Guild Wars 2

Lichdom
To use it requires alot of patience and quick reaction times to not get destroyed yet still be able to achieve our highest and fastest damage since for some reason dagger auto attack was given such a high damage. With this spec and gear set up, I promise you crit numbers you have never seen before on a regular basis and once you get comfortable with it, how you will quite possibly never even think about another char. This setup is what stops other necros of less experience in their tracks and starts alot of convos of, OMG how do u do so much dmg. You dont kill mobs, you mow them down. Grinding and fighting along side of warriors and rogues I (and any of you other experienced Power necros out there) can testify that while we are not able to not acheive the big numbers like 100 blades from warriors we can be in par with their damage output. On an Average 80th level mob it takes me 3-4 seconds to kill….. Enjoy and remember this spec is not for everyone. But, its just the best damage necros can output in my experience of testing ALL specs and ALL setups. To me, this setup is Necro Perfection. This is just like The MadHacker but with a dagger and not using Lifeblast as much though ALL the percents are the same. This puts you in extreme danger. Your major damage output will be from dagger auto attack. And using staff as back up for WvW range dmg. My average solo stats hover around 71% crit, 145% crit dmg, 3800(250 from bloodlust sigil and the 100 power signet.) power with daggers doing a 15% more dmg above 90% health and 35% more dmg below 50%. Last dagger chain of autoattack highest Crit I have seen was 6.2k. Lich form hits for highest i have seen 6500 per autoattack. Can get higher power using blood is power utility but the bleed does dmg on me and honestly the dmg I am putting out so fast and so high I barely notice a difference. For this spec to be at maxium efficeny, see Shroud Dancer in Tips and Tricks section. Also under Tips and Tricks is #3 that is a blast to use! Check it out! btw 5600+ attack power in lichform is just wow!

*there is also a way for people that want to use conditions and still get to have all the burst dmg of a power necro. What I used to do when I rolled around with a static dungeon group was run the trait setup of 30|30|0|0|10. WHile your crit damage is not maxed you, you can flip flop between a Rampager Setup with scepter/dagger and staff and get amazing condition duration and Condition damage and run Nightmare Runes on your gear for 40% condition duration, hover around 1800+ condition dmg then just flop on your zerker set and use a dagger and set up almost the same as listed here and still output some amazing Burst.

Recommended Gear Setup:
Beserker Armor and Berserker Trinkets
Recommended Weapon Setup:
Main Hand: Dagger and Focus
Off Hand: Staff
Recommended Sigils Setup:
Main Hand: Superior Sigil of Fire
Off Hand: Superior Sigil of Force.
Superior Sigil of Bloodlust.(requires 2 Focuses, get 25 stacks then go back to Force)
Recommended Rune Setup:
7x Superior Sigil of the Scholar
*I have used both Divinity and Scholar runes. Scholar Rune the 10% dmg is greater and the power+ is greater and the 8% crit dmg is just as good. Divinty may be nice for other classes but for this setup and my necro, the numbers dont lie. I spent 60 some gold on Divinity runes and got rid of it an hour after I tested it and went back to Scholar (that broke me).

TRAIT
30|15|0|0|25

• there is a second trait, one that I like as well, that uses Shroud Dancing at a more faster pace.
  20|20|0|0|30

(S) *10 points -Reapers Might(PvE) : 100% Might boon on Lifeblast cast.
*10 points-Deaths Embrace(PvP): Deal 50% more dmg when downed.
Spiteful Marks: Marks deal 10% more dmg when stepped on
Close to Death(PvP): Deal 20% more dmg to targets under 50% health.
(Curses) Weaking Shroud: Cast enfeebling blood when entering deathshroud. *see Shroud Dancer below under Tips And Tricks. ALSO PLZ NOTE that while your up next to the target, while your Shroud Dancing your also casting Enfeebling shroud via this trait. thats an extra 2k dmg per crit and condition dmg and 60% chance of taking 50% fumble rate. works amzing.
(SR) Vital Persistence: Life Force drains 25% slower while in deathshroud.
*20 Points – go with what ever u want here. Im really only going into Soul Reaping for the crit dmg.
NOW for the second trait line u lose 20% dmg on targets below 50% but you gain deathshroud recharging 50% faster. So with Shroud dancing your looking at an extra 20% crit chance (fury) with 1 second of downtime between casts. The trade off is yours to choose. Both work amazing.

Vampiir’ian Legacy
This setup is really fun. While the big numbers are not there due to low power and low crit dmg, the sheer amount of crits and healing and being able to stand next to any boss and assist other melee slightly is wonderful! There is alot of play room here but toss around some different setups and post the results! I use all wells for this setup.

Recommended Gear Setup:
A mixture of Knights(power/prec/toughness) and either Magi(prec/vit/healing) or pretty much anything with more prec in it.
Recommended Weapon Setup:
Dagger and Dagger | Dagger and Focus
Recommended Sigil Setup:
Main Hand: Superior Sigil of Blood (steal health on crit 30% chance)
Off Hand: Superior Sigil of Accuracy (5% crit chance)
Superior Sigil of Perception (25 stacks of 10 prec)
Recommended Rune Setup:
6x Superior Rune of the Pack

TRAIT
0|30|10|30|0

(Curses) Weaking Shroud: Cast enfeebling blood when entering deathshroud. *see Shroud Dancer below under Tips And Tricks.
Chilling Darkness: Blinding a Target applies Chill for 1s.
Withering Precision: 25% chance to cause weakness on crit hits.
(DM) Dark Armor: Gain 400 Toughness while Channeling.
(BM) Dagger Mastery: 15% faster recharge rate on dagger skills
Bloodthrirst : Siphon health is 50% more effective.
Vampiric Precision: Siphon health when you crit hit.
*Noteable Passive Effects- Siphon health every time you hit a foe, regen when you reach 90% health.

*KEEP in mind all my trait set ups are based on quick burst. Quick burst to me is not dps. DPS is being able to control your DMG with the highest levels possible and very little spike damge. When I think DPS I think of conditions and a set amount of damage per second. Burst is all about luck. Its what I enjoy. Seeing big numbers on crits just makes me happy. While you wont always have the 10% dmg up from the Scholar runes its still worth it. The power stat alone and crit dmg is great. Besides when you are running someone down the most important thing is to get them as low as possible as fast as possible. Since you get a huge hit point boost from lichform its great to have the 10% more dmg so you can get to the 20% dmg under 50% life trait from spite.

The MadHacker
Lets talk Axe. Axe damge is compareable to Staff Dmg. (1500dmg every 1s auto attk vrs staff auto attack at 2800dmg every 2s) Compared to daggers, its not even close. (11k-12k every 4s) But lets look at it from another view. With the right setup, it is the fastest way to build lifeforce available in game at the quickest rate. (other then spectral armor and gettting hit 20 times) With 2 skills you can get to around 50% life force fill. That is impressive and in a different version of a power spec, it can mean loads more dmg since Lifeblast when spec’d right is our second highest dmg ability in the game. First being the underwater Frozen Abyss ability from Trident (#5) highest that I have had the crit for was 13k. Highest Lifeblast I have seen with 4500 attk power and 25 stacks of Vuln at 100% health and the mob under 50% health was 10500 dmg every cast.(till 50% lifeforce when the dmg drops). Focus is what I use simply because the ability #4 hits 3 times and puts 12% vuln on a single target (3×4% stack) and averages 1500 crit dmg per hit 1500×3. thats a great fast opener from 900 range.
*DO NOT go for focus recharge and range of 20%. It is broken at the moment. Even though the tool tip says u go from 18s on #4 skill and shows 14s it is still an 18 second CD. I sent a bug report multiple times to anet and it has yet to be adressed. + it does not FLip when you change on and off the trait.

Recommended Gear Setup:
Full Beserker Armor (Power/Crit/Crit Dmg)
Recommended Weapon Setup:
Axe and Focus | Staff (Power/Crit/Crit Dmg)
Recommended Sigil:
Main Hand : Superior Sigil of Fire (Superior Sigil of Air for cheaper since most of the time your using axe is vrs single target)
Off Hand: Superior Sigil of Force (5% dmg)
Superior Sigil of Perception (25 stacks of 10 prec)
Superior Sigil of Bloodlust (25 stacks of 10 power)
* again, you can take off a stack sigil and put a different one in its place.
Recommended Rune:
x6 Superior Rune of the Scholar

*WIth the runes and Force and trait set up right, you will be at roughly 40% more dmg above 90% health with axe and 25% mark dmg above 90% health(PVE) and moving a trait around all your weapon skills will be (non marks) at 20% more dmg with axe/focus(and utilities) above 90% health and 40% more dmg with you above 90% health and your target under 50% health. All staff skills (Including utilities) (except marks) will be at 20% more dmg above 90% health and under 50% health 40% more dmg with marks getting a huge bonus of 30% more dmg above 90% health and 50% more dmg with the target below 50% health. Higher the lifeforce more dmg from lifeblast so figure in 70-80% more dmg with target under 50% health from lifeblast(hard to tell with out an exact LF number) BTW SEE tips and tricks for how to stack 16 stacks of might yourself in 8 seconds.

TRAIT
30|15|0|0|25 *30|30|0|0|10

(S) *10 points -Reapers Might(PvE) : 100% Might boon on Lifeblast cast.
*10 points-Deaths Embrace(PvP): Deal 50% more dmg when downed. *In pvp this ability is just fantastic. I have had very close 1v1 fights even with other necros where having this traited and us both in downmode made me win. 1000 dmg crits with lifesiphon in downmode on other zerk players is crazy!
Spiteful Marks: Marks deal 10% more dmg when stepped on
*30 points- Axe Training(PvE): Axe skills do 20% more dmg and recharge 20% faster.
*30 points- Close to Death(PvP): Deal 20% more dmg to targets under 50% health.
(Curses) Reapers Precision: 33% chance per crit to get 1% lifeforce
(SR) Vital Persistence: Life Force drains 25% slower while in deathshroud
Unyielding Blast: Life Blast pierces and cause Vuln.
*Notable Passive Effects- Strength of Undeath: 5% more dmg above 50% lifeforce. Gluttony: 10% lifeforce from skills.

Since I do enjoy Axe’s quick burst and Lifeforce regen with focus, you can change around the traits for 30|30|0|0|10 and still keep the same dmg numbers because you get the 25 point bonus of 2% more dmg from each condition on a target under curses. Being able to cause weakness along with with haveing access to shroud dancing gives you more crit and weaking the target at the same time. This has become my main spec atm.

Gallows Sweeper(minion master) | Lichdom(Power, Prec, Crit Dmg) |The MadHacker(Axe) | Vampiir’ian Legacy(Siphon)

Gallows Sweeper
Lets talk Minions. Besides their AI being Horrible with no way to apply a force attack and getting stuck or running off into the distance or just not attacking. Even to me they dont feel very Necro-ish lets just ignore that for the time being. This is a great spec if you just want to survive pretty much an apocolypse. With being able to have your minions be stronger, tougher, and give you health back along with the right gear it can be extremly fun and great survival. Though even with toughness most minons will get destroyed in tougher dungeons with no AOE avoidence, they will still serve their purposes. The golem’s charge in any spec or setup is extremly helpful in pvp since it is really our only source of knockdown.

Recommended Gear Setup:
Soldiers (power/toughness/vitality)
Recommended Weapon Setup:
Soldiers (power/toughness/vitality) Staff/player choice
Recommended Sigil:
Your choice (though 30% to heal allies works for pets)
Recommended Runes:
6x Superior Rune of Lyssa (this is gold in minion spec, simply because your flesh golems charge activates it, which allows you to get rid of all conditions and gain all boons every 40 seconds!) * I dont like putting 5 points into 5% of toughness goes to power cause even at 3200 toughness would give 160 power thats not really great compared to losing a grandmaster tier trait like Fetid Consumption.

TRAIT
20|0|20|30|0

(S) Spiteful Removal: When you kill a foe lose 3 conditions.
Training of the Master: Minion damage is increased by 30%
(DM) Minion Master: Minions recharge 20% faster (Nuff said)
Flesh of the Master: Minions have 50% more health
(BM) Transfusion: Life transfer heals nearby allies (minions too)
Vampiric Master: Minions siphon health and transfer it to you.
Fetid Consumption: Minions draw conditions, 1 condition per pet every 10s
*Noteable Passive Effects- Protection of the Horde: +20 Toughness for each minion under your control

This is for those minion lovers!

Now lets get down to the buisness of Sigils. There are many sigils to choose from. I have listed only the ones that give you your bang for your buck spent.
MAIN HAND
1. Superior Sigil of Fire: based off power and affected by might and vulnerability stacks. Highest Damage I have seen it proc for was 1600.
2. Superior Sigil of Air: Pretty much the same as fire but only affects a single target. Around the same dmg. MUCH cheaper.
3.Superior Sigil of Blood: flat dmg unaffected by any stat. Seems to only hit for 450 dmg, 450 healing.
OFF HAND
1. Superior Sigil of Perception: 10 precision per mob killed, 25 stacks.
2. Superior Sigil of Force: 5% more dmg (this will come into play later in some of my power spec’s.
3. Superior Sigil of Bloodlust:10 powr per mob killed, 25 stacks.
*You can unequip a 25 stack Sigil and put another Sigil in its place and keep the stacks as long as you do not leave the zone or get downed.

There are other sigils that people like to use being: Might/Vuln/Bleed. Those sigils are in my experiences less on the dmg scale. You will be able to keep max 3-5 stacks of might up on yourself with the Might on crit sigil. Thats around 120 power and 120 cond. dmg. That does not even come close to 1300 dmg average from fire or air every 5 seconds but could work great with a hybrid power/condition build.

Life force is based off your Vitality, so lets roughly say u have 20,000hp. with 30% into lifeforce trait called Soul Reaping, in Deathshroud you will have around 8,500hp since your get a basic 10% lifeforce just for being a necromancer. Life force really does not effect the transforms but vitality and toughness and power does.
*this is a rough guess. A rogue can backstab me for 9400 dmg and competly kick me out of deathshroud, but my hp will wtill be at max. So this assumes I have that much damage absorb in my current full zerk build.
Now lets look at Crit Dmg. It is possiable to go past 100% as a necro. your basic crit dmg is 50% of your dmg. Example: 1000 dmg non crit = 1500 crit dmg. with 100% of actual equippped and traited crit dmg, your looking at doing 150% dmg(100% is shown on panel) so 1000 dmg not crit = 2500 dmg crit.
*I have been told with food you can reach about 170%. My pesonal highest was 102% from full Zerk armor and trikents, with Superior sigil of Divinity at 12% and 30 points into Soul reaping. so 50%90%12%.
*Crit Dmg is scaled down in Mist sPvP and tPvP. the highest possiable is 102% (50% base +12% for divinity runes +20% for zerk necklace.)

Lets take a look at utilites. There are so many to choose from that I am letting it up to you to decide what works best since almost every instance a differnt utility set up is required.
My personal usage of Utilites. When running any Power spec and PvP is on my agenda, I will always run around with the same 3 utilities. Signet of the Locust, Summon Bone minion and Spectral Armor. Signet of the Locust is one of our greatest passive effect signets in my eyes because 25% speed bonus outside of combat is great for running to keeps in WvWvW and it gives your a little bit more speed in combat and it is always active. Bone minion’s in power spec hit hard. 2200 normal non crit dmg for blowing one up. Its great for those rogues that dance around and go in and out of invis non stop. I almost always have this up in any form of pvp. My final utility in pvp and harder instances is Spectral Armor. I use that as a stun breaker. It is really the only way you have a chance at surving the Burst of a 100 blade warrior or a Backstab rogue though more then likely with its high CD you cant really rely on it. But again it gives lifeforce, 33% less dmg while its active and breaks stun. Not much more you could ask for in a utility. Now in WvWvW I will use these 3 utilites till I either get to a keep attack or keep defense. If I have 30 points into curses I will switch to well skills use ground targeting and use well of power and any other well I want for ranged damage on walls/doors/defending.
Utilites are one of those things that have so many different uses that it is really up to the user to decide what the situation best calls for. I tend to run around solo alot in PvP so I rarely use any utility to benefit other players since in my opion there are better classes at support and I would choose one of them if I wanted to help others.

I LIKE NECROS BUT I DONT LIKE THE WAY DAMGE CONDITIONS STACK WHAT CAN I DO?
*experienced players feel free to scroll to the bottom to tips and tricks and add anything you like to do!
*Due to people requesting me to put this back up I altered a few things and will not be coming back onto this post to check anything. If this information helps 1 necromancer enjoy the class more then my work is done. I have extreme anxiety and rage and since I have everything I need from the PvE aspect of this game I dont do anything other then run around WvWvW and gank people or raid towns. Most of my time is spend grinding or in sPvP.
*Also I am a terrible typer and dont have spell check. Please forgive any errors or sentence fragments.

Hello everyone, Goreion from Tarnished Coast here. I have been reading some of the posts about necromancers and I cannot help but feel, depressed at how much complaining there is or lack of solid usefull information. So, after training 10 necromancers and friends from 4 different servers and offering advice to many others I’ve decided to compile a nice list of rounded up information from playing a necro since release and spending 100s of gold and countless hours away from my family exploring another side of Necromancers.
First let me add that this is my best information and every conclusion I have come to has been based on personal experience and countless testing. I started out with conditions and did not like how in a party or raid bleeding was useless with other bleeders. Conditionmancers as they seem to be called just does not call to me like other variables a Necromancer in GW2 can bring to light. This is just for me not having to spend hours in game explaining these things to people (though i dont mind) but a nice draft for people who are either curious about or want to try other specs. Play the way you want and having fun is the most important thing. Welp, here goes nothing!

Lets look at Elite Transformations first:
Lich Form:
Primary usage: Power spec necros can hit for serious dmg, with auto attk hitting up to 6k. Great for Bosses though Life Blast will hit harder with some of the spec’s coming up later in this post. Also great for dropping players fast.

Plague Form
Primary usage: Most players use this for skill #2 which is blindness for packs of players or mobs. But with the right condition build you can use posion( .10% of Condition dmg vrs Bleeding @ .05% of Condition dmg) on bosses. 50k health with 5k more of toughness is just tanking maddness on bosses. Doing more dmg with posion is greater then sitting back and casting a 1400 dmg autoattk in lichform. At Least your making the most out of your condition dmg

BTW I use these setups all the time in all forms of GW2 PvP. After 14 years of mmo playing and PvP’in I enjoy fighting and killing other players. They do not have an AI and it always holds true that there is always someone faster, stronger and better then you. (UT2004 Robot statement)