Guild Wars 2

Hey guys. So I want to be able to do both fractals and raids but… the stats are different. The best fractal build I’ve found is a dps/support power, and then for raids, it’s a healing staff build. The fractals build requires beserkers while the the raids one requires magi.

So…do I just need a whole new set of armor for both or would the magi armor do okay in fractals as a dps/support druid…? My damage would probably go down a lot, but my healing go up…so would that be sufficient enough?

The berserker support build gives decent DPS and decent healing. The magi build gives worse DPS and better healing. A fractal group that needs that much healing is probably going to fail anyway, and especially with the loss of 1/5 of their team’s DPS. A raid team has more ability to tweak its composition because it has 10 parts instead of 5.

Here’s my suggestion: ascended zerker (or viper – DPS gear anyway) for fractals, because you need the infusion slots. Exotic magi for raids. Exotic magi is actually pretty easy to get ahold of.

For raids you can use exotic magi gear, you can buy it from the vendor in Orr for karma or you can use dungeon tokens. I’d then recommend a set of ascended Vipers gear. Berserker may be a bit better for fotms overall but you’ll be able to use the vipers gear for condi ranger and condi druid builds.

Maybe try viper set? It’s better than zerker set for DPS and is great for both fractal and raids.

http://qtfy.eu/build/ranger <= possible best pve builds currently

Support isn’t generally as important in FOTM. If you really want to try support role in raids, Magi as a second set isn’t bad as they are fairly cheap.

Here’s a question, since we’re talking about it: are the LS3 maps the ONLY way to get ascended viper’s rings, accessories, backpiece and amulet? What are the other ways? Is there a faster currency I can build up? Because even winterberries feel an awful lot like “preparing to have fun”.

It is also possible to get those ascended trinkets from raids, but other than that there are only the new maps.

Sister Saxifrage.7361:

Here’s a question, since we’re talking about it: are the LS3 maps the ONLY way to get ascended viper’s rings, accessories, backpiece and amulet? What are the other ways? Is there a faster currency I can build up? Because even winterberries feel an awful lot like “preparing to have fun”.

You can do raids. I mean, you still get magnetite shards if you fail so you can just keep trying until you get 150 for the week.

Basically what the others are saying.

Viper sets will get you two builds – Viper Druid which can heal with the right food and Viper ranger which is v. good dps atm. Covers both fractals and raids. For Raids you can start with exotic trinkets usually and work your way towards ascended, the condi duration difference isn’t that huge.

For raids you can get another set for healing, but Viper Ranger is in such high demand right now you’ll be fine with just that.

Power Ranger (lol) is still good but mostly for dungeons and low lvl fractals.

Do what I did: get viper gear for fractals and raids for your condi Druid setup (DPS and buffs). In the meantime work towards magi gear from Ascalonian Catacombs if you ever want to heal as a pure healing Druid.

kiwituatara.6053:

Maybe try viper set? It’s better than zerker set for DPS and is great for both fractal and raids.

http://qtfy.eu/build/ranger <= possible best pve builds currently

Support isn’t generally as important in FOTM. If you really want to try support role in raids, Magi as a second set isn’t bad as they are fairly cheap.

I’m halfway through gearing up at the moment. I’ve got all ascended vipers except for 6 pieces (Substituted with 4 exotic rampager armors and 2 ascended rampager trinkets).

I tested the rotations with some cheap food, but I only came up to 20,500 dps (wayyyyy below the 33,000 dps benchmark….)

I hope it’s the gears…

StevenMah.9854:

kiwituatara.6053:

Maybe try viper set? It’s better than zerker set for DPS and is great for both fractal and raids.

http://qtfy.eu/build/ranger <= possible best pve builds currently

Support isn’t generally as important in FOTM. If you really want to try support role in raids, Magi as a second set isn’t bad as they are fairly cheap.

I’m halfway through gearing up at the moment. I’ve got all ascended vipers except for 6 pieces (Substituted with 4 exotic rampager armors and 2 ascended rampager trinkets).

I tested the rotations with some cheap food, but I only came up to 20,500 dps (wayyyyy below the 33,000 dps benchmark….)

I hope it’s the gears…

Did you make sure you turned on the option for pet boons as well in the dps room? makes a biiiiig difference.

Not sure how relevant it is, coming from a person who hasn’t played for long…
… But damage is a form of support. The sooner stuff dies, the less damage and other nasty thing it does.

Since you need ascended armor for fractals, I’d suggest getting that for fractals first (Magi or alike, depending on what role you have more success with).
The stat difference of Exotic vs Ascended armor (and armor only) for raid scenario is way too low to ever make a difference. You can technically run around in exotics armor and ascended rest (unless there is an encounter that specifically requires you to have infusions – not sure about that but I think there are none in raids, I might be wrong)

If you can afford it, Viper is probably much better to get 1st. If you really have to make a choice, there are fractal levels that you can’t do in exotics. If you want to run those – get ascended for fractals, 1st.

So, all the talk about the viper meta has me shopping to try it out like the lemming I am. But I have some questions about aquatic gear. Underwater combat is part of fractals, but all the guides seem to neglect it. Crafted ascended breathers CAN be forge-swapped, but NOT to Viper’s, so you gotta farm up 500 berries and 6000 magic if you want a viper’s breather… but DO you want one? Or viper’s UW weapons, for that matter? Do they inflict enough conditions for Viper’s to make a difference, or are you in fact better off leaving them zerk to power down the jellyfish beast? Is it a niche enough case that it’s fine to leave those 3 items zerk? What about a third option, like making the weapons viper but settling for an available swap on the breather, like Sinister? I’m keen to avoid another 10 loops through the berry forest if I can help it, but I also believe in doing things right.

It’s a super easy fractal and you don’t even have to run it regularly. Just make sure you have damage-focused exotics for underwater stuff and it’s fine. Don’t take a soldier’s stats masterwork level 78 spear.

Well I made an ascended breather, spear, and harpoon gun as part of gearing up for fractals initially, just to have that AR coverage. But thanks for the reality check! I’ll just leave them all zerk then.

Tbh u can just make one magi set for both. And afterwards u can make a condi set for variety. Zerk set for druid can be good at certain encounters but it is not necessary.