Guild Wars 2

If you look optimistically at the last patch and the december balance preview then it highlighted two things:

1. Dhuumfire is the go to condi build (thats why condition application is balanced around it)

2. Vampiric seems to be at its place (thus no increase happened).

You might ask why i bring in the Dhuumfire build in a discussion about Blood magic and that is because i think: if Dhuumfire is the go to condi build, then it highlights how a necro fights. Conditions are the slow / ramp up damage approach and this mixes well with an attrition play style. Also the standard dhuumfire loudout is decently defensive in terms of stat spread(rabid amulett + 20 Soul Reaping + often SA as utility).
And even so i don’t think Dhuumfire is a prime example of attrition gameplay maybe ANet thinks so.
With that said i will take the point of view that our attrition mechanics are fine, because even so we can’t burst like a thief we can kill that thief(depending on build and gameplay environment + comparing “burst” keep in mind that a full dhuumfire condi rota is not instant and takes a good amount of time to execute if its not simply terror + burning procc).

So if our attrition mechanics are fine and Vampiric traits outside of minion builds aren’t in for a change to the better, then what holds Blood Magic as a viable trait line down?
I’d say it is better alternatives all around. If you want damage then spite is the go to line with +power and Close to Death, if you want defense then grab atleast 15 pts Soul Reaping and/or 10 curses for Weakening shroud. The only thing BM has to offer are mediocre healing traits (DI, Trans.), CDR (dagger, wells), even more health for a class with an already enourmous health pool and pretty mediocre minors (let us simply forget siphon).

In an attempt to change Blood Magic more into a viable trait line and sticking close to the thematic of offense and aggression i would suggest introducing more +% dmg traits into the line.
By doing so spite would no longer be the nonbrainer in enhancing physical performance and by adding these modificators to often overlooked traits they could be made way more appealing.
Also these should be conditional modifiers instead of plain +% dmg to reward certain elements of gameplay instead of buffing performance overall.
My first suggestions would be changing:

Quickening Thirst
Increases movement speed for each dagger that you wield. And dagger attacks deal 5% more dmg against bleeding foes.

This change is done to increase the use of the full kitten nal of a necromancers skills while also improving a weak trait for a class that has a 25% movement signet and pretty easy access to swiftness. I had especially Dark Path in mind, which is in my opinion not rewarding enough for a powermancer. Even though chill is great, it is pretty unreliable as a gap closer and doesn’t do much damage so you are often better off with hurling lifeblasts and walking to your target. Also thanks to skills like Mark of Blood, Weakening Blood and traits like Weakening Shroud and barbed precision the conditional trigger is easy enough to only warrant 5% increase.

My second suggestion would be:
Vampiric Rituals
Wells also siphon health every time they pulse. You deal 10% more dmg while standing inside a well.

Simple risk/reward intention. An extremely unpopular trait would get a strong conditional buff that requires face to face gameplay and aggression. Since it is a Grandmaster trait it could be only coupled with either CtD OR Deathly Perc. and it doesn’t apply if Focused Rituals is used (atleast not until you stand in a well). Also it would lead to well gameplay beeing more of a staggered laying exercise to get +10% dmg uptime or dropping everything simultaneously and set everything on one card.

I think that these changes would not only reward more interesting gameplay but also help Blood Magic not beeing a pointless trait dump. It would be either an option for (mediocre) sustain and healing traits or a dmg boost depending on trait choices.

What are your opinions? Should Blood Magic even enhance our damage or should it be simply a “healing” line? Are you fine with traitlines favouring some playstyles (power/condi) or do you think everything should profit equally? Tell me what you think about the suggested changes!
Thanks for reading through it.

Blood Magic for sustain never made a lot of sense for the Necro because they already have a transform mechanic that is expected to be used defensively.

But while in this defensive form (DS) none of the trait points, gear, or build options the Necro created for Siphoning can actually sustain him, since you cannot heal regular health in DS.

Anet needs to decide if the Necro’s main form of sustain is DS or regular health. It is very hard to create builds that rebuild both pools, without making great sacrifices that end up gimping you comparatively due to having to split task like that.

And if our true sustain is Life Force, then siphon skills should refill Life Force.

Well, as i see it DS as a mechanic is simply an absorb x damage shield. A shield that blocks a varying amount of damage, depending on the length of the fight. So by letting us heal in DS it would be way harder to get to the point in which siphons are useful and we can’t outheal the dealt damage while negating incoming damage through our shield mechanic. So yes, these two mechanics don’t work well together.
But even so we can’t be healed in DS, siphons still suck and they don’t seem to be in for a change like the last balance update showed, therefore it shouldn’t be the primary focus of the Blood Magic line (like some people pointed out in long gone threads).

As to deciding between a main form of sustain. I’d say it is hardly worth a decision, because outside of Vampiric Master minion builds, rebuilding the health pool is not an option as long as you don’t want to weaken yourself by using something subpar like cleric gear, that has way too less impact and scaling.