Default Build, but highly adjustable for each raid fight with minimal effort to combat Condi-specific or Crit-damage specific content.
Core Concept: Self-Sustainable, Adaptable Condi Damage Tank
The Sand Squall is, in my opinion until refuted by someone else with a better example, the strongest, most consistent, and most flexible raid tank option in guild wars 2.
The build is simple and revolves around easily adjustable traits in the Earth, Water, and Tempest trait lines.
The core stat type of the build is Settler’s stats, maximizing your Toughness while maintaining solid Healing Power and Condition Damage.
Stat Details
This build can achieve around 4,000 Armor, and permanent Protection with 40% damage reduction. Let that sink in. Enjoy it. This comes from the Settler’s stat items, Ascended Armor, Scepter 2nd ability passive, Signet of Earth passive, Earth Attunement passive from trait-line, and from the Earthen Shield’s passives. Permanent Protection is maintained from a fully channeled Earth Overload (and potentially supplemented by Aura trait in earth at the expense of Bleed Duration if needed when running full Shouts in the Condition Tank variant).
The Tempest has access to quite a decent amount of constant Bleed up-time while using Scepter and Warhorn, but can easily adjust weapons as needed. Focus is a great defensive option if a boss simply has ridiculous levels of sustained damage in later raids.
Additionally, the Tempest can switch into Fire for some quick might stacking and Burning stacks in situations in which they are not at risk of taking much damage. Air is largely never used save for mobility, while Water may be used to top off healing, assist an ally, or most importantly, to receive huge healing per second passively while wielding the Earthen Shield.
Lastly, if you wish to sacrifice some survival and sustain for better conditions, you can run Trailblazer armor. This will result in better total condition damage at the cost of significantly reduced healing per second. You could easily transition this build into a “high condition damage build” that requires some moderate healing from others, gaining more personal damage at the cost of losing your individual self-sustain.
Rune Choice
The Rune of the Defender works wonderfully for this build, providing a huge additional heal on top of the already good Signet of Renewal heal. It also can be activated by Blocking with the Earthen Shield 2nd ability. This could be substituded for a condition damage rune-set option if the Sand Squall is finding their Herculean defensive capability as overkill for the content. Rune of Balthazar or Nightmare/Trapper combinations would allow for a good Bleed/Burn combo.
Adaptability
The goal of this build is to remain as durable and self-sustaining as possible while still contributing Bleeding and Burn condition damage. Similarly, with some quick trait changes and utility adjustments, it can transition into a heavily condition damage resistant tank that also removes conditions on nearby allies, while maintaining permanent Protection, Vigor, and Regeneration.
Lastly, it has the unique function of all tank builds in GW2 in that, in the event of adds or eventual boss mechanics that may critically hit, this build can turn on the Stoneheart trait to become immune to them. Similar, Diamond Skin offers a similar level of immunity to conditions, especially considering how easy this build heals back to full.
Independence
This build should, under no circumstances, ever require external healing. If there ever is a situation in which this build ends up requiring sustained external healing to survive, this means that most likely some mechanic of the fight is not being fulfilled, as it should take less sustained damage than any other build.
Anti-Condi Shout Variant
In the event of a full condition damage tanking situation, you would switch to full Aura Shouts and Ether Renewal, and turn on Diamond Skin trait, and likely switch to a Focus. If you had a spare set for Soldier Runes, this would be advised as well, but likely not required unless a huge variety of conditions are present.
In the event that your group decides to use another tank instead of you (a foolish choice indeed!) you can transition into a healer by using a Staff and camping Water while spamming all your shouts with the aura healing trait, maybe using Soldier Runes for my condition cleanse if needed.
Playstyle
Predominantly camp Earth, Water, or Fire depending on the combat need. Stay in Earth long enough to dump all bleeds and fully charge and complete Overload Earth for permanent protection, then switch to either Water or Fire. Fire if you are above 80% health and do not appear to be getting damage in the near future, OR Water if you are lower than 80% health and feel that sustained healing will be more important.
While in Water, or if in Fire after blowing your overload and have used all your persistent Burn effects and Heat Sync, conjure your Earthen Shield. This will provide increased toughness and vitality, as well as give you access to strong bleed stacking, a Block = Heal from second skill that also applies more bleeds, and an Invulnerability if the need arises. This also has a Pull and Daze to assist with break bare phases, which are mandatory on raids to Finish Off bosses.
If using the Default build, fire off both Fire and Earth Signets on cool down, and Renewal as needed as well, since Writ in Stone will maintain their passives (not that we really benefit from the Fire passive much anyway). Always be using SOME ability at all times to maximize the amazing sustain of Signet of Renewal, which becomes extremely potent while using Earthen Shield while in Water, thanks to the highly empowered Soothing Mist.
Conclusion
The end result for the Sand Squall is a Tank that is neigh impenetrable while still contributing a fairly steady amount of condition damage while keeping the boss as stationary as possible.
I cannot stress this point enough. Some of the highest DPS options for Tempest, Elementalist, Engineer, and several other classes work best when an opponent is stationary. This allows the above build to focus on enabling the damage of these builds by being the ultimate anchor, and as such it is up to the Sand Squall user to learn any mechanics of the boss fights that would require movement, and only move if these effects require it.
For example, in the BWE3 test, the Vale Guardian would summon small blue lightning AoE under himself that would teleport those hit by the ability in a random location. Additionally, allies would need to “gather up” on special ground targeted areas to diffuse a raid wide damage burst. Possitioning the boss in range of those player’s range abilities, WHILE keeping the boss as stationary as possible, WHILE avoiding its AoE Teleport with a well timed dodge or slight movement adjustment, is key to keeping the boss stationary 90% of the fight, which maximizes DPS up-time and reduces the chaotic nature of the fight.
I will be running this through all wings of Lost Vale, and I will report its effectiveness in the coming weeks
Acknowledgement of other good tanks
While I firmly believe the Sand Squal is the be-all best raw damage mitigation and most self-sustained Tank option, there are several other tank builds that DO still have an important role to play.
For example, both Death Magic Toughness to Power conversion Reapers make the best balance of “good enough defense, with great offense” and cleave down groups of weaker enemies better than The Sand Squall by far, but against serious boss damage they will not sustain as well.
Guardian/Dragonhunter has some strong reactive tanking through Aegis spam and Shield of Courage to block for up to 4 allies in addition to them-self.
Heralds can tank well enough while providing substantial support to allies through a mixture of Jallis and Glint, or play a flexible off-tank and Healer with a Clerics gear set with Ventari and Glint. Lastly, Revenent/Herald Malix make the absolute best Condition Damage tanks in the entire game due to their easily maintained Resistance buff, as well as earning bonus points as the Disenchanter for the raid to remove a boss’s boons.
Lastly, Rangers can also gear and trait for very high sustained personal defense that is almost on par with the Tempest, will still providing modest damage their their pets, and additional healing for allies if also running Druid.
All that said, I firmly believe that in the truly hardest boss fights, The Sand Squall will reign supreme as the absolute best “main tank” for taking on sustained, high damage boss hits continuously, and may make certain encounters easier due to their unparalleled levels of damage mitigation, although the other Tank options will each have their fights and scenarios in which they too shine.
(edited by Swiftwynd.1685)
The values exceed the above when using Earthen Shield and Fiery Greatsword.