Guild Wars 2

Previous Build: S/F Selfish Aura sPvP

So I have been engineering a build since before the RTL nerf that uses the focus, signets and most importantly Protection.

With the diversity patch my previously linked build took a hit to its protection uptime. It is quite easy to fix (and I currently run the fixed version when not testing this) to have its former glory of 100% protection uptime.

Foreword aside, its time for the build:
20 15 10 15 10

Traits
Fire:
10: Embers Might (Optional): Nothing too exciting here, could also go with 10% more damage infire

20: Fire’s Embrace (Required Trait): Gain a fire aura when activating a signet. The build has 3 signets and the primary generation of protection is through auras with other traits.

Air:
10: Zephyr’s Boon (Recommended): Swiftness is the best mobility that S/F gets, so not going to say no to this one (no to mention buffing crit chance to around 50%)

15: Electric Discharge (Optional): I like good old Electric Discharge, an extra 5 points for 1k more damage, a quick way to rid aegis or free yourself from blind.

Earth:
10: Elemental Shielding (Required): The heart of the build. This provides protection every time you use an aura (sig of earth, sig of fire and sig of air with the Fire’s Embrace trait provide auras). If using /Dagger instead then this will provide a 40% damage reduction as /D has frosty aura, recently buffed to reduce damage by 10%

Water:
10: Cleansing Wave (Recommended): Condition removal is very nice, but this is more a filler trait

15: Healing Ripple (Highly Recommended): With my previous build I found that healing was on the low side (only signet heal and water trident). Healing ripple really picks up the slack here

Arcane:
10: Elemental Attunement (Highly Recommended): Provides buffs on weapon swap, the 2 we are after are swiftness (as focus has no movement skills) and extra protection to take us to 100%

Gear Choices
Previously I like to run with Zerker Amulet to make up the stats for my damage component of the build, not really a big fan of conditions. The gear I have chosen helps to boost the Protection duration.

The set I like is: 4x Earth, 2x Monk for 15% protection duration + protection chance on
hit to help fill the gaps or just boost the protection duration further as well as 10% towards other boons (swiftness and fury). That is 35% total increase (10% from 10 arcane). That’s 4.05 per signet, with 20-30 second cd and there are 3. That’s 12.15 seconds + 4.05 from focus fire 5 and 6 from earth attunement and 5.4 from Rune set. Total Protection from burst use = 27.6 seconds. Longest cd skill is 50 (why does fire aura have 50?) followed by 30s and 1, 20.

I also considered 4x Earth 2x Grove (15+15+10 = 40%)
4.2 x3 + 4.2 + 7 + 5.6 = 29.25 seconds of protection, a reasonable increase for only 5% more protection duration. This also lowers your other boons durations.

It is also possible to go with 2x Earth 2x Grove and 2x Monk for 30% protection duration, 10% boon duration. This setup will boost your protection by a total of 50% (additional 10% from 10 points in arcane) which is no laughing matter. 4.5 × 3 + 4.5 + 7.5. Total Protection from burst use = 25.5 seconds.

Sigils:
Sigil of Superiour Energy is a god send. I also use Sigil of Superiour Doom from time to time (open with your burst, switch for poison and catch the foe when he heals from the initial burst if you are unable to interrupt it)
Sigil of Bloodlust – no brainer

Conditions Meta
There is no doubt that this is a conditions meta, makes the build more difficult to play that is for sure (makes a lot of builds more difficult to play). Carrying the Focus gives you a free (and better) Cleansing Fire, the water V trait helps to remove conditions further and the heal removes a crap tonne of conditions every 15 seconds. Condition Pressure is still hard to deal with, the Zerker Amulet brings our hp to 15k keeps you alive that little bit longer. When the condition Meta resides, taking the signet of restoration will boost this builds power, and require a trait rework (20 in earth for 20% cd on signets).

Testing
With all the builds I run I test in 1v1 situations then work my way into 5v5s and the new solo que.

Testing: 1v1
-In a 1v1 situation, the build is strong against Warriors and Thieves (several builds tested against, including the stealth P/D ele killer)
-The build can hold its own against: Necros and the only 1 engineer I could find. Have versed a second Engineer build (conditions) and was a draw
-The build is not effective vs: Mesmer (condition and burst) and Rangers (spirit, other builds well you can’t find anyone not running spirits in 1v1)
-Not tested vs Guardian, none found in 1v1 duelling servers

Testing: 5v5
Counter intuitively I found I was using this build to roam with (quite silly with /F). Taking a /D for a roamer position is something that I will have to look into (but in the end wont due to the skills failing with my level of lag). The build holds its own in 2v2 situations and provides enough burst to make one of the enemies think. The build primarily provides focus damage vs 1 foe, with lucky hits from DT and Phoenix being the main AoE source.

Play Style (refers to the linked build with no changes)
Defensive, wait for an opening, hit hard and fast with DT, Phoenix and air burst. That’s the basics.

Defensive
The defensive ability of this setup is very high. You have 100% protection duration, or protection on demand if you don’t like spamming the skills through. You have Invulnerability and 3 cleansing in earth and an additional 1 in water if needed. You have a reasonable amount of projectile destruction Magnetic Wave and Swirling Winds. And you have access to 3 blinds, 2 or which are instant cast.

All these abilities can keep your foe locked down with soft cc and projectile destroy for a good while. When they do get through, you have protection and usually a fire shield to punish them for attacking (not much of a punish with low condition damage).

Downing Enemies
In a team fight, this build excels in enemy downs. You have Swirling Winds for warriors hammer and stones and to reduce the thieves downed damage as well as Magnetic Wave so those thieves down themselves. You have 2 instant blinds, to blind a foe through his interrupt and invulnerability for those times when you are up **** creek and need to down that foe.

Setups:
Gale or Signet of Earth into Dragons tooth. Gale holds them just long enough to land your Dragons tooth (unless you lag as bad as I do). Signet of earth with the 20% condition durations from Fire line is also enough to hold your foe in place for a DT. To do this efficiently you will need to wait till your enemy is out of condition cleanse and stun breaks (the later is harder in a 1v1 as there is only 2 stuns on this weapon set).

Your Gale and signet of earth can also get you out of trouble by allowing you to get off your heal while the foe lays there thinking about it. Signet of fire can help put on some condition pressure when the foe has used all his removals and can be used in any atonement, this is mainly here for a short cd signet. With 20% reduction in sig cd Water signet would also be a good choice.

Aegis, the condition and boon
Blind is referred to as the Aegis condition, and Aegis blocks your first attack (not good if you are wanting to hit with gale or sig of earth). What can be done about that? Well, glad you asked. Air and Earth have instant skills that can be blown to remove aegis and blind. Earth you have Hurl (this should be up most of the time) and air has Electric Discharge (switch to air), Lightning Strike and Blinding Flash (if desperate to waist a good defensive skill). Starting a gale or sig of earth, if you notice a single block skill, aegis or that you are blinded, pop one of the before mentioned skills and you will be clear to land the gale / sig of earth.

Elite Use
I don’t really use the elite that much, I took the Elemental because it is better then the other 2 in this build. Tornado might add some help with bunkering and FGS is good to get that initial speed boost for roaming or hitting the far point early.

Customisation
Like the build? Think it could be improved? Go ahead, I won’t stop you. If you can move the traits around (take 10 out of arcane) then you can put 10 into earth for 20% cd on signets making the signet heal more viable (though a silly choice with conditions left right and center).

Another good change would be to switch elemental attunement to renewing stamina for added vigor to the build, reducing the need for sigil of energy.

Feel as though I left something out or skipped over something too quickly? Well I have an almost full page to add or change things as needed.

Like videos? Well so do I, I just don’t have the time to make and upload them (esp on crappy net). Sorry, but for now but I won’t be doing a video.

Thanks for your time.
Slasher

Since we are in a condition meta, i would play without the protection-on-aura trait

Id put the 10 points in earth somewhere else: arcana, water or air

Rerroll.9083:

Since we are in a condition meta, i would play without the protection-on-aura trait

Id put the 10 points in earth somewhere else: arcana, water or air

Yea, but I don’t have too much trouble dealing with conditions. Only condition build that takes me down is Mesmer Condition (a niche build) and Ranger Spirits (broken). I have trouble with the Mace to your Face builds, that hardly scratch the armour here