Guild Wars 2

For those of you running axe post-patch, what have you noticed?

I have to say I have not seen as much vulnerability capping w/o Necro as I used to see so axe is less kitten. Damage seems fair for a 600 vuln-stack weapon, too. Do not take my word for it, though. Tell me what you think.

Please comment.

Anchoku.8142:

Damage seems fair for a 900 vuln-stack weapon, too.

*600 range?
I’m not sure anyone would ever specifically ask for an axe-necro when it comes to vuln stacking.

People who didn’t use the axe before the patch won’t pick it up now, but for those who already had it it’s a decent buff.

As flow said, Axe is 600 range.

The problem with axe is – as many people have said – its autoattack is one of the worst autos in the game. 3/4 cast time with reduced aftercast (thanks patch) that requires a target to hit. This means no hits through stealth, no pass-by ambient kills, and the worst part, players can walk into you and avoid the attack entirely.

Its damage/power ratio is very low as well.

Axe is solely used for #2 and #3 skills in power builds with axe training.

Dagger auto (even with range limit) is so far above Axe its not even funny.

To improve axe, I would suggest the auto become an aoe (3 people max) requiring no target.

Mistyped. Fixed.

Thank you, Flow and Apocryphos. I have been running axe with either war horn or focus in WvW or PvE open world or dungeons and noticed an improvement on how very much it sucks for damage. I kind of wish vulnerability would be dropped from axe as it seems to have suffered as much as bleed in the game mechanics. It would be far better if it were (imaginary) stacks of weakness or blind.

Autoattack being 900 range and #2 1000-1200 would really give the Axe a kick.

Nah, 600 range is fine, the Axe just doesn’t quite do its job (single target burst) well enough. Unholy Feast still makes little sense on the weapon set, the AA’s damage is still awful, and #2 is still a fairly long channel for its damage compared to “good” burst sets.

900 range would be nice, don’t get me wrong, but it’d make the overall weapon design even more nonsensical.

Axe #1 and #2 should be a cone cleave (90-120°) in front of the necromancer, up to 3 targets within 600 range.

Axe has it’s purpose in power builds, but it is more or less a finisher when using daggers as your primary. To be completely honest I find axe is only useful after a fair amount of control and exiting DS straight into dagger immobilize..then swap and using axe’s channel . I can’t actually think of a time of when I would purposely start a duel with axe. If I have it out, it is more likely because i have paired it with focus and am expecting boons.

FLiP.7680:

Axe #1 and #2 should be a cone cleave (90-120°) in front of the necromancer, up to 3 targets within 600 range.

Pretty much this. Would be a huge QoL improvement for Axe users.

Lol. I would do a topic about this. The axe #1 and #2 should be 900 to be viable. Look at the ranger, 1500 range and it is not OP (this isn’t a sacarsm, but power necro have some hard time aganist rangers due the lack of leaps).

900 range and axe would be ok.

FLiP.7680:

Axe #1 and #2 should be a cone cleave (90-120°) in front of the necromancer, up to 3 targets within 600 range.

Interesting idea, would be like the guard #1 staff.

Axe 1 is like mesmer sword 1, its not really used but its there.

Axe aa aoe cone cleave is counter-intuitive to what the weapon is supposed to be, which is a 1v1 weapon.

Mesmer sword 1 is a boon rip

Stand The Wall.6987:

Axe aa aoe cone cleave is counter-intuitive to what the weapon is supposed to be, which is a 1v1 weapon.

If Axe is supposed to be a 1v1 weapon then WTF is Unholy Feast doing on Axe #3?

As weird as it sounds, for me axe doenst seem to be the “burst weapon”. If i look at its skill set id rather put it into the direction staff is, only on a power setup.

1 deals low damage and stacks vulnerability. It does have a rather fast animation and a good and reliable amount of hits per second, this could benefit any on crit or on hit sigils and runes, as well as any on hit effects like vampiric. If most of these effects wouldnt be so ICD gated this skill could serve a lot of support supposes.

2 deals good single target damage, its reliable as its no projectile, and it generates lifeforce, so providing sustain in a way, this paired with the good amount of hits can serve the same purpose as #1

3 is aoe damage with cripple, boon removal and a self buff, again it seems very supporting in nature to me. With some adjustments on the boon removal priorities this skill could force the enemys in a spot they dont want to be – lets say removing stability or protection while crippling – would be rather potent.

The only things i would adjust is #3 is a blast finisher. #1 getting a chain, the first two hits stay like they are now, the third one comes out slightly slower and dealing aoe damage and a effect around the target, or a “mark” or a “2 seconds mini well” It could even a summon minion mark with slight AOE damage of some sorts.

Axe is not a burst weapon. It is a vulnerability application tool – yes, a TOOL.

Personally, i kind of wish weakness could be stacked so that axe could reduce both opponent mobility and accuracy, kind of like anti-vigor and fumble percentage.

I prefer to use Staff instead Axe in a power build (WvW). has the double range, the AA has same damage, piercesand generates life force. And #2 is very easy to miss due direction and easy to dodge. Staff also have better utility.

The axe really needs to hit 3 foes on AA or/and a range increase.

Mikau.6920:

I prefer to use Staff instead Axe in a power build (WvW). has the double range, the AA has same damage, piercesand generates life force. And #2 is very easy to miss due direction and easy to dodge. Staff also have better utility.

The axe really needs to hit 3 foes on AA or/and a range increase.

Just wanted to remind you that the AA on staff is not equal to axe.

The staff has a 0,6 aftercast , meaning the firerate is actualy 1,3s . So the axe auto out DPSes staff by a lot.

Theyre both viable sets for power builds ofc.

Mikau.6920:

I prefer to use Staff instead Axe in a power build (WvW). has the double range, the AA has same damage, piercesand generates life force. And #2 is very easy to miss due direction and easy to dodge. Staff also have better utility.

The axe really needs to hit 3 foes on AA or/and a range increase.

Axe is only 3 skills when Staff has 5. Keep it in mind.

I’d honestly argue if Axe paired with Warhorn/Dagger doesn’t bring equal effectivness as Staff or ever go over that.

Axe also hits twice a second compared to staff’s once per 1,4 second so it can crit more often. Staff’s auto attack is double the range and has a one in five chance of being a projectile finisher.

Neither of them are particularly compelling.

Staff AA should get a damage bonus inverse to range.
Axe should get something instead of, or in addition to, vulnerability but not burning. A cleave is one option.

Rym.1469:

Mikau.6920:

I prefer to use Staff instead Axe in a power build (WvW). has the double range, the AA has same damage, piercesand generates life force. And #2 is very easy to miss due direction and easy to dodge. Staff also have better utility.

The axe really needs to hit 3 foes on AA or/and a range increase.

Axe is only 3 skills when Staff has 5. Keep it in mind.

I’d honestly argue if Axe paired with Warhorn/Dagger doesn’t bring equal effectivness as Staff or ever go over that.

I still prefer Staff over Axe & Warhorn/Dagger/Focus. My second set is dagger with any off hand (keep swaping according the situation). Yes, the axe is too bad to be useful really useful, twice the range makes all diference.

Frankly speaking given the chance I would do the following with axe

1: Reduce the cast time of the auto to 1/2 second with little or no after cast.
2: Bake the damage of axe mastery into all attacks at base.
3: Change axe mastery so that in addition to increasing damage it increases range by 300.

This makes the axe a bit more viable & gives necro a decent ranged power weapon

autoattack #1 and #2 should have ~90 radius of attack (similar to staff Ele’s fireball)…
“So you would hit up to 3 foes that are in 90 radius of your target”

Or make it without a target with cleave similar to guard staff that can hit up to 3 foes per hit.

Also #3 should be a blast finnisher

/necro axe problem solved

What Necro build/playstyle should have the axe as it’s primary weapon?

I’ve used axe/staff in WvW with wells when I don’t want to get close to the hammer train, but it’s more fun to use dagger instead.

I have been running axe post-patch a lot looking for improvement but axe is still unsatisfactory.

Damage is a tiny bit better. I will give it that.

Axe best supports group and minion play but groups do not care about vulnerability and axe mastery overlaps with training of the master. Why is it in Spite, anyway? I would love to swap it with Dagger Mastery.

Still don’t use axe over dagger, it’s too sluggish, channel too obvious and easily dodged, vulnerability stacking is slow compared to 20 stacks in 1 second others can lay on you.
Axe 3 is nice , if you cast it without dying during the casttime.. it’s so slooooooow.
and the range is .. just… supporting traits are nice but don’t synergize with any builds. Or trow your build away and go for axe traits.

shame really.. if they would have sped up the animations to the same point as they did with every other profession, it might be a useful weapon in pvp.

I like most of you guys have been experimenting with axe but the clunkiness is too much in this fast-paced game – the auto attack is definitely better and more smooth now but still lack luster damage slow vuln stacking and low dmg makes you never want to use it

Finishers would be nice blast for #3 whirl for #2 and cleave/splash damage for #1 – This would make it a lot more viable

A leap to target on Unholy Feast would be a nice start.

Swamurabi.7890:

What Necro build/playstyle should have the axe as it’s primary weapon?

I’ve used axe/staff in WvW with wells when I don’t want to get close to the hammer train, but it’s more fun to use dagger instead.

I too was using Axe/Wh & Staff with Wells until the patch, then switched to Axe/Wh & Staff hybrid. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Axe is the primary weapon since the build relies on constant weapon swaps. It’s kind of like playing a double or triple kit Engineer.

As far as QoL improvements for Axe

1. Narrow radius 3 target cleave. Also slow and very telegraphed (fix it).
2. see above
3. Needs a finisher either Whirl or Blast and a shorter cast time.