I love the elite transformations and I still hope for the return of Plague

[Black Storm.6974]

Years ago Arenanet removed “Plague” from the game. It was a useful skill, even if not as useful as it used to be (since the big condition rework, it was not as tanky as it used to be in PvP and WvW). It allowed interesting tricks in every game mode, it was really versatile, and it was my favourite skill.

 

We got in return a totally different skill (“Plaguelands”), a skill that I never really enjoyed. For me, it was just “a condition mess”.

 

I still hope for the return of Plague, maybe as a “new” elite skill (not exactly as it was before, or it would make necromancers too tanky).

 

I hope they will not remove Lichform too, our last elite transformation.

[KrHome.1920]

They might have removed it anyway this patch because it granted stability to core. But maybe also not because it would compete with lich... who knows.

 

The skill could shine again with lower damage numbers. It had been killed by the damage powercreep before.

 

To me it was a better elite than lich form (speaking about transformations). But overall all core elite skills are horrible.

 

In wvw your encounters did spam /laugh emotes at you when you entered plague, because it was so useless and you were just postponing your inevitable death. In pvp it was just another bunker skill that would drive people crazy today if core still had it on top of its sustain.

[Kodama.6453]

Well, Plague got changed because Anet decided to change all elite skills to fit in one of the already existing skill categories for each class. Same for Mortar, which got changed into the Mortar Kit, for example.

 

Now Plaguelands works like other corruption skills for the Necromancer. Changing Lich into something that aligns more with the other spectral skills would actually make sense, but I guess Anet simply wasn't able to come up with something for this particular skill.

[Black Storm.6974]

If I’m not wrong Plague became a corruption skill before the release of Plaguelands.

 

Lichform is a spectral skill, but necromancer do not have any trait related to spectral skills (not anymore).

[Kodama.6453]

> @"Black Storm.6974" said:

> If I’m not wrong Plague became a corruption skill before the release of Plaguelands.

>

> Lichform is a spectral skill, but necromancer do not have any trait related to spectral skills (not anymore).

 

Gluttony can kinda be seen as a spectral trait, considering that every single spectral skill (including Lich) grants life force. Gluttony will enhance the life force you gain from these skills.

 

And yes, Plague might have got the "Corruption" tag before it got changed to Plaguelands. But the old Plague skill did not function like a corruption skill at all. My guess is that they later changed the skill to make it similar in functionality like the other corruption skills.

[Black Storm.6974]

Thank you for reminding me of Gluttony.

 

Plague used to have self bleeding every second when it became a corruption skills, later changed to make us bleed only on activation.

 

July 07, 2015

This skill no longer inflicts bleeding every second while it is active.

Instead, it inflicts 10 seconds of bleeding when it is first activated.

When traited with Master of Corruption, it inflicts 4 seconds of poison.

June 23, 2015 Specialization update:

This skill is now considered a corruption skill and applies 1 stack of bleeding for 2 seconds every second it is active on you.

Increased the poison duration from 1 second to 2 seconds per pulse.

[KrHome.1920]

> @"Kodama.6453" said:

> Well, Plague got changed because Anet decided to change all elite skills to fit in one of the already existing skill categories for each class. Same for Mortar, which got changed into the Mortar Kit, for example.

No, plague has been in the corruption category, applied selfbleed and did benefit from the corruption trait.

 

They just thought "let's rework it for no reason".

 

_edit: Black Storm already said it..._

 

 

[Black Storm.6974]

They said (16/05/2017 patch notes): _Secondarily, we've long felt that the Plague elite was lackluster and was in need of a rework._

 

 

It was probably the most used necromancer elite skill, it was used in every game mode. I don’t understand how they felt it was lackluster. Maybe because it was not increasing our condition dps.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

plague was necros only defense outside of shroud. its one of the biggest nerfs to core necro to ever go through.

 

plaguelands is a useless trash heap, and it gave necros exactly what they needed more of, _condi spam_.

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"Black Storm.6974" said:

> They said (16/05/2017 patch notes): _Secondarily, we've long felt that the Plague elite was lackluster and was in need of a rework._

>

>

> It was probably the most used necromancer elite skill, it was used in every game mode. I don’t understand how they felt it was lackluster. Maybe because it was not increasing our condition dps.

 

Well, ANet's devs have their way with words... That's why I don't take what they say at face value.