Guild Wars 2

This trait used to be in Soul Reaping until the patch of June 25th, 2013.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Decaying_Swarm

At 25% health, you become surrounded by a Locust Swarm.

Back then no one shed a tear over its removal.
However, Locust Swarm has seen some really nice buffs since then, and it will get another one next week.
Actually, it’s already one of my favourite skills. Lot’s of aoe damage, perma cripple, perma swiftness with the right runes and Banshee’s Wail, and it has the second best life force regeneration potential of all our skills.
If this trait still existed I would definitely use it.

Like I said, back then nobody complained that it was removed, but today I really wish we still had it instead of Fear of Death, Speed of Shadows or Mark of Revival.

If anything, it should come back as an adept minor trait.

I was actually slightly irked at its removal. But the really low health trigger made it kind of silly for dps. Losing your scholar rune bonus for an extra locust swarm is not a good idea. Also health trigger traits like that are usually more defensive like last gasp. And they are usually minor traits. It didnt really fit where it was. But it was a nice trait.

spoj.9672:

Losing your scholar rune bonus for an extra locust swarm is not a good idea.

How do you “intentionally” lose a scholar rune bonus?

spoj.9672:

Also health trigger traits like that are usually more defensive like last gasp.

But it is very defensive actually. With Gluttony and Banshee’s Wail it can generate up to 130% life force.

Yeah i know its defensive. Its just not the conventional defence (cleanse, protection, block or some kind of heal). Lifeforce isnt really an issue in PvE so its somewhat useless for defence there.

Dirame.8521:

spoj.9672:

Losing your scholar rune bonus for an extra locust swarm is not a good idea.

How do you “intentionally” lose a scholar rune bonus?

Dont dodge an attack?

I don’t know. Fact is random procs like this might make it harder to get out of combat in some situations. Granted if something causes you to go below 25% you probably were in combat mode to begin with.

It would have been nice to have this as a minor trait.

Perhaps for PvE it wasn’t the most fantastic, but in PvP/WvW, I’d love this trait again. I was actually talking with Bhawb the other day about how I wished we still had this trait.

Nah bringing it back in its orginal from wouldnt be that good unless they change the 25% to 50% or even 75%. I found 25% for that trait to trigger always to low. I would prefer it in the bloodline maybe instead of the 5 point minor trait. I think it works best with the siphon traits.

But i guess instead of speed of shadows would also be good since the trait is not really useful.

At 25% health, when it triggers, you jump into death shroud. The life force Locust Swarm grants you is very, very significant.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

At 25% health, when it triggers, you jump into death shroud. The life force Locust Swarm grants you is very, very significant.

True but the same happens at 50% or 75%. I dont see why it would be better if the threshold is low.

It would be better at higher health thresholds, but that’s true of every “when below X%, do this” trait and ability in the game. Higher health thresholds mean they’ll proc sooner and more frequently.

Still, even at 25%, I’d like to see this trait return.

Nope. A copy of spectral armor 50% hp trait, giving necros even less control and bigger min/max life force scenarios.

Also, all 25% triggers are useless. 50% can do if its like stability on eles, but me going under 25% should not be a general balancing tactic.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

At 25% health, when it triggers, you jump into death shroud. The life force Locust Swarm grants you is very, very significant.

This would be a hell of a lot of fun with the new Unholy Sanctuary. Auto-reset on death? Yes please :-D

This trait was only good, back when all hp level proc’d abilities, activated on hit at ANY health, while in DS.

Well any on % health effects I know of can be activated in DS, as life force health pool is unrelated.

I must say I like the combo Decaying Swarm + Unholy Sanctuary. By the way, will the new addition allow the necro to negate fatal damage and enter DS, like how the latest engi heal functions?

I thought A.E.D. didn’t proc on falling damage. Regardless, we won’t know until we test it live, which should take about two minutes tops to do.