Guild Wars 2

I just wanted to point out that there is a signet based build for guardians that is strong in tournaments even today against heavy condition based groups which is practially like 80% of the meta. It’s more support focused, and not so good with 1v1 but because it has knockbacks and immobilization and vulnerability it is great burst support. It’s also great against preventing burst, because signet of judgement applies instanst AOE weakness for 50% reduced damage and crits, even while stunned and passively reduces damage by 10%.

Very strong build, high base HP which makes condition builds weaker against you and lots of burst. Ideally now you use the scepter/focus to cast shield first wait about 1.5 seconds, immobilize, smite, teleport and sword spike… does about 10-15k damage spike in a period of 4-5 seconds when done successfully.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fVAQRAse7dl0ApRoFCxaI8DBA-TZBFwAy3fIyRAAbZgFnEAAPAAA

Now, here’s the build in the expansion. It is slightly less defensive, but the offense is pretty much obscene.
http://dulfy.net/2015/05/02/gw2-specialization-calculator-that_shaman/#profession=guardian&traits=“Dragon Hunter”,3,6,9-“Zeal”,2,4,8-“Radiance”,2,5,8

Just on the first Virtues Of Justice + Teleport Sword #2

3 seconds of Immobolize, meaning they CANNOT DODGE the sword spike without condition cleanse. I don’t even need to use the scepter first anymore, it just does it automatically.

Because the 3 second is applied from signet of wrath in a trait, it will activate a light aura, which should apply retaliation to you, increases damage again by 10%.

6 stacks of vulnerability
10% increased damage to burning foes
25% more chance of critical damage against burning foes, which means you can get about the same level of damage as a berserker for the first unavoidable burst.

COMBINED WITH A SHIELD:
Knockback provides crippled, which slows the enemy and provides a 10% damage boost.

I know pointing this out may cause it to be nerfed, but it’s doubtful. They likely will not skill balance until after the game ships. But when the expansion hits, you can have fun with the overpowered build.

The mere fact that you aren’t specced into Valor and are running Signet Heal completely obliterates your sustain. You WILL die if anyone looks at you. That, quite literally, is a glass-cannon build.

Also, if you take say Longbow/Hammer, you have virtually no swiftness thus making it difficult to disengage fights or even re-engage when your Judge’s is on CD.

Edit: By no means am I saying it’s “perfectly” balanced but you’re not taking into consideration the weaknesses of running that spec(Mobility/Sustain from Valor and Shelter)

Arken.3725:

The mere fact that you aren’t specced into Valor and are running Signet Heal completely obliterates your sustain. You WILL die if anyone looks at you. That, quite literally, is a glass-cannon build.

Also, if you take say Longbow/Hammer, you have virtually no swiftness thus making it difficult to disengage fights or even re-engage when your Judge’s is on CD.

Edit: By no means am I saying it’s “perfectly” balanced but you’re not taking into consideration the weaknesses of running that spec(Mobility/Sustain from Valor and Shelter)

The rune gives you 25% speed, mobility isn’t an issue. It’s a team spike build, not a 1v1 or roamer build. I run the current version in tournaments today and do just fine, even in the high end PVP bracket. The weakness helps against fighting against classes like mesmer and thief. That’s the intention with the build, high base HP so it’s more resistant against conditions. IN the expansion, you can take shelter if you want since they nerfed the condition removal.

It’s no different than meditation guardian, where mobility drastically decreases after first burst… that’s a problem with guardians in general.

So it needs teammates with you to be efficient, or am I understanding this wrong?

You have no sustain with burst or condi-clear. Any condi-spammgineer/Necromancer will ruin your day with condi-burst and any other high-burst profession(medi-guard, thief or Mesmer will burn through your health with constant CC.

This is VASTLY different from meditation Guardian that has a lot more sustain through medi-heals and Shelter. Also, you have very little-to-no cleave with your current weapon sets so I don’t see this as a team-fighting build.

Edit: I’m not trying to come off as rude, just my observation of what you’re running and claiming to be op after the patch arrives.

Vikkela.7261:

So it needs teammates with you to be efficient, or am I understanding this wrong?

It’s more of spike support, you need to watch the field and apply immobilize at the proper times or use bane signet; use shield to stop resurrects and such. The vulnerability is team based. Applying immobolize at the proper time is what can flip a battle.

YOu can adjust based off your team setup, you can go more defensive or less condi cleanse if you have a water ele on the team. Like taking shelter, using soldiers instead and going 4/6/0/0/4 by making it power focused. The retaliation does a lot of damage with more power and is much more survivable against damage… but it’s weak against conditions. So it all depends on your setup.

The expansion makes it much more stronger by merging traits together.

I see the hambow medi guard incoming. Shooting the symbol from bow, shaddowstep to him ring em F1 and you do at least 45% more dmg to you opponent. use my smite conditions with utility and my heal.
That should hurt a lot.

Like they sad balance incoming numbers are not set yet!

Chase.8415:

The expansion makes it much more stronger by merging traits together.

The expansion makes Everything stronger by merging traits together.

You keep saying it is good against condition classes when every medi build with Absolute Resolution, Smite and CoP counters most condition builds. Conditions never really been an issue in TPvP for Medi guards, partly due to them being manly 1v1 variants. They don’t work so well in 3v3/4v4/5v5 skirmish scenarios. Sustain Cele classes such as Engi, Ele and War have always been our biggest bane in comparison.

Also you say it isn’t a 1v1 build when two 1-hander weapons and Bane Signets are the definition of 1v1. Sure your single target CC’s can sync well with your team’s burst but I wouldn’t count on you to pull it off reliably. Without sustains from Medi, that glass build is just a beacon to be focus targeted.

I absolutely agree with you that the DH Guardian will be OP in HoT. But it’s not going to be because of these signets. It’s going to be some form of Condi or Zerk Hambow lockdown build variant.

As much as I want Signets to work in the current meta, they’re not going to be a thing anytime soon.

soooo… noone is worried about:

http://dulfy.net/2015/05/02/gw2-specialization-calculator-that_shaman/#profession=guardian&traits=“Zeal”,2,4,9-“Valor”,2,5,8-“Dragon Hunter”,2,6,9

A meditation build with a +90% modifier to power damage?
10% from Zealots Aggression, Pure of sight, Fiery wrath, 15% from Big Game Hunter, 20% from Symbolic Avenger and 25% from vulnerability stacks? Is it just me? Yes? No? Maybe? Anyone?

Jortakk.6792:

soooo… noone is worried about:

http://dulfy.net/2015/05/02/gw2-specialization-calculator-that_shaman/#profession=guardian&traits=“Zeal”,2,4,9-“Valor”,2,5,8-“Dragon Hunter”,2,6,9

A meditation build with a +90% modifier to power damage?
10% from Zealots Aggression, Pure of sight, Fiery wrath, 15% from Big Game Hunter, 20% from Symbolic Avenger and 25% from vulnerability stacks? Is it just me? Yes? No? Maybe? Anyone?

I thought about that too but all that requires retaliation, burns, aegis, as well as a stationary target in your symbols. Quite simply, a guardian wont be able to sustain a solid 90% modifier upkeep.

Now stohp it you’re going to get us nerfed before release :c

I’m more worried about mesmers though, maybe i’ll give it a try, it looks high skill capped.

But those wings…drool i wish i had those permanently on my main.

Jortakk.6792:

soooo… noone is worried about:

http://dulfy.net/2015/05/02/gw2-specialization-calculator-that_shaman/#profession=guardian&traits=“Zeal”,2,4,9-“Valor”,2,5,8-“Dragon Hunter”,2,6,9

A meditation build with a +90% modifier to power damage?
10% from Zealots Aggression, Pure of sight, Fiery wrath, 15% from Big Game Hunter, 20% from Symbolic Avenger and 25% from vulnerability stacks? Is it just me? Yes? No? Maybe? Anyone?

Not gonna lie, that looks scary. But like what was stated above, Both the vuln stacks/SA are going to be very difficult to maintain against a competent opponent.

Edit: In a team fight it’ll be easier due to assistance for sure though.

Arken.3725:

Jortakk.6792:

soooo… noone is worried about:

http://dulfy.net/2015/05/02/gw2-specialization-calculator-that_shaman/#profession=guardian&traits=“Zeal”,2,4,9-“Valor”,2,5,8-“Dragon Hunter”,2,6,9

A meditation build with a +90% modifier to power damage?
10% from Zealots Aggression, Pure of sight, Fiery wrath, 15% from Big Game Hunter, 20% from Symbolic Avenger and 25% from vulnerability stacks? Is it just me? Yes? No? Maybe? Anyone?

Not gonna lie, that looks scary. But like what was stated above, Both the vuln stacks/SA are going to be very difficult to maintain against a competent opponent.

Edit: In a team fight it’ll be easier due to assistance for sure though.

exactly what i had in mind they showed against a static mob w/o cleanings or even not evading the atacks, against players using a class with more mobility i cant see it doing much.

+20% from symbolic avenger relies on people actually standing inside your big red circle of course…

OP, you are wrong because the build is intended for teams. When you play with teams, there are 4 other factors that determine your success; the other four people in your team. You can’t predict those factors to make definite statements about how one person’s build in that team will be OP or not.

I have just re-stated GW2 3 months ago and the new DH really spins my imagination.

I have been theory crafting the new DH Medi build for sPVP.
So far I have come up with these two and a close range trap build.

‘Immobilize is key for success’

GS + S/F
DH: 3, 5, 9
Radiance: 3, 4, 7
Valor: 2, 6, 8

2 of your virtues give Immobilize (3s) and would allow DH to unload the spike damage from GS and S.
DH Medi would still keep all the goodies from the current Medi build with one more gap closer and 2 condi cleanses.

‘Setup, setup, setup…’

I have tried to fit in DH with Monk’s Focus and Symbolic Avenger
H+M/F
DH 3, 6, 9
Zeal 2, 4, 9
Valor 2, 6, 8
Still 2 immobilizes with hammer.
H 4 with DH 6 would be useful as get-out-of- kitten or a 1vs2 changed to 1vs1 tool.
+15% DH 9 +10% Z2 +20% Z9 = 51.8% more damage, but I feel the setup would be really hard to accomplish properly.

With DH 3 it would be another +10% damage, but the theoretical 66.9% extra damage it is hardly achievable and I would more prefer a 2.5K crit damage jump at the beginning of the fight.

I really love the new system. So many new combinations could work out really well and it’s not simple to say one build is better than the other.

Obtena.7952:

OP, you are wrong because the build is intended for teams. When you play with teams, there are 4 other factors that determine your success; the other four people in your team. You can’t predict those factors to make definite statements about how one person’s build in that team will be OP or not.

There are builds that are overpowered in a team, especially in the lower tier of PvP.

For example, an easy way to get into the top 1000 in PvP is run a necromancer build, whose only goal is to pressure a midpoint bunker. Bunkers can’t win against a necromancer 1v1, they will eventually call for help and you can cap side points by the pressure it causes in positioning.

That’s what is so great about this game, some builds can be completely useless but become very powerful when played in synergy. For me, I find immobilze ridiculously overpowered. You can immobilize people right before the trebuchet hits or hammer and they can’t dodge without a condition cleanse, not even stun break frees you.

And I realize there may be better builds overall, this is the beauty of the game. Many builds are viable. Some builds are ridiculously overpowered to where it would be stupid to run something else, thankfully that does not happen often in this game.

I appreciate everyone’s feedback, I’ve since been adjusting the build to everyone valid and constructive criticism. Please do not feel you guys were being jerks or not, legitimate points were made that you can’t really predict what will be OP before a game releases; I can’t wait for the expansion to try this out though.

SMH.. you can’t say one class is gonna be OP in the expansion when they’ve only showed us two of them. you have no idea what kind of changes the other classes will be getting or exactly what they’ll be doing to gear, sigils, runes etc in the expansion.

PATIENCE !! we haven’t seen the rest of our enemies weapons expansion don’t jump on the ‘’OP,, subject. We haven’t seen the necro GS yet , engy hammer,thief rifle, ranger staff, ele sword and warrior(—) and let’s not forget the new profession revenant