Guild Wars 2

Here is a build I used very successfully In Season 3 and other matches.

I am using a Poison Master Druid Sage build.

Vs The meta.

• Different Roles: My PM build focuses on condition pressure through Cleaves and Almost perma Poison Uptime. Cleaving Downed who are with Ressers via BonFire + Poison Trap.
• On Point fighter. I would say this counters other druids and eles on a point.
• The Meta focuses more on support through NM plus more healing via Menders.

Strengths

• Very strong on point pressure.
• Although without mender, the build still heals a lot just because of Healing Spring + Quickdraw so you get multiple water field + blast finishers.
• Provides more team support outside druid form. Condition Cleanse through healing spring, Blast Finishers for might, weakness, and healing.
• More Damage for the team via spotter.
• Game has too much blocks? Traps are unblockable, SoTW for more unblockables
• Easy 12-15 stacks of Poison.

Weaknesses

• Mobility. You have to use a mobility rune like traveler or lynx or speed.
• Condition Clears ( This is easily remedied, you can get Emphatic Bond against other comps)
• AF regen, (Haven’t tested this with the new 15 sec AF CD, but I would use SoTW for AF regen + another source of Stab)
• Sustain via Signet of Stone, I would love to replace SotW With it but I have no idea how AF regen will suffer if I remove it.

Pets

• On the video, I tested with tiger for perma fury since the build lacks precision.
• Marsh Drake is AMAZING for more poison
• Drakes are also good because 3/4 Attacks Cleave + 1 more Blast Finisher
• You can use the traditional Smokescale + Bristleback Combo.

Notes

• THE BUILD WAS USED IN SEASON 3, THIS WAS BEFORE SCRAPPER AND OTHER MESMER NERFS <——- I would say the build will be better in fighting these classes now.

• THE BUILD WILL WORK EVEN WITHOUT POISON MASTER, I USE IT JUST BECAUSE IT RETAINS THE FLAVOR OF THE BUILD.

• I USED TRAVELER IN THE BUILD ON THE VIDEOS SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE LYNX BACK THEN

• DON’T NEED DPS? SWITCH TO S/D FOR MORE SUSTAIN

• I did not get Ambidexterity for the CD because of Quickdraw. Although yes Refined Toxins is TERRIBLE, I really like the poison uptime because of that trait.
• You can also use Shared Anguish If CC becomes a problem
• Solo Q you can go with Hidden Barbs but Spotter for team play
• As I have said, go Emphatic Bond against Condi Heavy comps
• Protect Me for Ancient seed proc, + short CD stun breaker.

Build

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNAW8fnMqA1CidrAWsActgFGBDupOV7qNjrOXSjpA8tCAlI9zA-TZxGQB5rMQA3fQAXBAA8AAGwBBAA

Videos

• Season 3 Match

I had pretty high MMR in season 3, you can see familiar good players here like Vain, Caiuss, Etc. (Not bragging, just trying to justify the effectiveness of the build! haha)

• Pre Season Match

Regular Match

Wow amazing,

Practically no poison application
2 big condi purges then /sit
Nothing except 2 traps traited
3 mediocre sigils
Zero +% condition duration

I guess I can appreciate why people say traited celestial avatar and hot pets carry druids.

Justine.6351:

Wow amazing,

Practically no poison application
2 big condi purges then /sit
Nothing except 2 traps traited
3 mediocre sigils
Zero +% condition duration

I guess I can appreciate why people say traited celestial avatar and hot pets carry druids.

No poison application? Did you even watch the videos? guess not. Poison Sources: PM, Trap, Sigils, Refined Toxins and SW 3. No idea where you got the No poison application from.

2 Big condi purges? I clearly mentioned that condition cleanse was a weakness of the build and You can easily remedy that. Guess what? the meta has 2 big condi purges too via Druidic Clarity + SoR

Zero Condition duration? This Actually very false. Traited traps give you 60% Condition duration on a specific trap, which is more than enough for me. Why do you need Condition duration? This is not WvW. Application > Duration

3 Mediocre Sigils? Lol. What do you want me to use then?

So much hate on your post for me sharing a different playstyle for fellow rangers.

I dont run a condition build myself, but from what i saw on the builder, I like it. has a good balance of mobility, condition pressure and cleansing.

The PM trait is a trait in conflict. So any build based on it is a build that conflicts with itself.

Traited survival and shout trooper are run for a reason, active condi removal. Is also why traited glyphs died when the trait got nerfed.

If you do run a PM build you are running condi which means you are forced into skirmishing. This means your other option for active condi removal with shouts is blocked. You could dump sotw for sor.

The problems I see with poison focused builds is tied to the PM trait blocking all your utility skills short of running traps and even then your elite skill will be untraited and none of the elite skills are very good untraited.

The one way I would run a poison build is to not even use the PM trait. It really does add very little, especially without pet swap CD from the beast mastery line.

Justine.6351:

The PM trait is a trait in conflict. So any build based on it is a build that conflicts with itself.

Traited survival and shout trooper are run for a reason, active condi removal. Is also why traited glyphs died when the trait got nerfed.

If you do run a PM build you are running condi which means you are forced into skirmishing. This means your other option for active condi removal with shouts is blocked. You could dump sotw for sor.

The problems I see with poison focused builds is tied to the PM trait blocking all your utility skills short of running traps and even then your elite skill will be untraited and none of the elite skills are very good untraited.

The one way I would run a poison build is to not even use the PM trait. It really does add very little, especially without pet swap CD from the beast mastery line.

Again, If you read my post. I clearly mentioned that PM is not required. I only run it to preserve the flavor of the build.

Also, again, I mentioned that dumping SoTW needs testing with the AF change. I assure you the build will not work without It since you wont generate enough AF bec of the lack of perma regen + traits from BM. No Dolyak either.

Shout trooper? Maybe in WvW. In PvP only the shoutbow runs trooper (which has a very small presence in top tier pvp so the point is irrelevant) Bunker druid S/D does not run either Trooper runes or Survival skills.

The build looks fun, i would probably ditch Sotw for another trap or stun break, now that CA is on 15 sec CD or stay with Sotw and replace staff with A/D or SB. Also after the nerf to Sotp CD ,i think entangle is better. With 3 traps you can consider trapper rune and take NS over CS. ALso, bristelback is not as good without BM/NM, you stay most of the time on point in team fights and create combo fields, drake may be more suited for this kind of play style(marsh drake for extra aoe poison). Replace sigils: water and geomancy for generosity and prurity, you’ll be suprised how much it helps for the condi removal issues.

StickerHappy.8052:

Justine.6351:

The PM trait is a trait in conflict. So any build based on it is a build that conflicts with itself.

Traited survival and shout trooper are run for a reason, active condi removal. Is also why traited glyphs died when the trait got nerfed.

If you do run a PM build you are running condi which means you are forced into skirmishing. This means your other option for active condi removal with shouts is blocked. You could dump sotw for sor.

The problems I see with poison focused builds is tied to the PM trait blocking all your utility skills short of running traps and even then your elite skill will be untraited and none of the elite skills are very good untraited.

The one way I would run a poison build is to not even use the PM trait. It really does add very little, especially without pet swap CD from the beast mastery line.

Again, If you read my post. I clearly mentioned that PM is not required. I only run it to preserve the flavor of the build.

Also, again, I mentioned that dumping SoTW needs testing with the AF change. I assure you the build will not work without It since you wont generate enough AF bec of the lack of perma regen + traits from BM. No Dolyak either.

Shout trooper? Maybe in WvW. In PvP only the shoutbow runs trooper (which has a very small presence in top tier pvp so the point is irrelevant) Bunker druid S/D does not run either Trooper runes or Survival skills.

not sure why you think I didn’t read your post.
well gl defending this build that clearly has to be carried by the rest of your team or the inability by the enemy team.

With a few tweaks you can run a trapper build with better mobility, better damage, the same support options minus Spotter at practically no cost.

I love trapper builds, but they don’t work enough of the time to make it worth it.

And this build…. meh, meh, meh.

One trap and a fire field and you’re countering other druids?

Hard to believe.