Curse

Undead Preacher · Jul 10, 2006, 12:43 PM // 12:43

A Guide to Meleemancing

Profession: Necromancer/ Warrior
Name: Vampric Blade
Type: PvE, PvP
Category: Meleemancer

Introduction

Hello. My name is Naomi Kensha and I will be your instructor in the Art of Meleemancing. This is a hybrid build and is not for everyone. I would only recommend it to people who have experience with both warriors and necromancers in great depth. I would also ask that you completely disregard anything you have heard or that you believe you already know about this advanced character build.

The Meleemancer is just like many other builds that often get played wrong and get a bad reputation. Many try to put points into tactics, carry a shield, and use armor buffs. The people that do this are completely missing the point of this build. A Meleemancer is in no way a tank. You should never be the one to take the agro but should in fact be played somewhat like an assassin. Staying back with the casters until the warrior aggros, then picking your target and quickly spiking him to death. Can you take on the warriors on the front line? Yes, absolutely…. But this should wait until your more experienced with the build. The play style of the Meleemancer will be described in greater detail after we cover a few basics.

Weapon

Now let’s cover your equipment as far as weapons are concerned. Remember you’re a melee/ caster so your advantage over a warrior primary is energy. Not only do you have a much greater amount of energy but also 4 pips of regen, 2 more than the warrior primary. For your weapon remember this is melee so a sword or axe are your options. I will recommend and use a sword for this guide. For this build your going to need a +5 energy max damage sword with a requirement between 7-9. The easiest and cheapest to get would be the +5 energy Katana found from the weapons crafter in Divine Path. This sword cost 10k to craft and you need 40 Iron Ingots and 6 Steel Ingots. So for around 12k total you have your REQ. 9, +5 energy sword. Unfortunately the second most important part of this build is your health so you want to buy a +30 health sword pommel or the best that you can afford. A pre-fix mod is not necessary. I would discourage you from getting a vampric or zealous hilt and if you insist on adding a hilt the most useful would be a 10/10 furious. You should also customize your sword for the extra 20% damage.

OR

Offhand

Now that you have your primary weapon we need to discuss your offhand. I will again remind you that your defense does not in any way base itself on armor level. Being a warrior secondary you will not be able to put points into strength and we will not be putting any points into tactics. If you want to be a shield wielding high armored tank… take a warrior primary. Again the advantage is energy and the ability to cast so for an offhand I recommend the Blood Knife. Its found from a collector in the Marketplace for 5 putrid cyst but there are also green offhands with the same or similar stats. This offhand combined with our sword will give us +60 health and +17 energy.

Armor

Your armor is really your choice as far as skin and stats. The energy and health bonuses would be very beneficial but as long as its max armor than any will do. The one exception is your scar pattern which needs to include the bonus to Blood Magic.

Runes (you will need to apply 3 runes)

1) Superior Blood Magic
2) Minor Soul Reaping
3) Superior Vigor (or major if your low income)

The Build

Before the actual build is laid out I would like to explain another common mistake. Many attempts at this build involve using curses. Sure this tactic can make your opponent more vulnerable but once again your missing the point of this build and are going to find it very hard to stay alive. Along with using a sword we are going to rely on Blood Magic to not only keep us alive but to deal some serious damage at the same time. Below the attributes and skills are listed and a description on the proper use follows.

Attributes (Beginners)
Blood Magic: 16
Soul Reaping: 10
Swordsmanship: 9

Attributes (Advanced User)
Blood Magic: 12
Soul Reaping: 10
Swordsmanship: 12

Skills (Guide Skillbar)
1) Hundred Blades {e}
2) Sun and Moon Slash
3) Silverwing Slash
4) Life Siphon
5) Lifebane Strike/ Shadow Strike (same skill)
6) Vampric Bite/ Vampric Touch (same skill)
7) Vampric Gaze
8) Res Sig (optional slot)

Skills (variation1)
1) Hundred Blades {e}
2) Severe Artery
3) Gash
4) Life Siphon
5) Lifebane Strike/ Shadow Strike (same skill)
6) Vampric Bite/ Vampric Touch (same skill)
7) Vampric Gaze
8) Res Sig (optional slot)

Skills (axe variation)
1) Triple Chop {e}
2) Penetrating Chop/ Dismember
3) Exectioners Strike
4) Life Siphon
5) Lifebane Strike/ Shadow Strike (same skill)
6) Vampric Bite/ Vampric Touch (same skill)
7) Vampric Gaze
8) Res Sig (optional slot)

Warrior Skill Choices

Now taking a closer look at the secondary skills I would like to explain the choices. Starting with why take a warrior elite over a necro elite. Well first off Hundred Blades is just as efficient with 9 points into swordsmanship as it is with 16 as long as you meet your swords requirement. It swings twice at your target as well as ALL adjacent foes. I think this works unbelievably well and after you use this build I’m very confident you will also. Besides the two main elite choices from the necro side for this build are Life Transfer and Grenths Balance. I personally think Life Transfer is terrible, for this build at least. It’s a waste when Life Siphon stacks, last longer, and recharges very fast. As far as Grenths Balance it works very well for Boss soloing but for general pve/pvp its just not worth the elite slot. The other warrior skills also work great. Just like Hundred Blades, Sun and Moon Slash swings twice at your target and is just as powerful for a necromancer primary as it is for a warrior primary. Then Silverwing Slash adds a nice punch for investing a minimal amount of points into swordsmanship. Now lets take a look on how to use the build correctly.

Play Style

Like previously stated you are a Meleemancer, not a tank so let your warrior do the aggroing. After the aggros complete and your standing in the backlines with the casters the fun begins. First off I suggest casting Life Siphon on a minimum of 2-3 foes before entering melee combat. This will provide you with 6-9 health regeneration depending on how many foes you choose to cast it on. After you have “Siphoned” and you have your regen pumping choose your first target. If your new to the build I wouldn’t suggest jumping right in with the warriors on the front line which this build is in fact very capable of doing but it requires practice. First you should pick a caster, your lead attack should always be Lifebane Strike against a full health foe. After casting Lifebane Strike charge into melee using Hundred Blades to deal damage as well as quickly building adrenaline. Use Sun and Moon Slash and Silverwing Slash whenever they are charged and available. Even though you have some nice health regen from Life Siphon you will still be taking damage so your primary heal while in melee combat is Vampric Bite. Do not spam your life steals until your drained of energy. Use your sword attacks to do your primary damage and your vamp skills to heal. Its just an added bonus that while you heal your also doing damage to your target. If your energy is relatively high there is nothing wrong with randomly using the life steals for damage even if you don’t need the heal. When you become more experienced it becomes somewhat of a spike against casters. Just make sure not to leave yourself drained with an attacking foe still alive. No energy = Death for a Meleemancer. So your three sword attacks are just that, attacks… Vampric Bite is your primary heal and also used for damage when your energy allows it. Life Siphon should be cast on multiple foes to give you a constant health regeneration and acts as your lifeline. Lifebane Strike should be used as a lead attack and not a heal. If you need to heal and are not in touch range the last thing you want to do is run into the agro. This is what Vampric Gaze is for. It’s a secondary heal and can be used at range. It can also be used for offense with Vampric Bite when you become comfortable with this style. You should usually have enough energy to use your blood magic skills for both healing and damage, especially with 10 points in soul reaping.

Remember

If you start taking considerable damage or just want a break from the fast paced melee there is no problem with dropping back with the casters. You still have the skills to be an effective team member from the backlines and well as the front. Experience over time is key! Learn your capabilities, how to move from target to target and in and out of agro, learn to balance your blood skills for healing and for damage and you’ll really be impressed by how powerful this build can be.

“Even if a particular combination is not the norm, Necromancers are some of the most flexible characters in the game. They play well offensively and defensively, especially solo. This means you have more choices in how you play your character than for any other primary class.”

“The Necromancer/ Warrior combination is well-rounded. If you play it right, this combo is amazing.”

Quotes from
Prima Strategy Guide

Blackhawk · Jul 11, 2006, 08:42 AM // 08:42

Excellent guide, extremely well written and clear.

Will certainly be having some fun with this

Good Job

Undead Preacher · Jul 11, 2006, 08:44 AM // 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhawk

Excellent guide, extremely well written and clear.

Will certainly be having some fun with this

Good Job

thanks, appreciate your feedback... over 70 views and 1 response is a little disappointing but at least its positive feedback

ty again

Turbobusa · Jul 11, 2006, 12:02 PM // 12:02

interresting. gotta try this and report my feedbacks

Raziel665 · Jul 11, 2006, 02:11 PM // 14:11

Back in the day, I played untill the shiverpeaks as a N/W, then started playing other types of necromancer.

Maybe its time to finnaly give it a try again. Ive missed it.

SparhawkJC · Jul 11, 2006, 04:13 PM // 16:13

Nice build, a couple things though.

A hundred blades at level 12 will much more damage than one at level 9. Why? At level 9 you'll only be doing 77.1% of the listed damage on your sword. Only at level 12 will you be dealing full 100% unless your sword is req 13.

If I could make a suggestion, why don't you try the build using axes? Cyclone axe will give you the AOE melee damage that hundred blades gives (albeit not as much) but will allow you to conserve your elite slot. Sun and Moon Slash and Silverwing Slash could easily be replaced by Penetrating Blow and Executioners leaving your elite slot for Aura of the Lich or Grenth's Balance for some more defense.

labsenpai · Jul 11, 2006, 04:32 PM // 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparhawkJC

If I could make a suggestion, why don't you try the build using axes?

+5 E Totem Axe is also a bargain compared to the collector sword

striderkaaru · Jul 11, 2006, 05:59 PM // 17:59

interesting guide. it has good content and is presented well. however, it needs some work.

#1
as sparhawk mentioned, you aren't getting 100% damage from your weapon even if you meet the req if you're not at 12 mastery. refer to this guide for the specifics:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...nics-id674.php

this point has been tested extensively. at 9 swordsmanship (even if you meet the req), you're only getting 77.1% of the weapon's damage. so, you're only doing 12-17 damage from a max damage sword, not 15-22. you should update your guide accordingly or tweak your attributes.

#2
even if you aren't initiating aggro, fighting in melee range puts you in the heat of things, especially with volatile aggro. if you start to take hits, you'll need to run out, whereas assassins usually have faster means for getting out.

thus, there is absolutely no reason for you to not carry a shield. this is where utilizing weapon slots comes into play. what i would do would be:

weapon slot 1
sword
shield

weapon slot 2
sword
blood focus

getting extra armor at the press of a button can be a real life saver. of course, this requires playing with attributes more in order to meet the shield's req. there is a low req shield out there with +5 energy. even a little bit of added armor is better than none.

also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting points into tactics for "watch yourself!" it's an extra +20 armor that cannot be stripped. damage reduction is often more important than health regen. but even if you don't want to use tactics, you should be carrying a shield as a focus swap.

#3
this one isn't so important as skill choices are up to preference, but the skill choice could use some work. vamp bite and vamp gaze have such short cooldowns that you can drop shadow strike from your bar. a 2 sec cast spell isn't very useful at melee range either. regardless, bite and gaze cycle fast enough that you won't need the 3rd blood spell.

#4
i don't mean to be an ass, but you really shouldn't be calling other meleemancer builds "mistakes" and trying to pass off your own as the "right" way of playing it. it's a novelty build, and there is no right way. there is nothing wrong with curse meleemancers or ones that use shields/tactics, and you shouldn't be calling them mistakes especially when yours needs work as well.

gosl · Jul 11, 2006, 07:05 PM // 19:05

I remember running a vampiric-melee- ... ermm ... "mancer(?)" before, but I rerolled my necromancer because I liked the faction faces more.

She's now a necro-elem which I find fun to play.

But anyways, I use to get irritated with necro mobs who keeps animating minions. So I carried Well of Blood. Once an enemy dies, cast WoB. Since most of the time other melee characters are going to be fighting around the same area, we all get the regen of WoB. Simple, but I liked it.

Skuld · Jul 11, 2006, 07:27 PM // 19:27

I wouldn't recommend using +5 energy sword, use a damage mod, and as has already been mentioned, more swordsmanship.

JimmyDean · Jul 11, 2006, 08:08 PM // 20:08

This sounds very much like a W/Mo with less armor; I'd prefer to make better use of the necromancer skills. Assassin can make a nice secondary, too. The skills I use are as follows: Golden Lotus Strike, Fox Fangs, Death Blossom, Moebius Strike, Mark of Pain, Barbs, Death Nova, Ressurection Signet.

I like to wait for the warrior to take aggro, at which point I'll choose a target. Cast barbs and mark of pain on it, and then use skills 1-4. This allows you to spam Death Blossom, and, combined with Mark of Pain, makes for ridiculous AOE damage.

I think your build would be nice if you made better use of the Curses and Blood Magic lines, since there are skills which better complement melee than vampiric touch.

One thing that make work is using an orders spell and Dark Fury in tandem with Hundred Blades and Sun and Moon Slash. These spells have short duration, but a 20% Enchanting mod will give you another second, and 6 econds should be enough to unload both Hundred Blades and Sun and Moon Slash.

waiver · Jul 11, 2006, 08:13 PM // 20:13

Wow, strider hit it on the head... O_O

Undead Preacher · Jul 11, 2006, 09:29 PM // 21:29

Alternative Skill Setups and Advanced User Attributes added.

The guide is based upon the Beginner Attribute layout and the First Skillbar. Obviously people who have time in this game understand its very difficult to have a perfect "single" skillbar thats universal for ALL situations as well as game types (pve/pvp)

It should be understood that changes can and should be made when your comfortable with the basic concept and game play. This should depend on whether your doing pvp or pve, or what type of area your farming/questing/ or doing missions.

One of the most important things for any profession combo is KNOWING YOUR OPPONENT! then make the appropriate changes to your skill setup and attributes.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skuld

I wouldn't recommend using +5 energy sword, use a damage mod, and as has already been mentioned, more swordsmanship.

^^^DISAGREE^^^

A Meleemancer is not suppose to be a hard hitting tank.... they are a warrior CASTER and their advantage over a warrior primary is ENERGY... why minimize this builds major advantage when it can be maximized! Weapon choice can be your choice.... But I find a +5 energy Customized sword to be much more valuable to this build than a 15^50 sword. If this was a warrior primary then I would agree.... but a Meleemancer should be highly focused on energy and health, not as much on armor level, dmg mods.... things that are primary warrior concerns.... the point of a Meleemancer is not to make a weak skinned tank, but to make a high powered melee caster.

As for adding points to swordsmanship.... I actually run my build at 12, but this guide was an attempt to help beginners with the concepts so I also added an advanced attribute layout.

Quote:

Originally Posted by striderkaaru

even if you aren't initiating aggro, fighting in melee range puts you in the heat of things, especially with volatile aggro. if you start to take hits, you'll need to run out, whereas assassins usually have faster means for getting out.

thus, there is absolutely no reason for you to not carry a shield. this is where utilizing weapon slots comes into play. what i would do would be:

weapon slot 1
sword
shield

weapon slot 2
sword
blood focus

getting extra armor at the press of a button can be a real life saver. of course, this requires playing with attributes more in order to meet the shield's req. there is a low req shield out there with +5 energy. even a little bit of added armor is better than none.

also, there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting points into tactics for "watch yourself!" it's an extra +20 armor that cannot be stripped. damage reduction is often more important than health regen. but even if you don't want to use tactics, you should be carrying a shield as a focus swap.

To Carry A Shield you must invest points into Tactics... therefore lowering 1 of three things... swordsmanship... Blood Magic... or Soul Reaping, not to mention your base armor level is already alot lower than that of a warrior primary. The 16 Armor from a shield is a waste, no matter how you look at it. The point of a Meleemancer is a Melee Fighter that stays alive through stealing life from his foes... not a high powered tank, you like many others mistake the point of this build, thats what this guide is for.

I imagine you would choose to lower Soul Reaping... But Soul Reaping will keep your energy maintained so you don't have to flee from battle to recharge and can stay in the trenches and battle it out

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions

2ndName · Jul 12, 2006, 05:04 AM // 05:04

I like the build, had a very similar build but instead of Res, I was using Well of Blood.

Question is, have you tried being a Meleemancer in Cantha? If so, what is the outcome?

Undead Preacher · Jul 12, 2006, 05:39 AM // 05:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2ndName

I like the build, had a very similar build but instead of Res, I was using Well of Blood.

Question is, have you tried being a Meleemancer in Cantha? If so, what is the outcome?

Thats where I started mine, works everywhere

Rancour · Jul 12, 2006, 08:50 AM // 08:50

I'm preparing a Meleemancer as we speak (in my head, that is. My com is smashed beyond repair) and I was wondering... Would Vampiric Spirit make it out for a good Elite?

Vampiric Spirit
Description: For 5-17 seconds, your spells cost 3 more Energy, but whenever you cast a Spell, you steal up to 5-41 Health from one nearby foe.

Energy Cost: 5
Casting Time: 1 seconds
Recharge Time: 5 seconds
Skill Type: Enchantment Spell
Linked Attribute: Blood Magic

This enchantment only costs 5 energy, casts fast, recharges fast and pretty much lets you steal double the amount of health with Vampiric Gaze/Touch.

It may cause spells to drain off 3 extra energy, but you'll only have to cast half the amount of spells in the first place.

This works very well in my head, since the current Elite is replacable and this will keep you alive alot better.

Just my idea though.

Undead Preacher · Jul 12, 2006, 10:20 AM // 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rancour

I'm preparing a Meleemancer as we speak (in my head, that is. My com is smashed beyond repair) and I was wondering... Would Vampiric Spirit make it out for a good Elite?

Vampiric Spirit
Description: For 5-17 seconds, your spells cost 3 more Energy, but whenever you cast a Spell, you steal up to 5-41 Health from one nearby foe.

Energy Cost: 5
Casting Time: 1 seconds
Recharge Time: 5 seconds
Skill Type: Enchantment Spell
Linked Attribute: Blood Magic

This enchantment only costs 5 energy, casts fast, recharges fast and pretty much lets you steal double the amount of health with Vampiric Gaze/Touch.

It may cause spells to drain off 3 extra energy, but you'll only have to cast half the amount of spells in the first place.

This works very well in my head, since the current Elite is replacable and this will keep you alive alot better.

Just my idea though.

I've tried this elite for my meleemancer but found that its not really necessary.. I mean your current life steals are enough to keep you alive and do nice damage... do you really want to spend 13-18 energy per cast, and also the 5 energy to cast it to begin with....

between vampric spirit and Vamp Bite.... thats 23 energy..

If you want to use vampric spirit.... it works great for a dark bomber type build

Rancour · Jul 12, 2006, 10:40 AM // 10:40

Crumbs... I'm not too keen on using Hundred Blades, mainly because I'm gonna try a N/A with daggers and blood magic.
Oh well, assassins have plenty of cool elites anyway.

JR · Jul 12, 2006, 02:54 PM // 14:54

As interesting and gimmicky as it looks, why would you ever want to run this garbage?

No offense but all you have achieved is strapping a SEVERELY gimped Warrior to an extremely mediocre caster.

lyra_song · Jul 12, 2006, 03:00 PM // 15:00

I much prefer the Wither/degen + Riposte/Deadly Riposte + savage slash/distracting blow solo Meleemancer.

Your build relies too much on sword skills, and imo you arent using what makes your strong, that being necromancer skills.

But hey, if it works for you...