Guild Wars 2

Hi guys, I just started playing GW2 for a few months, and I started with Warrior. I am planning to create a Necromancer next and use the lvl 80 boost on it. Problem is I am clueless on how to build a Necro properly that can dish out great damage while staying quite tanky. Is there a build you can suggest?

Go to metabattle.com all builds are there just choose which class and game mode

For PvP, if you want to be “tanky” in this meta, the necromancer is not your first choice.
A enemy focus can burst you down faster than ever. But If you learn how to play that class, you’ll obtain a lot of fun. It’s not a meta class for this season but it’s still good.

Signit chillomancer is the best pvp build atm.

spite tree for signit buffs, plague/vamp/movement/ signit all convert enemy boons into conditions

soulreapping tree because it’s one of the strongest necro trees

reaper tree for disgusting condi dmg.

Carrion amulet (necro always does hybrid dmg), staff + sceper warhorn (use staff + unblockable trait to dps guardians when they start their temper tantrum or to start fights vs anybody else, use scepter/warhorne for condi pressure and to disrupt stomps)

Necro is bad in soloq, but you can still squeeze out wins. Make sure you only do build testing in unranked. If you get lots of wins in unranked you will be matched with morons when you play ranked.

ugh not metabattle, not for necros.

I’m sorry but the metabattle signet necro build is useful only if you running a team coordinated enough to take advantage of the corrupts and keep you up. Otherwise it’s just fodder for everything while having mediocre sustain even by necro standards.

The only time I run signet corrupts is against a warrior stack, the rest of the time I’d rather run a curses build with shouts and spectral.

I run a shout based power reaper in pretty much every game mode, decent condi clear, good damage and sustain, just not very mobile. Got legend with it in Season 1 and 2, and been playing it since HoT launch.

You would be amazed how many people GS5 can catch off-guard, especially those ledge plinkers in Foefire

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBHhF6kZTocTsbTwdTgeTsgLYQXtAQLIuK2FDjUdh2wzC-TJxFABA8EAEa/hvLDkwpAAA

Please, don’t look at metabattle, not for the necromancer (expecially if you never played it).
The Signetmancer build is an old build that was good during the bunker meta. It’s not really bad but is totally focused on corrupt boons during a “meta” when every bunker class focused on defensive buffs to stay alive and the necromancer was the one able to corrupt they’re boons, granting to himself and the team a way to kill the enemy. We was good more or less why we’re the only true way to take down a skilled elementalist (a class that totally focus on overbuff to gain defensive and offensive power).
Now there’s few builds that truly focus on boons to stay alive and the others no more need to spam might to burst you down like in the previous meta, making that classes able to kill you faster than ever also without any boon.
That build can work in a coordinated team, but not alone.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBLhZ6kjGocTszGwmGgeTscMYR9stVAgaJ8EiVx3wfYRE-TZxFwAHODAAeAAJOEAOLDwe/BA
That build is one of the builds I see more frequently in game. good condi clear, good boon removal but not totally focused in one only direction.

Anyway there’s a lot of builds that work in this meta, the only thing you have to do is try to make different builds and see what siut for you.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNArYWnc0AN3gd2Am3A0biFjBL6nFAGAx5wg4RkqJEFqVA-TZxFABHcEAeqMg97PAwDAIhDBAA
I used this build for a lot and it work pretty well. It’s not the best build you can find (the previous one is better, for example), but I feel better using that build.
Simply focus in different things than other builds.

There’s also the Minion Master that is good. Have different problems against Dragonhunters why they’re traps can kill your minions fast, but it’s still a good build.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBLhZ6khGobTspGwvGg9GsMNYxfwTYLcqldBOWSDgCQAA-TZxFABGv/QCnCAAeAAHcEAcqMAA
(that’s only an example of a Mm build)

Also the direct build posted by Zietlogik seems to be really interesting and I will try it.
Condition damage or direct damage, there’s a lot of builds you can do.
But don’t panic if in the first matches you die quickly, the necromancer is hard to play in this meta and you have to do a lot of practice with the mechanics before you’re able to shine.

Make some practice and when you feel you practiced enough try to make a personal build by yourself.

Zietlogik.6208:

I run a shout based power reaper in pretty much every game mode, decent condi clear, good damage and sustain, just not very mobile. Got legend with it in Season 1 and 2, and been playing it since HoT launch.

You would be amazed how many people GS5 can catch off-guard, especially those ledge plinkers in Foefire

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBHhF6kZTocTsbTwdTgeTsgLYQXtAQLIuK2FDjUdh2wzC-TJxFABA8EAEa/hvLDkwpAAA

This build is quite nice for solo q, I use my own variant of it. If having problems with marauder at first, can run the paladin with staff over greatsword variant until you get the feel about the reaper survivability and then switch to marauder once you feel comfort enough about it.

As for fractal, you can run a power or condition build.

I use something like these when playing with randoms:

Power:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQJAWRnMbCdbiF1Au0A0biFvBjKCECKUTXsAQCIeBGBzgA-TBSBAB0s/Ae6Ce4CAclyPzUCCwhAIinAAlq/QGg8tA-e

Viper:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNAW7YnM0AdbiV3AO3As3gliBT6DEC6Ax9whYSMKAMASAA-TRyBQBO4hAAgLAw+0BssjAwCV/xg7PINlabUZBMVCSKAYWWB-e

why not metabattle? i look at necromancer and corruptionmancer is at 100% everyone and the signetmancer at 93% why is everyone refering for signet when in metabattle it shows corruptionmancer being better. which someone like me who plays necro agrees.

Lord Hammer Hand.4815:

why not metabattle? i look at necromancer and corruptionmancer is at 100% everyone and the signetmancer at 93% why is everyone refering for signet when in metabattle it shows corruptionmancer being better. which someone like me who plays necro agrees.

The basic problem with GW2 meta is that it’s not actually possible to definitively determine the optimal, so what people do is make a set of assumptions and then judge builds by those assumptions. Those assumptions are not always true.

Metabattle’s staff have a set of assumptions and biases that they use when determining what builds will be posted. The players that are most active on the metabattle boards are also generally players that agree with metabattle’s staff. Those of us that don’t agree with metabattle’s way of doing things just aren’t active on the site and our voices are unheard.