Guardian GS and Mace/Shield build
Hey guys, this is a build that I’ve been experimenting with. I don’t necessarily have a main focus such as sPvP, WvW, PvE, etc, but I’m looking for somewhat of a mix between taking damage, supporting, and doing damage. I’m not sure how possible this is, so don’t give me too much grief! I’m still a lower level, but I want to find a build to shoot for, so I can have some practice getting in tune with my weapons/traits. As for the gear, I know little about it, so I left it out. I’d love some feedback, both positive and negative!
Main weapons – GS and Mace/Shield
Skills 6-9 – Healing Breeze… Retreat or WoR (depending on situation)… Hold the Line… Stand Your Ground…Traits >>>>> Honor 30 – Superior Aria – 2H Mastery – Pure of Voice
>>>>> Valor 30 – Purity – Retributive Armor – Honorable Shield
>>>>> Virtue 10 – Master of Consecration
First off, you cannot use only one build for pve/wvw/pvp and expect to be useful. You will need 1 build for each (more for pvp/wvw).
Since i dont pvp ankitten ot that experienced at WvW ill limit my answer to Pve.
You should NEVER be using a mace as a guardian and shield should only be used for very specific encounters. You want to run a sword/focus and greatsword(or staff for certain situations). Also if you HAVE to range (you should be meleeing as much as possible) use scepter/focus.
As for utilities you will usually want to always run retreat/WoR and then a third. Obviously its all situational but i find retreat and wor my 2 most common utilities used.
For armor, the meta is all berserkers gear with berserkers trinkets. If your not good enough to survive in berserkers gear on a guardian (dodges + blocks + aegis) then i dont really know what to tell you except l2p.
Here is a video on the build. Pretty much sums it all up. He also goes through all the traits.
“If you want to get rid of “zerk” you have to make content
hard enough to make them cry, not just rivers but oceans."
hard enough to make them cry, not just rivers but oceans."
You should really consider having a build for a specific purpose (sPVP, WvW or PVE). Those different elements of the game have very different needs.
As for your preferred weapons, I don’t think GS pairs well with mace/Sheild. Typically, your traits will favour one and not the other because GS is very mobile and high damage, Mace is stationary, heal builds. I think it would be hard to use both well in a single build.
I watched that video and closed the tab after about 10 or so seconds into it because the guy recording it, as wise as he may be or is, mumbles so much that nothing intelligent can be received from it unless your ear is humping your speaker.
“BerserkershshshtshshshtshBerserkertshtshshshshshsh” – And there’s 8 minutes more of THIS?! NO!!
Mace/Shield + GS works because they’re total opposites of each other. I’ve been running those two as of late and find that if I happen to be overwhelmed either with mobs or entering unknown territory, I can switch to Mace/Shield to get more control of the field or wait for CD on my Utilities/Heal to end. But with the right utilities GS dishes out some mad damage, which is what Mace/Shield lacks in comparison.
rjnemer is right – you cannot have one build fit for various fields of play. ANet does like that as you can see if you played GW1 – you were constantly, CONSTANTLY changing your skills and attributes based on what you were doing. GW2 carries that same method of thought when approaching PvE, PvP, WvW. Learn to change your skills & traits based on what you’re doing – that’s why there’s some flexibility to choose your Major traits.
Depending on what I’m seeing in the current zone, what I’ll expect in a dungeon, or not expect in WvW, I’ll change my weapon sets and major traits as needed. You gotta adopt that open mind approach, otherwise you’re gimping your self.
And honestly there is no weapon that is of no use to the Guardian – each weapon has their specific purpose and their time to shine. I am copy/pasting from the [Guide/PVE] Guardian 101 – A Beginner’s Text:
1) Every weapon is viable. There is no such thing as an inviable weapon. I’m actually not a fan of the way “inviable” gets thrown around as a word—if you see someone on the forums or in the game complaining about how Hammer or Mace or Greatsword is inviable in such-and-such situation, they’re just whining. Trust me. Now, there is such a thing as a weapon being more useful in one situation and less useful in another. That is important to remember. If you want to deal big spike damage, swinging a scepter is probably not your best option, for example. And if you want range, swinging a mace is probably not your best option. But Scepter sure is.