Is Power Reaper Playable in WvW Blobbing?

Hello. I was on break and thinking to return to the game but I don't have PoF. I love necromancer gamestyle in WvW but my question is do Power reaper works in current blob vs blob meta in competitive way? If it works, can you share me a build that I can try? Thanks

If you have HoT the only good classes imho for zerg play are chrono and rev. Reaper is worse than scourge so why would anyone take it over scourge?

It works in the same sense that gaming over dialup connections works.

I have played Necro in WvW for years and have used a variety of builds including Power/Condi Reaper. Although Power Reaper can be pretty strong in small scale fights, it is not optimal for zerging because it is a melee oriented spec in a range/aoe spam fest meta. And I am sure you are also aware of the downsides that Necromancers have in regards to lack of stability, stun break, escape abilities, mobility etc makes you reliant on party members for support.

Scourge offers more personal/party support in the form of barrier and related traits, as well as extra ranged damage skills. Scourge also allows more flexibility in terms of stats, so you could run power, or condi, or even celestial and be effective.

Pretty much what the above poster said.Reaper was fun during the boon heavy meta when leaping into enemy groups and not dying was feasible.

~ Kovu

@eoz.1834 said:Hello. I was on break and thinking to return to the game but I don't have PoF. I love necromancer gamestyle in WvW but my question is do Power reaper works in current blob vs blob meta in competitive way? If it works, can you share me a build that I can try? Thanks

reaper x wells works really really well. while my team are composed of scourges, which are power with minimal healing, our killing power do come from our well of cor and suf.

You can still do a lot of damage on it, but you will rely on the group to carry you without giving much back in return. Just never go zerker on it for blob fights. That'd be silly.

no. 15 character limit.

An axe/focus/wells reaper might be usable I think but I don't think they would be fantastically good. Axe 2 actually does pretty substantial damage and can strike enemies through projectile destruction fields; focus 5 will do the same. Could even take NCSY to make your axe swipes unblockable.

That said it's a very specialized/niche job you'll be doing when you could be playing Scourge and corrupting boons left and right.

You will be able deal a lot of damage while not able to strip as much boons. Scourge seemly strong behavior is due to is due to his boons stripping capable. If you have 40% or more scourge stripping boons while putting cripple/immobilization/invulnerable on them, not much people gonna live to tell story about it.

I would advise you to play herald or chrono. Herald is needed to spike down the enemies after they are stripped while chrono is irreplaceable in supportive role.

Power reaper in zerg setting is still highest dps in game by far.

@Thustlewhumber.7416 said:Power reaper in zerg setting is still highest dps in game by far.Perhaps, but its useless for anything else. Scourges offer an insane amount of barriers that can keep entire zergs sustaining better than healers could pre-PoF. And the more you can support dpsers the more you can sustain. Dont need that limited power reaper melee dps when the enemy zerg only hit yellow numbers all the time on your ranged heavy hitters.

Reaper suffers from the same problem as holosmith: range > melee in current meta.

@Chaba.5410 said:Reaper suffers from the same problem as holosmith: range > melee in current meta.

Mortar kit holosmith then. Obviously. Hue hue hue.

D:

Although I have been able to mob using cele with holosmith. I doubt the same would be true with marauder or zerker though. Don't really care to roam with it though.

@eoz.1834 said:Hello. I was on break and thinking to return to the game but I don't have PoF. I love necromancer gamestyle in WvW but my question is do Power reaper works in current blob vs blob meta in competitive way? If it works, can you share me a build that I can try? Thanks

Nah, go with condi builds instead.

As much as I love power reaper... there is simply not enough stability and condi clear in the game right now to keep you alive vs the bs that is the scourge. You will get cc'd until you die unable to move the entire time.It's sad but that is the reality of wvw right now.And as much as I hate to say it, I found power scourge to be move viable that power reaper.You still do decent dmg, but you are damn near unkillable with all those barriers you can put out even without any healing power (though I do use bloodmagic traits to help me survive). And as the same you have a lot of group utility with the barriers.Scourge is simply better than reaper in every way right now.Maybe when/if anet tones down the crazy amounts of AoE dmg/corruption/cc going on right now power reaper will be able to perform better.

Hello. Thanks for informative replies. really appreciated it. I played Power Reaper a while and decided to switch core necro afterwards. Here are my findings but generally it's what you guys wrote in here. For me, Reaper became pure melee spec no matter if you have range weapon or not. It shines when you have reaper shroud grandmaster trait (after the deathly chill nerf playing condi became useless while playing reaper). I played 2 wells and 1 stunbreak (in some cases I even used wurm) and dropping wells into enemy meanwhile being shroud and (%50 crit chance trait + ferocity boost by reaper trait) run away because my team does range dps instead pushing into enemy. I literally can't use shroud skills unless my team outnumbers enemy (a reason to push) or finishing the downed people. While playing core necro, I had option to use shroud skills but it lacks damage and cleave. kinda feeling sad that only scourge can work well in current state of wvw. time to delete and create mesmer or revenant.

Revenant would be a good choice. You can play Herald power hammer and be absolutely viable in the current meta.

@eoz.1834 said:Hello. I was on break and thinking to return to the game but I don't have PoF. I love necromancer gamestyle in WvW but my question is do Power reaper works in current blob vs blob meta in competitive way? If it works, can you share me a build that I can try? Thanks

Yes, Power works better then condi in my experience. However a good hybrid mix isnt bad.I've ran celestial with Marauder mix and Pack Runes. It's by far not optimal, but you wont go catastrophically wrong either.

Or play scourge. Power, condi, celestial, all viable options. Easy to play too

@eoz.1834 said:Hello. I was on break and thinking to return to the game but I don't have PoF. I love necromancer gamestyle in WvW but my question is do Power reaper works in current blob vs blob meta in competitive way? If it works, can you share me a build that I can try? Thanks

Actually... no... sadly.

here is why

99% of your time, you are at range... waiting for that one chance to jump in as reaper and do your thing. With the 67% nerf to reaper shroud regen a few months ago.. when you do finally get to go in... you can get off one rotation.. if you are really lucky..

Best to go condi and just do your damaged at range.. scourge is also just as tanky as reaper.. if not more so... when you build and spec it right. do NOT rely on metabattle for a build... they are a good starting point but change it to your playstyle and always think tanky... armor.. trinkets with travlers or dire stats... as an example.

Oh.. and honestly.. the only time you need power as a necro of any spec is when you are destroying heavy siege.. rams, catas etc... players have far less hp base and melt to your scourge bombs.

As power.. you will see LARGE numbers on siege.. becuase it doesnt fight back.. the shroud nerf really killed any melee power forms of necro and those who still use it are just kiddin themselves...

Like i said.. think about it.. almost all confrontations.. you are at range 99% of the fight.. is it really worth doing really crappy condi damage that entire time just for those large numbers when you jump in for like.. 10 seconds...

No... go condi.. and enjoy melting everything around you all the time

also.. shades work on walls now... so much fun to melt siege and people on walls when you blast your F2-F5 skills

=)

Stact scourges and well reapers, that would be an abuse lol... of a bombing.... instant death if u go on melee against such comp.And if reapers fail to bomb zerg would still have the scourge train bomb that can basiclly push trough, who makes it faster will cleanse the other side in the first 2 -- 3 seconds.

I play reaper a lot in WvW, the only time it is useless is large scale fights which I usually change build/class.