Guild Wars 2

I’ve recently come back to the game and just levelled my guardian to 80. From the start, I planned him to be sword/shield (for RP reasons) and tried to find a build that I could work with.

As I’m more into WvW than anything else, I was advised to go for a burn-heavy build, and did so. However, since coming back I’ve found my burn build less effective (in PvE) than previously. I’m not sure if it’s been nerfed – I’ve been away from the game for a while, but I thought our burns used to last longer?

I really don’t want to play the character without sword/shield (my alt. set is scepter/focus, but I could change to torch) even though I’m aware there are probably better sets.

Basically, is there a new build I should be looking at to try and make sword/shield viable? Should I spec more defensively? Currently I’ve got 30 in Radiance, 20 in Valour and 10 in Zeal. The remaining 10 points are unaccounted for (I just hit 80).

Is the burn build still usable, or should I drop it completely?

All advice appreciated.

Burn builds were never spectacular for PvE or WvW, but I can’t think of a specific change that would have demolished your build.

For WvW, I would avoid burning as one of the best traits to support it (Permeating Wrath) is better replaced with Indomitable Courage for an extra source of Stability to secure stomps. That said if you’re willing to give up Indomitable Courage, then picking up PW and using weapons with lots of AOE or lots of raw hits can apply a lot of AOE burning.

None of the burning traits besides Permeating Wrath are so good that they have to be taken over anything else. But 30 Virtues can be viable in both PvE and WvW, it just supplants a bit of your damage potential.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQRAse7dlYgqCnFSKEg4ERWhVa9AgH0fYPwI87IA-jQyAYrioRTZGiGRI0JvioxW5CbFcIaqFMVJRUt3oIa1A-e

This is what I run in WvW and PvE. It works pretty well for me. Lots of might for the entire team, lots of support skills, lots of little heals, and condition removal coupled with respectable damage make it a pretty welcome addition to most parties.

Thanks for the replies. I’m often going to be roaming solo/in small groups so I’m less interested in support and more in killing things. Is there a viable build for this?

Sword/x + Greatsword is pretty much the de facto roaming set. The Healway build uses that, and is pretty successful. There are others as well. You can make it work.

Interested in killing things? Boy, did you pick the wrong class. You pretty much have no choice but to build full glass with Sword/X.

We have less skills to be sticky (keep on our target) then any class, by a LOT. It’s really hard to keep other players from getting away from you, if escape is on their mind.

Your only real option for finishing a fight that you’re winning is to blast them to smithereens so fast, that the fight is over before they realized they should have started running.

Go Sword/X, full zerker, hope your opponent explodes.

That’s an overly simplistic viewpoint. Attrition builds like Healway work just fine. Yes, sticking to them is an issue, which is why you use sword/greatsword: two leaps. Travelers/Speed runes help too. Glass meditation builds work too, but you don’t have the flexibility to support small groups or zergs as needed, you have to respec out of it.

I am running, Sword+Focus / Greatsword. I am just about all celestial and the build I run currently is:

Test Build 2
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlYg6CXFyvDf4ERWBRa9AgH0fYPwI87IA-jAzAoeAsPM2Ci+EYqAUyvIasV2ioxqmBU1Q6FMlqStLZZ1A-e

Seems to work great at the moment. While I have 3 builds I use 1 that works with my setup that was originally design for it.

Main:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNApeRlYg67mFyKEf4ESWhVC7BB6Rb01DFSiYIA-j0zAoeBRsFGODhYgRRgINI0HQqAQyvIasV2ioxqmBU1Q6FMlqStLZZ1SBwqyI-w

Test Build 1 from: (Pyroclasm: The Definitive Guide to Burning Thread)
http://tinyurl.com/l7d7z4a

On this build I have to change it a bit to fit my Celestial setup.