If you use Anti-toxin Runes, Settle for a Sigil of Purity over Cleansing

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

Okay okay. Sounds crazy. But recently, I've been experimenting with [sigil of Purity](http://https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Sigil_of_Purity "Sigil of Purity") over [sigil of Cleansing ](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Sigil_of_Cleansing "Sigil of Cleansing ")on my melle set, and it is amazing. The trick here is that sigil effects from your current weapon will stick with you while in shroud form. So you can in addition to cleansing a condition, cleanse an extra condition every 4 seconds, while Dealing damage in shroud. If you use Death Magic like me, along with shrouded removal, you are removing 2 conditions every 3 seconds, AND 2 conditions every 4 seconds. **The sigil will only proc when you have a condition on you**, so it will activate when you NEED it too (which is great). You become **an anti-condi god** and you basically laugh at any scourge or condi-mesmer that thinks you are an ez target. Another reason this sigil is better than cleansing in some scenario's, is because conditions will tend to deal their damage over time, and thus the longer these conditions remain on you, the more value they are attaining for the enemy. Cleansing sigils will force you to weapon swap, and will cleanse conditions at intervals associated with your ability to weapon swap , which means you might have to keep a torment or bleeding stack(s) on you longer than it needs to be. With Purity, they get removed as soon as possible, keeping you clear of conditions as much as possible and thus reducing the value of any condition stacking. In a way, Purity is a sustained condi-removal tool (so if you are fighting a class that tries to pressure you with conditions, this will counter that) and Cleansing is a burst condi-removal tool.

 

To take full advantage of this sigil, you need to try and meet the following 3 criteria

 

1) Play dagger

2) Use Death Magic (Shrouded Removal)

3) Use Anti-Toxin Rune

 

Don't be scared about the Flanking requirment on the Sigil. Flanking is a 270degree window of opportunity on the enemy character, and in shroud as long as you pass through your enemy while dealing damage, you will proc this sigil when it is needed, and you only need to have one damage packet land, while you are positioned in this 270 degree window.

 

You don't HAVE to play dagger, it's just better at dealing damage in smaller packets that can trigger the sigil more often. With Greatsword, autoattack isn't even a logical function on that weapon and so you have less opportunities for damage packets to go through your opponent, and thus you won't be able to trigger the sigil as often as you would like.

 

Personally i play this build now (One Sigil of Purity on my Melle weapon, and One Sigil of Cleansing on my ranged set.)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQRBHbhG2JHNQtNYfNgrNA9mYBawkaABglFVLoH8piThtwaIA-jVyHQBK7BAwr9HKrqKA4kAoQlgdT/Q7UrofK/MwRAYdwAw3Dg////G//////vUABOcD-w

 

Have fun.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

you'll have a lot of trouble convincing me that concentration on necro is a useful stat, but purity makes sense.

 

edit

meant to say purity.

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

> @"Stand The Wall.6987" said:

> you'll have a lot of trouble convincing me that concentration on necro is a useful stat, but cleansing makes sense.

 

Post Soul Reaping rework, concentration did lose a lot of value...pretty much every necro build suffered with the changes to Spectral skills, with Spectral walk being the only non-negative trade we received. (more condi cleanse :) ...and less duration :/ )

 

Although, the Purity Sigil works on any build with or without concentration (as long as you have Anti-toxin Runes),

The way this build is set up, it's optimal to have concentration still, over any other remaining stat (healing power or ferocity). Vitality would be the only other thing you'd want to spec for, but it's really up to you and how you like to play. Me? I like having lots of sick boons like the boonbeasts man. But hey if you like 40k hp and a 30k life force bar? that's cool too.

[felincyriac.5981]

> @"Stand The Wall.6987" said:

> you'll have a lot of trouble convincing me that concentration on necro is a useful stat, but cleansing makes sense.

 

I messed around a bit with it on a feed from corruption scourge build, had some good times but it's a bit gimmicky.

[KrHome.1920]

> @"Stand The Wall.6987" said:

> you'll have a lot of trouble convincing me that concentration on necro is a useful stat, but cleansing makes sense.

I replaced marauder with commander in WvW recently and it's way better on spite/soul reaping/onslaught builds. Commander was useless a few months ago because reaper had only limited condi cleansing options and the limited critical damage on commander did hurt against condi builds.

 

The rune and sigil rework boosted this gear a lot. The increased might/quickness/stability duration on top of all that new cleansing results in a strong stat combination. It has also a better synergy with scholar rune now which adds another flat 125 ferocity instead of some above 90% health damage.

 

> @"JusticeRetroHunter.7684" said:

> 1) Play dagger

> 2) Use Death Magic (Shrouded Removal)

> 3) Use Anti-Toxin Rune

And that's the problem!

 

Dagger: trash

Death Magic: trash

Antitoxin: no power stats

 

You are crippling yourself so much with these things, that condi cleanses for days are not worth it. I don't get why so many people are obsessed with sustaining condi mirages. It's a waste of time to fight them anyway (they can always run away and come back) and why should I weaken myself to every other encounter just to be able to survive that single overpowered spec?

 

[Kotte.2460]

> @"KrHome.1920" said:

> > @"Stand The Wall.6987" said:

> > you'll have a lot of trouble convincing me that concentration on necro is a useful stat, but cleansing makes sense.

> I replaced marauder with commander in WvW recently and it's way better on spite/soul reaping/onslaught builds. Commander was useless a few months ago because reaper had only limited condi cleansing options and the limited critical damage on commander did hurt against condi builds.

>

> The rune and sigil rework boosted this gear a lot. The increased might/quickness/stability duration on top of all that new cleansing results in a strong stat combination. It has also a better synergy with scholar rune now which adds another flat 125 ferocity instead of some above 90% health damage.

>

> > @"JusticeRetroHunter.7684" said:

> > 1) Play dagger

> > 2) Use Death Magic (Shrouded Removal)

> > 3) Use Anti-Toxin Rune

> And that's the problem!

>

> Dagger: trash

> Death Magic: trash

> Antitoxin: no power stats

>

> You are crippling yourself so much with these things, that condi cleanses for days are not worth it. I don't get why so many people are obsessed with sustaining condi mirages. It's a waste of time to fight them anyway (they can always run away and come back) and why should I weaken myself to every other encounter just to be able to survive that single overpowered spec?

>

 

It's called counters, though that argument is invalid, cause anet doesn't know how to balance, thus making counter builds, be any use

[KrHome.1920]

It isn't a counter because you can't kill it. You can just sustain it. And some mediocre cleanse will buy you enough time to move into a tower/keep or jump into the water and do the trident3 -> RS2 combo to disengage.

[Kotte.2460]

Just pointing out in theory, counters are there, realistically though, they don't exist

[Nimon.7840]

> @"Kotte.2460" said:

> Just pointing out in theory, counters are there, realistically though, they don't exist

 

You can only counter an overpowered class/build with another overpowered class/build right now.

 

Mirage has mobility/disengage, dmg, sustain.

Which can only be countered by even more of that (assuming same skill level)

 

And necro in 1v1 is anything but overpowered. It's mediocre at best

[InsaneQR.7412]

You lost me when you said you are using deathmagic.

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

Before this conversation goes off the rails, i'm just going to straighten out some misconceptions people might have. None of these conversations are really about Purity Sigils, but i will humor the current subject of discussion here.

> @"KrHome.1920" said:

> It isn't a counter because you can't kill it. You can just sustain it.

 

> @"Kotte.2460" said:

> Just pointing out in theory, counters are there, realistically though, they don't exist

 

If we are talking about counters. Right now, Mirage, Thief...and essentially any class with the ability to outkite a reaper naturally counters it. This is a fatal flaw in the design of the ranged/disengage potential of gw2 balance. So lets stop the discussion there.

 

However, what Kotte said, you can also counter a condi mirage. Condi mirages damage comes mostly from conditions. Take those away and you successfully counter this spec. Naturally, RESISTANCE is the counter to Condi mirage (and all condition classes.) The only class that can use resistance to counter mirage is....you guessed it. Thief. If you meet a thief that cant beat a mirage, it's because they aren't trying hard enough to land their steal.

 

So yes, what Krhome said about not being able to kill it just sustain it...yes that is the reality if we are talking about a vacuum in which you and the opposing mesmer use their counters to their fullest potential. Neither will be able to kill the other and the duel will never end. Yes this happens to me on occasion, with a very tanky, and very good mirage player. If we aren't in a vacuum, you will meet mesmers less experienced and they become an easy kill because we as necromancers here know we can use Flesh wurm and RS2 to catch a kiting foe!

 

> @"KrHome.1920" said:

>And some mediocre cleanse will buy you enough time to move into a tower/keep or jump into the water and do the trident3 -> RS2 combo to disengage.

 

I would Say that the cleansing on this build with the sigil is far from mediocre...in fact i think its the best in the game with the equivalent effectiveness of [Diamond Skin](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Diamond_Skin "Diamond Skin"). Diamond skin removes 4 conditions per 4 seconds. This Purity + Shrouded Removal+ Anti-toxin combo will also remove 4 conditions every 4 seconds. Of course, Diamond Skin + Antitoxin becomes the best, with a whopping 8 conditions per 4 seconds...but now this is reaching the theoretical cap in terms of condition application vs removal.