Guild Wars 2

Hey everyone. I’ve been playing WvW for a while and with my guild we’re trying to improve our game play. Some things have been easy (getting the gear, running the proper build) and some things take more time (positioning). However while debating game play after one of our first scrims we got to a few points we don’t agree on or have no answer to and I wonder if some hardcore WvW players could weigh in and share some of their experience with us.

_All our Guardians run 0/0/6/4/4 for double stability. _

• Not exactly a question but other than assigning stability 1 & 2 are there any things we should know about stability rotation? When is it better to use the virtue, when is it better to use the shout? How can we get the best out of it?

• Should we pop Renewed Focus after using Virtue of Resolve to maintain the passive healing or should Renewed Focus be kept as a life saving skill? Is the sustain worth losing that invulnerability?

• For hammer Guardians, should they camp hammer when fighting and only use staff in between fights, before an engage or if the raid leader calls for empower before another push? Should empowers be used when you’re winning and should you stay on hammer when the fight is more difficult so that you’re sure that water fields will get full blasts?

• Any other advice or comment about optimising the game play of our guardians during raids?

Thanks in advance for any input.

1) The shout has priority due the longer duration and shorter cooldown.
2) Even in a FULL cleric gear the Virtue of Resolve passive healing won’t be able to keep your team alive. For the sustain of the guardians in the raid the critical aspects are: 1) placement and positioning along the fights -trying to prevent AoE damage; 2) self use of healing skills (Shelter and Empower with the Altruistic Healing trait) and 3) the water field blast healings (thanx mostly to the elementalist an the warrior’s warhorn #5 (and guardian’s hammer#2). Renewed Focus cooldown is too big to waste just to recover the F2 passive effect. Keep it for life/death scenarios.

3) Staff must be the default weapons 80-90% of the time. Staff has much longer range than hammer, better (much more spammeable, and harder to evade) AoE damage; provides a large buff in both power and sustain (Empower), helps with the team mobility (Symbol of Swiftnees, along with warrior’s warhorn #4), Orb of Light can be used to destroy defensive artillery in sieges, and Line of Warding is now much more powerful due the changes in the nature of stability. Hammer bust be used for:

a) to blast water fields with #2.
b) to (coordinately) unleash #2 in cqc to immobilize large amounts of foes for your ranged party.
c) to frag from time to time the enemy formations with #5
d) in G vs G, to use the #4 to ward off downed foes from power rezzing attempts.

Circumstantially hammer can also provide a huge AoE damage burst (if you are able to land a few #2 from your party in the same foes at the same time), and some times this weapon is paired with the chill trait and hydromancy seal for larger cc effects, but the problem with hammer and greatsword vs staff is that the staff not only provides much valuable tools but also is a lot more consistent dealing damage due the huge range of the autoattack.

4) Don’t stack staff #3 over the water fiels from your fellow eles. Follow the raid leader toe on toe.

hammer should be used only if you are pushing on targets. any close range weapon really. Empowering when you are winning shouldn’t really be done as it takes time and you want to focus on pressuring the enemy. Typically you empower and then jump in to a bomb. Switch to staff when you are trying to kite away.

Thank you very much, even if it’s not my own subject, your councils are very much appreciated, and as you may have spend few time to write it the least I could do was to sincerely thank you !

Thanks guys. Seems the consensus from replies I’ve gotten here and esle where is to keep renewed focus for “oh kitten” situations such as big well bombs and to use staff more than hammer.

If anyone else has any more comments please don’t hesitate to post them or to message me.