GS and Sword/Shield Viable in WvW?

GS and Sword/Shield Viable in WvW?

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Posted by: Wolfaen.9461

Wolfaen.9461

I’m curious about making a guardian and wanted to know if a GS and Sword/Shield weapon combo is ever used or if there is any builds that utilize this combo. I mainly WvW so I need answers that focus around that. I’m looking for a DPS guardian build that utilizes the shield as defense. Along with GS and sword for damage output. Let me know if this weapon set is even viable because I have yet to see a guardian build on any of the stickied topics that utilizes sword/shield.

[Wolf] Wolfaen
Elementalist | Ranger | JQ

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Posted by: Brutaly.6257

Brutaly.6257

check the FAQ

sword/gs is very viable and shield is also a great tool even though a bit situational.

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Posted by: akamon.2769

akamon.2769

i find shield immensely useful in WvW/PvP (heck, even in PvE i can find it useful and fun). plus, hard to beat the sword and shield look. ; )))

i remember seeing a guide using sword/shield here on the forums somewhere. will try to dig it up for you, but definitely useable.

Akaimon | Jolly Good Guardian
Akaigi | Warrior Made of Wood
[CDS] – Sanctum of Rall

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Posted by: Wolfaen.9461

Wolfaen.9461

i find shield immensely useful in WvW/PvP (heck, even in PvE i can find it useful and fun). plus, hard to beat the sword and shield look. ; )))

i remember seeing a guide using sword/shield here on the forums somewhere. will try to dig it up for you, but definitely useable.

Awesome, that would be a lot of help if you can find it!

[Wolf] Wolfaen
Elementalist | Ranger | JQ

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Posted by: Lalnuir.4957

Lalnuir.4957

The heal way build is workable with a shield instead of a focus. You lose some regen, blinds, some blocks and possible aoe damage but gain aoe protection and an aoe projectile absorb/aoe heal.

Personally I’m not a fan of the shield in WvW and only used it in spvp/tpvp and would never touch it when running in a large group.

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Posted by: akamon.2769

akamon.2769

alrighty, here we go. i remember i saw sth on guru a while back too, so i’m going to go ahead and include this down below. not a lot of responses on the forums thread, and some naysayers in the guru thread, so take what you will from them : ))

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/guardian/Reactive-Guardian-Sword-Shield-Build-Guide/first#post1573235

http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/81968-are-there-any-viable-swordshield-builds-at-all/

when i play sword, i’m almost always sure i’ll be going 30 deep in Radiance. but of course, it’s not necessary. the shield trait in valor, i’ve rarely taken it even when playign with shield at times but if you’re planning to spend most of your time on sword and board, could look into it as well.

a few builds that come into mind, just for purposes of starting somewhere:

20/30/20/0/0
take dmg modifiers for both GS and Sword, and maybe even Shield for some extra toughness.
i’ve played this build in WvW for a bit and while you don’t have a lot of extra sustain via heals from skills, etc depending on how you build, you can jump in, drop a bomb, jump back out. condition removal may be a slight issue as well.

0/30/30/5/5
standard burst focused build. tried and tested in WvW/PvP and quite fun to play. definitely has some added sustain to it compared to the one above. vigorous precision is a great trait and can give you that extra dodge roll you need at times. you do lose out on the extra burst/blind/blocks from focus though, or extra burst from torch 4/4. most likely run it with meditations and Monk’s Focus. lot of mobility packed in there. 2 ports and a leap. with some minor CC on both wep sets.

one small thing about shield 5 – know that you can unroot yourself and get back on the go ASAP by hitting Esc right after you pop the shield. unless of course, if you’re planning to absorb projectiles.

shield 5 is really nice to negate and cancel opponents big hitting skills or heals as well, given you’re not blinded or they have stability, blocks, etc. warrior eviscerating towards you? pop. guardian WW-ing at you? pop. raising their hand with low health? pop. and havnig sword 2 helps you jump back on them right away after the KB/KD.

have used shield 5 to knockdown fleeing foes as well and gave me and my team enough time to lock ’em down.

and always, though the shield is mainly for defense. see unsuspecting foes on a ledge? push ’em all down. XDD

hope these were helpful! and good luck.

Akaimon | Jolly Good Guardian
Akaigi | Warrior Made of Wood
[CDS] – Sanctum of Rall

(edited by akamon.2769)

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Posted by: kiba.2768

kiba.2768

almost 1800 hours on my main guard that only uses gs//1hs/sh.

i don’t think i need to talk about the merits of gs/1hs. ret, leap, tele, etc….

i find shield invaluable in w3 for small group and zvz. 1v1 it is not so good because the long cd can really screw you if you don’t time 5 correctly. 4 really shines in small groups because the added protection is amazing for your party. i always trait for honorable shield because it allows me to take a zerker set without losing as much armor.

one of my favorite moments to relive every chance i get is defending(or taking) hills. pile up a party of guards and leapfrog on the bridge from lord’s room all while covering each other with 5. pop stability beforehand and use it as a phalanx would be used. you will not only push everyone without stability OFF the bridge, but make way for your zerg to push through to take or defend lord’s.

i also use it with certain terrain to hilarious and advantageous effect. if you’re running a medi build, JI to target near cliff and 5. game over and you’ll run off laughing. if you’re fighting near a cliff or bridge, you guessed it. 5. wait for them to pop stability and you’re set. it can also buy some time when setting up rams if people are ranging from walkways.

i never leave home without it and it never leaves my rotation of weapons be it sword or scepter.

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Posted by: akamon.2769

akamon.2769

nice. glad to hear from such an avid shield user. ; )))

the leap frogging on the Hills bridge sounds pretty fun. never tried it but they knocked off completely and not just stuck on the edge of the bridge?

Akaimon | Jolly Good Guardian
Akaigi | Warrior Made of Wood
[CDS] – Sanctum of Rall

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Posted by: Lalnuir.4957

Lalnuir.4957

i find shield invaluable in w3 for zvz.

The issue with the shield in large scale fights isn’t that the shield skills themselves are bad but that our one handed weapons are poor for this kind of combat.

Scepter is single target on the auto attacks, I shouldn’t have to say any thing more about that.

Sword while amazing for smaller groups offers nothing special to large group play. The blink and rooted projectile block lose there usefulness when you are trying to stay with your main group.

Mace is not a terrible option but still doesn’t compare to hammer, staff or even great sword in terms of usefulness in large scale combat.

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Posted by: Setun.4368

Setun.4368

i find shield invaluable in w3 for zvz.

The issue with the shield in large scale fights isn’t that the shield skills themselves are bad but that our one handed weapons are poor for this kind of combat.

Scepter is single target on the auto attacks, I shouldn’t have to say any thing more about that.

Sword while amazing for smaller groups offers nothing special to large group play. The blink and rooted projectile block lose there usefulness when you are trying to stay with your main group.

Mace is not a terrible option but still doesn’t compare to hammer, staff or even great sword in terms of usefulness in large scale combat.

Just gotta find ways of making it work. For example; using sword #3 ranged block in front of a pile of enemies trying to chip away at your group / zergs health, the blink is fantastic at causing disruption when you pop in a zerg since a large number of said enemies will try to target you, thus taking pressure off everyone else.

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Posted by: Lalnuir.4957

Lalnuir.4957

Just gotta find ways of making it work. For example; using sword #3 ranged block in front of a pile of enemies trying to chip away at your group / zergs health, the blink is fantastic at causing disruption when you pop in a zerg since a large number of said enemies will try to target you, thus taking pressure off everyone else.

The area zealots defense covers is tiny, if you end up in a ranged stand off with neither side pushing you are far better off using wall of reflection and keeping your staff out for empower.

If your jumping into a zerg by yourself you’re doing it wrong and then I suppose using a sub optimal weapon set isn’t going to make a huge difference. However hammer or great sword still cause more disruption when amongst your opponents mid or back lines.

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Posted by: Wolfaen.9461

Wolfaen.9461

almost 1800 hours on my main guard that only uses gs//1hs/sh.

i don’t think i need to talk about the merits of gs/1hs. ret, leap, tele, etc….

i find shield invaluable in w3 for small group and zvz. 1v1 it is not so good because the long cd can really screw you if you don’t time 5 correctly. 4 really shines in small groups because the added protection is amazing for your party. i always trait for honorable shield because it allows me to take a zerker set without losing as much armor.

one of my favorite moments to relive every chance i get is defending(or taking) hills. pile up a party of guards and leapfrog on the bridge from lord’s room all while covering each other with 5. pop stability beforehand and use it as a phalanx would be used. you will not only push everyone without stability OFF the bridge, but make way for your zerg to push through to take or defend lord’s.

i also use it with certain terrain to hilarious and advantageous effect. if you’re running a medi build, JI to target near cliff and 5. game over and you’ll run off laughing. if you’re fighting near a cliff or bridge, you guessed it. 5. wait for them to pop stability and you’re set. it can also buy some time when setting up rams if people are ranging from walkways.

i never leave home without it and it never leaves my rotation of weapons be it sword or scepter.

Thanks for your response. Can you tell me what traits/armor you use?

[Wolf] Wolfaen
Elementalist | Ranger | JQ

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Posted by: kiba.2768

kiba.2768

zvz: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAreRlUgSDHHyKEf4ESmiCMBxUgRZ01DISiaIA-j0CBYLDZEjBiCEgoAhsAj+IiJPRMBaIr1TFRjVZDT5iIqWIAZLAA-w

lots of condi clearing, 3-4k aoe crit bursts every 16 seconds with smite condi. scepter can be swapped to sword if you take out stragglers. gs for when you get into the middle of zvz. good hp, good armor, great crit chance and awesome crit dmg. no mobility needed here since more than likely your zerg will provide swiftness. bring a staff if you need it. stability added as a plus. what i like do is JI in the middle, smite conditions, shield5, SYG, RF, 1hs2, gs3 back out. it’s similar to the judge bombing i used to do with hammer and symbols. great at disrupting any lines in any point of the enemy zerg.

small group: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAseRlUgiCXFSPEfIFRWBRa9YgA0fVFi3lCFKRA-j0CBYLDZEjBiCEgoAhsAj+IipPRMBaIrVWFRjVZDT5iIqWIAZLAA-w

how you play is up to you. i tend to be very aggressive in small groups with a lot of mobility to keep pressure on targets. shelter provides might on block(10-20 stacks on channeled attacks against you), burning when someone tries to hit you, retal and on top of that, 20% extra dmg to them when you decide to attack. shield5 for clutch saves or knockback when needed. condi clear on shouts and on crit with sword. lots of blinds from 1hs2, gs3, which will add vuln. good crit chance, good crit dmg, decent armor, low hp(i’m used to 15k as my sweet spot). sanc bubble for saving downed mates or if you’re roaming, to buy time to set up a gank if you can pop it in a bottleneck.

[edit]
typos wow

(edited by kiba.2768)

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Posted by: GSSBlunaspike.4153

GSSBlunaspike.4153

how you play is up to you.

That’s really all there is to say. If the OP likes it, then they can figure out a way to make it work for them. It’s not the best, optimal, or imo a good choice. If they like it though I wish them the best of luck, and I hope they can get it to fit with their play style.

I will say though if we start comparing numbers then that’s different. I’m always up for a good numbers debate. In the end focus will simply prove better, just as it always has. It doesn’t have the same flaws that shield does.

Anyway OP I hope you enjoy the shield, and I hope you can find a way to make it work for you.

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Posted by: Crapgame.6519

Crapgame.6519

All of our tools / weapons, are viable at some point in time. Some are just the obvious go-to for a variety of reasons. However, shield? It can be, at times, EPIC.

In fact, you soon learn who the skilled players are vs. those that are part of the endless lemming zerg. How is that you ask? Well, shield 5 is amazing. And when people don’t pay attention or use some form of stability, well, bad things happen. It is almost has fun as hammer 4 aka Banish.

Main – Laaz Rocket – Guardian (Ehmry Bay)
Johnny Johnny – Ranger (Ehmry Bay)
Hárvey Wallbanger – Alt Warrior (Ehmry Bay)

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Posted by: Crapgame.6519

Crapgame.6519

how you play is up to you.

I will say though if we start comparing numbers then that’s different..

Let’s not. Maybe I’m wrong but I’d like this not to turn into that other thread about zerker this or that gear. I am still one, maybe the few, that really don’t care about what is best or mandatory or damage meters. Leave that to the other game.

This game, let us just play what feels good for once. And if the player can make it work, then all the more power to him or her. Please note I do not mean to imply you are…just figured I’d cast a vote to say NO

Main – Laaz Rocket – Guardian (Ehmry Bay)
Johnny Johnny – Ranger (Ehmry Bay)
Hárvey Wallbanger – Alt Warrior (Ehmry Bay)

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Posted by: Lightsbane.9012

Lightsbane.9012

shield #5 is really funny when paired with judges intervention. port into enemy zerg, blow all of them back. sword’s damage is good but easy to get away from.

As quick as the Valkyries ride,
As true as Odin’s spear flies,
There is nowhere to hide.

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Posted by: kiba.2768

kiba.2768

one more thing that i’ve learned while playing as a thief….if you haven’t already bound the 180 degree look to something…you’d best do it. it completely blew away the soft skill ceiling i had on guardian and i like to think i’m a much better player now because of it.

turning about face, 1hs3 when you suspect a ranged spike incoming is just lol

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Posted by: DeathPanel.8362

DeathPanel.8362

I’m curious about making a guardian and wanted to know if a GS and Sword/Shield weapon combo is ever used or if there is any builds that utilize this combo. I mainly WvW so I need answers that focus around that. I’m looking for a DPS guardian build that utilizes the shield as defense. Along with GS and sword for damage output. Let me know if this weapon set is even viable because I have yet to see a guardian build on any of the stickied topics that utilizes sword/shield.

I was going to say yes then I realized this wasn’t the warriors forums.

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Posted by: jalmari.3906

jalmari.3906

shield is okay but try focus instead of shield, especially if you want dps.

shield is very defensive if you count out pushing ppl.

Guardian 80 Necromancer 80 Ranger 80 Mesmer 80 Elementalist 80 Warrior 80

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Posted by: GSSBlunaspike.4153

GSSBlunaspike.4153

how you play is up to you.

I will say though if we start comparing numbers then that’s different..

Let’s not. Maybe I’m wrong but I’d like this not to turn into that other thread about zerker this or that gear. I am still one, maybe the few, that really don’t care about what is best or mandatory or damage meters. Leave that to the other game.

This game, let us just play what feels good for once. And if the player can make it work, then all the more power to him or her. Please note I do not mean to imply you are…just figured I’d cast a vote to say NO

Then that is all that matters. Some people always want what is optimal, some people play what they like. Neither is right or wrong. It’s just how they play, and as long as they are having fun it’s not anyone’s job to tell them they are wrong, unless they start messing up something for other people.

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Posted by: AndrewSX.3794

AndrewSX.3794

As guard in wvw, i’d never drop staff, at least as off-set. It packs tooooo much good stuff to pass on for me- swiftness, might +heal, 1200 range stability-check…

Ad main set you con roll pretty much whatever you want, but always carry your staff in wvw.

Seafarer’s Rest EU – PvE/WvW – 8 × 80 chars.
Most used: Guard/Mes/War/Nec/Ele.
Yes, i use 5 chars at time. Because REASONS.