WvW Group Build
0/0/10/30/30 in cleric gear is a pretty popular build called healway. Most guardian just put variations on that with what fits their team or how they like to play. So from that I’d say it’s viable. I’d encourage you to try your build and experiment with variations on it for yourself.
For fine tuning, I’d say start with removing 10 from valour and putting 10 in radiance or virtues. I run precision food to keep crit chance up. I’ve found myself missing X in virtues whenever I take it away.
Gate of Madness
I ran this sort of build for a while, its viable, but ultimately I found other builds to be better. For support ended up with 0 0 10 30 30 with Indomitable Courage and Shielded Mind. Most players in WvW can heal themselves and remove condis etc. just fine, what makes it difficult for the non-heavy classes is lack of stability and stunbreakers. Being inturrapted in their skill execution.
So I ended up with http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQJARWlYgKCXFyMEf4ES2DRKBXQsHY0H1RXFSIA-jUCBofA4hQUgQUDApmQZnEZslRFRjVNjIqWnEDA-w the editor isnt letting me pick the gear I run for it for some reason, but basically, replace the earrings and rings from knights to magi stats.
Also, 2 important notes regarding “save yourselves”. When fighting zergs, guards often kill themselves using it by drawing an incredible amount of conditions to themselves, and its CD is too long even when traited. Going 30 in virtues replaces the offensive buffs from it on roughly half the CD and improves the defensive buffs from it but without the negative side effects.
The signet of judgement is actually nice, blindness and retal in zergs are good, while the passive is most excellent, you can also replace it with Hold The line, for extra cleansing, extra prot and heal on a low CD, or WOR to place in front of opponents backline and extra cleanses via WOR / GS#2 combo.
For very front, commanding, I run something like this, though again not exactly cause the editor isnt letting me pick some ring/accessory options http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQJARWlYgKCXFyMEf4ESmCRKBxUgRf01DHKhYIA-jUCBofA4hQUgQUDApmRMLdIrlRFRjVNjIqWZDDA-w it has very low crit rate but thats ok. I have fury provided by team mates most of the time and both staff and sword are AOE weapons, and the sigil is 60% not 30 or 10% proc rate per target thats hit so it already procs as much as is possible and allowed on its ICD even on the single digits base rate so going any higher crit for it is a waste.
Heavy Deedz – COSA – SF
You guys should think about getting 20k hp. Without a lot of hp regen low hp is not a good idea.
Team Deathmatch for PvP – Raise the AoE cap for WvW – More unique events for PvE
I went full cleric armour + boon duration runes + full giver’s jewelry + knight’s weapons (with some variations on the sigils, on trinket upgrade slots). Had 1,5+k healing power with stacked ‘Life sigil’, 2,1k toughness and 1,5k vitality. My power went down to 1,4k and precision 1k.
In the beginning it seemed worth running, using Mace/shield + Staff for ~2,5k heals with Shield’s #5, Virtue of Resolve, Mace auto-attack (chained #3), Mace symbol #2, Staff #2, Staff #4. I also used Healing Breeze for 3k+ AoE heals. Hold the Line for regen and protection (as well as Shield #4 and Mace #3), Stand Your Ground for the stability and the elite Tome of Courage for 30k+ aoe heal.
What I noticed was that in doing this, I gave up all my own survival. I didn’t have quick escape ways. I didn’t have many blocks and nearly nothing to keep enemies off me. I relied on the team for that. My dps was extremely weak, though crits managed to get me some damage. My health was rather low, but the toughness made up for it.
All in all I could do extreme healing if I timed it right and keep our group up most of the time.
One time we made a heroic last stand with 5 in a tower against about 30 people from enemy server. If you decide to go healway though, you need to go full out for it. Greatsword is useless for healing.
I would personally drop Resolve and run Lemongrass or its T5 counterpart instead (-condi duration, +vitality). Shelter is far too powerful to not use in group play, assuming you’re able to use it proactively.
Boon Duration is nice, but it’s better when you have as many boons to put out as possible. I’d go ahead and replace SY with HTL if you’re deadset on playing a boon duration build. Alternatively, Soldier Runes are strong for any group build.
Just some thoughts.
You guys should think about getting 20k hp. Without a lot of hp regen low hp is not a good idea.
You can survive on much less than 20k before food and WvW buffs/Applied Fortitude so long as you’re on top of your active avoidance. That said, you should be running with at least 19k with said buffs active, if not 20.
Chris “Dawnheart” Aerinoh — Revenant, Guardian — Blackgate