Guild Wars 2

Malchior.5732:

We have the lowest health and armor and no real natural defensive mechanics, so we’re forced into 6 Water/6 Arcana(some builds opting for Focus, which can help stall for a bit, but it doesn’t really sustain for very long).

I can’t agree with that there are other way to be survivable out of water and arcana. Elementalist aren’t forced in these two attunment. It’s just that most of the elementalist are used to depend on them.

natural defensive mechanisms :
damage mitigation :
Focus : earth 4-5, air 4
dagger : fire 3, water 4
staff : fire 4, earth 3
scepter : air 3, earth 3 (and 2)

Utility : arcane shield, mist form, conjure shield 5, signet of air

controle :
focus : air 5, water 4 and 5
dagger : water 3 and 4, air 3 and 5, earth 3 and 4
staff : water 4, air 5, earth 4 and 5

utility : signet of earth, signet of water

sustain :
focus, dagger, staff, scepter : all these weapon have skills that actually heal the user and even it’s teammate in water attunment.
Water field and blast combo, utility that grant regeneration when trait… etc.

condi cleanse :
focus : earth 4
dagger : water 5
scepter : fire 3
staff : water 5

utility : signet of water, cleansing fire, water elemental

This is just a quick look at it and i forgot a lot of them in the process but the elementalist have way enough tools at his hand to disregard the fact that he have a bit less health and armor. Beside he also have strong traits to support this (thus even out of arcana and water).

Well, excuse this post that rush a bit out of the elementalist burst change theme. Still, in my opinion, there is no need for more “blind” in fire attunment (except perhaps sunspot) and yes 10% flat crit chance on the adept minor trait IS to strong of a trait and that’s why I suggest that you switch it wit One with air (not that I am fond of one with air but I think it will be more fitting in this place).

Well, for me the fire magic line is already in a good shape. Like I said, pyromancer’s puissance is already pretty good in it’s current shape. Perhaps it doesn’t suit “burst ele” but it suit “sustain damage ele” which have it’s place in the game.

If you really look at it Fire magic work as an hybrid line focused on conditions and a bit of extra damage along with some self utility. It’s a good line for a lot of selfish build/gameplay. When I say that you nerf Pyromancer’s puissance it’s because it fit in a perspective of gameplay diversity while your version is simply useless (from my point of view).

On an other hand, Air magic is a CC/burst line with a bit of self support. Again, it’s a very selfish trait line but it’s here that lie the core of a “Burst build”. Inscription used along with glyph of lesser elemental have a lot of potential (just to say you got the boon when using the minion skill which have a really low CD. Also work with Pyromancer puissance ). Bolt to the heart will most likely become a 20% damage boost against foe under 50% life along the line of other profession.

Your aeromancer’s training trait is to strong. Anet had a good reason to create ferocity and a 150 ferocity buff is already good for a master trait.

NB.: Complaining about health pool and armor type don’t balance a game. In a lot of way, Elementalist if corectly traited have more survivability than the warrior (which is it’s total opposite). Beside, sometime a large health pool is more of a handicap than a low health pool. I think the Elementalist is pretty well balanced in this regard.

I’d simply say that if one want to do a terribad build for necromancer, one don’t use S/D and staff with a condi amu. The guy shoud have done a power build with axe and trait in condi/tanky line. But well, whatever…

Fire magic
Every suggestion you did here feel like a nerf. How could this buff “burst ele”? The main issue is that blind disapear as soon as your enemy try to hit you, thus you can say that destructive ashes become useless 90% of the time. Pyromancer’s puissance is a strong trait in it’s current state (even for burst ele) and… you just nerf it out of the blue. Why?
Your idea for sunspot might be a good idea, thought. But, personnally, that’s all i’d take out of this traitline.

Air magic
Ferocious wind : seem legit.
Zephyr’s precision : too strong for a minor. It would just be better if they made one with air the minor and switch it with your Zephyr’s precision.

Well, Anet stick to the very bad idea that necromancer have to support through debilitating the ennemy. They want the Necromancer to do that by using :

Poison : limit healing ability
Chill : slow ennemy and their skill cool down
Weakness : reduce damage output and endurance generation

While on paper this would work, in actual gameplay it’s pretty much a waste for a great part of the content. Beside, their are other classes that best the necromancer in this area.

The main point of “Rise” is that it have synergy with “death nova” and will apply ton of poison and weakness. So, if i translate : “Rise” is exactly what Anet see as what a support skill should be for the Necromancer.

I’ll stay on my position.

I have no complaint about the Reaper specialization traitline and the knight shroud.
The greatsword and shouts design do not satisfy my taste which mean I will probably barely ever use them (but that’s my own taste).
I still wait to see what they will do to core traitline since it is here that remain the main issue of the necromancer. Until they do something meaningfull that bring the core necromancer to be on par with other core profession, i’ll continue to complain

Core Necromancer need to be solid, everybody should keep in mind that Reaper is just an extra traitline that won’t become a core traitline. Every other Elite specializations (in the futur) will have to work with the state of the core profession without the Reaper.

This is most probably what they will do anyway, not because it’s fair but because it work differently.

Beside there is nothing such as unfair since most (if not all) the point you’ll need will be given by the level of your character and not by the skill challenge.

I’d also say that everybody is free to complete any skill challenge until HoT or even just the new "core specialization* system goes live. Why complaint while doing every skill challenge take you maybe 1 hour to complete them all? (well let’s say 2hour with travel time)

Tobias.8632:

If you think reaper isn’t going to be powerful, you’re not seeing the big picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvjLJIa_KmA

Not wanting to look at the main issue is fine and all but, it won’t do any good.
The point ain’t that the reaper won’t be powerfull. Reaper will be powerful with what you know (with a lot of counterplay to lock him down but whatever).

The point is that a car will not be good if you only care about one of it’s 4 wheel. The Reaper is only 1 wheel of the necromancer and sadely from the look of it the reaper become a mandatory wheel. To put it simply the reaper outclass so much the necromancer that it end up that there is no place anymore for a competitive necromancer.

How would you feel after playing the reaper for a bit of month (satisfied by the change and absolutely not wanting to look backward at the Necromancer class) and they announced a new specialization that this time add a F2 skill. Then you end up back on DS being your only damage mitigation source, with it’s cluncky skills and all. You end up forced to use the sloooow Life blast, the unreliable dark path. You end up with the same trait that make you unwanted almost everywhere because these trait are selfish traits that don’t make the necromancer shine anywhere.
So what? Will the dev end up forced to make another übertraitline to carry each and every elites specializations? Or is it best to plea for intelligent change on the core traitline to make the classic necromancer at the same level of it’s elites specializations?

I really think the title of this thread is good because, yes, most people are blind. The Reaper kill the necromancer because it’s way better than the classic necromancer. People only want to see and focus to what happen to build with the reaper traitline, while the core specialization is rooten to it’s core.

So yeah, they said that they were working on the blood traitline and maybe they will bring life to this traitline that’s been sick from day one. Maybe some long awaited possibilities will sprout from these change but until we see these changes and confirmed an healthy build diversity in the core line, reaper will just be and still be some shiny thing that blind us.

Well… what’s powerful on reaper is the knight shroud. It will be very powerful for spectral skills user. Not to say that the traits that are currently supporting spectral skills are all merged into one very powerful trait (spectral mastery).
Spectral walk and spectral armor being stunbreaker.

Although, you’re right shout are just plain bad…

If anything, I think rangers lack a one handed cleaving weapon that doesn’t root you when using it. This won’t happen

Support already change in the fact that there are a lot of change in “core specialization”. In fact a lot of things will change for rangers with these change alone. Although, boon wise, rangers would only need 1 or 2 blast finisher to be on par with engi or elementalist.

What I think, and it will probably not be welcome by a lot of rangers, is that they will make the elite specialization even more dependant of their pet. When you think of a druid, it’s more or less a “nature” elementalist. Anet seem to don’t like my bets but, if I had to bet, I’d say that Druids will end up gaining glyph that will probably affect their pets (or their pet’s surrounding).

Nope, what he mean is as long as your minions skills ain’t in cool down your minions are alive (or deadalive). Things are not accurate for bone minions and jagged horror that’s all.

Beside you got a minimap that show you where they are.

I think “tempest” sound like “Eolmancer”.

Although, It most likely won’t happen like you want. Having weapon swap instead of attunment kill to many core specialization traits, need them to design new skills for every core weapons and overall it would be a huge loss for the profession.

Nop, it’s been like this since they make it a stun breaker. Before he wasn’t even giving stability except if you were feared in it.
No Necromancer well pulse boon. even if you trait it for giving you protection, it won’t pulse it.
And yeah, Necromancers have very little access to stability.

that doesnt seem right to me!

Now, you’re just at the starting point that would make you understand why some of us aren’t satisfied by the addition of “reaper” and still root for a real fix about the “core profession”.

While under the effect of protect me, the pet become passive and come to it’s owner.

Warrior : Dragon Raiders
Weapon : OH pistol
Utility : Gadget
Mechanism : F2 ability allowing the DragonRaider to use an OH burst skill.

Traits will most likely enhance adrenaline generation and on burst skill use.
Gadget will feel underwhelming at first glance

PS. : Only norns have bear hand for other it’s bare hand

Well, I would understand if not. After all you can hit 2 time with KS autoattack in the same frametime that Life Blast hit only one time. Objectively, traited, KS totally outclass DS (Balanced wise).

selan.8354:

necro needed buffs. stop being scared of being strong. we deserve the long needed changes. same with chronomancers mes needed buffs too. dont think about nerfing anything yet.

1: we havent seen all other classes yet
2: the numbers arent fixed yet
3: necro shall be feared and respected again(and maybe be able to pve a little)

I agree that core Necro need buff. But having an elite specialization carrying the core specialization is a bad idea.

Well, this is some good idea but I think Death Nova should change in a way it become an interresting option for every kind of build instead of it’s actual shape that make it only relevant in a Minion build.

How it could become interresting (NB this is my own opinion) :
Only Jagged horror may explode and leave a poison field.
Reduce Jagged horror health pool to 1000 HP and keep natural decay.
Reduce summon cool down to 2 to 5 seconds.

The main point of this is that it grant :
Pro :
- better LF generation (defensive)
- may grant almost perma poison field (defensive/offensive)
- free extra damage.
- Not tied to any kind of build so usefull for all kind of build.
Cons :
- It feel like a loss for pure minions build

I’m playing to your game

I think phantasm, turret and spirit weapon should be list together as minion because basically they are the same.
Tomes from guardian are bound to disapear.
And warrior transform is set to become a physical ability. (no news about necromancers elite thought)
Kit and conjure could be in the same skill type. → Kits
Venom and Mantra (Maybe glyph to), again are the same. → Preparations
Banner and spirit. → Wards

What’s sad is that however you put it, it seem that the current necromancer will disapear when the reaper will come.

I understand that everyone is ok with that but i also think it’s a bit harsh for all upcoming necromancers specialization in the futur. The Necromancer need to be enjoyable even without taking an elite specialization.

As for the lifesteal value, I think they are OK as they are (in a scenario where heals from lifesteal pass through DS). A D/Wh siphon spectral build should prove to be pretty durable.

Also, it’s bugging me since I read it but what does he mean by that :

JP: As with all Elite specs, the Reaper can use all of his new abilities with his old abilities and traits. The only exception is the new shroud skills which replace the old shroud skill. That being said, old traits that impact shroud skills will benefit Reaper’s Shroud in their own unique way.

source : http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/473/feature/9691/Guild-Wars-2-Jon-Peters-on-the-Reaper-Elite-Spec.html

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/necromancer/DS-1-vs-Dagger-1/first#post3827116

Spoj The Second.7680:

Axe with axe training is exactly the same as staff. Axe with axe training and slaying sigil + force is slightly better than staff because staff only has 1 sigil slot. But as i said i avoided using the extra slaying sigil on all calculations. Plus staff will have 2 sigil slots after the april patch so the difference will be gone.

Staff will probably win in testing because the damage varies less than with axe.

Well, no change on how the trait work since this thread even if he may be a bit old.

NB.: I know this is a low blow :p

Lily.1935:

Yes. Do also note that weapon traits also effect you while using death shroud as long as you have that weapon equipped. So if you take Dhuumfire with Lingering curse for example, then your Dhuumfire will go from 3 seconds to 6 seconds a hit.

Long time ago I said the same thing about axe trait affecting DS damage while using an axe. I’ve been proven wrong.

Rym.1469:

Dadnir.5038:

Slow is the second name of the Reaper GS. 1 hit every 2 second with autoattack while under this condition… This will be hilarious.

Heeerrrreeeeee! Dodge mee! If you can’t find the dodge button, open your game manual, go to chapter six and read pages 29-31. Goooodddd! Now find it on your keeeyyboarrdd! Not thiiss oneee, thee otheerr oneee! Presss it! Goooddd, you’ve evaded Reaper’s attack!

Exactly that!

Sorry but :
Bold#1 I get the cleave need from the DS but all the other are the same things we already have. And get real, 25 vulnerability is achievable by any classe without an “elite” specialization needed. It’s even already achievable by the core necromancer. This is only the addition of selfish things.

Bold #2 : It’s 0,25 s slower than the slower auto attack in game which ain’t any of the GS auto attack. Open your eyes, it’s 3 hit every 4 seconds that’s really really slow. I give 1 month to peeps to get tired from this weapon. It won’t be used in PvE because you need burst in PvE, In PvP, it’s the same, nobody will use it because this grant nothing in a dynamic fight. This is a shinny tool but only on the paper. It doesn’t fit the fast pace of PvP fights, I’m sure you can understand that.
Also, gravedigger that you are so found of, even by having it’s cool down reset everytime, it will still be 1 hit per target every 2 seconds.

The only role you can expect of the reaper on a pvp fight will be a point holder. I really hope he will have enough sustain for that.

Oh and even with what you said, the reaper would still be in 3rd place on these 2 bold sentences. Simply because the other specialization honnestly grant things that their core profession lacked to the point it hurt them. I’m only looking objectively to these specialization and this is how they rank from these objective point of view.

Ephemiel.5694:

I love how people keep ranking the Reaper as last, but are unable to even say a reason.

Well, if you look at my previous post, I’ve listed out what good and bad for every profession. While Reaper stand out with a cool concept and animation (which absolutely non important things), they got nothing to bring them back from the dead state they are in the actual metagame. Necromancer’s are actually bottom for PvP and PvE, they only stand out in WvW. Reaper sticking to the same flawed design will also stick with the bottom place. Not to mention that Necromancer’s will lose around 15% damage output with the change on core traits. It may seem futile but Necromancers actually give only damage on the table… so…

Ice Furl.4982:

I would like to spec into reaper for the chill traits on a condi build but the new shroud does not seem to have much use on a condition spec. I want to see some bleeds and torment in reaper’s shroud but I think it is very unlikley they will be added.

You’ll have a lot of burn (dhumfire) which will be a stackable condition, poison and bleed (Barbed precision). You’ll still have fear and a bit of chill doing damage…

Slow is the second name of the Reaper GS. 1 hit every 2 second with autoattack while under this condition… This will be hilarious.

Bhawb.7408:

I don’t think Life Blast is the issue with old DS, the lack of internal synergy is. Compare the strength of being able to lay down a field then double finish on it, as well as stability and all the other really cool stuff it does. The problem isn’t that our old DS skills are weak in a direct 1 to 1 comparison, but that overall the lack of comboing makes them collectively weaker, and more boring.

Well, let’s just say that I would be satisfyed with a QoL change on Life Blast. ATM, lot’s of them just don’t hit foes or cancel themself for whatever reason possible. Making the attack speed faster at the cost of damage should relieve some of these issue.

Otherwise, I think (if life stealing really end up healing through DS) that the other skill (while still in a terrible shape) will be in a good spot.

Sebulon.7683:

Erukk.1408:

If we’re demanding silly things, I demand that Chronomancers get a huge obscuring clocking floating behind them at all times because “reasons”.

I support your “reasons”

+1 Silly thing are not needed so it make them absolutely necessary. I think mesmer need to run with an analogic clock under it’s feets, we and our ennemy could even know what time it is everywhere.

Theme :
1- Chronomancer (playing with time is cool)
2- Reaper (everybody wanna be the Death itself)
3- Dragon hunter (really poor flavor)

Opened build variety :
1- Reaper (it’s awesome how it open new things to everything existent)
2- Dragon Hunter (There is really high potential here)
3- Chronomancer (+25% passive speed run)

Net gain (from things needed) :
1- Dragon Hunter (1200 range attack, condi build, even higher damage build)
2- Chronomancer (aoe, passive speed run)
3- Reaper (Nothing…)

Utility :
1- Chronomancer (ATM the wells win easily)
2- Dragon Hunter (Long cool down but awesome effect when triggered)
3- Reaper (Hu… well… let’s say we didn’t saw this it’s at an even lower level than ranger’s shouts…)

Weapon :
1- Chronomancer (the shield have really good utility on it)
2- Dragon Hunter (pretty good job on the longbow with interresting damage and utilities)
3- Reaper (The Slowmo Sword. Seriously 0.75 to 1 second cast time on almost all the skill, peeps will try it then it will be forgotten somewhere with the MH axe)

Core mechanism :
1- Reaper (the Knight shroud is exciting in it’s current form… still no news about underwater shroud, thought)
2- Chronomancer (A new way to reset a fight and new boon/conditions, that’s pretty nice)
3- Dragon Hunter (clearly a lack of imagination here)

Overall rating :
1- Chronomancer
2- DragonHunter
3- Reaper

Totally agree, if there is not rework on Life Blast that’s coming along with the knight shroud, DS will be totally blown out by KS.

By rework, i mostly mean increase attack speed and reduced damage to keep the same damage per second. Just that should be enough.

Muchacho.2390:

Anchoku.8142:

If Necromancer shouts include a lot of Taunt, that might have good group support by gathering opponents in a small area for nuking. Of course, without a lot of sustainability the Necro dies, too.

We wont be getting taunt.

See
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/473/feature/9691/Guild-Wars-2-Jon-Peters-on-the-Reaper-Elite-Spec.html

Oh interresting, I thought they previously said that the necromancer’s elite spec would come from Marjory, but in fact it’s a Traherne thingy

JP: The origin of the Reaper is tied to a variety of elements in the history of Tyria. Who is to say which came first the Chicken (Trahearne) or the Egg (Reapers)

Dadnir.5038:

It should but maybe they will forget…

And at least they forget for the pre preview… Or maybe they said something during the work art part? Or after?

The slow mosword…

Well, shroud knight feel pretty good.

Other than that the rest is pretty much long cast garbage (a chained auto attack that deliver 3hit in 4 second… be serious )

So I think everybody get it : We have to camp shroud knight.

Well it’s hard to know since they seem to have little to no care for underwater at the moment. This could probably be a very hot question to ask at the POI.

Silv.9207:

Mad Queen Malafide.7512:

Invictus.1503:

I really hope to see a boost in lifesteal and shouts that spread lifesteal out will happen. I’m cautiously optimistic.

If you are optimistic about lifestealing, then perhaps you haven’t been paying enough attention. Life stealing has always been mediocre, even back in GW1. Now it is mediocre again in GW2. They have had 3 years to fix it, but when Signet of Vampirism was introduced, once again they dropped the ball (and made the most useless skill in the game). Then some time later, there’s a big patch, and SoV is on that list. Once again, still useless, because the patch did nothing to improve SoV.

Over 10 years of life stealing being rubbish! Is there any reason to be even remotely optimistic about life stealing ever becoming good?

The GS ils a slow weapon with single hits that hits multiple enemies.
If actually life steal work only on the dagger, that hit very quickly, with the GS Life Stealing will be tuned down even more because of the slow attack rate.
GS users will never be able to use properly a life steal build

Well, you are right and wrong, I saw at least a spinning skill with GS (out of DS) in the video. Which mean that there is hope for a whirl combo that will let necromancer trigger a life steal combo from it’s Wells. Will this be sufficient to make it work? I doubt it but, maybe with the proper runes, all the siphon traits and the right food, it could be at the same level as it is right now…

It should but maybe they will forget…

I loved the picture… I’m not good at making this kind of things but, if I had to do one, i’ll make something with, maybe a child crying in front of it’s mother or father that say :

Crying child (with Necro tag on the fronthead) : “But [Dad/Mom] It burn hard around the wyvern!!!”
[Mom/Dad] (with Anet logo) : “Don’t cry boy, don’t cry! Here take this, it’s the Reaper spec. You just have to use Death shroud, it’s a 2nd hp bar, it’s overpowered.”

I highly doubt there will be any defiance bar engraved into a Specialization traitline this would simply become a balance issue for any PvP mode. So, I wouldn’t want to spoil the hope about any defiance bar but… All profession will have the possibility to have access to it.

The only point is that the defiance bar is tied to a PvE master track : More specifically, the Exalted Lore master track. Which totally match the fact that they want it available for all profession but in specific area.

Exalted Lore
12 Mastery Points: Wyvern Defiance – The Exalted have taught you to stand in defiance of wyverns. They can no longer knock you down with their wing buffets.

Eolirin.1830:

Dadnir.5038:

To point it bluntly :
You can easily see a DH with 55% damage increase against a foe from the very start of the fight.
You can hardly see the necro with more than 30% damage increased and thus when it’s foe is finally under 50% health pool.

That’s the very difference there is at the moment between the DH and the Necromancer. Which mean that the Reaper traitline need to give at least 25% damage modifier to the Reaper to make him on par damage wise with the DH.

And I’m just talking about damage, I’m not bringing utilities on the table.

That makes assumptions about the baseline damage numbers those percentages act off of that we can’t make yet, not just on Reaper skill dps, but also on how the condi changes impact baseline Necro dps.

Sorry but let’s face it. Reaper will be designed to be a slow hard hitter specialization. And the developper will do their balance job and make it so the base damage per second will be on par with other profession. Which mean that like now, each and every damage modifier will count.

That’s the very reason I’m saying that Reapers will have to gain at least 25% damage modifier from their Elite spec traitline. What’s sad is the apparent lack of party utilities (Blast finisher and usefull combo field). Otherwise, I think they could force themselve to add a trait that increase party ferocity in this traitline since it could fit it, but that’s all…

I think that people get it wrong whan we say support.

When necro ask to gain support ability, it’s not huge things or whatever that will carry any party to the end of the world. Necro, simply, steadily ask for at least 1 reliable blast finisher and 1 usefull combo field.

It’s mainly asking for the necromancer to give something usefull to it’s party and stop being the eternal selfish profession that need to be carried bye it’s teammate.

TheFantasticGman.9451:

I didn’t specify group vs single because it’s obvious that the individual DPS makes up the group DPS. That’s why I like to run in zerker groups because overall of the group is higher, than say, cleric group DPS. Need active defenses (that’s good support) such as blinds, etc, then that combined with dodging people shouldn’t be dying. Of course, player skill has to be there. So, I imagine that if the DPS is high enough I wouldn’t mind bringing in my Reaper. Think of it this way, why should I bring my Reaper vs Dragonhunter? How will having a Reaper in the group benefit the group MORE THAN having a particular other spec/build for the encounters? That’s what one has to weigh when considering group composition. I need reasons to bring the Reaper over over classes.

To point it bluntly :
You can easily see a DH with 55% damage increase against a foe from the very start of the fight.
You can hardly see the necro with more than 30% damage increased and thus when it’s foe is finally under 50% health pool.

That’s the very difference there is at the moment between the DH and the Necromancer. Which mean that the Reaper traitline need to give at least 25% damage modifier to the Reaper to make him on par damage wise with the DH.

And I’m just talking about damage, I’m not bringing utilities on the table.

Yeah, sorry, seem like I didn’t saw that they also kitten up this trait… I’m even more disappointed…

I wonder if the Reaper icone will have the same design than the slow condition : a Turtle (slow and resilient to weak hits).

Vizardlorde.8243:

Dadnir.5038:

Vulnerability is condition that’s easily added by every profession in game. What matter is the % increase of personnal damage that you can stir out of your traits. At the moment curse and spite are mandatory for close to death and target the weak. Sacrificing one of them is a net loss.

Target the weak is not necessary if you go the soul reaping route and pick Death’s perception. Soul reaping makes for a great alternative for a powerbuild .

There will be more condition with HoT making Target the weak even more desirable. If, actually you can count on an average 5 conditions from your party (10% more damage) after HoT, it will probably be 7-8 conditions (let’s say 14% damage). Do you really think that the 5% from SR can compete with that?

Silv.9207:

In PvE we will fit the same role we actually have: unwanted.
1) Shouts that instead of give support deal damage? Why? We already have Wells that deal a very good damage.
2) Chill is the second worst condition in pve, second only to cripple. That’s why almost all the mobs that you find aren’t affected by chill, expecially for the dungeon boss.

Then why take whith you a class with a dps build that inflict high damage but still don’t give a single boon to the team?

Agree. Well, I also suspect that it won’t be “High damage” but “slow single hit that produce high numbers”. In other words, it will be a slow hitter that does balanced damage in the line of other profession damages.

Vulnerability is condition that’s easily added by every profession in game. What matter is the % increase of personnal damage that you can stir out of your traits. At the moment curse and spite are mandatory for close to death and target the weak. Sacrificing one of them is a net loss.

Beside, I think the dungeon meta will go for spitefull talisman who grant 5% damage against foes that don’t have boons (pretty much 90% of PvE mobs) instead of bitter chill. Bitter chill is more of a PvP trait that would work great if there is really a chill effect on the GS auto.

NeXeD.3042:

Dadnir.5038:

it will depend on what the elite traitline will focus. I’m already mourning the fact that I won’t be able to invest in 4 traitline which will make my tanky build die because I don’t care about the crappy grand master trait that grant absolutely nothing good on the table.

Actually I use every traitline except spite in a 04343 build. So I’ll either have to sacrifice curse and lose WH (which is probably a really bad Idea), Death magic with extra armor in DS and condi removal (Not really happy to lose that), Blood magic who grant me extra damage from siphon and a bit of survivability outa DS (Not really happy either) or Soul reaping with last gasp which is a real life saver (Well… this line shall not be sacrificed).

So, most likely except if this elite traitline have better option, it will be the sacrified traitline. All depend of what ther will be in it.

So anet is forcing you not to play a useless build and your upset =/

I’m sure you and all the others who like hitting like a wet piece of dental floss will figure out a way to continue to do so, we thank you for your sacrifice.

@knight tank specs are useless and will continue to be useless.

It’s a given I play this build at the frontline in WvW where it’s not useless. But, if you like to go full damage frontline in WvW i’m sure you are some kind of god or whatever.

Beside, I think most of necromancer’s GM traits are indeed useless in most of the game area. Being able to use minor trait that give way more than taking 1 condition from 1 ally every 3 second IF I’m in DS is way more interesting don’t you think.

I have an answer to at least 1 question : the slower you attack, the slower you build Life Force. Since GS will be a slooooooooooooow weapon, your LF will take age to build up.