Guild Wars 2

My second profession is Necromancer, but rarely play her. I mostly run around with Mesmer (either condition shatter or CI power lockdown) in WvW. ANd so I met that necromancer today while running CI power lockdown. He seemed to have been running a power based build and he had full LF when we started fighting.

I admit I made some mistakes in that fight. But it was very close and I was only barely able to defeat him. However, he then used the WP from the close keep and attacked me again. This time without any life force (and his elite was still in cool down too)… my daze mantra also was still in cool down. But this time he wasn’t a thread at all. It was ridiculously easy to dispose of him a 2nd time, while the first fight was very close and could have gone the other way.

My experiences with LF as a necro comes only from my condition dmg roaming build, where I just need a bit of LF for my condi bursts (burning, chill, bleed, torment) and then I switch out again.

Are power builds that much reliant on LF? Those 2 fights were a such a difference und without a bit of a LF pool he wasn’t a threat to me at all…

Yes. Life force makes all the difference. A power necro is nothing without his life force.

Actually power necros have a much easier time generating life force, so in a way they are less dependant on starting a fight with a certain amount than condi builds.

Btw, if that necro was smart he could’ve sacrificed minions for some life force before he engaged you a second time.

We need life force for that life blast spam
And what everyone else said above me…

Well, playing a powermancer without life force is like playing a mesmer with blured frenzy, distorsion, blink and everything you can think of that give you a bit of defense on mesmer, on cool down.

Its a bit hard to draw a comparison, because no one is as reliant on their profession mechanic as Necromancer is.

But basically, most of power necros damage and 100% of their defense is tied to DS. No LF = no defense.

OlliX.1705:

Yes. Life force makes all the difference. A power necro is nothing without his life force.

+1

This is why you see so many Necro’s complain that it’s unfair we start with 0 LF in PvP matches. I usually compare it to a Mesmer not being able to spawn clones/phantasms for the first 30seconds of a match or a Thief not being able to stealth for the first 30seconds of the match.

It doesn’t take too long to generate a bit of LF but since Necro’s are usually the first to be targeted we really need it. A Necro without Death Shroud means they lose at least half of their damage and defense. We can still function without it but we are significantly weaker and more vulnerable. I know that when I’m roaming in WvW after I’ve had a fight and my LF bar is drained I feel naked. I’ll immediately look for bunnies to kill otherwise I stick near a tower or kill a few NPC’s.

It depends on the build. But indeed, Power Necro is very dependant on Life Force and pressure.

We win fights by putting constant pressure and managing Life Force.

hm… I really wasn’t aware of that. I mean when I roam with my necro I do need LF… but I can start most fights without it and gathering LF during a fight is enough for condi spike so that it puts any foe (well except diamond skin ele^^) on the defensive.^^

Wasn’t aware that power builds rely so much on DS. Thx guys for the info

Incidently, a lockdown Mesmer is also one of the worst foes a Necromancer can face. Its no wonder that you win if he’s out of life force. Imagine running a Mesmer and you’re suddenly out of clones. Cant generate any more for 20+ seconds. Yeah. You’re gonna drop like a stone. At least in WvW I would say its the Necros mistake if he engage without any lf at all (just killing like 3 white rats running out of spawn should give 50%), PvP is far worse and put the Necro at a severe initial disadvantage against a clone pooping Mesmer. I’ve had PvP duels with Mesmers that where intense for a minute and I’ve been killed in 2 seconds by them because no lf.

Dawdler.8521:

At least in WvW I would say its the Necros mistake if he engage without any lf at all (just killing like 3 white rats running out of spawn should give 50%)

My thoughts exactly, why would you engage with no LF in WvW…

Maybe he was mad that he lost… I don’t know. It was weird. He was a platinum rank necro and from how the first fight went, I gathered he didn’t only zerk farm that rank, but also knows how to fight in small scale combat. However, he was just fodder to me without LF^^

He respawned in garry on his BL and went strait to me (I was west of garry). There are not many ambient creatures there, so there was not much chance of gathering some quick life force…

He was clearly angry. Most necros would never miss the ambient creature farm just SW of SM or any towers along their way. Besides, back when I used to play powermancer I would use that small window when I ran out of dodges and a mesmer would shatter on me to possibly mount a counter attack after tanking it with DS. There is none of that with 0 life force.

This is a very good case of being blinded by anger that I have yet to experience in this game. At worst, the people I beat just bring more friends.