Guild Wars 2

So I finally have enough time gated materials to craft an ascended armor set for my Reaper to be used in PVE and Fractals but which stat set should I go with or which is most versatile? My gut is saying berserkers but wondering if that would end up too ‘squishy’ for higher level fractals.

Thoughts?

Infact: don’t. In higher level fractals mobs hits very hard so you need survivability. However, as stated in the past, a Cavalier/Zerk/Knight or variance with Valkyrie et simila, provides all the survivability you need without sacrificing too much damage. For condition builds Rabid or Dire works pretty well. I run Rabid, for example.

Nononononono

Fractal enemies hit like a godkitten wet noodle right now and Necro/Reaper can keep himself alive even if they were to hit harder. Also you have four other people in your party.
Go full zerk or Viper armor+weapon with sinister trinkets if you want to run a Condi-based build. I honestly have no idea how good condi-dps on Reaper is as I haven’t tried it yet, but mobs in fractals get insane toughness, which condi damage obviously bypasses. //Oh right Valk-Berserker mix works too.

For HoT open world and Fractals I’ve been running mostly Valk.

With the reaper decimate defenses trait, reasonable fury up-time and food buffs you probably have plenty of precision already and can make up the rest with a few zerk trinkets/weapons.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Rune_of_the_Wurm is pretty nifty for bonus crit damage

I’ve been trying out Cavalier trinkets lately for some nice synergy with https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Deadly_Strength

As others have alluded to however, since HoT fractals have seen pretty noticeable damage nerfs with most enemies becoming damage sponges.

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

Arcades Saboth.5139:

Infact: don’t. In higher level fractals mobs hits very hard so you need survivability. However, as stated in the past, a Cavalier/Zerk/Knight or variance with Valkyrie et simila, provides all the survivability you need without sacrificing too much damage. For condition builds Rabid or Dire works pretty well. I run Rabid, for example.

Not sure if /s………

I haven’t done much fractal since HoT but from what I heard of the boss damage is even lower than 50 pre-HoT. And from experience in 50s they indeed became bigger hp-sponge. So I’d say just berserker. Or sinister.

Naustis.8510:

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

How is a reaper running valk w/ almost capped crit chance any worse than berserker?
It still has just the same amount of Power/Crit Damage Also the extra vit helps me facetank damage whilst rezzing zerker pug scrubs.

Naustis.8510:

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

Too bad that Berserker mixed with Valk (not as much Cav) is actually pretty good and better in terms of stat points spent if you run with Decimate and proper party buffs to get 100% critchance.
In groups where you can’t expect this though you go Zerker, yes. Or if you’re just too lazy. lmao

Bysvyken.6235:

Naustis.8510:

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

How is a reaper running valk w/ almost capped crit chance any worse than berserker?
It still has just the same amount of Power/Crit Damage Also the extra vit helps me facetank damage whilst rezzing zerker pug scrubs.

Assuming you mean capped while in shroud right?

OrigiNull.2719:

Bysvyken.6235:

Naustis.8510:

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

How is a reaper running valk w/ almost capped crit chance any worse than berserker?
It still has just the same amount of Power/Crit Damage Also the extra vit helps me facetank damage whilst rezzing zerker pug scrubs.

Assuming you mean capped while in shroud right?

No, you bump yourself to about 25% (a bit more) with your gear, then add the 50%~ from decimate defenses, then add party buffs like fury, banner and spotter.

Bysvyken.6235:

Naustis.8510:

Ye, keep runing valk/cavalier, QQ later that ppl still thinks that necro is useless

Bers is the only way to go if u want to be compete with different classes.

How is a reaper running valk w/ almost capped crit chance any worse than berserker?
It still has just the same amount of Power/Crit Damage Also the extra vit helps me facetank damage whilst rezzing zerker pug scrubs.

Well, if you run greatsword you miss soul eater which is a bit of a dps loss for both above and below 50% health.

Afya.5842:

I haven’t done much fractal since HoT but from what I heard of the boss damage is even lower than 50 pre-HoT. And from experience in 50s they indeed became bigger hp-sponge. So I’d say just berserker. Or sinister.

Yes, I did fractals from 50 to 57 these days and I can confirm boss damage is lower and some mechanics are easier. However this is because they extended the maximum level: bosses health is now much, much higher which prevents you to burst everything in a few seconds and escape. You need to sustain longer fights and if this is true for level 50~60, higher tier will be even harder. Zerk, in my opinion, is not the way any more for (new) high level fractals (70+).

I always preferred condition builds and right now I deal damage pretty close to a zerk build. In fractals, which involve a lot of mechanics that makes you to move a lot, range damage (whether direct or condition) is preferred in many situations.

Arcades Saboth.5139:

Afya.5842:

I haven’t done much fractal since HoT but from what I heard of the boss damage is even lower than 50 pre-HoT. And from experience in 50s they indeed became bigger hp-sponge. So I’d say just berserker. Or sinister.

Yes, I did fractals from 50 to 57 these days and I can confirm boss damage is lower and some mechanics are easier. However this is because they extended the maximum level: bosses health is now much, much higher which prevents you to burst everything in a few seconds and escape. You need to sustain longer fights and if this is true for level 50~60, higher tier will be even harder. Zerk, in my opinion, is not the way any more for (new) high level fractals (70+).

I always preferred condition builds and right now I deal damage pretty close to a zerk build. In fractals, which involve a lot of mechanics that makes you to move a lot, range damage (whether direct or condition) is preferred in many situations.

Even Lv100 Mai hits for much less than old 50 Mai. Damage of mobs, especially bosses, has been nerfed into oblivion for the most part.
Condition builds currently win on high scales because of the stupidly high toughness.

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

Even Lv100 Mai hits for much less than old 50 Mai. Damage of mobs, especially bosses, has been nerfed into oblivion for the most part.

Are you sure? Have you reached level 100? It is possible but sounds strange to me.

Arcades Saboth.5139:

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

Even Lv100 Mai hits for much less than old 50 Mai. Damage of mobs, especially bosses, has been nerfed into oblivion for the most part.

Are you sure? Have you reached level 100? It is possible but sounds strange to me.

Yes I have reached Lv100 and besides some exceptions (which are mostly trash) everything hits like a wet noodle.

Aye, and bers /sinister gear is even more imporant in fractals or u gonna fight bosses for centuries
For aNet harder = longer

Naustis.8510:

Aye, and bers /sinister gear is even more imporant in fractals or u gonna fight bosses for centuries
For aNet harder = longer

Did you even play high scale fractals?
Bosses get insane toughness towards the end, crippling berserker damage and heavily favoring condition based damage, thus condi-gear is preferred as long as your class has a decent condition-build in the first place.

Its prefered even on non Condi classes with current scaling.

spoj.9672:

Its prefered even on non Condi classes with current scaling.

Oh, really? Welp, that’s pretty sad.

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

spoj.9672:

Its prefered even on non Condi classes with current scaling.

Oh, really? Welp, that’s pretty sad.

Why sad? I’m all for more build variety. That’s what condition is designed for in the first place, armor ignoring damage for high toughness bosses. That said, lengthening the boss fight does not make it challenging so they need to fix it so that when using the most optimal gear, the fight should not take more time than it is before.

Condi builds being on par with DD builds =/= pseudo-forcing condi builds through insanely high toughness on mobs. That’s not build variety, that’s just bad design to create the illusion of “challenge”.

Afya.5842:

Why sad? I’m all for more build variety.

All it does is push the current mono-stat meta into a different mono-stat meta. The meta is still just as stale. If some bosses had high Vitality but low Toughness and others had low Toughness and high Vitality, that might lead to some variety, but then you’d just force people into going in with two armor sets for optimum performance and switching between them as appropriate. The fights would still be no more dynamic.

Afya.5842:

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

spoj.9672:

Its prefered even on non Condi classes with current scaling.

Oh, really? Welp, that’s pretty sad.

Why sad? I’m all for more build variety. That’s what condition is designed for in the first place, armor ignoring damage for high toughness bosses. That said, lengthening the boss fight does not make it challenging so they need to fix it so that when using the most optimal gear, the fight should not take more time than it is before.

It’s sad because before you had conditions + direct damage which was viable. I’m going as far as saying that even gear with some passive defense had certain value if you were new/not good at the game to not immediately die if you mess up. Now it’s what? Damage is so low it tickles you even if you don’t run any passive defense and direct damage is horrible. It forces every class to run conditions, even if they’re bad at it, how does that push build variety? It KILLS every kind of build variety you could have.

Blaine Tog.8304:

Afya.5842:

Why sad? I’m all for more build variety.

All it does is push the current mono-stat meta into a different mono-stat meta. The meta is still just as stale. If some bosses had high Vitality but low Toughness and others had low Toughness and high Vitality, that might lead to some variety, but then you’d just force people into going in with two armor sets for optimum performance and switching between them as appropriate. The fights would still be no more dynamic.

Different builds need different approach. It is difficult to make one single encounter to fit all playstyles. The toughness/health ratio change helps bringing more condition into play and I welcome that effort. It is NOT perfect but it’s a step to the right direction. Yes it is changing a 1-stat meta to a 2-stats meta, still better than 1. Don’t forget conditions still do kitten against some encounters so it’s not 100% perfect.

Goes back to the toughness change. Lifesteal could see the light if given some change too so there’s another possibility.

Again I don’t agree with the new fractal boss fight length so that’d need some adjustments. One or two “husk” bosses in fractal, I don’t mind but not all. In fact I don’t really like the new fractal in general because of the boring instability, reward & length. For other builds though, new encounter is probably needed to make them variable.

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

Afya.5842:

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

spoj.9672:

Its prefered even on non Condi classes with current scaling.

Oh, really? Welp, that’s pretty sad.

Why sad? I’m all for more build variety. That’s what condition is designed for in the first place, armor ignoring damage for high toughness bosses. That said, lengthening the boss fight does not make it challenging so they need to fix it so that when using the most optimal gear, the fight should not take more time than it is before.

It’s sad because before you had conditions + direct damage which was viable. I’m going as far as saying that even gear with some passive defense had certain value if you were new/not good at the game to not immediately die if you mess up. Now it’s what? Damage is so low it tickles you even if you don’t run any passive defense and direct damage is horrible. It forces every class to run conditions, even if they’re bad at it, how does that push build variety? It KILLS every kind of build variety you could have.

They need to change it by fractal. Different levels to have different properties. High vs low toughness ratio. Sustain, hard to avoid low damage vs hard hitting spiky damage. etc, etc.

Afya.5842:

Different builds need different approach. It is difficult to make one single encounter to fit all playstyles. The toughness/health ratio change helps bringing more condition into play and I welcome that effort. It is NOT perfect but it’s a step to the right direction. Yes it is changing a 1-stat meta to a 2-stats meta, still better than 1.

Yet it isn’t 2. It’s still just 1: a different 1, but still just 1.

Afya.5842:

Again I don’t agree with the new fractal boss fight length so that’d need some adjustments. One or two “husk” bosses in fractal, I don’t mind but not all. In fact I don’t really like the new fractal in general because of the boring instability, reward & length. For other builds though, new encounter is probably needed to make them variable.

Yeah, the new Fractals are… problematic. For a lot of reasons.

They don’t need to have different fractal levels favor different stats, that’ll just lead people to using two sets of armor. It’d be much better to just have the same fractal levels have different types of fights in them to favor a balanced party.