Guild Wars 2

Build Link: http://intothemists.com/guides/3793-max_utility_dps_hammer_guardian

Been a long time since I have done fractals but wanna get back into them to get the Fractal GS that I always wanted. From what I gathers its recommended to do 40 and 50 daily as they have the better chance of dropping fractal weapon skins.

Currently using this hammer build to help the group stay alive but there are times when it seems my zerk gear just makes me too vulnerable and I seem to go down quite hard at spikes of damage. Due to the the fact that I am pugging these runs not sure if it can be the group makeup or not.

Should I keep striving with the full zerk armor and rings, neck, accessories, back or should I sub in a soldier armor set?

Any recommendations be great just to help smooth out the runs to be not as painful. Just a side note my full zerk set has my AR at 65 and then at 75 with GS but mostly on my Hammer during the run to spam 1.

Thanks.

That’s the standard fractal hammer build, you should 100% keep your zerker gear. If you have difficulty, GS is not that necessary here. It won’t increase you dmg like with GS+Sw/F. Hammer is able to do good dmg by it self.

Since you don’t play with a guild, but with pugs, you could replace GS by Scepter/Focus for a bit more survivability. When kitten hit the fan at some harder boss like Archdiviner or May Trin, you can range them, rez the pugs, get back your hp, etc before you get back in melee. That’s give you a OMG option, when things don’t go as well. Take Skale Venom with you, they give Weakness to the boss to scale down a bit the incoming dmg. Work best when more than one in the team use it, but it will help. Something that will help even more, but not everybody want to do it, is using different slaying potion at different fractal. Not only it give you 10% dmg, but it decrease incoming dmg by 10% too. Like outlaw potion in Cliffside or Scarlet potion for Mai Trin.

Thaddeus.4891:

That’s the standard fractal hammer build, you should 100% keep your zerker gear. If you have difficulty, GS is not that necessary here. It won’t increase you dmg like with GS+Sw/F. Hammer is able to do good dmg by it self.

Since you don’t play with a guild, but with pugs, you could replace GS by Scepter/Focus for a bit more survivability. When kitten hit the fan at some harder boss like Archdiviner or May Trin, you can range them, rez the pugs, get back your hp, etc before you get back in melee. That’s give you a OMG option, when things don’t go as well. Take Skale Venom with you, they give Weakness to the boss to scale down a bit the incoming dmg. Work best when more than one in the team use it, but it will help. Something that will help even more, but not everybody want to do it, is using different slaying potion at different fractal. Not only it give you 10% dmg, but it decrease incoming dmg by 10% too. Like outlaw potion in Cliffside or Scarlet potion for Mai Trin.

You are absolutely right, but please don’t throw kitten at the fan

There is no reason to stay full Berserker if you and your group can’t stay alive. You will only wipe and cause frustration in the group.

If you already invested in Berserkers ascended armor, try swapping the rings to soldier, cavalier or knight’s as is much easier (my choice would be cav or knights). If that is not enough swap the amulet also.

If you have problems with conditions (Cliff side, 2 arms seal, burning) take 2 points from radiance, and put them into virtues. Go for 3/3/0/4/4 or 3/5/0/2/4.

Don’t camp Hammer build all the time. Change traits accordingly. Don’t use scepter for trash, like Thaddeus said, use it for some difficult bosses, you will still do good dmg if you spam smite. Use slaying potions/skale venom.

I hope this helps.

Thanks guys for the tips they will be put into good use so that no kittens are thrown in the fan. See you all in-game.

Try using mace/focus as your secondary for times when you don’t need a pull. It is 2 more blocks which are great for bosses and could end up doing more damage than gs in rotations. The rotation would be hammer chains → mace2 → focus skills → mace2 → hammer chains → repeat.

Between skale venom that gives half the hits you take half the damage they normally would, permanent protection from hammer and if you want to go full afk mode signet of judgement you should be pretty safe. You can take focus+x(sword if you want blind/mace for block) as the second weapon set. You also get 2 aegis(es?), an invuln..basically you shouldn’t really die. Now if your whole team wipes while you survive in zerker gear in melee range..then get a better team!

creepmatic.9435:

Don’t camp Hammer build all the time.

Well Hammer have a great dps by its own and swapping to GS or something else won’t boost its dmg over camping Hammer. If he have a reason to switch ya, but otherwise camping Hammer is a good way to go if you have the hammer build.