Guild Wars 2

The Zerker
(Updated Maximum Damage Axe Build)

This is a power build with an axe in the hand. There are no compromises, no buts and ifs, just damage.
This build is mainly for PvE and WvWvW, it may work in PvP, I dont know since I seldom participate in that kind of stuff.
Also it is a build for a more experienced player, you need to be on your toes all the time, know your place to stand and your time to dodge, else you will be probably dead and deal zero damage.
You will need some gold and/or patience to get your gear together. But it will pay off.

I. The Build:

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-00;3kHFJ0D47J-K0;9;4TO;0E-7B5;95RV0ONV0udbTudbTBBlKcFL09WYod1-60B1G2LZR_61V-70HV8aNX8a;9;9;9;9;9;55-6g

30 Spite (Power & Condition Duration):
Major Traits:
- Adept Everything except V (Spiteful Spirit). Really depends on what you want to do: Signet Mastery to burst someone below 50% health, Spiteful Talisman in a group setting, Reapers Might if you like to use DS and lifeblast
- Master VIII (Axe Training): 20% shorter cd and 15% damage increase for the axe (the damage also transfers to Life Blast while holding an axe). We will be using Ghastly Claws on cd, Unholy Feast for an extra ae or when everything else is on cd.
- Grandmaster XII (Close to Death): 20% more damage when enemy below 50% health, awesome trait

25 Curses (Precision and Condition Damage):
Major Traits:
- Adept VI (Focused Rituals): Wells use ground targeting. We are very squishy, I rather cast my wells from a save distance than from up close.
- Master Another hard choice, depending on what are you planning to do. Either I, IV, V or VIII will work.

15 Soul Reaping (Prowess and Hunger)
Major Traits:
- Adept VI (Unyielding Blast) if you took Reapers Might, else use II, III and V depending on your playstyle.

Why 25 into Curses?

It is because of the lesser trait „Target the Weak“. You gain 2% damage for every different condition on the enemy. If there are 5 different conditions stacked on the enemy, you gain 10% damage. A huge buff to our damage, because in an instance or while doing group events or even WvWvW, there will be always some conditions running on the enemy, thus upping our damage. You will see an increase of 18% because of this little trait.

II. Utilities

-Consume Conditions: very good Heal, almost op.
-Well of Suffering: very high damage gtaoe and applys vulnerability.
-Well of Corruption: high damage gtaoe, converts boons into conditions, thus making itself and anything else do more damage
-This one is up to you. I like the Signet of the Locust, or Signet of Spite for more power and an on-demand 12% damage increase buff.
- Elite is also up to you. Lich form is nice, but it’s autoattack is bad for moving targets. Golem for knockdown and Plague Form for some defense. Even your racials may work here.

III. Gear

- Armor, weapons and accessories: we want damage, Berserker Gear is where you can find it. Power, Precision and Critical Damage, everything we need. For Ascended gear get the one’s with the same stats.
- Weapons: Axe/Focus and Staff (Staff can be substituted for something else)
- Runes: 6/6 of the Scholar: Power, Critical Damage and a 10% damage buff while health is above 90%. Now we are not even squishy, we have to be at 90%+ health too. If your not up to this task, switch one rune for the Rune of Divinity.
- Sigils: Sigil of Superior Force for a 5% damage buff and Sigil of Bloodlust for an extra 250 power. I have a Sigil of Frailty on my staff for ae-vulnerability (if it works this way)

IV. Buffs

- Plate of Truffle Steak: 100 Power and 70 Precision
- Either Sharpening Stone: Power equal 6% of your toughness and 4% of your vitality. This stuff is expensive, you can take the sharpening stone of a lower quality, we have little toughness and vitality to begin with
- OR Slayer Potions: deal 10% more damage and recieve 10% less, best buff for instances and areas with only one typ of enemy
- Skale Venom (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Skale_Venom_): applies vulnerability and weakness, helps with our damage and costs almost nothing (works only in PvE)

V. Playstyle

„Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee“ (Muhammad Ali). Know your fights, dodge out of trouble and keep your health up. If you do this, you will do damage.

This applies only to PvE:
Keep your Focus 4 and you Axe 2 on cd, if your Life Force is above 50%, go into Death Shroud and blast away till you reach the 50% mark. Use your Wells for ae or champion mobs. Use Axe 3 and Focus 5 at the start of a fight or when everything else is on cd, they have horrible cast times. Switch to staff to get rid of conditions and to apply some.
This doesn’t apply for every fight, you have adapt: “Be water, my friend” (Bruce Lee).

I am sorry for my english, it isn’t my native language, so excuse my errors.

Added screenshot with bufffood and Bloodlust.

Link for demonstration video (more to come):

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3K5aB-fejI (Priest of Melandru)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ129bbdlo8&feature=youtu.be (Priest of Melandru)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcVE0t_tFsc (Veteran Risen Giant in 40 seconds)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5riJJHRoY-0&feature=youtu.be&proxmate=us (Bas & Friends vs HoTW)

Tools and other sources:

original build and discussion: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/necromancer/The-Zerker-max-axe-damage-build/first#post1631892
http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/115mln/power_vs_precision_vs_critical_damage_what_do_we/ (Lots of good info and spreadsheets in there)
http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/12dmi5/tip_stat_optimization_with_crit_damage/
http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/necromancer/
http://jsfiddle.net/joelpt/NtTRm/2/ (from joelpt from reddit)

I was about to post this exact thing lol… I have had the build up on Guru for a few days and been fine tuning it during discussions with people. It’s the current build I am running and it is amazing!

The only things I went different on:
- I do not use Sigil of Bloodlust. Granted it is a lot of power added, but in dungeons you run the risk of it falling off and not being able to gain it back to the full potential before a boss fight. If the mechanics were different and you only lose it when you completely die then I would use it in an instant, but since you lose it on any down then it becomes more a liability. I am running Strength for then Might proc.
- A ruby orb can be used instead of a divinity rune. 20 power and 14 precision instead of 10 and 10.
- 5 ranger runes is roughly equal in effective attack power as 5 scholar runes. Just trading off power for more precision.
- I normally only run Well of Suffering. I run Corruption or Power as needed for party support or certain bosses that need to have boons stripped (or use corrupt boon). I normally have BiP as my second utility skill to make use of the bleed (unless you are weapon swapping to staff to apply bleed you NEED to use this to gain the condition for Target the Weak.. don’t just rely on other people). You also gain 10 might which gives more power than the 25 stacks of Bloodlust. The third, as you said, is optional, but Epidemic is amazing. You are already putting bleeds, vulnerability, and chills on one target… so hit Epidemic and spread it around. Your well will now be destroying everything in some glorious AOE. If you are on a boss, this is obviously not needed, so I will use Spectral Wall when they are moving and let them run through it for 10 quick stacks of Vulnerability.

Haha, I ran this same build but came to a few different conclusions. I bring Epidemic to spread the love to mobs right before dropping the Wells or BiP for bosses.

Question – Enfeebling blood how close do you have to be for the trait to work?

I actually used this build in HoTW on our All-necro run. We need to get together to do a run with all of us using this build and see how much damage we can do in a lvl 80 explorable mode.

I use all ruby orbs or exquisite ruby jewels in order to maximize base stats. I did run with Flesh Golem, but he dies so fast Plague form is just better because it also takes advanatage of conditions!

Tark I was thinking of running with Sigil of Strength. Since I run Omnom berries and Maintance oil to maximize crits.

You guys up for doing a test dungeon run tonight where we run with just Zerker builds. I will record if you are up for it :P

BTW, you can use my youtube dungeon run video of HoTW as one of your see this build in action videos mate :P.

Enfeebling Blood trait just casts it on yourself, so you need to be within 240 units of what you want to hit with it.

If I am awake I will go yea…. I got a grand total of 4 hours of sleep and been up since 3:30am. I cannot brain today, I has the dumb.

Nice strategy there. Gotta float like a butterfly and sting like a bee to make it work. lol

It is the same as before, I just wanted to make it more detailed, clean it up and explain it some more. The first one was made rather fast and unpolished.

Enfeebling blood… if you stand before the mob and switch into ds and fear him immediately, it will not be affected by it, so it is rather closerange, but nice in ae-situations.

Edited some more.
Added some more.

Dont value precision and crit damage to high, power and +% damage contributes far more to your damage than those two.

I find Well of Corruption to not be very good as it seems to largely negate the 5 of the focus. Instead I end up running the Well of Power of boons and condition removal. Otherwise, somewhat similar to mine build

Blood is Power for the third skill. 10 might for 12 seconds is enough to drop both wells, your Axe 2 skill, and your Death Shroud 4, and another Axe 2 if you’re fast enough.

Added 2nd video, also against the Priest of Melandru. 4k autohits, 15,7k ghastly claws and almost 9k lifeblasts,

I don’t see this working in any scenario except in PvE and still being much worse than any other class in berserker,

Am I missing something about this build?

A light armor class with the worst mobility among the eight classes, with a medium range weapon and no toughness at all it’s a suicide in my opinion,

I could understand this kind of aproach with a thief having the best damage mitigation and mbility in game, (and even with medium armor) or a warrior with a rifle,

I can’t check the videos right now, (i’m at work with no access to youtube),

why not just ruby orbs on all armor?

With my build im probably doing slightly less damage but my survivability isn’t in question, you can run w/e build you prefer but your armor can definitely do more than you think

Mattamis.8143:

With my build im probably doing slightly less damage but my survivability isn’t in question, you can run w/e build you prefer but your armor can definitely do more than you think

You won’t be doing “slightly” less damage, you will be doing significantly less damage, on a weapon that is already weak on the damage spectrum. That being said, in PVP I would prefer your stats to zerker stats.

And to the OP, I think this is an interesting theoretical model for axe damage, but I mean come on… even in a practical sense in dungeon PVE, counting on staying about 90% for the majority of the fight is pretty pie-in-the-sky. Also the “free” extra conditions on an open world boss that are stacking up above 8, are not practical in a normal dungeon sense either.

I am pretty sure you could actually see bigger numbers if you took close to death @ under 50%, as that gives a 20% damage boost to the 15% damage boost from axe training (if you are really going for the theoretical max).

The only thing I could think of while watching this, was what kind of damage would a zerker warrior doing 100 blades put out on that mob, or a zerker warrior kill shot, or a zerker thief backstab, or even a berzerker necro dagger chain. I just can’t see axe as the “damage” weapon this video wants it to be, when the math around its viability is so definative.

slightly, significantly, potato, tomato… but you’re correct and im sure the damage would show better if I were running a stronger weapon but I am pretty happy with the damage and skill selection the dagger is bringing to the fight

@rennoko

1. close to death = 10% dps increase
2. it is either close to death or axe mastery, both are grandmaster traits as I am sure you know.

@the rest

no ifs and buts. Sure it is squishy, but I still believe it is the most damaging power-build with an axe. And that’s the point. If you want more toughness/vitality/whatever, you come to the wrong place

kitteno.5698:

@rennoko

1. close to death = 10% dps increase

Yes, overall that would be correct, but if the intention of your video was to really show the “big critz” side of the axe, I was pointing out you would see bigger more impressive crits with that trait UNDER 50%, where you could focus your video on. Axe training is of course better in a general sense, but your topic was on maximum damage. Since you didn’t specify in a single round of ghastly claws, or over the course of a 5 min fight.

The max ghastly claw you saw could be 5% bigger, thats all

that is true, no argueing with that

Rennoko.5731:

kitteno.5698:

@rennoko

1. close to death = 10% dps increase

Yes, overall that would be correct, but if the intention of your video was to really show the “big critz” side of the axe, I was pointing out you would see bigger more impressive crits with that trait UNDER 50%, where you could focus your video on. Axe training is of course better in a general sense, but your topic was on maximum damage. Since you didn’t specify in a single round of ghastly claws, or over the course of a 5 min fight.

The max ghastly claw you saw could be 5% bigger, thats all

You would see a bigger number, but you wouldn’t see more damage over the length of the fight unless the 50 percent lasted much longer than above 50 percent. With an axe axe training is always better because more ghastly claws and more steady damage equals more overall damage. With any other weapon close to death will win, but in terms of total damage with an axe axe training wins unless you can guarantee that the under 50 lasts longer than the above 50 by the amount of extra ghastly claws given up.

I’m sure there must be a reason, but can you explain why you went with Scholar and not just all Ruby Orbs on your armor.

Currently i’m set up with 5 Scholar and 1 Ruby, but is sure would have been much less expensive than just going full Ruby.

I posted some links for discussions on reddit and some spreadsheets, where all of it is explained. But to summarize: +%-damage > power > critdamage > precision. So Runes of the Scholar were the obvious choice.

That looks nice – I might try that.
Few things though – the link you put to the skill calculator is just a link to the skill calculatior and not the build….
And I thought spiteful talisman is bugged?

Also I’m still leveling my necro, so any suggestion as to what traits to get first?

Thx Caris, I fixed the link.

Spiteful Talisman is indeed bugged, sometimes the tooltip shows a 14 sec cd, the next time a 18 sec cd on focus1. But I really like the range for focus2 in wvw.

I cant remember how I leveled, I tried this and that. Please look at some leveling advices here on the forum for this.

I also recorded a dps-challenge-video. I will post it today or tomorrow.

kitteno great work on keeping your build updated and current. I get emails and pms all the time about my video on it, and how they can get those numbers.

I am thinking of doing some testing with the blind well to boost up my condition management a bit more. I am just wondering if the two conditions that can be applied to benefit my axe damage would be worth giving up BiP or the Condition Well damage.

The problem is this build has absolutely no significant aoe damage, making it subpar to pretty much every other profession’s power-based builds, and inferior to the aoe condition capabilities that other necromancers have. Axe channel has garbage ability to follow targets if they walk to either side of you, and the auto attack is still worthless, even when it crits.

It’s a fun build in theory and nice when you get the crits you want on your target, but to be blunt, it’s mediocre at best; power necromancers are still in a sorry state.

Leuca.5732:

The problem is this build has absolutely no significant aoe damage, making it subpar to pretty much every other profession’s power-based builds, and inferior to the aoe condition capabilities that other necromancers have. Axe channel has garbage ability to follow targets if they walk to either side of you, and the auto attack is still worthless, even when it crits.

It’s a fun build in theory and nice when you get the crits you want on your target, but to be blunt, it’s mediocre at best; power necromancers are still in a sorry state.

Once again this is simply a pve build, and we have incredible aoe if you haven’t seen the videos take a look at the amount of damage you can output with wells (on a 35 second CD).

Bas.7406:

Leuca.5732:

The problem is this build has absolutely no significant aoe damage, making it subpar to pretty much every other profession’s power-based builds, and inferior to the aoe condition capabilities that other necromancers have. Axe channel has garbage ability to follow targets if they walk to either side of you, and the auto attack is still worthless, even when it crits.

It’s a fun build in theory and nice when you get the crits you want on your target, but to be blunt, it’s mediocre at best; power necromancers are still in a sorry state.

Once again this is simply a pve build, and we have incredible aoe if you haven’t seen the videos take a look at the amount of damage you can output with wells (on a 35 second CD).

Getting some aoe burst then reverting to exclusively single target damage is not incredible if you ask me. Sacrificing all your utility slots just to accomplish this only further proves my point.

I dont get your point. Two wells, marks, axe3 and life transfer is all the aoe I need, you wont get more in an power build anyway.

Anyway, I tried the veteran risen giant in cursed shore, recorded it and postet it. 40 seconds is the best I came up with (didnt changed the build, used only the buff food I always do), feel free to compete.

Thanks for the link and the new video.
In what situations do you use Plague form?

And I was wondering if Blood is power would be viable instead of Signet of locust? It’s another source for might and it works well with consume condition.

Updated due recent changes.

Interesting. You don’t think it’s worth it to go for Deathly Perception with 30 in Soul Reaping, sacrificing Target the Weak? I guess you focus on more damage overall and not going for a Death Shroud build but considering the strength of Death Shroud after this patch, what are your opinions?

its not updated correctly.

you mention going into DS until you reach the 50%. thats the old behaviour.

blutstein.2468:

its not updated correctly.

you mention going into DS until you reach the 50%. thats the old behaviour.

You still want to do that because of strength of undeath but thats only for 25 in soul reaping. So yeah not relevant in this build.

Nice I prefer the 30-0-10-0-30 to take that Axe dmg Increase into DS with me for harder Life Blasts and now with 100% Crit its insanely fun.

spoj.9672:

You still want to do that because of strength of undeath but thats only for 25 in soul reaping. So yeah not relevant in this build.

Exactly, got a little confussed. I guess it’s easy to oversee things in guides during patch times.

Ravezaar.4951:

Nice I prefer the 30-0-10-0-30 to take that Axe dmg Increase into DS with me for harder Life Blasts and now with 100% Crit its insanely fun.

This is my plan for the necro. Awesome stuff but this build is no DS build, I think it aims more for sustained damage (no matter what life force you have, you will do decent damage with the axe). Therefore it doesn’t focus on getting life force fast either.

Lets say you wanted to take this build into WvW for solo game play with the idea of going after camps even upgraded ones. Any thoughts?

I like the guide, but since the patch, a few things need to be addressed here.

DS will be a useful tool for any necro, especially power. Even if your plan is not to spam DS, the fact that it does tremendous damage and that you are using an Axe warrants 30 in Soul Reaping. Only build that can get away from that is one focused on Dagger, but for dungeons, the ranged option of the Axe+DS will provide more dps output since it is ranged.

30 in Soul Reaping gives you 15% more crit damage, 5% more damage most of the time, and +50%crit in DS (remember it applies to wells), and potentially 30% DS recharge rate (allows you to go in and out of DS in between Axe 2 and Focus 4). The overall benefit, in my opinions, trumps the 7%crit you get from curses and the 4-8% damage you get from Target the Weak. Yes, it is possible that you are with an organized group, but for general pugging, people do not apply that many conditions.

Remember, we need to play our strength here. Necro has superior ranges power build dps than pretty much most classes like warrior or thief (I do not have a Mesmer, so I can’t comment on that). Not only do we never run the risk of dying, the time saved by not dodging most attacks or needing to heal ultimately contribute to reasons to play a power necro.

I still can’t justify the use of axe as main weapon in pve. It’s damage is just too bad.

Axe damage is fine. Its auto attack is the problem. That’s why we use DS in between cooldowns of Axe 2 and Focus 4.

Use Axe with 30/x/x/x/30 trait. The Axe training works with DS. Go DS1 2-4 times. Get out of DS. Use Axe 2, Focus 4. DS1 2 times, DS4 and DS5 if you wish. Axe 2. Mix in wells in there for good measure.

Mix in Dagger combos with it when you get the feel too when Life Force is low and Axe/Focus is on cooldown.

Axe 1 is a damage multiplier for your group. And, it effects more than 5 people if there are more than 5 people hitting the target. Think of it as a group buff that actually effects everyone around you and you might be happier about it.

Sorry, I will look it over again at the weekend, to much work currently.

I tried the 30/10/0/0/30, but in berserker gear I lost to much and to fast lifeforce while in ds to justify this playstyle.

Also what ooozo said.

What you think about this uncompleted build : http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fQAQJAXWjMaV6daObM8JApHPfNvQP2tWnpKYOA-TkAg0EGpMyZkxIpRWjGZs6A

You need to get the more retaliation you can with the axe.

Recently have tested 30/10/0/0/30 build in PvE (solo, events, dungeons, dragon event), equipped mostly with Zerker for armor combined with one Soldier piece, 3 valkyrie pieces and 2 cavalier for trinkets + Berserker axe/Berserker Focus. I had great fun with it and was really surprised with it effectivity since I made that build for laughs. Purely DS oriented with huge LF generation and massive damage from Life Blast. I’ve always liked casters and couldn’t really find any classic caster in GW2 so far. So, to all people looking for some old-school casters with huge damage on hit, feel free to try. Worked great in speedruns doing more damage than zerker warrior, in AR and all normal explo dungeons. Has potential in solo PvE since it two shots mobs, but works better in group. Kinda funny in WvWvW, has decent survability (You can switch Reaper’s Precision with Weakining Shroud) and doeshillarious damage ( most of the times, 3-4 Life Blasts and foe was dead) .Blast is from 3,5k-6k by itself, but can do more damage with Vun and Might stacks. PvE utilities : Signet of Undeath, Spectral Grasp, WoS, whichever elite you like.

Rym.1469:

Recently have tested 30/10/0/0/30 build in PvE (solo, events, dungeons, dragon event), equipped mostly with Zerker for armor combined with one Soldier piece, 3 valkyrie pieces and 2 cavalier for trinkets + Berserker axe/Berserker Focus. I had great fun with it and was really surprised with it effectivity since I made that build for laughs. Purely DS oriented with huge LF generation and massive damage from Life Blast. I’ve always liked casters and couldn’t really find any classic caster in GW2 so far. So, to all people looking for some old-school casters with huge damage on hit, feel free to try. Worked great in speedruns doing more damage than zerker warrior, in AR and all normal explo dungeons. Has potential in solo PvE since it two shots mobs, but works better in group. Kinda funny in WvWvW, has decent survability (You can switch Reaper’s Precision with Weakining Shroud) and doeshillarious damage ( most of the times, 3-4 Life Blasts and foe was dead) .Blast is from 3,5k-6k by itself, but can do more damage with Vun and Might stacks. PvE utilities : Signet of Undeath, Spectral Grasp, WoS, whichever elite you like.

Exactly like me then, except for the utilities.

Signet of Undeath is a good team ability in sPvP or dungeons but for maximizing damage, try Signet of Spite. The passive power alone is a decent bonus to your damage and the signet can be used on bosses etc. I only choose it for the power though.

Same goes for Spectral Grasp, good LF gen but for max damage I will try Blood is Power. Again, I don’t care about the bleed on BoP, just the might stacks. Pop this before going into DS and you’ll improve your damage a lot, combined with might gained from DS 1.

Well of Suffering is obviously a great choice.

I’m not saying your build is wrong, I’m just giving some ideas. Whatever suits your playstyle ofc. ^^ Also removing Signet of Undeath will make you give less to the team but you’ll provide more damage so if someone else can do the reviving, you’ll be a damage beast!

I bring these utilities because you can easily run out of stacked LF when focused or no deaths around

Rym.1469:

I bring these utilities because you can easily run out of stacked LF when focused or no deaths around

True. It’s hard deciding on more damage or faster life force. If you get life force faster you will deal more damage since you can use DS more often. I guess it’s best to try it out and see what works best.