Squad build: Scourge

Role: Boon removal, DPS and area denial
Difficulty: easy

General idea

Scourge is the bomb and ground control part of a squad. Unfortunatley no other Necromancer specs are viable in large-scale fights due to class design.
Scourge uses shade and weapon skills for ground control and pressure and Wells for a coordinated spike at medium range.
It provides corrupts and damage and a very small amount of cleanses and barrier while being very self-supportive trough the trait.

Weapon skills and utilities

Axe and focus are great single-target and AoE pressure skills for both damage and corrupts. The most important skill on this weapon set is Axe 3, .
Scepter and dagger are really good pressure weapons, most important skill being Scepter 3, . This weapon kit also provides us with a small personal condi cleanse and a decent amount of soft CC through conditions.
We use as our healing skill, because of the low cooldown, possibility to corrupt and party-wide barrier.
We use as our only personal stunbreak, however this skill has multiple uses as its not target capped, so using it in certain situations can create a lot of corrupt pressure.
We use and as our 2 wells for wellbomb. They are pretty self-explanatory, Well of Corruption corrupts the enemies and Well of Suffering damages them.
As elite skill, we use . Breach is great selfbombing tool as its again a ground pressure skill that also does decent amount of damage and soft cc.
Our most important Shade skill is (F5). This is generally used when commander calls for shades alongside with all other shade skills. Other important shade is (F2), which corrupts 1 boon per enemy hit.

Skill usage
Generally aim to use the 3 skill in both Axe and Scepter sets twice before switching to another set to maximize efficiency. (Axe 3), of course, has a small radius however.
Shades can be distributed in 2 categories depending on a call. One being Shadespike or just “Shades” when you use your F5, . Second being “Small shades” which is when you use just your F2 ( ) and F3 ( ). If you can add (F4), great, however watch your lifeforce.
Generally aim to have at least 2 F1 shades manifested on the ground before pressing F5 to increase the amount of enemies hit. Here it’s important to note that the F2-F5 skills activate around your character as well as around the shades you placed with (F1), so using F5 in melee range increases its value. (it also goes well with the trait, which is an AoE strip around you.
It is also important to note that using your Shadespike with F5 alongside with wells creates a higher corruption and damage burst, therefore increases your chances of killing someone.

Wells should be used on call and only on call and never without it. Here its insanely important that wells are coordinated to create a massive ground pressure bomb. Always drop your first as it has a longer cooldown and is the more important of the two.
can be used as a personal stunbreak, which can often save your life, as well as a great kite tool. The AoE „trail“ it creates has no target cap and enemies get corrupted by just walking through it while you are kiting backwards. It can also be effectively used while crossing (a rapid manouver the squad may perform which involves it moving through the enemy’s path or ranks).
is a great selfbomb tool and again, should be used when the commander calls for it, as synchronizing it with other necros can greatly increase the result. It can be also used offensively to create more ground pressure and to finish downstates.
(Axe 2) is a great skill for finishing downstate enemies as well as a general singletarget pressure tool when paired with (Focus 5).
Scepter 2, 3 and dagger 5 should be used on cooldown to create as much pressure as possible.

General gameplay

We will use our general guides fight phases to better explain what can be done during certain phases.

1. The prep phase
   Chill and stay compact.
   If your lifeforce is low you can stack it by killing critters or by spawning and despawning minions.
2. Engage/first spike
   Just chill, perhaps use one of your barrier skills until the enemy gets in range of your other skills.
   If the enemy gets in range, use Focus 5→Axe2, Scepter 3→ Scepter 2 → Dagger 5.
3. General spike
   As mentioned before:
   If “Shadespike” is called – use Shade skills topped off with weapon skills – (Axe 3), (Scepter 3) etc.
   If f5 is not ready, just use F2 F3 and weapon skills to keep the pressure on the enemy and provide corrupts.
4. Wells
   Try to predict where and when the wells will be called and pre-place your in that area.
   As soon as wells are called for, use → and activate every Shade skill (F2-F5) that is not on cooldown.
   Follow up with weapon skills, most notably and .
5. Selfspike
   Use when it’s called for.
   Use Shade skills.
   Use weapon skills e.g. , , etc.
6. Kite phase
   Here you really shine.
   (Scepter 2), (Dagger 4) while kiting, while in range.
   Shades behind for ground pressure.
   Possible to use if the enemy is close.
7. General forward motion phase
   Shades and weaponskills for pressure.
   Heal skill for extra barrier.
   111.

Tips

• While going forward or for a spike, use Focus 5 into Axe 2 to have a 900 range st spike and possibly kill someone.
• Finish downstates with your weapon skills. Axe 2 and focus 5 work really well. If they are not ready
• just 111.
• While in range, always create pressure trough your shades and weaponskills on the enemy. You’re essentially buying time and making them vulnerable for a bigger bomb.
• ALWAYS BOMB ON THE MARKED LOCATION AND SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF THE ENEMY MOVEMENT.
• Use minions while out of combat to regain lifeforce by swapping to minion-generating utilities, spawning them, then swapping back to the original utilities thus destroying them.
• Keep your commander between you and the enemy for safest position. Never fall behind but never go in front of the commander. Do not go into enemy’s damage ever.

Gear variants:

For extra sustain at the cost of slight dps decrease, equip Marauder: amulet & ring; Dragon: ring, accessories and backpack.

Build and Quickguide provided by The Flöck [tF].
June 2022.

Scourge Guide (old version)