Minions And their Traits

[Lily.1935]

> @"SunTzu.4513" said:

> Imo the best solution or rework would something like commanding skills like in the enemy of my enemy quest where you commanding the mummys. This has great potential for a decent amount of control on our minions. Also it would turn the whole thing into a way more active way to play.

 

I'm not a fan of this personally. But if it was to happen, it would need to be on an elite spec.

[Rym.1469]

The PoF story mission was brought up a couple times after the expansion launch, but I'll repeat myself on it: It was a fun one-time minigame that got a bit boring after playing it for the second time already.

 

Trying to make elite specialization out of it would take all the issues minions have and escalate them to a whole new level. It'd be a distaster if you were to actually PvP, hell, even do instanced PvE with it at any level.

 

It's one of those things that are better kept to a single instance or to open world where everything, no matter how impractical, works.

[Lahmia.2193]

> @"Lily.1935" said:

> > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > First problem with minion traits is that the best one isn't even in Death Magic aka the minion traitline. Vampiric is far and away the best minion trait.

>

> This is absolutely false. Necromantic Corruption is absolutely the best minion trait. Its not even close after that. a 25% DPS boost plus condition transfer per minion. IF the minion master build had stronger teeth to it this trait would be the first and possibly only one to be nerfed. It is a remnant of early GW2 design and is a rare case that it would be way way too good if we were to ever get a dedicated Minion master elite spec.

 

On paper yes, it does seem good. But in reality NC is pretty negligible in the areas you would run minions. The damage boost would be good if, as you say, the minions hit harder. But they don't so it isn't. And the condi draw again seems great but pve generally lacks enough condi to make it really worthwhile.

As someone that has used minions often in the past to breeze through certain content, I've never bothered with Death Magic whilst always taking Blood for the sustain from Vampiric. The Death traits just aren't worthwhile.

[Lily.1935]

> @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > @"Lily.1935" said:

> > > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > > First problem with minion traits is that the best one isn't even in Death Magic aka the minion traitline. Vampiric is far and away the best minion trait.

> >

> > This is absolutely false. Necromantic Corruption is absolutely the best minion trait. Its not even close after that. a 25% DPS boost plus condition transfer per minion. IF the minion master build had stronger teeth to it this trait would be the first and possibly only one to be nerfed. It is a remnant of early GW2 design and is a rare case that it would be way way too good if we were to ever get a dedicated Minion master elite spec.

>

> On paper yes, it does seem good. But in reality NC is pretty negligible in the areas you would run minions. The damage boost would be good if, as you say, the minions hit harder. But they don't so it isn't. And the condi draw again seems great but pve generally lacks enough condi to make it really worthwhile.

> As someone that has used minions often in the past to breeze through certain content, I've never bothered with Death Magic whilst always taking Blood for the sustain from Vampiric. The Death traits just aren't worthwhile.

 

When Minions have been good the necromancer has been nearly immune to conditions in PvP. I know, I ran a bunker build with minions before HoT and it was nigh unkillable. And some conditions did get through that build because you couldn't have too many minions. And after the expansion with the Lich build You used a full set of corruption skills with Blood fiend and Lich. Blood is power, Corrosive poison cloud, Epidemic. You not only never suffered from your own conditions, you easily transferred them all too and when enemies did inflict them they were gone instantly. You didn't take Blood in that build because of how good Curses and Death worked with it. Its not a "On paper" thing, its been tested and proven.

[Lahmia.2193]

> @"Lily.1935" said:

> > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > > @"Lily.1935" said:

> > > > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > > > First problem with minion traits is that the best one isn't even in Death Magic aka the minion traitline. Vampiric is far and away the best minion trait.

> > >

> > > This is absolutely false. Necromantic Corruption is absolutely the best minion trait. Its not even close after that. a 25% DPS boost plus condition transfer per minion. IF the minion master build had stronger teeth to it this trait would be the first and possibly only one to be nerfed. It is a remnant of early GW2 design and is a rare case that it would be way way too good if we were to ever get a dedicated Minion master elite spec.

> >

> > On paper yes, it does seem good. But in reality NC is pretty negligible in the areas you would run minions. The damage boost would be good if, as you say, the minions hit harder. But they don't so it isn't. And the condi draw again seems great but pve generally lacks enough condi to make it really worthwhile.

> > As someone that has used minions often in the past to breeze through certain content, I've never bothered with Death Magic whilst always taking Blood for the sustain from Vampiric. The Death traits just aren't worthwhile.

>

> When Minions have been good the necromancer has been nearly immune to conditions in PvP. I know, I ran a bunker build with minions before HoT and it was nigh unkillable. And some conditions did get through that build because you couldn't have too many minions. And after the expansion with the Lich build You used a full set of corruption skills with Blood fiend and Lich. Blood is power, Corrosive poison cloud, Epidemic. You not only never suffered from your own conditions, you easily transferred them all too and when enemies did inflict them they were gone instantly. You didn't take Blood in that build because of how good Curses and Death worked with it. Its not a "On paper" thing, its been tested and proven.

 

Yes they were good in the past, back before elite specs or when you could abuse Lich Form. But now they are basically worthless. Also yes I also ran a pvp build back in core. It also used Blood Magic which was keystone in making it almost unkillable (blood/death/soul with sentinel ammy).

[Lily.1935]

> @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > @"Lily.1935" said:

> > > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > > > @"Lily.1935" said:

> > > > > @"Lahmia.2193" said:

> > > > > First problem with minion traits is that the best one isn't even in Death Magic aka the minion traitline. Vampiric is far and away the best minion trait.

> > > >

> > > > This is absolutely false. Necromantic Corruption is absolutely the best minion trait. Its not even close after that. a 25% DPS boost plus condition transfer per minion. IF the minion master build had stronger teeth to it this trait would be the first and possibly only one to be nerfed. It is a remnant of early GW2 design and is a rare case that it would be way way too good if we were to ever get a dedicated Minion master elite spec.

> > >

> > > On paper yes, it does seem good. But in reality NC is pretty negligible in the areas you would run minions. The damage boost would be good if, as you say, the minions hit harder. But they don't so it isn't. And the condi draw again seems great but pve generally lacks enough condi to make it really worthwhile.

> > > As someone that has used minions often in the past to breeze through certain content, I've never bothered with Death Magic whilst always taking Blood for the sustain from Vampiric. The Death traits just aren't worthwhile.

> >

> > When Minions have been good the necromancer has been nearly immune to conditions in PvP. I know, I ran a bunker build with minions before HoT and it was nigh unkillable. And some conditions did get through that build because you couldn't have too many minions. And after the expansion with the Lich build You used a full set of corruption skills with Blood fiend and Lich. Blood is power, Corrosive poison cloud, Epidemic. You not only never suffered from your own conditions, you easily transferred them all too and when enemies did inflict them they were gone instantly. You didn't take Blood in that build because of how good Curses and Death worked with it. Its not a "On paper" thing, its been tested and proven.

>

> Yes they were good in the past, back before elite specs or when you could abuse Lich Form. But now they are basically worthless. Also yes I also ran a pvp build back in core. It also used Blood Magic which was keystone in making it almost unkillable (blood/death/soul with sentinel ammy).

 

Blood helped more for sustaining the minions more. The DPS you would take without the transfer was staggering. But beyond that, the healing that Blood provides with the minions is minor. Its not as good as you think. Preventing damage is usually better then recovering from it. And transfer prevents a lot of damage and even recovers from it. But like I said, if we get a minion elite spec you'll see just how potent it actually is. And do note that all minions have their own 10s timer that wont trigger unless they pull a condition. So if you have 10 minions you could transfer 10 conditions in 10 seconds. Its absolutely nuts. its something that would be better suited as an active skill for a Minion master elite spec.

[killfil.3472]

I remember seeing a proposal for a new grandmaster concerning minions.

If memory serves, it allowed minions to gain whatever boons the necromancer granted himself.

cant remember the name tho xD

[Lily.1935]

> @"killfil.3472" said:

> I remember seeing a proposal for a new grandmaster concerning minions.

> If memory serves, it allowed minions to gain whatever boons the necromancer granted himself.

> cant remember the name tho xD

 

This doesn't seem unreasonable. But their issues. First the necromancer doesn't provide many boons. Second they don't benefit from alacrity to my knowledge. It would be a pretty bad grand master if that's all it did.