Guild Wars 2

The build uses Greatsword / Sword|Torch. The stat focus of the build is Carrion gear specific. Power/Vitality/Condition Damage. Damage focus is AoE Burning, single target white damage, and damage done via Retaliation.

Utility Skills:
1. Purging Flames: Consecration – Create a ring of fire that burns foes and cures conditions on allies.
2. Judge’s Intervention: Meditation – Teleport to your target and burn nearby foes.
3. “Stand Your Ground!”: Shout – Grant stability to yourself and allies.

Sigils:
Greatsword: Sigil of Superior Smoldering – 10% Burn Duration
Sword: Sigil of Superior Fire – AoE Fireblast – 5sec CD
Torch: Sigil of Superior Energy – 50% Endurance back on swap. 9sec CD

Gear: Full Carrion Exotic (Jewlery Included)

3 Runes of the Lich –
1. +25 Vitality
2. +4% condition duration
3. +50 Vitality

3 Runes of Balthazar:
1. +25 Power
2. +15% Burning duration
3. +50 Power

Traits: 10.30.0.0.30

ZEAL: 10pts – 100 Power|10% Condition Duration

[Minor] Zealot’s Speed – Create a Symbol of Wrath when your health drops below 25% (30-second cooldown).
[Major] (II) Fiery Wrath – Increases damage by 10% against burning foes.

RADIANCE: 30pts – 300 Precision|300 Condition Damage

[Minor] Justice is Blind – When activating Virtue of Justice, nearby foes are blinded.
[Major] (I) Healer’s Retribution – Gain 3 seconds of retaliation when using a heal skill.
[Minor] Renewed Justice – Virtue of Justice is renewed when you kill a foe.
[Major] (III) Shimmering Defense Burn nearby foes when your health reaches 25% (60-second cooldown).
[Minor] Radiant Power – Deal 10% more damage to foes inflicted with conditions.
[Major] (VI) Blind Exposure – Applying blind also applies vulnerability.

VIRTUES: 30pts – + 30% to Boon Duration |+30% Virtue Recharge Rate

[Minor] Inspired Virtue Virtues now also apply the following boons:
Justice: might
Resolve: regeneration
Courage: protection
[Major] (I) Unscathed Contender – Deal 10% more damage while under the effects of aegis.
[Minor] Virtue of Retribution – Gain retaliation when you activate a virtue.
[Major] (VIII) Supreme Justice – Virtue of Justice causes burning every 4 attacks instead of 5. When activating Virtue of Justice, the burn duration is increased.
[Minor] Power of the Virtuous – Deal extra damage for each boon you have.
[Major] (XI) Permeating Wrath – Justice no longer burns your target, but instead burns the area around you each time it activates.

As you can see the Utility Skills, the weapon setup, and the traits correspond with the point of the build.

The intention of the build wasn’t initially to be so much a glass cannon, however, you end up with: Attack 3135, low Crit. chance 18%, ~1900 condition damage, and a huge increase in Burning duration. With all my bells and whistles blown and a full rotation I can (not just 1v1 but because of the AoE 1vgroup) stack over 55 seconds of Bruning.

Obviously condition removal is an issue, however, being that it can be reapplied VERY easily, it’s not a huge issue. As well the amount of power stacked has your white damage being pretty nasty. The Torch speaks for itself, as does the burst with a Sword.

I would focus less on condition duration and more on condition damage. As you point out, cleansing nullifies the duration whereas the damage is always constant since you’re not stacking like a bleed.

Hence the Carrion Gear, if you didn’t see it I stated I have about 1900 Condition Damage.

So, you have 3 blinds in that build – GS leap, sword port, and Justice. If you use them all (burning Justice and your weapon swap cooldown) you’ll get +3% damage from Blind Exposure for ~5 seconds or so, and lose mobility/chase options in the bargain. I just don’t see how this justifies skipping, say, Radiant Fire, Searing Flames, or Right-Hand Strength. Any of those would give you better return on that last trait slot than Blind Exposure does, by a wide margin.

I swear, any time the word Build is mentioned in a title of ANYTHING it should have [PvE] or [PvP] or [WvW] next to it.

Zyph.8401:

I swear, any time the word Build is mentioned in a title of ANYTHING it should have [PvE] or [PvP] or [WvW] next to it.

I don’t think it needs to be, thanks for your input though.

Daedalus.3954:

Hence the Carrion Gear, if you didn’t see it I stated I have about 1900 Condition Damage.

Yea I meant your rune selection.

Gulbrandr.9047:

So, you have 3 blinds in that build – GS leap, sword port, and Justice. If you use them all (burning Justice and your weapon swap cooldown) you’ll get +3% damage from Blind Exposure for ~5 seconds or so, and lose mobility/chase options in the bargain. I just don’t see how this justifies skipping, say, Radiant Fire, Searing Flames, or Right-Hand Strength. Any of those would give you better return on that last trait slot than Blind Exposure does, by a wide margin.

That’s just as many quick stacks of Vuln. I see it better to utilize more damage, then removing one of their boons or 15% Crit on a one-hander, as you mentioned. Not a bad backup though.

Shimond.2478:

Daedalus.3954:

Hence the Carrion Gear, if you didn’t see it I stated I have about 1900 Condition Damage.

Yea I meant your rune selection.

I see, again I was looking more into Duration/Stats. I don’t think I like any of the ones that directly increase Cond. Damage. They seem to have something within the set that doesn’t do anything for a Guardian. I could be wrong.

Yea I just think all you’re really getting is 75 power and 75 vitality, which isn’t bad but just not sure that really supports the build’s goals either. I’d have to look again at what’s available to give a real suggestion.

Shimond.2478:

Yea I just think all you’re really getting is 75 power and 75 vitality, which isn’t bad but just not sure that really supports the build’s goals either. I’d have to look again at what’s available to give a real suggestion.

Copy that, any suggestions are appreciated.

It’s just not that much damage, though, unless you’re in a group, and even then it’s a small difference. Every stack of Vuln is +1% damage. So even using all 3 of your blinds, that’s 3% damage — and it cost you two chase skills to get it, AND you have to use all your blinds right away rather than saving them for big hits or other situational uses, AND they’re gone after a few seconds. Right-Hand Strength will do far more additional damage than Blinding Exposure will ever give you.

I’m really confused here… I’m wearing the same gear, all exotic, all carrion, all gemmed. I have the same build, 10/30/0/0/30. I’m using a scepter/torch, i focus on burns. But im hovering at a little over 1200 condition damage. WITH +!00 condition damage food, WITH a Master tuning crystal, and WITH 25 stacks from a Suprior rune of corruption, i still would not have 1800 condition damage.

Since your sigils and runes dont give condition damage, its not that. Infact my armor runes give me 30% burn duration, and a fancy pizza gives me 40% burn duration, and i specced my virture of justice to have increased duration upon activation. I couldnt get more than 40 seconds burn duration with all of that, i threw down the purging flames to burn, i teleported in with judges intervention to burn, i spun with my sword to proc a burn every 4th hit, i popped VoJ to burn with another hit, i swapped to torch to throw zealots flame for another burn.. Couldnt get more than 40 seconds, infact the second time i tried this, it ended at 28 seconds for some reason. Again, same build, same gear, except with a 40% duration pizza and two 15% burn duration runes and 10% from Zeal.

Were you in WvW with 3 orbs and a few stacks of might at the time? Because the numbers are simply not adding up, almost 600 missing condition damage that i would like to have.

I’m always in WvW, and the exact number is 1838 with foods, and might. Do you have all 5 Exotic Carrion Jewelry as well? As well as Carrion GS and Sword|Torch? It helps.

Of course, i tried to make it clear that gear was the same. Is this +100 condition damage food, or the temporary 200 condition damage after a kill food? AND a master tuning crystal which is 6% toughness into cond and 4% vit into cond ? It must be a lot of stacks of might because thats the only possible explanation (ontop of 3 orb bonus). But the burning duration is still so long, but it could be a bug as i tried the same rotation twice in a row and got much different results, plus the trait to increase burn length for VoJ didnt make any difference when i tried it. Glad im not the only one though who, even though were the same stats, our traits differ. Awesome customization in this game.

It was, without the 3 orb and the party stacks I have 1590. The reason for the inclusion of the buffs is that my build works best, IMO, in WvW. And yes, the customization is AMAZING. ANet did a great job.

I Have everything Carrion and i got a total of 1229 condition damage :O

I keep my food buffs up and stacks of might via my party this is where I’m at in WvW right now with only 2 orbs.

Is Inner Fire bugged/broken? When I set myself on fire with Zealot’s Flame I don’t get the fury buff. Which I figured was part of the builds damage output?

Anyone else notice this?

It might be bugged, not sure. I don’t use it, as it’s not a part of this build.

So you don’t, sorry. I have been looking at a bunch of radiance builds today and they are all starting to blur together lol.

Mind me asking why not? 3 seconds of retaliation when you use a heal is alright, but inner flame can keep fury up on you almost constantly when burning is being applied. During WvW I have noticed it up dang near the entire time due to how many classes throw the condition around.

I find myself regularly in the fray, I’d rather have that retaliation then the Fury. As well, crit isn’t a big part of this build. I think I have 17% crit. With Fury it would be 37%, not a huge increase and doesn’t effect the build. The build is focused around Condition Damage/Duration and white hits via Power.

So changed (specifically for WvW) Stand Your Ground out for untraited Wall of Reflection. I’m not sure which I love more! I can honetly say the Stability is amazing, but the utility offered by the Wall is just… oh it’s just amazing. Thoughts?

Daedalus.3954:

I can honetly say the Stability is amazing, but the utility offered by the Wall is just… oh it’s just amazing. Thoughts?

I’m a guardian noob, but I can’t imagine WvW without Wall of Reflection. You’re right, it’s amazing.

It really does change the tides of fights sometimes. I have to get some free time to edit the main post with a few things as well. Orbs > Rune Set in gear.

I’ve heard that if you apply burning to a target (with added condition damage), and I apply burning to a target (with no added condition damage), it will take the lesser intensity of the two, but combine the duration.

Anyone know this for sure?

This build is not viable for wvw. Scepter/torch/staff is decent for cleansing and support, but u can’t actually do any damage with fire in larger engagements. If you’re close enough to set people on fire, you will quickly die. Also cleansing flame is the one consecration that I skip because people are too spread out in wvw.

Mazrik.2891:

Is Inner Fire bugged/broken? When I set myself on fire with Zealot’s Flame I don’t get the fury buff. Which I figured was part of the builds damage output?

Anyone else notice this?

Zealot flame only sets targets on fire. This is intended.

@Nerva I disagree, you just need a better group to run with in WvW. I do just fine getting in close and with a 21k health pool I live long enough to get in with Judge’s Tele spread my skills out to do some serious damage and get out to fall back to the Support lines until CDs are up to get back in. During larger engagements anyway.

Don’t dismiss things with baseless claims. It doesn’t further discussion.

Kitrick.1967:

I’ve heard that if you apply burning to a target (with added condition damage), and I apply burning to a target (with no added condition damage), it will take the lesser intensity of the two, but combine the duration.

Anyone know this for sure?

The way burning works is based on who has more Condition damage gets higher ticks off in the line. So if you have 1400CD and I have 1700CD my ticks have priority, but both go through.

This is taken from another post to explain burning:

If two ppl cast burning on the same target, priority is given to the higher condition dmg and the duration stacks. Basically it goes like this:

Player A casts burning for 5 seconds.

Player B casts burning for 3 seconds.

If player B has higher condition dmg, the result would be as follows:

Player B’s burning ticks first for 3 seconds, then Player A’s burning ticks for 5 seconds. At no point in time will your burning be overwritten. It will just be shuffled around in the load order, with the highest dmg burning ticking before the other ones.

@ Daedalus
Just tried out the build in WvW yesterday, and I must say, it’s probably the most fun i’ve had with a guardian in a long time. Thanks again for all the help. Cheers!

Cheers bud! Burn ’em all!

i am really enjoying this build almost have full exotics for it, is anyone else tried this build recently?

Pic of your stats would be nice.