Guild Wars 2

Hi all

I often play bunker guard, and since HoT, my life has been made more difficult. But then I started to see a few bunker DH in tournaments, using LB/staff, as well as the trap heal and aegis trap, giving away the “virtue” line.

I understand that the new F2 heals more + give some mobility which is always welcome, that the aegis trap synergies very well with our heal on block. The trap heal is basically full life, but then we miss the block which helps a lot to survive (though less since HoT). But I don’t understand longbow. While the control it brings is useful, I just don’t feel it compares well to mace+shield/focus in terms of support and survivability.

Overall, do you think than bunker DH is better than bunker guard? And if yes, is LB worth it?

It’s almost a general consensus at the top level play, that with the removal of the minstrel amulet, that bunker guard is basically dead.

The few times I played bunker guard, going Virtues/Honor/DH I was able to provide good support while doing 350k damage using longbow mace/shield.

The problem however, is we cannot heal as well as a druid and our ability to res is kinda crappy now. The amount of focus burst now is so unreal, that the tiny health pool we have makes it difficult to even get someone off the floor without us melting.

The control and damage is way better on DH. True shot hits for a consistent 2k which is nice poke damage for a bunker guard. Not to mention Dragons maw offering a nice way for us to control a target ready to be killed.

Tldr I prefer DH bunker, even though I think bunker guard is in a terrible spot with all this damage.

Sadly cat is more or less right. (though I question not using renewed focus as a bunker, even with the cc dragons maw has.)

You can try clerics which can output some good healing but the base health is just so low that an organized team will nuke you.

If the wanderer’s amulet had the same stats as it does in PvE then it would be worth considering.
It has no +healing power but the amount of toughness, vitality, power & +boon duration would more or less make up for that. Sadly it uses a completely different set of stats.

As for DH.

Yes I would say it is much better due to the fact that it can have an instant stun break, more AEGIS application & a trait to remove conditions on block.
(not to mention more CC which always helps.)
As for what to sacrifice for it, That’s a hard choice.
I have tried it as
DH, Virtues, Valor.
DH, Honor, Valor.
DH, Honor, Virtues.

Each has their strengths & each makes you feel like your missing something from the line your giving up.

In the end I’d say its all up to your preference & team comp.

According to the build editor Wanderer has the exact same spread in pvp as pve. 1050 power and vitality, 560 toughness and concentration. Considering how recently it was updated I wouldn’t expect the actual Wanderers amulet to be any different.

Ghotistyx.6942:

According to the build editor Wanderer has the exact same spread in pvp as pve. 1050 power and vitality, 560 toughness and concentration. Considering how recently it was updated I wouldn’t expect the actual Wanderers amulet to be any different.

Weird, whenever I have checked wanderer’s in pvp it always had toughness, condition damage, precision/expertise.

I may have to check to see if Anet updated it in pvp or if its just the build editors not noticing the complete difference between pvp/pve versions of the stat combo.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Sadly cat is more or less right. (though I question not using renewed focus as a bunker, even with the cc dragons maw has.)

You can try clerics which can output some good healing but the base health is just so low that an organized team will nuke you.

If the wanderer’s amulet had the same stats as it does in PvE then it would be worth considering.
It has no +healing power but the amount of toughness, vitality, power & +boon duration would more or less make up for that. Sadly it uses a completely different set of stats.

Renewed focus is like training wheels. Even before DH, quickness stomps and rezes are preferred over renewed focus. If dragons maw becomes useless I’ll go back to that over RN for bunker because survivability was never an issue.

It’s just this meta making guards little heath pools seem even smaller without +vit stats.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

Weird, whenever I have checked wanderer’s in pvp it always had toughness, condition damage, precision/expertise.

I may have to check to see if Anet updated it in pvp or if its just the build editors not noticing the complete difference between pvp/pve versions of the stat combo.

It wouldn’t be the first time. However, I wouldn’t expect it to be the case based on recent efforts to homogenize those differences. Super Rabid seems like an odd combo also, since they have Trailblazer right there.

Cat Has Ducks.1982:

It’s almost a general consensus at the top level play, that with the removal of the minstrel amulet, that bunker guard is basically dead.

Oh my god the stupidity is unreal.

Concentration was completely broken for the duration of Minstrel being in PvP and a little while after. It never gave any Boon Duration just like Expertise never gave any Condition Duration until they were both fixed. They just changed tooltips. Minstrel was removed just because it was purely defensive stats.

However, Minstrel provided some HP, which bunker guard desperately needs. Without some extra HP, bunker guard is too susceptible to burst.

Exedore.6320:

However, Minstrel provided some HP, which bunker guard desperately needs. Without some extra HP, bunker guard is too susceptible to burst.

The hp was the difference. And that was the only thing I mentioned. That guy above you is just repeating what he read without actually thinking if it applies to this situation.

You can play a DH bunker its lame as hell. I have no clue how it would do at high levels of plays but just solo queue you can annoy the hell out of people. You can make up for the lack of health with Force of Will and use clerics. You will have a little less condition cleansing then the old bunker spec but the heal trap is super op (like 10k heal on 24 second timer plus daze and blind)against nobs and you can cure conditions with blocks. Use mace/shield and with shield of courage and mace you can block projectiles forever. With renewed focus you can stack 6k heals with wings of resolve. Like I said laaaame.

brannigan.9831:

You can play a DH bunker its lame as hell. I have no clue how it would do at high levels of plays but just solo queue you can annoy the hell out of people. You can make up for the lack of health with Force of Will and use clerics. You will have a little less condition cleansing then the old bunker spec but the heal trap is super op (like 10k heal on 24 second timer plus daze and blind)against nobs and you can cure conditions with blocks. Use mace/shield and with shield of courage and mace you can block projectiles forever. With renewed focus you can stack 6k heals with wings of resolve. Like I said laaaame.

You pretty much described just a point holder. The traditional bunker guard was a master teamfight supporter and power rezer. It really can’t do those things anymore with the powee creep. I’d rather have a druid or a staff auramancer for my support buddy.

Well to be honest if we are still top tier at something its power rezzer.

F3 + Focus 5 + FMW + Virtues GM3 is very strong since you shield the downed person from damage too. and of course a succesful rez recharges F3.

however I feel at the moment bunker is not the way to go.

Asmodal.6489:

Well to be honest if we are still top tier at something its power rezzer.

F3 + Focus 5 + FMW + Virtues GM3 is very strong since you shield the downed person from damage too. and of course a succesful rez recharges F3.

however I feel at the moment bunker is not the way to go.

If you add quickness on top of that, then we are in business. It’s been my experience that text AOE cleave is too kitten strong. It requires a coordinated team or quickness to get a body up from a team fight.

Also Rev are the best rezers. Quickness on demand plus they can be healed when taking damage and that trait that transfers incoming damage to a downstate friend to their hp.