Guild Wars 2

Locust Swarm is one of the Warhorn skills for Necromancers.
Its description reads “Gain swiftness and summon a swarm of locusts that cripple nearby foes.”

Firstly, I don’t think that combining swiftness with any skill that damages enemies is a good idea. When you engage in combat, it slows your movement speed by 33%. Swiftness negates this effect, but that’s all it does.

Secondly, swiftness is generally used to run around the map. It’s especially useful if you’re aiming for map completion. Having an AOE aura that damages everything around you makes it pointless in more crowded areas.

Thirdly, the only time this skill is truly useful is when you’re already in combat and want to get away. As a Necromancer with bonus health (Death Shroud), I don’t think this happens very often.

And to top it all off, Necromancer has many other (better) opportunities to increase its movement speed. For example:
- Quickening Thirst
- Speed of Shadows
- Signet of the Locust

To sum it all up, you have a skill that allows you to move fast. At the same time it slows you down if you hit anything. It’s only useful if you plan to run away, but that probably won’t happen. And additionally other skills do it better. Its only upside is the ability to cripple, but swiftness could easily be changed for something more useful.

I’d like to either see it be a pure swiftness skill, maybe with regeneration. Or a damaging skill, a mix of cripple + poison.

After one of the updates, warhorn for warrior became only usable in battle as well. In the past I used it for bonus dodges, to avoid fighting at all. Who wants to get slowed down by 33% while they’re trying to get somewhere? Now instead of letting me dodge out of battles, it causes them with its giant AOE. I don’t know if other players like it, but I definitely don’t.
“Grant vigor to yourself and allies, while weakening nearby foes.”.
And all of that just for ‘weakening’ enemies you didn’t intend to fight in the first place.

Might just be my opinion, though.

Unfortunately, this is the best skill to use for gaining Warhorn Mastery. Or was. I haven’t touched Tempest

Yoroiookami.3485:

Thirdly, the only time this skill is truly useful is when you’re already in combat and want to get away. As a Necromancer with bonus health (Death Shroud), I don’t think this happens very often.

I disagree with this statement. This skill is immensely useful, when used in combat, as intended (hint: it isn’t to run away). This skill has really good life force generation, that still generates while you are in shroud. It also has many fast damaging procs. Those procs can crit to trigger sigils, traits, etc. They also proc Vampiric traits. While vampiric traits aren’t overly strong, they scale really well with faster, more frequent attacks, exactly what you would get with a dagger/wh (esp when using wh 5).

To your point, if the skill was intended to be used the way that you want it to be used, you would have a point. However, the skill is intended to be used in combat, for all of the previously stated reasons, as well as one that you covered. That being to offset the penalty of going into combat.

The radius on Locust Swarm is 210. 210. That’s really small.

Radius on Call to Arms is 600. While bigger, this is also not huge. A skill that applies Vigor is primarily meant for combat, but whatever.

It sounds like this issue could be resolved if you made a minimal effort to either go around mobs a tiny bit more or use the skills just prior to running straight through it/them rather than while right on top of them.

This might be better in the necromancer’s forum…

As fatalyz mentioned, locust swarm is actually great for being in-combat. I’ve pretty much been using warhorn on my necro for years and it’s actually pretty darn good. And all the life force gain stuff aside, I have never not wanted to have swiftness during combat. The fact that it cripples those around me and keeps them in range is even better.

On the note of getting away… I’ve literally never had issues with using this skill unless I’m not paying attention. If you’re using it out of combat just running around, the solution is simple: don’t run into things. If you’re being chased and end up hitting your pursuers… I mean… you’re probably in combat anyway. The skill will only help you escape via crippling them.

go D/WH and you will see why it is a really powerful skill, especially in big crowds it makes killing enemies a walk in a park.

Fatalyz.7168:

I disagree with this statement. This skill is immensely useful, when used in combat, as intended (hint: it isn’t to run away).
…this skill is intended to be used in combat, for all of the previously stated reasons, as well as one that you covered. That being to offset the penalty of going into combat.

You don’t need faster movement speed while in combat. Most enemies don’t run away from you, if anything they do the opposite. It’s unnecessary and I would love to see the swiftness being swapped for something more useful. Either make it a skill to gain mobility, or make it a skill used for combat.

IndigoSundown.5419:

It sounds like this issue could be resolved if you made a minimal effort to either go around mobs a tiny bit more or use the skills just prior to running straight through it/them rather than while right on top of them.

It’s not that small. Especially in crowded areas and in Orr, where most enemies can see you from across the map. Your mistake was assuming that I don’t make effort to avoid enemies. My entire point is that now it’s significantly less reliable with warrior wielding a warhorn. Which is true. And it’s also an unnecessary change for such a small ‘upside’.

mist.9807:

The skill will only help you escape via crippling them.

I agree with your point, but if the skill was intended for combat, I’d prefer something else in place of (mostly useless) swiftness. Enemies approach you most of the time, you don’t really need bonus speed. If the skill was intended for ‘running’ I’d rather use it to run past the enemies without going into combat, which in turn slows me down.

sorudo.9054:

go D/WH and you will see why it is a really powerful skill, especially in big crowds it makes killing enemies a walk in a park.

I never said that it’s not powerful in combat. I simply see it as a skill that has the wrong mix of buffs that don’t make much sense together.

Why on earth would you use Necro to make this argument? It’s probably the base spec that uses the warhorn the most.

I’ve always thought the locusts should only come in combat, but hey.

I believe the point is you use locust swarm to zone your enemy out of your melee range. They’re free to enter, but they’re going to get continually hit and crippled while giving you free lifeforce, and will have a harder time trying to disengage.

Yoroiookami.3485:

Fatalyz.7168:

I disagree with this statement. This skill is immensely useful, when used in combat, as intended (hint: it isn’t to run away).
…this skill is intended to be used in combat, for all of the previously stated reasons, as well as one that you covered. That being to offset the penalty of going into combat.

You don’t need faster movement speed while in combat. Most enemies don’t run away from you, if anything they do the opposite. It’s unnecessary and I would love to see the swiftness being swapped for something more useful. Either make it a skill to gain mobility, or make it a skill used for combat.

IndigoSundown.5419:

It sounds like this issue could be resolved if you made a minimal effort to either go around mobs a tiny bit more or use the skills just prior to running straight through it/them rather than while right on top of them.

It’s not that small. Especially in crowded areas and in Orr, where most enemies can see you from across the map. Your mistake was assuming that I don’t make effort to avoid enemies. My entire point is that now it’s significantly less reliable with warrior wielding a warhorn. Which is true. And it’s also an unnecessary change for such a small ‘upside’.

mist.9807:

The skill will only help you escape via crippling them.

I agree with your point, but if the skill was intended for combat, I’d prefer something else in place of (mostly useless) swiftness. Enemies approach you most of the time, you don’t really need bonus speed. If the skill was intended for ‘running’ I’d rather use it to run past the enemies without going into combat, which in turn slows me down.

sorudo.9054:

go D/WH and you will see why it is a really powerful skill, especially in big crowds it makes killing enemies a walk in a park.

I never said that it’s not powerful in combat. I simply see it as a skill that has the wrong mix of buffs that don’t make much sense together.

Swiftness is incredibly powerful in combat. You can save dodges by walking out of the way, reposition yourself freely, and easily kite enemies. And in PvP, it’s incredible. S

Sorry, but Necro Warhorn is not the “Must Run Across The Map!” tool you seem to think it is.

There is one thing I would like to see changed regarding Locust Swarm, and one thing only:

I want Decaying Swarm back!

Maybe with a higher health threshold.

Faster in combat movement isnt just about foes that try to run away. I agree that is rarely a problem. The biggest benefits to increased in combat movement, IMO, is closing with foes more quickly and maneuvering to reduce incoming damage. I can save dodges for really important moments if my movement is sufficiently fast to allow me to maneuver out of the way of some attacks without dodging.

Yoroiookami.3485:

IndigoSundown.5419:

It sounds like this issue could be resolved if you made a minimal effort to either go around mobs a tiny bit more or use the skills just prior to running straight through it/them rather than while right on top of them.

It’s not that small. Especially in crowded areas and in Orr, where most enemies can see you from across the map. Your mistake was assuming that I don’t make effort to avoid enemies. My entire point is that now it’s significantly less reliable with warrior wielding a warhorn. Which is true. And it’s also an unnecessary change for such a small ‘upside’.

Since I very rarely have issues avoiding mobs when going somewhere else, I can only assume that you are not making enough effort. As to a change, I can only assume that ANet was thinking about its combat use, not running across the map.

Ashen.2907:

Faster in combat movement isn’t just about foes that try to run away. I agree that is rarely a problem. The biggest benefits to increased in combat movement, IMO, is closing with foes more quickly and maneuvering to reduce incoming damage. I can save dodges for really important moments if my movement is sufficiently fast to allow me to maneuver out of the way of some attacks without dodging.

This.

Before I flipped to reaper, my vampiric necro made insane use of the warhorn for combating large groups of enemies in tight quarters. That thing basically kept her alive when getting swarmed. The interrupt is also very good.

I love it the way it is.

Yoroiookami.3485:

Fatalyz.7168:

I disagree with this statement. This skill is immensely useful, when used in combat, as intended (hint: it isn’t to run away).
…this skill is intended to be used in combat, for all of the previously stated reasons, as well as one that you covered. That being to offset the penalty of going into combat.

You don’t need faster movement speed while in combat. Most enemies don’t run away from you, if anything they do the opposite. It’s unnecessary and I would love to see the swiftness being swapped for something more useful. Either make it a skill to gain mobility, or make it a skill used for combat.

You don’t need faster movement speed while in combat and unnecessary? Try telling that to people who WvW and PvP. I promise you, it is useful there.

There are also mobs that do move around and move outside of AoE’s. Which will make that skill useful, as it cripples the enemy, and providing you swiftness, allowing you to reposition more easily.

Finally, the skill is a skill that is designed for use in combat. Not really our fault if you don’t see the value in it, after we spelled it out for you. Just because a skill grants mobility does not mean that it has to a skill that can not be used or useful in combat. That is just a very narrow way of looking at things.

Uhh.. If you want map completion why don’t you just equip signet of the locust or wait 2 weeks for PoF then we will have mounts.

Warhorn 5 is actually a really good skill in combat, it does good power damage and life force generation and has a decent uptime too.

Yoroiookami.3485:

Thirdly, the only time this skill is truly useful is when you’re already in combat and want to get away. As a Necromancer with bonus health (Death Shroud), I don’t think this happens very often.

You are wrong. I am constantly rotating between dagger/warhorn, staff and Death Shroud on my new vanilla condi Necromancer with viper’s armor. Skills 4 and 5 (warhorn) are extremely powerful. The Locusts’ swarm does a huge load of damage, and I use it whenever I can.

Well, thief has many speed boosts too…
…so i would like to remove swiftness from improved steal to get protection or resistance instead.

:d

There are three things wrong with this thread: i) the title should really mention necro, since that’s your beef, ii) this thread should be in the necro subforum, and iii) warhorns aren’t aweful.

Oh, ga!

The Warhorn Fairy got him!

Seriously, you can call me an idiot for using the skill straight into a mobs as I try and trek across the map.

This is hands down one of the worst arguments I have seen on these boards.
Maybe if we are lucky he/she can distinguish worthless to worthiness.

My money’s on that he/she will get it after all.