Curse

Lasher Dragon · Nov 07, 2005, 08:15 PM // 20:15

Seems every group heading to the FOW or anywhere really wants a Necro with Blood is Power... what is so special about it? I use Blood Ritual for energy regen, and it seems to work great. It lasts longer, anyway. My Elite slot is occupied by Offering of Blood, for when I get low on energy.

Is there some spectacular benefit to Blood is Power that I'm overlooking?

benjy01 · Nov 07, 2005, 08:25 PM // 20:25

Blood is Power provides 3-5 pips of energy regen instead of just +3 with Blood Ritual. That can help out the Elems and Monks in a pinch if agrro goes bad. Most necros either use Well of Power + Blood Ritual or Blood is Power + Well of Blood combo for FOW or UW.

Lasher Dragon · Nov 07, 2005, 08:38 PM // 20:38

I see... but still, you sacrifice 2X the health of Blood Ritual, it gives at max 2 more pips, and lasts max 10 seconds if I am reading it right. I dunno, the difference seems pretty negligible to me. Seems like a waste of an elite slot.

The reason I ask is I got kicked out of a few groups for not having it.

Damn FotM kiddies

Vindexus · Nov 07, 2005, 08:50 PM // 20:50

3 extra pips, half the energy cost, less of a cast time, and it's not touch range.

Lasher Dragon · Nov 07, 2005, 09:08 PM // 21:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vindexus

3 extra pips, half the energy cost, less of a cast time, and it's not touch range.

What, can you get 6 pips of regen with it? I see the energy cost and cast time difference, that's nice. The range IMO doesn't matter since what else do I have to do? I can jog to the caster in need

KamikazeChicken · Nov 07, 2005, 09:39 PM // 21:39

Under your current line of thinking, you should be creating this thread to ask WHY BiP is elite. Spend the extra minute to determine the net gain of energy between the two, for an overwhelmingly simple answer to your original question.

lord_shar · Nov 07, 2005, 09:40 PM // 21:40

The fact that it's ranged vs. touch based really makes BiP shine. You can +BiP any caster in your party without having to run over to them. Its cast speed also makes in near-uninterruptable.

mortalis doleo · Nov 07, 2005, 10:01 PM // 22:01

if your monk needs energy NOW, you need to give it to him ASAP.
with blood ritual, you have the casting time + 2 seconds of getting to him. something has died in that time.
if you use BiP, you cut the time from a lot, to nothing. the monk gets his energy very fast, and he gets more energy.
the duration isn't that important since BiP can be spammed (this also makes it the best suicide skill, but that's for minion and eoe builds...)

Ollj · Nov 07, 2005, 10:37 PM // 22:37

biggest advantage of the elite is its range.
others are energy cost, cast time and recharge time.
the elite is better for emergenchies, the non elite is better in non-emergencies.

seraphite86 · Nov 07, 2005, 10:48 PM // 22:48

Blood Ritual is a good skill and useful, but it's biggest weakness that it is inefficent. If you like playing combat medic across the battlefield using Blood Ritual, that's fine. Blood Ritual puts you at risk of taking hits and most of the time you get in the way of the players. With Blood is Power you can just perform "hit and runs" then fall back to a safe distance if need be.

Lasher Dragon · Nov 07, 2005, 10:49 PM // 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by mortalis doleo

the duration isn't that important since BiP can be spammed

How do you spam a skill that costs you a third of your health? Seems like a vicious circle: sacrifice 33% health to give the monk 3-5 pips; monk subsequently has to heal you, then needs more energy...

For a suicide build it seems perfect I have to admit - combined with Awaken the Blood it would take, what, like 2 casts to kill yourself?

Splatter Mcnasty · Nov 07, 2005, 10:52 PM // 22:52

at level 13 or 14, Blood Is Power gives 6 pips of energy regen.

I'm at work right now, so I cant check if it 13 or 14 in Blood, but I know mine is giving 6 pips.

Lasher Dragon · Nov 07, 2005, 10:57 PM // 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splatter Mcnasty

at level 13 or 14, Blood Is Power gives 6 pips of energy regen.

I'm at work right now, so I cant check if it 13 or 14 in Blood, but I know mine is giving 6 pips.

Cool, that's what I was wondering - now I can see a bit better how useful it is over Ritual. What about 16 Blood? Anyone know?

Da Mad M00 · Nov 07, 2005, 11:15 PM // 23:15

Still +6 regen on 16 blood.

What most necros do who are running a BiP build is using 2 superiour runes (blood and soul reaping). Keep blood at 13, soul at 9 orso and the rest in another attribute part (healing part from a monk? fire part from an ele? beast mastery for ranger (spirits)? domination from mesmer? or inspiration from mesmer?) all of those do have their pro's and con's.

The trick is to just get a low max health so the amount of health you loose is not getting too much. so you can cast 2 BiP's and then need healing once. Another thing you can use is the Vampiric Gaze to get some health back.

Personally i am monk secondary and am a backup healer for the team. I keep myself alive and help the monks with healing when needed.

Tho before i was ranger secondary and did use winter on the fire island or i did cast Energizing Wind between the elementalists. Nice for their energy management.

Basicly all you have to do is make sure that you are not focussing on the BiP too much. It is an important part but if it is your only part then you will become bored to hell :P

@Lasher Dragon: you don't want to use awaken the blood when you are using BiP.

PieXags · Nov 07, 2005, 11:22 PM // 23:22

I personally hate all those skills anyway, I HATE being someone elses power supply. It's like it wastes you as a character, you're not benefiting from it at all, unless the monk(s) you're sacrificing your health for have to heal you, in which case you just keep doing the same damn thing. Necromancers can pull off much greater things than being a battery, and I hate monks for always expecting that I'm going to be their powerhouse in every single goddamn outing.

Splatter Mcnasty · Nov 07, 2005, 11:24 PM // 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Da Mad M00

Still +6 regen on 16 blood.

What most necros do who are running a BiP build is using 2 superiour runes (blood and soul reaping). Keep blood at 13, soul at 9 orso and the rest in another attribute part (healing part from a monk? fire part from an ele? beast mastery for ranger (spirits)? domination from mesmer? or inspiration from mesmer?) all of those do have their pro's and con's.

The trick is to just get a low max health so the amount of health you loose is not getting too much. so you can cast 2 BiP's and then need healing once. Another thing you can use is the Vampiric Gaze to get some health back.

Personally i am monk secondary and am a backup healer for the team. I keep myself alive and help the monks with healing when needed.

Tho before i was ranger secondary and did use winter on the fire island or i did cast Energizing Wind between the elementalists. Nice for their energy management.

Basicly all you have to do is make sure that you are not focussing on the BiP too much. It is an important part but if it is your only part then you will become bored to hell :P

@Lasher Dragon: you don't want to use awaken the blood when you are using BiP.

My necro is geared up for maxed blood spells and cursing, with left-over points in soul reaping.

boredom would be a problem if I did nothing but energy management for the party, so I use res signet, Blood is Power, Well of Blood, Unholy Feast, desecrate enchantments, shadow of fear, suffering, and enfeebling blood.

That way, i am helping everyone survive a bit longer, managing energy and health regen, and i can do some pretty good damage to the enemies.

also, I use my necro in PVE only, so I dont know how the build would perform in PVP.

Almighty Zi · Nov 07, 2005, 11:26 PM // 23:26

The most common recipients of your BiP will be monks and elementalists who I beleive both have 4 pips of regen, therefore, there is not really much point raising your BiP above 6 pips of regen as energy regen max is 10 pips.

The fast recharge means that you can spam BiP on multiple targets in a very short period which means that you will keep all your monks and eles energy flowing nicely. The range is great because you dont have to spend your time moving around.

The HP that you sacrifice is easily restored by low cost monk spells. Play with it for a while and you will soon see why it is elite and far greater than blood ritual.

Manfred · Nov 07, 2005, 11:30 PM // 23:30

I personally prefer well of power and BR, since well is aoe regen and health regen. Most people, if they're not newbcakes, should have some energy management anyways

.

In pvp blood ritual is decent, but the instant you start using bip you get a)targeted and b)dead

Serps · Nov 07, 2005, 11:41 PM // 23:41

problem with wells is that casters have to move into range of the ex-corpse; problematic when more, yet-unkilled monsters are still in the vicinity.

plus, there's often not a corpse handy when you need a spike energy heal.

Frank The Tank · Nov 08, 2005, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon

How do you spam a skill that costs you a third of your health? Seems like a vicious circle: sacrifice 33% health to give the monk 3-5 pips; monk subsequently has to heal you, then needs more energy...

For a suicide build it seems perfect I have to admit - combined with Awaken the Blood it would take, what, like 2 casts to kill yourself?

For a FoW Battery necro, our guilds setup involves a 55hp N/Mo, the 33% sacrifice at that level is spammable and he can keep a full party of casters and healers steamrolling. Other characters mask him with enchants and even cast mending on him so he doesn't need healing. We won't go down there without one, he's the teams best friend.