Necromancer Nightfall Elite Analysis

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

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

The Last Preacher

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

UK

None and looking!

N/

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

Lord Oranos

Lord Oranos

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Fort Aspenwood

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

Tainek

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

[Rage]

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

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

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

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2006

Guildless

N/

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

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

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

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2006

Thornill, ON, Canada

THE CANUCK MONKS (TCM)

W/R

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

MelechRic

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2005

RA

[ODIN]

N/Mo

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

icedragon981

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2006

At my computer

Teh Nine [lll]

N/

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

AuraofMana

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

Georgia, US

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

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

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

Vilaptca

Pre-Searing Vanquisher

Join Date: Jun 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

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

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vilaptca
Just think about this though...Order of Undeath without the minion cap... OW! That would own PvE.

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arkantos
That would own PvE. ...and the MM who cast it.

Former Ruling

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Oct 2005

Cedartown, Georgia

R/

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

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

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

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

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

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2006

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

Arkantos

The Greatest

Join Date: Feb 2006

W/

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.

Former Ruling

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Oct 2005

Cedartown, Georgia

R/

ELITE ANALYSIS (if you check my psots, doing this for every class )

Ravenous Gaze:
For competitive play - Useless. For some freaky farming build someone is bound to come up with - Good, but why not use Grenth's Balance >_<

Corrupt Enchantment:
Even if the health degen is from removing an enchant - Its STILL great. 10 recharge enchant removal and better than Life Transfer.

Depravity:
Too high a recharge, too limited in uses to use in competitive play. In PvE - You'll always get it fine, but what do you need to e-denial grawl? No.

Tattered Bonds:
Could have been good with a slightly lower recharge and if BoonProts weren't nerfed...

Signet of Suffering:
Too little Dmg for that recharge.

Contagion:
You know the only use this will ever have? Someone will come up with some sort of 55Necro that uses Signet of Agony and crap, and It'll suck.

Jagged Bones:
Is HAXS. Forget Flesh Golem This is my new MM elite.

ORder of Undeath:
Naw...Just not worth it...and if you have a whole army, you can take up to 20% dmg everytime they atk, on top of the BoTm...

Toxic Chill:
No think you...you know whats better than this, and has not much more of a condition - Discord.

Reaper's Mark:
Its limited in use...If they dont die then guess what, its an elite Conjure Phantasm. SBRI is a use I guess

Kaida the Heartless

Kaida the Heartless

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2006

N/

I think some people are failing to look outside of the box.

Contagion is one of the best situational skills when used right. Here is one scenario:
Most necromancers in GvG play support roles, often as N/Mo's. Imagine Draw Conditions with Contagion. Then again, the necro would have to move into the enemy backline to really get this skill working, but with experienced monks, calling for a Prot Spirit isn't really that difficult. You can now throw any condition onto everyone "in the area". Imagine the possibilities when you rip deep wound off a target ally and throw it onto four people in the enemy's caster line. One player could single handedly throw a condition based degeneration build back onto itself. Consider this skill a much more effective and controllable form of Fevered Dreams (mesmer).

Tattered Bonds is also good. Gaze of Contemp anyone? Shatter Enchantment also ftw? Anti-Smitee (not the smiter but the smiter's target)? Imagine throwing this bad boy onto a target before a spike. RoF becomes deadly. Shatter Enchantment at a decent level will do over 150 damage in unison with this skill. To finish it off, why not rip all the enchantments off a target at once with Gaze of Contempt (assuming they have alot to begin with).

Depravity = dead smiters? A smiter can't simply move away from everyone without sacrificing efficiency (on most maps). If that doesn't work, why not make a target move away from everyone? He's just moved up on the target priority list. Granted this skill has less use than many of the other one's, but losing 7 energy every time your buddy casts a spell hurts ANYONE's energy pool, even if only two casts got through. Imagine that every cast is 1 energy short of a Signet of Weariness. That's some powerful stuff! Throw this on a monk before a spike and cause anyone sitting near him to be drained of their energy (with the exception of elementalists, but most of those use Ether Prodigy anyways, in which case, this skill would only help them). I think this skill could use a drop in recharge time, but other than that, I think it could be effective if used right.

In conclusion, I think that secondary classes are a major factor when considering the "usefullness" of skills. Most here are only pulling skills from the Necromancer's skill line.

And it's finally nice to see some other effective Death Magic skills that don't relate to raising the dead. Maybe well see some skills other than tainted on non-mm death necros when Nightfall comes out!

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

Contagion is very farmish and fits nicely in a Dark Aura build (it causes sac, triggers DA, shares the same attribute so you can pump up DM). I don't think you can really use Contagion otherwise on a Necro. However, it's not out of question that the skill might find it's place on Warriors and Sins.

Tattered Bonds is so-so. I know it's efficient vs Dervishes and Monks but it seems a little niche. Not to say it's a bad skill, I think it's an ok skill actually, just situational.

Depravity and Toxic Chill are the only 2 skills that I am not impressed by. I just think that what they achieve isn't anything that other skills cant already do, and do it better. That's all.

deathfenix

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2006

Me/N

First, im wondering if Animate Bone minions can add up to 20 bone minions, or does it only add up to 10 minions as in u can cast animate bone minions 10 time or only 5 to the minion cap?

If it works where u can have 20 bone minions, combine that with jagged bones= 20 jagged horrors

Angel Develin

Angel Develin

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Sep 2005

Lions Arch

Minions of Kronos

N/Me

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
nice new elite skills
me like very much
tnx for putting the skills here.

Blackhawk

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2006

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by deathfenix
First, im wondering if Animate Bone minions can add up to 20 bone minions, or does it only add up to 10 minions as in u can cast animate bone minions 10 time or only 5 to the minion cap?

If it works where u can have 20 bone minions, combine that with jagged bones= 20 jagged horrors Errr if there's a 10 minion cap you wont get 20 now will you

Jeff Highwind

Jeff Highwind

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2006

Grenth's Rejects [GR]

R/Mo

Bumping this thread to comment that they shafted Corrupt Enchantment. You have to remove an enchantment to get the degen now; I can see it being useful against Dervishes or monks but that's about it.

AuraofMana

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

Georgia, US

Order of Undeath is awesome for 10 Fiend raping MM except the health cost. Mending + Healing Breeze and some minion eating should keep you alive.. I think... still need to cap it.

NTsan

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

That where Signet of Lost Soul comes to play.. the must own E+HP management skill for Necro primary (9E and 88HP every 8s on 13SR)

Lord Oranos

Lord Oranos

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Fort Aspenwood

Reapers Mark is awesome....

Trylo

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

[Here] | CKOD

E/R

reapers mark + soul barbs spike

then youd get rid of the deadly arts too!

Darkpower Alchemist

Darkpower Alchemist

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

NYC

The Circle Of Nine[NINE]

E/N

Situational? Situations are made, my friends. Even though people may prefer to have a multipurpose type of Elite, the things that builds in general promote are the creating of a situation.

Whether it be spikes,degen, kd builds, or whatever tickles your teams fancy at the time, all builds generally create a situation.

Necros have some good Elites imo, and I can't wait to try the new elites. Being a necro secondary makes the skills less potent, but still useable.

I won't start that war here...

However, I like what I have been seeing in the necro line, thus far, and I am looking forward to further experimentation.

Halfthought

Academy Page

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Former Ruling
ELITE ANALYSIS (if you check my psots, doing this for every class )

Ravenous Gaze:
For competitive play - Useless. For some freaky farming build someone is bound to come up with - Good, but why not use Grenth's Balance >_<

Corrupt Enchantment:
Even if the health degen is from removing an enchant - Its STILL great. 10 recharge enchant removal and better than Life Transfer.

Depravity:
Too high a recharge, too limited in uses to use in competitive play. In PvE - You'll always get it fine, but what do you need to e-denial grawl? No.

Tattered Bonds:
Could have been good with a slightly lower recharge and if BoonProts weren't nerfed...

Signet of Suffering:
Too little Dmg for that recharge.

Contagion:
You know the only use this will ever have? Someone will come up with some sort of 55Necro that uses Signet of Agony and crap, and It'll suck.

Jagged Bones:
Is HAXS. Forget Flesh Golem This is my new MM elite.

Order of Undeath:
Naw...Just not worth it...and if you have a whole army, you can take up to 20% dmg everytime they atk, on top of the BoTm...

Toxic Chill:
No think you...you know whats better than this, and has not much more of a condition - Discord.

Reaper's Mark:
Its limited in use...If they dont die then guess what, its an elite Conjure Phantasm. SBRI is a use I guess reaper mark is great in all forms of pvp, it cripples gvg runners with limited hex removal, and it can be maintained on 3 people, conjure phantasm cna be maintained on 2 for 3 times the energy.

toxic chill, nah, its pretty good, poison last a long time, and recharge is decent, I see this being used on a gvg support neco

contagion. I actually see this being used on warriros and monks, with great results, I mean, no mroe blind, no more daze, no more cripple? thats brilliant!
order of undeath adds 280 damage, 17X10 minions, a bone fiend attack twice every 5 seconds, for 280 damage .

Signet of suffering, sure the recharge is long, but on a degen pressure build, 2 degen necros/mesmer could use this as a mini spike, 280 damage take them from 280 health, which kills.

Alt F Four

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

RSPT

N/A

And now, Alt F Four will nit-pick your analysis, but only the ones I disagree with.



You need to look at this skill from the perspective of the other Blood Magic Elites. There is exactly zero other offensive non-hex Blood Elites. None. Zero. To make matters worse, Blood Magic also has some pretty lame cover hexes, unless you want to spread your attributes across Soul Reaping and Curses. The thing that makes this skill powerful is it's a great self heal. I'd love to see you use Blood Renewal when you're at the Deep End of your health bar.

And need I forget, ArenaNet was so kind to give us Undertaker's Armor in Nightfall, the perfect duds for a powerful Blood Magic Spell. However, it's uses drop in low level PvE and high level PvP. REMEMBER: If you're under 50%, you steal that 90+ damage plus the orignial. Consider... Undertaker's + a zero-curse Rip Enchantment?

This is the best way Anet could of made an offensive non-hex Blood Elite. Anything else would of been Blood Spike bait and turned into a cookie cutter skill. Sorry, but we all know it's true.

Rating: 8/10



Heros make this skill great for PvE. Ice Ele + Curses Degen + This and Soul Barbs and various other damaging curses = The rest of the party can be healers, we have enough damage.

That and it gives hex-pressure builds room to pluck off enemies at their will.

Usless? No. Better then sliced bread? Hardly. You're too harsh.

Rating: 7/10



Dispite popular opinion, when you stand at melee range you don't instantly die. Melee comes to you. Wait till the enemy melee finds a target, and then you're cool.

People don't really look closely at how many conditions you can inflict on yourself. Burning Speed + Contagion = zomgtonsofburning. Oh, and I'm subtracting a point for baiting Fragility Mesmers.

Rating: 7/10



I have an idea! Let's make a skill that requires annoying micro-managing on minions, whom you'll need to manually select to apply this skill, and you can't even do it quickly with a five second recharge. Infinite level 16 minions + even more micro-management for an Minion Master? Minion Bombing is frustrating enough. Flesh Golem + Death Nova + Putrid Explotion > This skill.

Try it for yourself. It's too clunky. Anything would of been better. It would be awsome if it worked like an area enchantment. See 'Dwayna's Sorrow.'

That and high level PvE totally owns level 16 melee minions. Sure, you can bomb with it, but at that point, I'd rather take an PBAoE Ele. :P

Rating: 2/10



How THIS is a Minion Master skill I can sink my teeth into. See my full damage analysis here: http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Talk:Or...th#Not_suicide

Rating: 9/10



14 Soul Reaping > 13 Soul Reaping. You get it up to -6 degen.

Rating: 9.5/10

And like a good forum poster, I wait till after my post to read the rest of the thread.

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

Well, I still think that Contagion isn't all that great, if it removed the condition from you and transfered it to nearby foes that would make the skill a lot more intriguing. It's not a bad skill, just not really all that great.

And I disagree about Jagged Bones. It doesn't require crazy micro management. It's actually extremely easy to use. You can also use it on a hero MM, see how that goes. They don't have problems with micro. If I could use it with 0 problems the first time I got my hands on it, I think anyone can. YOU are being too harsh on this skill. It is actually one of the best Necro elites in NF.

And I like the idea of pumping Reaper's Mark up, IF you are playing a build that can facilitate high SR. Hex Spammer does that. Could be fun to use with Life Siphon/PB. LS maxes out at low levels of Blood, and PB doesn't need all that many points in Curses. Life Siphon + RM + PB = 10 degen in this situation. And the usual Faintheartedness that goes on a Hex Spammer can be replaced by Shadow of Fear which- again- doesn't require high Curses. Toss in Sig of Sorrow for a nice finishing move. 14 SR, 12 Blood, 11 Curses is a wonderful attribute point split to use in this build.

Glasswalker

Glasswalker

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: May 2005

Northwest Ascalon

Freedom

N/R

Non-tested build[/Caveat]
Contagion {E}
Infuse Condition
Animate Shambling Horror
Taste of Death
Chilblains
Insidious Parasite
Arcane Echo
Res Signet

Don't really care much about the minion, just a cheap way to get the condition off yourself, and a source of healing from ToD, and hey, when he dies, you Infuse the resulting Jagged Horror again.

Arcane Echo, Insidious Parasite on 2 enemies.
Run into melee range with Contagion on you.
Infuse Condition is your cover enchantment.
Any conditions they put on you won't effect you, but will effect them (and anyone else in range).
Chilblains will do good damage, and poison all around you, and remove 2 enchantments as well.

16 DM, 8 SR, 11 C... Energy will be very tight... Am I forgetting anything?
Dark Aura or Signet of Lost Souls could be nice variations on this build.

Malice Black

Site Legend

Join Date: Oct 2005

I'm looking forward to playing with Reapers Mark...the rest look so so..not a big MM fan so the death skills hold no interest to me.

Alt F Four

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

RSPT

N/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hella Good
Well, I still think that Contagion isn't all that great, if it removed the condition from you and transfered it to nearby foes that would make the skill a lot more intriguing. It's not a bad skill, just not really all that great.

And I disagree about Jagged Bones. It doesn't require crazy micro management. It's actually extremely easy to use. You can also use it on a hero MM, see how that goes. They don't have problems with micro. If I could use it with 0 problems the first time I got my hands on it, I think anyone can. YOU are being too harsh on this skill. It is actually one of the best Necro elites in NF.

And I like the idea of pumping Reaper's Mark up, IF you are playing a build that can facilitate high SR. Hex Spammer does that. Could be fun to use with Life Siphon/PB. LS maxes out at low levels of Blood, and PB doesn't need all that many points in Curses. Life Siphon + RM + PB = 10 degen in this situation. And the usual Faintheartedness that goes on a Hex Spammer can be replaced by Shadow of Fear which- again- doesn't require high Curses. Toss in Sig of Sorrow for a nice finishing move. 14 SR, 12 Blood, 11 Curses is a wonderful attribute point split to use in this build. Melee level 16 minions, for the lack of a better term, suck. People are going crazy about 'infinite minions'. It's stupid. You know what's better then so called 'infinite minions'? Bone Fiends. Point. Case. With Aura of the Lich + BotM spam, I have never EVER had a problem with running low on minions. And my minions don't run away from battle.

Sure, it's an interesting skill, but other forms of minion mastery completely over-shadow it. I rather take Flesh Golem.

Edit: And Toxic Chill is awsome in a degen-pressure build. Don't give me that 'Dur I'll just use Posion shot'. Spell > Arrow Speed. GG.

Hella Good

Hella Good

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2005

None, free and clear

Ugh, I don't care for the minions... their only purpose is to Death Nova them, have them reanimate due to Jagged, and Death Nova them again... and so on. JB is a minion bomb elite, it has nothing to do with regular MM-ing. They only need to last long enough to hit to cause Bleeding to be combined with the Poision and Spike damage of the Nova. Maybe even Desease on top, if you are using Putrid Flesh along with Taste of Death to kill em. Why do you even bother with the actual minion itself? It's simply a passive means to do damage. It's just a medium. Seriously, if some1 is using JB for non Minion Bomb builds, they gotta go back to their MM Bible and reread it... JB allows for constant massive AoE damage, combined with conditions, all the while managing your nrg passively through SR. It's that simple.

Jeff Highwind

Jeff Highwind

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jul 2006

Grenth's Rejects [GR]

R/Mo

How exactly do you manage to keep JB and DN on all 10 of those minions (or whatever amount you intend)? Those little f***ers never stand still and if you press V you are more likely to target your healer.