Hello guys,
While waiting for HoT launch this friday, I’ve been theorycrafting some builds that take advantage of the tools provided by the Dragonhunter. I’m mainly a PvEr, so the builds I’ll show you will be with HoT open-world in mind. Some may be applicable to other game modes, but it’s not my focus here.
This post contain 3 builds:
- Standard Berserker with the new damage modifiers
- Sinister burning guardian, taking advantage of the new tools from DH
- Immovable Knight, to face-tank everything with blocks and toughness but still deal nice damage.
Let’s try to keep the DH hate out of this topic and be constructive with the feedback !
Standard Zerk: Damage Modifiers
First one is straightforward. DH provides us with a lot of new damage modifiers, and this build tries to take advantage of all of them. It gets up to +75% damage !
Also provides party utilitity through F3, Fragments of Faith and Feel My Wrath.
- Zeal: 2/2/3 or 2/2/2
Modifiers: 7% vs. burning foes / 5% with GS / 10% in symbols
Burning comes with Symbolic Power, LB#4 and Justice’s passive, which happens a lot with Whirling Wrath and Processing of Blades.
Shattered Aegis as a GM instead of Symbolic Avenger actually sounds nice with Fragments of Faith/Shield of Courage. Maybe it’s a valid option now. Still, this build is about modifiers.
- Virtues: 1/2/3
Modifiers: 20% unscathed contender, x% for x boon(s)
Absolute resolution I take for condi cleanse. Indomitable courage can be swapped for Permeating Wrath for added DPS, but burning is already enough for the +7% from Zeal in my opinion. I opted for added aegis uptime/stunbreak instead.
- Dragonhunter: 1/2/3
Modifiers: 10% to crippled enemies / 7-13% depending on distance / 10% from SoJ tether
Adept is to personal preference. I like to take Piercing Light for Procession of Blades that now gives Fury for 8 seconds (40% fury uptime !) and hits relatively hard, and also for FoF for some aegis and great party utility. The daze is also nice to AoE interrupt foes and eat those defiance bars. Master and GM traits are no-brainers for this build.
- Utilities: (optional) – PoB – FoF – (optional) – FMW
- Heal: I chose Purification because of personal tastes; I guess many will chose Shelter over it. My reasoning is as follow: lower CD, and if triggers: blind + daze + regen. Higher risk, but nice rewards.
- Utility 1: Procession of Blades. Traited, this trap is basically fury, AoE daze and nice spike on a 20sec CD. Also, the number of hits ensures Burning on enemies for the 7% modifier. I see no reason not to slot this trap.
- Utility 2: Fragments of Faith. Stun break and stability giver, as well as Aegis for who wants it. For a zerk build, it’s always nice to have an “oh kitten” button when surrounded. Also provides nice party utility with the fragments.
- Utility 3: (Optional): I chose Signet of Bane for the added Power and KD on demand, but some might prefer WoR depending on the situation, PF for condi cleanse…
- Elite: Feel My Wrath. Simply an awesome party utility skill that gives Quickness and Fury. Combined with Procession of Blades, we have the potential of about 50% AoE Fury uptime (more or less, too lazy to math properly).
- Armor/trinkets/weapons:
Weapon and trinkets are the usual Zerker stuff. I chose Traveler’s rune for open-world QoL in mind instead of Scholar, which is the DPS option here. The 6/6 bonus is easy to keep up given the range of LB and the amount of Aegis this build has.
Sinister Burning DH
This is the DH version of the burning guardian. The advantages of DH for burning over vanilla guard are:
- Increased SoJ procs that inflict burns and cripple in addition (= +10% damage) with Defender’s Dogma.
- Blocking also cures condition, and potentially reduces damage received.
- Traps: Fragments of Faith gives lots of Aegis for more blocks so more burning / condi cleanse / cripple. Procession of Blades hits a lot, which will increase the SoJ passive procs while giving group fury and dealing a nice amount of damage.
- F3 gives also more block than vanilla guard, especially nice in this build.
- Higher block access that will give burning througn Amplified Wrath.
- Radiance: 1/2/1
Inner Fire will have no problems in giving Fury. Radiant Fire is powerful for burst when on Mace/Torch, but also for burning nearby enemies. Also increases burning by 20% and reduces Torch skills. Amplified Wrath is especially powerfull with all the blocks available, but also from simply increasing burning damage.
Minors give an almost permanent 10% critical chance increase. I don’t know if Justice is Blind actually works on SoJ (tooltip is not updated), but anyway this build relies on passive SoJ.
- Virtues: 1/1/1
Unscathed contender because 20% damage is awesome, especially with the aegis available from the build. CC-heavy zones might require Retaliatory subconscious instead, to get more Aegis, hence more burning and condi cleanse. Supreme Justice and Permeating Wrath are no-brainers.
- Dragonhunter: 1/2/1
Fragments of Faith and Procession of Blades are so important to this build that Piercing light is mandatory. For the Master, I chose Zealot’s aggression for Cripple and 10% damage, but Bulwark is also a sound option for more blocks. CC-heavy zones might warrant the use of Hunter’s Determination for more Aegis and burning. Hunter’s Fortification is the best synergetic option for GM.
- Utilities: Shelter – FoF – PoB – Purging Flames – Renewed Focus
- Heal: Shelter is a no-brainer given the utility of Blocks in this build.
- Utility 1: Procession of Blades. Traited, this trap is basically fury, AoE daze and nice burn and damage spike on a 20sec CD.
- Utility 2: Fragments of Faith. Plenty of blocks for SoJ projcs and burning stacks. Also a Stun break and stability giver. May be swapped for Retreat! instead for movement speed.
- Utility 3: Purging Flames: 3 burning stacks in AoE, condi cleanse, fire field. JI is an option too, but it has less utilities and is on higher CD. The gained mobility is not worth it in this PvE setting, for me at least.
- Elite: Renewed Focus. 3 sec invuln is always welcome, and the recharge of Shield of Courage gives access to more blocks. Or also access to Hunter’s verdict if needed, so that the passive procs are not jeopardized.
- Armor/trinkets/weapons:
Sinister all the way, Flame legion runes and Smoldering sigils. We get 50% burning duration from sigils and runes, and with Radiant Fire we go up to 70%. Runes give 7% damage against burning foes, and gives a stack on a 10sec ICD.
Scepter/focus is in my opinion the best choice for long-range fight, as Smite can give a lot of SoJ procs and focus offers 3 blocks for burning and Defender’s Dogma->SoJ procs. Long Bow is also a strong option as LB#4 gives a couple of burning stacks, and helps in keeping enemies at bay if required with all the cripple (which also gives +10% damage!). Other set is X/Torch, where X is either Mace or Sword. Mace with symbol I think would be better for more SoJ procs, and also for protection/small heals, but sword is also nice for mobility, of which this build is lacking.
Immovable Knight, in case things get too HoT
This tanky build may not please everyone and some might think “wtf dude, this is useless kitten”, but I don’t care. I like being the tanky guy sometimes, and I know I’m not alone. Especially if it’s for HoT open-world. This build is for blocking everything and surviving, while keeping a nice amount of power and precision. This build is if you want to last long in fights. Beware though, with that amount of Toughness, everyone will want a piece of you.
DH is nice here for Aegis access through Hunter’s Determination and Fragments of Faith, and the blocking advantages of Hunter’s Fortification and Defender’s Dogma.
With the toughness from ascended Knight’s gear, you get up to ~74% damage reduction when you have protection and no condition on you compared to berserker gear. Then, you still have all the blocks and heal on block and heals from Mace.
Math:Armor’s effect is based on 2600/Armor_rating based on the wiki. This ratio is 1.14 with berserker, and 0.62 with this build (when wearing the shield and after blocking an attack with Valor GM), which is 54% of the damage received if you’re wearing berserker. From that, you get 53% less damage under protection and if you have no condition on you (and 10% from signet of judgement). This amounts to ~26% of the initial damage that you’d receive.
- Valor: 3/3/3
The main Aegis traitline. Minors give you aegis when <50% health, recharge F3 upon ally revival (going to happen a lot in HoT at launch!), and give 2 stacks of might when you block. As for the Majors, Focus gets protection on each skill and 20% reduction. Especially nice for Focus#5. I take Stalwart Defender since I have Scepter/Shield, but get Communal defenses if you prefer Longbow for group Aegis. Retaliatory Armor gives more Toughness, but also Ferocity. With Knight’s gear, that’s over 300 points, which is nice.
- Honor: 1/2/2
The traitline for sustain. Minors give Vigor and F2 passive endurance regeneration. Selfless Daring is insignificant. Majors gives you reduced CD for Mace with Invigorated Bulwark (or get Protective Reviver for more blocks upon revival), a nice heal on Aegis with Pure of Heart, and better Symbols for mace with Writ of Persistence. Other two GMs are also options, I cannot really chose one over the other. Pure of Voice is nice for the group condi cleanse and for more frequent Aegis on Retreat! if you chose it for the last utility slot, and Force of Will just to survive better if needed / increase Mace efficiency, although this might be insignificant.
- Dragonhunter: 1/1/1
This traitline is to take advantage of the blocks. Piercing Light for more frequent FoF and the AoE daze (I consider AoE daze as a kind of light block, as it interrupts an attack in AoE), and the Hunter’s traits to get condi cleanse, less damage, and party Aegis when CC’d.
- Utilities: Shelter – Fragments of Faith – Wall of Reflection – (Optional) – Renewed Focus
- Heal: Shelter is a no-brainer: 2 sec of blocks !
- Utility 1: Fragments of Faith. Stun Break. Stability. So many Aegis, for so many condi cleanse and heals.
- Utility 2: Wall of Reflection. Aegis is fine, but against projectiles… There’s F3, but WoR in addition is a must-have in a tanky build in my opinion.
- Utility 3: (Optional). I personnaly chose Signet of Judgment for 10% damage reduction, and when activated a Weakness/Stun Break. Other choice is Retreat! for group Aegis/swiftness.
- Elite: Renewed Focus. 3 sec invuln is always welcome, and the recharge of virtues give one more Shield of Courage and another “oh kitten” heal from F2.
- Armor/trinkets/weapons:
Knight’s all the way for Toughness, precision and power. You can face-tank stuff while hitting somewhat hard still.
Mace/Focus is an excellent defensive combo for the protection/heals and symbol from traited Mace, and the blocks + protection from traited focus. Scepter/Shield would be the best range option in my opinion. Shield gives group aegis and protection on #4, and knockback+antiprojectile on 5. Scepter hits hard with Smite and provides an immob. Longbow would hit stronger against small single targets or groups and offer some nice control… I guess it’s up to preference. Both are valid choices.
Rune is again Traveler’s for QoL when running around. Sigils are for more heals and sustain: Water for group heals, and Leeching is a 975-damage on-swap siphon, which is always nice.