Scourge - Power Curses

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Strike damage, Dps, Burst and Boonrip

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Easy

This build was last updated on July 12, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A build designed to strip boons and lay down high area damage.

Skill Bar

Axe/Torch

Scepter/Dagger

Utility

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Awaken the Pain slightly higher DPS

Variants

• Nourishing Ashes if Life Force generation is an issue

Equipment

Head
Marauder

Shoulders
Marauder

Chest
Marauder

Hands
Marauder

Legs
Marauder

Feet
Marauder

Backpiece
Marauder

Accessory
Marauder

Accessory
Marauder

Amulet
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Axe
Marauder

Focus
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Marauder

Torch
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Equipment Variants

Stats

• Feel free to use as much Berserker stats as you can without dying

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Bloodlust increased damage
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Force increased damage

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of Durability defensive option
• Rune of Superior Rune of Speed can be useful if you have a hard time staying on tag

Consumables

• • personal food option

Usage

Overall Priorities

High

• Wells
• Boon rip

Moderate

• Shades
• Sustained pressure
• Single target damage

Low

• Support

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has no mobility skill access
• This builds has low active defenses
  • Be conservative with Trail of Anguish, it is your only stunbreak
  • Don't use Sand Flare if the cast is likely to be interrupted

Active defense priority Trail of Anguish - for stunbreaking Deathly Swarm - for Immobilize Dodge Sand Flare Sand Cascade Desert Shroud

Detailed Explanations

Wells

• Try to save your Well skills for the commanders call
  • If you aren't using voice communication, use your wells at the same time as the other Necromancers in your group
• Cast Well of Corruption before Well of Suffering, due to the longer cooldown
• Only use your Well skills at the same time, do not use one early and desync their cooldowns
• When using ground AoEs like Well of Corruption or Well of Suffering, try to place them so that one edge is on the enemy group and the other edge is in the direction they are moving to

Boon rip

• Use Ghastly Breach when the enemy group is pushing towards you or your group is in melee
• Avoid casting Manifest Sand Shade + Nefarious Favor when there is 12 seconds or less left on Desert Shroud's cooldown
  • Save your final charge of Manifest Sand Shade when there is 15 seconds or less left on Desert Shroud's cooldown
• While Trail of Anguish is your only stunbreak, it can be used for unlimited target boon rip if you feel your party support is good enough

Shades

• Your shade spike consists of casting Manifest Sand Shade before casting, in order:
• Desert Shroud
• Nefarious Favor
• Garish Pillar
• Sand Cascade
  • These are all instant and can be cast at the same time, but drop skills from bottom to top if limited on Life Force

Sustained pressure

• Start fights on Scepter/Dagger to maximize ranged uptime
• Use Unholy Feast and Devouring Darkness immediately after Weapon Swap and use them again immediately before swapping back
  • Delaying your Weapon Swap slightly for the cooldown is fine

Skill priority Well of Corruption + Well of Suffering - always together, on call Ghastly Breach Desert Shroud Axe Unholy Feast Manifest Sand Shade + Nefarious Favor - procs Path of Corruption Spinal Shivers - only on single target Ghastly Claws Soul Grasp - only if low on Life Force Scepter Devouring Darkness Manifest Sand Shade + Nefarious Favor - procs Path of Corruption Grasping Dead

Single target damage

• Use Spinal Shivers ⇒ Ghastly Claws ⇒ Rending Claws pick off isolated players

Support

• Barrier lasts 5 seconds after application before decaying
• Use Sand Flare and Sand Cascade before pushes and during extended engages
• Pay attention to allies with Illusion of Life used on them, apply barrier before the buff times out
  • Illusion of Life begins flashing on the buff bar at 5 seconds remaining
• Use Nefarious Favor as a desperation condition clear if you have no other options