Guild Wars 2

Wait for reaper to come out, it will solve all movement related issues with shroud knight, and the other conditions mostly boil down to health which is resolved by lifeforce.

I get the feeling GS is going to be a miss. Slow, easy to avoid, and yet we will still depend on hits to generate lifeforce, which will be even more critical at melee range as its our only class defense? hmmm. not adding up for me.

Greatsword is painfully slow and requires the reaper be in melee range where they have no blocks or evades, so it will involve very different style of play. Im sure being as slow swinging as it is the GS will get some huge hits when it lands. But I think the main benefit of reaper isnt GS, its the new shroud abilities which adds much needed mobility and stability to the necro class.

While in melee the reaper will have to manage 2 bars so it will be interesting. Cant use GS while in shroud where all the defense is, and cant access defense abilities while GS is out. It will be complex play with bad timing costing heavily.

Flesh golems, they just stand there anyway so it wouldnt be overpowered

Seriously though it would be nice to see crows that would be pretty cool. I might have to consider MM.

Sigmoid.7082:

Unless the other party has condition duration then yes you could be immune to the condition and they would see an " immune" message when trying to apply it.

Are you sure they would see the immune message? I thought that was reserved for abilities that made you fully immune, as opposed to “effectively immune”… just curious since if that happens there is going to be a lot of crying about necros and all these immune messages :P

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Kilger.5490:

nekretaal.6485:

Wait a sec. I thought the Relentless Pursiut trait was 99% immunity. 33% for GS + 66% for shroud. Go into shroud wielding GS and you should be at 99%.

I guess its in how you read it, not sure. Most of us seem to assume its 66% in knight.

Considering the trait description says “the bonus is doubled in Reaper’s Shroud”, it’s a pretty safe bet that you do not add them together, since doubling 33% is 66%.

Must be looking at old info here:

http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/gw2-reaper-traits1.jpg

Are you getting your info from the beta or something?

Axe is there for lifeforce regen off downed people and proccing fire/air sigils while baiting or waiting for something better to come off cooldown…unholy feast is actually pretty darn good in wvw though.

Focus seems very underrated, spinal shivers is devastating to anyone who is into thier cooldowns.

nekretaal.6485:

Wait a sec. I thought the Relentless Pursiut trait was 99% immunity. 33% for GS + 66% for shroud. Go into shroud wielding GS and you should be at 99%.

I guess its in how you read it, not sure. Most of us seem to assume its 66% in knight.

400 toughness amounts to about 12-15% damage reduction (more benefit the lower your armor value is to begin with) so its not bad but dark armor isnt consistent enough and isnt there when you really need it (stunned) so no good to me.

Yep looking very much forward to trying this! +40% food is all you need in Knight Shroud form. Only question is if you need 100% reduction or if the 66% will pretty much be enough.

Ive had a ranger perma-chill build at it was always annoying how it does nothing distinguishable to thieves. Warriors and guardians also get good access to chill reduction to the point it does almost nothing if they trait for it unless you counter trait for very high + duration.

I’ll be using it in WVW. I’m thinking we wont be able to handle front line so focussing on an improved survival skirmish range build and going Knight when under severe pressure to escape, avoid pinball mode or if I want to lay down some melee pressure of my own.

For utilitys spectral walk for speed and wells, maybe a shout. Elite skill lich for old school lifeblast style nuking.

http://dulfy.net/gw2traits#build=AgQDvAXUBuw~

Chill has so little affect on thieves its not funny. Those who are thinking it will win them fights there are not knowledgeable. They work on inititive not cooldowns, which is zero affected by chill. They can dodge slow attacks easily.

I’m not saying we can fight them its just thinking that it will be easier is not correct.

Yep I’m thinking shroud knight will be all the melee I need and has all the coolest toys anyway. Will try greatsword for a bit just for kicks If gravedigger works out really well I may keep at it but I’m seeing it as starving me for lifeforce if I cant get in range… which is why I will no doubt go back to axe/focus and use shroud more for opportunity or as a oh ****! button.

GS/staff will be my first set up for sure. The best of range and the best of melee, always strong when you want to be. But I’m betting that I return to Staff-axe/focus eventually, once I get tired of dying in melee range (wvw).

Does this mean less lockdown mesmers? If so.. yay!

They’ll never fix everything. MMO’s are about constant evolution, thats how they keep you playing and trying new things. To think they can balance everything is nonsense. They are closer in this game than most others however, enough that any complaints I have are minor. They could fix shroud with a block I think but whatever, its somewhat balanced by our easy access to it and great elites.

On the other hand the Reaper fits my playstyle very well, so I for one am very much looking forward to it. Ive barely looked at the aesthetic!

I’m looking at shroud knight abilities and cant stop salivating!.! :p

A leap, pulsing stability… add to that the relentless trait for 66% cc reduction..! Sure we trade out a lot but that kind of added defense is what the necro was missing in my books.

When is this being released again?

Wow, was it really that long ago? Feels more like maybe a year tops.

Yep Ive got lots of experience with ranger sword auto attack. Its because it has 2 short leaps that trigger after autos which lock out dodge.

I already like spinal shivers as an “anti-hero” ability, will like it even more now since it already has a long -* chill on it. Only thing is I will probably go Staff/GS to play both spectrums of necro… oh well still the shivers on 50% trait

Atherakhia.4086:

Right I can think of valuable things too. The question is can you survive to provide them? I don’t think the Reaper was given the tools a melee class needs to actually function in a WvW environment unless it’s as a backline melee. But as a backline melee you need mobility and engagement tools that simply aren’t there (spectral grasp is unreliable at range and the GS pull is too short).

But that’s the point I was trying to make above… Reaper doesn’t work as a backline because it wasn’t given the tools to succeed at that role. I am questioning if it will work as a front line. What other role is there? Camp flipper and yak slapper?

Too slow.. :P I agree on waiting to see final verdict. But would like arenanet to read this and consider issues. And maybe throw us a block on GS.

There’s enough reflection in the game already! Esp. with Revenant coming. I like projectile resistance tho, sounds cool.

Rather have a block though and call it a day.

Terror got one so it should. Would make a chill build much more interesting to play if you got this feedback.

Atherakhia.4086:

McWolfy.5924:

I think they designed the reaper for wvw front line and pve.
They give the professions what they miss. Mesmer support, gua range, necro dps

There is absolutely no way the Reaper will hold up to WvW front line. It also doesn’t provide anything valuable to the front line. It may do well in sPvP but WvW it’s a backline or gank profession with no mobility or range and ineffective pulls.

Yea I agree so far.. shroud isnt a good wvw defense as its only limited damage blocking unlike evade,block etc, will melt fast on front line “like ranger pet”.

Ive played a ranger perma-chill build quite a bit and while at times if someone has not traited against it, its pretty great but otherwise isnt as great as you might think. Thieves ignore it by default (this annoys me the most) and guards and warriors can trait to ignore… actually warriors get nice regen counterbuff off it.

Elementalists with diamond skin can ignore and can cleanse with cantrips, rangers get pretty good autocleansing with empathic bond but ideally would stay out of range anyway.

That leaves mesmers and engineers as the only real ones that are hurt by a perma chill build and even then engineer turrets are not chillable and mesmers are very adept at getting away should they need to.

So its not all that.

Also sometimes the graphic doesnt work right or just isnt noticable and you cant tell whos under the effect. At least with other conditions you get a “tick” to show but chill has nothing so poor feedback feels like its not doing anything.

PookieDaWombat.6209:

Kilger: while i get what you’re saying, there have been plenty of times a fight between me and a necro has ended in my frustration in them wrecking my face suddenly and then healing back from the damage i just did to them, so its not like they are all that defenseless in a fight. The amount of damage they can both eat then heal while dishing out their own can be silly.

I understand this, should clarify I’m talking wvw. The other defenses are balanced for 1v1 and scale very well to 1vX (infinte), where shroud melts like a ranger pet under heavy fire. So sending a necro to the front line is just suicidal.

All this is just talkin anyway, will have to see what the deal is when it happens. They havent even told us all the abilities yet.

Leo G.4501:

Kilger.5490:

Cloth class with no evades/blocks/invuls in melee, better be packing something in that shroud form we dont know about. Hope it earns the title of shroud “knight” for a reason.

What does it being a cloth profession have to do with anything? Besides, Warrior does it and mostly just has invulnerability on short durations/long recharge. Also, it’s a Necromancer! It has blinds and dark fields too on top of having a 2nd HP bar.

Heavy armor gives about an extra 10-15% damage mitigation (depending on toughness), this is pretty basic knowledge.

Invul/evade/block protects against all people at any range, are instant and ignores infinite damage, and anything the opponents do (except some things that go through block).

Well of darkness, which I assume youre talking about, blinds 5 people tops in melee only assuming they arent immune and are not cleansed. Well of darkness has a cast time during which time necro can be stunned or interrupted. Its not nearly as suitable for melee as the other defense types.

Stun is a must have since reaper skills are slow. It looked very short, like 1 second but invaluable as interrupt too.

We know we get an autoattack which includes chill

And we get a dash attack that releases poison field.

Shaping up pretty nice. I’d just like to see a defense!

Pretty sure elites will be better to start to sell the xpac, then get dialed down over time.

Just like every other MMO xpac released…

Cloth class with no evades/blocks/invuls in melee, better be packing something in that shroud form we dont know about. Hope it earns the title of shroud “knight” for a reason.

haha comic made my morning!

Finally got home and watched the vid…

AOE stun, very cool on the shroud knight, helps bypass some of the problems with slow attacks. Also that pull on GS is wicked, kind of like path of scars on the ranger. Hope the damage is comparable >:)

Good point. They probably could have come up with something more unique than reaper to avoid confusion.

You can already perma-chill as a necro, it just isnt as effective as you think. It doesnt affect warriors, guardians or thieves. Rest are ranged and have good get aways to drop condition and kite you.

Ive played lots of chill builds as necro and ranger. It can be very good at times but other times you feel you should re-spec.

Pretty cool. Deathknight… Shroudknight whatevs.

Urukami.4796:

Death’s Charge—Spin your scythe and dash forward a moderate distance, damaging foes in your path. When the dash ends, release an explosive poison cloud.

It doesn’t sound too bad depending on the cast time and whether we actually need to hit someone to be able to dash forward. If not! Death’s Charge will be good for us as it can be use for a bit of mobility and positioning(as it it states that “it uses slightly different properties”), however as it is a replacement for dark path there is a chance that there is a requirement for us to be able to hit someone to be able to move to that location.

I’m pretty certain it wont have a target. It would be singling out reaper to be unique in this regard for dashes, and also “foes in path” makes me think that the path is chosen first then if foes are there they get hit. Otherwise it would say dash to foe or something like that.

Slow attacks, easy to dodge. Really I wouldnt fear me.

Definately would like some kind of defensive maneuver if not several. I mean this does have us wading into combat where we are a cloth class.

The dash is pretty cool sounding.

Not terribly thrilled about the slow attacking, how are we going to hit a thief?? Also chills no good anyway against them so will be a vulnerability.

Aoe stun would help with some of these problems.

We already have lich form as elite, being called lich would be redundant. I like it but I doubt it.

A guy… who knows a guy… who knows a guy.

Zackie.8923:

if it s going to be shouts, maybe doomcaller or doom bringer

Those make sense.

Leap or at least a sprint type ability combined with evade.

Other than that dont really care. Ranger great sword mirror would be very cool though!

Shouting necro… Im thinking no. Why? It might be group friendly.

Ok thats out of the way.

Possible names, since shouts are generally buffs I think of them as commands (as opposed to weapon ala banshee) so leader type class names

Witch King/Queen
Dread Lord
Spirit master

and of course..
Dragon Yeller

The symbol looks to me like a stop motion arc of the sword going in a circle. Maybe some whirling defense type ability?

Death Knight still my guess. Martial with a sword, and takes a direction instead of just another way to say necro.

Oh yea and everyone who said we cant have a two-word class (look up the reasoning lol) “Dragon Hunter”… yea thats one strike.

Mine just keeps getting better

We arent that frontline-ish since we dont have the escapes and invuls front line classes do. Necros that get that close are locked down and die quickly soon after… Axe is almost too close …its great for a quick lifeforce recharge and the aoe is great to fire off when things are in skirmish mode and not stand-off. The dagger suffers from any kind of range setback or cripple; axe keeps on tickin’ where dagger is lucky to even score a hit.

Bottom line, nothing really matches staff in wvw (its essential part of kit that is demanded by commanders) but axe has some utility that is great.

I guess the worst part is mesmers could already beat us up but now they are stealing our stuff too.

(haha)

I play a zerg wvw necro Its essential but it really boils down to the fact we have well of suffering and corruption. If we didnt have that niche we’d be out.

I think we’re due for some better escapes in the form of leaps, evades, blocks, immunes, preferably all of the above.