Guild Wars 2

Serpent Siphon. Doenst grant barrier and its weak skill overall.

Which pics are the originals? Because if upper are the originals, they look a lot better then the bottom blueish, darker pics.

I like most Prof. Elite specs. Kinda disappointed by the PvE part of what we saw. But ofc need the full release to explore more.

Glott.7239:

mazut.4296:

Good catch, but I still think its better to have good LF gain then larger LF pool.

I feel like you didn’t get what he was saying. Larger LF pool, EQUALS larger LF gain, because you always get a percentage of you maximum. 1% of 20k is more then 1% of 15k.

That’s not new, we all know that already.

Hidden Dragon.7523:

To be fair, I barely play Necro. But when I jumped on Scourge yesterday spammed a few skills, people just died in a matter of seconds. I do believe it needs nerf, if a non-skilled necro player can kill that easily.

Maybe, but big part of this is people are used to jump necros and destroying them. Now they need to think twice and be more careful. On other hand I fought few clever good players who were destroying me from range. Scourge is kitten vulnerable if there are no obstacles to hide behind.
As Straegen mentioned above, CC is once more our biggest enemy, even more then Reaper!
Now Scourge is taunting you “come closes babe, come and see what happens” And you can’t ressist and hug the Death"

Good catch, but I still think its better to have good LF gain then larger LF pool.

Muchacho.2390:

Its because with a proper condi build scourges meld people in spvp. Yeah the defense is lackluster for scourges but who need defense when you can meld your opponents with overwhelming condi burst.

I am certain we will some dmg nerfs (atleast for pvp). I just hope we get some changes to barriers. Maybe its just that i am not used to them but i think ether the timer should start later or the decay should be slower.

It was the same with Reaper, sadly. People cried its OP and it got nerfed and became subpar. Same will happen with scourge and it probably will heavily affect PvE as well. Deja Vu, world is spinning round and round… /sigh

As a whole I’m pleased with the mechanics and overall play style of the Scourge. It feels very different and it has good potential in both pve and pvp, also it seems strong with both power and condi damage.

Scourge as support Role.
Why take Scourge as support in a pve group? It need to be at least on par with the Tempest or even better. Its potential must be as strong, so people can maybe consider taking 1 druid and 1 scourge in raids and other organized groups. If its anything less it will never really see any play outside of solo pve.

Here are few suggestions for changes I find fit.

Barriers.

Degeneration must start after a period of time, 5 to 8s. Decrease the degeneration rate by 50%!
Barriers are suppose to be proactive healing, but as they are right now this role is not there. We lose half the potential with instant degeneration. I don’t want to use the barrier and forget about it, but I need to have at least few sec of full potential time frame. In all other games that use similar mechanics, all the similar skills have some duration on their barriers. Not only that, but most not only prevent damage, but also convert some of that damage into healing.

Torch:

-Harrowing Wave: Additionally, grant 5% LF and 2% LF per target hit.
-Oppressive Collapse: Unblockable.

Punishments:

-Sand Flare: Pretty good. Make it 300 radius, Scourge is support after all.
Trail of Anguish: I want it to feel more like Slick Shoes. Apply Burning 2s./per sec. to targets standing in the trail, apply Immobilize for 3sec with its final pulse.
-Dessicate: Should give 5% LF and additionally 4% per target hit/Up to 5 targets, 360 radius.
-Sand Swell: ¼ or even instant cast time! 1200 – 1500 range! The port is good, but especially its range is not enough. We desperately need more.
-Serpent Siphon: Very weak skill or maybe it’s bugged atm?! Make it to pulse 5 times, 1 pulse/sec. Radius 360. Pulsing snakes that deal damage and inflict poison. Cast barrier and corrupt 1 boon with the initial and with the final pulse.
-Ghastly Breach: Need to be aura around the necro with 240 radius(Like old Plague). Or its essentially another Plaguelands, but weaker with the exception of the boon conversion. To niche.

Shade Skills:

This are some ideas for an additional effects that add survivability and add more Shade management. Because even the mechanic is sound its clunky and very hard to use when you or your target is moving constantly.

-Manifest Sand Shade: Make them recharge much faster outside of combat!
-Nefarious Favor: Add flip skill: Destroy the Shade that is furthest away from the necro, reduce next shade cd by 33%.
-Sand Cascade: Add flip skill: Teleport to closest Shade and gain weak barrier (around 1k hp). Affects only the necro. (maybe ICD, once every 12sec so it can be used every other cast of F3)
-Garish Pillar: Additionally, all active Sand Shades and the necro get projectile destruction domes around them, 180 radius for 5sec.
-Desert Shroud: Add flip skill: Destroys all Sand Shades and reduce their cd by 66%

Traits:

My ideas here are mostly oriented toward the support part of the trait lines.

-Abrasive Gift: Also, adds 5sec of Regeneration to barriers.
-Fell Beacon: -
-Nourishing Rot: Additionally, grants 2% LF for every target affected by Torment or Burning (5-8 ICD per target). Up to 5 targets
-Sand Soul: -
-Desert Empowerment: Also, heal for 20% of the prevented damage. (Healing Power modifier)
-Sadistic Searing: Quite weak for people running Non-Punishment Utilities. Maybe add additional bonus if no Punishments are used.
-Unending Corruption: Also steal the corrupted boon.
-Blood as Sand: -
-Sand Savant: -
-Demonic Lore: Lower ICD to 2s. Increase Burn duration to 4s(best split pvp/pve)
-Feed from Corruption: -

PS: As many already stated, traits concerning “entering shroud/exiting shroud/manipulating shroud” need to be changed or they wont be used.

Scourge is indeed very vulnerable to range/kite.

As usually crying is strong in here, i’ts because nobody know how to fight against it. This will be soon forgotten after the release.

Brujeria.7536:

I think the problem is the cast time and the small effect range untraited and the 900 cast range makes it extremely clunky to use. It does not feel viable to cast it somewhere to get a quick aoe fear at range off.

Also the minor traits all rely on having these shades up, you can only keep these up with the sand savant trait. If you dont pick it, you’re screwed, and thats bad.

Sand Savant trait itself actually.. It doenst add any power. As much as i like its concept, its nothing more than a quality of life improvement.

After more use I agree with the range, why not 1200. With full range the mechanic can be played both, melee and full range and both will still be viable. Also the small but very annoying cd between casts make it feel uncomfortable.

It ticks 9 times with 15sec cd. Also seems the range is 600, because when move away from the shade it keep healing.

Its more like supplementary support. I don’t see how this can be on par with druid.

Also it has like 1/2 sec animation delay. Its not like blink.

Agree with most.
-Elite is okish, but I expected it to be aura around the necro. No, its static aoe, very disappointing.
-Barriers indeed degenerate wayyy to fast. Imo they need to have at least another 5 to 8 sec. before they slowly(twice as slower then now) degenerate.
-The portal felt very underwhelming with only 900 range… like Anet wtf?!?! It should be minimum 1500 so you can escape all ranged weapons. And honestly it should be even 2k+ range. The good thing is, you can use it 3 times, but it disappears faster then the mesmer portal.
-Dagger skill 5 is single target, while skill 4 is 5 target… wut?! It should only KD your primary target, but the rest is applied to up to 5 targets…
- The Shade cd should be a little bit lower and outside of combat you should get all 3 shades ready, not waiting for them to recharge 1 by 1. Maybe decrease cd outside of combat.
-Extremely vulnerable to kite/range. Even more then core/reaper.

I can see how scourge will be pretty strong in pve. If its good in pvp reminds to be seen.

With necro and war specs seems like they are trying actively to decrease boon usage without changing ton of skills and probably changing whole profession lines.
Which honestly is needed, I just hope it doesn’t blow in our faces.

Fair point with the LF generation, but I’m pretty sure there will be another way in doing that then the weapons.
I still think we should get a little bit LF generation with the scepter… Maybe some day
PS: Maybe they should put LF generating sigils.

Lansfear.6390:

Also dont forget the F abilities pulse on the sand shade and on YOU as well

They specifically said, that this effects don’t overlap. otherwise it would be super OP. I’m not sure if the damage also is restricted by the 1 pet shade, but most probably it is.

Kam.4092:

Aktium.9506:

Staff would need some pretty big changes to be a viable option for raids. I guess pulsing marks and torment on auto should right about do it.

Currently I’m sort of not looking forward to Scepter/Torch + Scepter/Dagger being the meta set. Pressing 1 with no fancy rotation like the current one in between 1 spam really isn’t all that fun.

I think there’s a high chance of it being Scepter/Torch + Dagger/Dagger.

More like scepter/dagger <> scepter/torch

Really weird spot for that trait, however I hope its more potent then core/reaper. Its support elite spec after all!
Maybe it self heal this time around, we dont have the shroud to prevent that anymore?!

Plaguebearer

It is worth buying, the game is great! But if you only look for that achievement, then no it will take you many months to get it. Most of it is soloable tho.
Also bare in mind that you might find the game outdated and it is. Still worth it!

Vaxian.4138:

Ahhh QT, the bane of my existence.

I’d mention what I truly feel about them but I’m certain I’d violate several rules of conduct, so let’s just say I’ll simply agree to disagree.

That said, keep in mind that they base all their data off of an immobile punching bag that doesn’t hit back, no mechanics to maneuver around etc. What happens in a non-hostile vacuum is NOT what happens in a real situation. So, my Brothers and Sisters of Necromancy, I offer this advice: Ignore QT’s pronouncements. I did. I raid with my necromancer, and I hold my own. Don’t let the Anti-Necro sentiment of QT affect your game. If you can pull your weight then raid on.

tl:dr: Ignore the pronouncements of QT, do what you do best!

You and me both, mate.

Viper condi minion build. Works perfectly and often you scrap the fight when your silly party die around you. Very satisfying and fun to play. Don’t rely on healers!

Maxed this long before 2nd generation of legendaries were introduced, its really your own fault of not researching what you need to craft it.

Glox.5942:

Love that it seems Arenanet have abandoned map wide metas, and returned to are more core like experience. (to me the map wide metas in HoT was my biggest complaint/concern, after the annoying adventures)
Quite surprised about mounts, but will wait with a final judgement on them until I’ve seen them in the core maps.
What I saw of the first map looked great.
The heart “Help Aksim care for and train raptors” was boring and took alot of extra time to get.
Unidentified loot are an acceptable solution to inventory clutter.
Like the new material boxes as drops, not sure if it’s a good idea to be able to buy them of vendors.
Not sure if I like the bounty mechanic.
Loved the chef mastery point, it was more fun for me to play than any of the adventures in HoT.
Always great to see new monters to fight.
Disappointed that the elite specs was not included, as I don’t expect the partake in the pvp preview as I don’t pvp.
Are hoping that the new maps will have alot of gw1 references, like the core game had.

About the Map metas, you can’t be sure, because in hot preview they were turned off. I also find a whole map centered around single meta such a waste, but we will need to wait for the full release to see if they changed it.

My 3 big disappointments from the weekend.
- The map was single layer, flat and uninspiring. Nothing like the bold, imaginative HoT maps(VB and TD). Back to the boring maps
- Mounts are not needed. The mount itself was good, but the fact that It took me roughly 10ish min to run around, literally the whole map was extremely unsatisfying and disappointing. I myself will run on foot and only use mounts for their special action.
- Exploration was non-existent. You were talking about exploration in the preview, but in the part of this map, there is Nothing! hidden and waiting to be found, apart from some chatter if you slow to listen I guess. Maybe this was the most disappointing of them all…

Everything else was top notch. Great environment as usual, top animations and feel of the place… if only it was interesting as a whole :/

Many necros use very similar outfits. Way to many “hooded all blacks”. Also recurring motive are the wings. Its kinda silly if you ask me, but people seems to like it.

Sorry, but when I reached “Because of this change it killed any possibility that a minion build could be viable in the future. Not to mention that Minion skills themselves were lacking in power to make them a real viable option in most if not all situations.” I stopped reading. This is such BS…
I run minion build and its fantastic! Some traits/skills might use tweaks, but your statement is just laughable…

Drachenrigh.8075:

New to the game, but will HOT Specializations be still be viable in POF, or will we be forced to use the new ones, cause I really like the Ranger, and Thief Specializations from HOT

On paper they should. In reality, ask again in two months.

HoT had new profession, PoF doe’s not. Also single char slot is not that expensive and you can buy it with gold in game.

So you complaint about a symbol on the map o.O
Because the story event will be exactly the same with or without the heart symbol… you know…

The Great Al.2546:

jheryn.8390:

mazut.4296:

As I predicted mounts are the worst of it all, making the map feels super small. Pretty disappointing :/
Where is all the exploration that were promised?! And please don’t point that we only explored a small part of a huge map in the demo…

How can you ask that question and not expect to get “small part of a huge map” as an answer. It’s a demo not a full expansion.

I don’t feel fully understand the ‘small part of a huge map’. Unless I am wildly mistaken it looks like the demo area is 2/3 of the map.

exactly, its even more like 3/4 but the point is, the map is boring, flat, uneventful and there is no point in running around twice. There is nothing to explore after the 10 min on the back of a fast moving raptor. I saw it all.

As I predicted mounts are the worst of it all, making the map feels super small. Pretty disappointing :/
Where is all the exploration that were promised?! And please don’t point that we only explored a small part of a huge map in the demo…

Alwayshappy.2549:

Hi!

So….we started the preview weekend. Got a mount and we ran throughout the area that’s currently open. My husband noted that the map will probably continue on the south side, but there are walls everywhere. There are some things in the east (which we can already see, a waypoint, etc), but…..that’s really it? Didn’t the creators say the world (5 zones) would be bigger than of the HoT maps and Living Story 3 maps combined? Due to that I expected A LOT more.

Your perception is correct. We got 3/4 of the whole map for the demo (Check leaked maps for reference!!!). The walls on the south are the borer to the next map. On top of the “huge” maps now we have mounts which make them even smaller. I’m very disappointed tbh and decided that I’ll only use this mount when they are really needed for their special ability. else I’ll run on foot.

Brujeria.7536:

I think what they where aiming for is keeping the damage as main purpose, you only need skill 1 to do that, really. But i like it. I like it a lot.

Skill 2 is awesome for eating blinds and aegis, to ensure skill 1 hits.

Skill 3 is an unblockable fear with an actually decent base duration.

Skill 4 is for some aoe carnage, kinda forcing the enemy to cleave, combos well with reaper, the chill on fear for some damage.

Skill 5 is a general survivability AOE skill wih quite a nice offensive touch. It heals for 800 per tick, per enemy, deals damage, and further increases your vitality. IF you hit 5 targets with it you get: 4k heal each second for 5 seconds = 20k heal, + 650 vitality (equals another 6500 heal) and you deal a lot of damage in the process.

I really like it, it has everything a necro would need, fear, lifedrain, minions, damage, and a neat weakening effect.

BUT it has some problems. Skill 2 is supposed to start with 5 charges, as all other skills with charges if you have not used them. It just does not most of the time. Also skill 3 feels way to clumsy. It should be castable while moving, and it should travel faster / further, if you cast the skill and keep moving afterwards you barely gain any distance due to the cast time. Its meant for small in combat mobility, but it doenst achieve that goal. Its not even the distance of a dodgeroll if you wanna go forward.

Just some numbers: The minions deal damage as much as 4 lich form AAs if all detonate successfully. On a zerker build the Skill 5 deals around 6k armor ignoring damage to each target. Given the fact that you also reduce the enemies vitality by up to 150 points you deal 7500 true damage over 5 seconds, and youre free to bombard the enemy with the other skills as well.

Wiki says up to 900 vitality. 5×6×30=900 up to 20sec, per stack
Now I tested it on the golem and it actually gives me only 4 stacks of Grim Specter. So its 5×4×30=600 Vitality total.

PS: Seems its buggy as hell. Sometimes it gives only 4 stacks, sometimes 5…

Sephylon.4938:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

It’s still got an identity crisis. Skill 1 and 2 are damage, skill 3 is crowd control/escape, 4 is minion bombing, and 5 is melee tanking.

Seriously, what are you supposed to do with it?

Additionally, its cd is far too long for, what little it does, for it to be taken anywhere competitive, even if traited.

That’s sadly true…

Looks like its going in the right direction with the exception of the minion skill. Which must be changed to something similar to Meteor shower. 300-360 aoe field that deal periodical high spike damage. Might be something like multiple dark magic eruptions from the ground, each exploding after 1 sec.
The last skill feels a lot better helping with survivability which was big problem before. I don’t know how effective it is, but its both damage(hp steal and chop vitality-deep wounds from gw1) and healing at the same time. On paper good for focusing targets.
Skill 2 also seems good as idea, tho its damage is very low, but can be cast while using the auto attack.
The fear can be used twice, but the teleporting part should deal moderate damage or maybe short aoe chill.

One big problem left unchanged is the auto attack is not automatically set on auto fire, this leads to missing 1-2 attacks after enter the Lich form.

Nobody is talking about the Lich Form changes, which is weird or are we so used it been useless elite, we ignore it completely?!

Better give Grasping Dead 2-3% LF per target.

Karode.9206:

All I’m saying is, this thing is kittening AMAZING for Seekers control in Vale Guardian. Tried it in a raid last night and if you target the Vale Guardian Pretty much everything else would get pulled to wherever you are standing.

How many times did you instantly got downed tho

The new skill is so much better. The projectiles are faster and you can get up to 75%LF (!!!100%!!! if traited). Its still blockable and avoidable, but its so much better. Great change

Spider Pig

I think the structure between the big branded patch on far bottom right corner and the Desolation is Garden of Seborhin. The brand cover the area around Kodash bazaar and Grand court of Sebelkeh. And maybe even part of Dzagonur bastion, can’t make out the exact scale of the map.

This is really huge nerf. The plus side is the 180 vitality outside of shroud, but they need to give us at least two times more vitality to get even close to the previous effectiveness.
Again, as we asked million times, !!! Why not make the degeneration 33%(instead of 50%), put it baseline and meld the Shroud skills cd reduction with other less useful trait…
For example:
- Gluttony: Increase LF gain by 10% and decrease LF drain by 33%.
- Speed of Shadows: Gain swiftness, remove conditions and reduce DS skills recharge by 20%
- And then Vital persistence can be something else completely.
This change is just lame and i hope they change it in the near future…

CCLegion.5936:

Be aware though that you can’t keep up 3 shades indefinitely as they got a 15s CD per charge and 25s duration. With alacrity, you’ll be able to keep up 2 permanently though. If you go for Sand Savant, it is possible as to keep up the equivalent of 3 shades permanently but that loses you the increased torment damage and burning from Demonic Lore.

Really, we cant have all 3 up at the same time… this will be very very disappointing if true :/

I remember getting it almost instantly, you are either extremely unlucky or more likely there is a bug preventing the drop.

F5 has 20sec cd. Both Reaper and Death shroud have 10. So all that make no sense to me

Its an elite spce, its different, it cant have all tools under its belt… You still can use Reaper. But yeah lack of stability/cc defense will make it or break it… will see

You over stetch with your dhuumfire theory The trait will probably be reworked.