Guild Wars 2

Hi.

I’m looking for a staff or Death Shroud PvE build and gearing advice.

Here is the current build I’m running around with which I am liking very much.

http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mVVm0czzMmhMComhGCo0pG0pMsMVoa

My playstyle is as follows: I am typically on staff getting life force as fast as possible. When it becomes 100%, I switch to DS and start life blasting. I leave DS right before my LF goes below 50%. Rinse and repeat.

I’m looking for a pure damage build with massive single and AoE damage (hence, staying in DS as much as possible) that will never have to go to melee range (which is why there are 25 points in precision for the targettable wells).

I don’t care about support or survivability (I’ve ran dungeons in full rampagers w/o any survivability problems).

The only reason I equip a scepter is because I HATE being in melee, and axe range is still too close for comfort.

My questions:

1. If going for maximum damage on dungeon bosses, should I go all out Zerker (which will leverage on the curses and soul reaping lines as well) or should I stick with Rampager (which will give more damage to all of the bleeds and poisons that are side effects of staff and scepter skills)? I know this question can be answered by Math but I’m hoping someone else has done this before.

2. I’m not really sure if my build above is the best in terms of maximum damage. Can someone advice on a pure damaging build and gear that utilizes Staff, DS, and/or Scepter? I am inclined more towards power builds than conditional damage builds.

Thank you very much all in advance

honestly i recommend losing scepter for dagger (it’s prob best to see the biggest hits on a power nec). Get better at dodging
go for valks or knights armour

Orb.1702:

honestly i recommend losing scepter for dagger (it’s prob best to see the biggest hits on a power nec). Get better at dodging
go for valks or knights armour

Hey… umm… thanks… I guess? But I really cannot compromise on the range. I don’t have problems with dodging, I just really don’t like playing melee. It feels so barbaric, but that’s just me.

If you decide to go Scepter, remember that it is our worst weapon for life force generation. As such, you will want a Focus offhand (same range at 900) for the generation off of Reaper’s Touch. The vulnerability and regen are icing on the cake.

Either Spiteful Talisman or Reaper’s Might are your best picks for Spite adept level. Reaper’s Might lets your life blasts stack up damage like mad while Spiteful Talisman lets you generate your much needed life force (and strip boons) much more often.

Regardless, I would suggest trying 15 points in Curses for Fury on entering death shroud. Given your weapon choices, the 150 condition damage will be helpful too, but you really want the Fury and precision.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Regardless, I would suggest trying 15 points in Curses for Fury on entering death shroud.

Did you even look at his build? It has this trait in it.

Dredlord.8076:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Regardless, I would suggest trying 15 points in Curses for Fury on entering death shroud.

Did you even look at his build? It has this trait in it.

I tried to. The link took me to the very start of the builder (no build yet). Perhaps this is an issue with my browser, but I could not see any build.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Dredlord.8076:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Regardless, I would suggest trying 15 points in Curses for Fury on entering death shroud.

Did you even look at his build? It has this trait in it.

I tried to. The link took me to the very start of the builder (no build yet). Perhaps this is an issue with my browser, but I could not see any build.

I think you are just lazy. You didn’t check the links in the other thread either when you were clearly wrong about how certain abilities work.

1. “Glancing Blow” is not defined in ability tooltips. Neither is “fumble”
2. I did recount my statements regarding the actual tooltips.
3. Wikis can be edited by anyone. Using it as evidence in an online argument is pointless for that reason.

I would make a video, but it would be pretty pointless and you would probably claim I edited out a portion.

Now, having opened the link with a different browser (so apparently, that WAS the issue), I can make better suggestions.

Suggestion 1: take 5 points out of Curses and put them into Soul Reaping. If using death shroud to its fullest is your plan, you either want half recharge (which lets you get perma-fury) or stability on entering, depending on the exact situation. 2% bonus damage per condition on the enemy is pretty weak in comparison to the bonuses you get from 30 in Soul Reaping. If you were continuing on for 30 in Curses, it would be worthwhile, but 25 is a pretty bad breakpoint.

Suggestion 2: Swap Hemophilia for Weakening Shroud. At most, you’re only getting an additional tick per skill (2 on Enfeebling Blood, but I disagree with your choice of offhand, see below). Given the amount of time you plan on spending in death shroud, getting 10 seconds of bleed in an AoE (plus weakness) each time you enter is better than an additional tick on 5-25-second cooldowns that are not your focus.

Suggestion 3: Change your off-hand weapon in the second weapon set. Scepter-Dagger is our absolute worst weapon combo for building life force, which is crucial to your concept. You get 2.2% life force every 10.75 seconds at best. Merely swapping to Focus lets you generate up to 16.5% life force every 18.75 seconds (average of .88%/second compared to .205%/second) in addition to giving you or allies regen and stacking vulnerability rapidly. Spinal Shivers is more situational, but you should use it to remove boons when the Well is on cooldown.

Remember: your self-stated goal was to spend most of your combat time in death shroud for Life Blast. Yes, you will be on staff normally. You’re built for it. When you swap weapons, it should be for something that staff doesn’t provide well. Off-hand dagger does not accomplish this, since you are not focused around condition damage.

Personally, if I were going with a build of that type, I’d go with a mix of Valkyrie armor, Berserker/Beryl Jewelry and Valk/Berserker weapons.

The reason I suggest the Valkyrie variants is because the added Vitality will actually increase the amount of time you are able to stay in DS with >50% LF, and it will provide you with the added benefit of a bit more survivability.

You’d need to mix and match a bit to see what gives you the best combination of Power/Crit Chance/Crit Damage and HP. Generally I’d aim for around 25,000 health minimum (so around 650 vitality total), and then prioritize Power, then Crit Chance (up to 35-40%), then Crit Damage. Some people suggest a higher crit chance, but with Furious Demise and jumping in/out of DS, you probably don’t need that much.

I would also suggest dropping 10 points from Curses and putting them into Spite to get the added Might from Reaper’s Might. As a PvE build, you don’t really need Well of Corruption (it’s only useful in a few fights), and you can replace it with Blood is Power for added damage, bleeds and Might. I’d also remove Well of Suffering (as you don’t want to get into Melee Range), and replace it with Signet of Undeath. It will help you with faster life force generation, and you can be the hero in PvE fights where allies get downed in awkward places.

Also, don’t forget to eat your Orrian Steak Frittes and your Superior Sharpening Stones before fights (or Omnomberry Tarts if you want MF).

Sorry I don’t have better numbers for exactly which gear pieces you would want to use.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

take 5 points out of Curses and put them into Soul Reaping. If using death shroud to its fullest is your plan, you either want half recharge (which lets you get perma-fury) or stability on entering, depending on the exact situation. 2% bonus damage per condition on the enemy is pretty weak in comparison to the bonuses you get from 30 in Soul Reaping. If you were continuing on for 30 in Curses, it would be worthwhile, but 25 is a pretty bad breakpoint.

why do you keep giving people fail advice….

The only way he will get perma fury is if he toggles DS on and off instantly at each cooldown and then he gets no benefit from huge life blast crits if he isn’t staying in DS from 100% to 50% life force. He told us his playstyle already and that isn’t it.

He said he wants a PVE ranged damage build, why would he take stability?

Just stop posting, you aren’t helping anyone.

gnam.6407:

The reason I suggest the Valkyrie variants is because the added Vitality will actually increase the amount of time you are able to stay in DS with >50% LF, and it will provide you with the added benefit of a bit more survivability.

more misinformation

Vit does not increase the time you are able to stay in DS, there are entire threads in this forum devoted to testing that and even a dev post regarding it.

Vital Persistence is the only thing that increases the time you can stay in DS.

Read the OP he wants damage not survivability.

I believe by “increasing the time spent in death shroud” it was from the “how much damage can be soaked before you hit the threshold” rather than “if you’re not hit, you stay in longer”.

Perma-fury would be an option, not something to go after actively.

Fears, knockdowns, stuns, and dazes can happen at long ranges (fought Claw of Jormag recently? He fears at 2000+ range), so Stability should be sought after as an option (heck been in cursed shore? Stupid putrifiers will yank you everywhere).

Faster death shroud recharge ensures that you can be back in death shroud when your life force is full. It wouldn’t be uncommon in PvE to hit your 50% threshold., leave death shroud, then have your bar refilled very swiftly (namely due to things dying). If you want to be in death shroud as much as possible, needing to wait those extra 6 seconds for it to recharge can be rather annoying.

And I’m the one not helping anyone… Look at your own posts, please.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Suggestion 2: Swap Hemophilia for Weakening Shroud. At most, you’re only getting an additional tick per skill (2 on Enfeebling Blood, but I disagree with your choice of offhand, see below). Given the amount of time you plan on spending in death shroud, getting 10 seconds of bleed in an AoE (plus weakness) each time you enter is better than an additional tick on 5-25-second cooldowns that are not your focus.

more fail advice…

Reapers precision is the best choice here, what is he going to hit with weakening shroud when he is fighting at range? What a total waste, you would have him popping off weakening shrouds with no one around on a boss fight and spamming his staff abilities with full time fury. LOL

Dredlord: I get it, you don’t actually play the game. You don’t realize that many mobs have gap closers and you can’t always sit at max range. You don’t realize that CC happens at any range (some which ensures that you no longer have range). You don’t realize that options are just that: options.

I get that you would prefer to pick someone and follow them around the forums bashing everything they say, even to the point of offering nothing at all to the conversation at hand. Congrats, you have successfully trolled me. Now get your act together and offer some actual advice of your own. I have yet to see you do anything like that, though, so my guess is you don’t actually know how the game is in practice. You can read the wiki and theorycraft, but you don’t have a clue about how it actually works.

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

If you want to be in death shroud as much as possible, needing to wait those extra 6 seconds for it to recharge can be rather annoying.

And I’m the one not helping anyone… Look at your own posts, please.

6 seconds? you mean 5? you don’t even know what your DS cooldown is…

Yes, no advice is better than your incorrect advice.

If he had followed your advice he would be doing less dps than his original build. READ his original post!!!!!!!!!!

just stop posting and start learning about the necro before you try and give anyone else advice please.

I’m not trolling you, I’m mitigating your ignorance for the benefit of the necro community.

This is happening in multiple threads.

Stop giving advice, you are not equipped for it.

Dredlord.8076:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

If you want to be in death shroud as much as possible, needing to wait those extra 6 seconds for it to recharge can be rather annoying.

And I’m the one not helping anyone… Look at your own posts, please.

6 seconds? you mean 5? you don’t even know what your DS cooldown is…

I’m well aware of what it is. 10 seconds normally, 5 seconds traited. In PvE, your life force bar can fill in 4 seconds, especially from half. You would still have to wait 1 second traited in that case, but non-traited, you are, indeed, waiting 6.

Again, if you did more than theorycraft and kitten, you would know this.

Life Blast will be his highest damage output attack option. As such, swapping a weapon that does things he is not specced into and does nothing to contribute to his main focus would be good advice. Getting the death shroud cooldown to be lower will INCREASE his DPS, since in PvE it can fill in less than 5 seconds. No need to wait for those extra 5 seconds if you don’t have to. Alternatively, it’s better to have some good protection from CC (even if it is only 3.6 seconds) to keep your DPS up through it than none at all. You more than make up 2% damage from that save the big boss events (at which point that extra 14% damage is honestly not going to make a heck of a lot of difference in the flow of the fight).

PvE is decently easy, yes. That does not mean you can go AFK.

my god you are as thick as a minion….

@OP: Rune-wise, you might do well with Superior Runes of the Citadel or Rune of the Mesmer. For Mesmer runes, I would not go with 6 of them (you have no way to daze, so the bonus is wasted). Both boost your power. Citadel runes boost fury duration and have a couple of decent effects that can trigger when hit (better one is the fury, since you are at least attempting to keep range). Mesmer runes give Precision instead. Both are comparatively cheap. Going 5 of one set and 1 of the other is not a bad option either.

Equipment would probably be best done with Knight’s gear. Power, Toughness, Precision. Toughness is standard for survivability but also works nicely with oils (higher ratio than vitality on the high-tier oils, has a ratio period on lower tier). Power and Precision are naturally both for damage. You should have roughly a 35-38% crit chance with this setup pre-fury.

Sigils are a matter of taste more than anything in this particular setup. Straight damage boosts (anything that increases crit chance, power, % boost, or gives Might) are expensive. Peril might work out to start as it is pretty cheap and lets you maintain a bit more vulnerability on the targets. Purity/Generosity both give you a way to get rid of conditions while in death shroud.

Keep in mind, anything I suggested for price is assuming you don’t have lots of cash to spend on equipment. If you do, go ahead and buy the runes/sigils you like.