Guild Wars 2

I’m starting to properly gear my necro and was wondering what the class has for speed boost options. Is there a skill or trait or will i have to shell out another 60g for traveler runes like i did for my mesmer?

I equip Signet of the Locust for the 25% passive speed boost. As I approach a fight (this is in WvWvW, mind you), I’ll then switch it to a more combat-oriented skill. Then, when the fight is over, I’ll swap back to the signet.

In small groups in WvWvW, it’s often me – a “slow” necro – having to wait for everyone else to catch up. In larger groups maintaining perma-swiftness it lets me keep up with the zerg if I happen to miss a swiftness buff.

Alternately, there’s the Blood Magic trait “Quickening Thirst” that also gives a 25% passive speed buff if wielding two daggers. I don’t recommend it, but it’s there if you want it.

Lastly, there’s Spectral Walk which will give you a 30 second swiftness boost every 60 seconds. Though swiftness grants a 33% speed buff, I still cover more ground in that 60 seconds with Signet of the Locust’s 25% speed buff because there’s no downtime with the signet.

Lastly, warhorn skill #5 Locust Swarm grants 10 seconds of swiftness every 30 seconds. I strongly recommend against using this as a speed buff, though. If the Locust Swarm hits anything in your path, you’ll be put into combat slow. Heck, it will sometimes bug out and put you into combat slow even when you haven’t hit anything!

Quickening Thirst is specifically meant for dagger/well necros. It lets you run a extra well, which is nice since well of power and well of darkness are great skills.

How does Quickening Thirst give you an extra well?
Btw the trait isn’t meant for anything, it’s just bad…

If you have enough boon duration, you can just cycle Warhorn #5 (Locust Swarm) and Spectral Walk and tada, perma swiftness.

flow.6043:

How does Quickening Thirst give you an extra well?
Btw the trait isn’t meant for anything, it’s just bad…

I think what was meant was by using Quickening Thirst rather than Signet of the Locust for a speed boost, that’s one more slot on the utility bar that’s freed up for another well.

A matter of preference I guess. I prefer taking a different trait but running with Signet of the Locust. Others may prefer using the QT trait for speed so they can bring an extra offensive utility skill.

Thanks for the help and especially for such great explainations on the pros and cons of the alternatives.

Lorelei.3918:

Quickening Thirst is specifically meant for dagger/well necros. It lets you run a extra well, which is nice since well of power and well of darkness are great skills.

But taking Quickening Thirst means you didn’t take Ritual Mastery. Any well build would take 20% reduced cooldowns over moving faster if you are wielding one weapon set.

They fixed runes of the speed and in all honesty I would just get that for wvw and spvp. You wont get that 10% condi duration but it gives you tons of vitality which is very important for a Necro plus the 30 second swiftness proc helps out a lot when you are kiting.

I travel with signet of locust in large group and change to Swalk or other before fight.

In smaller group I use Swalk because there could be ambush and such.