Scourge Support Builds (PvE)

[koopatroopa.5360]

We were told by Anet that we are a "heavy support build" so is there anyone having some success with playing a support build? I know we lack some key components for being a real support spec but I'm just curious if there are people making it work.

 

I've seen some posts of Clerics and Shaman gear sets and I'm curious how well they do in fractals and to an extent, raids.

 

 

[Sephylon.4938]

Short answer: not very well in raids. In fractals, you'd be more useful to the party going as a full dps that gives barriers now and again than going full on healing power for barriers as things stand.

 

Long answer, if scourges were to be played as a support class in raids, they would have to compete with the current trinity of supports in raids; chrono, war, and druid. Barriers pale in comparison to any of what those classes offer due to having such a short duration, offering no offensive benefits, and the horrible scaling on barrier making them unwanted in raids. For fractals, you'd basically be better off as a dps due to how much you'd be giving up in dps, and how little you get in return.

 

 

 

Here is a list of skills that apply barriers to allies and their base amounts

sand cascade = 2111

sand flare = 4208

serpent siphon =1293

sand swell = 1618

 

with a full set of apothecary/magi gear, not counting runes, food, utility items, or buffs to keep things simple, the amount of barrier gained from healing power by each skill is as follows:

sand cascade = 1050

sand flare = 541

serpent siphon = 1712

sand swell = 1036

So by giving up expertise, and most of your condi damage stat/ your ferocity and your power stat, sand cascade and sand swell will now grant an additional 1k barrier to allies, with only serpent siphon being a near acceptable gain at 1.7k barrier, and sand flare gaining a pitiful 541 additional barrier from having healing power as a main stat.

 

Now, from these numbers alone, you might think that serpent siphon is a good skill to use due to it gaining the most out of healing power. But remember that serpent siphon doesn't grant barriers to allies directly: it creates 1 shiny for each foe you hit with it, that your allies have to move to and pick up to get a barrier. This could lead them to more danger than them not having barriers in the first place as the shiny can and will most likely drop on the fire so to speak. Additionally, it's only 1 shiny per foe. If you only hit 1 foe, only 1 of your allies will get a chance to get a 3005 barrier that will stat to decay after less than 2 seconds over 5 seconds, not counting any damage sustained during that period. Also, a guildy and I tested out the effects of outgoing healing on barriers. It has none. Plus, you also have the fact that agony will cut your barrier application by 70%.

 

On the plus side, transfusion will now pulse for 714 per pulse + outgoing healing modifiers with each cast of garish pillar 9x every 15 seconds. (assuming you can keep your lf up for it) Just remember that that comes with a fear and will probably cause mobs to move out of the aoes of allies, and will more than likely annoy the group more than anything.

 

[Sceletonx.7481]

dont even try, waste of money. Necro is one of the worst classes in game when it comes to support, including scourge.