Too often upon this callous forum one suffers under the innumerability of negative posts. Many a time it seems as if these " [Class] OP ", " [Skill] IS BAD/GOOD" and “ANET U STOOPED” posts are all drawing upon the same base template, and all one has to do is fill in the blanks with your abject feelings. Perhaps this is the fate of any MMO discussion, that warm obscurantism and rhetoric would trump the cold touch of numerics and design.
I would wish for a moment that we could at least within this post, forget about the eternal conflict that is imbalance discussion, and focus on what we enjoy about Necromancers as a class and playstyle.
So I ask, what do you truly love about playing a Necromancer?
My Thoughts
I’ve always admired the design of the necromancer for how well partitioned and discrete its utilities, traits and weapons were. Unlike the ambiguity of say the Warrior’s Sword, you would always be able to tell at a glance how you would employ a build within the context of a power or condition build. Many skills that would scale well in damage for a power build for example would also have a utility function independent of damage.
The Necro is one of the few classes that could use the same skill selection in both power and condi builds and perform on a roughly equal basis.
Consider Death Shroud as an example. From the outset it would seem as if the abilities mismatch eachother, the auto is distinctly power based, the #2 is clearly condi, #3 is condi again, #4 is irredeemably power based and #5? well I ain’ usin’ da’ in moi powah build!
Yet if you look closely, the auto can be traited to apply burning, #2 functions as a gap closer ( perfect for power builds looking to slam a #1 into some poor blokes face), #3 is a CC which only happens to be able to deal damage for condimancers, #4 regenerates life force and #5 has an in built immobilise.
With each skill exists the tools to assist both choices of playstyle. This is the signiture of the Necro design, that one skill can suit the needs of many stat choices, and that you’ll almost never leave an ability off cooldown. It just all makes sense.
Also, Blood Magic, that kittennig is glorious.
