Guild Wars 2

Hi folks,
I know that both power and condi builds are viable in PvE; however, I’m curious what would be the go to build for a WvW (not solo roam – more group/zerg oriented). Any comments are appreciated!

For ZvZ power reaper, or frontline shout reaper build. Condi works best when solo roaming or small group roaming.

I still use the old Death Shroud Well Bomber for WvW. I build full damage and I found I was more effective from range in DS than the new melee Reaper form. It was tough to survive and in Reaper you need tanky gear or at least semi-tanky gear.

For that reason I suggest condi. Easier to get respectable damage while building tanky stats. I would go a mostly dire with whatever Viper trinkets you can get your hands on.

I’m going to revisit the power Reaper with Valkyrie I think, but I don’t recommend going Berserker for Reaper for WvW

Go for Marauder backline well-bomber Necro. In WvW currently is no need to spec reaper unless you roam.

Very much so in support of statements stating to use regular DS. Reaper does quite poorly on the front lines and also lacks the range for the back while not having the mobility for periphery.

a lot of ppl still have that shallow mindset of how nerco work in wvw. Condi chill reaper work wonder in wvw. Been running that recently with my guild and it definitly destory. You can easily maintain a 100% constant aoe chill. Alot of narrow minded guild so call pro guild don’t even want to put the build to test and outright say its not good. Current backline well-bomber Necro can be easily counter reason is their attacking pattern is very easy to regonize and counter maybe its good verus PUG wvw group but with a well communicated wvw TS group it can easily render it uselss.

If you’re on the front-lines and you’re ticking conditions, there’s a problem.

If you’re roaming or doing small-group play, conditions are overpowered in general so it doesn’t really matter what class you play.

From my experience power reaper isn’t really viable in WvW zergs because as a necro, you gotta sacrifice a lot of defensive stats in order to deal good damage. Going squishy doesn’t really work in the frontline, especially because necro’s lack the blocks and invulns warriors and guards have. Also, the loss of Blood Magic (assuming you’re running Spite/SR/Reaper) will hurt your sustain a bit, not to mention the loss of the reduced well cooldowns.

Condi reaper on the other hand, allows you to go very tanky (Dire/Rabid/Trailblazer) while still dealing sufficient condi pressure. I personally run a variety of the infamous condi signet reaper build used in PvP. Plague Signet is a real life saver, since it can both remove immobs and stun at an instant.

As far a power builds go; base necro allows you to go full zerker and still deal good damage at range, with positioning being your main tool to survival. Keep in mind that post-HoT, you’ll have a hard time vs hammer heralds spamming 2 and chronomancers though, so it’s more risky to play than it used to be.

Lethal Stranger.5093:

From my experience power reaper isn’t really viable in WvW zergs because as a necro, you gotta sacrifice a lot of defensive stats in order to deal good damage. Going squishy doesn’t really work in the frontline, especially because necro’s lack the blocks and invulns warriors and guards have. Also, the loss of Blood Magic (assuming you’re running Spite/SR/Reaper) will hurt your sustain a bit, not to mention the loss of the reduced well cooldowns.

Condi reaper on the other hand, allows you to go very tanky (Dire/Rabid/Trailblazer) while still dealing sufficient condi pressure. I personally run a variety of the infamous condi signet reaper build used in PvP. Plague Signet is a real life saver, since it can both remove immobs and stun at an instant.

As far a power builds go; base necro allows you to go full zerker and still deal good damage at range, with positioning being your main tool to survival. Keep in mind that post-HoT, you’ll have a hard time vs hammer heralds spamming 2 and chronomancers though, so it’s more risky to play than it used to be.

Agree condi reaper is actually very good the amount of condi reaper can provide is very good and not to forget the constant aoe chill damage that is exclusive only to reaper which none other class have access to

I like condi reaper in WvW, in both zergs and roaming. reaper traitline is less useful in a zerg while roaming its paramount. swap reaper traitline out for whichever depending on what you’re doing: zerg vs. roam