Guild Wars 2

I’m coming back after 2-year absence. I had a condition bleeding build, using all rabid gear.

After looking up the new HoT builds, there seems to be good choices for all game types, but I’m unsure what build to go for in open-world.

Can I just use the dungeon/fractal build (greatsword/berserker)? If so, is getting all lvl 80 berserker exotics a good starting point? Or is there a different build that I should use for open-world stuff?

Welcome back!

Personally i been using the Greatsword/berserker build my self for all the stuff in HoT and lower level Fractals. Running full Zerk with Spite/Blood/Reap work really well for me.

GS+Dagger/Warhorn with switching out to staff when i just wanted to tag for Events.

My second set is the Viper Horror Build, which I’m only using for Raid’s, great Condi damage but the ramp up time to get it is not worth it for Open world, and only worth it for higher level fractals.

You can run almost anything in most of the open world. For open world I actually run several builds though berserker is most common. There are exceptions.

Jormag gets Soldier-Hoelbrak on a healing wells build without any shroud traits. (shroud makes me drop my bundle so I try not to use it.) Mortars and turrets on Shatterer also gets Soldier-Hoelbrak but on a MM build.

Orr zergs are completely different and get either Berserker-Scholar or Cleric-Ice. Both use Signet of Spite, Spectral Wall, and Spectral Armor and are optimized for LF generation and all the shroud CD reduction I can get aside from Spectral Mastery. I take Blood Magic for Transfusion to raise downed players constantly. If the zerg is small, Cleric armor beats Berserker.

Shadow Behemoth is Berserker, too, with SotL, Axe-focus, and Spectral Walk for chasing portals and using Life Blast on the boss. Anything is fine on Fire Elemental and Jungle Wurm but I always run zerker Spectral and staff.

Teqatl boats/Hills defense gets berserker Spectral fear while attacking Teq gets Cleric wells.

HoT roaming with minions is super easy, such that I try not to do it any more but go ahead and compare it to roaming alone without minions for more active play.

Greatsword and shouts is what I try to use in HoT. Greatsword is a lot of fun, partly because it is so slow and a bit clunky, yet. I use it more often in groups than alone.

I have been using axe instead of staff a lot when facing single targets, switching to dagger or greatsword up close.

Condition damage builds still make me sad but I do run Sinister-Mad King for comparison from time to time. With minions is much better than without when running a condition damage build in open world PvE. Only tower defense events get mobs to cluster enough for Epidemic to be awesome. Silverwastes has one. Scepter is good if you have situations where Epidemic is useful or if you let minions hold aggro. Trippel Trouble is an Epidemic version.

If you have the reaper traitline, there is no reason to use berserker exclusively for a power build. You produce enough Vulnerability, that it is ridiculous to not use Decimate Defenses. With Valkyrie armor, Berserker + Valkyrie trinkets and Berserker weapons, you will (with fury) have 100% crit (plus or minus 2%). The boost to vitality is more useful than the wasted precision.

Edit: if you like reaper’s shroud alot, you can use the Soul reaping and reaper traitlines, and just take full Valkyrie. Between Decimate Defenses and Death Perception, even fury becomes superfluous.

This build is good, and works for PVE, dungeon, fractals.
http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Reaper_-_Greatsword/X

There are a couple of modified versions online. As all builds go, this is a starting point, you get your footing and you can build on it. I used to run condi before as well, but power reaper is tons of fun in HoT.

All your gear comes in handy for different situations, so hold onto condi and other stuff as well, such as raid.

Zerker gear, scholar or strength runes. Might be able to find a more economical option on those runes, but I’m not sure what. I use soul reaping trait line for solo/duo instead of spite and use Death Perception over Dhuumfire. I prefer axe over dagger for running random HoT stuff. It’s range is good, then I swap to GS or Reaper mode for the rest. The damage is not great compared to dagger. So, it depends on playstyle and what exactly you are doing.

I keep all my high Power/Ferocity foods as needed. A lot of time running through HoT, I use Tropical Peppermint cake or pies. You get health regen and vitality, and they are cheap. Good trash food, and I save the expensive stuff for special occasions. Also, scale venom is good, 16 copper. You have to do a quest to get the vendor to pop up.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like I’ll go with the greatsword dungeon build.

bearshaman.3421:

With Valkyrie armor, Berserker + Valkyrie trinkets and Berserker weapons, you will (with fury) have 100% crit (plus or minus 2%). The boost to vitality is more useful than the wasted precision.

I will try this. Which trinkets are berserker and which are valkyrie?

Berserker has Power, precision, and ferocity.
Valkyrie has Power, vitality, and ferocity.

Precision give critical hit chance while vitality increases max health and max life force.

Anchoku.8142:

Berserker has Power, precision, and ferocity.
Valkyrie has Power, vitality, and ferocity.

Precision give critical hit chance while vitality increases max health and max life force.

and the trinkets have a mix of the two.

Anchoku.8142:

Berserker has Power, precision, and ferocity.
Valkyrie has Power, vitality, and ferocity.

Precision give critical hit chance while vitality increases max health and max life force.

No I mean in that build, which trinkets should be berserker trinkets, and which trinkets should be valkyrie trinkets? berserker rings, valkryrie accessories? or valkyrie rings and berserker accessories? Should the back be berserker or valkyrie? etc.

BlasiuS.8961:

Anchoku.8142:

Berserker has Power, precision, and ferocity.
Valkyrie has Power, vitality, and ferocity.

Precision give critical hit chance while vitality increases max health and max life force.

No I mean in that build, which trinkets should be berserker trinkets, and which trinkets should be valkyrie trinkets? berserker rings, valkryrie accessories? or valkyrie rings and berserker accessories? Should the back be berserker or valkyrie? etc.

It does not matter where the stat’s come from. They all get tossed into the same calculator. You can have berserker armor and valkyrie trinkets, valkyrie armor and berserker trinkets, mixed valkyrie and berserker armor and/or trinkets, or even favor one over the other for more precision or vitality. There are no rules for where stat’s are equipped.

Runes and sigils are also not affected by equipment placement. They only affect, and are affected by, totals shown in the hero panel.

Anchoku.8142:

BlasiuS.8961:

Anchoku.8142:

Berserker has Power, precision, and ferocity.
Valkyrie has Power, vitality, and ferocity.

Precision give critical hit chance while vitality increases max health and max life force.

No I mean in that build, which trinkets should be berserker trinkets, and which trinkets should be valkyrie trinkets? berserker rings, valkryrie accessories? or valkyrie rings and berserker accessories? Should the back be berserker or valkyrie? etc.

It does not matter where the stat’s come from. They all get tossed into the same calculator. You can have berserker armor and valkyrie trinkets, valkyrie armor and berserker trinkets, mixed valkyrie and berserker armor and/or trinkets, or even favor one over the other for more precision or vitality. There are no rules for where stat’s are equipped.

Runes and sigils are also not affected by equipment placement. They only affect, and are affected by, totals shown in the hero panel.

Yeah, I guess I’m more concerned with the amount of berserker trinkets vs. amount of valkyrie trinkets.

You misunderstand.
There is a stat set for trinkets that is a mix of berserker and valkyrie.

Each individual trinket has this mix of the two in it.

Look for the one that has power precision ferocity and vitality.

It’s not marauder. You can get all of them from the laurel merchant, or the rings from the fractal one, or the accessories from the guild commendation trader.

Edit: for instance the ascended amulets are called Conundrum of Maut, Bud of the Pale Tree, and Heart of Melaggan.

Honestly… just go zerk dagger/wh with secondary as axe/focus (if you need range) or GS…

Run SR, Spite, and reaper… Bring might stacking sigils, runes of strength, and run 2 wells, spectral walk, consume conditions, and w/e elite you want

Since this is PvE any defensive stats are useless, just go balls to the wall zerk and you’ll face roll anything… d/w is extremely LF generation as well as the best form of damage outside of RS or GS (when enemy below 50% hp).

Edit 4got to mention you can upkeep perma swift with spectral walk and wh 5, even easier if you trait for wh…

You might want to consider the difference in difficulty between HoT and Core GW2 if you plan to run in both zones. I won’t argue with people that tell you to run whatever you want because it’s openworld but there are most specialized and optimal builds for each of those areas, simply because the mobs like to do significantly more nasty things to you in HoT.

Core is easy enough and most of the things people have mentioned will work well; basically, all out DPS, however you can get it. HoT is a different consideration and if you like want a safe build that does reasonable damage that is fairly easy to manage, you may want to consider a full skill bar of minions and a condition-heavy build with Scepter/Dagger. One of the few builds I can solo champs at HP’s with.

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQRArY4djM0QTN2VDu1A7NOCGq5MsDrbMBCgIQeCpQJA-ThTAABVr+T0nAQ/QP7PMjGEoNDghSwX0QQxREgJlGKcwAew0gYKxA4BActyAA-e

FYI, my recommendation is geared for HoT zones. It’s what I’m using now and it works great.
Power Reaper
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vRAQNAR4Ynk0Y2kWaM2YNN2NxcT5mQvpeTL4C2URoJUFividxxI0VLA0CA-TxSBABZfAEwS5XEKBRR3BAPJgcU/BBTQ1rBhiLKQR7P48BIIAACATciTciTMA-e

or

more focused on being in Reaper Shroud as much as possible, and ranged when not
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vRMQNBmQD7kZTzm0YjxG7sxZDm2ItBOc0baJXwgCANgEQ8UsLOGpKDrhmFA-TRSBAB5o+DFXEgsU+piuni2fIBTQ3qEEgnEABHQgAAIAMxJOxJOxAA-e

and if you don’t have HoT
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vRMQNAW4dn0ICN2gd2Am2Ac4gjchSeDb9XDDgGIBonxa0sA-TBSBwA5U/hyFFo4+Do0dA4JBgwEUElgZV+FAABgJOxJOxJGA-e