Curse

xlarisux · Aug 31, 2005, 10:17 AM // 10:17

Disclaimer: This build is by no means all-powerful or perfect, but I've had a lot of fun with it, got many kills, haven't seen anything similar to it (only two necros that I played with or against used the elite in this build), and - best of all - I managed to create this build from scratch on my own. Me! A 98% PvE'er! I wouldn't mind seeing this build become FotM as a result of this post though, as that would mean that I made a good, easy, and/or fun build. Enjoy.

Also: This is a build I made for 4v4 random arena. I tried it in 4v4 teams once, and our team got 3 victories before we got smashed (we even managed to beat an all-monk team.. that was fun).

Primary/Secondary/Attributes
N/E
Blood Magic: 12+1 (or +2, or whatever you want)
Air Magic: 5

Everything else however you want it. LOL

Equipment
I prefer to use a Bonelace Tunic, because it gives +15 armor vs. piercing attacks. Helps against those warriors since the chest is the most-often hit piece of armor (right?). Everything else is up to you.

I use a Blood recharge 20% Deadly Cesta, and a +10 energy & +30 health Grim Cesta in the offhand. I'm sure you can find better equipment.

Skillbar
1) Gale - 5e, knockdown 3 sec., exhaustion (no big deal)
2) Shadow Strike - 10e, 43 shadow dmg, if target above 50% health, also steals 43 (86 total dmg)
3) Vampiric Gaze - 10e, steal 54 health
4) Barbed Signet - 0e, sacrifice 8% health, steal 54 health
5) Soul Leech - Elite, 10e, for 10 sec. if target casts spell steal 71 health
6) Ressurection Signet

I consider the above to be the core skillset. You can mix-n-match the below, or use other skills as you see fit. The first two are what I use as of today.

7) Mark of Subversion - 10e, for 9 sec. if target casts spell on ally (includes self), spell fails and steal 81 health
8) Parasitic Bond - 5e, 20 sec. target suffers health degen of 1. Healed 90 when PB ends
9) Demonic Flesh (I used this for a while.. it helps keep you alive w/ 184 max health for 56 seconds.. time it right and you'll have around 700 health at the beginning of battle)
10) Strip Enchantment

Skills Use
1) Choose the appropriate target. If only 1 monk or 1 spellcaster on the enemy team, then that's my target. If 2 monks, then I take the monk that my other teammates are ignoring. If 3 monks, you're screwed.

2) Use gale. Let the computer handle running to the target. If you want to, you can try to time it to interrupt the enemy's spellcast. At 3 seconds of knockdown, it'll give you time to cast the next spell.
3) Immediately cast Soul Leech. For monks, I prefer to do MoS first, then Soul Leech after.
4) If the target is not a monk, you can probably withhold from using MoS. If target is a monk, then cast MoS if you didn't do it in step 3.
5) Cast Parasitic Bond. This degens the target a little, covers the Soul Leech hex, and helps keep you alive after 20 secs. or when the target dies.
6) Cast Shadow Strike, then Barbed Signet, then Vampiric Gaze in succesion. That order because BS doesn't use energy, allowing you to build it for VG. If you have more energy than my character (36), you can change the order of casting. Basically, as they are either A) killing themselves with SL or B) not doing anything at all, you will be pounding on them with 194 direct damage that heals you for 140 health at the same time!

Build Notes
~ Barbed Signet takes from or gives health to you, depending on your total health. At my current health of 551, BS takes 44 health from me and gives me 54 health back, for a net gain of 10. At 720 health, I have a net health loss of 4.
~ Enemies w/ anti-hex skills can be a problem for this build. However, if there are more than 1 spellcasters... then just target the other one.
~ As a necro, I usually find that I'm ignored very often, unless I'm the only spellcaster on the team. People will go after the Me, Mo, and Ele before they even think about me. I find that this gives me an advantage as I can quickly dispatch enemy spellcasters without too much interference. Usually, not always.
~ I have only 36 energy on my character, which is actually a PvE character. I can usually cast my entire chain without a problem, since energy regens a little as I'm casting. After my energy is used up, you have to think on your feet w/ regards to skill use.
~ I've defeated quite a few fragility/virulence builds with this build. All the better since I've already seen a drastic increase in the number of those Me/N in arena.
~ This also works fairly well against other necros. By using Gale to get SL on them first, you basically negate their own commonly used health-stealing skills. At 13 Blood Magic, they will still have a net loss of 28 with Shadow Strike, 17 net loss with Vampiric Gaze, 17 net loss with Barbed Signet, etc.
~ If you can't cast because you've been hit by another SL or a strong Backfire, then hopefully you'll have had your own SL cast before then. If not... well, it depends on the situation if you want to cast SL or other health-stealing spells. You figure it out.

~ This build isn't all that great against non-caster teams. Just your average steal-health necro.
~ Interrupters and energy drainers drive me nuts. But sometimes you can work around them. Usually helps if they turn their attention to someone else, hehe.
~ I'm really surprised that more people don't use SL. It effectively neutralizes enemy casters for 10 seconds at worst, and kills them very quickly at best. And it recharges in 15 seconds!! Amazing!
~ Life Transfer? Please. 30 second recharge?

That's 2 SL's!
~ I also use Gale to ease some pressure off from a warrior attacking me, or to put a stop to would-be runners and griefers. It makes me happy when I do the latter.

And that's it. It can probably be improved to fit your particular playstyle or needs.

Praise, suggestions, or just regular comments are all welcome. I'd like to know what you guys think of this build.

Larisu Bloodletter

xlarisux · Sep 01, 2005, 10:06 PM // 22:06

Come on, guys, no opinions on this build at all? I'm really curious if anyone other than myself has tried it!

I was wondering if it would be something that could be included in PvP other than in arenas. Not having played any PvP other than 4v4, I can't say for sure but I feel that this build or a variation of it could have a place in a larger team. It would be interesting to see how an 8v8 team could implement this build into their overall strategy.

Fr3sH · Sep 01, 2005, 11:04 PM // 23:04

Id rather just take a mesmer.

jelly samwich · Sep 01, 2005, 11:53 PM // 23:53

besides these 3 how is your build disruptive to casters? sure you're stealing a lot of health, but in the processes you're spending a lot of energy.. a decent monk w/ hex removal or damage reduction can greatly reduce your effectiveness. try incorporating some mesmer energy stealing skills, the vampiric spells are nice, but you'll be in trouble if you're out of energy. By stealing energy you also make it tougher for your foe to survive, and increase your effectiveness at the same time.

1) Gale - 5e, knockdown 3 sec., exhaustion (no big deal)
5) Soul Leech - Elite, 10e, for 10 sec. if target casts spell steal 71 health
7) Mark of Subversion - 10e, for 9 sec. if target casts spell on ally (includes self), spell fails and steal 81 health

Yamat · Sep 12, 2005, 06:04 AM // 06:04

Monk defense = hex breaker:

For 60-156 seconds, the next time you are the target of a Hex, that Hex fails, the caster takes 10-39 damage and Hex Breaker ends.

Recharge = 5

xlarisux · Sep 15, 2005, 08:29 PM // 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelly samwich

besides these 3 how is your build disruptive to casters? sure you're stealing a lot of health, but in the processes you're spending a lot of energy.. a decent monk w/ hex removal or damage reduction can greatly reduce your effectiveness. try incorporating some mesmer energy stealing skills, the vampiric spells are nice, but you'll be in trouble if you're out of energy. By stealing energy you also make it tougher for your foe to survive, and increase your effectiveness at the same time.

1) Gale - 5e, knockdown 3 sec., exhaustion (no big deal)
5) Soul Leech - Elite, 10e, for 10 sec. if target casts spell steal 71 health
7) Mark of Subversion - 10e, for 9 sec. if target casts spell on ally (includes self), spell fails and steal 81 health

I consider it disruptive to casters because as soon as Soul Leech is applied and covered with another hex, then that caster instantly loses 71 health every time they cast a spell... this is very bad for mesmers and elementalists, somewhat bad for monks, and a nuisance for life-stealing necros (since it effectively negates their life steal). If they decide not to cast any spells for 10 seconds, then that means they're pretty much out of the fight for 10 seconds. Then they've got a ~7 (leftover 5 second recharge and 2 second cast) second window before I cast Soul Leech on them again, unless my Soul Leech recharges more quickly (20% chance) in which case I can keep SL on them for 20 seconds or more.

The energy management isn't really a problem. I have 4 skills that cost 10e, 2 skills that cost 5e, and one skill that costs nothing, plus the res sig. Also, I'm not really sure about wanting to drain the enemy's energy, since I WANT them to cast spells and kill themselves, while healing me at the same time. In any case, any spellcaster is in trouble if they are out of energy, but the difference with my build is that I'm spending energy that damages the enemy while healing myself at the same time. Or, if you want to look at it another way, the enemy is spending energy to damage someone else and themselves at the same time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamat

Monk defense = hex breaker:

Hex Breaker is actually a mesmer skill, but yes, that could be an effective way to neuter my build, but I think this would work: If I see them cast Hex Breaker, then I cast Parasitic Bond and take the damage, then cast Soul Leech immediately thereafter. My guess is that that monk will use Hex Breaker once and then use other skills, allowing me the time I need to cast SL on them.

Or I can cast Soul Leech on another caster, preferably an elementalist or a mesmer, and the monk will be spending time healing them every time they cast a spell. For spell-spammers and fast casters, 71 health per spell is no laughing matter, especially when I'm hitting them for additional damage with my other spells at the same time. What I've done before is cast SL on a caster, then pound on the monk as best I can while he's busy healing the teammate who is killing himself. When used in this manner, it's almost like taking out 2 people at the same time.

Basically what I'm trying to get across is that in arenas, where there is very little hex removal, this is probably the meanest hex you can put on a caster.

I don't claim that this build will instantly kill every monk or other casters in every encounter, but it can be very effective. I also don't claim that this build can carry the entire team; it's meant to be a supporting character, but a potentially very powerful one. As with any build, there are opposing builds that can counter this one, or at least survive well against it.

rii · Sep 15, 2005, 08:47 PM // 20:47

If you have problems with hex breaker, get another mesmer with fast casting, and give him mind wrack as a break through hex. whip them off fast and they wont react in time to get the hex breaker back up.

xlarisux · Sep 15, 2005, 09:03 PM // 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr3sH

Id rather just take a mesmer.

By the way, I posted this so that necros can have some fun messing around with casters and because there just aren't that many necro builds posted in this forum. I didn't post this thread as a "I'm trying to make my necro better than a mesmer" thread, so inane and asinine one-liner comments such as yours aren't doing anyone else any good.

In any case, I also stated a potential advantage of having this build instead of a mesmer. Mesmers are among the ones that are often attacked (and killed) first, while necros are often overlooked.