Rit/N feeling overwhelmed

Xmann

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2005

I've seen a couple other topics similar to this but i've seen no suggestions really, so i thought i'd ask for myself.

I'm back to GW's after playing for a bit shortly after release, but i'm totally new to playing a Necro of any sort. I went with a Rit/N because i thought it could be a decent support character. I'm enjoying it thus far and i'm up to lvl 13, but i'm really lost with all the skills.

So i'm wondering if anyone can point me in a general direction as to how to play this character in PvE. I like the idea of setting down spirits and supporting my groupmates with my other spells, but there are so many choices i have no clue as to where to even start. I have so many options for skills that are so different, it seems as though i could go several directions with this combo. I'm also confused with the attributes. Again, so many choices.

I apologize for asking a question that might be a little tough to answer so early after release, but i'm really stuck. Thanks!

holden

holden

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2005

[NICE]

Mo/

it's a new class with a bunch of new skills so don't sweat it.

it seems channeling is more outright damage.
restoration is more for healing
communing has the spirits and they can do many things.
spawing will help your spirits.

some of the cooldowns on the spells drive me crazy but overall i'm enjoying this class so far. im even halfway enjoying pve with it.

Pyro maniac

Pyro maniac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

I chose the Rt/N as a team aider.
So Union for protecting your team and Blood magic skills as Well of Blood and Blood ritual as regen. Together with some weapon spells you can help your team doing far more dmg.

Tough Rt/N is more powerfull as a Tank Minion Master. Lower level, so less attack and armor. But far more health due to spawning power. So Its great in PvE to take dmg.

And you can always play pure.

morimoto

morimoto

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Ft. Worth TX

House of Soot?!

Mo/W

i have a rit/n and am having a tough time figuring out my role.

i am lvl13 and still on the island (dont recall name).

i dont heal well, or deal damage well. my minions practically blow.

i am hoping that as i move up in lvl and get more skills i will find my niche.

Sado The One

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2006

TB

N/

For Rit/N fellows:
I have done one myself at Cantha, and found the beggining quite hard UNTILL i found out the bone minnion + death nova + boon of creation + taste of death..
you get energy and life when your minions appear, then place death nova on them and they go as happy little damage-soaking freaks who will do a nasty AoE dmg + poison when they die..
While they attack (and hopefully you AREN´T ) you can just use spirit rift on the enemies, since they won´t move, for + nice AoE dmg..
This build just goes better as you lvl up..
Can´t say the EXACT atb, but you need some death magic, spawning power and channeling (DM >> Spawning >> channeling, that´s my priority list)
Once i found that, my hours as a little powered sad ritualist have been WAY funnier!
Hope i have helped a bit...
And remember: use bone minnions! they cost less and give two bodies (wich means: 2x the HP and energy from Boon of creation and 2x the damage with death nova..)
Can barelly imagine the tank i´ll get myself when i cap the flesh golem baddass! (with 64% more HP then the necro´s golem...)

unholy guardian

unholy guardian

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2006

Lost Haven

A/Mo

well sado i would like to see your minion golem go head to head with my n/ri lol

be intresting, since necro energy managment rocks in pve in factions, i never run out of energy, i run usually around 5 fiends as a time, simply because i don't heal the things, that way my energy is ever flowing. Spirits to begin the battle, and minions to end it, but eh you primary ritualists can do as you choose, ashame people think rit as a secondary is a waste when i join their team...

Blkout

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by unholy guardian
well sado i would like to see your minion golem go head to head with my n/ri lol

be intresting, since necro energy managment rocks in pve in factions, i never run out of energy, i run usually around 5 fiends as a time, simply because i don't heal the things, that way my energy is ever flowing. Spirits to begin the battle, and minions to end it, but eh you primary ritualists can do as you choose, ashame people think rit as a secondary is a waste when i join their team... Personally I see no advantages to using a primary Rt, the two new professions both seem better suited to secondary.

Blackhand

Blackhand

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2006

N/

Here is one build I came up with for Rit/Nec...Explosive Boon Time-Nova

Boon of Creation (Spawning)
Explosive Growth (Spawning)
Signet of Creation (Spawning)
Animate Bone Minions (Death)
Death Nova (Death)

[+3 slots of your choice] - I choose Flesh of My Flesh, Life and Recuperation since i placed the rest of my attributes into Restoration. You can also play Putrid Explosion (usually more than enough corpse) and Rotting Flesh (faster degen with disease spread + poison from Death Nova) if you want to focus your attributes.

At least 10 Spawning and Death, with the rest into a single attribute


**With 10 Spawn, you will cause at least 2x50=100 lightning damage to up to 5 foes in the area everytime you animate bone minions (2 'minions' created). You will also be healing yourself for at least 35x2=70 health and recover back 12 energy everytime you animate bone minions.

4 secs of prep + 25 mana
=
self healing, damage 5 foes and 2 x min 8th level minions (with +40% health, they last longer) everytime you spam 3 energy.

So far, i have never ran into energy problem

Anet has nerfed MM and discouraged hordes to follow around. That is why I subsitute Signet of Creation for Verta's Sac and Taste of Death for a coordinated Death Nova bombing. I will usually have more than enough bodies to create at least 6 minions bomb for the next battle. Hence, I have changed my style of play to expedite battles by Death Nova-ing my minions before aggro instead of maintaining hordes in between point A to B

This build requires a bit of practice and experience to pull off smoothly as you need to decide when to nova, animate, or do whatever for what you have placed in the last 3 slots.

Enjoy!

TheSonofDarwin

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2005

The Black Hand Gang [BHG]

Mo/

If you are more support then you may wish to look into wells to make use of your necro. Well of Blood, for example, can really help take pressure off the monks, or Well of Suffering can help take down a group quickly by adding degen pressure. My guildie is a Ri/N and uses wells and boy do they help when things get tight.

morimoto

morimoto

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Ft. Worth TX

House of Soot?!

Mo/W

i discovered boon of creation last night and it rocks.

it gives health and energy for each creature created. the bone minion skill raises 2 minions and you ger x2 health and energy!

i carry boon of creation, 3 spirits (depending on the nature of the mission), bone minion and fiend, rez, and doom. i just have to remember to keep boon of creation up all the time.

after a week of playing i think i am getting the hang of my rit/n and liking him very much.

morimoto

morimoto

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Ft. Worth TX

House of Soot?!

Mo/W

i tried using death nova, but have a hard time getting it on my minions.

with so much going on i dont know how to easily target a minion to put the spell on it. pressing <alt> does not light up minions.

any tips/tricks to do this easier?

Termil

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2005

Protectors Of Peace (PoP)

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by morimoto
i tried using death nova, but have a hard time getting it on my minions.

with so much going on i dont know how to easily target a minion to put the spell on it. pressing <alt> does not light up minions.

any tips/tricks to do this easier? I've had the same problem since Prophecies so gave up on the Death Nova. I would appreciate any tips on this as well, maybe I'll actually start using it.

Jetdoc

Jetdoc

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Jul 2005

The Eyes of Texas [BEVO]

D/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by morimoto
ipressing <alt> does not light up minions. Ummm...yes it does. This is the main way that I target them.

morimoto

morimoto

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2006

Ft. Worth TX

House of Soot?!

Mo/W

i'll try the <alt> button tonight. maybe i overlooked something last night.....i was pretty high at the time.

AznSup3rman

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2005

Do mininos really work? are they strong enough or is death nova needed to help out?

Str0b0

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Feb 2006

North Carolina

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Termil
I've had the same problem since Prophecies so gave up on the Death Nova. I would appreciate any tips on this as well, maybe I'll actually start using it. The best way I have found to utilize death nova with an ease of targeting is to put it on your minions before they go into battle. It's not as efficient but until ANet puts some sort of support for targeting minions in the game I don't see any better way.

AznSup3rman

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2005

Would something revolving around the golem be good? Using the weapon skill that adds 16+dmg to physical attacks sounds good, but i don't know how it would work. Can minions be good later in the game if you just concentrated on being a mm, not bomber?

Brutal

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2005

UK

Hired Killers [HK]

Mo/

I'm currently running a Rt/N in the Cantha campaign and am actually enjoying the PvE aspect of the game again which suprised me.
I too am the same as everyone else in that I am experimenting so this post may be invalid later but atm I put my attribute points into Death Magic, Communing and Spawning Power with Death and Communing as high as possible and rest in Spawning. The attributes sent in Spawning make both your spirits and minions stronger I believe.
As far as I can remember on the skill bar (am at work atm so can't access it) I have:
Flesh of my Flesh - Restoration - Rezzing skill.
Capture Signat - For those lovely elites as I go through the game.
Brutal Weapon - Communing - Boosting warrior and assasin attacks.
Union - Communing - Damage reduction on allies.
Animate Bone Minions - Death - Creates alot of cannon fodder/shields for allied group.
Soul Feast - Death - Self healing if monks are overworked.
Pain - Communing - To help with damage dealing and creates another target for foes to bother with.
Shelter - Communing - Kind of like the monk Protective Spirit skill.

Like I said, I'm still learning this char but am loving it atm. I'll probably look back on this skill bar in time and think 'OMG what I n00b I am' lol. But for now it seems to work.
This build would suck bigtime in PvP but I believe the Rt could have a major role to play in PvP within time as the are a great support char.

Serra Knightfang

Serra Knightfang

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2006

Tenn

Me/Mo

My bar looks somewhat similar. I've got a Rit/N, but like I was saying in another thread I havent' used my Necro secondary yet. My bar look something like this:

Anguished was Lingwah
Bloodsong
Shelter
Union
Spirit Burn
Essence Strike
Brutal Weapon
Flesh of my Flesh

Anguished was Lingwah is actually just a Pain pet that you hold onto and drop where and when you want; so you don't have to wait on it to cast and you can regen your energy before the fight.
I'm currently using Channeling for the direct damage aspects but that could easily be switched to Restoration if a backup healer is needed.

I also have a MM that I play and I can't stand the minion bomber build. <Alt> DOES NOT show minions. There is no efficient way to target them, period. To answer an earlier question: MMs are still very much good and now, due to the difficulty of the missions in Factions, needed more than ever. Try doing Vizunah Square without one.

Sythion

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

Destruction + death nova + rupture soul... That's a triple spirit explosion.

for more fun add draw spirit to get it in the right spot. You might also consider well of blood to take advantage of the exploded spirits, Life to have another spirit out there that heals when it explodes, spirit to death for more healing w/explosions, Soul Twisting for more death novas, etc.

Termil

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Aug 2005

Protectors Of Peace (PoP)

N/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brutal
This build would suck bigtime in PvP but I believe the Rt could have a major role to play in PvP within time as the are a great support char. I think in PvP and GvG we are going to find the Ritualist becoming a priority target behind probably a healer Monk and maybe a Mesmer. Too many ways for a Ritualist to create havoc to be allowed to stick around.

I know playing my Ele in PvP I hated Mesmers due to the aggravation factor. I think a Ritualist would do the same thing to me.