Do Necromancer Minions Get Better?

[Cody]

Even going into the skill line that's supposed to buff them, they're extremely weak and die easy. Their damage is subpar and a single minion loses 1v1 to a normal NPC. So, do they ever get better?

[Yagger]

at most, all their good for are tanking for you, and breaking defiance bars

[Hefutoxin]

Originally posted by Cody:

Even going into the skill line that's supposed to buff them, they're extremely weak and die easy. Their damage is subpar and a single minion loses 1v1 to a normal NPC. So, do they ever get better?

A single minion should lose to a normal NPC. You can have multiple out at once as well as doing your own thing on your character. It would be absurd if each minion could solo NPCs.

Especially with how tanky Necromancer is.

[Cody]

Originally posted by Hefutoxin:

Originally posted by Cody:

Even going into the skill line that's supposed to buff them, they're extremely weak and die easy. Their damage is subpar and a single minion loses 1v1 to a normal NPC. So, do they ever get better?

A single minion should lose to a normal NPC. You can have multiple out at once as well as doing your own thing on your character. It would be absurd if each minion could solo NPCs.

Especially with how tanky Necromancer is.

So why put an entire line around "buffing" minions?
It's just crazy, even with the buffed minions my bone minion can't even take out a single wolf.

Yet ranger's pets and mech can take out an army by itself without being buffed.

[cowinspace]

Originally posted by Cody:

Originally posted by Hefutoxin:

A single minion should lose to a normal NPC. You can have multiple out at once as well as doing your own thing on your character. It would be absurd if each minion could solo NPCs.

Especially with how tanky Necromancer is.

So why put an entire line around "buffing" minions?
It's just crazy, even with the buffed minions my bone minion can't even take out a single wolf.

Yet ranger's pets and mech can take out an army by itself without being buffed.

Part of the power of minions is having them give you carapace (Flesh of the Master) and move conditions from you (Necromantic Corruption). When you have five or more minions that adds up. With necros already having a second health bar this just increases your staying power. Also, with your minions engaging the enemies you can stay safely at range, unlike rangers pets where a couple of mobs always slip by.

Minions are there to distract and hold mobs, give you armour, and serve as emergency damage when you need it via the boom button and Death Nova. Also you can use Vampiric from Blood Magic to have all of your minions syphon health on attack.

[SinisterSlay]

RISE!
Get yourself 20 minions with that skill. The swarm does do damage then.

[GrimoireA]

As a necro main since beta the answer is a resounding no.

In PVE you're free to use them as meat shields and the flesh golem is at least ok for doing defiance damage but that's it. Any other game mode they are unusable.

[Hefutoxin]

Originally posted by Cody:

Originally posted by Hefutoxin:

A single minion should lose to a normal NPC. You can have multiple out at once as well as doing your own thing on your character. It would be absurd if each minion could solo NPCs.

Especially with how tanky Necromancer is.

So why put an entire line around "buffing" minions?
It's just crazy, even with the buffed minions my bone minion can't even take out a single wolf.

Yet ranger's pets and mech can take out an army by itself without being buffed.

You are comparing a single skill with a class mechanic.

A Ranger's Pet is 50% of the Ranger profession. An Engineer's Mech is 75% of the Engineer. A Necromancer minion is one skill.

X Profession in Guild Wars 2 is not the same as X Class in another game. GW2 Necromancer is a wall of Hitpoints with a major focus on Debuff control. It is not a Pet class.

[ItzaLaggin]

Originally posted by Cody:

Even going into the skill line that's supposed to buff them, they're extremely weak and die easy. Their damage is subpar and a single minion loses 1v1 to a normal NPC. So, do they ever get better?

meat shields

[Xeph The Tamagotchi]

Originally posted by Cody:

Even going into the skill line that's supposed to buff them, they're extremely weak and die easy. Their damage is subpar and a single minion loses 1v1 to a normal NPC. So, do they ever get better?

if you run a reaper minion build you will have up to 25 (max) minions at a time with shouts plus minion tree. they die but with reaper they tend to last longer unless they stand in AOE dot or some such. Minions can be speced to not only heal you per hit but remove conditions from you onto them self. so they are like extra mini hp bars.