Guild Wars 2

I have a level 57 Necromancer (my main is an 80 Guardian)

So far I’ve mostly been using scepter+dagger with Precision/Condition gear (using the level 50 rares right now, but looking for new stuff for when I hit 60.). Traits so far are 7/20/20/0/0.

My problem is that my Necro feels very papery and weak. I usually have a hard time killing Veterans and more than one mob can overwhelm me. The slot skills I’ve been using most are Blood is Power, Corrupt Boon and Epidemic.

I could really use some advice on making my Necro die less often, or more able to deal with large groups of mobs, and stand on her own against a Veteran. Any gear/build/trait/skill change advice is very welcome.

My necromancer also felt squishy around levels 50-60. I was trying to focus on offensive gear but it really just doesn’t work that way. You need some toughness.

Things will get better when you can get 3 stat gear (level 60? I forgot) and then you should be able to get enough toughness.

You might need to use a mix of Knight’s, Rabid, and Rampagers if you want enough condition damage. I didn’t build my necro around conditions so I’m not sure what the optimal stat mix is.

But anyway as far as survivability goes, you need some toughness and that becomes easier to get with 3 stat gear.

Mira.4071:

I have a level 57 Necromancer (my main is an 80 Guardian)

So far I’ve mostly been using scepter+dagger with Precision/Condition gear (using the level 50 rares right now, but looking for new stuff for when I hit 60.). Traits so far are 7/20/20/0/0.

My problem is that my Necro feels very papery and weak. I usually have a hard time killing Veterans and more than one mob can overwhelm me. The slot skills I’ve been using most are Blood is Power, Corrupt Boon and Epidemic.

I could really use some advice on making my Necro die less often, or more able to deal with large groups of mobs, and stand on her own against a Veteran. Any gear/build/trait/skill change advice is very welcome.

You should check my necromancer tutorials that are pinned in this subforum. There is absolutely no way i can write here everything i have spoken in about 5-6 tutorials.

You may also want to check my latest Fractals of the Mists walkthroughs, not for the fractal strategy because you don’t need it yet, just to see how a necromancer can perform in the most harsh of environments.

PS: More then half the people say that going glass cannon in level 20 fractals is suicidal, and necromancers are weak for fractals… i have proven necromancers can shine as a glass cannon in fractals of the mists…

Thats the problem with necro’s. They are very weak. but i am using a build with power as the main focus, aswell as vitality for HP. My utilities are: Well of suffering, Well of corruption and spectral walk (Mostly for the 33 seconds swiftness, but also for the life force gain)

I have a staff as a AOE weapon, but for single target i use dagger. Dagger has the best DPS for necro’s ATM, aswell as i can siphon health for even more survivability. The wells hits super good if combined. Just drop them both wells and use the number 3 skill on the dagger to imobilize your target in the wells so they cant move. Here you can just go into death shroud to attack, or attack normally.

2 wells + your attack is pretty good damage. I seem to down people easy in PVP if i can pull this of. (Pretty hard because players actually dogde) but works like a charm. And when you are almost dead, use your healing spell and number 2 on the dagger for more healing. If needed go into death shroud aswell, and when the death shroud is over, you healing skill is almost ready again.

Im bad at explaining, but i hope you see my point.

Dagger – best DPS
2 wells combined – Good damage

Ok I haven’t used the wells much, is that based on condition damage or power?

I am pretty sure wells are power

go 20/30/0/10/0 with full rampager gear, go D/D and work with power/condition/siphoning. You’ll feel a little more together.

very PvE oriented. With the stealth buff to parasitic bond, you’ll get even better healing and AoE than what is shown in the vid.

I’d suggest swapping in Well of Suffering instead of Corrupt Boon, and try10/30/0/0/7 (unless you are using Staff alot). Add in some Vitality gear to compensate for the loss in Toughness.

For leveling, use 1h axe as mainhand, that is all you need to go from zero to hero. The rest you’ll figure out yourself along the way.

Don’t trait Power at all. Conditions, Healing, and Death Shroud. Make sure you use Blood is Power. so like 0/22/0/20/5. Using gear that has toughness or vitality and power or conditions. Mix it up. Blood is power will help even out the damage when you need to focus on a single target. The rest of the time use vulnerability well, physical damage well, and Blood is Power, and swap between dagger main hand and staff to keep the healing up. Use Death Shroud for big AoE’s after Blood is Power. Very strong build with lots and lots of room to utility juggle.

listen to Xil thats a good pve build.

I used a wellomancer for 80% of my leveling process w/ my Necro and felt very strong.

This is most of what I ran with (only showing 30 in both curses and blood):
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fQAQFAWjQah6daWa0bJgpHcPu4RPKO4hB

Well of Darkness will cause trait Chilling Darkness to slow them down, then throw the other two wells on top of them. Your staff will add to the AoE and make sure you keep your Flesh Golem out in front of you to take all the aggro. He also naturally heals himself so you won’t have to worry as much about any pet deaths from MM builds. Once all your AoE’s are out, switch to Dark Shroud and use 4 for even more AoE. Enjoy ez kills!

Off-hand is up to you, but I recommend the Warhorn for escape in tough situations.

Sheobix.8796:

go 20/30/0/10/0 with full rampager gear, go D/D and work with power/condition/siphoning. You’ll feel a little more together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_wrqBWFZDw

very PvE oriented. With the stealth buff to parasitic bond, you’ll get even better healing and AoE than what is shown in the vid.

^ This build actually seemed rather weak compared to the wellomancer build I posted. It’s taking you WAAAAY too long to kill all those minions and you’re taking WAAAAY too much damage and kiting WAAAAY too much.

Go wellomancer, has better burst damage when everything gets off c/d. Those mobs he’s fighting I have down in half the time and I never have to run around too much.

Oh, and in party dungeon runs I always see every other Necro have a hard time keeping up their life compared to wellomancers.

<— Sorry, huge wellomancer fan here. It just never let me down.

Any Necro not throwing Wells is only half a Necro. This is undeniable fact. You will kill slower and die more frequently without Wells in any build and in pretty much all content.

In PvE and to some degree in WvW, I can pull every single mob within range and kill them all at the same time no matter what they are. Champion, Veteran, scores of minions, does not matter. Wells destroy them all and keep me alive at the same time. My HP will rarely dip below 90% in any PvE content. It just doesn’t happen.

play warrior instead

XiL.4318:

Any Necro not throwing Wells is only half a Necro. This is undeniable fact. You will kill slower and die more frequently without Wells in any build and in pretty much all content.

In PvE and to some degree in WvW, I can pull every single mob within range and kill them all at the same time no matter what they are. Champion, Veteran, scores of minions, does not matter. Wells destroy them all and keep me alive at the same time. My HP will rarely dip below 90% in any PvE content. It just doesn’t happen.

+1 to this, wells are beastly in PvE, especially if you spec for them.

ThCakeIsALie.5306:

Sheobix.8796:

go 20/30/0/10/0 with full rampager gear, go D/D and work with power/condition/siphoning. You’ll feel a little more together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_wrqBWFZDw

very PvE oriented. With the stealth buff to parasitic bond, you’ll get even better healing and AoE than what is shown in the vid.

^ This build actually seemed rather weak compared to the wellomancer build I posted. It’s taking you WAAAAY too long to kill all those minions and you’re taking WAAAAY too much damage and kiting WAAAAY too much.

Go wellomancer, has better burst damage when everything gets off c/d. Those mobs he’s fighting I have down in half the time and I never have to run around too much.

Oh, and in party dungeon runs I always see every other Necro have a hard time keeping up their life compared to wellomancers.

<— Sorry, huge wellomancer fan here. It just never let me down.

veteran giant in orr? you do know the minions aren’t even important, right? they disappear when you kill the vet. The build was showcased to display the siphoning, regen, AoE abilities, and sustainability. You can drop a crapload of spectral juggs with that build without even moving if you go bip/epi/wos and sit in plagueform2.

XiL.4318:

Any Necro not throwing Wells is only half a Necro. This is undeniable fact. You will kill slower and die more frequently without Wells in any build and in pretty much all content.

In PvE and to some degree in WvW, I can pull every single mob within range and kill them all at the same time no matter what they are. Champion, Veteran, scores of minions, does not matter. Wells destroy them all and keep me alive at the same time. My HP will rarely dip below 90% in any PvE content. It just doesn’t happen.

Xil, you just made a friend.

Ya, I have the exact same thing. Lay traps, pull mob, lay freezing well, lay whatever else, mobs down to 25% health before they can even touch you.

Sheobix.8796:

veteran giant in orr? you do know the minions aren’t even important, right? they disappear when you kill the vet. The build was showcased to display the siphoning, regen, AoE abilities, and sustainability. You can drop a crapload of spectral juggs with that build without even moving if you go bip/epi/wos and sit in plagueform2.

I watched your video. Unless you have another one that shows a different playstyle, you’re taking WAAAY too much damage to even consider worth playing, imo. The fact that you have to use Plagueform is bad enough, imo. Plagueform is weak compared to Flesh Golem in long term use as the c/d is longer, Flesh Golem heals himself, and takes the aggro off you. Plagueform just doesn’t do as much dmg as you can w/ a staff. Imo, it’s only good in team fights as it allows your allies to not take any dmg w/ blind while they burst down the enemies. Lich Form is even better due to it’s many more skills, imo.

Well of Suffering will rip a new hole in your target. I’m using Well of Suffering, Epidemic, and BiP going 10/30/30/0/0 using dagger/dagger and staff. You’re not going to have many sources of might besides BiP until higher levels, but Might increases all of your damage and you can’t go wrong with those utilities.

I don’t know much about condition builds as I’ve never played one.

The setup I used was axe+dagger / staff. It took forever to kill things, but I had a TON of aoe capabilities. I used well of darkness, well of suffering, and spectral walk for movement. Don’t give me a funny look for using the axe! I use it ONLY in PvE before level 80, and I use it exclusively for the PBaoe cripple.

My build would go something like this:

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=;0_-73;1IkI0G4gJkJ0;9;5EJJE;12;041-57-5;0U-k6ON;0OZG5OZ086o

Focusing on Death Magic first since my main was the staff, then Blood Magic for Well cooldown, and the other points are to make DS hit hard.

In combat, it basically starts with you laying all your marks, except possibly staff #5 on the enemy, or at least in his path to you as traps. Then swap to axe and open with #2, and when he gets close use axe#3 and staff #3 for chills and cripples to just kite him in circles. This works with groups of 5-10 enemies pretty easily, as long as there are no ranged enemies.

The well of suffering is for some serious aoe damage when they get in range and you’re kiting in circles, and well of darkness for if you get overwhelmed or are fighting a veteran/champion. Use Death Shroud when all your movement impairing abilities are on cooldown, and also try to use it every 40 seconds for Life Transfer. Death Shrouds #1 should hit like a truck, and pierces too for extra aoe goodness.

Plague may not be the best elite, but with this setup I’m always pulling at LEAST 5 enemies at once, and if I have a few more than I can handle I’ll pop Plague and switch between #1 and #2. It’s basically a “Haha, you can’t kill me!” button, and can take out 2 or 3 enemies if they’re at half health or so. Just make sure you use Plague before you hit half health. You could use Lich instead, but I find it dies too quickly.

Anyways, hope this help!