Guild Wars 2

It seems like a decent trait, but does anyone actually use it? Is it in the wrong tier/should be “buffed” (switches tiers with Unholy Martyr)? Hell, is it in the wrong specialization (Blood Magic)? If the latter should it be in Curses? If the prior, here’s a thought:

Banshee’s Wail: Reduces recharge on warhorn skills and increases their effect durations. Wail of Doom leeches health from each foe struck. Gain Locust Swarm when striking foes below the health threshold (30s cooldown).
-Life Steal Healing: 600 (0.01)
-Life Steal Damage: 425 (0.02)
-Health Threshold: 75%
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%
-Recharge Reduced: 20%

Edit: As per suggestion(s)/thought(s) below, this is a thought if Banshee’s Wail was moved to Death Magic (as a major grandmaster trait). In this case, Unholy Sanctuary is merged with or replaces Unholy Martyr in Blood Magic. Also, Banshee’s Wail is renamed to Lord of the Flies (or something similar):

Lord of the Flies: Reduces recharge on warhorn skills and increases their effect durations. Killing an enemy grants Locust Swarm. Locust Swarm can now be sent to target locations as a Pillar of Locusts so long as the effect is active (30s cooldown).
-Effectiveness Increased: 50%
-Recharge Reduced: 20%
-Pillar of Locusts: Send the swarm of locusts to the target location (1s cd).
-Damage: 61 (0.2)
-Crippled (2s): -50% Movement Speed
-Life Force: 1.5%
-Number of Impacts: 10
-Number of Targets: 5
-Duration: 10s
-Range: 900
-Radius: 210

Notes: Pillar of Locusts would function similarly to a Mordrem Troll’s Insect Swarm.

Thoughts?

Its only problem is that it competes with vampiric aura. Otherwise, it’s a perfectly good trait, at least in PVE.

As for why is it in BM – becouse it always was there, if I remember correctly, long before specialisation patch rewamped entire BM line turning it into something useful

Wintermute.5408:

As for why is it in BM – becouse it always was there, if I remember correctly, long before specialisation patch rewamped entire BM line turning it into something useful

Wrong it was a curses trait before the revamp patch.

Muchacho.2390:

Wintermute.5408:

As for why is it in BM – becouse it always was there, if I remember correctly, long before specialisation patch rewamped entire BM line turning it into something useful

Wrong it was a curses trait before the revamp patch.

Memory check – failed

They moved it because Warhorn is considered a power weapon but when revamping the traitlines, they wanted Curses to be a condition line, so it didnt really fit thematically.

Before the trait system revamp, Banshee’s Wail in Curses wasn’t really misplaced.
Barbed Precision had a 66% proc chance back then, which combined with Banshee would allow Locust Swarm to outperform the off-hand dagger’s Enfeebling Blood in regards to bleeding application. Also, the cripple and bleeding provided some synergy with Target the Weak.
Anyway, with the specialization system it was only logical to move Banshee’s Wail to a different line. And the only candidates that made sense were Blood Magic for its synergy with Vampiric, or Soul Reaping because Locust Swarm generates a lot of life force.
(Fun fact: once upon a time SR actually had the trait Decaying Swarm.)

As for Banshee’s Wail itself:
This trait turns an already good weapon into an epic one. And personally, it is my default pick over Vampiric Presence except for some very few situations.
A lot of people simply underestimate Banshee’s Wail, especially when its contribution in combat is a little more subtle than constantly having a buff icon above the skillbar.

I like the life steeling suggestion for Wail of Doom though.
I’ve been trying to make Sigil of Draining work for a similar effect, but in the end other sigils had priority.

Target the Weak was +2% damage per condition back before the specialization system. One of my least favourite changes in gw2 history.
That said Curses was pretty much a hybrid line before, given that the go-to power dungeon build utilized it.

The only time to not run Banshee’s Wail (other than not using warhorn) when you are running Blood Magic is Dungeon/Raids. Vampiric Aura can add quite a bit of damage when spread out over 5-10 people. More than Locust Swarm can.

does anyone actually use it?

Yes! This trait benefit a lot the warhorn, making the locust swarm uptime really great. And locust swarm being used just before entering shroud give you heaven defying survivability in large scale mele fight.

Is it in the wrong tier/should be “buffed” (switches tiers with Unholy Martyr)?

While Unholy Martyr is questionnable as a GM trait, Banshee’s wail is balanced ATM. I think it’s in the right tier and should absolutely not be buffed even if it was in a GM place. Unholy Martyr issue on the other hand is merely a lack of mean to achieve result with it. The concept is great and could benefit from all the corruption’s stuff granting, at last, some decent LF regen to condi builds.

Hell, is it in the wrong specialization (Blood Magic)? If the latter should it be in Curses?

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curse. Afterall, when death spread, there is always flies…

It is easy to forget war horn is more than just swiftness and a stun.

Dadnir.5038:

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curses. Afterall, when death spreads, there is always flies…

That’s a thought, it certainly would fit better and could perhaps move Death Magic beyond just minions and enhance it’s “defensive” and life force options, like bringing back Decaying Swarm as a minor perhaps? If only to get rid of or enhance Soul Comprehension.

Dignified Loser.7689:

Dadnir.5038:

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curses. Afterall, when death spreads, there is always flies…

That’s a thought, it certainly would fit better and could perhaps move Death Magic beyond just minions and enhance it’s “defensive” and life force options, like bringing back Decaying Swarm as a minor perhaps? If only to get rid of or enhance Soul Comprehension.

Also, Death magic is the only traitline that doesn’t have any trait that enhance a weapon.
Spite : Axe with unholy fervor
curse : scepter with lingering curse
DM : none
BM : dagger with quickening thirst and WH with Banshee Wail
SR : staff with Soul mark

I’d remove Soul comprehension, put Beyond the veil in it’s place. Move Deadly strengh in minor GM and replace it by Banshee’s wail.

As to what would take the place of Banshee’s wail into the BM line… Maybe :

Vile blood : Your bleeds do 2% more damage per condition on you.

or

Blood spring : Whenever you bleed, you and allies around you regenerate health. Heal 1200 health point over 10 second to up to 5 allies in a 360 radius.

or

Coagulate : reduce the duration of the bleed stack that you (and your allies) suffer. Reduced duration 20-50%.

or

… etc.

Something that seem to be related to blood… and could even have some necromancer’s flavored support.

Dignified Loser.7689:

Dadnir.5038:

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curses. Afterall, when death spreads, there is always flies…

That’s a thought, it certainly would fit better and could perhaps move Death Magic beyond just minions and enhance it’s “defensive” and life force options, like bringing back Decaying Swarm as a minor perhaps? If only to get rid of or enhance Soul Comprehension.

I can only +1 this once. I would love to have Decaying Swarm instead of Soul Comprehension.

Actually would synergize nicely with the Grandmasters as well! Maybe not Death Nova, but the other two.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Dignified Loser.7689:

Dadnir.5038:

If anything, it would fit Death magic more than it ever fit curses. Afterall, when death spreads, there is always flies…

That’s a thought, it certainly would fit better and could perhaps move Death Magic beyond just minions and enhance it’s “defensive” and life force options, like bringing back Decaying Swarm as a minor perhaps? If only to get rid of or enhance Soul Comprehension.

I can only +1 this once. I would love to have Decaying Swarm instead of Soul Comprehension.

Actually would synergize nicely with the Grandmasters as well! Maybe not Death Nova, but the other two.

How about, if an opponent gets gnawed on 10 times by Decaying Swarm, a grub is spawned that shoots poison 900 at enemies.