Guild Wars 2

Firebrand build you guys might want to try before giving up on the class. I know, the cast times are all too long etc etc

sages/balth

sword/torch agility/battle
-for bursting outside of f1+JI

scepter/shield courage/energy
-where you’ll stay most of the time, you’ll be in tomes when you’re not here unless you need to burst. reasoning being, keeps you out of melee range and provides group support/damage

heal mantra
-aegis heals for you and your friends!

JI
-for landing burst

Sanctuary!
-for surviving burst, or recharging mantras/tomes, or for helping res teammates

cleanse mantra
-your best option for instant condi removal as f2 is wayyyy too slow

elite mantra
-on demand stab and stunbreak, for protecting your burst and heals

Honor 2/2/2
-revives!
-aegis heals! which with fb are kittening unreal
-larger symbols! synergy with permeating wrath and heals/buffs team.

Virtues 3/1/1
-honestly for permeating wrath and double sanctuary, because boy are you going to need it while you wait for skills to come up. or as a safe place to heal in f2. or to recharge mantras. sanctuary is finally seeing some use with firebrand like it hasn’t in years. having on demand or on need sanctuary is what FB needs to shine when you run out of aegis.

Firebrand 2/3/3
-FB 2?! you don’t ever get good use out of the three extra pages when you don’t have quickness. and a little extra quickness when healing is always nice, because that’s when you’ll need it most
-FB 3?! extra burn stacks when bursting? regen is crap. AEGIS ON EVERY SKILL IN THAT TOME, IN AOE?! waddup heals and damage mitigation!
-FB 3! no downtime on permeating wrath, which is good because it’s all you have for damage

burst rotation-
f1->4+JI->spam 1 with as many targets around as you can. don’t bother with 2, 3, or 5 as they’re too slow for the effects they give. burst is meant to happen fast, and you’ll have quickness for at least the first 3 hits, maybe the 4th if you time it well. wait until everyone is engaged before blowing your load, because you’ll need the cover condies from your friends.

opening at mid-
in f3. group stab, resistance, aegis/healing, and range hate right off the bat gets your team ready to steamroll. i like 3, 5, 4, 3, maybe 2 if i can get it off in a useful way. otherwise cancel the last skill and proceed to scepter 2 or shield 4 as needed

mobility-
f2, 3. i wish f2 were useful, but it’s kittening trash for healing. if you’re in your happy dome and need healing you can pop it for 4, 1, 1, 1, 1. it’s not even worth it for the condi clear usually because they take too long to fire. if you have a huge pile of conditions on you, you don’t want them ticking for 2 seconds before you can clear- that’s half your health bar. use the mantra if you can, f2 if you have to.

the play style is much slower than DH (for now) but the specialization is completely viable