what they are:
fcr - faster cast rate
fhr - faster hit recovery
frw - faster run walk
ias - increased attack speed
bp - breakpoint
life rep/rep life - life replenish
GT - greater talon
os - socket
fpa - frames per action
ls - lightning sentry
bos - burst of speed
wof - wake of fire
wsg - weapon switch glitch
dr - damage reduction
ww(s) - whirlwind(s)
ibs - invisible bone spirit
gm/bm - good mannered/bad mannered
Skills/Stats20 Mindblast
20 Lightning sentry
20 Death sentry
20 Charged bolt sentry
20 Shock web
1 shadow master
1 bos
1 fade
x claw block
x fireblast
You will max your skills around 97 depending on gear. Any additional skills will go into fireblast or claw block. Maxing mindblast is superior to max clawblock/fireblast builds. At level 36 (20 base points), mindblast does 224-234 physical damage and gives opponents "swirlies" for 9 seconds, meaning that any attack over the next 9 seconds will put them into fhr animation. The damage from mindblast can quickly rack up and may lead to numerous kills, especially with amplify damage. In addition a max mindblast build results in a shadow master that mindblasts more frequently. Maxing fireblast is really only good for duels vs necros/sorcs and maxing clawblock is for trappers that need a crutch. However, feel free to add a couple points into claw block if you're going to hit the next percentage (assuming you are getting +claw block from your claws).
Strength: Enough to wear shadow dancers with your gear
Dexterity: None
Vitality: All
Energy: None
The viable breakpoints for trappers are 102/174 fcr and 48/86 fhr. Keep these in mind when making and gearing your trapper.
ItemsHelm: 08 Valk
30 frw/30 fhr/30 fcr/30 ias: practically everything a trapper needs. There are a number of choices for the socket, which will be dependent on your play style and preference. There's jah, ber, cham, sur, pskull, 20/15, etc. that you could socket your valk with. Although Lo/Vex would be great socket choices vs elemental characters, using absorb or +max resistance on claw/claw trappers is generally seen as bm on East. Personally I like to use ber or cham. However, 08 valks are extremely expensive and may not be viable for most people. Griffons is a great substitute for its price and you can carry multiple ones with various sockets. However, using Griffons will prevent you from using 86 fhr (which is not really necessary). The +damage/-resistance mods on Griffons does NOT apply to traps, despite what it may show on your character screen.
Amulet: 2 sin/20 fcr/30 strength/60 life/20 mana/10 mana regeneration
If you're using a valk then you'll only need 15 fcr on your amulet. This amulet opens up your ring choices and lets you use shadow dancers with only a few base strength points. However it's unlikely that this is available to most people, so look for an amulet that gives either life, life rep, or strength. Resistances are alright as well, but you should be able to achieve good resistances through your rings/jewels/etc.
Weapons: 2 sin/3 lightning sentry/40 ias/2 os GT, 2 sin/3 lightning sentry/2 os/claw block/mindblast/life rep/fade/etc.
You will want at least 20 ias on your main claw if you're using a valk to reach 9 fpa traps (you need 42 ias with GTs to achieve 9 fpa traps). Additional ias will help to counter arach slow. Keep this claw on the left hand side of your character (over the glove slot).
You will want your offhand claw (right side over the boots) to capture as many skills as possible, along with the given 3 ls. Look for claw block, life regeneration, mindblast, fade, shadow master, wof. I prefer the first three over the latter. You may realize that it's a hassle to only be able to cast fade/shadow master with your claws out. Your shadow master will also die if you swap your weapons. Socket these with the best jewels you can find. You will need 4x 7 fhr jewels to hit the 86 fhr bp. Look for jewels like 7 fhr/4 life rep/30 light res/30 fire res.
You will also want to keep a hoto in your stash for 174 fcr in team duels, preferably with a barb partner for bo.
You may also use a low strength infinity on swap for conviction for better killing capability.
If you want a good versus cold setup consider using a 15/15 wizzy and 15/15 lidless (or 15/30 res jewels). This will give you 174 fcr/more mana/mass res while maintaining 9 fpa traps with fade at the cost of life rep/claw block/damage. However, claws with mass cold res are usually a better option.
Armor: Enigma
Use a light armor that suits your style. Scarab husk is a good choice because of its high defense.
Belt: Arachnid's Mesh
1 to all skills, 20 fcr, max mana 5%. Overall a great belt, but also required for this build to reach 102 fcr.
Gloves: Magefists or Trang's
Magefists give +1 fireblast, 20 fcr, and 25% mana regeneration. This is your main option for your glove slot. Gives additional fireblast damage, fcr necessary to hit the fcr bp, and an important 25% mana regen mod
Trang's are a good substitute only if you're needing the additional 30 cold resistance.
Boots: Shadow Dancers
+2 shadow disciplines, 30 frw, 30 fhr, 25 dex, great defense. These are the only boots for trappers. The +2 shadow disciplines mod gives additional clawblock, mindblast, fade, shadow master level, etc. and the dex is required to use your claws. You will lose a large amount of skills by deciding not to use them.
Rings: If you have a large strength mod on your amulet you may use strengthless rings. Ideally you would want 10 fcr/40 life/9 rep/90 mana/30 light res/30 fire res rings, with life/mana/life rep being the most important mods. If you need strength look for 10 fcr/strength/9 life rep/90 mana/res rings (again with light and fire res being the most important). Also having a pair of caster fcr rings for non res duels is optimal as these rings provide great stats along with mana regeneration (10 fcr/5 energy/40 life/9 life rep/110 mana/10 mana regen).
Invent: 9x 45 traps, 20/20 torch, 20/20 anni, 10x 20/17s (stashing 9x 45 shadows can also be useful in certain situations)
As you may have noticed, trappers are very mana intensive characters. Use several bmanas if you can afford them (or if you don't mind perming). Keep some extra 20/11s or 20/5s in stash for res in situations where you need it. With 8x 20/17s and 2x bmanas my trapper hits 1.2k mana. If you can afford it, use 10x bmanas.
Making a good trapper means finding a good balance between life, mana, life replenish, and damage. Generally aim for stats like 4k+ life/1k+ mana/35+ life rep/12k ls.
DuelingThe trapper is arguably the best 1v1 gm character as well as a character that is viable in any team setup. Trappers are unique in that they can actively snare people. Being able to use mindblast effectively will be your most important tool. I will discuss briefly 1v1 tactics and then team tactics.
Trap vs Druid: This is generally seen as a lopsided match where you have the advantage. However, this match up can be difficult if you don't know what you're doing. If you pursue too rigorously you may find yourself running into lots of tornado spam (which may be invisible). Druids will generally try to kill you by spamming and praying you run into their spam, or by trying to get a quick stomp. You will want to keep several traps around when pursuing just in case you get caught in a bad situation. Be wary of boxes and walls because they may be able to attack while being mb'd against them. Try to get a druid stuck in several traps while maintaining mindblast. Also be aware of up spammers. Many druids will go in for a quick stomp, wsg out (along with wsg nados), and wait for when a trapper stomps. This is not recommended at all for newer players, but if you do stomp, make sure to have a couple traps up while maintaining swirlies. Using 9x shadows is also effective, giving you more mindblast damage and dr. If you decide to go this route then you will mostly be killing with mindblast where traps will provide for stunning and some damage support.
Trap vs Barb: Potentially a difficult match, trap vs barb is a match that relies on your reactions and your ability to quickly namelock opponents that teleport within mindblast range. You will have to be able to predict stomps and buff wws. Good barbs will be extremely dangerous as they do immense damage and can tank an enormous amount. You will want to try to keep your shadow master up at all times (not particular to this match) because she may get a preemptive stun that will greatly limit the barb's threat. Keep your range, make sure traps are up at all times, and always try to keep the barb under mindblast's effects. The duel may be long so keep an eye on your mana pool. Stay near puddles/trees as they may disrupt the barb's whirlwinds and limit their ability to effectively tri-whirl.
Trap vs Nec: Perhaps the hardest 1v1 match for trappers, trap vs nec is a hard yet fun duel. Trappers are expected to chase necros (expect the necro to run a lot) so don't be one of those fearful duelers that sits in 5 traps. However, if you're low on life or mana, don't hesitate to stop chasing and replenish your life and mana. Trap vs nec is all about judgment calls, applying constant pressure and real threat, and being able to dodge ibs/wsg spears effectively. A common error in trap vs nec is standing still mindblasting as the nec is wsging away; keep moving! Standing still leaves you highly vulnerable to wsg spears so be sure to run sideways (your frw will be very high since you will be using bos) or teleport around. Don't chase a nec without your shadow master up because you may teleport into an ibs train. Lay traps as the necro is wsging away and feel free to cast traps ahead of the nec to deal additional pressure and damage. If your opponent necro is stunned, stomp him with fireblast (don't fireblast for too long or you may find yourself eating a ton of spears!--only fireblast if they have swirlies.). This match-up will require a considerable amount of practice so it's best to find out for yourself how to duel necros. You will be chasing a lot so use your mana wisely.
Trap vs Trap: Get max light res with bos (and fire res if you can). Not much to say here...just do it and learn how to trap vs trap yourself. Dodge traps by running and attempt to stunlock the opposing trapper. Be wary of teleporting into unknown areas since you may find yourself getting hit by 5 traps and mindblast. If you find yourself being stunned, running with bos will let you get out of most situations. But remember this is a judgment call: if you run at an inopportune time you may get hit by a lot. As for other sins (ghosts, hybrids), play as if they were a barb with traps. These can be extremely dangerous. With several ww hits you may find yourself at 100 life versus a character that can tank godly amounts (depending on your rule set).
Trap vs Zon: Another potentially very difficult match. Zons (bow) out-range you and can output immense amounts of pressure and damage. Attempt to get close without getting hit and keep traps and mindblast up. Fireblast can also be effective if you are within range. Remember, don't be afraid to utilize walls and boxes to help get around arrows. Zons are ineffective at chasing so lay off if you feel that you are taking too much damage. If you're facing one of those poison zons, simply don't get lead into a patch of poison and constantly dodge the poison javelins thrown by the zon.
Trap vs Pally: Hammerdins shouldn't give you much of a problem. You all have seen how hammerdins operate so you should know how to deal with them. Chargers/smiters can potentially give you problems since they tank well, do very high damage, and can easily get out of stun locks. Be careful: mindblast will not stop a charging paladin if you are on an open plain. Again utilize puddles/trees. If you find you are having a rough time, slap on a chaos for ww. Set traps, mindblast, and ww away when he's within striking range.
Sorcs shouldn't be a problem at all for a trapper so I'll leave this section out.
As I mentioned before, trappers are just as great in teams as they are in 1v1s. Your main role will be to snare opponents so that your partner(s) can kill them or to prevent opponents from killing your partner(s)/you. Generally you will want to mindblast opponents who present a greater threat or those that venture too far from their partners. A rule of thumb is to not prioritize mindblasting opponent trappers. Mindblast their partners (druids/barbs/necs/whatever) and after they have died proceed to mindblast the trapper. You will have to be able to switch targets quickly in various situations so stay on your toes and don't get tunnel vision mindblasting one target; don't forget to keep your partner(s) safe!!
Using hoto (or wizzy/lidless) for 174 fcr is also a great advantage in team duels. You will usually swap to 174 fcr once there is one (maybe two) opponent(s). 174 mindblast is an extremely potent stunning mechanism and using the next fcr bp will allow you to chase very easily. In various situations you will find that using an infinity may be effective as well, but I prefer 174 fcr in practically every case (if you didn't realize, you'll have 0 claw block if you use infinity or 174). Remember, trappers have great range so you are expected to apply pressure. Being able to cast traps effectively will enable you to shift the momentum and location of the battle.
Trappers are also great in 1v2,3,4 situations (although you probably shouldn't look forward to it). Keep your distance from your opponents, don't get caught in another trapper's mindblast, and constantly shift the location of the action. There are numerous times I have won 1v4 because of the trapper's great ability to escape, do damage, and maintain range.
Other NotesC/T: C/T refers to your character screen and skill tree screen. Pulling these screens up shift the limit of your character's range. Placing traps using c/t will allow you to place traps farther and teleporting with c/t will allow you to teleport further faster (this is commonly used when you are 1vXing). C/T-ing is easy: simply pull up one of these menus and cast your skill with your cursor in the corner of that screen. Using C/T fluidly can enhance your abilities as a trapper. As you may have noticed, the hotkeys for C/T are awkward--change them so that they are easily accessible (unless you like them as they are).
Life Replenish: Life replenish is one of the best attributes for trappers, especially since they hardly have to sacrifice anything to get it. Over the course of a duel you may regenerate hundreds or perhaps thousands worth of life. Life replenish works by this equation: (Your life replenish/256)*25 = amount of life per second healed. With 40 being the max gm cap, this potentially allows you to regenerate 3.90 life per second. You will realize that this quickly adds up throughout the course of the duel.
Trap Laying: The main point of discussion here is stacking your traps (placing all 5 traps in 1 spot) versus spreading your traps out. Stacking traps is a great way of dealing damage at once, particularly since a stack of traps may look like a single one to an unsuspecting victim. However, if your stack misses then you will have dealt no damage and not have stunned the opponent. Spreading traps out is good for initiating a stun since you have a higher likelihood of a trap hitting and thus stunning. You may find that as you play trappers more often that stacking traps will be your main way of setting traps. In addition, trap laying (and fire blast) is entirely dependent on your weapon speed. Things such as being frozen/golem slowed/arach slow/decrepified can greatly hinder your capabilities as a trapper so be wary. Furthermore, traps die if you travel too far from them. If you're teleporting then the distance you can stray is not that far (a little more than a screen), but if you run then the distance can be quite big. Keep this in mind when trying to lay sneaky traps or to play mind games.
Claw Block: One of the assassin's best skills, claw block is a must have for a trapper. Claw block allows you to practically block any attack (hammers, spears, arrows) except for those that deal damage from the ground (inferno, meteor fire, etc). Getting increased block rate will not assist your claw block. Dex does not increase your claw block. IF YOU RUN OR WALK THEN YOUR CLAW BLOCK IS 0. Your claw block is only effective if you are teleporting or attacking (not attacks that require you to run/walk). Do not forget that under any circumstance. Running is a vital part of dueling, but incorporating it into your play takes time, skill, and good judgment.
Fire Blast: A great stunning supplementary, the rate fire blast is casted depends on your trap laying speed. If you're hitting 9 fpa trap laying speed (as you should be) then you're casting fire blast at the fastest speed possible. You will realize how important of a skill this is as you play trappers more frequently.
Physic Hammer: A good skill to use when first learning trappers. This skill acts somewhat like mindblast in that it slightly stuns and knocks back the opponent (however it does not give the opponent swirlies). This skill is useful however in that you don't require a namelock to cast it. As long as your cursor is in the vicinity of the opponent, psychic hammer will cast. This skill is extremely useful in trying to stun/catch particularly slippery people. It's quite easy to fall into a habit of constantly using this skill since it requires no name locking ability. Once you get good with trappers and name locking you will be able to mindblast quickly instead of having to use psychic hammer as a crutch. There are times when it can help, but if you had been quicker with mindblast then you wouldn't have needed to use psychic hammer in the first place.
WoF: Wake of fire traps are great stunning traps, much more so than lightning sentry. They are hard to see, have consistent damage, and stun crazy amounts. However wof traps are extremely weak and have a short range. You will only be able to have a maximum of 5 traps out at any given time, so keep that in mind if you're using wof.
On a side note I should mention trappers with dragon claw or dragon talon. These can be very efficient killers, but are generally restricted to private realms because of a lack of available gear. If you can find some sick claws that don't require you to sacrifice too much, feel free to put a point into dragon claw or dragon talon for some sick killing ability (but remember, if you click on someone with dclaw and you're running, your claw block will be 0). I have found that dragon claw > dragon talon, so use dragon claw over dragon talon if possible.
Here are the hotkeys I use in case you were curious or looking for help, although it's better for you to find your own set of hotkeys:
z - fire blast
x - lightning sentry
c - mindblast
v - teleport
b - character screen
space bar - skill tree screen
a - burst of speed
s - shadow master
d - cloak of shadows
f - psychic hammer
g - fade
e - venom (if I have it)
j - battle cry
k - battle orders
l - dragon claw (left side if I have it)
q,w - switch weapon
ConclusionAll in all, the trapper is a character that has a great balance between offense and defense and is something almost anyone can learn how to play. They can be constructed with relatively little funds and still be effective and can provide for some fun dueling if you are novel to the experience. I hope you enjoyed this guide, albeit it being somewhat brief, and my insight into trappers. There are many builds and variations of trappers out there, but I believe the one I wrote here is the most versatile and best overall for gm dueling in the East community.
I'd like to thank numerous people in the making of this guide:
Botan - for all the duels and pks I've had on you. My constant 3-0s tvn vs him has greatly increased my tvn ability (you wish)
Sai - he pisses when he runs
proph21 - we are but humble mfers
Andy - you are an open bnet spawn???
Gar - my #1 fan
Jeff - it's like 1000-20 me silly, l2duel. Don't think you're fancy either.
Allan - just a qt
Thanks to the rest of you dorks out there whom I failed to mention.
P.S. 13ryan is not Asian