Scourge - Condition Scourge

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: Boonrip, Boon support and Condition damage

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on September 22, 2024 and is up to date for the February 11, 2025 patch.

Overview

A utility build with high boon rip, Poison and Torment application intended to be played in a group with other condition based builds.

Skill Bar

Scepter/Torch

Greatsword

Utility

Variants

Utility

Swap

Epidemic

if needed

• Trail of Anguish
• Signet of Undeath

Template Code

[&DQgnNhM9PC5+FgAAiwAAAHMBAACZAQAAYBcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]

Copy Template Code

Specializations

Variants

• Path of Corruption

Variants

• Sadistic Searing
  consistent but low damage, easier to use

Equipment

Head
Celestial

Shoulders
Celestial

Chest
Celestial

Hands
Celestial

Legs
Celestial

Feet
Celestial

Backpiece
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Amulet
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Scepter
Celestial

Torch
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Greatsword
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

Equipment Variants

Stats

• Trailblazer is a viable alternative to Celestial

Rune

• Superior Rune of the Trapper
• Superior Rune of the Berserker

Relic

• Relic of Mercy
• Relic of Cerus

Consumables

• Spherified Peppercorn-Spiced Oyster Soup
  or
  Mint-Pear Cured Meat Flatbread
• Magnanimous Tuning Crystal

Usage

General

• It is extremely important to use
  Garish Pillar
  deliberately to proc
  Transfusion
  , do not waste it.

Overall Priorities

High

• Wells
• Transfusion

Moderate

• Support
• Boon rip

Low

• CC
• Damage

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has no mobility skill access
• This build 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

Expand Active defense priority Trail of Anguish - for stunbreaking Dodge Sand Cascade Sandstorm Shroud Sand Flare

Detailed Explanations

Wells

• Save your
  Well of Corruption
  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
• When using pulsing ground AoEs like
  Well of Corruption
  , 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

Transfusion

• Use
  Garish Pillar
  to activate
  Transfusion
  and pull any allied downstates within 600 range to your character
• After transfusing, interact with the rez to activate
  Ritual of Life
  and quickly revive them
• Be careful not to pull downstates away from your group. If you can't activate
  Transfusion
  in a good position, don't use it at all
• Don't stay rezzing a downstate when the enemy group is pushing to or spiking it, its more important to keep yourself alive

Boon rip

• Cast
  Devouring Darkness
  as often as possible
• Use
  Ghastly Breach
  and
  Nightfall
  when the enemy group is pushing towards you or your group is in melee
• Always save a charge of
  Manifest Sand Shade
  for
  Sandstorm Shroud
  , there is a 3s delay so try to predict enemy movement
  • Hit allies as well if possible for Barrier
• Sand Flare
  removes boons, but should be prioritized on allies
  • Try to hit both allies and enemies as much as possible

Support

• Use
  Sand Flare
  and
  Sand Cascade
  as often as possible on pushes and during extended engages
• Make sure to use
  Manifest Sand Shade
  on your group before casting
  Nefarious Favor
  ,
  Sand Flare
  or
  Sand Cascade
  • Save your final charge of
    Manifest Sand Shade
    when there is 15 seconds or less left on
    Sandstorm Shroud
    's cooldown
• 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
• Barrier lasts 5 seconds after application before decaying

CC

• Use
  Grasping Darkness
  at range or when the enemy group is moving away, never while the enemy is crossing or pushing into yours
• Grasping Darkness
  can be canceled with a Stow Weapon keybind after ~0.25s into the cast and will still finish casting

Damage

• Cast
  Corrosive Poison Cloud
  as often as possible
• Camp Scepter/Torch, only swap to Greatsword when there is an opportunity for a useful cast of
  Grasping Darkness
  or
  Nightfall
• Make sure
  Epidemic
  targets don't have Resistance
• Epidemic
  can be targeted on downed players, ranger pets and NPCs such as objective lords to make it more reliable

Expand Skill priority Garish Pillar - Transfusion Well of Corruption - on call Ghastly Breach Corrosive Poison Cloud Grasping Darkness Nightfall Devouring Darkness Manifest Sand Shade + Sandstorm Shroud Epidemic Manifest Sand Shade + Sand Cascade Nefarious Favor Grasping Dead Oppressive Collapse Death Spiral Gravedigger