Guild Wars 2

Is it all really based on personal preference? Here I am all focused on building end-game gear to maximize my condition damage, and yet I have never attempted to focus on either the minion or power builds.

How different is the damage? Do power builds offer just raw burst damage in comparison to sustained damage over time that conditions offer?

Which do you prefer?

In pvp power builds can be used… in pve its much harder.

What makes one prefer the power build over any other despite the difficulty? Does it mean better utilizing DS and the Lich elite skill?

I still won’t use lich in my power build.

In pve condition build is fine and all but building DS is annoying so Ill go power instead and do good damage and build LF rather easy.

BionitechBeta.5268:

Is it all really based on personal preference? Here I am all focused on building end-game gear to maximize my condition damage, and yet I have never attempted to focus on either the minion or power builds.

How different is the damage? Do power builds offer just raw burst damage in comparison to sustained damage over time that conditions offer?

Which do you prefer?

Condition builds inherently offer better survivability and damage application even before considering numbers and abilities. It applies all its damage at range and keeps the pressure on the enemy even after you disengage the fight. Power builds present you with more risk and very little reward — even glass cannon specs are woefully underwhelming. Minions are a bit of an enigma right now. Because the AI is completely broken, not many people have been able to really nail down all the pros and cons — simply because they only work about 15% of the time.

Even if they did work, I have a sneaking suspicion that conditions will end up producing higher dps with a minion build.

I’ve run both a condition build and a power build and I would say the damage is similar, but playstyle is very different.

In my condition build I focus on stacking bleeds/poison for sustained damage, using wells for extra damage and support. Spec I use is 0/30/10/30/0. I use death shroud only for the #4 ability to provide some area damage and healing. My complaint with the condition build is the lack of damage to inanimate objects (Burrows / blossoms / walls etc) but again, I built it around support, not DPS. I run a full Rampager’s set of gear with 6 runes of the undead and I’m near impossible to kill. Weapons are Scepter/Dagger with Staff swap. I use consume conditions to heal, with Well of suffering, darkness, power as my utility skills and Flesh golem elite (mainly for the knockdown)

In my power build I went 30/0/0/10/30 and built it around using deathshroud as much as possible. I use Axe/Focus with Staff swap, but will flip Staff for dagger/dagger if I know I can live in melee range, or need to take out stuff like burrows. Full set of berserker’s gear with superior runes of the scholar. It’s probably not the most powerful power build out there, but it does really nice burst damage. DS1 is hitting for 5K a shot when over 50% lifeforce. Utilities flip about every fight depending on what we’re after. If there’s a boss that summons adds I have epidemic, well of suffering, and signet of undeath. I’ll frequently swap in signet of spite for the extra power when needed. If there’s a large pack of mobs I’ll use well of suffering / darkness / poison cloud for the AEs

The playstyle is very different My power build is not full glass cannon as I use exotic emerald jewelery for the added toughness. I might eventually change this out for coral and see what happens, but I like having a bit of meat on my bones for when they get chewed.

Imo Tank>Power>Condition, Condition doesn’t go fast enough and can be avoided via dispells and heals. Power you wont last long enough to do much but waste cooldown’s, Tank is probably the best so that you do damage and soak up enemy cooldown’s, damage, and provide time for you and allies to get down the biggest threat. A dead man does no damage, the most important part in battle is to survive, if your enemy cannot hurt you he is wasting his spells trying. This is why Thieves are naturally overpowering, skills provided to negative all threat with a high power build will spark a very high amount of pressure.

Parakeet.6083:

In pvp power builds can be used… in pve its much harder.

That is 100% backwards.

In PvP power builds are terrible, in PvE they work, because it doesn’t matter what you run, just about anything will get the job done.

I’ve found both power and condition builds to be okay in PvP.

If you go d/d + wells, you’re looking to immob someone in the well while you auto and drain them. It works pretty well, but you need to be picking people off and avoiding groups where possible.

If you go axe+ you rely more on the retaliation and building DS quickly.

Condition builds also vary, but usually you can be a bit less disciplined about your tactics as they have higher survivability and more flexibility in apply damage.

Power builds are not terrible in pvp someones needs to Assess the way they use DS

People trying to defend Necro power builds for PvP…Lol. I’m completely sure I’ve never died to a power Necro in a 1vs1, on any class. All you need to do is dodge or remove the immobilize and you can’t lose, even if you don’t all you need to do is wait and step out of the Wells as soon as possible and then the Necro is left useless.

If you want to run a power build in PvP, don’t play necro, it’s as simple as that. Every other class does it considerably better.

I’m just getting back to my Necro after bailing on him shortly after release. Condition build, while being plenty viable, was kinda boring IMO, specially with some of the most important utilities being less than reliable at the moment.

So I switched to a Staff+Dagger/Dagger power build and have been having a lot more fun and think it’s a lot more rewarding. Plays the same way with the staff as the condition spec but as soon as anyone gets close swap to daggers, immobilize for 5 sec, and roflstomp with a quickness. With DS and LF building quickly survivability is pretty impressive.

I pretty much only do PvP with my Necro and he’s turning into quite a beast. I’ve also been seeing quite a few Necros running similar builds in later rounds of tPvP.

… I got nothing good to say about Aga’s comment.

I pvp with power build necro.

Teknobug.3782:

… I got nothing good to say about Aga’s comment.

I pvp with power build necro.

lol i was thinking the same thing. I mainly spvp with my necro. and i’ve been running a condimancer build forever. only last week i switched to power build and with might stacking + trait, life siphon is disgusting sometimes.

you just have to not mind the lack of survivability. i sometimes have a hard time in 1v1s true, but that makes winning them really sweet =D and i tend to lose against classes built around pure burst because necro burst just doesn’t compare with warrior or thief burst. but it’s still fun to switch it up once in a while when playing the same build gets a little stale.

i haven’t tried a pet build yet and i still don’t feel like it. someday maybe!

Pet builds don’t work: PvE, they die immediately because everything hits like a truck. Pvp: They die immediately because half the game is aoe’s lol Oh and they 50% of the time or more just stand there and look stupid without attacking.

1. Power
My biggest qualm is: range. The dps is too low even as a glass cannon build to fight that close to melees. Ok, you can use the DS to tank some. However, e.g. a thief will churn through your life force bar in seconds if you have no traits invested in tough and vit…which in turn would lower your dps. I cannot help it, the concept is lacking something.

2. Condition
The build I play most. However, as someone said above, the damage is slow especially because the conditions get so often wiped. Nevertheless is condition management fun – especially if the bugged crap works now and then

3. Tank/minion
Well, a minion build is pure masochism. Simply because of the bugs, the brainless AI and the terrible pathing. PLUS: unlike mesmer minions we need to sarcrifice valuable utility slots with the underwhelming abilities.

Tank spec is ok and can soak up quite some damage but it is pretty bland. It is like playing a punching ball which retaliates like a wet noodle. Well, at least it is easy to kill thieves with it hihihi

The spec I really love to play is 20/0/30/20/0 for DPS, Protection/Boon Duration, Vitality/Healing. Using Axe/Focus for vulnerability spikes to aid team, chill/boon remove(really awesome), a good burst and if you spec right more range on focus. I use Dagger/Warhorn also for this reason, Dagger hits fast and with good damage putting pressure and making people blow defensive snares. Life Siphon is a second burst skill to maximize damage with Axe/Focus with some hp regen. Immobilize is a great peel and good to keep enemies in battle, with Warhorn’s daze and speed/cripple you are set for high control, survive and good burst damage. The spec adding protection with wells is very, very good, protection could also why condition builds fail, 33% off your bleeds leaves you ticking as much as they regen but I’m unsure of this. Lich also uses well’s so you are pretty much unstoppable with a team spamming control and high dps the enemy is running for his life after blowing all his cd’s he becomes the wet noodle.. The only problem I find is range, and a cast time on everything, so you need to think fast and act fast.

I play pvp with power using dagger/warhorn and switch with axe for strafe battles. It works pretty well concerning the damage I do. It plays very differently to conditions though. I would say better because most of the time my conditions get wiped before they do anything special or before I can epidemic it.

Maybe it’s just how I play

Aga.8641

People trying to defend Necro power builds for PvP…Lol. I’m completely sure I’ve never died to a power Necro in a 1vs1, on any class. All you need to do is dodge or remove the immobilize and you can’t lose, even if you don’t all you need to do is wait and step out of the Wells as soon as possible and then the Necro is left useless.

If you want to run a power build in PvP, don’t play necro, it’s as simple as that. Every other class does it considerably better.

It’s possible you’ve never played against a decent power build. The dagger immob is way too situational so a decent power build doesn’t use it unless he’s confident of pinning you in a the wells.

Whereas, using Axe/Focus he can Chill and Cripple you, on short CDs, severely limiting your mobility, while hitting you with the 600 range Axe DPS. Ghastly Claws is very nice damage. With Axe/Focus, the wells are as much for defence as offence, providing protection, healing and condition clearing. They help with offence, but are not critical to it.

I saw how well a power necro worked when I faced him with my condition necro:
1. We traded some blows
2. He ran up to me
3. Switch to dagger + immobilization
4. Wells (no.3 and 4 came as SUCH a surprise uuuuuuuh hahaha)
5. I press plague signet
6. Dodge
7. He has all his crap on him now plus my condition and he dies

Point is: Wells are really not that hot

That sounds like crap, or you were fighting a really stupid necro. If he had his wells up, you throwing condition back on him wouldnt have done kitten lol. Theyd just be plain gone. As there is a well, (you said wells) that cleanses conditions. And you say “No.3 and 4 came as SUCH a surprise uuuuuuuuh hahaha” he could say the same for you pressing plague signet lol.