Necromancer WvW | Large Group Staff, Axe/Warhorn | Assaulter Frontline Necro
Table of Contents
Summary
WvW build designed to pair with our Wellomancer and Terror necro build. Uses specific skill rotation and blind/chill disrupt the enemies frontline.
Pros:
- Amazing survivability and condition removal
- Great burst and Death Shroud damage
- Awesome front line CC ability
- Heavy reliance on Elite Skill for engagements
- Lack of stability
- Expensive Runes required
I. Weapons and Skills
Weapon and Skill Details
Staff
The staff is your secondary weapon for this build. It provides heavy damage and extra critical chance while in Death Shroud. Also provides some utility skills such as chill, condition transfer, and aoe fear.
Auto-attack pierces by default and is the only staff skill that builds Life force.
Short cooldown AoE bleed and regeneration.
Chill is a great condition when applied in AoE. It will slow movement rate as well as slow down the recharge rate of skills by 66%. BE CAREFUL! This skill is a poison combo field so DO NOT place on the commander when water fields are called. Poison combo fields are not nearly as good as fire and water fields, so try your best not to override those in teamfights.
This is your only blast finisher, which is extremely valuable in WvW. It's an amazing skill in itself that will transfer all condition on you to the enemy and you should use it when you can, but try to save it for a good occasion.
Great AoE fear. Try not to use it at the start of a fight as most players will have stability at that point, which completely negates the skill.
Axe
Best single target weapon for power build necro and is awesome for bursting and slowing enemy movement rate.
Since this is single target, it's not best for large fights, but still good at stacking vulnerability on single targets.
Great signal target damage skill and will quickly fill you Life Force bar allowing the necro to spend more time in Death Shroud.
AoE cripple and boon strip. This will be a critical skill to use at the begining of each engagement.
Warhorn
Warhorn adds a cool utility and is a most for the skill rotation for the start of each engagement.
This is Daze skill projects out as a cone in front of the caster. Can be used to help disrupt an enemies heal or to secure a stomp.
This skill the Necro into and moving AoE cripple and Life Force gain. This skill be used just before each engagement.
Utility Skills
Consume Conditions
One of the best heals in the game and is the superior option in most Necro builds.
Well of Suffering
Adds to this builds ability to stack Vulnerability and this well benefits from the power build increasing the damage done per tick.
Well of Corruption
This well will convert the enemies boons to conditions. This well should be places on top of static field and/or whenever Null fields are called by the commander. Try not to cast this well freely so it will be available for commander call outs. For this build this well be the second round of boon strips.
Well of Darkness
Dropping this well will negate large amount of damage and increase the cool downs on the enemies front line.
Plague
Great elite skill for this build. By using the second skill, you can mitigate a lot of damage for your team by perma-blinding/chill people around you. Third skill is good to perma-cripple to chase down people when you won a fight.
Alternate Utility Skills
Epidemic
Probably the best alternate option. Can be used if you want the extra damage. Allows you to do the Death Shroud 5 > 3 > Epidemic combo that's so devastating in teamfights.
Spectral Grasp
Kind of the poor man's Spectral Wall in teamfights. Can still be a good skill to use instead if you like it better. Works well to pull enemies off of walls or sieges, but it seems to be a bit buggy sometimes I'm not sure why.
Signet of the Locust
If you feel like you have a hard time keeping up with your group or you value movement speed in general, this works great.
II. Traits
Spite
Curses
Death Magic
Blood Magic
Soul Reaping
Trait Details
Curses
Wait Curses tree on a power build? Yes sadly it was necessary to get well ground targeting plus the blind/chill. However taking the 200 point in condition damage doesn't effect the whole of the build.
III: Chilling Darkness
This is the main trait in the entire build. Adding chill to the necro's well of darkness, plague form 2 skill, and whenever the Necro blasts a dark field.
VI: Focused Rituals
An addition to this build is getting Wells down when and where they are needed. This trait is a most in order to add precision is well placement.
Blood Magic
Take 20 points in this will be the survivability tree. Every trait is design to heal siphon in order to keep the Necro alive while he/she is on the frontline.
V: Vampiric Precision
The Necro will have an high critical chance so to take advantage of this each critical will now siphon life.
II: Bloodthirst
This will make the Necro's life siphon 30% more effective.
Soul Reaping
Take 30 in Soul Reaping in order to set up the second phase for the Necro's skill rotation.
VI: Unyielding Blast
While in Death Shroud the necro's auto attack will pierce and hit up to 3 targets. Positioning will be key to max dps and will take some skill to execute properly. Also this trait will continue to add to the vulnerability stacks.
II: Vital Persistence
When the Necro isn't in Plague form they should spend as much time in Death shroud as their life force will allow. This trait will decrease DS's naturally drain by 50%.
XII: Deathly Perception
This trait will bring the Necro's critical chance to 90% plus (depending on sigils and weapon swap) while in Death Shroud.
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 22262 (+3050)
- Vitality 1221 (+305)
- Armor 2536 (+700)
- Toughness 1616 (+700)
- Attack 2939 (+912)
- Power 1828 (+912)
- Critical Hit 47% (+47%)
- Precision 1765 (+849)
Secondary Stats
- Condition Damage 200 (+200)
- Condition Duration (self) -65% (+-65%)
- Critical Damage 60% (+60%)
- Damage 1111 (+0%)
- Defense 920 (+0)
- Experience from Kills 20% (+20%)
- Ferocity 901 (+901)
- Healing Power 200 (+200)
- Life Force Pool 30% (+30%)
- Stun Duration (self) -25% (+-25%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
Stat and Effect Details
Some keep stats here is the Condition Duration(self) and Stun Duration(self). These stats when help the Necro survive on the front line as condition will near fall right off without a need for condition removal.
A high Critical Chance to proc life siphon and vulnerability stats from weapon sigils and traits.
IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items
Food Nourishment
Condition Duration (self): -40%
Vitality: 70
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Condition Duration (self): -40%
- Vitality: 70
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Utility Nourishment
Gain precision equal to 6% of your toughness
Gain precision equal to 4% of your vitality
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Gain precision equal to 6% of your toughness
- Gain precision equal to 4% of your vitality
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Armor & Runes
- Defense: 73
- Toughness: 60
- Power: 43
- Precision: 43
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
- Defense: 73
- Toughness: 45
- Power: 32
- Precision: 32
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
- Defense: 314
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
- Defense: 133
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
- Defense: 194
- Toughness: 90
- Power: 64
- Precision: 64
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
- Defense: 133
- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
Armor Stat Totals
- Defense 920
- Toughness 370
- Vitality 35
- Condition Duration (self) -25%
- Stun Duration (self) -25%
- Power 139
- Precision 139
Rune Bonuses
Superior Rune of Melandru- Toughness: 25
- Vitality: 35
- Toughness: 50
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration
- Toughness: 100
- -15% condition duration and -15% stun duration
Accessories & Jewels
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
- Power: 25
- Precision: 15
- Ferocity: 15
Accessory Totals
- Power:534
- Toughness:330
- Ferocity:430
- Precision:196
Weapon Set Sigils
- Weapon Strength: 985-1111
- Power: 239
- Precision: 171
- Ferocity: 171
- Weapon Strength: -
Weapon Set I
Sigil of Superior Accuracy+7% crit chance.
- Weapon Strength: 857-1048
- Power: 120
- Precision: 85
- Ferocity: 85
- Weapon Strength: 814-900
- Power: 120
- Precision: 85
- Ferocity: 85
Weapon Set II
Sigil of Superior Frailty50% chance to cause vulnerability for 10s on hit.
Sigil of Superior Blood50% chance to life steal on critical.
Upgrade Item Details
Runes
For this build we went with Rune of Melandru. These runes will help the Necro stay on the frontline and keep the blind/chill going will in Death Shroud.
Sigils
Sigil of Bloodlust
This sigil is only for stacking power damage once you have your full stacks switch it out.
Sigil of Accuracy
This sigil on the staff will increase critical chance while equipped and will bring CC to 95% while in Death Shroud.
Sigil of frailty
This sigil takes advantage of the necro's high critical chance to add vulnerability stacks.
Sigil of Blood
Adding more life siphon on critical.
Alternatives
Other good choices include: Sigil of Energy, Sigil of Stamina, Sigil of Geomancy. Sigil can always be change and are not critical to the build but when choosing just be sure to use sigils that make since and take advantage of the build.
Food
Bowl of Lemongrass Poultry Soup
This will add to the condition duration(self) and allow the necro to stand in the middle of the frontline and /dance.
Master Maintenance Oils
This is where the Necro will gain most of their critical chance.
V. Basic Gameplay
The ultimate goal of this build is to be able to spam blind/chill on the frontline negate majority of the enemies damage with plague skill 2 and well of darkness. Seems like a very daunting task, but the better you get with the build, the more it will make sense. Obviously the bigger the teamfight is, the more difficult it is and sometimes straight up impossible. But you should be able to have a lot of teamfight presence no matter what.
Here's what you should do in a typical teamfight:
Start by dropping your Well of Darkness where to suspect the will be fighting happen. (This will take some getting to know your commander and how he/she likes to fight);
First skills to use is Warhorn 5 to get up your swiftness and AoE cripple;
Followed by Axe 3 for an AoE boon removal just on the edge of the engagement just before popping into plague form:
Stick right on the commander and follow them as close as possible while only using the 2 skill to constantly blind/chill spam;
After plague form ends its to Death Shroud;
While in Death Shroud move off the frontline and fight mid range using your positioning to do max DPS with your life blast. Remember your life blast pierce;
If winning the fight, try standing in the escape path of your enemies and drop your AoE crowd control there and fear them back in. If losing the fight use your crowd control to disengage.
Keep in mind the beginning of this fight you will be in plague form and it will be up to the terror and wellomancers to lay down wells and CCs. However once you are out of plague you well be the 2nd wave of null field and Wells of Power.
General tips:
Try to keep your life force pool maxed at all time by killing ambiant animals while running around.
Plague is not a good "uhoh I'm about to die" skill. The best time to use it is when your commander says to push through a big group all the way to the other side. Using the Plague 2 will mitigate a lot of the melee damage coming your team's way. It can also be used to chase down a smaller group of people that you want to perma-cripple with Plague 3.
Main Skill Rotation
Use your wells on commander calls (null fields/CC/All damage on me). Think of your or staff skills as utilities (chill to slow an enemy/fear to lock down a portal) but it is not in the main rotation just there to power up the Necro's Death Shroud. As for your Axe skills use the 2 skill to refill your life force and the 5>3 combo to whenever they are off cool down and your life force isn't full.