As a newbie leveling Necro (focused mostly in condition damage, but also some power) I’m feeling really restricted on elite skills.
Since I’m focusing on corruptions Plague seems the natural way to go, but then I start thinking: is it actually that useful for solo leveling? I mean, when should I transform considering I’m most of the time alone?
So, Flesh Golem always end up as my only real option in my mind. But after trying it a little bit I’m not really sure how much it’s actually contributing for my overall defense/offense (considering it’s my only minion and I have no traits to improve it). Also, it dies too often. And finally, every time I activate Charge makes the Golem to simply run past the enemy instead of keeping melee range, this way losing dps.
So, are you guys having a great time with the Golem while leveling? Any tips to use it effectively (considering I’m not investing on minion traits)?
Flesh Golem is pretty great for leveling, even if you don’t trait for it. You just need to reframe how you think about it. The Golem is really just there to be a meat shield, something to soak up aggro and give you some space to breathe. It does add some DPS and the Knockdown can be useful to interrupt mob channeled skills with big tells, but mostly it’s there to take damage so that you don’t have to.
With the recent fixes to mob AI, directing your Flesh Golem should be pretty easy: pick your target and attack them, then let your Flesh Golem move past you and up to your foe. Most of the time, the mob will focus down your Flesh Golem, who may die if you’re underleveled or fighting a champion or huge group, but most of the time should at least stay alive long enough to let you build up some serious condition stacks. Don’t think about the Golem’s death as a bad thing or a failed use of the skill: think about it as having taken all that damage so you didn’t have to.
EDIT: As for Plague, it’s really not very useful in solo PvE. I mean, I could see the Blind spamming being helpful in some trash fights in dungeons, but in solo PvE it’s going to be just a huge DPS loss.
I main Ele and Necro, though I have an alt of each profession at level 80. How to Condi Reaper on a budget
Everything I say is only in reference to PvE and WvW.
Flesh Golem is a cool partner when you solo: meatshield to soak up aggro, so you can do your thing and the Charge is also nice to interupt or when you need a little breather.
Flesh Golem doesn’t die just when entering water, it dies if it goes into water deep enough to trigger yours or its underwater state. That gives a bit more leeway with water issues (though still a major annoyance).
Golem is the best for leveling and random PvE running around though. Lich is overkill for normal mobs, Plague just doesn’t really do anything (why stall the mobs when you can just murder them), but Flesh Golem basically acts as a distraction and extra damage.
Golem is great for leveling but I have not leveled since the masteries rework. I do not think you can choose which skills to learn from a group anymore. If you have Mistfire Wolf, it may still show up at L30, which was much earlier than normal elites and works great since they strengthened it.
You may also just WvW or PvP up-leveled with full abilities until you get to 80.. . I think. It has been too long and there have been many changes since I last leveled but I will be starting Revy in a few weeks.
Golem is great for leveling but I have not leveled since the masteries rework. I do not think you can choose which skills to learn from a group anymore. If you have Mistfire Wolf, it may still show up at L30, which was much earlier than normal elites and works great since they strengthened it.
Yes, investing on the Golem would require me to buy the entire minion skill line, this way delaying the acquisition of my trait lines. And the guy also only works on land, so I’ll have to get Plague anyway for underwater.
That’s why I’m trying to decide if really worth such investment on the Golem. Anyway, really seems the only good elite in my case.
its pretty good, plus necros don’t really have a decent alternative,
all of our other skills are long cooldown bursty skills which aren’t very useful in pve.
except maybe lich for the odd boss.
I always use it for regular open world stuff. With say Lichform you can get a damage boost once every 2min and you’ll rarely actually need to use it, with Flesh golem you’ll have a constant damage boost,meat shield and knock down for whatever you’re doing.
