Hello and thank you for showing your interest in reading my post!
I’ve been playing GW2 since its early release and GW before that. After all my years of experience, trials & errors, and discoveries – I’ve come to a revelation/understanding towards the importance of mechanics over build setups in high level competitive gaming for ones such as GW2; where having an acute standard and respect for key control gives an advantage to the player over his/her opponent in numerous ways:
1 – Timing (The difference between succeeding and failing)
2 – Conditioned Instincts (Non-stop skill cancels & rotations)
3 – Total eye focus and coordination around your specific target in calculation to your own distance from allies/other enemies.
4 – Having an overall sense of ally – enemy movement in the area while staying locked on your target and being able to quickly defend or be defended by allies from opponents.
5 – Knowing when to change targets and being able to click them a.s.a.p to prevent any time wasted that can cause an advantageous situation to turn into a disadvantaged situation.
First off I would like to note that this setup will be nearly impossible to operate without an adequate gaming mouse – preferably one with 12 buttons. I recommend the Logitech G600 which allows you to create multiple button mappings for different games you might also play and also provides a 3rd mouse click which works well with this setup. Any 12 button gaming mouse will do though.
Stage 1 / MOVEMENT
Forward = W
Backward = X (works well as a substitute for S)
Strafe Left = A
Strafe Right = D
Dodge = (will explain further along)
Autorun = S (can stop by pressing S again)
Walk = Z (optional)
Look Behind = Left Alt (Complimentary to Space Bar)
About Face = Q (about face is necessary as an advanced movement, which makes it a key bind to prioritize before moving backwards)
Stage 2 / SKILLS (This is where having a 12 button gaming mouse is optimal)
I will explain these key bindings in a layout fashion starting with the left side being the column furthest from your wrist
First Column lll Second Column lll Third Column lll Fourth Column
(= / Shift + =) lll PS5 = Shift + F3) lll (Weapon 5) lll (Weapon 4)
(- / Shift + -) lll (PS3 = Shift + F2 / PS4 = F2) lll (Heal 6 / Dodge = Shift + 6) lll (Weapon 3)
(0 / Shift + 0) lll (PS1 = Shift + F1 / PS2 = F1) lll (Weapon 1) lll (Weapon 2)
Dodge / Heal are vital key binds to your survivability to avoid high damage spikes/crowd control hits making them central keys to have instant access to while weapon skills are intentionally mapped around the double key – giving you immediate control over your defensive to offensive and offensive to defensive setup.
Profession Skill 1 = Shift + F1 (Pet Attack, Fire Attunement, Mind Wrack, etc.)
Profession Skill 2 = F1 (Pet Skill, Water Attunement, Cry of Frustration, etc.)
Profession Skill 3 = Shift + F2 (Pet Return, Lightning Attunement, Diversion, etc.)
Profession Skill 4 = F2 (Swap Pets, Earth Attunement, Distortion, etc.)
Profession Skill 5 = Shift + F3 (Recommended for rangers using pet combat toggle)
Heal = 6
Dodge = Shift + 6
Swap Weapons = (`) the key next to the 1 key (with a Logitech G600, this would be bound to your 3rd mouse click next to the right click
Stow/Draw Weapons = Shift + (`)
The Stow/Draw Weapons is a highly advanced key bind in which it will allow you to interrupt you own skills that have cast times (and potentially long cooldowns such as your elites) preventing you from wasting skills that opponents might end up blocking or dodging, causing them to waste endurance instead while assuming you’ve casted your skill.
Stage 3 / TARGETING
Call Target = Mouse 3 (scroll click)
Take Target = T
Stage 4 / USER INTERFACE
This is my personal setup outside of key bindings for combat
Black Lion… = B
Contacts = N
Hero = “-“ (First column mouse keybind using negative sign) / H without mouse
Guild = Shift + “-“ (First column mouse keybind using negative sign with shift) / G without mouse.
Inventory = I
Party = P
PvP Panel = “=” (First column keybind using equal sign) / K without mouse
Score = Shift + “=” (First column keybind using equal sign with shift) / L without mouse
Map = “0” (First column keybind using zero) / M without mouse
PvP build – Shift + “0” (First column keybind using zero with shift) / J without mouse
Information – O
Enemy Names – Left Ctrl (without proper checked box under User Interface in options window)’
IF YOU ARE EAST COAST NA AND ARE INTERESTED IN CO-PARTNERING TO BUILD A MAX COMPLETION GUILD/ESL TEAM TO COMPETE IN FUTURE PROFESSIONAL TOURNAMENTS, DIRECT MESSAGE ME IN GAME @ IMAZUMIN.3128.
(edited by IMAZUMI.3128)