Necromancer Question...

[ShamanTankFTW]

Hello everyone, just thought that I would start out by saying that I am an avid GW2 follower and honestly cannot wait until this game gets released. With that out of the way I am just going to jump right into my question...

I am assuming that everyone is aware of the types of weapons that the Necromancer is able to wield. If not, the confirmed choices so far are Staff, Knife, Axe, Scepter and Trident (for underwater), and those are not including the off-hand choices of Knife, Horn and Focus. Now if you look into the abilities that the Necromancer is allowed to use for each of those weapons it appears that, for the most part anyway, that the 1h Axe weapon for the Necro seems to be melee-centric. Now, it is at this point that I started to geek out. I have wanted to play an up-close magic wielding bad-ass that doesn't need to be in heavy armor for a very long time. Am I to assume that this is finally my wish coming true? Am I going to be able to utilize my spells while in melee range with this weapon or am I reading the spell descriptions wrong and getting my hopes up?

Like I said, I have wanted to play a light-armour spell-caster in melee range for so long now, and this appears to be my first chance. Any insight would be nice. Thank you in advance!

[Plagous]

You are correct. You still cast spells when using an axe or dagger as a necromancer, but the range is much shorter than if you were using a scepter or staff. Note that this also applies to the elementalist when they're equipped with a dagger.

[ShamanTankFTW]

You are correct. You still cast spells when using an axe as a necromancer, but the range is much shorter than if you were using a scepter or staff. Note that this also applies to the elementalist when they're equipped with a dagger.

YES!!!! Hahaha, it's about damn time something like this happened! Damn man, I can barely wait until this game comes out. Graphics look amazing, Proffesions are unique from each other and appear to have depth with each one, the story/lore appears to have a solid and interesting foundation.

Honestly, I haven't been this excited for a new game to play since Blueside announced Kingdom Under Fire 2...which ironically ended in horrible disapointment.

[Glytch]

you probably will not be attacking with the actual weapon however

[ShamanTankFTW]

you probably will not be attacking with the actual weapon however

To be honest, that is perfectly fine; well, for me anyway. You see, I am not looking for a proffesion/class that uses magic to augment his melee skills. I am looking for one that still uses magic/spells but is meant to be in melee range for it to be effective.

[Barrowmore]

The melee weapons for necromancers appear to be Axe, Main-hand Dagger, Off-hand Dagger and Warhorn. The two dagger slots give you different skills.

[fishious]

Correct, you will be up close and personal with the enemies while you cast your magic. The weapons determine the range of the spells. Staff is long range, scepter/focus is mid range, daggers are close range. I'm going to be Elementalist, so I am not 100% what the Axe serves as, but you are more than likely to be up close with it as well. I am very excited about playing an Ele who can move in close to the combat, move while casting, and has no mana bar. Finally get to play casters the way I've always wanted to in a MMO.

Edit 2: You may actually just want to read the QQ Necro article. Lots of good info in there about more than weapons. Necromancer

Edit: Went to look at the QQ Necromancer page, and this is what they had to say about weapon ranges:
Main Hand
Axe: low range, fast damage (aggressive)
Scepter: long range, damage, utility (supportive)
Dagger: low range, health sacrifice, life stealing (defensive)

Off hand
Warhorn: Daze, life stealing (aggressive)
Focus: condition removal, Chill & Vulnerability (supportive)
Dagger: Blind, Regeneration (defensive)

Two-Handed
Staff: long range, area damage


Hope it helps

[Barrowmore]

I'm going to be Elementalist, so I am not 100% what the Axe serves as, but you are more than likely to be up close with it as well.

Axe does a stacking bleed, a flurry attack and a de-booning attack that does damage based on the number of boons and conditions the target had. I see how the bleed and the last attack work well together now. They're all melee range as far as I know.

[Purple]

you probably will not be attacking with the actual weapon however

Actually, every skill that's tied to a weapon seems to involve the weapon in question to some extent. The Dagger skills for the Necromancer, for instance, being a prime example. For reference, check the Necromancer Demo where the Necromancer switched to Knives from a Wand and Focus.

Correct, you will be up close and personal with the enemies while you cast your magic. The weapons determine the range of the spells. Staff is long range, scepter/focus is mid range, daggers are close range. I'm going to be Elementalist, so I am not 100% what the Axe serves as, but you are more than likely to be up close with it as well. I am very excited about playing an Ele who can move in close to the combat, move while casting, and has no mana bar. Finally get to play casters the way I've always wanted to in a MMO.

Edit 2: You may actually just want to read the QQ Necro article. Lots of good info in there about more than weapons. Necromancer

Edit: Went to look at the QQ Necromancer page, and this is what they had to say about weapon ranges:
Main Hand
Axe: low range, fast damage (aggressive)
Scepter: long range, damage, utility (supportive)
Dagger: low range, health sacrifice, life stealing (defensive)

Off hand
Warhorn: Daze, life stealing (aggressive)
Focus: condition removal, Chill & Vulnerability (supportive)
Dagger: Blind, Regeneration (defensive)

Two-Handed
Staff: long range, area damage


Hope it helps

It's of note there are only two skills to each one handed weapon, two for mainhand and two for offhand. A final, fifth, skill is determined by the combination of main-hand and off-hand weapon selections. A Wand and Dagger, in theory, wouldn't have the same Fifth skill as a Wand and Focus for example. So there's actually more customization, as far as I can tell, to two single hand weapons than there is to any two-handed option.

[Plagous]

It's of note there are only two skills to each one handed weapon, two for mainhand and two for offhand. A final, fifth, skill is determined by the combination of main-hand and off-hand weapon selections. A Wand and Dagger, in theory, wouldn't have the same Fifth skill as a Wand and Focus for example. So there's actually more customization, as far as I can tell, to two single hand weapons than there is to any two-handed option.

"When a weapon is equipped, the first five skills on a skill bar will change accordingly. Two-handed weapons determine all five skill slots, a weapon in the main hand determines the first three skills, and a weapon in the off hand determines the last two skill slots. [...] The thief is unique in that its third weapon skill is determined by both the main-hand and off-hand weapon."

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Weapon#Basic_attributes

[fishious]

It's of note there are only two skills to each one handed weapon, two for mainhand and two for offhand. A final, fifth, skill is determined by the combination of main-hand and off-hand weapon selections. A Wand and Dagger, in theory, wouldn't have the same Fifth skill as a Wand and Focus for example. So there's actually more customization, as far as I can tell, to two single hand weapons than there is to any two-handed option.

The system that you are talking about is only applied to Thieves. The thief main hand weapon determines skills 1 and 2, the off hand determines 4 and 5, and then 3 is always different depending on the combination of the weapons (Dagger/Dagger vs. Dagger/Pistol vs. Pistol/Pistol ect).

[Daegalus]

Elementalists can do something similar with double dagger too. But I too am looking forward to a melee necro. You can even go as far as Necro Tank. Here is an example build I made for DD/Tanking that gives you the survivability you need to tank/be in melee

http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...itch=2f312a134

I didnt do the traits or anything, but that just gives you a hint at what can be achieved. As for the Elite, most use the Lich Form, but I feel like Plague is more melee oriented and could be a bit nastier up close. Also with Frozen Grasp, you get a Death Grip + Freeze, that can be pretty nice in battle.