Guide to Necromancer Grafts
By Polkadots
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Below are some of the situations
you may have to deal with in your life as a Necromancer. All of the
below suggestions are based on the RARE versions of the grafts.
After all, you should be shooting to have the best pet in every
situation. When you check the regional broker, you want to check for
these grafts.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(160, 184, 216);">
Necromancer Grafts
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#I">Soloing
with Pet as DPS
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#II">Solo
with Pet as Tank
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#III">Grouped
with Healer but No Tank
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#IV">Grouped
with Tank
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#V">Pet
as Off-Tank
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#VI">Pet
vs. Mobs with Negligible Damage
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#VII">Pet
in PvP
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#VIII">Pet
in Raids
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#IX">Heroic
Grafts
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=643#X">Conclusion
I. Soloing with Pet as DPS
This is your typical grinding setup for an open area. Your pet acts as
an additional
DoT. You want him to do as much damage as possible yet not steal aggro
(if you're not Fear kiting). All grafts do the same damage over x
period of time (when comparing similar tiers and quality), so there is
no need to have a Devastation Claw. In fact, I use a Plagued Claw. I
find the Devastation Claw + Sundering Fist to be a ton of up front
damage, and this is usually enough for the pet to steal aggro, causing
your grind session to be far less efficient.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Plagued
Claw
Sundering
Fist
Legs
of the Colossus
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Might
II. Solo with Pet as Tank
Here is an example when you are solo and your pet has to tank. Perhaps
you are in a tight space, running quests in dungeons. This setup is for
those areas where your pet is sustaining major damage and it's an issue
for you to keep him alive. In this case, the defensive setup buys you
more time.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Draining
Claw
Fist
of the Stirge
Umbral
Legs
Match
resists for casters or use Xakrin Skin
Backbone
of Fortitude (casters) or Thick Backbone
III. Grouped with Healer but No Tank
This setup is similar to the above, but in this case keeping your pet
alive with heals isn't an issue. Perhaps he isn't taking any damage.
Here I would use huge DD items (claw + fist) to take aggro and use
Sneer plus the continued damage to keep aggro.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Claw
of Devastation
Sundering
Fist
Legs
of the Colossus
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Might
IV. Grouped with Tank
Group setup; again, I don't go with a huge fist / claw setup because
you
want the tank to have aggro. Why worry about your pet when you can be
doing more DPS?
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Plagued
Claw
Sundering
Fist
Legs
of the Colossus
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Might
V. Pet as Off-Tank
This is for those times when you need your pet to off-tank and CC isn't
a
possibility (RI for example). Damage is an issue and anything
that buys you more time (plus keeps aggro off you) is the best bet. You
can go for all out damage to keep aggro off you, but a defensive pet is
a better choice. You can FD to remove aggro and your party can always
heal
you. Good luck getting a healer to heal your pet.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Draining
Claw
Fist
of the Stirge
Umbral
Legs
Match
resists for casters or use Xakrin Skin
Backbone
of Fortitude (casters) or Thick Backbone
VI. Pet vs. Mobs with Negligible Damage
Same as before. These are for zones where your pet isn't sustaining
heavy damage. In NN for example, any adds you cannot CC can be
debuffed. Once debuffed, the damage versus your pet is nothing. You can
easily keep your pet up in these situations. I'd use a heavy damage
setup to keep aggro on the pet.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Claw
of Devastation
Sundering
Fist
Legs
of the Colossus
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Might
VII. Pet in PvP
This is up for debate as I don't PvP. Personally all out damage seems
to
be the way to go. Only issues I have here are on the legs. Most people
don't focus on the pet, but if a snare type class did snare or root
your
pet, they would render your pet useless. I hear he dies fast anyway in
PvP, though, so perhaps damage is the way to go. Either way, the below
is your best setup; of course, you can make the decision about which
legs to use. Damage vs snare / root immunity is your call and changes
depending on the situation.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; width: 20%;">Backbone
Claw
of Devastation
Sundering
Fist
Legs
of the Colossus (damage)/ Legs of Escaping (vs. root/snare)
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Might
VIII. Pet in Raids
This setup is for raids once they go live. When AE damage is an issue,
you will not want to spend 10 seconds casting a new pet. You also don't
want to focus on healing your pet. You want to maximize your DPS. If
your pet can stay alive on his own or only costs you minimals heals,
then you're set. Once I am able to raid a bit more, I will edit this to
what does work in practice, as opposed to theory.
cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Claw
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Fist
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Legs
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Skin
style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; width: 20%;">Backbone
Draining
Claw
Fist
of the Stirge
Legs
of the Colossus
Xakrin
Skin
Backbone
of Fortitude
IX. Heroic Grafts
Claw of the Zull - Best
claw hands down. Not sure what drops it yet
(speculation is warlord), but something in RI obviously. This would
replace your claw in every circumstance above.
Xakrin Skin - Found off
God King in NN. He's easy enough to do, even in
a PuG.
Fist of the Pyramids -
Drops off one of the 6 dot named in Abasami Lake NE of TT. Based on
current numbers, this is a very nice life
draining graft, but the Sundering Fists seem to be more DD. Once data
on this fist is confirmed, it may end up being the fist of choice in
every circumstance.
X. Conclusion
Most of this information is common sense, but hopefully it gives you an
idea of what grafts to hold on to and what to sell / decon (yes they
can be deconstructed). I didn't bother going over hearts as they aren't
currently dropping. If you can get a Heart of Blood Bonding (10% damage
- Life Transfer) then thats the way to go, hands down.
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