I’m interested in creating a Guardian because they fit the theme of what I enjoy playing. I love both PvE and PvP, but I am kind of worried about their DPS output. I know they are more of a support class, but is it possible to build a Guardian in a way so that you can have decent DPS?
Thanks Bloodgruve. What type of weapon can I use for a Guardian DPS build? I kind of want to avoid the GS, I really like Mace or Sword.
Mace will never be a good dps weapon. For the warrior it is, but not the guardian. Go GS Sword/Focus and you will never go back. I use to run GSHammer because Genesis is so sexy. But you can’t really beat the Sword and GS rotations, as well as the auto attack for the sword with all that crit chance.(Especially running 30 in Radiance with RHS XI).
Yeah right now I’m using Sword/Focus, and when I get another weapon slot I’ll put a GS in it I guess. What is the rotation for those weapon sets in PvE/PvP?
Thanks Bloodgruve. What type of weapon can I use for a Guardian DPS build? I kind of want to avoid the GS, I really like Mace or Sword.
Mace will never be a good dps weapon. For the warrior it is, but not the guardian. Go GS Sword/Focus and you will never go back. I use to run GSHammer because Genesis is so sexy. But you can’t really beat the Sword and GS rotations, as well as the auto attack for the sword with all that crit chance.(Especially running 30 in Radiance with RHS XI).
Mace is a better DPS weapon for guardians than for warriors lol. It’s not the best you will get but 10/30/10/20/0 is pretty decent DPS output, especially given how tanky it makes you.
You can check out Brazil’s DPS test he does vs giants. I have slightly different attack rotations but its more out of habit then knowing if its a min/max rotation. The main differences is I’m always applying blinds when I can with my rotations(except if it means breaking an auto attack chain).
That vid gives a false sense of Guardian’s DPS because it uses Undead Slaying and Sigil of Night (+20% dmg).
Normally, your damage is 20% lower than that.
That being said tho, I recall coming here in February posting a Sword-based high DPS build with AH for dungeons, most praised it but a lot of people were still going on about GS here and GS there.
No. Sword master race. As boring as it is, as flawed as Guardian design is, Sword auto is the best DPS.
I seriously hope Anet is gonna do something about this at some point.
Guardian and Ranger are the only auto-attack classes left basically. ANET shorten the cooldown of other skills and make ZD worth using.
Guardian is far from OP anyways, some buffs won’t make anyone cry.
That video is using an outdated build (0/30/0/30/10) so the DPS would be even higher now. Also, in a dungeon you will be getting might stacks. In open world DPS is a fair bit lower (I hit for ~2k, 2k, 4.5k at 80) but it’s more than enough for 1/2 cycles of the AA chain to kill a normal mob.
Thanks Bloodgruve. What type of weapon can I use for a Guardian DPS build? I kind of want to avoid the GS, I really like Mace or Sword.
Mace will never be a good dps weapon. For the warrior it is, but not the guardian. Go GS Sword/Focus and you will never go back. I use to run GSHammer because Genesis is so sexy. But you can’t really beat the Sword and GS rotations, as well as the auto attack for the sword with all that crit chance.(Especially running 30 in Radiance with RHS XI).
If you do some actual testing you’ll see that Mace when built right is only a few % behind Sword if that and par with GSword, if Protectors Strike is proc’d quickly for damage. In a GC 10/30/30/0/0 it is a very good choice as it not only deals comparable damage to other weapons but it adds a good amount of healing and a block. Sword is mobile and feels good, GSword is built well and feels good, effective aoe but they are not anything leaps and bounds above Mace. If all you care about is DPS then a 20/25/0/0/25 build is where you need to be, Scepter with Unscathed Contender will out do any other setup that I’ve tried.
To be an effective Guard get to know all weapons, their strengths and playstyles. Find what you like and run it. If you’re built for DPS and have some of the % increase traits you’ll be on par with most other DPS with a few exclusions.
IMHO
Blood~
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance”
80 Ranger | 80 Mesmer | 80 Thief | 80 Guardian | 40 Engineer
“The learned is happy, nature to explore. The fool is happy, that he knows no more.”
-Alexander Pope
Actually gs has the best burst damage out of all guardian weapons, but its unreliable at times because u have to stand inside the monster to utilize it fully. The trick is to turn off melee assist and stand inside the monster and use whirling wraith so that all 7 projectiles hit the monster, symbol of wraith is also a very powerful burst skill if the monster stay inside the symbol for the full duration. Of course if u stick to gs all the way, the dps of gs is actually similar to sword in the long run because gs has a weak auto attack as compared to other weapon.
The best rotation proposed by guang is to use ww/symbol/auto attack/ww then swap to another weapon with other burst skill or higher auto attack dps.
If foofad numbers are correct about coefficient and skill timing in his thread, then actually mace autoattack damage is the worst out of all 4 melee weapon option. Using protector strike to increase dps of mace isnt reliable at all.I will recommend running sword as offswap since it synergies with the radiance trait line so well and the healing isn’t generally needed in a dps built.
If all you care about is DPS then a 20/25/0/0/25 build is where you need to be, Scepter with Unscathed Contender will out do any other setup that I’ve tried.
I would go 30 radiance for RHS (15 crit rate), drop virtue down to 10, and put 10 in valor for +10 crit dmg and Retributive Armor (more crit rate). Imo, Power of Virtuous (Virtue 25) is not that big of a DPS increase (only +1% for each boon). You wouldn’t have Vigorous Precision for dodges so you’d have to strafe a lot to keep aegis up.
For DPS atm, I am using sword (10/30/15/5/10). I find Vigorous Precision to be really valuable when it comes to melee weapons. +100% endurance regen permanently is nothing to laugh at.
TBH, there isn’t that much deadly conditions that I need to worry about when fighting bosses. So yes, I do rely on signet passive. When running past mobs, I’d take the meditation to deal with chill. Reason I don’t take 10 in honor is because I don’t use shouts that much (only SYG against lupicus, and even then I don’t need shouts CDR).
lol I’ve just thought of a new build idea: 30/30/0/0/10 to utilize Wrathful Spirits while going scepter and Unscathed Contender. Anyone knows if Spirit Weapons are any good?
lol I’ve just thought of a new build idea: 30/30/0/0/10 to utilize Wrathful Spirits while going scepter and Unscathed Contender. Anyone knows if Spirit Weapons are any good?
Spirit Weapons are underwhelming for the most part. In PvE and WvW they die too fast due to AoE spam. In PvP you give up to much utility to use them.
If all you care about is DPS then a 20/25/0/0/25 build is where you need to be, Scepter with Unscathed Contender will out do any other setup that I’ve tried.
I would go 30 radiance for RHS (15 crit rate), drop virtue down to 10, and put 10 in valor for +10 crit dmg and Retributive Armor (more crit rate). Imo, Power of Virtuous (Virtue 25) is not that big of a DPS increase (only +1% for each boon). You wouldn’t have Vigorous Precision for dodges so you’d have to strafe a lot to keep aegis up.
For DPS atm, I am using sword (10/30/15/5/10). I find Vigorous Precision to be really valuable when it comes to melee weapons. +100% endurance regen permanently is nothing to laugh at.
This is the type of build I’ve been wanting to run. But feel anchored to 30(10/30/0/30/0) in Honor for Condition cleansing through shouts. Doing say Arah, where WoR and SYG is pretty important for your teammates, where would your condi cleansing come from? Purging flame or a mediation and passive from your signet?(And idk about that 15 in valor. I’d prolly rather put that extra 5 to reduce shout times since the minor at 15 for valor is pretty meh to me.)
Yea, like I said, if all you’re looking for is DPS thats what I’ve found to be the highest. Not the best utility there. Toughest part of Arah is running past stuff. I like SYG, SyS n Staff to get through. 20/30/0/20/0 GSword Sc/X and switch to Staff n 2H Mastery for getting through stuff.
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance”
try running 20 virtues over 30 honour for condition removal. the condition removal from absolute resolution is more bursty (3 conditions on virtue of resolve use) but I find it more useful, as it also allows me to take consecration traiting which no guardian should run without. you can also drop purging flames mid-run to cleanse as well.
anyway arah doesn’t really spam conditions on you during skips (maybe during p1 skip to crystal boss?). p3/4 skips have some conditions but are generally manageable… the only path with dangerous skips other than p1 is p2, but there are few conditions there (mostly inquest and risen CC + deadeye oneshots)
I gotta say…I did not expect the scepter to be a good DPS weapon. You got Fiery Wrath + Scepter Power + Radiant Power + Unscathed Contender + Scholar’s rune + Undead Slaying sigil + Force sigil + Undead Slaying potion = +85% damage boost!! Add 25 stacks of bloodlust to that and banner of discipline, you’ll be hitting 5k autos EASILY, and that’s not counting Smite.
After the next patch top dps builds will definitely be meditation based due to monk’s focus granting fury on meditation use. Depending on how long the fury lasts with the right setup it may even be possible to have perma fury with triple meditations slotted.
I’ve just started messing around with Guardian and I’m trying out the DPS builds first before I try my hand at bunkering. Kasama, it looks like your build has the most potential, however I can’t seem to get it down the way I want to (even with your breakdown of it in your post). Do you have any gameplay videos I could look at?
Also, anyone else have spvp videos for other dps guardian builds handy?
After the next patch top dps builds will definitely be meditation based due to monk’s focus granting fury on meditation use. Depending on how long the fury lasts with the right setup it may even be possible to have perma fury with triple meditations slotted.
Before assuming that we would have to see what could be squeezed into a build. If its a grandmaster trait it may turn out to be a wash. Has there been any indication of how meditations will supply Fury?
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance”
You can check out Brazil’s DPS test he does vs giants. I have slightly different attack rotations but its more out of habit then knowing if its a min/max rotation. The main differences is I’m always applying blinds when I can with my rotations(except if it means breaking an auto attack chain).
That vid gives a false sense of Guardian’s DPS because it uses Undead Slaying and Sigil of Night (+20% dmg).
Normally, your damage is 20% lower than that.
That being said tho, I recall coming here in February posting a Sword-based high DPS build with AH for dungeons, most praised it but a lot of people were still going on about GS here and GS there.
No. Sword master race. As boring as it is, as flawed as Guardian design is, Sword auto is the best DPS.
I seriously hope Anet is gonna do something about this at some point.
Guardian and Ranger are the only auto-attack classes left basically. ANET shorten the cooldown of other skills and make ZD worth using.
Guardian is far from OP anyways, some buffs won’t make anyone cry.
Except, optimally, you’ll be using a +10% (current enemy) buff and another +10% bonus (perhaps Sigil of Night, for most dungeons). So… it maintains accuracy in optimal situations.
If all you care about is DPS then a 20/25/0/0/25 build is where you need to be, Scepter with Unscathed Contender will out do any other setup that I’ve tried.
I would go 30 radiance for RHS (15 crit rate), drop virtue down to 10, and put 10 in valor for +10 crit dmg and Retributive Armor (more crit rate). Imo, Power of Virtuous (Virtue 25) is not that big of a DPS increase (only +1% for each boon). You wouldn’t have Vigorous Precision for dodges so you’d have to strafe a lot to keep aegis up.
For DPS atm, I am using sword (10/30/15/5/10). I find Vigorous Precision to be really valuable when it comes to melee weapons. +100% endurance regen permanently is nothing to laugh at.
This is the type of build I’ve been wanting to run. But feel anchored to 30(10/30/0/30/0) in Honor for Condition cleansing through shouts. Doing say Arah, where WoR and SYG is pretty important for your teammates, where would your condi cleansing come from? Purging flame or a mediation and passive from your signet?(And idk about that 15 in valor. I’d prolly rather put that extra 5 to reduce shout times since the minor at 15 for valor is pretty meh to me.)
Arah has no conditions worth removing, except for Wraithlord’s Hunter’s poison. Get an engineer or mesmer for that and you’re fine. Don’t waste trait points just for that one boss.
Also, the P1 skip after the Ooze is easily done by just invul/blocking past the first group of Risen then invul/blocking the big group of Oozes. You can usually do it without getting put in combat at all. On my mesmer I just stealth through Risen, blink past Oozes, drop off the cliff and portal the party across, then run it again and portal them up the cliff. Much faster than watching pugs try to run it over and over and fail for twenty minutes.
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