Testing new PvP builds/traits - why I dropped all the Shroud based stuff

[Mega Skeleton.8259]

TLDR TLDR

**By now i'm basically running a decently modified standard scourge. The lack of control over entering/exiting shroud, the long cooldown on it makes the shroud offerings a LOT less attractive. I think tuning down the effect of Desert Shroud (F5), lowering the cooldown, and offering the ability to drop it at will would do wonders for these new traits, by keeping scourge in the running for them, and adding your control to your shroud based traits.**

 

I've been trying the past few days to make a PvP build work that featured a lot of the new trait reworks, specifically, all the new shroud entering/exiting stuff. It was all very exciting, but spoilers: It tended not to work out well.

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Heads up- I'm semi casual, only breaking into Platinum for a little bit last season, and decay hitting me leaving me in T3 gold for most the season when I'd play for dailies.**

 

1. Reaper Shroud - You get bursted down too quickly to make use of bonus damage from RS. Reaper trait lines offer too little otherwise to power/hybrid builds to really leverage this.

2. Celestial Amulet - Works decently, is a solid defensive amulet that I think plays to Necro strengths, but bear in mind it's just about in line with other 4 stat amulets, budgetwise, actually slightly less stats overall, but I think the above average defensive capabilities still make it worthwhile to keep working with.

3. Signets - Signets seem to work really well with SOS Grandmaster in Spite and Celestial, lots of bonuses abound.

4. Scourge - Still incredibly strong compared to most other necro offerings, and pretty hard to fight against. Even when I stayed off their Sand Shade they can be a really difficult battle. I'm okay with this.

5. Shroud traits - in light of Point 4- they don't synergize well with the Scourge F5. It takes a lot of careful timing, specifically with the new Unholy Martyr, to not kill yourself immediately. It's a potent trait, and one I enjoyed using, but Scourge's strengths still seem to outweigh using Reaper Shroud or Death Shroud.

6. Core Necro/Death Shroud - I Really like core necro still. Core necro weps lack the AOE of Scourge and Reaper. Shroud is pretty solid AOE damage. Though it still seems like a mix of AOE and focused/targeted damage really is the difference to be able to get important targets down, and I think Necros are still excellent at that. Dagger 3, Axe 3 are very impactful skills in team fights.

 

Longer version:

Note- I've tried to make this work specifically with Celestial Amulet, I think there's a lot of potential there with Necro for a versatile build that can tackle most 1v1s, handle team fights better than average, and offer a lot of flexibility with the build to adapt to your build with small changes in weapons/utilities/traits based on match, or just your general strategy per individual fight.

 

Necros are almost always targeted first, extra damage into the reaper shroud with decreased survivability, I'm fine with this, of course I love the buff and increased focus on Reaper as a power spec, but the traits and the overall package of Reaper seems lacking. Every time I tried to work it into my build I felt like I was missing out on something from all the other trees but Death Magic. This is actually great (and indicative of the difficulties Minions have factoring into the necro package), and a lot of times new ideas I had ended up falling flat, or leaving me with core Necro specs because I liked so much of what our base trees offered. Also I think Death Shroud is really solid, though the DS1 is a lot more difficult to work with compared to RS1.

 

I started with the new Spiteful Spirit, Unholy Martyr, and different attempts at other stuff to work with the third spec with varying results. Unholy Martyr was sometimes spectacular, and Blood Magic in general offers a lot in some fights, but barely anything in others. In some fights I was sucking up 40 stacks of bleeding from allies and cleansing, ressing folks, other fights feeling like it was basically entirely wasted. It's interesting but tough to work with considering how reliably powerful trees like Soul Reaping and Spite are. Curses is a very Hybrid oriented tree, and has some really solid traits, but I feel like it was also outclassed, even when I was running Celestial, which should be a good home for it. Not a terrible thing, good for standard specs to be competitive and I'm sure there's a place for it in some condi builds.

 

 

 

[Mega Skeleton.8259]

Now I'm trying out a Cele Scourge, with some power main weapons (D/D, A/T), gives me a nice mix of damage, and sand shades + scourge giving me solid access to condi damage when I want it, or vice versa. I also run 4 signets, which is working decently, with a big focus on stripping boons, and benefits from it (through scourge, instead of straight damage). I think I'm getting somewhere. Whats your experience testing new Necro stuff? I sincerely think making Scourge play nicer with shroud skills, giving it something like a standard 10s cooldown, maybe 15 base to offset other benefits, and at the very least the ability to drop it manually just to benefit from the new Unholy Martyr, would make things more interesting. I'm not opposed to scourge and like it a lot, but it's weird for ArenaNet to pay attention to Shroud traits while ignoring how weird Scourge works with shroud. It does not feel natural right now.