Guild Wars 2

Hi all!
I just wanted to ask what do you guys think about my current build? Is it viable/hould I keep on using it and if not what should I change about it?

So my my armor/weapons have the precision/toughness/condition dmg stat combo and I use runes of the undead. All my accessories grant the same stats too. So is it good or bad and what should I change if its not viable. (Im a PvE player)

P/P Condition damage isn’t as good as grenade condition damage, unfortunately. You’ll survive, but you could be dealing a lot more damage. You’ve got a good stat combo, it just happens that pistol bleed stacking is very lackluster when compared to grenade bleed stacking.

If you already have the gear, here’s the builds I would suggest:
This is great in dungeons, with very high sustained DPS. However, it has lackluster mobility and is easily caught out, which is why I also like to use this from time to time.

Overall, the first will be better in dungeons while the second will be better in open-world PvE or WvW.

Thanks. Yes I already have the gear I just really want to buy an armor skin set so I decided to ask about my gear before applying skins that I paid 800gems for. Also as you suggested Ill start using the grenade kit.

If you’re not partial to the Grenade Kit and its less than user friendly ways, an alternative to GK in bleed stacking is the Elixir Gun + Condition duration runes/food/weapons. With 40+ Condition duration you can stack around 12-14+ stacks of bleeding plus perma weakness with just the auto attack on the Elixir Gun. Now that’s not to say you should just auto attack with the Elixir Gun, but it is a nice auto (much better than the pistol auto) to use while your rotational skills are on cool down.

So say something of a rotation on the order of:

Poison Darts —> Blowtorch --> Static Shot —> Prybar --> Concussion Bomb —> Fire Bomb --> Acid Bomb —> Elixir F --> Fumigate —> Elixir Gun auto for 5 seconds or so, repeat rotation.

With Rabid I’d agree with Sylentir on the Sigil of Earth as you’ll want to proc more bleeds on crits and also maintain burning with Incendiary Ammo. But the GK isn’t necessary to have good condition damage output and using the above rotation and kit combination (Elixir Gun, Bomb Kit, Tool Kit, just to be clear) will give you a lot of utility while maintaining all the important conditions and giving you the option to maintaining a healthy stack of bleeding with the added benefit of perma weakness for as long as you want/need it as the situation demands.

if you really wanted to use a pistol build with rabid armor, i’d go
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXnvSeF17ICoH5FfNiie8YU2k9pAbB-jQCBINBkyAgIAMHqIas1hBp6KslXRTdDTHjIqWKAYmGB-e

you won’t be speed clearing anytime soon but the game is about playing what you find fun.

ps rampager gear would yield better results. i actually ran the build with rampager armor in arah and i did fine.

ellesee.8297:

if you really wanted to use a pistol build with rabid armor, i’d go
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXnvSeF17ICoH5FfNiie8YU2k9pAbB-jQCBINBkmGkyAIHqIas1hBp6KslXRTdDTHjIqWKAYmGB-e

you won’t be speed clearing anytime soon but the game is about playing what you find fun.

ps rampager gear would yield better results. i actually ran the build with rampager armor in arah and i did fine.

Careful with rampager though, it’s a lot more squishy. Something like carrion would have better raw damage as well, which you could mix with rabid.

Also, I’d swap those runes out for 6 runes of the noble if you wanted to do might stacking. The duration is 20% less, but you get enough condi damage worth 5 or 6 stacks of might, plus you get might stacks from healing. Direct damage would be lower, but such builds are condi focused anyways.

Sylentir.8913:

P/P Condition damage isn’t as good as grenade condition damage, unfortunately. You’ll survive, but you could be dealing a lot more damage. You’ve got a good stat combo, it just happens that pistol bleed stacking is very lackluster when compared to grenade bleed stacking.

If you already have the gear, here’s the builds I would suggest:
This is great in dungeons, with very high sustained DPS. However, it has lackluster mobility and is easily caught out, which is why I also like to use this from time to time.

Overall, the first will be better in dungeons while the second will be better in open-world PvE or WvW.

this is of course ignoring the fact that grenade kit is a kit and not a weapon trait. he could easily just equip grenade kit and your answer is pointless.

Yamsandjams.3267:

ellesee.8297:

if you really wanted to use a pistol build with rabid armor, i’d go
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXnvSeF17ICoH5FfNiie8YU2k9pAbB-jQCBINBkmGkyAIHqIas1hBp6KslXRTdDTHjIqWKAYmGB-e

you won’t be speed clearing anytime soon but the game is about playing what you find fun.

ps rampager gear would yield better results. i actually ran the build with rampager armor in arah and i did fine.

Careful with rampager though, it’s a lot more squishy. Something like carrion would have better raw damage as well, which you could mix with rabid.

Also, I’d swap those runes out for 6 runes of the noble if you wanted to do might stacking. The duration is 20% less, but you get enough condi damage worth 5 or 6 stacks of might, plus you get might stacks from healing. Direct damage would be lower, but such builds are condi focused anyways.

yes you’re very fragile but that’s not an issue for an experienced pve player. i’d most definitely run carrion or rabid for something like wvwvw, assuming i’d take this build into wvwvw which i wouldn’t. also i run +20% might duration and +30% boon duration runes. for 10% less might uptime i get a +30% longer fury, protection, vigor, etc. personal preference.

ellesee.8297:

Yamsandjams.3267:

ellesee.8297:

if you really wanted to use a pistol build with rabid armor, i’d go
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXnvSeF17ICoH5FfNiie8YU2k9pAbB-jQCBINBkmGkyAIHqIas1hBp6KslXRTdDTHjIqWKAYmGB-e

you won’t be speed clearing anytime soon but the game is about playing what you find fun.

ps rampager gear would yield better results. i actually ran the build with rampager armor in arah and i did fine.

Careful with rampager though, it’s a lot more squishy. Something like carrion would have better raw damage as well, which you could mix with rabid.

Also, I’d swap those runes out for 6 runes of the noble if you wanted to do might stacking. The duration is 20% less, but you get enough condi damage worth 5 or 6 stacks of might, plus you get might stacks from healing. Direct damage would be lower, but such builds are condi focused anyways.

yes you’re very fragile but that’s not an issue for an experienced pve player. i’d most definitely run carrion or rabid for something like wvwvw, assuming i’d take this build into wvwvw which i wouldn’t. also i run +20% might duration and +30% boon duration runes. for 10% less might uptime i get a +30% longer fury, protection, vigor, etc. personal preference.

“experienced pve player” that made me chuckle. anyway, rabid is far superior to rampagers. power does nothing for a condition build, and you have queue x conditions on crit. obviously the more times you crit the more times it queues.

yes rabid is better for condition builds obviously. but you’re not throwing out a lot of conditions with just pistols are you. and the poison dart volley can reach 4-5k with rampagers.

ellesee.8297:

if you really wanted to use a pistol build with rabid armor, i’d go
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fcAQJAqalspSXnvSeF17ICoH5FfNiie8YU2k9pAbB-jQCBINBkyAgIAMHqIas1hBp6KslXRTdDTHjIqWKAYmGB-e

you won’t be speed clearing anytime soon but the game is about playing what you find fun.

ps rampager gear would yield better results. i actually ran the build with rampager armor in arah and i did fine.

This is a great build even in PVE. I personally went back to using this for farming since the change to the gear. I use runes of the traveler on my gear because It was a great option for improving overall crit damage even on the condition damage crits themselves, and the runspeed.

My gear for open world isn’t rampager it’s a mixture of Mortal and Whispering for Precision Toughness Condition Damage. So I guess you could say that I’m a bit of a hybrid in the damage department. If tons of people are there doing lots of condition damage then I don’t have to worry, my burst damage is pretty good simultaneously.

The elixirs I use are S U and B the reason I use B is I like to stack retal and I like to sometimes start off with Retal if enemies are going to be in a large group starting off. It beats waiting for them to get me down to 75% before the autoB activates.

Lightsbane.9012:

Sylentir.8913:

P/P Condition damage isn’t as good as grenade condition damage, unfortunately. You’ll survive, but you could be dealing a lot more damage. You’ve got a good stat combo, it just happens that pistol bleed stacking is very lackluster when compared to grenade bleed stacking.

If you already have the gear, here’s the builds I would suggest:
This is great in dungeons, with very high sustained DPS. However, it has lackluster mobility and is easily caught out, which is why I also like to use this from time to time.

Overall, the first will be better in dungeons while the second will be better in open-world PvE or WvW.

this is of course ignoring the fact that grenade kit is a kit and not a weapon trait. he could easily just equip grenade kit and your answer is pointless.

If someone asks for a P/P build, I assume that they’re basing their build around dual pistols, not just that they have them equipped. Likewise, if they ask for a FT build, I’m assuming that they’re spending most of their time in FT kit, not that they just use it for skills 2 and 5. Both the two builds I linked use dual pistols, but I wouldn’t consider either of them to be pistol builds.

The OP asked if pistol builds are good. They aren’t. Having the pistol equipped as a weapon is often good, but pistol builds aren’t.

Honestly. .. I know you prefer non meta BUT…..

HgH p/p might stacking build is absolutley amazing.

+90% duration on might. Meaning almost always 15-25 stacks of might. Which not only increases condi damage. Bur helps with initial damage burst on abilities.

Full dire gear ptc gear (precision toughness condi) gives you superior survivability with toughness at 1700.

20/30/0/30/0 build for multiple on crit bleeds and burns and a lot of vitality from elixir line giving you a solid 20k health pool. Removal of conditions on elixir throws (which you do a lot in this build for might)

Almost 100% uptime on vigor via swiftness procs from crits and elixirs. Giving you superior survivability in all situations and a great way to escape danger easily.

Ability to swap toolkit with flamethrower, elixir gun, and grenades and have them each be useful in different situations and not feel kitten for not using other kits.

Elixir B is just rediculously good in this build, 70% crit chance almost on 100% uptime with 1-1:15 minute stacks of might.

Sigil of battle/corruption. Battle procs on kit swaps. Easy 3 might and can pre stack corruption in wvw easily.

I could go on, but I’m on my phone. I was skeptical at hgh might builds at first until I tried it. Now its my bread and butter spec.

I will also say I find perplexity builds extremley fun to play. Its also a cheaper build, and a lot easier to learn and play for starters. HgH requires a lot of micromanaging, good keybinds and an aggresive playstyle.

ellesee.8297:

yes rabid is better for condition builds obviously. but you’re not throwing out a lot of conditions with just pistols are you. and the poison dart volley can reach 4-5k with rampagers.

you are throwing alot of conditions out. pistols are condition weapons. if you’re using rampagers to do big damage on poison dart volley, i’m a little worried. because the way you’re wording it seems like you would think rampagers+rifle would be a good idea.

the only big condition damage you deal with double pistols is blowtorch. the poison and bleeds are pathetic at best and the confusion has a short uptime. power will drastically improve your damage if you just use pistols. modified ammunition will thank you for it.

Uh. False. If blowtorch is your best xondition then you are specced wrong

You shouldn’t be playing pistols without points into bleed on crit and burn on crit.

You aren’t even entertaining confusion and how potent it is against classes like rogues and warriors who spam abilities. Or a d\d elementalist.

ok i suggested the build for the op with rabid gear, which is fine. all i said was in pve rampagers will yield more dps and now everyone is coming in here tryin to exert their authority over me. calm yourselves.

1. this is a pve build. if you decide to take it into pvp/wvwvw (good luck by the way), you would go rabid or carrion or both, not for of the extra condi damage but for the survivability. i’m also very aware of the effectiveness of confusion in pvp and the lack of in pve.
2. i did trait for burning/bleed on crit if you bothered to see the build. the pistol is primarily a condition weapon yes but even with sharpshooter and the auto attack you’d get something like 5 stacks of bleed at most because of the terrible duration of the skills and the lack of +condition duration stats. burning is your only truly damaging condition. now compare this to a necro who can reach over triple the amount of bleed stacks that the pistols can, as well as apply burning, fear, and torment; clearly in comparison the condition output is lacking. however, this can be rectified through might stacking, modified ammunition, and power from rampagers gear. that’s my explanation for rampagers over rabid in a pve scenario. good day.