Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Anchoku.8142

Anchoku.8142

List what you think are the two worst Necromancer skills (shroud, weapon, heal, utility, or elite), state the game mode, and describe why you believe they are under-performing.

Here are some of the results. This is ongoing and will be updated in the future

Leader

  • Signet of Undeath – Long cast time, passive not desirable outside of low LF generation builds (looking at you, scepter) and then still not very useful on a condi-damage build.

Runner up

  • Well of Darkness – Pulsing blind and a darkness field are not very attractive, even with the recently reduced cool down.

Also placing

  • Spectral Grasp and Dark Path – Has significant tells, slow projectiles, and pathing issues that reduces its effectiveness rapidly as distance to target increases. Only good in short range melee?
  • Signet of Vampirism – A group heal and small dps increase but who needs it?

Others in the race

  • Life Siphon – Range too short?
  • Flesh Golem – Melts in water. A shark would be nice, though.
  • Elite transforms Lich and Plague – Not nearly as elite as they use to be and they are still transforms locking out other skills
  • Spectral Walk – The parachute nerf, access to other movement increases, and less attraction to spectral builds have reduced its popularity.
  • Mark of Blood (staff 2) – Another bleed, please?
  • Necrotic Grasp (staff AA) – Twenty percent chance at being a finisher?
  • Unholy Feast (axe 3) – Cripple and chill do not reduce mobility skill range anymore
  • Spectral Wall – Nerfed too much?
  • Life Rend/Slash/Reap (RS AA) – Moar powr?
  • Well of Blood – A honey-trap like Blaine’s well
  • Flesh Wurm – Useful only as a pre-planned escape?

(edited by Anchoku.8142)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Justine.6351

Justine.6351

Life siphon: wvw,
Range is way too short, cast time is way too long.

Mark of blood: wvw,
Used simply because it is another button to push. It’s simplicity holds it back from being buffed into usefulness.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Well of Darkness and Signet of Undeath.
The first is a skill anet seems to think people will use if they continue to cut its cooldown, despite the fact that it is the butt of many a joke. The only time it had any use was when the specialization change was made and people used it to inflict blind, chill and 3 stacks of vuln per pulse. With the most recent patch, it is now completely inferior to the Greatsword skill Nightfall (as if it wasn’t already).
The second is a signet (obviously) that grants 2% lifeforce every 3 seconds on passive and resurrects 3 downed foes in a 180 radius with a 3s cast time. The passive is negligible and the active, like most res skills, is just plain terrible.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dadnir.5038

Dadnir.5038

It might not be the worst but…

Flesh golem : need to learn how to swim. All gamemode that contain water pond. Losing an elite summon because we just stepped into water is silly and it’s even more silly since it’s almost the only minion that doesn’t work underwater. I can understand flesh wurm not working but flesh golem, there is no reason.

Lich form : need to be something else than a transform. All gamemode. The sacrifice given for this silly transform thingy is not worth what we reap, especially since the change on horror’s mark minions. Transform skills are very burdensome skills that have little to no value for the game due to their negligible uptime. It’s better to get rid of this useless skillset than trying to make it work by adding something that will be exploited as a gimmick. To be honest, even the worst elementalist’s conjure weapon is better than a transform elite skill. Make it into a conjure like set of skill without the ugly useless character design change or make it into a fitting spectral buff à la spectral armor but just change this thing.

No core profession should be balanced around an optional elite specialization.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

It might not be the worst but…

Flesh golem : need to learn how to swim. All gamemode that contain water pond. Losing an elite summon because we just stepped into water is silly and it’s even more silly since it’s almost the only minion that doesn’t work underwater. I can understand flesh wurm not working but flesh golem, there is no reason.

I’ve always wanted a Blood Shark as the underwater version of Flesh Golem. They should have made this change when they redid the ranger spirits, giving them underwater dolphin and whale skins. However since no one really cares about underwater anymore, its almost definitely not going to happen.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dadnir.5038

Dadnir.5038

I just want to be able to keep him when I fall into water… I don’t ask for a lot. This thing have been asked for years already, it’s at the same level as the rangers asking for their pet to keep their name.

No core profession should be balanced around an optional elite specialization.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Aktium.9506

Aktium.9506

You’ve all mentioned skills that are at least used.

I nominate Signet of Undeath.

Spectral Grasp gets an honorary mention for still being terrible all these years despite all the cooldown reductions and whatnot.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: ZeftheWicked.3076

ZeftheWicked.3076

All your suggestion are void and moot in face of one true king:

Dark Path (death shroud #2). Projectile so slow most enemies outrun it’s range.
Windup so long you wonder if you’re under effects of slow or some time perception altering drug. All that and more on a skill that’s supposed to be used to catch fleeing targets!

And while there let’s not forgot Life Blast, for it’s insanely slow windup, zero synergy with dhuumfire and combo fields. Yay for deathshroud “plays”!

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Drarnor Kunoram.5180

You’ve all mentioned skills that are at least used.

I nominate Signet of Undeath.

Spectral Grasp gets an honorary mention for still being terrible all these years despite all the cooldown reductions and whatnot.

I feel like Spectral Grasp just needs a faster projectile. Maybe homing capability, but I think a faster projectile will do the trick.

But Signet of Undeath is so bad, we even stopped joking about it. We even still do that for Well of Darkness!

Dragonbrand |Drarnor Kunoram: Charr Necro
http://www.twitch.tv/reverse830
I’m a Geeleiver

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Stand The Wall.6987

Stand The Wall.6987

just went to gw2skills.net to find those two skills that i not only don’t use but forgot the name of: signet of undeath and well of blood.

Team Deathmatch for PvP – Raise the AoE cap for WvW – More unique events for PvE

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Ramoth.9064

Ramoth.9064

Spectral Walk : too niche for its cooldown now.

Lich Form : Using this skill against HoT Elite Specs is like putting yourself at a disadvantage. I got completely boned by a daredevil using staff autoattack.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

for PvE

Weapons – staff 1 (add condition), axe 3 (add blast finisher)

Reaper Shroud – autoattack (needs better direct damage or needs reduced base cast time)

Utility – spectral wall (needs to reflect projectiles, last longer, low cd),

spectral armor (needs to work like endure pain)

Heal – signet of vampirism (should heal per hit like the thief’s heal signet),

your soul is mine (should grant/steal some boons, heal almost full portion solo and add like 300-500hp per mob hit)

Elite – plague (make the 3 different plagues be active at all times + add 5 skills to the plague, let the player only use one that will form the plague into another level, like adding a stealth for the duration that wont disappear unless revealed. other skills could be whirling for the duration, pulsing buffs, pulsing hard cc etc)

second bad elite is the sylvari Summon Druid Spirit – come on, worst trash in history, has tooltip under hp bar “cleans conditions heals allies” and does nothing of the sort, only autoattacks with immobilize.

(edited by Sublimatio.6981)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Elite – plague (make the 3 different plagues be active at all times + add 5 skills to the plague, let the player only use one that will form the plague into another level, like adding a stealth for the duration that wont disappear unless revealed. other skills could be whirling for the duration, pulsing buffs, pulsing hard cc etc)

Or better yet just remove plague form (and lich form) and replace with 2 new non form elite skills.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dadnir.5038

Dadnir.5038

Elite – plague (make the 3 different plagues be active at all times + add 5 skills to the plague, let the player only use one that will form the plague into another level, like adding a stealth for the duration that wont disappear unless revealed. other skills could be whirling for the duration, pulsing buffs, pulsing hard cc etc)

Or better yet just remove plague form (and lich form) and replace with 2 new non form elite skills.

^ Just this. Why keep a design that hinder the player’s gameplay while we could have something that doesn’t?

No core profession should be balanced around an optional elite specialization.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: ZeftheWicked.3076

ZeftheWicked.3076

Elite – plague (make the 3 different plagues be active at all times + add 5 skills to the plague, let the player only use one that will form the plague into another level, like adding a stealth for the duration that wont disappear unless revealed. other skills could be whirling for the duration, pulsing buffs, pulsing hard cc etc)

Or better yet just remove plague form (and lich form) and replace with 2 new non form elite skills.

I object. Plague is a godsend for defending points in spvp. Unless you are moa’d or heavily focused with condies, you can buy a lot of time on a point in otherwise unfavourable fight. For a necro that has no total damage negation like mass evades blocks invulnies etc this is the closest we get to “bunker up and take the pain” elite, especially since we’re #1 target in any spvp match.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

i want to be able to transform because it’s something cool, i care about visual stimulation

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

i want to be able to transform because it’s something cool, i care about visual stimulation

When I first started playing, I would have agreed. But now, once that initial charm has worn off, we’re left with two niche skills. Lich form could be transformed into an aoe damage buff for allies as much needed party support.
As for the use of plague in spvp, wouldn’t you prefer a skill that granted you tankiness but also allowed you to actually attack with your basic weapon skills and utilities?

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

well that is pretty selfish to say, what about other people who wont get to have the initial charm and people who didn’t lose it? i gave ideas to make these skills meaningful without turning them into another forgettable key you push

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sartharina.3542

Sartharina.3542

Lich Form is my favorite elite skill to use in PvE in the Heart of Thorns zones, thanks to the Adrenal Mushrooms eliminating its cooldown. However, I only use it for Mark of Horror, because I want all the minions ever.

It would probably be decent if they slashed its cooldown.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Lich Form is my favorite elite skill to use in PvE in the Heart of Thorns zones, thanks to the Adrenal Mushrooms eliminating its cooldown. However, I only use it for Mark of Horror, because I want all the minions ever.

It would probably be decent if they slashed its cooldown.

I think faster cast times might be better. When the shortest cast time on the skill bar is 1 second…

Plus, Lich Form 2 is just useless.

Dragonbrand |Drarnor Kunoram: Charr Necro
http://www.twitch.tv/reverse830
I’m a Geeleiver

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: HeadCrowned.6834

HeadCrowned.6834

PvP:

- Well of Darkness: duration is too short (or its CD too long), applying only a blind is underperforming.
- Spectral Grasp: too slow, too often useless as it is a projectile.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

well that is pretty selfish to say, what about other people who wont get to have the initial charm and people who didn’t lose it? i gave ideas to make these skills meaningful without turning them into another forgettable key you push

Forms have always been skills that disable your utilities, have massive cooldowns and generally are less effective than your basic attacks. I’d be up for the idea of revamping them to allow for utility use but in the sake of simplicity and resources, on Anet’s part, it would be better just to replace them altogether with something more useful.
At the end of the day, people that like skills just for their looks are a minority to the people that like skills for their actual usefulness. And as we have seen from both necro forms, they are niche at best and (in Lich Form’s case) have only had real use in areas they could be abused.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: ZeftheWicked.3076

ZeftheWicked.3076

Not agreed Lahmia. If you think ppl who like skills just for their practical use are a majority then go ahead, ask anet to replace each skill animation with 8 bit tetris blocks and see how many ppl will wanna play gw2 after seeing a stream or two of these.

Let’s not forget that for a very long time necros (along with rangers) where deemed the two top kitten professions for any kind of serious content yet ppl still played them.
It’s very much about the looks and feel. Many necros (myself included) play cause of the feel of the class. And for example don’t wanna get near mesmer, despite it’s insane utility and value in end game content because pink butterfiels make us hurl.

Skill being useless is a huge problem. Then again skill being bland and generic in it’s graphics is also a huge problem. We necros like our skills deathly on the border of absurd (turn into cloud that kittens up everyone’s day, or a huge avatar of death), we just want them more functional or, if replaced, then something that lets us be equally visually kitten.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: KrHome.1920

KrHome.1920

Signet of Undeath:
It’s useless, but improving LF generation is tricky and can easily result in overpowered bunker builds. I would change the cooldown to 90s and the rez cast time to 2s. Being able to rez slightly faster than the enemy can stomp (3 seconds) would make this skill somewhat valuable.

Well of Darkness:
This was already a joke compared to unbuffed Nightfall. It’s even worse now. It needs a 30s cooldown and should apply “Blind” and “Slow” to get its own definition (we don’t need a second Nightfall).

Spectral Grasp:
Too unreliable. Since all changes we’ve seen in the past were cooldown reductions, here is my suggestion for ANet: I could think about picking it on a 15 (!) second cooldown. Then it’s spammable and I would not care about the unreliablility.

Summon Flesh Wurm:
Too gimmicky, too situational, usually not worth the utility slot… a 0,75s cooldown would fix it. Instant cast might be OP.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

snip

Likewise I could say, would anyone want to use a skill that is the most attractive looking and visually stimulating, even if it did absolutely nothing. The answer is no, unless they were just messing around in content that really didn’t matter – ahem pve open world.

As for replacing the form effects, I never said to make them bland. Hell in a post I made a while back I suggested using the Reaper of Grenth animation for the new Plague elite. You can make awesome looking non form skills that also have near universal usage. And that’s what I aim for.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

I would say most of the playerbase actually cares the most about visual of the skills rather than function not to mention this is a main selling point of every mmorpg and in the game industry altogether, I’ve had friends disappointed about skill animation reduction, even to the point of not caring about the game anymore and leaving. I’ve been a necro main since beta tests even when greatsword wasn’t a thing and dagger hit only 1 target at once or when minions wouldn’t attack and I’m a hardcore pve player to this day. I wouldn’t be playing it if it wasn’t for the dark theme and animations.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Kumouta.4985

Kumouta.4985

well of darkness and signet of vampirism.
well is just inferior to nightfall in every way, and i see no point running it even if nightfall didn’t exist.
Signet of vampirism is a tiny heal on a far too long cooldown and the passive effect has an ICD, rendering it worthless in PvE and too low for PvP.

What’s up with the looks/theme argument people suddenly came up with? skills should be good and worth using. Noone said they should look worse for that purpose.

I can apply over 3 stacks of bleeding.

(edited by Kumouta.4985)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

I would say most of the playerbase actually cares the most about visual of the skills rather than function not to mention this is a main selling point of every mmorpg and in the game industry altogether, I’ve had friends disappointed about skill animation reduction, even to the point of not caring about the game anymore and leaving. I’ve been a necro main since beta tests even when greatsword wasn’t a thing and dagger hit only 1 target at once or when minions wouldn’t attack and I’m a hardcore pve player to this day. I wouldn’t be playing it if it wasn’t for the dark theme and animations.

If you’ve ever wondered why they have done so many changes to visual culling, its because a lot of the playerbase wanted there to be less visual clutter. As a pve player you’re basically ignoring the other 2 game modes, especially WvW (which is the biggest opposition to overly animated skills). Sure people care about visuals. But as I said before, people care more about the practicality of the skill. Take Guardian Tomes for example.They are the ultimate in visuals over practicality, and Anet got rid of them.
And if we’re gonna play the “I’ve more experienced” game, I was on Alpha.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

well of darkness and signet of vampirism.
well is just inferior to nightfall in every way, and i see no point running it even if nightfall didn’t exist.
Signet of vampirism is a tiny heal on a far too long cooldown and the passive effect has an ICD, rendering it worthless in PvE and too low for PvP.

What’s up with the looks/theme argument people suddenly came up with? skills should be good and worth using. Noone said they should look worse for that purpose.

I suggested removing necro elite forms (like they did with Guardian Tomes) in favour of something more useful, but more “Feel my wrath” useful than Signet of courage. Sublimatio took this to mean making them look kitten in favour of being useful, which as I said in one of my previous comments wouldn’t be the case. Just look up Reaper of Grenth human racial elite to see what I’d have the new plague to look like.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

there is this thing called Effect LOD in options menu

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

there is this thing called Effect LOD in options menu

And how does that have any bearing on changing Lich form and plague?

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

I was answering your post about wvw players etc – we have the effect LOD option so reducing base skill visuals is bad if you can only reduce them for people with the option turned on, or at least let the player keep a good visual and have other players use the reduced one.
As for Lich/Plague, you can make them useful without butchering the transform. That’s what I was suggesting so everyone would be happy. You suggest removing transform altogether and that will not make everyone happy.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

As for Lich/Plague, you can make them useful without butchering the transform. That’s what I was suggesting so everyone would be happy. You suggest removing transform altogether and that will not make everyone happy.

Apart from those people that dislike forms to begin with. They wouldn’t be happy. And its not the first time Anet has removed elite forms in favour of more simplistic but useful* skills. And on a non aggressive note, what was your suggestion for Lich Form?

*Feel my wrath, yes. Signet of courage, no. But then SoC could be useful if they just reduced the passive timer from 10s to 3 or less.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

I didn’t give any suggestions for Lich Form, because I didn’t list it as the worst performing elite skill.
Well I disagreed with the tomes nerf when it happened and I still am, I would just make them work differently – something like death shroud – you could equip the tome once per 10 seconds but keep the skills within on long cooldowns so you don’t butcher the elite and keep balance reasonable. Right now guardians have just 2 forgettable skills. I don’t like when people remove content instead of fixing it

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Funny you call them forgettable yet they are far more used than the tomes were.

But a shroud/kit like approach would be acceptable and definitely preferable to the underwhelming and abysmal elite forms we have at the moment.

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dadnir.5038

Dadnir.5038

When I read that “transform skills” should stay because they look cool, it make me speechless. Sure, the shroud is a transform skill that achieve an uptime that may make the “look cool” argument worthy but what about elite transform? Skill exist to be used not because they “look cool”. A useless skill that “look cool” is called an e-mote (you know when you write /rank and you got a cool effect that appear? that’s it).

An elite skill should have more than a visual impact in the game. Like I said in previously, it would be better to have a conjure weapon like effect than the eye-shattering short-lived effect that transform skill are at the moment. Player only use transform skills when they can benefit from a gimmicky effect (like the endless bleeding creepers we had or the stealth effect of snow leopard).

In my opinion, norn’s elite transform “look cool” (well yes they do), however, they are nowhere near what i’d call elite skills. Almost all skill suffer from being weak and lack tha ability to be used when moving. On top of that the uptime is ridiculously low and you can’t use utility skills with them. In this state, although they “look cool” their worth is the same as the e-mote /rank.

As for lich form, it’s just my opinion but, it’s not even worth a /rank e-mote (both visually and usefully).

No core profession should be balanced around an optional elite specialization.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

@Lahmia
forgettable doesn’t mean useless ;p

@Dadnir
as i wrote previously, my suggested change would be keeping the transform but changing the cooldowns to make them more akin to death shroud

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Dadnir.5038

Dadnir.5038

@Dadnir
as i wrote previously, my suggested change would be keeping the transform but changing the cooldowns to make them more akin to death shroud

I understand your stance, however it doesn’t meant that transform skill would be usefull. These skills are flawed. Not really strong or game changing, with a lot of movement restriction and above all in serious need of some polishing for their skillset.

I seriously doubt that they will become akin to death shroud, Anet overestimate those skill way to much to do something like that. So in the end, like I said, outside of a few gimmicks quickly nerfed, these skills are no better than a /rank emote.

With some rework (a lot) on the skills, Lich form could become the lich shroud of an e-spec. But that’s the extent of what I think we can expect from anet.

I honestly think that the dev, hen they created “transform” skills, thought that those skills would be really strong and that’s why they put so many restrictions on them. However if you strangle something to death, it die. And that’s what happen to the transforms skills. Balancing the transform’s skill so that they are at the same level as average weapon skill and modifying them so that they work like kit or conjure weapon would be a good first step to revive them. However, this would only be a first step, anet would also have to work on the skills and form animation so that they perform as well as the shroud in a fight.

… Well… making viable elite transform ask for so much work that in the end it’s better to ask for what they did to guardian’s tome and sell a lich form tonic at the TP. That would make people that want the “look cool” happy and the people that want a usefull elite skill happy as well.

No core profession should be balanced around an optional elite specialization.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Erzian.5218

Erzian.5218

Id be happy with having mark of horror as an elite skill instead of lich form.

Edit: I do like plague though, but that doesn’t mean that it couldnt use a buff or two. Perhaps a 4th option to transfer conditions to nearby foes.

(edited by Erzian.5218)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Id be happy with having mark of horror as an elite skill instead of lich form.

Edit: I do like plague though, but that doesn’t mean that it couldnt use a buff or two. Perhaps a 4th option to transfer conditions to nearby foes.

That would work well as a spectral skill too, given the spectral trait could increase the jagged horror life span (it might actually get some use at last!).

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sublimatio.6981

Sublimatio.6981

Mark of Horror is a minion and mark skill type. If ANet were to remove Lich Form, I’d rather them replace it with an elite well that spawns 5 horrors and does some other effects to compensate for losing 4 skills from Lich Form.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Drarnor Kunoram.5180

As an Elite Skill, I’d rather Grim Specter (Lich Form 5) become its own skill than Mark of Horror. Ever since the Jagged Horror nerf, Mark of Horror is very niche in use.

However, clearing all conditions from allies and ripping all boons from enemies AoE? That is an Elite skill I would be thrilled to use.

Dragonbrand |Drarnor Kunoram: Charr Necro
http://www.twitch.tv/reverse830
I’m a Geeleiver

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Anchoku.8142

Anchoku.8142

As an Elite Skill, I’d rather Grim Specter (Lich Form 5) become its own skill than Mark of Horror. Ever since the Jagged Horror nerf, Mark of Horror is very niche in use.

However, clearing all conditions from allies and ripping all boons from enemies AoE? That is an Elite skill I would be thrilled to use.

I tend to agree Grim Specter has more potential, now, than Mark of Horror.

Lich should be easily fixable, though, by adding a little more group support.

  • Deathly Claws could be made to a blast finisher giving the skill more utility.
  • Marked for Death could be converted from applying vulnerability to laying a poison field that blocks projectiles or an ethereal field that pulses torment or confusion.
  • Chilling Wind is probably good for break bars but I would shorten its cool-down so it can be used twice
  • Mark of Horror should almost be cast the same time as entering the Lich transform so the Jagged Horrors spawn right after going into Lich. I see no reason for the long cast time.
  • Grim Specter should, as Drarnor suggested, clear conditions from allies as well as ripping boons from enemies.

One last thought is that Mark of Horror and Grim Spector could be merged into a single skill that spawns one Jagged Horror for each condition removed and boon stripped to give the skill more strategic play.

Anyway, Lich can be updated to add a bit of group support.

Plague is more of a problem. The self-bleeding and poisoning, when traited, is an irritation because it cannot be transferred. Plague also does not have much in the way of group support, unless you count a pulsing blind. With only three skill slots in use for Plague, I would add weakness, chill, and taunt to its list of pulsing conditions. A boon of some kind may also be added to support allies in reach; for example, resistance.

Adding group support to Plague seems like more of a balancing act than it would be for Lich.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Drarnor Kunoram.5180

Drarnor Kunoram.5180

  • Grim Specter should, as Drarnor suggested, clear conditions from allies as well as ripping boons from enemies.

It already does that.

Dragonbrand |Drarnor Kunoram: Charr Necro
http://www.twitch.tv/reverse830
I’m a Geeleiver

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sigmoid.7082

Sigmoid.7082

As an Elite Skill, I’d rather Grim Specter (Lich Form 5) become its own skill than Mark of Horror. Ever since the Jagged Horror nerf, Mark of Horror is very niche in use.

However, clearing all conditions from allies and ripping all boons from enemies AoE? That is an Elite skill I would be thrilled to use.

I say these two skills, lich and plague, need to be tome’d.

Grim spectre is a skill worthy of being a spectral elite. Up the cool-down to 45s-1min (synergy with the bunch of runes that interact with elite skills ), also add the lf generation that lich form has to the skill.

Add mark of horror minions to flesh golem and rename the skill army of the undead or something equally bad. Golem would be as is now but using the charge ability would re-summon the bone horrors. Reduce he amount of time they are alive significantly but increase their move speed. Or something else to compensate for the increased access.

Add some of the damage from deathly claws to staff #1 and DS#1. Literally these three skills essentially do the same thing…a piercing 5 target attack in a straight line.

Merge marked for death and one of the other marks, at a reduced amount of vulnerability.

Make chilling wind a flip skill for focus #5 depending on if you remove boons/#boons removed/crit. That way there would be synergy between the CoD trait and this , much like guardian torch #5.

(edited by Sigmoid.7082)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Only reason why I said for Mark of Horrors to be the Spectral elite instead of Grim Spectre, is because it actually has synergy with with the spectral trait. Grim Spectre has no duration to increase. Whereas with Mark of Horrors, if it was given a 60s cooldown and 30s duration on jagged horrors, you could gain near permanent horrors when traited (at last a build that is preferable to take Spectral Mastery instead of Vital Persistance).
Though you could easily make mark of horrors into an elite signet, with Grim Spectre as the new spectral. Something along the lines of:
Signet of Horrors – 60s cd, 1s cast
Passive – Gain life force when struck.
Active – Damage foes in target area and spawn 5 Jagged Horrors (30s duration).

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Sigmoid.7082

Sigmoid.7082

Only reason why I said for Mark of Horrors to be the Spectral elite instead of Grim Spectre, is because it actually has synergy with with the spectral trait. Grim Spectre has no duration to increase.

Neither does Spectral grasp so its a moot point really. The only issue I have with my idea is the overlap between traited spectral grasp shooting a LF gaining hand with effect X and grim specter shooting..a LF gaining hand with effect Y. Will join staff #1…shooting a LF gaining hand…

Signet of Horrors – 60s cd, 1s cast
Passive – Gain life force when struck.
Active – Damage foes in target area and spawn 5 Jagged Horrors (30s duration).

Only reason Im not a fan of this idea since the passive overlaps with signet of undeath somewhat and the active is the same as rise just summons a different minion type.

(edited by Sigmoid.7082)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: DuckDuckBOOM.4097

DuckDuckBOOM.4097

Not worst per say but a few things that need changes.

Combo fields don’t need a change. Like they could but that’s asking too much. Easy solution is change rs5. Torch 5 on berseker is a guaranteed fire field finisher with sword 2 because the field is on the warrior. Overload fire whirls in itself for similar reasons. Rs5 ice field just needs to be on the reaper. No more raid dps field problems. Minimal affect on pvp.

Spectral wall, make it a chill field for more combo synergy. Ethereal doesn’t make sense. Bonus grave digger chill spam below 50% in raids.

Plague form. Use it in pvp. Don’t want major function change or cdr. Safe stomps and the defense is too good in pvp. All I’d ask for is something akin to the recent tornado buff. Skill 4 based on which of 1-3 is picked. Instead of charge attack on tornado 5, add a pull enemies in or fear on skill 5. That way it’s not a boring passive pulse of conditions and nothing else.

I also don’t think lich form needs major changes. Why does pve lich form scale as a lvl 78 blue staff? If it scaled to the currently equipped weapon it’d be fine for power builds. Flesh of the master should change the timer to 45 seconds instead of 30 for jagged horrors.

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Lahmia.2193

Lahmia.2193

Neither does Spectral grasp so its a moot point really.

Fair point, well made.
Edit: Actually the duration of the Chill is effected by the trait, but the tooltip is bugged and doesn’t show this. So my point is no longer moot!

Surrender and serve me in life, or die and slave for me in death.

(edited by Lahmia.2193)

Worst performing skill survey Q2CY17

in Necromancer

Posted by: Doodledibob.2456

Doodledibob.2456

A lot of the shouts suffer from pitifully short range (looking at you “Suffer”) . Considering the already meager benefits they reap (heh, punny), I would suggest either increasing their overall powerlevel or giving the range a buff.