Guild Wars 2

Spent majority of my time with my ele but now working on my Guardian. I just reached lvl20 but I’m still not sure when and what situaions to use the F1-F3 skills.

Usually I use F1 for big mobs but F2 and F3 remained untouched.
I feel like I’m missing out something great by not using them effectively. Please help

I use Virtue of Justice (F1) all the time. Every time it comes of cooldown, really. In most of my builds it gives me and my allies Might and blinds an enemy.
Virtue of Resolve (F2) is something I hardly use at all, because the healing over time will be more than the activated heal. I did recently pick the trait where it removes conditions, so I might be using it a bit more. Otherwise, I only pop it right before I use Renewed Focus.
Virtue of Courage (F3) is something I only use if there’s a really big hit incoming that I won’t be able to dodge. In larger groups, I use it every time a big hit is incoming, but the cooldown is a bit too long to justify using it often.

Virtue of Justice should be used very often, the burn people can apply greatly exceeds what you can do alone, the more the merrier. If you have 5pt in Radiance, it’s also a great PBAoE Blind.

Virtue of Resolve is really good especially with Absolute Resolution (trait), it’ll remove 3 conditions from you AND your allies within your vicinity. I also use it as a last resort emergency heal at times. Using it in junction with Virtue of Courage can really be all you need to get out of a bind.

Virtue of Courage is something I treat like another “Retreat!” if you will. I usually save it for Lt. Kholer’s pull in AC for example. When you absolutely need to block that hit, it’s a good way to go about it.

Lumines.3916:

Virtue of Courage is something I treat like another “Retreat!” if you will. I usually save it for Lt. Kholer’s pull in AC for example. When you absolutely need to block that hit, it’s a good way to go about it.

Sidetrack: How’s that working out for you? I’ve been under the impression that Aegis will prevent one hit of many, and the remaining damage would still kill squishies.

Schakal.6091:

Lumines.3916:

Virtue of Courage is something I treat like another “Retreat!” if you will. I usually save it for Lt. Kholer’s pull in AC for example. When you absolutely need to block that hit, it’s a good way to go about it.

Sidetrack: How’s that working out for you? I’ve been under the impression that Aegis will prevent one hit of many, and the remaining damage would still kill squishies.

You use Aegis not to avoid his spin-cycle, but to prevent him from pulling you in the first place. So activating it when he starts up his pull-animation, you basically block his little fishing line just like you would by using dodge, stability, Wall of Reflection etc.

Oh okay. That makes more sense. Good to know. I usually just use “Stand Your Ground” but he does his pull more often than that can recharge.

What Aveneo said, Aegis is terrible against multi hits but can completely negate a big hit. So use protection against multi-hits and use aegis to negate fat slow ones. Other examples I use it for would be like Kol’s stomp in Harathi, Graveling Scavenger leap (so you don’t get chain KD’d), Nightmare Husk stomps etc.

I also regularly pop it when needing to tank hits while ressing someone.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Playing guardian felt rather dull not continually using the F-Keys as compared to the ele.

I’m specced to apply buffs and retaliation to allies when I pop the skills, so I use justice off cooldown to keep groups might up, and the heal and aegis virtues when my allies around me are taking extreme heat. The heal and aegis virtue grant regen and protection to allies around me and myself, this greatly improves our survivability and I use renewed focus as an elite to refresh the virtues as needed.

All in all I like the virtues, I just think the heal and aegis need to have their cooldowns slightly.

At level 40 you can get a trait that recharges VoJustice whenever you kill an enemy. Without that, I tend to not use the F1 ability that often, as I will inflict more burning with auto-attack. With the might and/or blind traits attached to it, it becomes better still.

As others have said, the heal I save for a use-it-or-die situation, and the aegis is a last-ditch effort for when Retreat! is on cooldown and we can’t take or avoid an incoming hit.

I rebound all my class specific (F1-4) to Shift1-4.

Makes a difference I think.

I use Justice pretty much on cooldown when there’s anyone else nearby. That sudden, massive burn stack is delicious. Otherwise I tend to save it for when something absolutely needs to die right now.

Does Resolve’s active heal eventually become noticeable, or is it trait-proc fodder? My guardian is still pretty low-level and the heal is just disappointingly pathetic.

Virtue Of Courage is great for those instances where you’ve exhausted your dodge and your Aegis was already eaten. I remember times when giants would roflstomp 3 times in a row.

The healing from resolve is abit flimsy but it comes together if you place points into virtues.

Haette.2701:

Does Resolve eventually start healing for a noticeable amount, or is it trait-proc fodder? My guardian is still pretty low-level and the heal is just disappointingly pathetic.

Unless you trait or gear heavily for it, activating Resolve isn’t really worth it. The little ticks do make a difference.

Resolve is an group heal as well. Useful in groups. I use it all the time for the world bosses.