Guild Wars 2

http://intothemists.com/guides/1550-jackhammer_guardian_dps_build

Here is what I use for guild runs through dungeons. Wanting some feedback incase I missed anything.

Note: It IS a full zerker build FOR PvE only. So don’t say I have no survivability/I’m squishy.

Solid Build. Only thing I’d change is unscathed contender to Master of Consecrations. I also would never run Bane Signet in dungeons unless I was like in AC or COF just for some Lawls. Other than that, the build is good. Just lack condi removal, but swapping out bane signet for a condition removal skills fixes that.

Except for contender your traits are fine. As for weapons sword/focus hammer would be better. Greatsword is pretty inconsistent as far as the damage you’ll provide. Sword/focus is higher and static. Then swapping to hammer for utility reasons.

Well for pugs instead of guildmates, yes. You can swap to bring more support. The build even explains swapping bane signet to do more support. I just maximize dps and do just fine with the bare minimum of support we’re given. Breaking over 20k Whirling Wraths so far and trying to coordinate my guild’s stacking to maybe break 30k’s. I hardly ever die because I always use my virtues and mitigation appropriately

@Dempsey – GS only beats out S/F when you use the swap to it only for the burst in the rotation explained in the guide. With WoP you’re applying more consistent vulnerability while having 10 stacks minimum every time you swap to GS burst. Plus it’s easily proven that hammer deals more damage then S/F when the boss/mobs don’t move too much. 90% uptime on symbols is very strong in general

Also to note that because of the horrible downscaling of crit dmg, use Truffle Steak > Squash Soup (Also noted in the guide)

It sounds like you just want a pat on the the back. So pats back. Congrats on build.

I just never see anyone attempt a dps build outside of S/F and GS or GS/Staff, preferably the more hardcore ones lol.

My way of sharing basically :P

Your Greatsword rotation should always be:
*2 > *4 > auto-attack > *2 > swap.

This way you get two Whirling Wraths before swapping and #2 and #4 will be off cooldown when you swap back. You can use #3 or #5 during the Auto-Attack part.

You can go 25 in Zeal and get (VII) Zealous Blade instead of 10 in Virtues. The 25 minor-trait increases Hammer DPS.

When(if ever) I run hammer I generally run this build:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZTPyt1BknU

But moving 10 from virtues to radiance for the boost on damage might be nice. When I run hammer, its mostly for fun. Sometimes even a 25/25/0/20/0 <— With Bane Signet. This build is purely for fun of course(AC or CoF). I would never bring a 25/25/0/20/0 build into a real run.

@Finnway
Wrong. #4 then VoJ/LoF combo followed by WW will yield more dmg over the burst rotation.

Also UC is 20% damage plus virtue boons. Thats better than 100 more power and 5% dmg just to GS.

Not at all a fan of Radiant Fire in this build, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Master tier alternative. So ironic that the minor traits in Radiance are infinitely better than any of the selected traits (other than RHS, if you use S/F).

Radiant Fire can be anything, and I prefer 2H > 1Hs. More CC/Utility

McClueless.1974:

@Finnway
Wrong. #4 then VoJ/LoF combo followed by WW will yield more dmg over the burst rotation.

WW is our highest damage skill. If you start with that you can use it twice before weapon-swapping and hence do more damage overall. The third hit of the auto-attack chain also gives you one might stack for each enemy it hits (up to two stacks/enemy over the course of two chains) so the second WW hits higher then the first.

McClueless.1974:

@FinnwayAlso UC is 20% damage plus virtue boons. Thats better than 100 more power and 5% dmg just to GS.

I know what you’re saying. The only reason I suggested it is the 25 minor trait increases Hammer’s DPS.

It’s not that its less useful improving hammer dps, but you lose dps on top of group support with 5 in virtues.

SoW lasts 6 seconds traited, which hits as hard as a WW (normally can get 2.8k crits so 6 × 2.8k = 16.8k tops) on top of vulnerability stacking, which practically means 2 WWs at once WITH 10 stacks of vulnerability from the burst, switching straight to hammer asap to keep constant symbols. Waiting around for another WW is not bad, but my symbols pump out tons of dmg over the fight, so I want to rotate for that alone.

McClueless.1974:

SoW lasts 6 seconds traited, which hits as hard as a WW (normally can get 2.8k crits so 6 × 2.8k = 16.8k tops) on top of vulnerability stacking, which practically means 2 WWs at once and switching straight to hammer asap to keep comstant symbols. Waiting around for another WW is not bad, but my symbols pump out tons of dmg over the fight

But you’re not “waiting around” for another WW. Weapon swap and WW both have 10s cooldowns. Which means that you’re only delaying your weapon-swap by 4s (or however long WW lasts). You’re also still getting the Symbol of Wrath in there. The only thing my rotation misses out on is 9% extra damage from vulnerability before WW.

You do know a couple of auto attacks right before swapping dishes out as much dmg as a WW? And keeps your CDs managable to always do the same rotation. You dont want to lose your perma protection on your full zerker party at the cost of a slight dps boost.

Hammer primary, Greatsword for burst. Dont stay in GS too long to where you’re giving less to your team in order to give slightly more burst. The least amount of GS autos the better because hammer wins over time regardless.

I went into the game and tested this:

Your rotation takes 10 sec and it is: #4 > #3 (and VoJ at the same time) > #2 > AA twice > Switch

My rotation takes 15s and it is: #2 > #4 > AA 4 times (throw in #3 and VoJ if you want) > #2 > Switch.

It seems to me you’re not calculating time in your equations. It’s not just “damage” as in numbers (your rotation gets higher numbers) it’s “damage per second.” My rotation does higher damage per second over the course of 14s then your’s does over the course of 10s. And it’s a small tradeoff because those extra 5s are spent bursting.

I’ll agree with you that the party needs protection stacks.

McClueless.1974:

You do know a couple of auto attacks right before swapping dishes out as much dmg as a WW?

You do know GS auto-attack is one the lowest-DPS Guardian attacks in the game, right? It’s really only good for gaining might stacks for bursting.

Yeah and hammer does more damage overall, so an extra WW is not worth the damage from Hammer auto/SoP (hammer 3rd crits for 6k alone plus 2.3k ticks off SoP).

And you’re doing higher damage per second DURING a burst w/ GS. Yeah its 5 more seconds to do it, but you’re missing 5s of Hammer dps that I’d take over that 5 extra seconds in GS. Use both weapons to their fullest and not just GS man.

P.S. When is 4 straight AA’s “more time bursting”? Factor in a full hammer chain plus protection over another WW man. The point is to deal damage while being helpful, not stay in GS and be selfish.