Guild Wars 2

So after messing around with builds I think I have finally decided on a build that offers a really good balance between sustain and damage, and I feel is fairly fun to play.

Gear:
*Greatsword
*Sword/Torch
*Carrion Amulet
*Rune of Scavenging
*Sigil of Generosity
*Sigil of Leeching

Traits:
Radiance/valor/virtues

Radiance:
*Inner Fire
*Radiant Fire
*Amplified Wrath

Valor:
*Smiter’s boon
*Strength in numbers/Communal Defenses
*Monk’s focus

Virtues:
*Master of Consecrations
*Supreme Justice
*Amplified Wrath

Utility Skills:
*Litany of wrath
*Purging Flames
*Smite condition
*Judge’s Intervention
*Renewed Focus

Trait Overview:

I have ran hybrid guard since the introduction of amplified wrath, and was pretty excited in regards to the trait changes allowing for a more defined version of such. The changes in radiance giving us essentially free crit really helped boost up the build. I take Inner fire over One Hand strength simply because I still use GS, because of the pure AoE damage you can do in group fights. Radiant Fire is obvious since using the torch and burns, and the extra free torch #4 is very strong, and amplified wrath is an obvious choice as well

For Valor Smiter’s boon is obvious as it adds more healing to our heal skill, and allows an extra condi cleanse, The master tier I am still somewhat undecided on as 150 toughness really isn’t that much, though it does help allies, but communal defenses does that as well, and can at least have the chance to proc Amp wrath.

Virtues is pretty obvious as well, as Instead of contemplation of purity I use purging flames for the added burning stacks, and the added condi duration reduction. Honestly I feel like it is a better choice, simply because of the insane ease of condi application at the moment, I have used contemplation of purity before just to pretty much have it voided out and loaded with condis just a few seconds later. Supreme justice and Permeating wrath are also obvious choices, as burning ever 3 hits and AoE burning are huge buffs, and allow some pretty crazy damage in team fights. It also gives AoE aspect to the sword, as it is a more single target weapon.

Gear Overview:

I feel one hand sword and torch have always been a good combo, as it offers both a gap closer, a multi-hit attack that destroys incoming projectiles, a decent range nuke in torch #4 (though I wish they would fix the out of range/obstruction bugs with the skill) and a nice multi hit cleave in torch #5, that has the added bonus of cleansing conditions of allies. Greatsword I took mostly for the AoE cleave, but also the fact that Binding blades runs off condition damage for its ticks if the pull isn’t used, and can only be removed through distance. It gives a really good option of extra damage if the target is not trying to kite, or pulling them in if they are.

For amulet I choose carrion since it allows for the hybrid playstyle and now has amazing synergy with the radiance line, as you can get a decent amount of crit naturally between near permanent fury uptime (between inner fire and monk’s focus) and the extra crit you get on burning targets. For rune I went with scavenging instead of the normal Balthazar because it not only offers extra sustain through two extra leeches, but also gives you extra condition damage from vitality, which carrion gives us a large boost to. For sigils I went generosity, simply as an extra source of condition removal, but also because of our high condition damage with the build, can cause a lot of damage depending on what it might transfer. For sigil I went with leeching for added survivability as well, but may change that to blood, simply because it does not stack with the rune, and can be wasted.

Utility overview:

My biggest change of the build from the norm was switching over to litany of wrath. This skill got buffed through a now 1/4s cast time, and also the massive increase to damage that we can do. The key to this skill is that all sources of damage heal you, including condition damage. In team fights this often leads to a full heal, or near invulnerability if used once you have burning stacks on people. The obvious downside is that it cannot be used as panic button to avoid damage like shelter can be used. However, because of trait changes, this skill now heals for about 6k base, due to the base heal, meditation heal, and smiter’s boon, applies 8s of fury because of dual mediations, and obviously clears a condition and does aoe damage as well. Also because of its lower cooldown in relation to shelter, you have increased activation of smiter’s boon, meaning more condi removal, more damage, and also more activations for rune of scavenging.

Other than using litany of wrath, the rest of the utilities are fairly straight forward, I choose purging flames over contemplation of purity due to its burning application, 3 condi cleanse for me and allies, and also condi duration reduction, which is stronger now due to the loss of condi duration through the power line that certain classes did use. Also, I felt that contemplation of purity was becoming somewhat useless as a lot of classes now have more sources of application, and I would be condi bombed right after using it, resulting in it being a waste, at least with purging flames, if that happens they will be at reduced duration and have a lower effect. Smite condition, judges intervention, and renewed focus are all obvious choices otherwise.

Overall

As the title mentions, I am open to any suggestions to the build, and what people think of it. After playing with it more and experimenting I will most likely add builds into a list that I have had specific issues with, or have had 0 issues with, as a counter/advantage list. But if anyone has suggestions or changes, I would love to hear them and try them out.

Saved for future change list

Saved for future counter list

I was hoping for something other than medi. Everything is medi these days.

Sylpheed.8163:

I was hoping for something other than medi. Everything is medi these days.

Its honestly hard to do anything other than medi, because our utility skills are pretty blah outside of that, at least as far as spvp goes. monk’s focus is just too strong a trait between healing, free crit, and what meditations offer already. Shouts are ok, but are far too support based, and offer no real offense besides FMW. Consecrations are in the same respect defensive/support in nature, or just flat out have too long of a cd.

I run a similar build…

FlameLegion runes, hammer or sc+t and GS. (intel/geo on hammer and doom/smoldering on Scepter).
I get Absolute Resolution instead of Supreme.
I still use CoP and Purging at the same time and I did sacrifice Smite Condi. The reason:

I have little trouble fighting power builds. my real troublemakers are still the kiter condi/hybrid builds. 20+k HP helps a lot but the ability to reset their condibomb (and converting it into boons) AND then party cleanse 3 condi with Absolute Resolution AND than cleanse 3 of them with -33% duration AND then Smite/heal one more off…

I think CoP is superior to the Smite now.
Absolute Resolution got nerfed but the baseline Purging Flames is extremely usefull. Using these two together is a massive party support.

I used Flame legion originally with my pre patch hybrid build, and have been switching runes out here and there. While the burning duration runes are obviously worth it, I don’t feel like they are required anymore, since so many of our burns are low duration anyways. Also i think at this point condition damage runes are a better choice, as it helps with the issue of being kited, by applying more damage ive if they are out of range.

The choice on weapons I believe is just personal. As i can see the benefits for pretty much any weapon, well, minus mace, at least for this build. I just prefer sword for mobility.

As far as Absolute instead of supreme, it really turns down alot of the damage output we can do with our multi hit attacks, and while it does help with sustain, i feel it runs into the same issue i was feeling with contemplation of purity, cleanse off conditions, and then end up with another full stack in no time. My original thought for my burning build was going to be that route, and also taking stability/stun break on VoC, and figured that it would cure the base issues i already had with the hybrid style, condi removal, and stab/stun breaks, but in the end it didnt really work for me, since everyone just became so bursty that it didnt matter having the extra sustain versus the extra damage.