Guild Wars 2

Looking for advise on what class/spec would best fit someone who wants to get into Commanding WvW, reason I want to command is my server seems to be lacking right now, and I want to be able to get people OFF of siege and fighting.

Thanks!

Excuse me, but if you want to command you should know that.

AH guardian is best and used by pretty much every guild/commander.

Warrior and guardian tend to be the best for commanding. I prefer to use my guardian when I command. But that dosnt mean that the other classes can’t command I have witnessed mesmers, rangers, necros even theifs tag up and do well. It just depends on how many people you have vs how many your fighting as all as knowing your siege placement. Play around with the classes and see which one fits your style of commanding. Also don’t get discouraged if anyone says anything mean or rude. I wish you the best of luck in your commanding adventures.

For those guilds which have competent guards in the party, I’ve seen commanders on extremely tanky mesmers and reapers. It works well for them and they seem to do as well as any other skilled guard.

That said, I personally would not start off on a light class for commanding.

If you expect to be commanding an organised zerg and fighting other zergs, the best way to start off is definitely AH Guardian.

Not only because it’s a good tanky melee class with good sustain, but the majority of your melee players will also be on Guardian. If you are too, you know what their cooldowns are, how often they can use stability etc, and you know from your own cooldowns when you can push, when you need to back off, regroup and so on.

As you become more experienced, or have more experienced people around you, you could probably get away with commanding on other classes, but there’s a reason 90% of commanders lead on Guardian.

Guardian is generally taken because you are able to set the pace for stability without having to do any guesswork and risking overlapping stabs. And in pug groups, you may not be able to rely on people to give you what you need. And at the same time you also provide the needed support for whatever you will consider your core party, in particular the Reverent that gives you resistance, and your other guardian. Of course, not every squad can be ideal.

It should also be noted that core guardian was also buffed recently. Virtue of Resolve (f2) , when traited with Absolute Resolution removes 3 conditions instantly with a 30 second cooldown (used to be 45). Virtue of Courage (f3) when traited with Indomitable Courage breaks stuns and gives stability was buffed from a 60s cooldown to a kitten These were already crucial parts of zerg fights and hard to duplicate elsewhere.

If you have a core then the choices become much more flexible, but for the most part guardian is the main thing.

Would anyone mind sharing the standard, AH Guardian/DH build? I could do some guess work, but, I’de rather not screw things up, lol.

Ni In.6578:

For those guilds which have competent guards in the party, I’ve seen commanders on extremely tanky mesmers and reapers. It works well for them and they seem to do as well as any other skilled guard.

That said, I personally would not start off on a light class for commanding.

Pretty much this.

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Guardian_-_AH_Frontliner

You may want to go more tanky if you’re learning/pugging with no TS.

Indo for TW is the only commander I know that reliably runs something other than a Guardian.

Guards are standard fare but I come across necro and Lee frequently. Our guild leader commands on necro but all our other commanders are guards.

jacksmith.6028:

Indo for TW is the only commander I know that reliably runs something other than a Guardian.

WarHawk from [WOLF] runs reaper. There’s an [AHMA] cmdr who runs a mesmer. But both of those guys are quite skilled and keep skilled guildies/allies in the commander party.

jacksmith.6028:

Indo for TW is the only commander I know that reliably runs something other than a Guardian.

Example, Cloudfly on JQ is a Warrior.

More recently, there is some usage of Cleric/Minstrel Chrono Tank (reflect/block based since pin snipers with shatters used for condi clear/heal/stab) that seemed really effective too especially with Veil pushes.

I’ve seen every class command and do it well based on the individual. I think what sometimes happens is the shaky ones have the mentality “guard guard guard” and just can’t get comfortable playing it.

I’d say in this state of the game, whatever you feel comfortable with and keeps you alive, that’s the important thing when driving.

I followed a Scrapper Commander for a couple of hours the other night and he was great. Best part was when he stealthed the entire zerg with his gyro and we wiped the opposition at Hills cata wall without any of them seeing us coming.

Over five years I’ve seen a LOT of commanders come and go and in the end, if you plan on Pugmanding, it comes down to a) personality b) tactical awareness and c) persistence. Build and class is way after that. NO point being the tankiest, survivingest commander out there if every time you tag up all you hear are crickets and all you see is tumbleweed.

Theres a difference between, pugmanding/textmanding disorganized pugs on random classes and gear and ktraining, and what is considered actual commanding a group of competent players and going for fights. Just pining up is just that I wouldn’t call that commanding.

Warlord.9074:

Theres a difference between, pugmanding/textmanding disorganized pugs on random classes and gear and ktraining, and what is considered actual commanding a group of competent players and going for fights. Just pining up is just that I wouldn’t call that commanding.

Thank you for your contribution to my post, but it would appear your reply answers nothing that I was seeking.

Odokuro.5049:

Warlord.9074:

Theres a difference between, pugmanding/textmanding disorganized pugs on random classes and gear and ktraining, and what is considered actual commanding a group of competent players and going for fights. Just pining up is just that I wouldn’t call that commanding.

Thank you for your contribution to my post, but it would appear your reply answers nothing that I was seeking.

Your questions already been answered by other posters. Guardian. My post was simply to help you see that If you just want to pin up and ktrain anything works. If you are serious about the game its guard. Already been answered 100, million times in the last 5 years.

commanding classes i seen are uh.

Guardian is solid all around lack con clear around 20 – 30 seconds in to a fight.

rev is really strong if they have a source of stab normally relying on a guardian

scrapper has all stab in world overall pretty strong class but they offer no real use in a fight other then super speed.

warrior is alright with hammer primal it a double CC require resistance + stab to deal with. but they offer no group support

basically at end of the day you rely on some class for something what you need in a commanding class is something that can push.

Main reason guardian is used is because it has some best con clear in game. that what meta heavily is based on.

Not really main reason guardian is used is becasue it is the source of group stability so the group can push.

IMO, Every class/build that can survive damage/condi long enough and can run stab should fit the role. Which made Guardian one of the choice.

Anyway, If you are hardcore enough to stand on the wall and command by marker, Everything should be fine then.

Jirayu.5834:

IMO, Every class/build that can survive damage/condi long enough and can run stab should fit the role. Which made Guardian one of the choice.

Except it also has to fit one more requirement:
Getting zerg loot so easy you can basicly be asleep and have someone else faceroll your head over the keyboard and still get tons of bags.

That leaves one class: Guardian.

Greed drives us all.

zedapoc.1493:

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Guardian_-_AH_Frontliner

You may want to go more tanky if you’re learning/pugging with no TS.

Hey this is what I came up with, after reading the build, all I did was swap the gear out.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVEQJASWl8AhWhYzQwUIwPEHJEFeDChU4usBwBknh/LAB-T1xHQBwT9HAq8Dc6aeoSw89EAAwlAIc7PEAAB4m3MbezAH9oH9oH9odzbezbezbWKgMnaB-w

Now, obviously, this is just for pure survival, I will be counting on my squad/zerg to be killing, as I pump them up with needed boons, ect. also, with the amount of armor I will have, it should make me pretty hard to hurt with power builds, but who knows.

I would suggest not running so tanky, or you are going to find yourself standing in places your squad can’t go, wondering why they are dead…

It’s just a personal opinion but I prefer being as tanky as I can. Once you are signaled out as a commander the opposing force tends to try to focus you. A lot of times when a commander goes down the group falls apart. While this isn’t true for guild groups most of the time because there is more communication and a back up tag. It dosnt carry over to Pugmanding alot of times you do not have a back up to take over and sometimes communication between everyone gets extremely rough so the group tends to fall apart when the tag goes down.

As long as someone is getting out there and trying, then evaluating what worked and what doesn’t in what situations and adapting, it’s all good.

Guardian always, never warrior, this way people have reason to come to you when low rather than go away. Also helps you tell 1200\900 distance between allies and enemies due to staff.
Ele and rev doesnt have enough stab/invuln/heal.
Scrapper is great in 10ish groups without guards.
I followed one great mesmer comm and all he did was portal bomb enemy on sentinel mesm, little cheesy but works cuz you get first engage.

Anyways my gear for guard: 3 wanderer with dura runes, 3 nomad trinks and zealot staff and marauder gs, rest cele. Double energy,1 conc and bloodlust/momentum. Nomad to cele when not being focused. Receive the light, Purging flames, syg and renewed always. Then receive the light, retreat, merciful intervention, contemplation of purity or signet of judgement depending on situation.
Valor 221, honor 221, virtues 323. In a car, cant post a link sorry

Okee im going make this simpel u run gaurd for simpel reason that u can call for the stab rottions i dunno what al tege commants here on about how u now CD of pre bufs ore stab rotation when u not run the clas running it? Build wise dont matter as long u make sure ure build can help u call the skil