Blood Harbinger

February 2025

Introduction

Harbinger is the hardest necro specialization. It loses the survivability of usual Shroud to bring it a powerful bonus – in this case, pulsing quickness from Deathly Haste. When using Spear, Power Harbinger adds a very high burst to its survivability at the cost of range and control. This build is high risk high reward but has the usual Necromancer tools to escape most bad situations.

Build Fundamentals

The main feature of this build is Blood Bank, which turns your healing into barrier. It is far more effective while at full health so using healing skills before getting bursted is very effective. Minor sources of healing like Alchemic Vigor, Vampiric Presence and Blood Renewal also help a lot getting value out of this trait.

This variant also runs Spear which entire mechanic is tied to lifesteal. This is why this build uses Relic of Atrocity to enhance it.

Harbinger base mechanic is . Entering shroud or being inside your elixir aoes will give you stacks of it. Each stack lowers your maximum health by 1%. We have 2 traits interacting with it : Wicked Corruption and Alchemic Vigor. It means we want to have high blight at all times to gain that sustain and extra damage.

Devouring Cut and Voracious Arc consume 5 to deal increased damage and apply .

The addition of swords to this build gives us some aoe range damage but mostly mobility. Ravenous Wave must be spammed off cd as it has really strong life force generation tied to it.Every sword skill can be used a 2nd time for a similar effect at the cost of some health. Most of them are to be pressed as it’s simply a very good follow up to the first ability.
The only one to be cautious about is Path of Gluttony as using it a 2nd time comes at a higher health cost than the other abilities and having another leap might get you too far or too close to your targets.

Use your Well of Corruption to shut down boon heavy classes classes such as supports, catalysts and chronomancers. Focus on using it when they get access to . Well of Darkness counters meele professions like Warrior, Willbender, or Elementalist very effectively.

Sustain

Most of your sustain comes from Blood Bank like explained above.
Harbinger’s “tradeoff” for its excellent damage, mobility, and CC is that it doesn’t have a second health bar like other necro specializations; this part of the class incorrectly led many necromancer mains to assume harbinger would have no sustain. However especially with death magic, harbinger is extremely difficult to kill.

You have great access to healing through Elixir of Promise which only has a 20 second CD. and Alchemic Vigor combined provide constant passive healing.