Guild Wars 2

Something I’ve been thinking for a while now. I’m primarily a PvE player and don’t dip too much into PvP or WvW. Sometimes I’ll play as a joke or help guildies test out builds but I honestly don’t find it fun. So I’m going to talking about what I’ll be doing with my necromancer after the changes hit.

When I started thinking about how Dhuumfire was being changed and what I already do with my power build it seemed obvious to me that I’d take Unyielding blast for both my condition build and my power build. The other traits don’t even register for me as options for my builds. I’ve even been considering dropping the staff as a weapon for my condi build because of how much better it’ll be for me to just have a second offhand rather then have any down time for my scepter. But thats still to be decided.

What I am saying is that the ability to pierce through enemies is going to be so vital for my PvE builds that there isn’t going to be any other option I want to take. And in PvP I have to question just powerful a piercing blast would really be? Does it honestly deserve a trait spot when so much else is becoming baseline?

When thinking about what abilities should just become the norm for that skill type we can’t just think about whats normal now. Dhuumfire is going to change how condition builds are played. We should also think about how important these traits would become to future builds.

Now I’m not saying it should automatically get the vulnerability attached to life blast. Though I’m also not saying that would be too much as I honestly don’t think it would be too much to have just on the skill as a passive effect.

I don’t think I’m asking too much here. The necromancer needs a mega tone of work. We need a Dervish style re-balance of our entire profession. But until then we are going to have to fight small battles for our usability.

I support baseline piercing. Staff 1 pierces. Lifeblast, the manifestation of pure Lifeforce channeled into a projectile, cannot pierce without a trait?

Great game design.

Yup if they don’t make unyielding blast baseline I’ll be taking something else when the revamp occurs. We have better ways to stack vuln and piercing mechanic is a pain in the rear to execute in the fluid WvW. Not worthy of a trait now that there are newly combined soul marks & speed of shadows, both of which would be more useful than unyielding blast at its current form.

If not baseline normally maybe it should be baseline as long as you have staff equipped. I’ve seen lots of people suggest the Mainhand weapon effects the ds. Wouldn’t it be cool if whatever your main hand weapon changed ds1 slightly.

Dagger-fast weaker attacks (secondary effect?)
axe – medium speed medium dmg vuln on hit
staff – standard ds attack peircing
scepter -medium dmg medium speed condi transfer 10icd

It DEFINITELY should be base line… After all the baseline stuff they did with longbow on rangers and engineer, I about flipped when I saw Unyielding was still a trait…

Also “We didn’t feel like a trait adding 60 radius to your skills felt good, so blasting staff is just gone and made baseline”. → Greater Marks still exists and staff has 2 traits…

Why not merge unblockable into Soul marks and baseline increase the radius here, too? Its like they have all these new philosophies but none of them can apply to Necromancer…

One other thing you might find interesting. They moved Terror up to GM because it’s “build defining”. Static Discharge (currently) is still an adept. Makes sense.

It would be better if you mainhand weapon effected your DS skills in the same vein as a thief’s offhand weapon alters their 3rd skill.

Also I haven’t used the trait for a while, but I always found piercing pretty clunky to use effectively.

If it was say, a (small) aoe on impact, it would be a lot more practical.

Baseline piercing I think is fine, throw the vuln into one of the other thirty DS traits.

Bhawb.7408:

Baseline piercing I think is fine, throw the vuln into one of the other thirty DS traits.

Yeah. The Vuln doesn’t really need to be baseline. If anything I personally feel the following should be made just to ensure we’re effective in the way they designed the class:

Life Blast: Apply a 2 second cripple against targets beyond 600u. (Where you deal less damage, you at least try to hold them in the fight, the lockdown idea core to the class.)

Necrotic Grasp: Similarly to the above, Staff 1 seems rather “meh” at times. Thematically, as a grasp, it makes sense for it to apply a 1.5 second cripple on auto attack (with or without a distance stipulation). As it’s our only other single target long ranged weapon, it should be able to stop our enemies from fleeing since it’s a core part of what makes a necromancer what it is. If we can’t run away, you can’t either! (And by extension, our lack of mobility for fleeing becomes outpacing your enemies by snaring them. Good play!)

That’s just my feels. Those 2 weapons need baseline short duration cripples to really drive the ball home with our battle-field intentions of keeping people in combat with us and being heavily condition focused.

I would give the vuln to reaper’s might trait then make the piercing of life blast baseline.

OMNIBUS.2913:

I would give the vuln to reaper’s might trait then make the piercing of life blast baseline.

Ah, see? There ya go! Perfect fit.

OMNIBUS.2913:

I would give the vuln to reaper’s might trait then make the piercing of life blast baseline.

Great idea.

I also like the idea of baseline increasing Mark size, ditching Greater Marks entirely, and moving the unblockable portion to Soul Marks.

NeXeD.3042:

If not baseline normally maybe it should be baseline as long as you have staff equipped. I’ve seen lots of people suggest the Mainhand weapon effects the ds. Wouldn’t it be cool if whatever your main hand weapon changed ds1 slightly.

Dagger-fast weaker attacks (secondary effect?)
axe – medium speed medium dmg vuln on hit
staff – standard ds attack peircing
scepter -medium dmg medium speed condi transfer 10icd

Without taking balancing into consideration I think this is a really cool idea. Only problem that I see (maybe) it can pigeonhole DS? IDK why I’m getting that feeling but it can maybe have an opposite affect and make for more diverse builds lol kitten idk….. +1 anyways lol Even though I’m a really big fan of Life Blast. To OP post I won’t say no to baseline piercing

With Dhuumfire one of the bigger issues with DS’s kit (having nothing to do as a condi build after 2/3/5) is being fixed, once it becomes every attack. If they allowed us to use our utilities too then no reason to mess with DS too much, treat it more like a weapon swap (with attached LF) than some completely different form.

Been playing DS necro for a while in PVE and the worst part of it, besides being underpowered, is when you have to stay kitti’n hours in DS spamming 1! At least unyelding makes it more intresting because you have to more or to reposition, maybe without vuln stacks but with piercing effect.

So aye, i’ m in favour of it.

why not remove all important traits and make everything baseline

because that’s what happened to shatter builds

Malchior.1928:

I support baseline piercing. Staff 1 pierces. Lifeblast, the manifestation of pure Lifeforce channeled into a projectile, cannot pierce without a trait?

Great game design.

Flavor alone is not a valid basis for design.

Its better as a trait, but Plague blast cast time+ animation (yes the animation on land does have the little whril of life force, but nowhere near as notable as underwater)+aftercast delay should be used on Life Blast (while the close range base bonus is removed and scaling flat out put to 1.4 since its not a finisher).

Erasmus.1624:

Malchior.1928:

I support baseline piercing. Staff 1 pierces. Lifeblast, the manifestation of pure Lifeforce channeled into a projectile, cannot pierce without a trait?

Great game design.

Flavor alone is not a valid basis for design.

It’s a good start.

Considering the horrid cast time and the after cast it needs a buff. Piercing as baseline is just one possible suggestion. No need to get sassy :p

Zoso.8279:

NeXeD.3042:

If not baseline normally maybe it should be baseline as long as you have staff equipped. I’ve seen lots of people suggest the Mainhand weapon effects the ds. Wouldn’t it be cool if whatever your main hand weapon changed ds1 slightly.

Dagger-fast weaker attacks (secondary effect?)
axe – medium speed medium dmg vuln on hit
staff – standard ds attack peircing
scepter -medium dmg medium speed condi transfer 10icd

Without taking balancing into consideration I think this is a really cool idea. Only problem that I see (maybe) it can pigeonhole DS? IDK why I’m getting that feeling but it can maybe have an opposite affect and make for more diverse builds lol kitten idk….. +1 anyways lol Even though I’m a really big fan of Life Blast. To OP post I won’t say no to baseline piercing

I’m confused are you saying it will pigeonhole or diversify?

@bawb if they gAve us utilities in ds then no my suggestion is unnecessary. Have there been hints at that besides in the new special?

There haven’t been any hints, its just what they should do.

NeXeD.3042:

Zoso.8279:

NeXeD.3042:

If not baseline normally maybe it should be baseline as long as you have staff equipped. I’ve seen lots of people suggest the Mainhand weapon effects the ds. Wouldn’t it be cool if whatever your main hand weapon changed ds1 slightly.

Dagger-fast weaker attacks (secondary effect?)
axe – medium speed medium dmg vuln on hit
staff – standard ds attack peircing
scepter -medium dmg medium speed condi transfer 10icd

Without taking balancing into consideration I think this is a really cool idea. Only problem that I see (maybe) it can pigeonhole DS? IDK why I’m getting that feeling but it can maybe have an opposite affect and make for more diverse builds lol kitten idk….. +1 anyways lol Even though I’m a really big fan of Life Blast. To OP post I won’t say no to baseline piercing

I’m confused are you saying it will pigeonhole or diversify?

@bawb if they gAve us utilities in ds then no my suggestion is unnecessary. Have there been hints at that besides in the new special?

Im confused too lol. I like the idea but for some reason I’m getting the feeling it might pigeonhole some builds. I say this because for example only condi builds would use dagger so they can apply more inv per life blast etc.. OR it can go the exact opposite way. Don’t get me wrong I like the idea but I can’t shake off the feeling it would pigeonhole builds. Just sometimes something on paper sounds really good but then when you actually do it it can go the opposite way. But again +1 I like the idea just voicing my concerns/feelings is all.

Zoso.8279:

NeXeD.3042:

Zoso.8279:

NeXeD.3042:

If not baseline normally maybe it should be baseline as long as you have staff equipped. I’ve seen lots of people suggest the Mainhand weapon effects the ds. Wouldn’t it be cool if whatever your main hand weapon changed ds1 slightly.

Dagger-fast weaker attacks (secondary effect?)
axe – medium speed medium dmg vuln on hit
staff – standard ds attack peircing
scepter -medium dmg medium speed condi transfer 10icd

Without taking balancing into consideration I think this is a really cool idea. Only problem that I see (maybe) it can pigeonhole DS? IDK why I’m getting that feeling but it can maybe have an opposite affect and make for more diverse builds lol kitten idk….. +1 anyways lol Even though I’m a really big fan of Life Blast. To OP post I won’t say no to baseline piercing

I’m confused are you saying it will pigeonhole or diversify?

@bawb if they gAve us utilities in ds then no my suggestion is unnecessary. Have there been hints at that besides in the new special?

Im confused too lol. I like the idea but for some reason I’m getting the feeling it might pigeonhole some builds. I say this because for example only condi builds would use dagger so they can apply more inv per life blast etc.. OR it can go the exact opposite way. Don’t get me wrong I like the idea but I can’t shake off the feeling it would pigeonhole builds. Just sometimes something on paper sounds really good but then when you actually do it it can go the opposite way. But again +1 I like the idea just voicing my concerns/feelings is all.

I had vuln on axe not dagger since axe already causes vuln. I was trying to make the lb enhance whatever the auto for each weapon did. Except scepter I thought a transfer would work nicely since the only reason to lb on a condi build is typically to proc dhuumfire but since burning and dhuum are changing I thought a transfer would be pretty cool and would fit nicely with the condi build. I wouldn’t be too worried about vuln anymore with the upcoming changes necro has plenty of vuln.

But these are just suggestions that I had off the top of my head and I would “assume” a balance team would do a better job.

I figured these would actually diversify the builds a bit.

Not even sure why I suggested anything, it’s very rare any player suggestions are put in game… and honestly all the suggestion posts typically annoy the crap out of me since it really seems like false hope.

The piercing aspect of Life Blast should be baseline, without a doubt. Maybe its just because it was the very first trait I ever took on my Necro, but it just feels plain WRONG to be without it. I have literally never switched that trait off for any real period of time because it just feels off when I do so. It gets eaten so easily without piercing, and it just feels odd for such a strong projectile to just poof out of existence so easily.

The vulnerability, though…. that could probably stay traited. Either fold it into Reaper’s Might since its a pretty similar concept (gradual power buildup while using Life Blast) and add a new Adept Soul Reaping major, or keep Unyielding Blast and add a secondary effect to it in addition to the Vulnerability. Maybe a power increase for each enemy hit by the attack (so it does base damage on the first enemy pierced, and maybe 10% extra on the next enemy, ect), to further encourage smart placement.

Malchior.1928:

Erasmus.1624:

Malchior.1928:

I support baseline piercing. Staff 1 pierces. Lifeblast, the manifestation of pure Lifeforce channeled into a projectile, cannot pierce without a trait?

Great game design.

Flavor alone is not a valid basis for design.

It’s a good start.

Considering the horrid cast time and the after cast it needs a buff. Piercing as baseline is just one possible suggestion. No need to get sassy :p

Just because life blast has a cast time that gives an enemy some sort of cue or wind up period in order to take an action doesn’t mean that it needs a buff.