Is "Offering of Blood" worth it?

Mistermagoo

Mistermagoo

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

In my computer room.

The Noob Elite [TnE]

N/Me

I'm thinking about capping "Offering of Blood" for my MinionMaster, but I DO NOT want to raise my blood level. Is it worth having for a MM with 0 blood magic? Thanks ahead of time

E Power

E Power

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

New York City

Wisdom of the Raven [MyM]

Not really, for a minion master there is many other elites you can choose from like Virulence + Rotting Flesh or Mantra of Recall for some energy problems that you may have when making bone fiends.

Shen Xi

Shen Xi

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

London, UK

Laziness Appreciation Society [LaZy]

Mo/

well, obviously not if you don't put any points in it. it's retarded if you don't

at 0 blood you get back +3 energy overall and lose 10% health.

what a waste of time...

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

I use Offering of Blood with my minion master, but I threw enough points into blood to get 13 energy back per use (IIRC). I like it - I very rarely get a corpse snaked from me by those damn dwarven gnashers I despise so much.

E Power

E Power

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2005

New York City

Wisdom of the Raven [MyM]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon
I use Offering of Blood with my minion master, but I threw enough points into blood to get 13 energy back per use (IIRC). I like it - I very rarely get a corpse snaked from me by those damn dwarven gnashers I despise so much. Do you still have enough points into death magic + soul reaping to gain the best amount of energy and have awesome minions?

I personally use Mantra of Recall, just because it heals for more energy then OoB would. Soul Reaping at a high level + mantra of recall is great energy management.

Nater

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2005

Illusion Of Skill

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by E Power
Do you still have enough points into death magic + soul reaping to gain the best amount of energy and have awesome minions?

I personally use Mantra of Recall, just because it heals for more energy then OoB would. Soul Reaping at a high level + mantra of recall is great energy management. Mantra takes longer to cast, costs more energy up front, and longer to recharge. OoB is easier to control too, cast it when you need it.

I use Ele 2ndary for Minion Master, and use OoB and Glyph of Lesser Energy for management. 11 Blood, 16 Death, 9 Soul I believe it is.

lord_shar

lord_shar

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2005

near SF, CA

Offering of Blood is one of the best skills in the game, but it does need 10+ blood magic to make it worth while.

Mistermagoo

Mistermagoo

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

In my computer room.

The Noob Elite [TnE]

N/Me

Well, I'm a N/MO, Scratch the offering idea. I'll hopefully find something to make up for it.

Rico Carridan

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Eternal Comrades

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistermagoo
Well, I'm a N/MO, Scratch the offering idea. I'll hopefully find something to make up for it. If you don't want to put points into blood, offering is useless. However, that said, it is one of the best elites in the game, and you *should* get it, just so you have it unlocked, or if you want to change your build. For instance, many people play Mo/N and use offering to get their energy back. There's an infamous R/N PvP build that can also make great use of this skill. If soul reaping gives you enough energy as it is, you can probably find a better elite that would be more worthwhile

Rico

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by E Power
Do you still have enough points into death magic + soul reaping to gain the best amount of energy and have awesome minions?

I personally use Mantra of Recall, just because it heals for more energy then OoB would. Soul Reaping at a high level + mantra of recall is great energy management. I have 11 Blood, 16 Death, 9 Soul Reaping, and 3 Curses. I have never had a real energy crisis, as long as I have a healer with me I can sacrifice away and get what I need. I pretty much only play with guildmates. My skills when I am running minion hordes are usually:

1: Deathly Swarm (84 cold/up to 3 targets)
2: Blood Ritual (12 seconds/+3 energy regen to ally)
3: <open for whatever I feel like bringing... varies from Shadow of Fear to Meteor Shower to a rez >
4: Well of Suffering (-6 health degen for 31 seconds - real handy for bosses)
5: Offering of Blood (Sacrifice 10% health, gain 17 energy)
6: Verata's Sacrifice (Sac. 15% health, gives minions +10 regen for 21 seconds)
7: Blood of the Master (Sac. 10% health, heal minions near me for 122 hp)
8: Animate Bone Horror (level 18)

On a side note, I think Shadow of Fear is one of the best skills for a necro - even with only 3 curses, it causes the target and adjacent enemies to attack 50% slower for 25 seconds - and it cycles in 10 seconds.

I use Bone Horrors because they are cheap, they actually tank (unlike the spitters), and they are a lot easier to heal (tend to stick together nicely).

What's real fun is when I have another guildmate with me that plays a support necro, using Heal Area and trading off with me on Verata's and Blood of the Master. Also, he likes to throw Death Nova on the ones that look like they are slipping away. Good times!

Vexed Arcanist

Banned

Join Date: Sep 2005

Ring of Steel

Mo/

I sometimes run a prot monk with only 8 in Blood and OoB is still worth it (14 energy). Not sure where you are spending all your attribute points, do you have the full 200 or 170 or 185?

You do NOT have to have an elite in order to function. If one doesn't suite your needs run a more useful skill instead. I have a few builds that are "Eliteless". One of my Comp Arena Mesmer builds is.

A good monk elite that requires as little or as much as you care to invest in attributes is Restore Condition. While you wouldn't get much healing off it it would still remove all conditions from a target. A good Necro Elite requiring little investment and working well with Verata's Sacrifice IF you play in areas with heavy conditions (Sorrow's Furnace) is Plague Signet. 4+1 Curses. Verata's Sacrifice transfers all minion conditions to yourself, then you send them to a target for ZERO energy. It also combos well with Draw Conditions.

Jasso

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

Finland

N/Mo

My minion maker:

Blood - 9 (8+1)
Death - 16 (12+1+3)
Soul - 10 (7+3)
Heal - rest points, 8 or 9, you should get 110 healing from heal area anyway

Blood of The Master
Heal Area
Veratas Sacrifice
Animate Horrors
Animate Fiends
Free Spot - i like taste of death or dark bond
Offering of Blood {E}
Rebirth

Have fun.