Reaper - Rise

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on March 16, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A durable build with boon corruption, damage and minions.

Skillbar

Axe/Focus

Dagger/Dagger

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Greatsword is a good option for the utility of Nightfall and Grasping Darkness
• Staff for large number fights

Utility Variants

• "Nothing Can Save You!" more boon removal, but less damage than the standard options

Traits

Variants

• Blood Bond if not using daggers

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

Dagger
Marauder

Dagger
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Consumables

• • feast option with additional power and ferocity.

Usage

Overall Priorities

High

• Wells

Moderate

• Single target damage
• Sustained pressure

Surviving

• This build has high passive defense
• This build has low mobility skill access
  • Make sure to drop your target when using Death's Charge for mobility
• This builds has low active defenses
  • Reaper's Shroud gives an unlisted 50% damage reduction
  • Infusing Terror is an instant cast that should be used whenever entering shroud
    • Try not to use up all of your Life Force defensively, save enough for Soul Spiral if possible
  • Save Deathly Swarm to clear movement impairing conditions

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

Single target damage

• Try to start in Dagger/Dagger for single target if you're in range. Lead with Dark Pact ⇒ Life Siphon then swap into Axe/Focus
• In axe use Spinal Shivers ⇒ Ghastly Claws ⇒ Rending Claws

Sustained pressure

• Start fights on Axe/Focus to maximize ranged uptime
• Use Unholy Feast immediately after Weapon Swap and use it gain immediately before swapping back
  • Delaying your Weapon Swap slightly for the cooldown is fine
• Consider "Your Soul Is Mine!" as a damage skill, it is your primary Life Force generator and can't be saved for healing
• Use "Rise!" when the enemy group tries to melee engage, especially when they use Winds of Disenchantment offensively
  • Be extra careful not to use "Rise!" while you have Blind
• Enter Reaper's Shroud as often as possible in melee, particularly when Soul Spiral is off cooldown
  • Make sure not to put yourself out of position with Death's Charge, leaving shroud without casting it is fine
  • Make sure to trigger the flip skill Terrify before the 6 second duration of Infusing Terror ends
• Save Lich Form until Winds of Disenchantment and other projectile block is used up.
  • Don't be afraid to drop form early if your auto attacks are being blocked.
  • Make sure to use Summon Madness while in lich form to activate Death Nova

Skill priority Lich Form - only after projectile block is down "Rise!" Well of Corruption + Well of Suffering - always together, on call Reaper's Shroud Soul Spiral Death's Charge Life Rend 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 Dagger Enfeebling Blood Dark Pact Life Siphon