Guild Wars 2

Have decided to try and run with a Chrono tank for Vale as we have several Reapers in guild.
My question is I have seen many builds for Chrono on youtube and here and want to ask wouldn’t using Chaos traits make better sense as a tank instead of illusions?
It gives regen, damage reduc, stability and these just seem a better "fit’ for tanking.
Now, I come from WOW and my take on tanking is way off from what this game is asking which is why I am asking.
Are the traits from Illusions that much better for a tank? Also, any way to bump up our dps to help raid or is that just a tradeoff with the support I can bring?
Or……do I just go back to my Reaper….lol.

gw2 dont have tanks like at other games!

take your regular party-dps build and add a few toughtness trinkets (usually one should be enought, apart from some pugs, who want you to run total nonesense amount of it)

If you feel failing, maybe add a defensive trait or skill, but thats not needed.

So, just because you’re tanking doesn’t mean you need to stack as much survivability as possible. You just need enough so that you’re not too much of a burden to the healer.

Since there’s so many active defense skills on chrono, you really don’t take much damage anyways. Chaos isn’t bad, per se, since it does give some decent boon duration that can make up for a lack of it on your gear, but you only need to aim for about 44% if you have a herald in your party (44% + their 50% gives you 94%, which rounds up 1s quickness boons to 2s).

Here’s a basic outline of what lines are good for tanks and why:

Chaos – Makes up for boon duration missing on gear and has decent damage reduction.
Inspiration – Allows you to grant distortion to your group and Mental Defense gives you another illusion, which reduces group damage.
Illusions – More alacrity from lower shatter recharge and more dps.
Domination – More dps and distortion on signet (can work well with Inspiration line and Sig of Insp to allow groups to skip mechanics, like green circles on VG)

This is the build I use to tank in my raid group, have defeated VG and we’re working on gorse now: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAs+dncfCFohlfC+fCUrhFljCtyShMrORn0K9MAWgID-T1RBAB7o+TXK/+f/BzUCCwDAgP9CacSAIFQELAA-w

Chrono is obvious. Illusions is required because it lowers the cooldown on shatters, and that means a lower cooldown on your alacrity/quickness wombo-combo. Additionally, illusions lets you take PoM for a near-permanent uptime on active defense between shield 4 and sword 2. The last choice is inspiration because of the additional defensive benefits it gives. You’re continually healing yourself with shatters, and that lowers the healing load for your druid, allowing them to focus on healing/damage buffing the others. Additionally, you’ll pop out iDefenders a lot (~every 8 seconds), and that provides solid uptime on a massive damage reduction for your squad.

Chaos is unnecessary. It provides a small damage reduction, a bit of protection…and that’s it. You can get protection in other ways, the damage reduction is unnecessary, and you really don’t need that regen. Stability is also completely irrelevant. There are zero ccs in vale guardian, and the only cc gorse has is a huge blockable/dodgeable smash.

If you want to bump your dps up to help the raid, take the build I’ve posted and replace all knights/cavs gear with zerker gear until your toughness is just barely higher than the next highest toughness person on the team. The boss aggros with toughness, and so you just need to be higher than the next one, not necessarily as high as I run with.

thanks heaps all! very good info that I can run with and shall give it a go. I will do what you suggested fay and run your build but swap out some gear to help with dps, as that seems to be a big deal as well.
Cheers!!

Another general question, and I know this may be biased as this is Chrono/Mesmer threads but what would you all say makes a “better” tank, in terms of dps, buffs, etc. reaper or Chrono?? try and be impartial…..

Joxer.6024:

thanks heaps all! very good info that I can run with and shall give it a go. I will do what you suggested fay and run your build but swap out some gear to help with dps, as that seems to be a big deal as well.
Cheers!!

Another general question, and I know this may be biased as this is Chrono/Mesmer threads but what would you all say makes a “better” tank, in terms of dps, buffs, etc. reaper or Chrono?? try and be impartial…..

Chrono, hands down, no contest, not even close.

The key here is that reaper is a very strong dps class, both in conditions and power depending on how you spec. Chrono is not. By going tank with a chrono, you lose far less dps than by going tank with a reaper.

Additionally, being the tank means you can control the boss. Since the chrono is the one that needs to be doing the buff combo onto everyone else, boss control means that you control all the variables necessary to do a successful combo; no having the boss run off somewhere else halfway through the combo because your tank decided to move a bit.

I am really going to go out on limb now asking for help……
Could someone (Fay?) who has “tanked” as Chrono give me a quick breakdown of a rotation of sorts. I saw the post on Meta site, and that’s helpful but would like it straight from those that do it more often.
Like I said, am keen to give Chrono a go as tank for our raid but the toon is somewhat new to be in terms of what one should pop and when while tanking/dpsing said Boss.
Thanks again all!! And yea, flame away as I reckon it is kinda a lame request but if ya don’t ask how you gonna learn?

Fay.2357:

Joxer.6024:

thanks heaps all! very good info that I can run with and shall give it a go. I will do what you suggested fay and run your build but swap out some gear to help with dps, as that seems to be a big deal as well.
Cheers!!

Another general question, and I know this may be biased as this is Chrono/Mesmer threads but what would you all say makes a “better” tank, in terms of dps, buffs, etc. reaper or Chrono?? try and be impartial…..

Chrono, hands down, no contest, not even close.

The key here is that reaper is a very strong dps class, both in conditions and power depending on how you spec. Chrono is not. By going tank with a chrono, you lose far less dps than by going tank with a reaper.

Additionally, being the tank means you can control the boss. Since the chrono is the one that needs to be doing the buff combo onto everyone else, boss control means that you control all the variables necessary to do a successful combo; no having the boss run off somewhere else halfway through the combo because your tank decided to move a bit.

But many claim that because Reaper does good dps that by having them as tank the party doesn’t lose out, but with Chrono they do? I see your point though, and makes sense really. If as a Chrono I cannot really “add” to the overall dps of the group, then yes, tanking and controlling (which is what a good tank should do anyways) the Boss is a better option.
Thanks again Fay, and see my post above if you have the time. You have been a HUGE help mate!!!

Joxer.6024:

Fay.2357:

Joxer.6024:

thanks heaps all! very good info that I can run with and shall give it a go. I will do what you suggested fay and run your build but swap out some gear to help with dps, as that seems to be a big deal as well.
Cheers!!

Another general question, and I know this may be biased as this is Chrono/Mesmer threads but what would you all say makes a “better” tank, in terms of dps, buffs, etc. reaper or Chrono?? try and be impartial…..

Chrono, hands down, no contest, not even close.

The key here is that reaper is a very strong dps class, both in conditions and power depending on how you spec. Chrono is not. By going tank with a chrono, you lose far less dps than by going tank with a reaper.

Additionally, being the tank means you can control the boss. Since the chrono is the one that needs to be doing the buff combo onto everyone else, boss control means that you control all the variables necessary to do a successful combo; no having the boss run off somewhere else halfway through the combo because your tank decided to move a bit.

But many claim that because Reaper does good dps that by having them as tank the party doesn’t lose out, but with Chrono they do?

That argument only makes sense if your group was considering not taking a chrono at all because of the low personal dps it has…but that’s obviously the wrong choice.

Anyway, the general combo is get 3 clones up, CS, time warp, all wells, shield 5, SoI, CS, shield 5, all wells, SoI. You want to repeat that as often as you reliably can (roughly once every 50 seconds). As long as your herald has the 50% boon duration on you, your squad will have permanent quickness and nearly permanent alacrity.

The defense is pretty straightforward. You’ve got sword 2 and shield 4. Shield 4 recharges when you shatter phantasms (thanks to pesistence of memory). Pretty much every single attack from the bosses that isn’t a group mechanic (such as green circles) can be blocked/dodged, so just rotate between sw2 and sh4 to mitigate as much damage as you can.

Fay.2357:

Joxer.6024:

Fay.2357:

Joxer.6024:

thanks heaps all! very good info that I can run with and shall give it a go. I will do what you suggested fay and run your build but swap out some gear to help with dps, as that seems to be a big deal as well.
Cheers!!

Another general question, and I know this may be biased as this is Chrono/Mesmer threads but what would you all say makes a “better” tank, in terms of dps, buffs, etc. reaper or Chrono?? try and be impartial…..

Chrono, hands down, no contest, not even close.

The key here is that reaper is a very strong dps class, both in conditions and power depending on how you spec. Chrono is not. By going tank with a chrono, you lose far less dps than by going tank with a reaper.

Additionally, being the tank means you can control the boss. Since the chrono is the one that needs to be doing the buff combo onto everyone else, boss control means that you control all the variables necessary to do a successful combo; no having the boss run off somewhere else halfway through the combo because your tank decided to move a bit.

But many claim that because Reaper does good dps that by having them as tank the party doesn’t lose out, but with Chrono they do?

That argument only makes sense if your group was considering not taking a chrono at all because of the low personal dps it has…but that’s obviously the wrong choice.

Anyway, the general combo is get 3 clones up, CS, time warp, all wells, shield 5, SoI, CS, shield 5, all wells, SoI. You want to repeat that as often as you reliably can (roughly once every 50 seconds). As long as your herald has the 50% boon duration on you, your squad will have permanent quickness and nearly permanent alacrity.

The defense is pretty straightforward. You’ve got sword 2 and shield 4. Shield 4 recharges when you shatter phantasms (thanks to pesistence of memory). Pretty much every single attack from the bosses that isn’t a group mechanic (such as green circles) can be blocked/dodged, so just rotate between sw2 and sh4 to mitigate as much damage as you can.

You rock mate!! THANKS HEAPS!!!!!!!

SuinegTsol.1729:

gw2 dont have tanks like at other games!

take your regular party-dps build and add a few toughtness trinkets (usually one should be enought, apart from some pugs, who want you to run total nonesense amount of it)

If you feel failing, maybe add a defensive trait or skill, but thats not needed.

No need to slot in a defensive trait, at most you just get the Shatter heal on Inspiration since you should be going down that line for Defender.

The only amount of toughness “necessary” is 1401 because PS War minor trait giving 400 toughness on revives. If you’re going for a speedrun group, then feel free to run 1001 (or a more practical number of 1070 where the 70 is from Nopalitos Saute or similar food making you the tank without modifying your equipment).

EDIT: Going to toss this in for Joxer.

The literal difference between a Chronotank and a DPS Chrono is the equipment and a traitline. A DPS Chrono is just going to hold 3 Avengers and do boonshare rotations on CS and once in between CS (twice, technically). A Chronotank is going to constantly spawn Avengers (through the usage of shatter-phantasm cooldown reduction) and be blocking, then blurred frenzy and shattering and blocking more. Additionally, the Chronotank is going to be doing their boonshare rotations on CS and once in between CS (twice, technically).

The DPS loss is almost non-existent, unless the Chrono is running Sword Offhand (which most groups will not want you to run, because focus pulls boiz).

The main thing to worry about as a Chronotank is boon strip on VG because the only source of strip is going to be sword chain and you might be constantly casting. To account for this, spawn a clone and try not to shatter during that phase (unless you shatter then drop the clone while casting your boonshare chain).

Fay.2357:

This is the build I use to tank in my raid group, have defeated VG and we’re working on gorse now: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vhAQNAs+dncfCFohlfC+fCUrhFljCtyShMrORn0K9MAWgID-T1RBAB7o+TXK/+f/BzUCCwDAgP9CacSAIFQELAA-w

Chrono is obvious. Illusions is required because it lowers the cooldown on shatters, and that means a lower cooldown on your alacrity/quickness wombo-combo. Additionally, illusions lets you take PoM for a near-permanent uptime on active defense between shield 4 and sword 2. The last choice is inspiration because of the additional defensive benefits it gives. You’re continually healing yourself with shatters, and that lowers the healing load for your druid, allowing them to focus on healing/damage buffing the others. Additionally, you’ll pop out iDefenders a lot (~every 8 seconds), and that provides solid uptime on a massive damage reduction for your squad.

Chaos is unnecessary. It provides a small damage reduction, a bit of protection…and that’s it. You can get protection in other ways, the damage reduction is unnecessary, and you really don’t need that regen. Stability is also completely irrelevant. There are zero ccs in vale guardian, and the only cc gorse has is a huge blockable/dodgeable smash.

If you want to bump your dps up to help the raid, take the build I’ve posted and replace all knights/cavs gear with zerker gear until your toughness is just barely higher than the next highest toughness person on the team. The boss aggros with toughness, and so you just need to be higher than the next one, not necessarily as high as I run with.

You’re overkilling it with the toughness. With all the blocks/evades and stuff you don’t need that much toughness. The survivability is in the ‘blocking’ attacks, not actually taking them to the face. You only need enough toughness to draw aggro (which is usually accomplished with 1 or 2 knight rings).

Also I would swap out Well of Recall for Well of Precognition. If you have 3 shield phantasms up they will provide you and your party with permanent alacrity (Well of Recall is still nice, but Well of Precognition just helps so much with tanking).

Well of Eternity is alright, but you can also consider running Signet of Ether. It instantly recharges your Shield 4, which would give you an extra 2 blocks. It’s just personal preference though, Well of Eternity is good too.

I agree that you can survive with just a +5 toughness infusion, but this also depends on your druid.

But I would NEVER swap out WoR for WoP just for your own QoL. You want as much alacrity as you can get. If you are unable to tank without WoP, better use toughness instead of WoP so you can keep WoR in your skillbar.

WoE vs SoE is really a taff call. I personally use WoE for the alacrity and aoe heal, SoE makes it much easier to tank tough, I totally agree with you on that one.