Guild Wars 2

Azuriel.9137:

Kerithlan.1659:

Have fun playing wrong then. The name of the game in GW2 is bob and weave, and dodging in and out of melee-mid is how the guardian was designed. Dodge in -> attack -> dodge out -> support -> repeat.

Bob and Weave? The name of the game is to have fun and play “How you want to.” There is no wrong way. Like I said, I stay up close and personal, dodge up close and make sure myself and my warrior are all set. My group very rarely ever run into problems. I’d be lying if I said i never do, and so would anyone else.

Take your “playing the game wrong” attitude somewhere else. No wrong way, No right way.

It’s not my attitude, it’s ArenaNet’s. Whenever they’ve described combat and dungeons in the past, they’ve deliberately set time aside to discuss how players switching roles in combat (in this particular way) is an integral part of their system. Not my fault if you don’t like it.

Can I just say every time I see a scepter/focus, or scepter/torch guard a little piece of me dies?

Kerithlan.1659:

It’s not my attitude, it’s ArenaNet’s. Whenever they’ve described combat and dungeons in the past, they’ve deliberately set time aside to discuss how players switching roles in combat (in this particular way) is an integral part of their system. Not my fault if you don’t like it.

Never said I didn’t like it. I don’t care how people play. Sometimes it works for them and sometimes it doesn’t. If anything, I find it interesting and slightly enjoyable to watch how some people play.

The only thing I don’t like, is when someone say “You’re playing the game wrong.” Especially when so many people play so many ways. Because you “think” the game should be played a certain way doesn’t make it right.

If I excel at what I am doing and how I go about it, then I am obviously doing something right. And that goes for every other class as well. Just because they explain a mechanic or class a certain way does not mean that’s the only way.

One of the great things about this game. You can adapt almost anything to the way you like to play. Just takes a little tweaking.

Azuriel.9137:

Kerithlan.1659:

It’s not my attitude, it’s ArenaNet’s. Whenever they’ve described combat and dungeons in the past, they’ve deliberately set time aside to discuss how players switching roles in combat (in this particular way) is an integral part of their system. Not my fault if you don’t like it.

Never said I didn’t like it. I don’t care how people play. Sometimes it works for them and sometimes it doesn’t. If anything, I find it interesting and slightly enjoyable to watch how some people play.

The only thing I don’t like, is when someone say “You’re playing the game wrong.” Especially when so many people play so many ways. Because you “think” the game should be played a certain way doesn’t make it right.

If I excel at what I am doing and how I go about it, then I am obviously doing something right. And that goes for every other class as well. Just because they explain a mechanic or class a certain way does not mean that’s the only way.

One of the great things about this game. You can adapt almost anything to the way you like to play. Just takes a little tweaking.

I say that a lot don’t worry about what others think of your game style. Play how you want to play as long as you win it doesn’t matter.

vespers.1759:

staff 4 is a full heal every 15 seconds.

Full heal for you (with lots of ppl standing around you), not for other players. That’s not particularly useful.

Yaki.9563:

vespers.1759:

staff 4 is a full heal every 15 seconds.

Full heal for you (with lots of ppl standing around you), not for other players. That’s not particularly useful.

Not particularly useful FOR YOU-it may very well be for others (not to mention that nice might bonus for your allies on top of the small heal.) Keeping yourself alive is good for the whole party as well. Those Might boons and small heals may seem little, but work for many (myself included). Empower only “blows” when you have no use for it, which is fair enough; what isn’t fair is pretending that others must ALSO think that it’s less than useful just because you don’t care for it.

In the end, play the way you want as long as you have fun and found ways to make yourself effective, rather than trying to meet standards of “effectiveness” that may not apply to you at all. I don’t concern myself with the way others choose to play their Guardian, and rather worry with how I play mine instead-I can offer suggestions of course, but no specific rules, because everybody is different and prefers different things.

I’m just pointing out that it’s a bit misleading to claim that it gives a full heal when discussing group support, since that full heal isn’t a group benefit.

At first I thought “Oh great. This is gonna be a post about how Cleric’s insignia is bad, and how support Guardians are useless.”

But then I realized you’re talking about people who ONLY heal, stay in the back, and don’t attack. THAT is terrible. My particular build is massively healing, but it also functions as a tank. You’re right though, there’s no excuse to be standing around throwing a healing symbol every 15 seconds. The good thing about Mace/Shield + Staff cleric Guardians is they can constantly be in the middle of battle, do damage and heal with the same attacks.

I didn’t even know people sat in the back like that. Jeez.

Sokina, you show me there is hope for the human race

Yaki.9563:

vespers.1759:

staff 4 is a full heal every 15 seconds.

Full heal for you (with lots of ppl standing around you), not for other players. That’s not particularly useful.

yes and it gives them 420 power and 420 condition dmg. it also allows you to survive, which means you can res/buff people constantly without much fear.

well said, Sokina. i’ve recently switched my build to a more healing power focused one and it is SO MUCH FUN. i wish i’d given the mace a better chance early on. BUT, it’s never too late. heh. that being said, i still enjoy being front line. and healing up people when they need it – especially those in melee range. those are my brethren, the people i walk along side. and for the people in the back raining down AoE and ranged massacre, i want to say they’re playing smart and safe and to their own strengths as well and are able to completely avoid dmg so that works out as well.

of course, Guards aren’t only frontline, but i personally feel we wreck more havoc there than anywhere else. of course, if the situation calls for it, i’ll back up a bit and hold the line at “mid” range using whatever skills / weapons i have in my arsenal of awesomeness. if i see a zerg of 30 coming my way, i’m not going to just throw myself into the ocean full of sharks with raw meat strapped onto me isntead of armour.

there’s a time and place for everything, and it IS about learning those situaations and being aware and being able to adapt. about being flexible and not have tunnel vision. if something works best for you, stick to it. but every so often, it never hurts to reevaluate how we’re performing as our class, race and in a group setting. after all, we all want to keep bettering ourselves, no? ; ))

Guardians are more effective up front. Even if you go with a high healing build you should be up front near guys who really need healing.

just out of curiosity to those have a healing ele and a healing guardian, what heals does the ele have thats better than the tome of courage, how are the cooldowns on all ele heals compared to guardians heals. How does the way ele heals use targeting compare to guardians.

As far as support healing on dodge rolls goes, sigils of energy are very helpful. Swapping a weapon and getting half of your endurance back is huge.

Seren.6850:

just out of curiosity to those have a healing ele and a healing guardian, what heals does the ele have thats better than the tome of courage, how are the cooldowns on all ele heals compared to guardians heals. How does the way ele heals use targeting compare to guardians.

With scepter and water attunement you can spam heals. They tend to target an area.

Nothing like Tome of Courage.

I do alot of “Tumbling” in dungeons. I feel more like a Cirque du Soleil member than a member of the players in any particular dungeon, dodge heals with energy are huge. That said, it is pretty sad the current game mechanics do not provide on the fly adjustments to healing or damage output, though i am quite sure the devs have thought of everything…cough.

I mean, with the limited mechanics of this game engine they still have the ability to make skills that could be scaled, a trivial example is holding any particular key down for any particular skill and making it stronger, this is already in practice.

Being able to setup for any dungeon, be it heal heavy, a range fest, melee only, etc, etc while in the dungeon without having to go to a respec npc would be huge, and yes, already asked for, though the scalable power mechanics on the fly have not.

Imagine Guardians being able to worry about looks rather than who should dps or how much healing, tanking, protection or boosts they should put out because they could adjust on the fly, in combat. One build, infinite variety. Also this is after stating the obvious, example, skills can already be swapped before combat, etc.

Just stating the visions the devs have are pretty sad for this class and it feels like the devs are “Learning as they go” when it comes to character design or balancing issues with the classes. A bad thing.

Guardians already do that.

The main stay of most Guardians is the 0/0/30/30/0 builds with AH+EM at its core. with these traits the guardians is free to go DPS or go Tank by using the traits from the valour and honour lines. You want more dps? take 2h mastery and aegis burning attacker. Want to go tank? take writ of the merciful and larger symbols etc

This generic build allows to change traits and skills on the fly. I carry around 3 armour sets and all types of weapons. I swap to DPS when I need to or go full tank when I need to in the same dungeon. Guardians are very versatile. You only limit yourself by what you carry.

As for people who spec for certain builds. They can’t be helped because of how those builds are not flexible at all. Also the gear required is also very one way.

So basically AH and EM need a nerf. AH for it’s ezmode automatic self-heals with no basis on the gear you’re wearing, and EM because it adds too much benefit to the group for just one trait. In that “versatility” you talk about I bet you never take off AH or EM.

I really don’t see how the Guardian needs to really be changed in any way at the moment. The Class does exactly what it is supposed to do. It supports, whether you deal out damage, roll around healing people or shouting out buffs on the constant.

The Guardian is(what my friend refers to it as) a ROFL Character. He gets it from my reactions when we do dungeons or whatever. I don’t believe some of the things we get away with. We are very versatile.

Some people just need to learn that because one small thing doesn’t work in favor of making us way OP, that it makes our class broke. Far from the case.

Yaki.9563:

So basically AH and EM need a nerf. AH for it’s ezmode automatic self-heals with no basis on the gear you’re wearing, and EM because it adds too much benefit to the group for just one trait. In that “versatility” you talk about I bet you never take off AH or EM.

Why would I need to handicap myself? to make people not running a AH+EM build feel better about themselves?

Versatility through Gear with static traits. Not complicated.

Plz dont ask nerf guardian anymore, we have been nerfed more than enough……..lets ask Anet buff the class which is underpower..

If they nerf AH EM synergy, they had better give us a bigger health pool. There is a reason why we have healing synergies.

Got to love these people who just like to cry nerf. Guardians arent even considered OP by other classes.

Hi KensaiZen.3740,

I can’t truly say I’m totally agree nor disagree with you. However, I solely believe, at the bottom line, it depends on players in a collective mutual understanding whether to finish off a dungeon within an hr, or 2 hrs.

A supportive type Guardian in a group, took longer time to finish a dungeon if were to compare to a DPS type Guardian in a group, this is undeniable fact. It’s up to the Supportive/Healer Guardian’s friends or teammate if they don’t mind the slow poke progress to finish a dungeon.

Some people just like supportive game play, can’t stop them =)

yLoon I think your looking at this class wrong, or this game. If your the type who like to speed run dungeons then your digging your own grave. Other classes can output more dps than a guardian so in your mindset a guardian is of no use at all.

If you want to blow through cof in 7 mins just bring 4 warriors and a mesmer.

Just enjoy the game

Then I guess that person who wishes to waste the other 4 players time will just have to live with what comes afterwards.

I’m sure if you’ve done AC 100 times, your not trying to “enjoy” it by taking your time.

Of course you can’t stop people playing how they want to play. But when you go into a dungeon its about GROUP play. Not “Im gonna do this my way so there” play. How you choose to play will affect the gameplay for 4 other people. If it were a single player game then go ahead and do whatever you want. As this game involves others. Be considerate in how you want to play.

Guardians best support is done through front line combat. Like I mentioned the best weapon for healing is the mace. Utility heals and elites can still be used by staff or mace users but you will still get more SUPPORT from the mace then you would from the staff.

if it takes you 2 hrs to complete one path. The likeliness of the people repeating the dungeon with you is slim. Unless they are understanding and have an extra 1 1/2 hours to kill.

Seren.6850:

yLoon I think your looking at this class wrong, or this game. If your the type who like to speed run dungeons then your digging your own grave. Other classes can output more dps than a guardian so in your mindset a guardian is of no use at all.

If you want to blow through cof in 7 mins just bring 4 warriors and a mesmer.

Just enjoy the game

This is where I have to disagree. Guardians have less burst than other classes but better sustained damage.

4k crit for MB once every 5 seconds is the equivalent of 8k every 10 seconds burst. All this whilst doing symbol damage and burning AND providing passive or active support during combat.

EM itself can increase the overall DPS of the group quite considerably. A consistent 10 stacks of might when attacked by multiple mobs or a sustained 5 stacks of might for single mobs. The combined extra damage is enough to take the dmg higher than taking a warrior instead.

warriors do 20-30k on hundred blades and 10k+ whirlwinds if they are dps builds in PVE, tactics banner increases party crit damage by 10% and warriors are bringing 20% party crit rate with fury with another 10% dmg group wide debuff with on my mark.

Warriors need to bring this sort of DPS to useful, because they certainly can’t take or heal anywhere near as good as a guardian can.

KensaiZen.3740:

Yaki.9563:

So basically AH and EM need a nerf. AH for it’s ezmode automatic self-heals with no basis on the gear you’re wearing, and EM because it adds too much benefit to the group for just one trait. In that “versatility” you talk about I bet you never take off AH or EM.

Why would I need to handicap myself? to make people not running a AH+EM build feel better about themselves?

Versatility through Gear with static traits. Not complicated.

Right, what’s not broken about always using the same 2 OP traits in every build. Why bother having 5 trait lines.

Seren.6850:

warriors do 20-30k on hundred blades and 10k+ whirlwinds if they are dps builds in PVE, tactics banner increases party crit damage by 10% and warriors are bringing 20% party crit rate with fury with another 10% dmg group wide debuff with on my mark.

Warriors need to bring this sort of DPS to useful, because they certainly can’t take or heal anywhere near as good as a guardian can.

Lets be honest, the standard guardian build isn’t healing anyone very well other than themselves. A GS warrior can spec for healing shouts and probably do as much or more party healing in DPS spec than guardian does. Guardian has superior survivability in exchange for damage but they don’t provide significantly better group support (in the standard build).

with a mace and battle presence also with regen boons the healing is quite substantial

the mace does around 500hp every 3 seconds. Battle presence gives the passive affect of Virtue of resolve which heals for about 100+ per tick (depends on healing power) and hold the line gives a good amount of regen for the party. Not to mention Roll to heal.

Overall you get more healing in constantly than waiting for warriors to pop their shouts then wait for cooldown

You can still get these traits even spec for good damage.

Yaki.9563:

KensaiZen.3740:

Yaki.9563:

So basically AH and EM need a nerf. AH for it’s ezmode automatic self-heals with no basis on the gear you’re wearing, and EM because it adds too much benefit to the group for just one trait. In that “versatility” you talk about I bet you never take off AH or EM.

Why would I need to handicap myself? to make people not running a AH+EM build feel better about themselves?

Versatility through Gear with static traits. Not complicated.

Right, what’s not broken about always using the same 2 OP traits in every build. Why bother having 5 trait lines.

The other trait lines are optional. Just like every other 5 trait lines in every other class.

Why would it be broken? its not like you get huge damage from these traits or get huge defence. These 2 trait lines is balanced so you can build on what you want with equipment.

There is such a thing as a happy medium for Guardians.

KensaiZen.3740:

Yaki.9563:

KensaiZen.3740:

Yaki.9563:

So basically AH and EM need a nerf. AH for it’s ezmode automatic self-heals with no basis on the gear you’re wearing, and EM because it adds too much benefit to the group for just one trait. In that “versatility” you talk about I bet you never take off AH or EM.

Why would I need to handicap myself? to make people not running a AH+EM build feel better about themselves?

Versatility through Gear with static traits. Not complicated.

Right, what’s not broken about always using the same 2 OP traits in every build. Why bother having 5 trait lines.

The other trait lines are optional. Just like every other 5 trait lines in every other class.

Why would it be broken? its not like you get huge damage from these traits or get huge defence. These 2 trait lines is balanced so you can build on what you want with equipment.

There is such a thing as a happy medium for Guardians.

When people play a game with a large degree of customization, they generally don’t want one or two things to be the absolute best.

AH+EM is 50/70 points pre-dedicated, and to maximize AH you’ll be going Hammer with Shouts.

I don’t run that build, but for most people it’s too hard to not run 30 Valor.

It’s broken not in the sense that it’s overpowered, but in the sense that other viable options are very few. Basically, the offensive trait lines for Guardians are clearly sub-par while the defensive one is nearly flawless and synergizes with almost everything, and the support ones synergize with the defensive one.

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

So ArenaNet’s design is “For anyone interested in Guardians: If you want to be a buff kitten or a tank play a Guardian with 0/0/30/20/20 a Hammer and Shouts. If you want to be effective at anything else, be a Warrior.”

I always thought their philosophy was thay any Profession can be built for support/survival/damage, but they all have different mechanisms, forms, and specific instances that situationally favor one Profession or the other. Not “this Profession is the best at X, play this other Profession if you want to do Y”.

Alarox.4590:

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

So ArenaNet’s design is “For anyone interested in Guardians: If you want to be a buff kitten or a tank play a Guardian with 0/0/30/20/20 a Hammer and Shouts. If you want to be effective at anything else, be a Warrior.”

I always thought their philosophy was thay any Profession can be built for support/survival/damage, but they all have different mechanisms, forms, and specific instances that situationally favor one Profession or the other. Not “this Profession is the best at X, play this other Profession if you want to do Y”.

Well if that were the case guardians would have access to extreme burst skills and actually have good mobility AND a ranged weapon that’s effective at 1200 range.

Guess it must be me and my imaginary world

KensaiZen.3740:

with a mace and battle presence also with regen boons the healing is quite substantial

the mace does around 500hp every 3 seconds. Battle presence gives the passive affect of Virtue of resolve which heals for about 100+ per tick (depends on healing power) and hold the line gives a good amount of regen for the party. Not to mention Roll to heal.

Overall you get more healing in constantly than waiting for warriors to pop their shouts then wait for cooldown

You can still get these traits even spec for good damage.

You can trait battle presence (why would you?) and heal on dodge while going DPS, but the healing isn’t going to be much at all. If you’re going to use the mace then your damage is going to be crap. Guardians can heal well (in GW2 terms) but they can’t heal well and do decent DPS.

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

Except AH is not support. It’s a selfish survivability trait, but it’s so good and works so well without any healing gear that it’s almost a must-have trait. There are lots of other support traits, but I don’t see them being nearly as mandatory as AH or EM because those two traits are significantly better than almost every other trait. That makes them broken. Just because you like it doesn’t make it ok.

KensaiZen.3740:

Alarox.4590:

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

So ArenaNet’s design is “For anyone interested in Guardians: If you want to be a buff kitten or a tank play a Guardian with 0/0/30/20/20 a Hammer and Shouts. If you want to be effective at anything else, be a Warrior.”

I always thought their philosophy was thay any Profession can be built for support/survival/damage, but they all have different mechanisms, forms, and specific instances that situationally favor one Profession or the other. Not “this Profession is the best at X, play this other Profession if you want to do Y”.

Well if that were the case guardians would have access to extreme burst skills and actually have good mobility AND a ranged weapon that’s effective at 1200 range.

Guess it must be me and my imaginary world

I said I thought it was their philosophy, not that they’ve followed it.

Yaki.9563:

KensaiZen.3740:

with a mace and battle presence also with regen boons the healing is quite substantial

the mace does around 500hp every 3 seconds. Battle presence gives the passive affect of Virtue of resolve which heals for about 100+ per tick (depends on healing power) and hold the line gives a good amount of regen for the party. Not to mention Roll to heal.

Overall you get more healing in constantly than waiting for warriors to pop their shouts then wait for cooldown

You can still get these traits even spec for good damage.

You can trait battle presence (why would you?) and heal on dodge while going DPS, but the healing isn’t going to be much at all. If you’re going to use the mace then your damage is going to be crap. Guardians can heal well (in GW2 terms) but they can’t heal well and do decent DPS.

If you go for full berserker trinkets you will be outputting decent damage even if you have tanky armour on. Even when using the mace.

For extra damage use sigils to increase the damage with their traits.

As long as the mob/mobs are focused on you. The rolling heal and mace heal is decent enough support for your team mates since they wont be getting that much damage. The odd AoE might catch them or a stray mob but thats where the little heals come in handy.

Yaki.9563:

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

Except AH is not support. It’s a selfish survivability trait, but it’s so good and works so well without any healing gear that it’s almost a must-have trait. There are lots of other support traits, but I don’t see them being nearly as mandatory as AH or EM because those two traits are significantly better than almost every other trait. That makes them broken. Just because you like it doesn’t make it ok.

I doubt that nerfing the traits would bring about buffing other traits to compensate. The end result would most likely result is Guardians being nerfed without any form of compensation.

It is true, you are not a true healer.

You however can be a tank, a healer, and a DPS all in one.

It’s better than being a true healer.

Yaki.9563:

Except AH is not support. It’s a selfish survivability trait, y other trait. That makes them broken. Just because you like it doesn’t make it ok.

Then i think you missed the point with the trait, AH alone does nothing and if you are bad at supporting your allies then AH brings you little to nothing, hence the nerf to vigorous precision was justified which infact was a selfish trait unless tons of heal power so you could heal on roll.

The better you support the more you gain from it, imo this is the opposite of a selfish survivability trait. Infact the guardian should have more stuff like this but ofc in other lines, a couple of traits similar to AH in zeal would be more then welcome. The more boons you give allies the more power you gain would be really nice.

Monks focus on the other hand is more of a selfish trait and can infact be played exlusively for your own benefit and its also much better for sologameplay then AH.

AH/EM is fine, the main issue is that the other lines offers very poor endtraits. And i would grab 2h mastery any day of the week over EM if i played a x/x/30/20/x build. But thats me.

Brutaly.6257:

Yaki.9563:

Except AH is not support. It’s a selfish survivability trait, y other trait. That makes them broken. Just because you like it doesn’t make it ok.

Then i think you missed the point with the trait, AH alone does nothing and if you are bad at supporting your allies then AH brings you little to nothing, hence the nerf to vigorous precision was justified which infact was a selfish trait unless tons of heal power so you could heal on roll.

The better you support the more you gain from it, imo this is the opposite of a selfish survivability trait. Infact the guardian should have more stuff like this but ofc in other lines, a couple of traits similar to AH in zeal would be more then welcome. The more boons you give allies the more power you gain would be really nice.

Monks focus on the other hand is more of a selfish trait and can infact be played exlusively for your own benefit and its also much better for sologameplay then AH.

AH/EM is fine, the main issue is that the other lines offers very poor endtraits. And i would grab 2h mastery any day of the week over EM if i played a x/x/30/20/x build. But thats me.

I agree; the talented people for GW2 are certainly looking into making things good across the board for all players – give it time -

Yaki.9563:

KensaiZen.3740:

It’s almost like they wanted to design Guardian to mainly support with slight option to kittenage.

It is true they allow every class to do every roll in the game but some classes do some things better than others.

Except AH is not support. It’s a selfish survivability trait, but it’s so good and works so well without any healing gear that it’s almost a must-have trait. There are lots of other support traits, but I don’t see them being nearly as mandatory as AH or EM because those two traits are significantly better than almost every other trait. That makes them broken. Just because you like it doesn’t make it ok.

Why you try to put AH into a “Group Support Role” is beyond me. It’s not support. So stop trying to put it there and move on.

AH is in our VALOR line, which is our DPS line. It serves to ~wait for it~ keep us up so we can keep on dps’n or fulfuil your secondary role (CC / Condition Removal / Heals).

As for it being “OP”. it’s not. however, I dont’ use it anymore and don’t notice it gone.

As for your comment on Monks Focus, brutaly, I think you’re pigeon holing the class.

It too, acts in the same respect as AH. it allows us to continue to fulfill our secondary role (CC & Condition Removal): JI (gets you into the fight and sets up the AoE); SY wipes group conditons; CoP keeps you in the middle of the fight where you’re being blasted w/ conditions and gives you a nice 2k heal.

you can use SY + CoP in conjuction with each other to reset.

Very closed minded.

people need to get off this “Healing is the only support”.

Guardians are amazing at condition removal.

Guardians are amazing at setting up the “the bomb”.

Guardians are amazing damage negation.

Guardians are amazing at group mobility (stability).

All of which are “Support Roles”.

Redefine how you think of support.

Healing and Vitality are some of the worst stats a guardian can pick. They can do wayyy more valuable things than just heal.

Kerithlan.1659:

Water sigils are pretty terrible imho, the 30% chance to heal only procs on critical hits. Almost worthless on a full cleric build. Bring Hydromancy or Life sigils instead.

Honestly if your just wanting to heal something like the following would be fairly decent at it. Just dont expect to hit anything as your going to look like your attacking with a wet noodle…

http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/guardian/?3|2.1a.h1f|6.1a.h1f|1a.b1d.1a.b1d.1a.71g.1a.71g.1a.71h.1a.71h|1a.9a.1a.68.1a.68.1a.68.1a.68.1a.68|0.0.k46.u3ac.k29|4h.7|e

I tried doing a healing thing, but it didn’t work out for me, as the heals are subpar and the drop in DPS isn’t pretty. However, I DO have a newfound appreciation for the Staff while running in zergs, karma trains, and while fighting bosses.

So now I pretty much stick with Scepter/Torch and Greatsword when not doing a boss or around a bunch of other people, along with abusing the power of the shouts to buff others. I seem to do a lot better as attack support.

Amins.3710:

Why you try to put AH into a “Group Support Role” is beyond me. It’s not support. So stop trying to put it there and move on.

Um what? Putting AH in a group support role is the ONLY place it fits. No AH build is worth a crap unless you are supporting a team with boons from as many sources as you can get. It’s not nearly as good as Monk’s for soloing. By default, if you are talking about AH, you should only be referring about a group supporting build. It’s effectiveness is lost for anything else.

I’m seeing a lot of sensational posts in this thread. It’s a little disappointing. I’m all for playing how you choose. Expanding that sphere of consideration will allow people to realize that there is a greater good to bringing value to your team through the tools of your profession. If a person can’t do that, I don’t understand why they would choose to play a guardian to being with.

Back to the topic: I think the title is a little misleading. Yes Guardians are healers and kitten good ones but in GW2, healers aren’t the traditional kind everyone experienced in MMO’s is used to.

Please tell me how AH is a Primary Support Skill.

It’s not.

Its secondary, as its “support” is added value by keeping ~YOU~ alive.

It (behing AH), in and of itslef, does NOTHING for your group.

That is the point.

Your “Group” is better served in full Cleric with a x/x/x/30/30 build with a buff to Symbols or 2h Master & Group VoR, then down the Consecration line w/ either a buff to VoR/C or Elite.

More importantly, who says you need to be dishing out buff’s to ally’s for AH to be effective for yourself? It helps, definatly, but putting buff’s on ally’s is not a pre-req for the ability to be effective: Shelter, SY, Vigor, Hallowed Ground, Might Stacking, Runes of Lyssa… on and on and on.

It’s primary support because:

1. It’s optimized for team-based play spreading out boons. No one will argue that’s not a key tactic for supporting the team. Every Guardian build focused on support will feature something to give the team boons.
2. It’s not very good healing when you aren’t doing that. It would be difficult to claim that AH would be used in anything BUT a supporting build. Solo, it’s on par with our passive VoR.

AH is just there to keep you alive so it’s not support? That’s a rather ridiculous position. A persons ability to keep themselves alive is one of the most fundamental team support functions that they should be performing. The fact that I go down the LEAST of all other people I have teamed with in my AH supporting build makes AH play a HUGE supporting role in my team based play.

If you think there are other supportive builds that are better, that’s fine. I won’t debate that. That doesn’t degrade the significance of AH in support builds as a trait that supports the team by keeping you alive. The collective experience on that matter is quite extensive.