Guild Wars 2

Currently the cast time of flesh wurm is 1,5 seconds like all necro summons. Of all minions necros can summon, flesh wurm is vastly different.

The thing with flesh wurm is, it is the only immobile minion and unlike most other minions it is normally not used as meat shield or damage increase (even if its damage is not that bad). Even the explo finisher and the poison of the second skill are rarely used (I would even say never used).

The main uses are currently the stun break and the teleport. This is the reason why flesh wurm is also often taken by non mm builds. Not because the teleport or the stun break are that good (you have to place the wurm before hand, which limits both) but because the stun break has the shortest cooldown of all necro stun breaks and the teleport is the most reliable one necros have access to. With that said you could argue that a cast time of 1.5 is justified.

I however would reduce the cast time to 0.75 seconds. My reasoning is the combo finisher and the poison application. With its current cast time both are useless and the skill can only be used for defensive purposes (stun break teleport), with the cast time reduction the poison and the combo finisher would become much more useful (it would be a lot easier to hit).
It would also give the necro the option to think if he should use it offensivelly or if is it better to place it some where save.

If you mess with that much, the new functionality will be more like … summon and instantly detonate. Necromancers are currently balanced around having to pre-plan your getaway as a common responsibility.

Chaith.8256:

If you mess with that much, the new functionality will be more like … summon and instantly detonate. Necromancers are currently balanced around having to pre-plan your getaway as a common responsibility.

Yeah i understand what you are saying, but with a cast time so long the poison and the combo finisher are useless. I was never able to hit anything other than stupid mobs with it. And even for something like might stacking in a fire field the skill is bad (the little rats are better for that). So, if you never hit anything with the poison or the blast finisher, whats the point of having them?

And even now you can use the flesh wurm as getaway without placing it beforehand if you use it smartly though i admit a shorter cast time would make it a lot easier…

Considering the teleport mechanic still needs some work, the cast time (although really wanted by necros) is of less importance.

NB: Also the aftercast animation of fleshworm adds another x seconds before you can use it as a teleport. making the cast time of less relevance.
I say it takes about 4 seconds before you can safely say your flesh worm is fully combat ready.

Rym.1469:

First move could be reducing the cast of Flesh Wurm to 1/2 seconds and making it an essential teleport, similar to Mesmer’s Portal, just personal and one-way. This way we could quickly teleport to the close point.
Wurm could’ve been destroyed easily. And it attracts more people to Minion CDR, giving a worthy alternative for Staff CDR and couple others.

I think the issue Muchacho is you’re trying to introduce an offensive role to a strictly defensive skill.

I personally have no issues with how the wurm is right now simply because I don’t use it offensively at all. It strikes me as a completely defensive minion that was put in so that minion masters could get away from anyone who managed to bypass their meat shields. More often than not if I’m running with wurm I don’t even put it in attack range, I place it away from the fighting so I know for a fact I have a reliable escape.

It’s the same thing with the necro’s wells. Unless you’re running the ground targeting talent, you’re not going to go running up to someone’s face to use wells offensively. Their purpose is to give you a reprieve if someone’s trying to show you the “wrong end of a kurzick sword.”

Ssenkra Bloodroot.1028:

I think the issue Muchacho is you’re trying to introduce an offensive role to a strictly defensive skill.

I personally have no issues with how the wurm is right now simply because I don’t use it offensively at all. It strikes me as a completely defensive minion that was put in so that minion masters could get away from anyone who managed to bypass their meat shields. More often than not if I’m running with wurm I don’t even put it in attack range, I place it away from the fighting so I know for a fact I have a reliable escape.

It’s the same thing with the necro’s wells. Unless you’re running the ground targeting talent, you’re not going to go running up to someone’s face to use wells offensively. Their purpose is to give you a reprieve if someone’s trying to show you the “wrong end of a kurzick sword.”

If it is strictly a defensive skill then why the poison? It already has an offensive componet so i wouldnt agree that it is a purely defensive skill.
It is a multi purpose skill like many skills in gw2.
The problem the offensive part is useless, so flesh wurm is only used defensively.