Guild Wars 2

So, axe is generally considered to be a pretty under-performing weapon. It just doesn’t do enough.

These are my suggestions for improving it:

Skill 1

Make it a chain

Rending Claw (Identical to current first hit) -> Tearing Claw (Identical to current second hit) -> Soul Shred

Soul Shred happens quickly after the second hit and strikes up to five enemies in a 600 range cone, dealing considerably more damage and granting the Necromancer 1 stack of Might (2 seconds) for each foe hit.

Skill 2 – Spectral Wraith

Skill type – Minion
Summon a Spectral Wraith. This minion attacks with slow, strong attacks and each of its attacks grant the Necromancer Life Force (1% per strike).
15 second cooldown that starts after the minion dies.
*Benefits from all Minion traits and all Axe traits.

Subskill – Possession
Sacrifice your Spectral Wraith to grant Fury (5 seconds) to allies near it and inflict Ghastly Claws on the target foe, gaining (1%) Life Force for each strike.

Skill 3 – Unholy Feast

Now also grants Retaliation to minions.
(This skill is mostly solid as is, and so a minor buff to it that synergizes with the proposed second skill and buffs minion builds would be a reasonable, small addition).

What is the goal here?

To take a weapon with a tenuous at best overall goal – our “ranged” power weapon and turn it into a powerful weapon that alternates between single target pressure and AoE strikes while providing offensive buffs to the Necromancer and his minions.

The first idea isn’t too bad, the second is an awful change from what we have, and 3 is massively OP.

Know what the problem is with retal on minions?

Cleave.

That changes can really make the axe viable. But Retalation on minions is OP.
If a enemy deal AoE damage he will fall down only by retalation XD

Now that the axe animation looks like a fan or paint brush.

I would like to change the AA to a fast projectile with vulnerability AoE splashes.

The other skills on it are good for now.

They should just bake the + damage from the axe trait in at base then change the trait to increase axe range to 900 or even 1200.

Then the axe would be nice.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

They should just bake the + damage from the axe trait in at base then change the trait to increase axe range to 900 or even 1200.

Then the axe would be nice.

That seems like a good idea to me, but I think if you made it improve range and cooldowns like the focus trait that it could work.

How about give axe 1 a cone cleave, and change axe 2 to a whirl that does less damage than the original, but in an aoe to 5 people in a 600 radius, instead of a channel? Would be interesting. Axe 3 would be more interesting if it was an immobilize

I kinda like to see axe as the single-target power option for necros. Might be not everyone agrees, but I do think we need a ranged weapon that isn’t as easily dodged as the staff, but is less than 1200 range to balance that.

My main problem with it is, that it doesn’t stack vulnerability fast enough to make up for the poor DPS all Axe attacks have.
I assume the DPS is low because an Axe is assumed to be hitting a target with several stacks of vulnerability. Though the warrior greatsword which also stacks vulnerability at the same rate of 2.6666 stacks per second does not have that kind of DPS limitation.
Vapor Blade on elementalist has the same range, but stacks 4 vulnerability per second, due to hitting on the way through the target and again on the way back. (it is avoidable by moving though)
Single target power weapons on other classes usually have the vulnerability on a non-auto-attack than can inflict 5 or more stacks quickly with through a single cast.

Proposed Fix
Without changing the base DPS or casting time on Rending Claws. Spread the damage of Rending Claws into a greater number smaller hits than the current 2. Let’s say 3 hits, maybe 4.
Each hit inflicts 1 stack of vulnerability and can crit separately to proc on hit/on crit effects.

The increase in vulnerability stacking as well as increased on hit/on crit effects (like the upcoming vampiric aura) should do enough to make the Axe from an overlooked weapon into a useful tool with a purpose of it’s own.

Maybe make each of those hits a 20% projectile finisher. Which would also mean they become projectiles, which are avoidable; Adding increased counterplay to the necro Axe’s vulnerability stacking that is currently only countered by cleansing.

Especially because the Axe Training trait seems to be getting nerfed in the HoT trait lines, the extra vulnerability stacking speed will be needed to keep the Axe useful. If Rending Claws is upgraded to 4 hits, the cooldown reduction per hit in the new trait should make up for the nerfing it received.

Also mostly as a flavor change to match with the necro’s supposed theme of converting boons, it would be nice if Unholy Feast converted boons, instead of just removing them, or if the cripple duration was doubled on foes from which a boon was removed.

On a mostly unrelated note, why is the Axe Training trait not named Aatxe Training?

I like the idea of making axe auto attack into a chain. The “Chop” and “Double Chop” animations on Warrior axe can be used. As for the 3rd chain, a 600 range cone that grants Might per enemy hit fits the Necromancer’s selfish nature. The visual cone from Wave of Fear can be used as the effect.

I also agree with Ragnar – the bonus damage from Axe Mastery should be baseline for the axe.

Nice ideas imo.

I would like to see focus reworked too to make it similar to guardian focus. Give it blinds, vigor and blocks or something.

Axe needs to be turned into a real ranged weapon, we now have a serious cleave option in RS and GS and a melee-short range option in dagger. We don’t need more of the same, we do need something that hits decently hard from 900 range. Axe is the perfect candidate for this.

Well, now that axe is a magic paintbrush, maybe it will get adjusted to work that way.

Slow vulnerability stacking is just stupid in a game where multiple professions can jam a dozen stacks in a second.

Thematically wise i would not like to have might on auto and prefer vulnerability.

yes, there are tons of ways to stack vuln.
yes, might sinergizes better with runes.

still, that’ s what i like about necro: other support by boons, you “support” with debilitating condis.

Range. Necros are casters, especially weak against control as we have no stability and limited escape methods, having to get into 600 range sucks and limits practicality. So adjusting the ax mastery trait to increase range is a great idea IMO ( and every other classes “mid-range” weapon is 900 range) . I also like the ideas of cutting down the Rending claws base damage and increasing the attack rate or number of hits to bring the vulnerability stacking up to par with the other classes, ( I mean, if the idea is making the damage based on the vulnerability, why is it so slow/weak at applying it?)

And I’ve been saying this for a while but, Unholy feast needs to be a blast finisher! We need one (that isn’t dependent upon an enemy triggering it) and the animation just screams it for crying out loud! =D

I like the suggestions here for axe

Here’s what i was thinking recently
since we don’t have a support weapon why not redesign axe into a support weapon.

Haven’t really thought of the skills it would have but it would be a big help to add in a supportive playstyle