Guild Wars 2

Just because someone has a character that is low level fractal doesn’t necessarily mean they are inexperienced or have no AR. If you have a character level 20 fractal, no reason your lvl 1 fractal alt couldn’t already have AR from extra rings.

IMO, it is a good change. I like the fact that I can help a guildy with their lvl 10 daily and bring my lvl 3 alt to move him up a level.

You get the award for the lesser of the fractal level and the character’s personal reward level. In your scenario, you would be rewarded for completing a level 2 fractal and your guardian would move to level 3.

The Demonic Spirit.3157:

But the objects are not affected by condition damage , so marks can only land a direct damage.

Right, but this is no different than using a scepter on an object. It uses only the direct damage portion of the skill and not the condition damage of the skill.

I would like to see staff marks trigger on destructible objects. If a mark can damage something, then I feel like it should trigger. There are some situations where it might be frustrating in a PvE setting, where you are laying down marks for an incoming enemy but they trigger early because you happen to catch the edge of some destructible barrel or something before the mob gets there. In general though, I think it would be a positive change.

I don’t find it to be imbalanced when it comes to siege weapons in WvW, because they almost always trigger anyway because an enemy is there using the weapon so they trigger. If there is no enemy, then you likely have more time anyway to take down the siege weapon without the need for marks.

I guess we would need some more information on how you want to play this build. Are you going for +100% condition duration purely for vulnerability and chill extension? Just from reading what gear you are using, I’m not really understanding the 30 in curses. Terror isn’t great without any +condition damage, so seems like a wasted trait. Really, it seems like you are more going down this line for the precision (weakness crits, good..but seems you’re sacrificing a lot of points to get it) since you aren’t gaining a whole lot else. IMO, you would be more benefited by putting those points in another line… maybe soul reaping and/or blood magic (if doing daggers) and boosting precision through a mixed armor/jewelry set and/or food.

Just my two cents.

Also, looking at this for PvE, PvP, WvW?

Rennoko.5731:

Kheldar.6278:

You need +100% duration on fear to get the 2nd tick.

In your current set-up, you just need to have Rare Veggie Pizza (+40% condition duration) to accomplish this. Otherwise you will also need some runes to increase your total fear/condition duration to +100%.

Not correct.

Test it yourself before you post about how it “should” work.

Sorry, I use +100% and consistently see the 2nd tick.. I assumed it was necessary.

Thanks, Tenderly, for the information. Very good to know.

You need +100% duration on fear to get the 2nd tick.

In your current set-up, you just need to have Rare Veggie Pizza (+40% condition duration) to accomplish this. Otherwise you will also need some runes to increase your total fear/condition duration to +100%.

IMO:
WvW = Plague (tank around and take pressure off your team)

Dungeon = Lich Form (more practical than plague for boss fights)

PvE = Plague (with group) or Golem (solo)

lettucemode.3789:

Taking a cue from the other traits mentioned in this thread – clone on dodge doesn’t mean you’ll dodge more often, you still dodge when the situation calls for it.

I agree with most of what you said except for the above. If you’re a mesmer and you take this trait, it changes the situation in which a dodge is called for. Instead of just dodging to evade attacks, you now also dodge to increase dps and/or spike damage someone. It changes the way you play your class.

alanis.6094:

Kheldar.6278:

I am surprised you don’t take Chilling Darkness trait. I guess it makes sense since you are taking Lich Form. I take Plague Form with Chilling Darkness. Chill for one second sounds bleh, but applying blind every second with plague form so… I love it for WvW. When the group needs to push, I quickly flip to plague and move in.

Chilling Darkness doesn’t work with Plague.

Really? I learned something new too, haha. I guess I just assumed it did. Oh well, I still take plague for the constant blind. Thanks, Alanis.

Thanks for the post, Argylas. I run nearly an identical build and have a complete blast. I am surprised you don’t take Chilling Darkness trait. I guess it makes sense since you are taking Lich Form. I take Plague Form with Chilling Darkness. Chill for one second sounds bleh, but applying blind every second with plague form so… I love it for WvW. When the group needs to push, I quickly flip to plague and move in.

I agree on the overall DPS, it is not amazing. I love my build though, and feel that it helps turn the tide in most battles.

Thanks for the post, and I agree that chill is awesome. Now lets wait for them to nerf it haha.

Badaboom.4216:

I like to use the weapons interchangeably, utilizing all of the cool downs. Basically I’m casting the marks, dodging to stack extra bleeds and getting regeneration then switching to daggers to dps, rooting and siphoning health, transfering conditions, etc.

I think any reduction in damage due to toughness in Death Magic is offset by the siphoning skills in blood.

I think everything synergizes nicely with constant spamming of deathshround to get retribution, enfeebling blood and heals which is quickly being replenished with marks and dagger.

To each his own. Since we are talking theory here, I don’t see how the loss of toughness is offset by siphoning skills without any of the improved siphoning traits taken in the blood line. It seems you’ll just need to test it once you get up there, but i’m a bit skeptical that the offset of untraited siphoning skills is enough. Also, not sure what armor/jewels you are planning on, so hard to tell as well from that perspective.

Since you are using daggers/staff interchangeably, it seems the build is best for doing small group skirmishes out in the open (such as taking camps) over defending/attacking keeps. Seems interesting though, let us know how it works!

Hmm, are you intending to use staff or daggers more? It appears from Soul Marks that you intend to use staff more – but if that is the case, I’m not sure why you don’t have Staff Mastery and Greater Marks. IMO, Necro staff is great in WvW, especially with these traits. The additional 10 points in soul reaping doesn’t seem to add much… I don’t feel 50% faster recharge on DS is worth it. I typically use staff in WvW to charge DS.. by the time I get all my marks down and use a utility, my DS is already recharged without the trait.

I’m also a bit confused on the Blood Magic Traits chosen. Mark of evasion is alright, but I’m not a fan of deathly invigoration. Transfusion, Vampiric Precision (if mostly daggers), and bloodthirst are better options. Again, IMO… I would totally drop these and do Death Magic for the toughness benefit and staff upgrade. You already have enough vit without these points in Blood Magic.

Those are just my two cents

A “spectral walk” build means you are traiting for spectral skills. This requires at least 10 points in Soul Reaping for Spectral Mastery (Spectral Skills recharge 20% faster) and at least 20 points in Curses for Spectral Attunement (Spectral Skills have longer durations and grant life force).

With these two traits, you will have 100% swiftness with spectral walk and warhorn (use warhorn once SW swiftness is done… Spectral walk will be up again before warhorn swiftness ends). I have a spectral build and don’t typically use the warhorn. Without it, I still have ~85/90% uptime on swiftness. I like this build as it allows my spectral walk teleport effect to last longer, so lets me go further before teleporting back (good for saving time in WvW when grabbing supply from a camp). The extra life force gain is also nice.

EDIT: You may just need the spectral mastery trait and not spectral attunement. I’d have to test that as I’m not sure if the attunement extends the swiftness boon in addition to the spectral effects. I just like the spectral build, so I have both.

XelNigma.6315:

gamefreak.5673:

This sounds on par as what happens in instances, and other end zone fights with AoEs.

Minion masters are a joke since we have to wait so long on all the recasts. I would be fine with them dying quickly if we could just keep pushing them out like in the first one we basically could. O you killed 3 minions of my 8, ill just summon 2 more to place them. mob dies I get 2 more again to keep them up, etc.

I think the necro would have been much funner if the Life Force we gathered was used to summon minions, Much like the GW1 necro used corpses.

That is a cool idea! I do like the more traditional necro as we knew it in GW1, and that would be an interesting way of keeping the same idea but changing it up. Maybe even picking how the life force is used – like using it for minions or damage bonuses or protection etc, etc.

They would have to totally change the current necro’s game mechanics to do it, unfortunately. (Or fortunately depending on how you feel it is today)

I agree with OP. It would be neat to be able to choose what is left behind from a limited set of options.

I like both the ideas that were brought up. Allow the player to choose at character creation and/or have this an option in the gem store. Maybe both, with more options for purchase in the gem store.

I want some ravens or something

Jaha, this looks like a very fun build! I play my necro with a similar set up, but I like this variation better. I just started to get into WvW and I think I will definitely have to play around with this.

Thanks for the post!