Guild Wars 2

Main question + 1 minor question

Main Question:
I was grouped with a guardian in a dungeon the other night and he was using mace.

Just curious if anyone has a link to a solid mace build that works well in PvE?

Sylven had a tPvP mace meditation build that I have used. But don’t know how something similar would transfer to PvE

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Any other recommended PvE build? Is there a flavor of the month? I’m just starting to do dungeons.

This is GW2, there is no flavour of the month, because changes happen so infrequently. Try flavour of the 6 months+ .

Mace is generally under utilised in dungeons. Normally, I see Guardians using GS or Hammer in PvE dungeons. I prefer the Hammer. Mace can compliment Hammer for full survivability, but that is unnecessary in pretty much everything bar the hardest of fractals (and even then with a rather weird group setup).

It’s kind of a shame, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mace (and the Moot )

mace is a slow damage weapon mainly used for healing ( auto attack and symbol 2) and tanking AOE block on mace 3.

the main problem of mace is that hammer is overall better damage, better AOE damage reduction, and if you manage to trait it also for healing symbols a superior healing weapon ( because not only you have perma symbol with perma protection and perma healing but it overlaps, so you easily get several layers of symbol heals and symbol protection)

even when it is traited for extra 5% damage and 250 healing power, it is still not worth it because you waste precious trait points.

and i love the mace/shield aesthetic combo, but it is simply weak for PVE.
i suggest to read obals sticky and take a good look on hammer guardian build.
then tweak it as you wish.
i find it is easier to PUG 10/20/0/30/10 build with shouts than his actual build, but the concept is the same.

I just read on another thread here about the new GM trait that, when you block, grants a short range AoE aegis to allies. That might elevate Mace up a notch or two. That’s a melee/stack aegis for nearby allies every 15s. Is it enough? Dunno, but it might Mace/x a viable swap set weapon.

dace.8019:

I just read on another thread here about the new GM trait that, when you block, grants a short range AoE aegis to allies. That might elevate Mace up a notch or two. That’s a melee/stack aegis for nearby allies every 15s. Is it enough? Dunno, but it might Mace/x a viable swap set weapon.

Exactly what a buddy and I were talking about the other night.

I’m still partial to hammer/staff, but I could see slipping mace in at times to eat a block and get aegis which with another trait becomes a heal as well.

Hammer = protection + some CC moves and a blast finisher for combos.
Staff = might stacking and some burst healing. Staff2/4 great swap healing potential, then there is the swiftness… love the swiftness.

Mace seems more middle of the road. You have better healing overall, but it’s not going to really heal any faster initially, just you can continually do it better. Of course now with the block trait though, swap mace, mace2, mace 3, eat a block, boom everyone has aegis for 5s, when it’s removed another set of healing. Lots of potential.

I don’t really find I have to heal the group that much, but it does help to heal and there are times they need it. With everyone in the group I run using Scholar Runes the more I keep them above 90% the more damage they do. So personally I find the staff provides the burst healing I want, hammer makes everyone strait up take less damage, so I get full coverage with that, while also getting better damage with the hammer and my utility with the staff.

With the new trait though, I do plan on using mace for say the last boss of HOTW. He’s fun to punt into the corner with hammer then face tank him in place, makes for a pretty fast fight while the rest of the team dips in and out and has a nice stationary target. I usually have staff on in there but I don’t use it that much, mace however would be awesome, esp with the block trait, giving everyone an aegis everytime he does the big hits would be nice.

In watherver stats you run with 20-30 in valor just use a mace and a shield.