Guild Wars 2

Hello guys, I’m seeking advice on how to improve the build I’m currently running in W3. It’s a build focused on support, through heals (2 or 3x blasts in my waterfield), condition removals, and some cc in the form of knockbacks and pulls. This is the link.

What I’d like to know, is if some of you already tried a similar build with different equipment and how it performs without healing power gear, because as now my conditions don’t pack a punch stronger enough to down someone quickly.

I play this build in a group setup (2 to 5) and sometimes while zerging.

Thanks in advance!

how often do you use your tool kit, and would it be worth spending 10 more points in tools trait line to have the cool-down? Why did you not take deadly mixture/juggernaut when running with FT/EG?

As a note, I am running with FT and sometimes EG and have 0 points in inventions. My traits are 10/20/0/20/20. I am using healing kit, proxy mine, FT, PBR or rocket boots or EG, and supply crate mainly focused on power and some condition dmg. I switch out skills depending on what environment I am in.

Also, having so many kits may hinder you. Don’t try to make a ‘kitchen sink’ build where you have everything, but aren’t focused. What elixirs or gadgets could you use to give you more options in a fight? Also, if you like the inventions line, have you tried bombs and grenades? Healing bombs is grandmaster in that line, and people really like that trait. Also, proxy mine works with the bombs/grenades have larger explosion radius skill and I bet also works with other such skills.

Well, I often use my tk but never felt I needed the CD reduction on its skills, just because I always have something else at my disposal and I’m often busy with something else; might try that tho.

I didn’t trait for deadly mixture because I don’t use ‘em for damage, just for the utility they bring (knockback and blinds with FT, and cripples, condition clenases and area healing with EG), so I think I don’t need that trait… Plus my power is ridicolously low so I won’t make any serious direct damage anyway…

I run with 20 points in inventions because I want the CD reduction on shield: I love it and think it’s the best shield in the game, so I tend to use it whenever possible.

I also thought I could use rocket boots, tried them once and found them amazing, but I really don’t know what to drop in favor of them. I never tried mine seriously, so I might give it a go and see if I like it.

I dropped elixir-infused bombs some time ago tho, when I dismissed bombs due to the nerf to confusion…

Thanks for the input by the way, you’re suggesting me to move to a more damaging/less supporting playstyle and I shall try to see if I like it!

I notice you’re running Apothecary gear and have over 800 cond damage.

For conditions to work in WvW you need to:

1. Apply a range of different conditions (so that even when they cleanse some they’ll still be hurting from others)
2. Have increase condition duration (a lot of people run -cond duration build/food in WvW so you need the extra duration just to get cond ticks and to make sure your short duration conditions are still there when you go to apply other conditions)
3. Have high condition damage bolstered by Might stacks (at L80 each Might stack is 35 cond damage; just 10 might stacks is an extra 350 cond damage – you have to go deep into condition damage gear to outdo what people get just stacking Might)
4. Stay away from zergs. There’s so much condition removal in zergs that even with +100% cond duration and 1300 Cond damage before Might stacking my cond Eng may as well go home when the zergs are out as my conditions don’t last long enough to do much.

Given you like support play, which in WvW tends to be zerg v zerg, you’d be better off switching from Apothecary gear to a mix of Clerics and Magi (for the increased crit). This will shift damage from easily lost conditions to ‘always works’ direct damage and should increase your effective damage significantly.

Thanks Zenguy, you answered the question I’ve forgotten to do in my first post: I’m gonna buy some cleric’s and magi’s stuff and regear accordingly. Thanks a lot!