Guild Wars 2

Is it even worth it?

Without making a build completely focused on DS usage or Scepter/dag Staff condition builds I feel utterly kittened.

Dag and Axe mainhands (while ive made a very nice sustain build with dagger healing) seem like they just do absolutely no damage and there is no way to make a pure damage necro (pure dmg meaning non-condition) without heavily devoting yourself to DS, making your dag / axe mh skills feel like theyre just there to fill slots and charge your ds.

Can anyone show me a dag/axe MH centric power build that actually works

Dagger, as MH, is best used in combination with the warhorn. The goal being to restore life force as fast as possible with locust swarm and dagger 1. Outside of this use, the MH dagger is really only good for breaking objects.

Unless you’re condition necro who is being bleed capped too often by others, stay away from the axe. This is the only situation I’ve come across where axe is useful.

Axe is outdone by every other Necro weapon in every way besides life force gain (imo).

Name something Axe does good, another Necro weapon does it better besides its #2 which is only good in niche builds.

Dagger mainhand is actually a solid DPS weapon (in the context of our other weapons besides condition scepter)

You’re setting very broad criteria for whatever you’re hoping to accomplish. Any build with points in spite and power gear can do what you’re asking. The difference between 30 points in Soul Reaping and 0 is 30% crit damage, and at the expense of this you gain more survivability (which you will ultimately need if you intend to go in melee range in the first place).

Yes, the lack of points in soul reaping is definitely a damage loss- but you don’t skip points in curses if you expect to use conditions as your primary source of damage, unless you’re anticipating a damage loss. The same concept can be applied here.

That’s the equivalent of putting 30 points in death magic and blood magic, and wondering why your damage is so low.

My recommendation to you is this:
It’s quite possible to still deal a considerable amount of damage without the extra 30% crit damage. However, with the extra points that you would have otherwise spent there, you’ll need to increase your effectiveness in another area. I would suggest placing these points into either blood or death magic to negate a primary weakness of being in close range. With this build, I would recommend using “Soldier” armor, which can be found here. Alternatively, axe can still deal respectable amounts of damage while focusing on its ability to apply vulnerability- You can take advantage of this by using pets, or using it in conjunction with other players through dungeons and events.

Axe is useful in WvW for the large AoE cripple, and for stacking vulnerability on buffed supervisors/lords.

Main hand dagger in PvP is worth it for dark pact alone. Immobilize is one of the most powerful conditions currently in the game. In PvE it’s extremely useful for generating life force quickly and dealing heavy single target damage but it’s usually too risky to be used in dungeons if you’re running a build focused on damage.

Rump Buffalo.2594:

Can anyone show me a dag/axe MH centric power build that actually works

Here’s one!

http://tinyurl.com/8l8ynvp

Solid glass baby

I play power builds almost exclusively as I find the play style more exciting than condition necro. With the dagger + wells + locust swarm + quickness rune and the above build you can insta gib people in sPvP almost as bad as a backstab thief can

As for the axe, I have tried using it, but I think every other weapon we have in the necro arsenal is better (though the 3 skill is nice)

I use an Axe all the time in PVE. But I have to admit that it’s mostly because I think the Axe looks better on my character then the toothpick daggers. Yes I’m pretty vain when it comes to gear on my animated toon. (at least I don’t play a female)

I’ve found some success by putting the Crit Bleed on my axe. With the range attack 2 it really stacks up for me.

Axe works very nicely in a power build. The spite trait axe training really increases DPS. The aoe cripple plus retaliation is awesome for kiting. The axe is also a great weapon to build life force if you are using a power or tanks build that uses death shroud a lot.

an easy change for axe would be to make its auto attack a 3 hit combo like many others with the 3rd hit applying vulnerability. this would allow for increased dps at the cost of vunl stacking (which lets face it, may not be important to you as you have otherways to stack this condition) then we’d have a power build option (like the axe was obviously intended for guessing by where its master trait is) and the world will be a better place.

Rump Buffalo.2594:

Is it even worth it?

Without making a build completely focused on DS usage or Scepter/dag Staff condition builds I feel utterly kittened.

Dag and Axe mainhands (while ive made a very nice sustain build with dagger healing) seem like they just do absolutely no damage and there is no way to make a pure damage necro (pure dmg meaning non-condition) without heavily devoting yourself to DS, making your dag / axe mh skills feel like theyre just there to fill slots and charge your ds.

Can anyone show me a dag/axe MH centric power build that actually works

One or both of them need to cleave.

thanks for the responses, some helpful stuff here

would a/d be a good 2nd weapon set to change to for pwoer sets?

an easy change for axe would be to make its auto attack a 3 hit combo like many others with the 3rd hit applying vulnerability. this would allow for increased dps at the cost of vunl stacking (which lets face it, may not be important to you as you have otherways to stack this condition) then we’d have a power build option (like the axe was obviously intended for guessing by where its master trait is) and the world will be a better place.

I disagree. That is the whole point of the Axe to me. I use it with a focus in my tanky build to stack vulnerability and build life force (1/4 for vuln, 2/4 for life force). If I wanted it for the damage I would just use dagger, or maybe scepter for the ranged damage.

I like dagger/focus if I am going to try to do melee damage, otherwise I normally just use the staff.

The problem with power builds when it comes to weapon abilites is that you have to go into 3 lines to get power, crit and crit damage; and the individual traits in 2 of these lines do nothing to improve your weapon skill damage.

Your DS and lich form crits will be decent, but are still weak compared to the spammable weapon skills of other professions.

http://tinyurl.com/99nsazk

This is the build the OP is looking for … it doesnt require staff and damage is sufficient it works by switching between your 3 channeled abilitys…remember 400toughness while channeling adds to power when you have the grandmaster trait “Deadly Strength”
You can also jump in and out of DS for an extended fury thanks to rune of rage
I use it often come check it out on my stream: http://www.twitch.tv/ellisdx3

Also began playing a 2h GS/hammer guardian as well.

I run dagger/warhorn and axe/focus in sPvP. I very rarely use my axe, mainly to chase or rapidly gain life force. I find the dagger does huge amounts of damage and I can actually out damage thieves fairly easily with a decently tanky build. I mainly use death shroud to tank enemy bursts, or to chase, or for the fear to sometimes save allies from being stomped/interrupt their heals when my Wail of Doom is on cd.

Also, Mindx is a god at necro and I learned most of what I know about necros in pvp from watching his stream/youtube videos

Thanks dude! Although I wouldn’t consider myself a “god”, I do tend to have some rare 2v1 3v1 moments lol. Lich too strong! I always experiment with new builds so make sure to check out the stream every so often! I tend to stream between 4pm-12am EST

I mostly stream Spvp, I run with my guild in Tpvp every so often but 1 of the leaders for our A-team plays a necro as well and although we have ran 2 necros in the past succesfully we dont want to get stuck in that team comp. So i tend to sit on the sidelines or play with a B-team, we have also been doing tpvp alot less lately.

And then you get stomped the moment Lich is on cooldown. I thought Anet designed elites to be tide turners, not build centerpieces this time round.

digiowl.9620:

And then you get stomped the moment Lich is on cooldown. I thought Anet designed elites to be tide turners, not build centerpieces this time round.

Actually if you use lich when you have full LF to do your burst then end it around 25-30%, heal up and jump into DS it can be quite devistating

Mindx.9610:

Thanks dude! Although I wouldn’t consider myself a “god”, I do tend to have some rare 2v1 3v1 moments lol. Lich too strong! I always experiment with new builds so make sure to check out the stream every so often! I tend to stream between 4pm-12am EST

Not even joking I saw you defend a point against 3 guys successfully and down several of them a few times before one of your teammates came to clean them up with you, it was awesome.