Guild Wars 2

I just reached 30 and spent most of my time in the game playing the Structured PvP in the heart of the mists on various classes. While I do enjoy necro, I really don’t see them being viable outside of maybe Staff+ condition builds. Because of this, Ive went on a kind of ‘soul searching’ in sPvP and basic PvE, trying out different weapons and utilities to see if there are more options outside the norm. Not many were successful outside a tanky dps, vampiric well-dropping dagger Necro. Anyone else find any decent specs or have an idea on how the class is at max level?

i would recommend looking on youtube for team paradigm’s videos for necromancer. he used a axe/dagger and scepter/focus build using just conditions. I also on my necro alt play a condition build but with scepter/focus and dagger/dagger depending on range. hope this helps

I don’t have a high level necro yet, but from what i have seen you can still do a “Minion Master” build like in GW1, it just doesn’t work the same exact way. If so though, you should really enjoy it. MM was extremely fun in GW1 and very very good in PVE. Google some good “MM” builds for GW2 and see how you like it.

Axe/dagger do lots of damage, dagger/dagger not too good, cuz you have to go melee and you lose your advantage of ranged class, necro is too squishy to go melee unless it is ranger or other bow user, cuz they get more damage with range.
I lvled Necro up to 30 just for WvW, to have all skills and everything Elite skill that spawns bone undead beast (forgot the name) is very cool, cuz it cripples foes and does good damage too. And when you see crowds – staff is good in combination with radiation and poison AoEs. Fields that u put with staff are very useful for group pvp/pve and you can remove conditions from allies, you can transfer condition to yourself and then pass it to your enemy or transform conditions into boons.

My necro is my main, though I kinda wish I would have went Elementalist in a way, more on that in a second. Anyways back on topic.. I really really like my Axe/Focus and Staff Build.. You have staff for dropping AoEs on multiple people as well as Axe/Focus for its really good burst damage and it gives you two slows so people cannot escape so its a pretty powerful combo. Now you don’t have the AoE damage of an elementalist but you will have really really high single target DPS with the Axe/Focus and why I wont switch is due the the survability of my necro and the fact I can beat nearly any elementalist 1v1 with them being unable to escape due to my two slows.. its nasty!

I’m using a condition build and going with Scepter/Dagger. It’s working EXTREMELY well for PVE. All of my gear is pretty much Precision and Condition Damage.

At this point I’m level 43 and and take on several mobs of higher level without too much trouble. I start off with Grasping Dead to slow the group and then throw down Enfeebling blood, all the while hitting one mob with my scepter attack while running away, usually strafing in a circle around them. If I need more power I can always use Signet of Spite + Epidemic followed by Dealthly Swarm. For an elite skill I prefer to use Plague though I have taken a liking to Lichform.

If I have a complaint its that its not easy to find skills that compliment this playstyle. Hemophilia is a must have but after that there’s not a heck of a lot. I’m thinking of trying Scepter/Focus though I’m not going to like losing a powerful AOE.

Minion master looks like a heck of a lot of fun and I’m wondering how well conditions would work with that.

There are lots of viable builds with the necromancer. I focus mostly on sPvP, since its the best place to put a build to test (PvE isnt bad as long as you are using your skills). You can go full on damage conditions (Scepter/Focus), buff/debuff team support (any weapon), AoE well/mark master (staff), Death Shroud nuker (axe/dagger), Vampire (dagger), or minions (any weapon). And yes, I said minions. I use a heavy minion build…and there have been few people who have beat me 1v1 and works even better with teammates around.

Fact is, your ability to position yourself, dodge, and work with your team in sPvP is going to determine how well your build works. I’ve seen minion necros who sucked mainly because they thought minions were supposed to do everything on their own. Not true. I’ve also seen conditionmancers who were really bad, yet others who were amazing.

Just practice different playstyles and builds to find the one(s) you like.

For me it seems that there is two builds that work atm; condition for wvwvw, spvp and pve and well-build for spvp (well build may work in pve too, haven’t tried it yet). Well build is most durable, maybe in the whole game, but works better in tight spaces, like spvp.

Trait points i have distributed from top to bottom: 15/15/10/30/0 and I use scepter and dagger as main weapons and staff as a back-up. It’s awesome against melee characters plus you bring some support to your team.

Only usable minion in pve seems to be flesh golem and imo minion master doesn’t work in pvp, because minions die too easily. Life leaching dagger/dagger build just don’t cut it. Summa summarum condition build for leveling and big zergfest, and try out well build for smaller case zerg.

In PvE multiple builds are viable. Conditions with Scepter/Dagger + Weapon Set of choice (staff probably the easiest) is very good and does a lot of damage.
More of a supportive Necro with wells works quite well in dungeons.
There are traits for minions and they do reasonable damage, but the AI is still pretty bad. Really needs more control over them to be more viable. Bone minions are good for the blast (huge damage and double blast finisher on one skill)
Tried out a build that builds a lot of vulnerability with axe/focus and well of suffering to finish off with wells and dagger/warhorn, works pretty well so far.

I play myself as a sort of conditionomancer, with lots of AOE, but I have my traits specced for full tank: Max toughness and as much vitality as I can. With the traits and weapons I use (dagger/warhorn) along with my skills, I am VERY hard to kill, while at the same time being very annoying. I use Well of Healing, Well of Suffering, while my next two skills are a little situational, and my last being plague cloud. I get protection and retaliation when I cast a well, and healing is very effective on me, not to mention I siphon every hit and can use my daggers siphon ability… Like I said, tough to kill. Not sure how it would work PvP though, because the build would be vulnerable to someone keeping lots of poison up.