Curse

MercenaryKnight · Mar 10, 2008, 12:17 AM // 00:17

I know that everyone uses spiteful spirit. But as anyone can see in the necromancer forum. It doesn't really provide that much use. It is supposed to go on the last target you will kill but heroes just target what you target. So For heroes mainly it seems like for sabway the curses necro could be better off with a different elite.

I was thinking maybe something along the lines of icy veins? Or I guess it could be reaper's mark if the necro has energy problems if you added the splinter weapon and ancestor's rage.

It just seems that for sabway the curses necro right now is sort of a support character and there should be some added damage somewhere in there to help the steam rolling.

So any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

Stormlord Alex · Mar 10, 2008, 12:34 AM // 00:34

Spiteful Spirit provides additional, usually inconsequential damage (from your tone, I'm assuming you've read that thread) - the real important skills are Barbs (which make physicals/minions blow things up) and Enfeebling Blood (which shits on enemy melee).

A very real and very viable alternative elite is Wail of Doom - it essentially makes something useless for 4 seconds.

Icy Vein's damage is laughable, and worse than SS; and you honestly don't need the energy of Mark on the curses guy, especially now that EB is only 1 energy.

And AI useage of SS seems fine - they spread hexes around, rather than nailing everything on the called target.

so, yeah - Wail of Doom is good if you're happy to lose the damage of SS (Barbs does most of the work anyway, tbh)

Alex the Great · Mar 10, 2008, 12:43 AM // 00:43

SS is best bet. although some people use Assasins promise, but idk

Trvth Jvstice · Mar 10, 2008, 01:02 AM // 01:02

I'll keep using SS on my Master of Whispers hero, but I'm using AP on my curse Necro. If you haven't tried it, it's an easy cap, near Maatu Keep. Moloch Vein has some good info on the AP build in this thread. I'll be capping Wail of Doom in a little bit. After all of the discussion on this elite, I can't wait to try it out.

EDIT: I didn't notice this is on the Heroes & AI thread. While I use AP and love it, I'm not sure if hero AI would use AP properly, I'll have to check it out.

AbalaDoon · Mar 10, 2008, 01:10 AM // 01:10

in my opinion SS is still the best elite for curses. its excellent duration managable energy and good re-charge makes this a great skill. i have never found an instance that nullifies SS's usefullness. it seems to fit nearly every occasion. Sabway makes every situation easy at worst and silly simple at best.

Cronk

MercenaryKnight · Mar 10, 2008, 01:16 AM // 01:16

Yeah, the only reason was that. It adds little damage and I play a save yourselves spear paragon usually, or the mind numbing ursan if I just need more damage. But since they usually ss the target I am spiking down, by the time they use spiteful the enemy is about to die and thus only very little damage comes from it.

Actually, I was looking into wail of doom for my elite on the healer sabway instead of weapon of remedy. Since that would over ride the splinter weapons atleast then when I target the enemy monk and the healer has nothing to do for the first few seconds it can cast the hex on the monk.

I just figured icy veins would help whenever enemies are clumped up and I don't have to worry about alternating targets as soon as ss is cast.

cellardweller · Mar 10, 2008, 01:18 AM // 01:18

For your heroes, ss is still the go, AP takes a bit to much intellegence to run. On a human necromancer AP can be much more effective, except if you have a good human bodyblocker in which case the 4-800dps from spiteful spirit is unsurpassed.

The other option you might want to look at is Expel Hexes on your curser... this lets your MM be more offensive and include spells like putird and rising bile which will do much more damage than Icy Viens could hope to because they are armour ignoring.

Sab · Mar 10, 2008, 01:20 AM // 01:20

The alternatives to SS - Icy Veins, Reaper's Mark and Wail of Doom - are all pretty bleh. I guess Wail isn't too bad on human players, but I wouldn't trust a hero to get any mileage out of that.

jiggles · Mar 10, 2008, 02:33 AM // 02:33

one skill for you, Feast Of Corruption

imho joint second best necromancer elite. best way to use this is give it to your hero take reckless haste for yourself cast reckless on casters hero uses FoC depending on runes and stuff there goes 100 health ea.

Downside to this is that FoC has a 20 sec recharge time. on a long hex like SS its not so noticable as its constant damage but 100dmg per 20secs can be a little 'slow'.

MercenaryKnight · Mar 10, 2008, 04:08 AM // 04:08

Yeah I guess for heroes there really isn't many choices for spiteful spirit replacements. Just wish that they would actually use it besides the target I am attacking, seems like such a waste to see him cast it on his bar and within like 2-3 seconds it goes off maybe once or twice and then the enemy blows up.

Antithesis · Mar 10, 2008, 04:59 AM // 04:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trvth Jvstice

While I use AP and love it, I'm not sure if hero AI would use AP properly, I'll have to check it out.

Give AP a wide berth for Heroes, they can't use it.

Racthoh · Mar 10, 2008, 05:12 AM // 05:12

SS is going to be the best option for heroes.

Abonai Laguna · Mar 10, 2008, 01:16 PM // 13:16

Why wud u exchange ss?

Pyro maniac · Mar 10, 2008, 02:36 PM // 14:36

SS is just fine, Icy Veins is good on normal mode as well.

DarkSpirit · Mar 10, 2008, 03:51 PM // 15:51

SS is not a bad skill. That thread is just saying that it is a little overrated for a human necro. SS is a cast and forget hex, which is easy to use for a hero.

A human necro can make better use of MoP, but not a hero. My necro has used MoP well with a hero MM creating bone fiends since fiends are great with their targeting. MoP is usually cast on long lasting targets like monks (they tend to heal themselves well), and bosses that are usually surrounded by other monsters. Melee minions may have a problem attacking targets at the center of a mob, which is best for MoP.