Guild Wars 2

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlUgqC33RLEf4ERWhVi9AjwvjXPcIFZIA-jEyAYMBZiEMRIQJwioxWZLiGreBTdSEV7OKiWtQAjGDA-w

AH Shout GS+Sword/Focus build, question is how would you optimise it? Less crit and more power? Drop HP and get something else?

More power and pure of voice.

fishergrip.4082:

More power and pure of voice.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlUgqC33RLEf4ERWhVi9AjwvjXPcIFZIA-jEyAYMBZ6TgISwJwioxWZLiGreBTdSEV7xLiWtQAjGDA-w

Now?

I’d come off of some of that armor. 3.4k is a lot. You don’t have much critical damage to take advantage of your decent critical chance, so I’d swap in some Valkyie (chest and amulet to get the most crit damage for lease crit % cost) and consider using Berserker weapons.

Also, do you really need Energy sigils of you have permanent vigor anyway? Consider on-kill stats or something else to get you some more damage.

You should use either beryl or ruby jewels on your trinkets to pick up some crit damage. Consider going with a rune set that gives + power like 5/6 runes of citadel + 1 ruby orb. Runes of the soldier are nice if you are facing heavy condition spam, but other than that, pure of voice and purity take care of most of your condi removal needs. Superior sigils of fire, battle, hydromancy or leeching will increase your dps.

Ok thx….here it is, looks really good now?:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlUgqC33RLEf4ERWhVi9AjwvjXPcIFZIA-jEyAYMBZiEMRIQJwioxWZLiGreBTdSEV7OKiWtQAjGDA-w

…but how do I get kills in a Zerg?

Runes of the scholar can also be nice. Given this is a WvW build a hammer is a useful tool for its easy, quick, and somewhat spammable blast finisher if you run with a group that drops combo fields frequently. Looking at your setup you aren’t going pure dps heavy and are going pretty tanky. So I’d actually drop greatsword in your build for hammer. Great CC and easy blast finishers. Nothing beats isolating the end of a zergs tail and watching it get mauled.

Definitely use Ruby Jewel instead of Azurite Jewel before switching any armor pieces. You are getting 1% crit dam per 5 stats on Ruby Jewels. If you compare with boots, 1% crit dam cost 12 stats.

The build looks pretty solid now. I’d still go with superior sigils of fire over +5% crit chance and use a +5% damage sigil on your focus.

If you are interested mainly in zerg fighting, you will probably want to swap out sword/focus for staff. Staff is by far the best weapon for tagging enemies in a zerg and empower works extremely well with altruistic healing while giving your allies a big damage boost. Just use sword/focus when you are roaming solo or in smaller group and staff when you are in a zerg.

ok thanks guys, here is the final build and gear:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlUgqC33RLEf4ERWhVi9AjwvjXPcIFZIA-jUyAYMBZyCARCmKAlALiGbltIas6FM1JRUt3oIa1CBMaMA-w

I noticed ‘good’ players dodge my GS! I’ll try to get a hammer and see how that plays out.

Cempa.5619:

ok thanks guys, here is the final build and gear:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fUAQNAR8dlUgqC33RLEf4ERWhVi9AjwvjXPcIFZIA-jUyAYMBZyCARCmKAlALiGbltIas6FM1JRUt3oIa1CBMaMA-w

I noticed ‘good’ players dodge my GS! I’ll try to get a hammer and see how that plays out.

They will dodge it easier. It takes time to get used to hammer, and during that time you will probably end up very frustrated.

3k armor is soft cap though, it doesnt really benefit any furthur

There is no soft cap, 3k is an arbitrary figure touted by most people as “good enough.” Adding 100 armor to 2900 armor yields 3.3% more reduction, adding 100 armor to 3000 yields 3.2% more reduction. You don’t even dip below 3% per 100 until you hit 3400 armor.

There is soft cap or diminishing returns on armor.

There is diminishing returns as I illustrated, but that’s not what soft cap means. Soft cap means that you don’t directly benefit from it in the primary fashion but still receive benefits tangentially. Hard cap means that you do not receive any benefit at all from going beyond that point.

i used to run with around 3k armor as my threshold. but in the end, it really depends on you, your opponents, the situation and your play style. i have builds now that i run with 2.5, 2.6k armor and i feel like i “survive” fine. and i’ve been in situations where having 3.4k armor didn’t save me, at most gave me a few more seconds to live.

i gues what i’m saying is, it’s nice to have these stats as a general guideline, but they’re not the end all. that being said, i still enjoy stat optimaztion.

re: GS

might i suggest using Judge’s Intervention or even Bane Signet’s knockdown to land your big hits? but even then, a good player again will still be able to react and not take the full brunt. another small trick is, if you’re using binding blade, and manage to land the projectile, most players WILL assume you’re going to pull them in right away, don’t. drop a symbol fo wrath, and they might think “oh he’s going to pull NOW” don’t. let it tick for a bit longer, more damage anyhow, and keep pressuring with autos or leap of faith and when they least expect it, pull ’em in and WW away for more hits in.

and the hammer is fun, so do give it a shot!

with the hammer, #3, #4 all have easy tells, so does #2 to a certain extent (just with a shorter window to react), but remember you can always hit Esc to cancel your #3 and #4 (will put the skills on a 3 – 4s CD) to bait their dodges, and then once they do, or you know they’ve popped their stability, you can then move in for the big hits. takes practice though. :// lol, least for me i need a lot of practice to do this well.

and of course, this really works when in 1v1 or small fight situations. in a zerg, you won’t be able to see anything XDD

foofad.5162:

There is diminishing returns as I illustrated, but that’s not what soft cap means. Soft cap means that you don’t directly benefit from it in the primary fashion but still receive benefits tangentially. Hard cap means that you do not receive any benefit at all from going beyond that point.

All that matters is effective HP and each point of toughness boosts effective HP by the same amount as the last. Looking at % damage reduction creates the illusion of diminishing returns, but it is not relevant.

akamon.2769:

i used to run with around 3k armor as my threshold. but in the end, it really depends on you, your opponents, the situation and your play style. i have builds now that i run with 2.5, 2.6k armor and i feel like i “survive” fine. and i’ve been in situations where having 3.4k armor didn’t save me, at most gave me a few more seconds to live.

i gues what i’m saying is, it’s nice to have these stats as a general guideline, but they’re not the end all. that being said, i still enjoy stat optimaztion.

re: GS

might i suggest using Judge’s Intervention or even Bane Signet’s knockdown to land your big hits? but even then, a good player again will still be able to react and not take the full brunt. another small trick is, if you’re using binding blade, and manage to land the projectile, most players WILL assume you’re going to pull them in right away, don’t. drop a symbol fo wrath, and they might think “oh he’s going to pull NOW” don’t. let it tick for a bit longer, more damage anyhow, and keep pressuring with autos or leap of faith and when they least expect it, pull ’em in and WW away for more hits in.

and the hammer is fun, so do give it a shot!

with the hammer, #3, #4 all have easy tells, so does #2 to a certain extent (just with a shorter window to react), but remember you can always hit Esc to cancel your #3 and #4 (will put the skills on a 3 – 4s CD) to bait their dodges, and then once they do, or you know they’ve popped their stability, you can then move in for the big hits. takes practice though. :// lol, least for me i need a lot of practice to do this well.

and of course, this really works when in 1v1 or small fight situations. in a zerg, you won’t be able to see anything XDD

Wow thanks great advice! I get the KD signet and the 180 power is nice but the 40sec CD :/ But how will the port and burn help me land my bind of whirl?

Cempa.5619:

Wow thanks great advice! I get the KD signet and the 180 power is nice but the 40sec CD :/ But how will the port and burn help me land my bind of whirl?

Bane Signet does take up a utilioty slot, but i find it quite fun and effective at times. : )) of course, you lose the 180 passive power increase once you activate it though.

for Judge’s Intervention, it’s a 1200 port and it’s useful because it’s an “instant” skill so it will not interupt any other skill or animation you’ve previously triggered. so you can use this with many different combinations. note, you must have something targeted to use it. and you’ll know if you’re in range with the little red bars under your skill and utility icons.

so for e.g. you see someone fighting one of your allies on the field, and they don’t see you coming up from the sides. you target them, hit WW, and then hit JI immediately and you will port directly on top of them while WW-ing away. given the weren’t mid-dodge when you hit ‘em, or ported away for whatever reason, you’ll land most of your hits and it’s sort of a surprise attack. XDD

you can do the same with Binding Blades. Hit GS 5, JI, and you’re almost guaranteed to land the projectile on them. and you can let it tick or pull ‘em in when you please. jsut make sure they don’t have aegis or blocks up obviously before you port to them.

the extra AoE burn is nice too.

lot of Guards will like to use this with Ring of Warding (Hammer 5) as well to trap a group fo people from afar, mighty blow, which triggers AoE retalas well and then you can have your way with ’em. a little combo i like when i ran hammer + GS was RoW + JI, mighty blow, then switch to GS (which i had hydromancy sigil on as well so slows themeven more after the surprise factor), binding blade, drop symbol of wrath, pull ’em in, leap of faith to blnid + stack invuln no them and then WW.

Banish (Hammer 4) + JI is always a classic. XDD

another standard trick is if you have the focus, hit Focus 5 shield of wrath, count a couple seconds, JI into your opponent using might blow or WW so the shield goes off around the same time for massive damamge.

lotta fun things you can do with JI. : )) not to mention it’s a stunbreak, as well as can help you escape if you target a bunny far away, etc.

fishergrip.4082:

foofad.5162:

There is diminishing returns as I illustrated, but that’s not what soft cap means. Soft cap means that you don’t directly benefit from it in the primary fashion but still receive benefits tangentially. Hard cap means that you do not receive any benefit at all from going beyond that point.

All that matters is effective HP and each point of toughness boosts effective HP by the same amount as the last. Looking at % damage reduction creates the illusion of diminishing returns, but it is not relevant.

That’s what I meant to articulate but failed to do so; There is no cap of any kind, so there’s no point at which adding more toughness ceases to be functionally useful. That said, you’re always giving something up in return.

akamon.2769:

i used to run with around 3k armor as my threshold. but in the end, it really depends on you, your opponents, the situation and your play style. i have builds now that i run with 2.5, 2.6k armor and i feel like i “survive” fine. and i’ve been in situations where having 3.4k armor didn’t save me, at most gave me a few more seconds to live.

i gues what i’m saying is, it’s nice to have these stats as a general guideline, but they’re not the end all. that being said, i still enjoy stat optimaztion.

I think what tee’s me off the most is if you have 3600 armor, a thief will still crit you for 4-6k easy.

Armor in this game is a joke.

Go for Damage Negation and Damage Avoidance.

Amins.3710:

akamon.2769:

i used to run with around 3k armor as my threshold. but in the end, it really depends on you, your opponents, the situation and your play style. i have builds now that i run with 2.5, 2.6k armor and i feel like i “survive” fine. and i’ve been in situations where having 3.4k armor didn’t save me, at most gave me a few more seconds to live.

i gues what i’m saying is, it’s nice to have these stats as a general guideline, but they’re not the end all. that being said, i still enjoy stat optimaztion.

I think what tee’s me off the most is if you have 3600 armor, a thief will still crit you for 4-6k easy.

Armor in this game is a joke.

Go for Damage Negation and Damage Avoidance.

I agree, they need to do a major over haul and redo the armor system. Heavy armor should truly count for something, and having a shield should have a passive block chance and a good chance to block at that.