Curse

Zinger314 · Sep 24, 2006, 06:18 PM // 18:18

Necromancer Elite Nightfall Analysis
-by Syria Blackblood

Necromancers have always had good Elites. Factions gave us Animate Flesh Golem and Order of Apostasy. With Nightfall, Necromancers will add a few more worthwhile Elites to their arsenal.

(All Skills are at 16 of their respective attribute (except Reaper’s Mark), since you won’t realistically use any of these at less than 16.)

It can potentially steal double the HP than Vampiric Gaze. However, the condition is near impossible to fulfill, especially with the 1s cast time, and the skill is useless unless you fulfill that condition.

Rating: 2/5

Overpowered. Just overpowered. If I’m reading the skill correctly, the -8 Degeneration is unconditional. -8 Degenration at 10 energy and 10 second recharge? Conjure Nightmare Mesmers and Life Transfer Necromancers are twitching. And on top of that, it strips enchantments. If there weren’t so many specific Elite alternatives for Necromancers, this skill would dominate. I expect the skill to be tweaked so that the degeneration only occurs when an Enchantment is stripped.

Rating: 5/5

The effect, unlike Spiteful Spirit, doesn’t affect the Hexed target. Therefore the hexed target can just run away from allies (easy to do with Depravity’s short range). Not too hard.

Rating: 2/5

Anti-Dervish and anti-Protection Monk, plain and simple. However, that’s a bit narrow usage. (However, it’s likely that the final boss of Nightfall will be a Dervish, so this skill may be important at that time.)

Rating: 3/5

Too long of a recharge. Channeling Ritualists laugh at this skill.

Rating: 2/5

Huh? How the heck do you use this? Chillibrains? If you are standing nearby any enemies, you are probably dead anyways. Moreso with a life sacrifice.

Rating: 1/5

Since this spell can be cast on the resulting Jagged Horrors, it results in a potentially infinite minion. What’s not to like about that? It can also combo with Shambling Horrors and Animate Bone Minions for double the Jagged Horrors. Since the infinite minions can be used for Minion Bombing, Jagged Bones has a ton of potential. Sadly, I expect either appealing aspect of Jagged Bones to be nerfed (either that you can’t cast it on Jagged Horrors, or a 10 second recharge).

Rating: 5/5

The opposite of Jagged Bones. With a full Bone Fiend army, this spell gives about a constant 85 DPS increase. That’s a lot more than most Elites. But you’ll likely annoy any Monk in your group.

Rating: 4/5

I’m not too fond of Death Magic Damage elites. But the poison does indeed have a decent duration. However, Poison Arrow eclipses it in both duration and recharge.

Rating: 3/5

(At 13 SR)

Overpowered in the same manner as Corrupt Enchantment. Extremely strong, but there are more specific alternatives for Elites. Reaper’s Mark has half the cost and twice the duration of Conjure Phantasm, which surely eclipses Mesmer degeneration. And when you factor in the secondary effect, it’s massive energy gain. I expect Blood Spikes to use this skill. This skill will probably be tweaked so that the duration is much lower.

Rating: 5/5

Necros have incredibly powerful Elites in Nightfall, and very few bad ones. Necros FTW?

The Last Preacher · Sep 24, 2006, 07:09 PM // 19:09

Vey nice. Very nice indeed. Thanks for putting the elites in an easier light to understand.

Lord Oranos · Sep 24, 2006, 09:13 PM // 21:13

Yes, necros ftw(finally), lets pray to grenth they dont beat these elites into the ground.

Btw I made a skill here called Corrupt Enchantment

Tainek · Sep 24, 2006, 11:23 PM // 23:23

My Take:

Contagion is an awesome Skill, especially for farming

Contagion
Signet Of Agony
Chillbains
Dark Aura
Spirit Bond
Protective Spirit
Essence Bond
Balthazars Spirit

18DPS Via Conditions, and plenty of damage thanks to dark aura

And of course reapers mark is more powerful, its elite, and tied into a primary attribute

Hella Good · Sep 25, 2006, 06:11 AM // 06:11

Sig of Suffering is superb. Of course it has a long recharge, most signets do. You use Mantra of Inscriptions to speed the recharge. I have been playing Sig of Suffering spike a lot this weekend. Use Barbs as base, top it with 3 hexes and spike for 140 armor ignoring no nrg cost damage every 10 or so seconds. Finsh off with Sig of Sorrows and/or Signet of Lost Souls. GG. Sig of Suffering 5/5

Depravity and Toxic Chill are actually the only 2 elites that I'm unimpressed with, the others seem wondeful. Maybe a bit of a higher unconditional damage on Ravenous Gaze and lower conditional. If the total is 120-ish then the unconditional should be about 50, while the conditional about 70.

Spellforge · Sep 25, 2006, 03:49 PM // 15:49

Order of Undeath

If you have a few vampiric horrors then you might be sacrificing 2% health per attack but you'll be getting this back

Jagged Bones

Really looking forward to this. You might be able to keep a rolling army going in areas where corpses are few and far but your sacrificing minion levels - max level of 16 intead of horror's 18 - also I wonder if there are going to be some "bleeding" imune enemies. Anyway , this looks to be a nice elite that could push out golem in a MM build

I do hope these minions have a different graphic - some of the other minions area bit samey

Hella Good · Sep 25, 2006, 04:17 PM // 16:17

Both Shambling Horror and Jagged Horrors have new graphics. Shamblings are big and weird looking with a long unicorn-like horn, Jaggeds are small, cute, and spiky. :-) And Jagged Bones is way better than Flesh Golemn, I don't think that elite is even worth the hype but it really depends on playstyle. I think Reaper's Mark tho is definitely an elite likely to replace OoB as a support nrg management for MMs (esp. if you run Vamps + Fiends combo).

Pick Me · Sep 25, 2006, 05:13 PM // 17:13

First, thanks for the post.

As for Contagion, signet of agony and chilblains are good for foes who don't cause conditions. But for those that do, laugh out loud.

Warriors, and Assassins suffer this the most. Warriors use Gash, Sever Artery, anything that causes weakness or deep wounds. Assassins are the same. Melee attackers that cause conditions will trigger this enchantment and thus, cause damage to themselves (by suffering the same condition).

MelechRic · Sep 25, 2006, 07:18 PM // 19:18

Looking very nice for Nightfall. My lil' necro, Atra Lucia, is going to enjoy her added role as battlefield anarchist. I really forsee a lot of heavy pressure builds with necros as their backbone in Nightfall.

icedragon981 · Sep 25, 2006, 11:12 PM // 23:12

Looks like my necro (Good ole' Deaths Icy Sting) will continue to be my most played character throughout Nightfall as well.

AuraofMana · Sep 26, 2006, 01:10 AM // 01:10

Wonder if Signet of the Lost Souls, Taste of Pain, Taste of Death, and Soul Feast will keep you up and running with Order of Undeath.

Arkantos · Sep 26, 2006, 01:16 AM // 01:16

I was disappointed at most of the GWF Necro Elites, but I think that these GWNF Necro Elites make up for it.

Quote:

Wonder if Signet of the Lost Souls, Taste of Pain, Taste of Death, and Soul Feast will keep you up and running with Order of Undeath.

In PvE, 55hp should do it as long as your in the backlines with monks.

Vilaptca · Sep 26, 2006, 01:47 AM // 01:47

I'll be going for Order of Undeath as soon as someone finds it for Vilaptca.

Just think about this though...Order of Undeath without the minion cap... OW!

Arkantos · Sep 26, 2006, 02:01 AM // 02:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vilaptca

Just think about this though...Order of Undeath without the minion cap... OW!

That would own PvE.

Zinger314 · Sep 26, 2006, 02:29 AM // 02:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

That would own PvE.

...and the MM who cast it.

Former Ruling · Sep 26, 2006, 02:32 AM // 02:32

And own your health lol.

Like using Order of A. while a few people are pounding the enchant master on the isles lol.

EDIT: Zinger beat me too it!

Hella Good · Sep 26, 2006, 02:36 AM // 02:36

OoU could be fun. Will definitely have to use it with Fiends to make the most of it. A single volly from 10 fiends will deal +170 damage... That's scary. Will have to use Taste of Pain or Taste of Death to keep up with the damage taking tho. And might be a bit intense on the nrg. Sig of Lost Souls would proly be a good fit for an OoU build. I didnt get a chance to try it out, maybe once NF comes out it will all make more sense.

Arkantos · Sep 26, 2006, 02:42 AM // 02:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinger314

...and the MM who cast it.

N/Mo with 55hp, hb and mending. Would be dangerous, but it would work

BoredJoe · Sep 26, 2006, 03:03 AM // 03:03

I'm don't use sacc'ing skills much but it looks like Ravenous Gaze would be great at the end of a chain of saccing skills, say Awaken the Blood, then a few casts of Dark Pacts and Jaundiced Gaze, then Ravenous Gaze for the heal.

Arkantos · Sep 26, 2006, 04:44 AM // 04:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoredJoe

I'm don't use sacc'ing skills much but it looks like Ravenous Gaze would be great at the end of a chain of saccing skills, say Awaken the Blood, then a few casts of Dark Pacts and Jaundiced Gaze, then Ravenous Gaze for the heal.

In PvP, it would be way too risky to pull this off. In PvE, spiking skills are pretty useless as the enemies already die easily.