Curse

Kapral · Dec 12, 2007, 10:44 PM // 22:44

Hey all,

I just started playing GW about 2 weeks ago after my girlfriend decided to start playing again also. I got my first char (R/Mo) up to lvl 20 in GW:EN, and am still very lost in this game haha. After I found that I was having a difficult time with my ranger I decided to go back to the first class, a necro.

I have read as much as I possibly could about them, and I have decided to go as a N/Me with SS but still have a few questions. Oh, and I will be buying an elite tome soon, I have to get about 1k more.

1) I know that I have to have as many physical damage dealers because I am using Mark of Pain and Barbs. Is it worth a space to put some kind of Raise XX on my skill bar? Such as Raise Bone Horro

2) How exactly does Arcane Echo work?

3) So far I am looking at this as my bar:
[skill]Arcane Echo[/skill][skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Barbs[/skill][skill]Mark of Pain[/skill][skill]Awaken the Blood[/skill][skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]
What else should I add?

4) What should I do for my attributes if I add Raise Horrors? Without?

5) What are the quests that give you the +15 attribute points?

I think that's all. If you could answer a few of these questions that would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I have Prophecy, Nightfall, and GW:EN. Thanks infusco

infusco · Dec 12, 2007, 11:54 PM // 23:54

1) Most of us can offer many suggestions as to additional spells to put on your bar, but we would need to know what campaigns you have access to. I'll discuss the Animate spells shortly.

2) Arcane Echo ... you cast Arcane Echo first, which enchants you with that spell for 20 seconds. Afterwards, you cast another spell of your choosing. The moment that second spell goes off, Arcane Echo on your skillbar is replaced by that spell you just cast, and this for 20 seconds.

3) So far, those are good skills, although we would definately need to know which campaign you have access to to offer suggestions.

4) Okay ... here's the kicker. When it comes to raising minions, what is referred to as playing a Minion Master, you need to max out in Death Magic, with a Death Magic head piece and a Superior Death Magic Rune for a total of 16 Death Magic. While others may argue this, you really need this to make your minions as high level as possible to be able to actually inflict damage on monsters of levels 20 and up. There are other builds that incorporate raising minions to create a side effect, such as Ritualist Minion Bombers, but a true Minion Master needs Death Magic to be as high as possible.

That being said, you should try and keep your Soul Reaping as high as you can make it also as you will need the energy it provides you to keep raising minions, but whether you believe you should invest in Healing Prayers or Blood Magic in addition to that for the self heals, I leave to you.

5) We need to know under which campaign you created this necro to be able to tell you.

Kapral · Dec 13, 2007, 12:47 AM // 00:47

Sorry about that. I have Prophecy, Nightfall, and GW:EN. I have added this to my first post now.

Thanks for the help that you have given me though :-D

Moloch Vein · Dec 13, 2007, 12:52 AM // 00:52

Character created in NF or P?

Kapral · Dec 13, 2007, 12:53 AM // 00:53

It was created in Prophecies.

Moloch Vein · Dec 13, 2007, 01:03 AM // 01:03

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Attribute_quests

Also, forget minion spells on an SS, unless you want to use Animate Bone Minions as an energy battery, in which case you only need 0 in Death Magic (or maybe 3).

Harrier's haste · Dec 13, 2007, 01:12 AM // 01:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapral

5) What are the quests that give you the +15 attribute points?

It's a special quest given only to PROPHECIES characters. So unless your character is made from the 1st gw, it's impossible for other race characters to get it.(elonian or asian(factions)) It's in Crystal Desert btw.

enmitee · Dec 13, 2007, 01:43 AM // 01:43

you might wanna add enfeebling blood or an enchantment strip. and a leech signet doesnt hurt to

infusco · Dec 13, 2007, 04:29 AM // 04:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harrier's haste

It's a special quest given only to PROPHECIES characters. So unless your character is made from the 1st gw, it's impossible for other race characters to get it.(elonian or asian(factions)) It's in Crystal Desert btw.

Harrier, just a side note ... every campaign has it's own series of attribute quests, although each campaign's attribute quests are only available to those characters created under that campaign.

Draginvry · Dec 13, 2007, 07:30 AM // 07:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moloch Vein

Also, forget minion spells on an SS, unless you want to use Animate Bone Minions as an energy battery

Does that still work? It seems like after the SR nerf, bringing energy management is much more reliable than trying to rely on SR.

System_Crush · Dec 13, 2007, 08:58 AM // 08:58

Quote:

I just started playing GW about 2 weeks ago after my girlfriend decided to start playing again also.

Girlfriend plays a game, followed by her guy also playing that game.
Did I fall trough a mirror and land on my head or something? O.o

I'm not surprised that girls play GW, I'm surprised that girls try to get their man behind a computer. The opposite always happens to me

Pick Me · Dec 13, 2007, 04:12 PM // 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapral

Hey all,

I just started playing GW about 2 weeks ago after my girlfriend decided to start playing again also. I got my first char (R/Mo) up to lvl 20 in GW:EN, and am still very lost in this game haha. After I found that I was having a difficult time with my ranger I decided to go back to the first class, a necro.

I have read as much as I possibly could about them, and I have decided to go as a N/Me with SS but still have a few questions. Oh, and I will be buying an elite tome soon, I have to get about 1k more.

1) I know that I have to have as many physical damage dealers because I am using Mark of Pain and Barbs. Is it worth a space to put some kind of Raise XX on my skill bar? Such as Raise Bone Horro

2) How exactly does Arcane Echo work?

3) So far I am looking at this as my bar:
[skill]Arcane Echo[/skill][skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Barbs[/skill][skill]Mark of Pain[/skill][skill]Awaken the Blood[/skill][skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]
What else should I add?

4) What should I do for my attributes if I add Raise Horrors? Without?

5) What are the quests that give you the +15 attribute points?

I think that's all. If you could answer a few of these questions that would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I have Prophecy, Nightfall, and GW:EN. Thanks infusco

1) Mark of Pain and Barbs are good with an MM, however, you don't need to add Minions to your skill bar. Get a hero to create the minions.

2) As said before, it is an enchantment, and will copy the very next spell you cast. This will mean you can cast the same spell twice, one right after the other.

3) [skill]parasitic bond[/skill][skill]signet of lost souls[/skill]

5) There is a spirit in the Crystal Desert (in one of the cities) who tells you to talk to a Serpent guy in the Desert. Once you talk to the Serpent, he tells you to talk to another Serpent who will reward you with +15 attributes. The other +15 attributes is found by talking to Vyani in Droknar's Forge. Complete Vyani's first quest, then get the 2nd quest. This will take you to Copperhead Mines (or just outside of the city). Complete the quest and get your other +15 attribute reward.

4) Raising minions requires Death Magic. If you are Blood and Curse, don't add Death. If you want to go Death and Soul Reaping, then max both of those. Otherwise, don't spread your attributes too thin, you won't be as effective.

Chthon · Dec 13, 2007, 06:59 PM // 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapral

1) I know that I have to have as many physical damage dealers because I am using Mark of Pain and Barbs. Is it worth a space to put some kind of Raise XX on my skill bar? Such as Raise Bone Horro

No. You don't have enough attribute points to do both tasks effectively. Team with a Minion Master player or bring a Minion Bomber hero. (The hero AI is thoroughly inept at Minion Mastery, but seriously outperforms humans at Minion Bombing.)
Here's a hero Minion Bomber build if you need one:
[skill]Jagged Bones[/skill][skill]Death Nova[/skill][skill]Draw Conditions[/skill][skill]Infuse Condition[/skill][skill]Putrid Flesh[/skill][skill]Animate Bone Minions[/skill][skill]Well of Suffering[/skill][skill]Rebirth[/skill]
Replace rebirth with a rez of your choice if you don't like rebirth on heroes.

Quote:

2) How exactly does Arcane Echo work?

Once you cast it, you become enchanted with "arcane echo." If a foe removes the enchantment, it does nothing. If you use a non-spell skill next, the enchantment ends and does nothing. If you use a spell next, the enchantment ends, a copy of that spell replaces arcane echo on your skillbar for the next 20 seconds, and then it turns back into arcane echo and starts its recharge after that.

Quote:

3) So far I am looking at this as my bar:
[skill]Arcane Echo[/skill][skill]Spiteful Spirit[/skill][skill]Barbs[/skill][skill]Mark of Pain[/skill][skill]Awaken the Blood[/skill][skill]Resurrection Signet[/skill]
What else should I add?

Definitely add [skill]enfeebling blood[/skill].
[skill]Reckless Haste[/skill] is also pretty much a standard on SS bars because it increases SS damage while providing party protection.

Also, be aware that there's an ongoing debate as to whether arcane echo is worthwhile on SS bars post-prophecies.

Quote:

4) What should I do for my attributes...

16 curses, 9 or 10ish soul reaping, 9 or 10ish blood. Probably favor SR over blood a bit.

Quote:

5) What are the quests that give you the +15 attribute points?

See the link provided by Moloch above.

Xylia · Dec 13, 2007, 10:42 PM // 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draginvry

Does that still work? It seems like after the SR nerf, bringing energy management is much more reliable than trying to rely on SR.

SR still provides more than adequate energy. It simply no longer provides devastatingly infinite energy. If you're still having energy problems, signet of lost souls can provide you with a quick energy boos - it is also based on SR, and it gives you a quick self-heal as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chthon

Definitely add [skill]enfeebling blood[/skill].
[skill]Reckless Haste[/skill] is also pretty much a standard on SS bars because it increases SS damage while providing party protection.

Both of these are good choice (normally I prefer their effects to Mark of Pain or Barbs). If you have the PvE skill pain inverter, it synergizes very well with a curses build, and can help you take down tough casting targets that aren't as affected by SS as attacking targets are. Often a tough elementalist will be completely massacred by this spell without any other action from you, leaving you free to deal with other targets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chthon

Also, be aware that there's an ongoing debate as to whether arcane echo is worthwhile on SS bars post-prophecies.

If you do bring arcane echo, make sure to remember that SS isn't the only spell on your skill bar that you can echo. Sometimes you are better off with a copy of something else. I often echo pain inverter if there are several targets in a group that deal AoE, or if I'm fighting an especially difficult boss. My best suggestion for you is to try out arcane echo in different situations - you may find it valuable or not, but no one else can make that decision for you. I bring it with me less than half the time, probably, depending on what I am doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chthon

16 curses, 9 or 10ish soul reaping, 9 or 10ish blood. Probably favor SR over blood a bit.

I rarely bring awaken the blood anymore - it's not a very good buff considering you need to spec a whole new attribute for it. I find that in tougher areas, there are a lot more useful skills than having +2 to my attributes for a few seconds. If I do bring it, I rarely spec more than 6 in blood magic - if the battle lasts longer than that (I believe it's about 30 seconds at 6 blood), then you probably would be better off bringing another curse and placing more points in soul reaping, or bringing something from a secondary class to help your survivability.

Khasar · Dec 14, 2007, 03:01 PM // 15:01

In case you want to see what some people think are the pros/cons of arcane echo, here you go: http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ht=arcane+echo

Imo A.Echo is useful in some places but not worth it in others (mainly high-end areas and HM).

Since you have qwen I would actually suggest not using it and instead run dual 20/20's and bring Ebon Battle Standard of Wisdon instead of arcane echo. this affects your whole party which is nice.

I forget what percentage dual 20/20's let you halve recharge time so if someone could post that for me thx. But w/e it is, with a decent Ebon Vanguard rank you should be able halve your recharge the majority of the time.