Guild Wars 2

So, i have been working on this build for a while now and i would like to get you guys’ input on how to improve it or simply what YOU would change.

This build is NOT made for insane DPS, but instead being supportive and staying alive in zerg fights aswell as high level FotM

I made this build for my personal preference and what i wanted so you might not like it, but if i get you guys’ tips, i could try it out and see if i like it myself.. If you get what i mean.

Ok, before anyone say “Oh you just want views on your youtube video!” I would say no… You dont have to watch the video i will link, its just so you guys can actually see what i mean, since i suck at explaining stuff.. So you can see how it works.

i will first link you my build, and everything you need to know is on the build page, so just scroll down.

http://www.gw2build.com/builds/zokeers-well-and-siphon-build-wvw-dungeons-siphon-31k-hp-survive-10647.html

And here is my video showing the build in action

Simply leave your guys’ idea on how YOU would change it, so i might get some ideas myself

I run something similar except i put more focus on critting for syphoning and for Debuffs

10/30/0/20/10

mixture of knights and cavaliers gear. valkyrie weapons.

Reason I focused on crit was the 30 in curses debuffs enemies with weakness on crits. Which if you build right you are doing an insane amount via AoE to really share it.

Weakness is huge if you are looking at boosting your parties survivability.

Corrosive Poison Cloud is also great for sharing weakness AoE style.

I ditched staff for axe and its retaliation to emphasize my builds purpose of taking a beating while staying on its feat (well at least as best as the pinball necro can).

My build focuses more on the survivability and anchoring, party support comes via debuffs. We have a guardian who does the majority of team cleansing and the like.

I run a 20/20/0/30/0 siphon build full knights vamp runes. I honestly hate the idea of using pvt with siphon builds and I feel the extra damage + damage mitigation from using knight’s ore than makes up for lack of vitality on the gear plus your already getting it from going 30 into blood. I’ve run level 30 fractals with no ar withought hindering my group. Easier content I throw on berserker weps and jewels for some added dps and I have zero trouble with surviving. It takes balls to play a siphon necro though you need to be right up in there , don’t know how many times I’ve done a lfg where the group see’s me start meleeing bosses yells at me that I’m gonna die only to have then be like Welp guess not lol.

NeXeD.3042:

I run a 20/20/0/30/0 siphon build full knights vamp runes. I honestly hate the idea of using pvt with siphon builds and I feel the extra damage + damage mitigation from using knight’s ore than makes up for lack of vitality on the gear plus your already getting it from going 30 into blood. I’ve run level 30 fractals with no ar withought hindering my group. Easier content I throw on berserker weps and jewels for some added dps and I have zero trouble with surviving. It takes balls to play a siphon necro though you need to be right up in there , don’t know how many times I’ve done a lfg where the group see’s me start meleeing bosses yells at me that I’m gonna die only to have then be like Welp guess not lol.

Hmm, even though i agree with Pvt gear being “useless” or i mean, something could be better… I just love my vitality. As i said, this is for my personal preferance and i love vitality But yea, i could swap it out and test!

Thanks for the tips both

NeXeD.3042:

[snip]
It takes balls to play a siphon necro though you need to be right up in there , don’t know how many times I’ve done a lfg where the group see’s me start meleeing bosses yells at me that I’m gonna die only to have then be like Welp guess not lol.

^ This.

This is the secret to effective life siphoning. Yes, the individual amount of life siphoning on a per-hit basis is low. However, looking at it from that perspective, is missing the forest for the trees.

As a blood necro, you have to deal in volume. Life siphoning per-hit is low? Then simply make up for it with lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of hits. Get in there with that dagger, go toe-to-toe with the boss, throw down those wells and activate Locust Swarm, etc.

You can not be a backline, ranged fighter and expect life siphoning to be effective in this game. If you want to leverage it to its fullest potential, you have to be a meleeist getting in as many strikes as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time you possibly can.

Personally, I’m glad the community and even the devs themselves think life siphoning is lackluster with plans to improve it. I’m really looking forward to the patch; but let’s just keep this little secret to ourselves, shall we

Kraag Deadsoul.2789:

NeXeD.3042:

[snip]
It takes balls to play a siphon necro though you need to be right up in there , don’t know how many times I’ve done a lfg where the group see’s me start meleeing bosses yells at me that I’m gonna die only to have then be like Welp guess not lol.

^ This.

This is the secret to effective life siphoning. Yes, the individual amount of life siphoning on a per-hit basis is low. However, looking at it from that perspective, is missing the forest for the trees.

As a blood necro, you have to deal in volume. Life siphoning per-hit is low? Then simply make up for it with lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of hits. Get in there with that dagger, go toe-to-toe with the boss, throw down those wells and activate Locust Swarm, etc.

You can not be a backline, ranged fighter and expect life siphoning to be effective in this game. If you want to leverage it to its fullest potential, you have to be a meleeist getting in as many strikes as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time you possibly can.

Personally, I’m glad the community and even the devs themselves think life siphoning is lackluster with plans to improve it. I’m really looking forward to the patch; but let’s just keep this little secret to ourselves, shall we

I agree. thats why i use my AOE skills on my staff in the backline, THEN i rush up with dagger. Even though the healing is LOW, with all those hits i get, its around 1k healing a second. Its not bad at all

If you got more precision you would end up healing even more per second using crits to heal, the well heals are nice and all but I found the crit heals to be more effective in the long run, I hate waiting for cooldowns to heal. You would also deal more damage.

NeXeD.3042:

If you got more precision you would end up healing even more per second using crits to heal, the well heals are nice and all but I found the crit heals to be more effective in the long run, I hate waiting for cooldowns to heal. You would also deal more damage.

Yes i have been thinking about that. havent been testing much of it, but you do have a point. I have just assumed wells siphon is better, but thanks for the heads up! I am definetally going to test that one

Wells will be a better burst heal if your in the middle of a bunch of mob, I think the heal on crit is a better sustained heal and it really forces you to get better at constantly moving and dodging while keeping your dps as high as you can.

I second NeXeD. I’ve done what I can to max my crit chance while traiting Vampiric Precision. That said, I also like wells and usually have at least two on my bar. Since the pulses from wells also have a chance to crit, you get the best of both worlds; especially with densely packed mobs.

Kraag Deadsoul.2789:

I second NeXeD. I’ve done what I can to max my crit chance while traiting Vampiric Precision. That said, I also like wells and usually have at least two on my bar. Since the pulses from wells also have a chance to crit, you get the best of both worlds; especially with densely packed mobs.

Yea, im going to test out both and see what i like the most

I’ve always been a huge fan of life stealing builds in GW1, so I’d like to see a build for GW2 that has a high survivability. I wonder, if you do have to really get in close, to get as many hits in as you can… should you be speccing in crits (for more healing), or in toughness (so you take less damage as well)?

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I’ve always been a huge fan of life stealing builds in GW1, so I’d like to see a build for GW2 that has a high survivability. I wonder, if you do have to really get in close, to get as many hits in as you can… should you be speccing in crits (for more healing), or in toughness (so you take less damage as well)?

Run knights and cavalier. They both rock precision AND toughness.

knights third stat is power, cavalier being crit damage.

Posted it a long time ago but just for reference again:
http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/necromancer/?5.0|8.1c.h2.g.1c.h1l|6.1c.h1l|1c.7g.1c.7g.1c.7i.1c.7i.1c.7g.1c.9c|4u.d19.2u.d13.21k.d13.2u.d13.3u.d16.2u.d13|k67.0.0.k69.u6ab|1k.1|3r.47.4a.45.4e|e
My setup, good thing is you can swap out utilites and major traits between wells (Suffering corruption and darkness or Swalk) and control support (sgrasp, situational option, undeath). Kinda works off siphoning too since Dagger 2, Pie and Vampiric do regen up most mob damage if you dodge the big hitters/it aint bugged encounter, but spend like 40% of the fight in DS (swap soul marks for decaying if you want life force bursts in ds instead of on staff drop).

DaisyRogers.6837:

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I’ve always been a huge fan of life stealing builds in GW1, so I’d like to see a build for GW2 that has a high survivability. I wonder, if you do have to really get in close, to get as many hits in as you can… should you be speccing in crits (for more healing), or in toughness (so you take less damage as well)?

Run knights and cavalier. They both rock precision AND toughness.

knights third stat is power, cavalier being crit damage.

cavalier is toughness>power=crit damage
And for PvE, always go full zerker. Especially in high lvl fotm.

Molch.2078:

And for PvE, always go full zerker.

Not everyone likes to die a soon as he’s making a little mistake, though. Or a partymember messes something up so you can’t help it but have to take a few hits.

Molch.2078:

Especially in high lvl fotm.

Well I guess here it makes sense; provided you really get one- or two-shotted by everything anyway.

Molch.2078:

DaisyRogers.6837:

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I’ve always been a huge fan of life stealing builds in GW1, so I’d like to see a build for GW2 that has a high survivability. I wonder, if you do have to really get in close, to get as many hits in as you can… should you be speccing in crits (for more healing), or in toughness (so you take less damage as well)?

Run knights and cavalier. They both rock precision AND toughness.

knights third stat is power, cavalier being crit damage.

cavalier is toughness>power=crit damage
And for PvE, always go full zerker. Especially in high lvl fotm.

meh close enough.

I still argue though that toughness and weakness is what really maximizes syphon builds. The more mitigation you have the better your syphons will be able to keep you topped up and going strong.

if you go zerkers you might as well ditch syphon and focus on power and damage. Its healing will not keep up with the damage a zerker necro takes, especially since necro lacks a lot of the survival mechanics other zerker classes bring, epic damage being a start.

The siphoning adds to damage and works as damage mitigation. Sounds like a pretty good combo for zerker… I have a zerker set with vamp runes hits pretty kittening hard.

What is the difference between using power, or critical damage? Is one more effective in a life stealing build than the other?

Well its kind of hard to explain when you ask a question like that. Technically you want both but your probably only going to able to do that with berserker gear. When it comes to life siphoning builds I think knight’s or berserkers are your best options, what I usually do is use a much berserker gear as I can if the group or I start having problems I switch to knights which usually makes you a dps tank as the only way your build works is by staying in thr thick of things and you also take aggro from the rest of the group.

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

I’ve always been a huge fan of life stealing builds in GW1, so I’d like to see a build for GW2 that has a high survivability. I wonder, if you do have to really get in close, to get as many hits in as you can… should you be speccing in crits (for more healing), or in toughness (so you take less damage as well)?

I posted my life siphoning build in the following thread (second response down from the top; includes all armor, weapons, trinkets, skills, traits, consumables, and upgrade components)