Guild Wars 2

How are people dealing with condition spam builds as guard right now? I am using smite condition and the trait that casts it on heal skills and still taking 21k+ damage from condis faster than I can react to it.

Tried using CoP, was basically suicide with the amount of corruption reapers pull off. Would really rather not have to work cleanse into sigils or something, but I am not seeing a ton of options here when facing down one of these cookie cutter condi spams.

Any going theories on surviving? Or are we just sort of waiting until the next balance patch?

I suggest you shouldn’t wait until the next balance patch. Try not to get hit by condi burst in the first place (dodge some very well telegraphed skills like Reaper Shroud 5 or elite shout).

Second, don’t waste your condi-cleansing abilities if you know you’re facing a heavy condition build (e.g. you can blow your “Smite Condition” – which cleanses 2 condis now – to deal some damage and cleanse 1 stack of vulnerability and then you get chill and bleeding applied to you).

Third, manage your cooldowns properly: try not to use your “Wings of Resolve” too early (in scenarios when 4k heal isn’t needed yet and 600 range disengage won’t save you anyways) as it’s a longer cooldown 3 condi cleanse (traited) and it provides some passive effect too, until you blow it ofc; so a better condi-cleanse rotation imo would be “Smite Condition” —> “Purification” (traited) —> “Wings of Resolve” —> “Smite Condition” again plus “Ray of Judgement” if you’re on sword/focus might help too, though it’s kinda slow.

Well if that doesn’t work then you might want to consider taking “Hunter’s Fortification” trait – can prove really useful.

If you’re running meditations, it’s not so bad. You have more more condi cleanse than just about anyone else in the game. CoP is good to save for later in the battle.

Reaper and rev corrupt boons, but their strategy is to condi bomb, wait for you to cleanse/use CoP, (guards tend to get boons later on in the battle, so they save corrupt till later) then corrupt. If you use CoP last in your chain of condi clears, you should be able to out-pace their condi damage. Also, if you’re REALLY worried about condis, save your CoP until you’re near death, and immediately follow it up with RF.

Cleansing chain for me usually goes: SC—> f2 —>heal —> SC <-→ f2—>CoP—>RF—> repeat

Miles Smiles.8951:

I suggest you shouldn’t wait until the next balance patch. Try not to get hit by condi burst in the first place (dodge some very well telegraphed skills like Reaper Shroud 5 or elite shout).

Second, don’t waste your condi-cleansing abilities if you know you’re facing a heavy condition build (e.g. you can blow your “Smite Condition” – which cleanses 2 condis now – to deal some damage and cleanse 1 stack of vulnerability and then you get chill and bleeding applied to you).

Third, manage your cooldowns properly: try not to use your “Wings of Resolve” too early (in scenarios when 4k heal isn’t needed yet and 600 range disengage won’t save you anyways) as it’s a longer cooldown 3 condi cleanse (traited) and it provides some passive effect too, until you blow it ofc; so a better condi-cleanse rotation imo would be “Smite Condition” —> “Purification” (traited) --> “Wings of Resolve” —> “Smite Condition” again plus “Ray of Judgement” if you’re on sword/focus might help too, though it’s kinda slow.

Well if that doesn’t work then you might want to consider taking “Hunter’s Fortification” trait – can prove really useful.

Yeah it’s not usually the telegraphed stuff that gets me. The shroud is so blatant. It’s usually more the large wells/staff skills that need a couple of dodges to get away from. Especially when chilled/crippled, it can be a nightmare to escape.

Also I try to use the condi clears when I have poison/bleed/burning/chill on me instead of just vuln or weakness. Problem is they get reapplied so fast it doesn’t matter a lot of the time. That, or there is enough damage in one tick to pick me off.

Hunter’s Fort is probably the way to go then. Didn’t really want to have to since it means no Heavy Light throw through ToF but it’s better than getting eaten alive.

I use, aside from the meditations, smiter’s boon, and wings of resolve, sigils that remove condis. I find i rarely worry about reapers this way. I occasionally use hunter’s fortification if i see the enemy is condi heavy (more than 1 necro).

Kuya.6495:

I use, aside from the meditations, smiter’s boon, and wings of resolve, sigils that remove condis. I find i rarely worry about reapers this way. I occasionally use hunter’s fortification if i see the enemy is condi heavy (more than 1 necro).

I have been debating whether or not to use sigil clears, I just really hate losing other bonuses.

I know, but with the buffs to necros, it’s really common to see multiple of them in a match, plus maybe a condi rev or two. So i find the sacrifice is worth it. You can’t really rely on the sigils though since they are RNG and have cds, but they do take pressure off you. Because of the sigils i wait to see more than 2 condis on me before i cleanse since if i try to use smite with 2 conditions on, a sigil might proc reducing the condis to 1 or 0 and wasting the smite.

The good thing is though, if you see no necros, feel free to change the sigils to something else.

You’re probably right, I will give it a try.

ThorZimeron.2169:

Miles Smiles.8951:

I suggest you shouldn’t wait until the next balance patch. Try not to get hit by condi burst in the first place (dodge some very well telegraphed skills like Reaper Shroud 5 or elite shout).

Second, don’t waste your condi-cleansing abilities if you know you’re facing a heavy condition build (e.g. you can blow your “Smite Condition” – which cleanses 2 condis now – to deal some damage and cleanse 1 stack of vulnerability and then you get chill and bleeding applied to you).

Third, manage your cooldowns properly: try not to use your “Wings of Resolve” too early (in scenarios when 4k heal isn’t needed yet and 600 range disengage won’t save you anyways) as it’s a longer cooldown 3 condi cleanse (traited) and it provides some passive effect too, until you blow it ofc; so a better condi-cleanse rotation imo would be “Smite Condition” —> “Purification” (traited) --> “Wings of Resolve” —> “Smite Condition” again plus “Ray of Judgement” if you’re on sword/focus might help too, though it’s kinda slow.

Well if that doesn’t work then you might want to consider taking “Hunter’s Fortification” trait – can prove really useful.

Yeah it’s not usually the telegraphed stuff that gets me. The shroud is so blatant. It’s usually more the large wells/staff skills that need a couple of dodges to get away from. Especially when chilled/crippled, it can be a nightmare to escape.

Also I try to use the condi clears when I have poison/bleed/burning/chill on me instead of just vuln or weakness. Problem is they get reapplied so fast it doesn’t matter a lot of the time. That, or there is enough damage in one tick to pick me off.

Hunter’s Fort is probably the way to go then. Didn’t really want to have to since it means no Heavy Light throw through ToF but it’s better than getting eaten alive.

Yeah, I see, but… you don’t run Berserker’s, do you?

A DH should never run Zerker amulet in TPvP unless they risk getting condi bombed or 100-0 by a Power Ranger or Zerk Thief. The amulet is highly risky amongst other heavy zerk/power/condi builds.

Hunter’s Fortification can be your life saver The performance difference is negligible if you’re a skillful DH. As an example, a DH with Hunter’s Fort can beat another DH with Heavy Light knockback trait equipped, assuming they’re of similar skill. Reason being, you’re more reliant on pulling off Purificaton, Traps, and F1 pulls rather than a trait that knockbacks or a trait that cleanses. But the DH with Hunter’s Fortification in a match amongst condi Necros, condi Engi, etc, will perform a heck of a lot better.

Hunter’s Fort + Focus #5 is basically another cleansing utility similiar to Smite Condition. Same goes for your F3 blocks. If you absolutely know you’re facing a heavy condi comp, switch out Fire sigil on Sce/Focus for Generosity.

Virtues/Valor/DH: With F2 cleanses and F3 cleanse on Block, trait for full medi
Heals: Purification trap (grab trap stuns & the stability trap when cc’d traits)
Utilities: ToF trap, JI, CoP (ToF is optional, can use SC if you prefer.)
Elite: Renewed Focus (you just can’t ignore the extra F2 heals+condi cleanse, and another F3 Block)

DON’T use CoP when you have 20 conditions on you, ticking for 200 damage/sec. Poison/Bleeds/Burns/Chill may look like you need to cleanse them immediately… but you must look at the stacks. If you see 5 or more stacks of each (except bleeds) dealing 2k dmg a second, then definitely use CoP. To be honest, I don’t use CoP until I absolutely need to, usually around 30% health pool + heavy conditions on me – or – when I get 4v1’d and condi bombed. Focus#5, F2, F3, is your primary cleansing skills.

Happy hunting!

Edit In a Reaper fight
Save F3 for his heavy DS dps bursts. F1 pull him into your ToF traps and LB#2. Change to Sce/Focus on his DS also to kite + block best you can. If he kites your Purification trap, use Purification + Judge’s Intervention for an instant heal proc + cc. Stick on him with LB skills and rinse/repeat!

The kitten is F4?

Ezrael.6859:

The kitten is F4?

Was wondering that too I think he’s number-indifferent, so when he says “F4” I guess it’s F3 and when he says “F3, F4” I suppose it’s F2, F3

Fixed.

I may have been under the influence a bit when I posted…