Guild Wars 2

Introduction

This build is the product of over 4 months of planning, tweaking, testing, and limit-pushing. I have run this build in simple things such as CoF speed clears with great success (to the point where even the warriors prefer to have me do the gate control), and mid-level (20-29) fractals, and even a few foolhardy dungeon solo/duo runs.

People like to trash talk necros and say they can’t do great damage or be useful in elite speed clear teams. Well, I don’t delude myself into thinking I can change anyone’s mind on the internet, but I *can*offer everyone the chance to try to prove the naysayers wrong.

The Necromancer is a very strong and diverse class, with the ability to be the burst damage, the condition spammer, the tank, and the healer, sometimes all at once! While I have a few builds I will be posting over the next couple of days, this one is my favorite and the most fun (for me anyway) to play.

The 6 points in Soul Reaping define this build and distinguishes it from the previous hybrid meta. Death Shroud is an important utility and your bolts can hit up to 10-12k each with 25 stacks of might. This can allow you to compete (I did not say beat) with a Warrior in DPS as you have 600 range instead of 120 and can easily avoid melee cleaves and bursts. This build takes a bit of time to ramp up DPS and that is its primary disadvantage.

The Traits

These are a baseline of what I run MOST of the time. This patch allows you to tweak the build on the fly. I am not going to tell you there is only one way to run this build, because this patch allows us to adapt to any situation. You will see in my gameplay videos that I do just that.

Note that you should try to always keep 6 points in Soul Reaping because that is the basis of this build.

Spite (6)

• VI Reaper’s Might
• VIII Axe Training
• XII Close to Death (Dhuumfire and Parasitic Contagion are both good alternatives for this slot if you are in a situation that calls for them)

Curses (2)

• V Reaper’s Precision (or Hemophilia during large group/trash clears, or if you are the only bleeder in the group)

Soul Reaping (6)

• II Vital Persistence (I use Path of Midnight for group fights, more Life Transfer :3)
• VI Unyielding Blast
• XII Death Perception (This is where your 10k bolts come from. It also makes good use of your Sigil of Torment!)

Utility Skills

• Well of Blood
• Well of Power (Heal – Personal preference. I like WoP because my allies benefit from the heal as well)
• Well of Suffering
• Epidemic
• Blood is Power
• Lich Form

Utilities can and should be swapped around based on your situation. Lich Form is typically the best Elite, but Flesh Golem has its uses (see below). Plague gets an honorable mention for being absolutely deadly when you have lots of enemies to fight. Plus, the extra ~10k health helps.

(cont.)

Rotation

Again, this is only a baseline. The rotation can be tweaked depending on your situation/weapon choices.

ST: Blood is Power → Ghastly Claws (Axe 2) → Spam Axe 1 for life force → Death Shroud → Tainted Shackles (DS 5) → Life Blast until no more DS → Blood is Power → Lich Form → Spam 1

AoE: Well of Suffering → Enfeebling Blood (Dagger 5) → Grasping Dead (Scepter 2) → Epidemic → Feast of Corruption (Scepter 3) → Swap Weapons → (If Warhorn, use Warhorn 5) → Death Shroud → Tainted Shackles (DS 5) → Life Transfer → Drop DS and repeat in case enemies are somehow still living at this point.

General Tips

• Constantly move.
• Avoid being father than 600 feet away or you start to lose DPS sharply.
• Always use your axe when you enter Death Shroud. DS will use the stats and sigils off your weapons, as well as benefit from Axe Training.
• Don’t ignore the usefulness of the DS teleport. It can move you out of a bad position in a jiffy, as long as you are obeying the distance rule above.
• Flesh Golem is amazing, because its charge ability can be exploited in certain situations. If used on an immobile enemy or object, it will hit for 10-20k. You may have seen this in sPvP when a necro one-shots you with it. It can be used to knock the gate control in CoF p1 to 70% as soon as you enter the room. Any fight that involves cornering a boss is a great time to summon your golem.
• You will have 90%+ crit chance in Death Shroud (I have 103%). I hope you like doing damage!

Weapons

Axe/Focus (or warhorn, personal preference) – Zerker stats. Should ALWAYS be the weapons you wield when you enter Death Shroud. Primary single target, Lich Form, and DS damage.

Superior Sigil of Strength (or Battle) and Superior Sigil of Torment

Scepter/Dagger – Rampager stats. Use to drop AoE condition spam (Use 5 and then 2 in quick succession to cut your animation time in half) + Epidemic for group murderfication. Scepter 3 for burst on the toughest/most annoying enemy in the group. Will be your primary AoE damage unless you use Axe/Warhorn, then use Warhorn 5 before swapping to Scepter/Dagger and dropping AoEs.

Superior Sigil of Bloodlust and Superior Sigil of Frailty (Replace with Generosity if you have it)

Gear

You have several options here. While I was saving up to buy Celestial gear, I carried both Rampager and Beserker armor. I’d run in Rampager for trash and swap to Zerker for bosses/ST fights. Ruby Orbs or Scholar Runes both work.

Now that Celestial Armor is enjoying a lovely boost, I use Celestial Armor +Scholar Runes, and Zerker trinkets. I still carry my zerker armor just in case I feel I might need it.

Krait Runes deserve a mention here as well.

This space is reserved.

I’m only at level 33 with my current necro, but I like the way this plays compared to other stuff I was trying. Thanks for this.

Sorry, but the part “spa Axe #1 for Life Force” makes me laugh. You can’t rely on Reaper’s Precision, it’s VERY minor thing, even with double-hitting skills. It would be okay if we had weapon with cleave. If you’re spamming Axe #1, you’re essentialy giving up on DPS.
If you want some boost to your LF generation, equip Spectral Grasp. It helps, from my experience and doesn’t mess up group play because you’re already almost or in melee range.

Second thing – What you suggest in here isn’t really a hybrid. Good hybrid should’ve traited for 5 in curses to get Target the Weak and good damage rotation boost.

Also, DP and 30 SR is not the best choice for hybrid IMO. Once you get into DS, you lose your condition potential and damage, focusing on Power damage. If I were you, I’d rather go 6/5/0/15/0 now for a little healing (minor siphons, Transfusion as nice burst healing if group is low) and constantly rotate between Scepter and Dagger/Axe.

Just my 2 cents

If you want Power DS build, make one, but don’t try to make a hybrid from that. Because what you’ve done here is a traditional DSancer, not a hybrid

Rym.1469:

If I were you, I’d rather go 6/5/0/15/0 now for a little healing (minor siphons, Transfusion as nice burst healing if group is low) and constantly rotate between Scepter and Dagger/Axe.

Your mixed point values there, combined with not adding up, is kind of confusing. Do you mean (under the new system) 6/1/0/3/4?

i think he meant 6/5/0/3/0
no target the weak + that part ‘’use axe#1 for life force’’…not worth it..

Thanks for the comments.

I still consider my build a hybrid, because even though it uses DS more than other hybrid builds, it has strong condition damage and can adapt to various situations easily. You are taking some of the best parts of a condition build (epidemic, condition transferring) and combining them with the great power build abilities (100% crit chance, might spam). Thus, hybrid.

The rotation, as I said, was a BASELINE, not the law. People may like other things and that is okay. Axe 1 does decent damage off the bat and I found that trait procs all the time, so I max out LF pretty quickly.

With 25 stacks of might, my bleeds tick for ~2.3k and my LB hits for 10-12k. I’d record some gameplay videos to post here that are specific to this build, but I just don’t have the time to dedicate to it anymore.

Your suggestion to remove all points from Soul Reaping is talking about a completely different build and doesn’t really contribute to this thread at all.

Mind me my confunding “trait suggestion” , I’m still trying to get use to it :p

Vinailt.3248:

With 25 stacks of might, my bleeds tick for ~2.3k and my LB hits for 10-12k. I’d record some gameplay videos to post here that are specific to this build, but I just don’t have the time to dedicate to it anymore.

Disregarding the fact that you need some time to build 25 stacks of might, 10-12k LB with a hybrid and a total of 12-14k single target dps sounds a little too good to be true. I’d really like to see a video of that :P

I realized that this build is almost exactly like the alternate version of Phenn’s Specter of Death build (http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/84336-specter-of-death-build/).

All it takes is swapping to Valkyrie gear and switching Epidemic for Spectral Grab, and it’s no longer a hybrid, but a max DS uptime build.

How beneficial is Epidemic really when not going full condition? Wouldn’t a well or two plus dagger 5, scepter 2, warhorn 5, DS 5 + DS4 already handle AOE quite nicely?

Vinailt.3248:

Rotation

Again, this is only a baseline. The rotation can be tweaked depending on your situation/weapon choices.

ST: Blood is Power -> Ghastly Claws (Axe 2) -> Spam Axe 1 for life force -> Death Shroud -> Tainted Shackles (DS 5) -> Life Blast until no more DS -> Blood is Power -> Lich Form -> Spam 1

AoE: Well of Suffering -> Enfeebling Blood (Dagger 5) -> Grasping Dead (Scepter 2) -> Epidemic -> Feast of Corruption (Scepter 3) -> Swap Weapons -> (If Warhorn, use Warhorn 5) -> Death Shroud -> Tainted Shackles (DS 5) -> Life Transfer -> Drop DS and repeat in case enemies are somehow still living at this point.

General Tips

• Constantly move.
• Avoid being father than 600 feet away or you start to lose DPS sharply.
• Always use your axe when you enter Death Shroud. DS will use the stats and sigils off your weapons, as well as benefit from Axe Training.
• Don’t ignore the usefulness of the DS teleport. It can move you out of a bad position in a jiffy, as long as you are obeying the distance rule above.
• Flesh Golem is amazing, because its charge ability can be exploited in certain situations. If used on an immobile enemy or object, it will hit for 10-20k. You may have seen this in sPvP when a necro one-shots you with it. It can be used to knock the gate control in CoF p1 to 70% as soon as you enter the room. Any fight that involves cornering a boss is a great time to summon your golem.
• You will have 90%+ crit chance in Death Shroud (I have 103%). I hope you like doing damage!

Weapons

Axe/Focus (or warhorn, personal preference) – Zerker stats. Should ALWAYS be the weapons you wield when you enter Death Shroud. Primary single target, Lich Form, and DS damage.

Superior Sigil of Strength (or Battle) and Superior Sigil of Torment

Scepter/Dagger – Rampager stats. Use to drop AoE condition spam (Use 5 and then 2 in quick succession to cut your animation time in half) + Epidemic for group murderfication. Scepter 3 for burst on the toughest/most annoying enemy in the group. Will be your primary AoE damage unless you use Axe/Warhorn, then use Warhorn 5 before swapping to Scepter/Dagger and dropping AoEs.

Superior Sigil of Bloodlust and Superior Sigil of Frailty (Replace with Generosity if you have it)

Gear

You have several options here. While I was saving up to buy Celestial gear, I carried both Rampager and Beserker armor. I’d run in Rampager for trash and swap to Zerker for bosses/ST fights. Ruby Orbs or Scholar Runes both work.

Now that Celestial Armor is enjoying a lovely boost, I use Celestial Armor +Scholar Runes, and Zerker trinkets. I still carry my zerker armor just in case I feel I might need it.

Krait Runes deserve a mention here as well.

We don’t fit with celestial, prefer zerker armor… Your build is +- same as mine, but I’m full power 0 hybrid, full rampager is needed for that.
• Reapers precision really ? How about the trait that makes Well’s ground target ?
• No need for celestial, if you can master the necromancer you can survive in full zerker armor (dodging-DS)