Guild Wars 2

Hello Revs,

I main a Power Rev running Herald/Devastation/Retribution, but I know a lot of people prefer Invocation over Retribution. Following some of the builds from the Pro League players also shows that majority go with Inv. with only one or two running Ret.

Can anyone provide some constructive feedback on why one feels Inv. is better than Ret. in PvP? Personally I see only two worth-while traits in Inv.: Ferocious Aggression, and Roiling Mists, both a damage increase – +7% dmg +30% crit chance. Is it that much worth it to take over the defensive traits in Ret., where I feel every single minor and major trait is useful.

I know it may all come down to personal preference, play style and play skill, but if anyone has any insight that may potentially sway my mind, please share.

Thanks!

Dariya.9380:

I know it may all come down to personal preference, play style and play skill, but if anyone has any insight that may potentially sway my mind, please share.

Thanks!

That’s basically what it is.
If you find yourself in hairy situations often where you might struggle to stay alive, the damage mitigation from Retribution is definitely a plus, but otherwise, the increased damage output from Invocation works just fine, especially in PvE where the faster your target dies, the better.

Some could probably still use it in PvP for the sake of bursting targets down as fast as possible, owing additional sustain support to their allies’ efforts

Also, Invocation gives you a Stun Break and (one) Condition cleanse on Legend Swap, which is a small plus when your current Legend’s stun break is on CD.

As Euthymias said, the condi cleanse and stun break on legend swap can be very useful for power revs since they have crap condi cleanses.

I just really like retribution for the stability on dodge. There is so much CC flying around that having “Unwavering Avoidance” plus “Enhanced Bulwark” means you don’t get thrown around like a rag doll.

Short version is that Retribution is superior for duels and team fighting, while Invocation is superior in +1 situations; I personally think Retribution is stronger 2v2 but it’s closer to a wash. The damage reduction and stability from Retribution matters a lot when you’re going to take focus fire and will win duels, but when you’re playing more like a thief and rotating around while others hold Invocation gives you that extra oomph.

I’d advise running Retribution in solo queue, especially lower tier solo queue where your teammates are not reliable. Once you’re in a bracket where your teammates will reliably hold points for you to rotate through, or if running with a premade, I’d prefer Invocation for the extra rotation power.