User:Lady Elyssa/Builds/Necromancer

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Some of the open world builds found here may be outdated and have been left here for reference. Please check my main characters pages for some up-to-date options.

— Lady Elyssa

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Elementalist

Engineer

Guardian

Mesmer

Necromancer

Ranger

Revenant

Thief

Warrior

 

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The criteria used for all the open worlds builds is here.

Open World PvE Necromancer Group Build

Dagger + Warhorn / Torch Marshal Healing Scourge

Provides support through barrier, life siphon, transfusion heals and revives.

Life stealing

Barrier

• Shade: Manifest Sand Shade
• Shade: Sand Cascade
• Shade: Desert Shroud
• Heal: Sand Flare
• Serpent Siphon

Might

• Shade: Sand Cascade
• Shade: Desert Shroud
• Punishment skills

Open World PvE Necromancer Solo Builds

Power Builds

Damage is dealt directly and takes effect immediately.

Axe + Focus / Staff MM Necro

An easy to play build that provides plenty of fortitude that lets you focus more on game play and what is going on around you. Keep your minions up on their feet with Staff 2: Mark of Blood and Death Shroud 4: Life Transfer. Minions take your conditions from you and siphon health from their target and transfer it to you.

Greatsword / Axe + Focus Shout Reaper

Reaper Shouts provide you with Might, Vuln, Life Force, Life Steal and send conditions to your foes.

Variants

• Blood Magic for additional Life Siphon.

Mighty Chill Reaper

Chilling your foes inflicts them with Vulnerability and provides you with Might.

Damage

• Superior Rune of Ice - Deal +7% damage against chilled foes.
• Spite: Close to Death - Deal +20% damage to enemies below 50% health.
• Reaper: Cold Shoulder Chill lasts 20% longer and chilled foes take 15% more damage from your attacks.

Might

• On Crit
• Spite: Siphoned Power - Gain Might when you strike a foe below 50% health.
• Reaper: Chilling Victory - Striking a chilled foe grants Might (8s) and Life Force.

Chilled

• Focus 5: Spinal Shivers
• Greatsword 1: Chilling Scythe
• Greatsword 4: Nightfall
• Greatsword 5: Grasping Darkness
• Utility: Spectral Grasp
• Utility: "Suffer!"
• Utility: Signet of Spite
• Elite: "Chilled to the Bone!"
• Superior Rune of Ice - Surround yourself with an Ice Nova (Chilled 3s) after using an Elite Skill.
• Spite: Chill of Death - Cast Lesser Spinal Shivers on a foe below 50% health (Chilled 5s)
• Reaper: Chilling Nova - Critical Hits against chilled foes cause an explosion that chils adjacent foes.
• Reaper: Shivers of Dread - Inflicting Fear also inflicts Chilled.

Vulnerability

• Focus 4: Soul Grasp
• Axe 1: Rending Claws
• Spite: Bitter Chill - Chilling a foe inflicts vulnerability.
• Spite: Death's Embrace - Inflict vulnerability on foes below 50% health

Variants

• Curses Variant
  • Curses: Chilling Darkness - Blinding a target will also apply chill.
  • Utility: Well of Darkness
• If there are other sources providing vulnerability, can swap Bitter Chill for Spiteful Talisman for a 10% damage increase.
• Corsair Sharpening Stone provides about 2% more condition duration.
• Staff instead of Axe + Focus
• Elite: Reaper of Grenth is a good thematic option for Human players.

MM Reaper

Variant

• Grenth’s Reaper Knight of Fortitude

Mighty Minion Scourge

Scourge goes one step further with their Minions, not only protecting their otherwise disposable creations with Barrier but also granting them Might in the process.

 

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Condition Builds

Deals damage over time.

For strong Bosses without adds, Epidemic can be swapped out for Spectral Grasp or Corrupt Boon.

Make good use of Dagger 4 - Deathly Swarm to send your self inflicted conditions to your target.

Sinister Necro

Variants

• Dire Gear for more survivability for a small damage loss.

Viper Necro

Variants

• Trailblazer Gear for more survivability for a small damage loss

Condi Reaper

Variants

• Chocolate Omnomberry Cake increases Chill Duration.

Condi Scourge

Variants

• Aristocracy to help maintain Might.
• Trailblazer Gear for more survivability for a small damage loss.
• 2 x Afflicted + 2 x Balthazar + 2 x Trapper and a Bowl of Fire Meat Chilli

 

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Tanking Builds

These make use of High Toughness (vs direct damage), Vitality (vs Conditions) or Damage Resistance.

Axe + Focus / Staff Power MM Necro

As per regular MM Necro but now with even more sustain.

Greatsword / Axe + Focus Power Reaper Knights Captain

• Video

Gear

• Captain’s Trinkets

Amulets

• Exotic - Emerald Orich Amulet can be crafted or bought off TP
• Ascended - Protomatter Chain
• Ascended - Third-Place Medal

Rings

• Exotic - Emerald Orich Ring can be crafted or bought off TP
• Ascended - Band of the Brotherhood
• Ascended - Cirque of Arah

Accessory

• Exotic - Emerald Orich Earring can be crafted or bought off TP
• Ascended - Big Mama's Tooth
• Ascended - Molten Ore

Variants

• Valkyrie Armor pieces can be used instead of Cavalier for an approx 5% damage increase, trading toughness for vitality also provides approx 15% more Life Force.
• In longer fights against bosses you can switch in the utility skill Signet of Spite and make use of Spite - Signets of Suffering for a marginal 2% extra damage overall.
• Soul Reaping: Soul Barbs can provide a 10% damage increase for 10secs.
• Reaper: Soul Eater can be taken for some additional sustain.
• "Rise!" can be taken for an additional 33% damage reduction.
• The Superior Rune of Vampirism is also a solid choice in mob rich environments.
• Focus or Warhorn can be used to suit.
• Vs Mobs Spite: Close to Death and Reaper: Reaper's Onslaught are better for clearing open world mobs.

Scepter + Dagger / Torch Trailblazer Undead Scourge

Variants

• Curses: Parasitic Contagion can be taken for some additional sustain if needed.

 

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Utility Builds

Boons / Support / Healing / Condi Cleanse

Axe + Focus / Staff Minion Wells

Variants

• Swap Blood Magic - Vampiric Rituals for Transfusion
• Soul Reaping
• * Swap Speed of Shadow for Soul Marks for more Life Force
• * Swap Foot in the Grave for Death Perception for 99% Crit

Krait Shaman Condi Support Scourge (80% Bleeding Duration)

Variants

• Krait Apothecary Condi Support Scourge (80% Bleeding Duration)
• Runes of Scavenging

 

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Thematic

These builds are focused around a particular theme and include gear suggestions (where feasible) for those who appreciate the theme and look of their characters over a dry DPS build.

Norn / Svanir Reaper of Jormag

Variants

• Can run Sinister / Viper Gear with Ice Runes.
• Sigil of Ice can be swapped for Hydromancy for Chill on Weapon Swap

Weapons

• Corrupted Weapons - These are the corrupted forms of the Norn Shaman's Etched weapons
• Frostforged weapons

Armor

• Norn cultural armor
• Koda's Light Armor
• Grenth Hood Skin
• Reaper's Hood
• Shadow of Grenth
• Relic of Grenth

Outfit

• Male Norn Wedding Attire

Additional Information

Table of necromancer combo skills

Swiftness / Movement Skills

• Spectral Walk
• Signet of the Locust 25% movement.
• Warhorn 5: Locust Swarm
• Blood Magic: Quickening Thirst 25% Movement Speed while wielding dagger.
• Soul Reaping: Speed of Shadows grants Swiftness when entering Shroud.
• Reaper - Reaper's Shroud 2: Death's Charge.
• Scourge - Trail of Anguish
• Scourge - Sand Swell

Survivability

• High base Vitality.
• Death / Reaper Shroud.
• Blood Magic for Life Siphon.
• Death Magic + Minions for extra Toughness.

Condi Cleanse

• Heal: Consume Conditions.
• Elite: Lich Form (Grim Specter)
• Traits:
  • Death Magic - Shrouded Removal
  • Spite - Spiteful Renewal
  • Blood Magic - Unholy Martyr (Enter / Exit Shroud)
  • Scourge - Abrasive Grit (grant ally Barrier).

Crowd Control

Staff

• 5 - Reaper’s Mark

Warhorn

• 4 - Wail of Doom

Torch (Scourge Only)

• 5 - Oppressive Collapse

Shroud Skills

• Necro - Tainted Shackles, Doom, Dark Path
• Reaper - Infusing Terror > Terrify
• Scourge - Garish Pillar

Utility Skills

• Soft CC - Well of Darkness, Spectral Grasp, Spectral Wall, Signet of Spite, Bone Fiend: Rigor Mortis, Shadow Fiend: Haunt, Poison Cloud,
• Scourge Only - Trail of Anguish, Dessicate, Sand Swell, Serpent Siphon

Elite Skills

• Flesh Golem > Charge
• Reaper Only: “Chilled to the Bone!”

Pro Tip

When using Scholar Runes, activate your Shroud while over 90% Health to maintain the +10% damage bonus for longer as the bonus remains while in Shroud, with your life force taking the brunt of any incoming attacks.