Guild Wars 2

Hello Necros and Reapers.
The April patch is about to hit.
Just going to post my 4th and possibly ‘final’ video.
If no major changes to the Reaper, I plan to ‘retire’ my Reaper for a while and concentrate on practicing and having fun with my Hammer Revenant.

So hope you enjoy this 4th Roaming video.

This is pretty much why i left the necro class. The problem here is the fights were way too close, for a class that has no decent blocks or disengage skills it is really bad if one person can do that much damage and has the skills to prevent you from doing damage. That is what this studio cant seem to understand

Unfortunately the DH wasn’t very good. She had all the skills she needed to avoid taking any damage from reaper shroud and then hit you hard afterwards but she didnt use them until the damage had been done.

If up against a really good DH you would have been extremely frustrated especially since you are using power. Sure you could take the shout for unblockable, but you would something else really important.

Ragion.2831:

This is pretty much why i left the necro class. The problem here is the fights were way too close, for a class that has no decent blocks or disengage skills it is really bad if one person can do that much damage and has the skills to prevent you from doing damage. That is what this studio cant seem to understand

Unfortunately the DH wasn’t very good. She had all the skills she needed to avoid taking any damage from reaper shroud and then hit you hard afterwards but she didnt use them until the damage had been done.

If up against a really good DH you would have been extremely frustrated especially since you are using power. Sure you could take the shout for unblockable, but you would something else really important.

she felt good enough for my level XD
I do agree the build could be tweaked for an easier fight against the DH. like using unblockable staff trait (helps a ton against block-heavy classes), unblockable shout trait, rise. I prefer roaming and fighting with one build though lol.

Actually I would love to see some really skilled power reaper videos against other similarly skilled opponents. I want to see how others fight and how I can improve…but so far I’ve not really seen any…
Most of the power reaper vids are against a lot less skilled opponents or they are running with their friend/s and not solo-roaming…

I’m not sure power necro has any skillful play, most of the time you are trading blows with other people, hoping you dont take too much damage. Sometimes you might pull off a nice trick like porting with wurm while simultaneously casting “Chilled to the Bone” or Grave digger or you get the timing on your faster stuns right. but for the most part its you taking damage hoping they dont negate too many of yours or nothing too random happens. I thought GS would have ended that but, nope, which is really sad.

Are there any good power necros, even if the opponents in the vids are usually of lower skill level, i would say yes but just by judging on how they handle the situation they are in not really if they kill the guy or not.

Like Holts, his gs play is pretty fluid and not too many unnecessary moves and he doesnt panic. Edelweiss is also not bad, i used to play with and against him unfortunate he hasn’t posted a vid in a while, would like to see how he handles the current cancerous game.

Ragion.2831:

I’m not sure power necro has any skillful play, most of the time you are trading blows with other people, hoping you dont take too much damage. Sometimes you might pull off a nice trick like porting with wurm while simultaneously casting “Chilled to the Bone” or Grave digger or you get the timing on your faster stuns right. but for the most part its you taking damage hoping they dont negate too many of yours or nothing too random happens. I thought GS would have ended that but, nope, which is really sad.

Are there any good power necros, even if the opponents in the vids are usually of lower skill level, i would say yes but just by judging on how they handle the situation they are in not really if they kill the guy or not.

Like Holts, his gs play is pretty fluid and not too many unnecessary moves and he doesnt panic. Edelweiss is also not bad, i used to play with and against him unfortunate he hasn’t posted a vid in a while, would like to see how he handles the current cancerous game.

I don’t really have a reply to your point on power necros not having many skillful plays.

skills…I don’t know…does it mean the ability to chain different combos to you? which is the feeling i get from the examples you gave in your first paragraph.

To me I just want to see how other power necros fight. Skilled ones, those who know their stuff and know the stuff of their opponents’ class/build.

For example, when I fight a mesmer/chrono, I generally dodge their GS 4 (whirlwind image) and GS 2 (mirrorblade). But then I get caught out when they rotate to sword 3 and 2 to immobilize and mindwrack me since I have run out of dodges. So I end up having to use shroud to negate the damage.

Since then, I dodge GS 4 only. then use shroud 2 to try and destroy the mirrorblade which is a projectile. But I’m still not sure if shroud 2 actually destroys mirrorblade =/

You know, things like this. What do other power reapers do, how do they rotate when they match up against other skilled opponents =D

Mhhh yea power reaper is weird, you have no active defenses and really need to micromanage your posistioning and shroud use to survive.

1. I legit can’t win versus DH’s. Idk if it’s just me but it just feels like a complete counter against power reaper. It’s wayyyyy easier with condi reaper. Anyone else feel this way? :<

2. I don’t agree with what Ragion said concerning trading blows. Reaper has gotten a lot of dmg mitigation. Easy frost aura’s, almost perma rise uptime with shout trait and on top of that you take 10% less dmg from chilled enemies. Add shroud and spectral armor on top of that and you can pretty much be a tank while in full zerker gear like I do. On top of that, kiting and knowing when to engage/disengage will make it even harder for enemies to kill you.
Unlike condi reaper, to play power reaper you need some skills.

3. And thanks Ragion The greatsword has been a better weapon than that I first assumed. I love the pull (when it doesn’t bug out), and one proper gravedigger can change the tide of a battle…

Posting another GS zerker roaming video soon

Rise and frost aura dont negate, you still get hit regardless of what you do which is a problem when you have to worry about multiple damage sources. Its easy to think well mitigating damage to a really small amount is pretty much like canceling it with block but it really isnt.

Take for instance, as a revenant with a squishy build i see two thieves coming at me, i’m expecting a burst so i start blocking. Luckily for me both of them used their utilities (like fist flurry, impairing daggers)and steal without basilisk venom which means i just negated like 20k damage. If it was necro, first of all rise has limited range and only works when attacking which means i wont get the effect, second protection from spec armour would get stolen, third i would still take a huge hit even if i used shroud, i would also take the effects like dazes, immobilize + other conditions like slow.

I’m sure you can agree that in this case even a 2 second block is better than every damage mitigation necro has.

Also skillful play to me involves damage negation, effectiveness of the counter and positioning. Necro does not have damage negation except the awkward blinds, counter attacking is usually difficult against classes that do have alot of negates which is just about everyone else and necro doesnt have very effective re positioning skills except wurm which has its problems.

The combination of damage mitigation not really helping in the grand scheme of things especially with power builds and a lack of any of the three things i describe as skillful play is why i say necro is not a skill based class. At least with condi, the condi pressure makes up for it which is more than i can say about power builds. The damage potential might be there but at what cost.

Looking forward to the vid

Ragion.2831:

Take for instance, as a revenant with a squishy build i see two thieves coming at me, i’m expecting a burst so i start blocking. Luckily for me both of them used their utilities (like fist flurry, impairing daggers)and steal without basilisk venom which means i just negated like 20k damage. If it was necro, first of all rise has limited range and only works when attacking which means i wont get the effect, second protection from spec armour would get stolen, third i would still take a huge hit even if i used shroud, i would also take the effects like dazes, immobilize + other conditions like slow.

I’m sure you can agree that in this case even a 2 second block is better than every damage mitigation necro has.

Also skillful play to me involves damage negation, effectiveness of the counter and positioning. Necro does not have damage negation except the awkward blinds, counter attacking is usually difficult against classes that do have alot of negates which is just about everyone else and necro doesnt have very effective re positioning skills except wurm which has its problems.

The combination of damage mitigation not really helping in the grand scheme of things especially with power builds and a lack of any of the three things i describe as skillful play is why i say necro is not a skill based class. At least with condi, the condi pressure makes up for it which is more than i can say about power builds. The damage potential might be there but at what cost.

Looking forward to the vid

I play Power Reaper and Power Rev and your argumentation is strange. I smell theorycrafting.

2 thieves focusing you are deadly. You gain nothing from your poor 2 second block. They will kill you afterwards with autoattacks. Plague at least would keep me alive for 20 seconds.

Shroud management (entering/leaving/refilling) and a good positioning is way more demanding than having blocks on every weaponset and perma evades in shiro stance.

If a thief attacks me on Power Reaper and I enter shroud the thief will start to kite me. Now I have to predict if I will survive the next 10 seconds when leaving shroud or if it would be better to stay in it for a while. I have to analyse the situation (Which skills did he use till that point? How deadly is he for the next few seconds? What could I do? What about my utility cooldowns? And so on…).

On Rev I simply switch weapons and use my other block. If this is not enough I switch to shiro and use my 1723432 evades and stun breakers.

So does Rev stand for more skillful play? Nope… not really! Rev stands for power creep. And Scrapper, Mercenary Reaper and Mercenary Cronomancer are the kings of power creep.

Btw.: Greatsword Power Reaper sucks in PvP. Axe/Warhorn+Staff is a way better combo for two reasons:

1. GS is redundant to Reaper Shroud. You gain nothing from that weapon. GS+Core Necro would be a nice synergy if it was possible.
2. With GS you are kitable. RS+Axe+Staff gives you melee, medium ranged and ranged pressure and you are not forced to go melee outside of shroud what makes positioning a lot easier and is important because of your squishiness.

Ive played necro for a pretty long time and revenant consistently since HoT beta and everything ive said is based on thousands of my matches and videos of good players and especially my experience climbing up to legendary division in league. Every fight 1v1 or otherwise comes down to who is best at negating attacks, counter attacking and how well they position themselves.

Two thieves, mesmers, revs, DH it doesnt matter, so much damage can happen within the space of even 2 seconds that damage mitigation doesnt hold a candle to damage negation,. a power rev is more likely to survive and down two full power mesmers than a power reaper is.

The studio insists on making necro attacks so slow that other classes on paper have an easy time avoiding it, a well played shiro glint negates a condi necro not to mention a power necro.

Against 2 thieves? predict if you would last 10 seconds without shroud? on a power build? that is not going to happen especially when thieves control the fight against necros in the first place.

I wish you were with me today in Hotjoin, a good number of high level players that i’ve run into in the past were out, again as someone who also mained necro, there is simply no way a necro would have been able to handle the sort of mesmers, revs and thieves that were in there.

Ragion.2831:

The studio insists on making necro attacks so slow that other classes on paper have an easy time avoiding it, a well played shiro glint negates a condi necro not to mention a power necro.

A mediocre played Shiro Glint negates an outstanding played Power Reaper.

So what does that say about skillful play? All it says is that average players are carried by their build.

my experience climbing up to legendary division in league

Have you seen NA pro league last week? Toker beat that condi mes on Power Shiro. That was skillful play. The typical legendary meta build player is far away from that.

Against 2 thieves? predict if you would last 10 seconds without shroud? on a power build? that is not going to happen especially when thieves control the fight against necros in the first place.

Entering Plague at the beginning of the fight >>> Skill 2 Blind >>> while in Plague my Shroud is refilling (pulsing Stability>Blighter’s Boon Synergy and Last Gasp Proc) >>> cancel plague on low health >>> immediately enter fully loaded shroud

While doing all that stuff you have at least 3 dodges to negate the big hits. They have to peel Plague, then shroud and then kill me. 20 seconds is easily possible. I’ve done that 1000 times.

I wish you were with me today in Hotjoin, a good number of high level players that i’ve run into in the past were out, again as someone who also mained necro, there is simply no way a necro would have been able to handle the sort of mesmers, revs and thieves that were in there.

Barely any thief mesmer or dragonhunter (someone mentioned DHs would generally counter Power Reapers… not true!) forces me to give up the the capture point 1v1 in conquest when playing the following Power Reaper build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNBmOD7kZTocTsdTwbTgeTsgLYUph2wzC6qFAOAxVxuYYE-TJBFAB/XGQgLCQR7PAwTAAA

Rise! can be swapped for NCSY! (=more pressure against blocks) and CttB! for Plague (= Panic Button against Burst).

This build also gives nice midfight team suppport via low cooldown aoe condi removal, massive aoe damage, aoe boon strip/convert, aoe weakness and aoe chill/cripple.

But yes a Power Reaper is usually hardcountered by Power Revs and Condi Reapers. Everything else is killable or can at least be stalled till +1 help arrives.

Another vid.

Holl.3109:

Mhhh yea power reaper is weird, you have no active defenses and really need to micromanage your posistioning and shroud use to survive.

1. I legit can’t win versus DH’s. Idk if it’s just me but it just feels like a complete counter against power reaper. It’s wayyyyy easier with condi reaper. Anyone else feel this way? :<

2. I don’t agree with what Ragion said concerning trading blows. Reaper has gotten a lot of dmg mitigation. Easy frost aura’s, almost perma rise uptime with shout trait and on top of that you take 10% less dmg from chilled enemies. Add shroud and spectral armor on top of that and you can pretty much be a tank while in full zerker gear like I do. On top of that, kiting and knowing when to engage/disengage will make it even harder for enemies to kill you.
Unlike condi reaper, to play power reaper you need some skills.

3. And thanks Ragion The greatsword has been a better weapon than that I first assumed. I love the pull (when it doesn’t bug out), and one proper gravedigger can change the tide of a battle…

Posting another GS zerker roaming video soon

I deal with DH, tough fight, but managable for me, I usally use nightfall on point bait thier block and dodge thier heavy hitters like spin to win and the beam-me-up-shorty-longbow skill, I usually beat them but the key, for me at least, is managing your reaper shroud agaisnt them. putting the stab on the right moment, and attacking them aggresively. My knowledge is from dueling DH countless times(about 100 times no joke).

PS: that nerf bat is reallll
PS#2:I’m glad you like the greatsword now I need to get you to use focus offhand

KrHome.1920:

Shroud management (entering/leaving/refilling) and a good positioning is way more demanding than having blocks on every weaponset and perma evades in shiro stance.

If a thief attacks me on Power Reaper and I enter shroud the thief will start to kite me. Now I have to predict if I will survive the next 10 seconds when leaving shroud or if it would be better to stay in it for a while. I have to analyse the situation (Which skills did he use till that point? How deadly is he for the next few seconds? What could I do? What about my utility cooldowns? And so on…).

On Rev I simply switch weapons and use my other block. If this is not enough I switch to shiro and use my 1723432 evades and stun breakers.

So does Rev stand for more skillful play? Nope… not really! Rev stands for power creep. And Scrapper, Mercenary Reaper and Mercenary Cronomancer are the kings of power creep.

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I think I can agree with the above. Reapers just have different defensive mechanisms compared to most of the other classes.

Other classes have mainly blocks, blinds, evades, dodges, immunity.
Reapers have mainly Shroud.

That means what KrHome said above. Shroud management.

Also on the changes…I’m just relieved that power reapers aren’t too badly affected by the changes…shroud changes were a slight nerf…but we also got a slight buff through the spinal shivers…

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m just relieved that power reapers aren’t too badly affected by the changes…shroud changes were a slight nerf…but we also got a slight buff through the spinal shivers…

The Infusing Terror nerf hits hard. I don’t know if that was necessary.

Btw.: The Spinal Shivers buff is only listed in the Focus skill tooltip. The Chill of Death tooltip shows the old unbuffed numbers! I hope they did not forget to buff Chill of Death as well and this is just a wrong tooltip but correct workingg skill!

I dont know why people put active defense in the same universe as shroud. It just tells me that they havent played a class like mesmer, engi or revenant.

Because of how inflexible the class mechanic and weapons are, there is a lot of strain on which utilities you use meaning necro needs access to more utilities. How many times have you been inconvenienced by your current utility set up wishing that you could use something else in that moment, now how many times have you felt like that when using another class.

Shroud management? really? if life force didnt degrade so fast without vital persistence then you can talk about shroud management. If shroud management was all it took then top tier necros wouldnt be using flesh wurm. The whole talk of shroud management doesnt mean anything anymore, there is too much damage now. The days when you go into shroud when you are expecting the burst then leave when its over are long gone.

Shroud management, so easy to forget that necro was known to be the least survivable class even with shroud then the studio had to drop spectral armour cd and later add damage reduction traits.

Now its all about do as much damage as possible and Anet has been feeding it to the point where they have to keep adding damage reduction skills, traits and trinkets. There was a time when warrior didnt need to have endure pain at 50% hp or guardians with extra blocks but its so easy to forget isnt it.

Power/precision/toughness/ferocity aka Demolisher’s, there was a time when Anet would have shut down before they created an ammy with that stat combo but now, theres too much damage.

Infusing terror nerf was f@#king uncalled for. The class cannot move and they take away stability, all they’ve done is increase the pressure to take soul reaping line, which is the last thing that should be happening.

These kittened nerfs, ive seen before, it seems like the studio is once again holding back the necessary changes to the class for a patch we wont see for many months.

Directly nerfing condi reaper was also uncalled for. That was the last thing they should have done, condis themselves were the problem. They just needed to slightly reduce chill, torment and confusion application sources across a few classes and then nerf burning damage.

Eventually they’ll be forced to do it it is only a matter of time and when they wisen up.

I’m done, there was a reason why power necro was never used in ranked and now they nerfed condi reaper in the worst way they should have. Ill just climb up the ladder again with my revenant next season while reapers slowly disappear from ranked.

KrHome.1920:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m just relieved that power reapers aren’t too badly affected by the changes…shroud changes were a slight nerf…but we also got a slight buff through the spinal shivers…

The Infusing Terror nerf hits hard. I don’t know if that was necessary.

Btw.: The Spinal Shivers buff is only listed in the Focus skill tooltip. The Chill of Death tooltip shows the old unbuffed numbers! I hope they did not forget to buff Chill of Death as well and this is just a wrong tooltip but correct workingg skill!

I did some testing and I think the trait has been updated damage-wise too =D

For the trait, Is the actual hit higher than the tooltip? The latter is certainly lower than the weapon’s version of the skill.

Dead.5829:

For the trait, Is the actual hit higher than the tooltip? The latter is certainly lower than the weapon’s version of the skill.

I just did some testing again…i had some other buff traits earlier so the damage on the trait seemed the same as the focus 5…

but I removed the damage buff trait and it seems like the spinal shivers on the trait has not been updated…
it hits lower than the focus 5 spinal shivers…=(

I guess we should have figured that would be the case. :P

Basically, Spiteful Spirit all over again.