[BUILD] The Minion Factory

Hello,

I thought I'd share with fellow necros a build I have been running recently. It focuses on the highest number of minions from runes, skills and traits and uses what they bring to the fight. I have included a screenshot from a rec. daily fractal run as proof where I hit 17 minions, a good number without using pet whistles or soux chefs etc. Technically you can hit 17 fighting only 5 enemies though it rarely works out that way.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vRIQNBLhZ6khGJN0tpoGbqxtJu1YqB2b0baZawkGAFgAAVM4Fspi/gnwXIA-jxRFQBtTfRveSAvY/h+p+DAOlANU53IVCCA-e

I tried minion master builds with power reaper, power scourge and condi scourge, and they work but always had something missing.Power reaper: you can use the skill "rise" for instant max 6 minions but you feel like a gimped normal power reaper.Condi Scourge: You lose out on the 6 extra minions but you have good condi damage from the jagged horrors bleed and death novas poison and can grant might to minions.Power Scourge: You personally hit harder burst than a condi scourge but you gain very little damage from the bleeds and poison from your minions but you have big shades to buff might to more minions.

Ok so I thought to do this, I need the reaper skill "rise" and the death nova trait, that's a potential of 11 minions, then we use Lich runes for another jagged horror, and the rest from the healing skill, 2 utility skills and the elite skill.Next up we need to be using condi gear, Vipers entirely. This is handy as the gear and rune combo is the current set for meta raid/fractal condi necros so I already had it.Why? to get use of deathnova poison fields, the jagged horrors bleeding and also the necromantic corruption trait which pulls conditions off you and sends them to enemies.

Now we're stuck with a condi reaper, which isnt as much fun as power reaper due to the lack of quickness in shroud , it just feels so slooooow! so we take the quickness trait instead and dont worry about using shroud skill 4 after 5 anymore either. Why? because of the Dhummfire trait, it has no internal cooldown when you are not a scourge, so auto attacking in shroud now applies burning on every hit, 2 stacks of vuln. too with another trait I chose. Shroud skill 4 is still useful too as it applies a short 12 stack poison AoE burst. That's why I didn't take the curses trait line, yes you drop condi damage but a proper scourge uses scepter and corruption skills much better anyway and now you gain better lifeforce generation and shroud buffs.

Maybe I should call this a hybrid build as you have some power stats, but they are just a bonus really as you have no ferocity and lowish precision. Some traits can be changed, like flesh of the master for putrid defense as toughness isnt good in pve but I use it to for the minion counter.

The method is: Summon your minions, use the skill "rise" when you get as many enemy mobs in range as possible, use your life force gen skills if you dont have shroud available, then camp inside reaper shroud using skill 3 on cooldown, then pop the 2nd part to regain some more lifeforce by fearing the enemy, use skill 4 on cooldown and then auto attack until either skill 3 and 4 are recharged or you drop out of shroud. Build life force again, press "rise" and back into reaper shroud.

Survivability comes from not worrying about any condis you get and staying in reaper shroud as much as possible which keeps your actual health bar up.

Weapon choice is pretty flexible, but I found these combos the most useful:Main is Scepter/Warhorn for the boon corrupt and life force generationSecondary set either staff for the fear skill and additional condis, plus the auto attack generates good life force when it goes through multiple enemies. An alternate set is dagger/warhorn for some more sustain from dagger 2 and the self bleed which is transferred to enemies via your minions.

I use this build in open world and fractals (the new fractal is great for it, lots of adds to spawn minions and condi spam too) mainly but I have also used it in raids with lots of condi spam when pugging and the group is a mixed bag (dont run it if the group want meta necro builds).

This build wont win any dps awards but the more enemies you fight the better it scales up in damage and it is quite fun.

I have tried to find the synergy with having lots of minions and not just using them as meat shields like most minion builds, so any tips would be appreciated.

PS. I know the picture is in only level 11 fractals but I use this in T4s too, just not CMs.