Guild Wars 2

Hi guys, I’d like to dedicate this thread for theorycrafting condi builds. Needless to say, our bleeding applications are far too minimal to focus on this particular condition, so let’s try and discuss around BURNING.

I’ve come up with this build. Not sure how viable it is. First thing I noticed is that warhorn simply won’t cut it, so I’d rather have a more defensive weapon on the off-hand that still helps proc’ing AoE might. Dagger main-hand is mandatory because of Dragon’s Breath and Burning Speed. I guess most of burning builds will revolve around sitting fire, and swapping to earth/water when needed. The choice for Fire/Earth instead of X/Water is because condition damage converting traits and earth ability to “tank” a bit more. Latent Stamina adds flavor aswell. I tried to get a reasonable amount of vitality and toughness with gear choice, while taking advantage of stat-to-condi conversion traits, so the overall burning should be pretty decent. Rune choice can make or break any condi builds, so this is a very important point to be discussed.

Any other ideas?

I tried to use that build editor to show my variation, but waiting for translate to find out what was what to match up my gear was rather frustrating.

I use Apothecary stats with Scepter and dagger (Warhorn when a group musters) Baelfire for runes, Corruption and Smoldering for sigils.

Res sig, fire sig, (earth/air sig), lightning flash, FGS

Mostly just staying in fire to get the burst out, fire signet any time it’s ready, conjure FGS before using fire overload then immediately after overload hit 2 then 3 to get out. I like to use lightning flash offensively to get an overload in but it still works as a great escape tool. For what it’s worth, though, the build is pretty tanky with 3000+ armor and nearly 100% protection up time with auras due to traits.

I like it

Also: bring Veggie pizza and Tune crystals for better results

Always tell your game modes with builds. I can’t stress enough how important it is.

Though, right now, there are some decent ways to build condition tempest, at least in SPvP. I do not wish to disclose everything.

For OP’s build, you should definitively let go of Glyph of Storm and replace it for Conjure Earth Shield. With such a good conjure, it will allow you to keep a good rotation while you wait for overloads. Don’t believe me? I am not disclosing more.

Reconsider Signet of Fire and pick Glyph of Elemental Power instead.

Get rid of Harmonious Conduit and take Invigorating Torrents instead.

Consider adding some Viper to your gear.

Consider leaving Fire and Earth and get Water and Air instead with Lightning Rod.

No need of Sigil of Energy when you have Latent Stamina; thrash away sigil of bursting, it’s terrible for condi ele—-> Take sigils that will help covering your burn or bleed. I.e. Torment and Doom.

Something like that:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vFAQFAWncMA9XiFRAGNAcYilHAzNyeZ/sEDhXwOQIAcAahA-TFSHABAv/gcKBVS5guq/AnOgjUyBwDAI4LAAA-w

But with the Viper stats instead of Sinister.

This could be something. Might stack in Fire (including overload), then camp Earth. Replace Dire with Trailblazer to get that extra duration.

There’s also potential for a conjure set like this, though I think that would work better with something other than tempest.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vFAQJBIhFywgyGW0AnGQHxiAg52ant12gAQB4BMEE2BFBA-TRiAABXoEEm9HuW5H0PAAAOBARrD4OTQgq+zgaBCAcAsbxDgxHf8xHf82d3d3d3ECYxaA-e

I have a like mind in what burning can do. I do plan to go for the Trailblazer stat set when it comes out and remove the sigil of smoldering for energy or corruption . I am actually learning to enjoy the warhorn, mostly because I find the earth/water/air skills desirable against melee/range fights

the 20% boon duration means 20% more sexiness. swiftness if always up so im not sure why you need immunity to cripples. pick up ER if you feel like immobilize is a constant issue.

my record ATM is 32 stacks of burn solo. it averages between 18-22

Crusic.6531:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vFAQJBIhFywgyGW0AnGQHxiAg52ant12gAQB4BMEE2BFBA-TRiAABXoEEm9HuW5H0PAAAOBARrD4OTQgq+zgaBCAcAsbxDgxHf8xHf82d3d3d3ECYxaA-e

I have a like mind in what burning can do. I do plan to go for the Trailblazer stat set when it comes out and remove the sigil of smoldering for energy or corruption . I am actually learning to enjoy the warhorn, mostly because I find the earth/water/air skills desirable against melee/range fights

the 20% boon duration means 20% more sexiness. swiftness if always up so im not sure why you need immunity to cripples. pick up ER if you feel like immobilize is a constant issue.

my record ATM is 32 stacks of burn solo. it averages between 18-22

I liked your build a lot, though I’m intrigued why you’d pick Rabid’s over Dire (why would you need critical?). Vitality looks much more mandatory since you don’t get a Focus Earth #5 to keep you alive, and Toughness is known not to feel like a big difference for eles. If you swap only armor, it would net you over 3k HP (which is considerable IMO), while losing about 7% of Critical Chance (remember Burning Precision has a 5sec ICD).

Oh, am I wrong or you get a +80% burning duration? It’s almost like doubling! If you consider that food it’s around 120%. o_o

it is 100% burn duration, the crit chance is for sustain as well as the assist to burn chance on crit, but it something I want to get rid of, like I said the Trailblazer set is ideal for what I want to get. it will allow for more rune options and possibly switch out smoldering if the runes make up for the lose elsewhere

Crusic.6531:

it is 100% burn duration, the crit chance is for sustain as well as the assist to burn chance on crit, but it something I want to get rid of, like I said the Trailblazer set is ideal for what I want to get. it will allow for more rune options and possibly switch out smoldering if the runes make up for the lose elsewhere

Care to share your constant damage vs. optimal damage? And when these happen? Thank you!

sure, I just did a fair amount of solo and group content, and none of this will include the broken bar bonus damage. I have a total of 1 hour of shadow play recording, so it is not a huge sample size but it is ranging from different encounters which I used to get this info. I’ll cover my immediate observations and hope I have time to possibly make a larger post about findings in the future. but here is a general observation

REQUIREMENT-sadly
This build requires Pyromancer’s Training more than any other trait you can possibly take anywhere. IMO this should be a Grandmaster, I have attempted to switch out the fire trait line for air and arcane as they give more versatility but fall very short. This will allow you to pace your cool-downs by inserting a Drake’s breath in-between every fire weapon skill which is required to get the OP 28k group buffed burns.

UTILITY OPTIONS
I find that Signets and Glyphs both work fine, Glyph of Earth helps with breakbars/survivability(plus it synergizes with Strength of Stone) has a low cool-down and is pretty powerful considering it has insane range. I do take this over glyph of storms most of the time but has less use when fighting multiple mobs. so please swap them out when needed. as one is OP in groups(farming/event build up) and the other is OP in single target(bosses/champs/Hero point daily farming).When even more survival/breakbar assistance is needed Aftershock is also very helpful. but I cannot see what to replace it with as the cool-down is a bit much for that role. but I have had to take it for Preservers in Dragon Stand.

DAMAGE
-Average Mob non-veteran only lives 5.2 seconds in a 1v1 situation but only requires 2.5 seconds of animation time. So this is farm friendly considering the cooldowns for the fire skills are actually reasonable if you take the the burns only get to 5k before it stop attacking the 5k burns

-Veterans, I get so many different results on these in the duration of the fight compared to any other mostly because of the wide range of health pools. I can attain burns as high as 14k for 3-4 ticks solo if the RNG gods so desire and go as low as 6k for 1-3 ticks. I find that it can go lower if your Drake’s Breath gets interrupted by having to dodge roll but you will learn when enemies are about to do a telegraph, delay the Drake’s Breath till you are safe then continue.

for maximum constant burns you will have to place a drakes breath inbetween your weapon skills, utilities not included in the rule. as per my testing

Priority for skills is( assuming you are in melee already and are putting a Drakes breath inbetween each of these)
Burning Speed
Wildfire
Heat Syny
Overload Fire

This all concludes to my calculated DPS with conditions and direct damage if you follow what I have laid out above( which is most likely not optimal but just what I have found ATM to be the best output) on champs/bosses

I am showing over 1 minute because that is when all cooldowns reset
and this is not including the break bar bonus
With solo buffing and no vuln/consumables: 13410 DPS
With 25 might consumables, 25 vuln and random quickness+alacrity: 18755 DPS

Crusic.6531:

sure, I just did a fair amount of solo and group content, and none of this will include the broken bar bonus damage. I have a total of 1 hour of shadow play recording, so it is not a huge sample size but it is ranging from different encounters which I used to get this info. I’ll cover my immediate observations and hope I have time to possibly make a larger post about findings in the future. but here is a general observation

REQUIREMENT-sadly
This build requires Pyromancer’s Training more than any other trait you can possibly take anywhere. IMO this should be a Grandmaster, I have attempted to switch out the fire trait line for air and arcane as they give more versatility but fall very short. This will allow you to pace your cool-downs by inserting a Drake’s breath in-between every fire weapon skill which is required to get the OP 28k group buffed burns.

UTILITY OPTIONS
I find that Signets and Glyphs both work fine, Glyph of Earth helps with breakbars/survivability(plus it synergizes with Strength of Stone) has a low cool-down and is pretty powerful considering it has insane range. I do take this over glyph of storms most of the time but has less use when fighting multiple mobs. so please swap them out when needed. as one is OP in groups(farming/event build up) and the other is OP in single target(bosses/champs/Hero point daily farming).When even more survival/breakbar assistance is needed Aftershock is also very helpful. but I cannot see what to replace it with as the cool-down is a bit much for that role. but I have had to take it for Preservers in Dragon Stand.

DAMAGE
-Average Mob non-veteran only lives 5.2 seconds in a 1v1 situation but only requires 2.5 seconds of animation time. So this is farm friendly considering the cooldowns for the fire skills are actually reasonable if you take the the burns only get to 5k before it stop attacking the 5k burns

-Veterans, I get so many different results on these in the duration of the fight compared to any other mostly because of the wide range of health pools. I can attain burns as high as 14k for 3-4 ticks solo if the RNG gods so desire and go as low as 6k for 1-3 ticks. I find that it can go lower if your Drake’s Breath gets interrupted by having to dodge roll but you will learn when enemies are about to do a telegraph, delay the Drake’s Breath till you are safe then continue.

for maximum constant burns you will have to place a drakes breath inbetween your weapon skills, utilities not included in the rule. as per my testing

Priority for skills is( assuming you are in melee already and are putting a Drakes breath inbetween each of these)
Burning Speed
Wildfire
Heat Syny
Overload Fire

This all concludes to my calculated DPS with conditions and direct damage if you follow what I have laid out above( which is most likely not optimal but just what I have found ATM to be the best output) on champs/bosses

I am showing over 1 minute because that is when all cooldowns reset
and this is not including the break bar bonus
With solo buffing and no vuln/consumables: 13410 DPS
With 25 might consumables, 25 vuln and random quickness+alacrity: 18755 DPS

Heyo.
I’m looking for a PvE Tempest build and I saw yours and this nice commentary.

Did you happen to upload your gameplay video? I’d be interested in seeing the rotations and such.

That’s awesome and very solid Crusic! I’ll try and get myself a condi gear to test it out, but I’m mostly leaning towards Dire gear.

A gameplay video would be awesome if your PC can stand recording!