How are Necromancers?

[Alcsaar]

Necromancer has, my entire life, been my favourite class in RPGs. Few games these days have them, and whenever a game releases with one I always try it.

I spent a little time (Under an hour) trying a necromancer out during the tests. I was not a fan of the first pet they start with. I MUCH prefer the standard Skeleton/Zombie based necromancers. Fiends and stuff like that seem a little to "warlock"y for my tastes.

So basically my questions are: Is the necromancer a viable choice for this game? (Pet classes have a tendency to be overpowered or garbage in pvp)

and

Do they get any more generic style pets (Skeletons, Zombies, That sort of thing)?

One of my favourite necromancer classes in a game was DAoC. That 2h armoured skeleton you got at 50 (I think?) Was just epic.

[Moarwin]

I'm playing a Charr Necro, completely different from anything i played in the bwe's and stress tests and i gotta say i love it. I feel like there will be a nerf incoming for life drain while in death shroud mode (death shroud is an alternate state of being for necro's with a different set of abilities that use 'life force' that you gain while doing normal damage outside of death shroud). Yes, it is very viable, you can play it without a pets or you can beast mode and run around with an army of guys blowing them up for your benefit to gain boons and health and to deal damage.

[Repefe]

GW necromancers don't use skeletons/zombies. They use minions. I am running around with 4 right now ... 2 melee 2 ranged and it's fun. As for viability you don't need to use any minions at all as necro. The skill pool is big and minions are just one of the tools you have.

[Alcsaar]

GW necromancers don't use skeletons/zombies. They use minions. I am running around with 4 right now ... 2 melee 2 ranged and it's fun. As for viability you don't need to use any minions at all as necro. The skill pool is big and minions are just one of the tools you have.

Why would I want to play a necro with out minions though? That sort of style of play makes no sense. I want a class thats viable WITH its pets.

Pretty dumb that they don't use ACTUAL UNDEAD though. Fiends and that sort of shit are warlock pets, not necromancer ones. Dissapointing. Guess I'll play something else.

[Nurvus]

Because necromancers have to do with life and death, not necessarily with minions.
Some like the life and death aspect alone and to use it directly on the targets.

You have your preferences, and that's fine, just don't judge others for theirs...

[Alcsaar]

Because necromancers have to do with life and death, not necessarily with minions.
Some like the life and death aspect alone and to use it directly on the targets.

You have your preferences, and that's fine, just don't judge others for theirs...

I'm not sure theres a single definition for "necromancer" that wouldn't involve them mentioning something about raising the dead.

either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination

just one example.

I mean come on, Undead pets are one of the KEYSTONES of necromancers. To try to say otherwise is fallacy.

Just like you said Necromancers have to do with life and death, they also have to do a large part with undead minions.

If you took away Death from a necromancer they aren't a necromancer. If you took away undead minions they aren't necromancers either.

Doesn't make sense.

I don't want to turn this into a flame-filled thread where people argue over this. I think its pretty widely recongnized that necromancers are known for raising the dead, just as well if not better than they are for dot style damage or life draining.

[Repefe]

Why would I want to play a necro with out minions though? That sort of style of play makes no sense. I want a class thats viable WITH its pets.

Pretty dumb that they don't use ACTUAL UNDEAD though. Fiends and that sort of shit are warlock pets, not necromancer ones. Dissapointing. Guess I'll play something else.

You misunderstand. Necro is viable with pets. The option without pets is for ppl who don't like them. I mean how many shadow/dark oriented mage classes do you expect ANET to release in their game. If you want to play necro with minions, go ahead. I think you can have 6 or more minions out at the same time with necro and at least 4 of them have activable abilities bound to them. It's like a hunter on stereoids. And while they are not called skeletons or undeads, they are very much flesh and bones ... I don't think warlock would touch them. Well maybe the shadow minion, but most of them look like a work of necromancer.