Guild Wars 2

I have provided a link to my new version of the infamous ‘Skullcrack build’ below.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vIEQNApeRjMdU2ZXImhwJaAB94K0wq4oY8UClC6wOA-zUyAYLioRyCEBCgKoMm8KiGbZsIas6aMlrQqKOyBAQAYiTciTciTsMAMbB-w

I understand that this build was created quite a while ago; and I’m sorry if this post is remarkably similar to many other ‘Skullcrack’ posts… but I would like to share my variation. I believe that overall, the build has great defense and offence, with good survivability and mobility, and is fun when solo-roaming.

Weapons:
1. The weapons used for this build include: Mace/Shield (M/S) and Greatsword (GS).

2. Mace/Shield allow for frequent blocks (Defense) and CC (Crowd Control) whilst the Greatsword allows for effective mobility – enabling persistent close combat with the enemy and an effective way to flee overwhelming fights.

3. The main effective attack combination includes using ‘Skullcrack’ (Mace F1) followed by Hundred Blades (GS Skill 2) and Whirlwind Attack (GS Skill 3).

Utilities:
1. Bulls Charge provides an effective way to get close to the enemy and knock them down, which can be followed by ‘Hundred Blades’ or ‘Skullcrack’ and ‘Hundred Blades’, dependent on your adrenaline build up etc.

2. Berserker Stance is a fantastic way to gain rapid adrenaline for 8 seconds, which is a good preparation for a whopping ‘Skullcrack’, as well as providing 8 seconds of Condition Free assault! Note: this is fantastic to use against thief’s that spam blind fields, for you can just activate ‘Berserker Stance’, walk in with 20/20 vision and unleash upon them!

3. Balanced Stance is needed, as stability is very important in many situations, whether it be during 1 on 1’s or team fights. This is so that we can reach our opponent with minimum interruptions – again, so we can land our combo.

Traits
1. Using: 0/20/30/0/20
2: Using: V, X / I, II, IX /I, VI

Arms
V = When using ‘Hundred Blades’, applies effective vulnerability stacks to increase damage output.
X = This build has base 50% critical chance (70% with fury), so I do not feel the need to use ‘Unsuspecting Foe’. X allows for increased consistency in acquiring many stacks of might, as well as reduced GS CD’s which increases the consistency of your high mobility.

Defense
I = Reduced Shield CD’s means increased CC consistency (i.e. ‘Shield Bash’, ‘Skullcrack’ and ‘Hundred Blades’). Furthermore, increased armor from toughness gain when using a shield increases ‘Tankiness’.
II = With all the condition removal in this build, Immobilize, Cripple and Chill literally slip off you. This increases overall mobility and nothing to stop you from reaching the enemy for that Skullcrack. Note: This is also why we do not need to use ‘Mobile Strikes’.
IX = Allows for increased adrenaline gain as well as a condition removal overkill when you land the ’Skullcrack. Very effective when sustaining high adrenaline.

Discipline
I = As you have many (consistent) blocks in this build, gaining might is a fantastic addition to the defensive side of this build, whereby when you go for the kill after acting as a punching bag, you hit like a truck (especially after ‘Shield Stance’).
VI = This is very important for using the Elite Skill ‘Signet of Rage’ to keep up swiftness, fury and that extra bit of might. However, due to the Sigils and ‘Mighty Defenses’, you’re almost going to always have significantly high might.

Weapons and Armor
1. Weapons are full Berserker.
Mace = Hydromancy (Chill opponents to keep close to them when switching to mace).
Shield = Force/Fire (Depends on personal preference, however force is probably better for higher overall damage consistency).
Greatsword = Battle (Increases might gain on weapon swap (with 5 second cooldown due to discipline minor trait).

2. Armor is mainly Cavalier, containing Melandru Runes for increased toughness and reduced condition duration’s (including stun duration’s), which is great against all classes, especially condition Necromancers, Engineers, Mesmers and CC warriors. We do not need high base critical hit chance, thanks to unsuspecting foe – so we can focus more on increasing toughness and critical damage.

Trinkets
1. Most trinkets are Berserker, with the exception of two Cavalier Rings. I have used full ascended trinkets based upon my current build.

Food
1. Bowls of Lemongrass Poultry Soup/Poultry and Leek Soup (Extra Vitality but most importantly Reduced Condition Duration’s).
2. Hardened Sharpening Stone (Extra damage, for we do not need critical chance – again, thanks to Unsuspecting Foe!)

Good luck out there Warriors,
Apheríon

Looks good. No speed though so makes it tougher to solo roam imo

You can keep up good swiftness if you switch to Warhorn every now and then when well out of combat zones, combined with Signet of Rage on a low CD

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNApeRjkOxupQGPMxBE0jrQDrijCqQJUKoD7A-jEzAYLBRKDEVAkQAk8W0YCEIRiWGLiGriBTVOka9Jk3oIa1yAssAA-w

I adjusted your sigils. Having Hydromancy and Battle (which share an ICD of 10 seconds) was counter productive with weapon swap on a 5 sec cd. Also, with access to Fury on SoR, you may want Sharpening Stones instead of Oil since having 51% base crit + 20% from fury + 50% from Unsuspecting Foe may be a little overkill.

Here is my ascended variation. http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNApeRjkOxupQGPMxBE0DNMLqijixTJUKsjNE-j0CBYfCiUGQUBgECAZmLaNHNglRFRjVhET7iIq2aeIaW0pWGAmxA-w

Good ol’ Skullcrack build. I love the playstyle and it still works great, but I feel other warrior builds offer more.

Thank you for raising that, I forgot about the shared CD’s. People can just swap it for Sigil of Bloodlust or something along those lines perhaps.

Also, my build does not use unsuspecting foe, as it already has a very high critical chance. I though it would be better to use Forceful Greatsword, for the extra might and reduced GS CD’s.

And Sharpening Stones/Maintenance Oil can both be used I guess, dependent on if people can live with the slightly reduced critical chance for a boost in power.

And yes, Baron, there are a variety of awesome builds! The Hammer is very popular and I also enjoy using that. I have many other builds (including condition builds w/w.o. perplexity) and I may share them dependent on the responses I receive for this build (i.e. if people like my builds etc.).

…They would probably just be re-posts of older builds… just with a little variation

I find the reflect trait to be better then the shield CD one for this build.
This build biggest counter is kiters, so reflecting their shots makes u less useless while running around chasing them, and make them think twice before spam shooting you.

It’s a good build, but IMO it can be better then the one you posted, with some minor tweaks.

All in all, this build does not do great damage until you land the Skullcrack/HB combo. Therefore, you need to maximize said damage output. Thus, Unsuspecting Foe is a must on this build.

Reduced shield cooldowns are good, but if you want to go 30 into defense, V (missile deflection) is way better. This will alow you to not only reflect instead of block projectiles, but it will ensure your mace block to keep on reflecting for the full duration and not just be broken by some random staff clone’s attack.

Speaking of which, I have extended experience with this build, and a good Mesmer will always beat you.

The vulnerability trait in Arms is very poor. If you land a full HB, and manage to get all crits, you will probably end up with 3 stacks of vulnerability, lasting for a mere 7 seconds. Say you can get 2 more stacks, that’s just a 5 % damage increase. I would suggest, with this trait distribution, VI (furious reaction).

All in all, I find either 0/30/20/0/20 or 0/25/25/0/20 to fit this build better. Taking deep cuts in Arms will almost always ensure the 10% damage increase thanks to the excellent 25 minor trait. 30 in Arms allows for both UF and the GS trait, but if you go less then 30, take UF.

Also, with the amount of might stacking you do, try Hoelbrak.

My two cents.

I thought that due to the high base critical chance, the build didn’t really require Unsuspecting Foe, but you do make a very good point. The only fury in this build is applied via Signet of Rage, and only lasts so long… so Unsuspecting Foe is arguably the better choice here to ensure whenever the Skullcrack to Hundred Blades combo hits, it almost always critical hits.

I have thought about both your points regarding the use of V on defense. I agree, but the only reason I didn’t use it at first was because I encountered many fights where it wasn’t off much use. But, of course, it is fantastic against classes who utilize range.

And I never really calculated the amount of vulnerability that trait gives during Hundred Blades, so thank you for that info, Furious reaction is probably best to use for the extra fury and vigor. I guess I never used it because I thought it wouldn’t apply as often due to the relatively high armor on the build.

Also, for that full Hundred Blade assault, perhaps using Frenzy instead of Berserker stance? As there is already a ton of condition removal on this build… for that full on burst.

I may post my Hammer build soon, so I can receive some feedback on that perhaps too. Thanks for the feedback so far guys!

Tempus.3468:

And I never really calculated the amount of vulnerability that trait gives during Hundred Blades, so thank you for that info, Furious reaction is probably best to use for the extra fury and vigor. I guess I never used it because I thought it wouldn’t apply as often due to the relatively high armor on the build.

Also, for that full Hundred Blade assault, perhaps using Frenzy instead of Berserker stance? As there is already a ton of condition removal on this build… for that full on burst.

I may post my Hammer build soon, so I can receive some feedback on that perhaps too. Thanks for the feedback so far guys!

Furious reaction happens more often then you would think. Except for fighting full condition specs, an opponent just needs to hit you for 2k damage for it to activate (when you don’t have vitality on your gear, which is perfect).
If you have both Furious Reaction and Signet of Rage on 48 sec cooldown, along with Unsuspecting Foe, you can afford to spec for 30% base crit chance. I have ~45% on my warrior, just because that’s the gear I had.

I would not use Frenzy on this build, especially not instead of Berserker’s Stance. Frenzy is situational. You would have to wait until you are absolutely certain that your opponent is out of stunbreaks. Try doing that against teleport classes…
Also, without Berserker’s stance, any decent thief will wipe the floor with you. Whereas with BS, it is the other way around.

Funny you want to post a Hammer build, as I am using Hammer+Sword/Shield in WvW now. Lot of fun.

Good luck m8.

Based on your recommendations I have constructed a much more offensive version of this build which still has brilliant condition removal and good armor:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNApeRjkOxuFPqQMxBEMDNELuMAQlQpgOsDA-jkDBYLCi0yQkIg0IApqDZN5JiVQFRjVxATVKpKXBSFD2IWQ2bIpeBYyAwsFA-w

This build, with reduced base critical chance, utilizes unsuspecting foe and has far more damage output overall.

Many people will probably prefer this build as the damage is quite superior to the previous version.

Notice I am using Sigil of Impact on GS, for the extra 10% damage against ‘Skullcracked’ Foes! However, this is only a viable option, perhaps not the best Sigil for GS – and I have moved Sigil of battle to the Shield. The Mace Sigil is interchangeable based on user preference.

And Cygnus, you make a very good point regarding the use of Frenzy against ‘Stunbreakers’.

Thank you for all your advice!

Hi,

Cygnus.6903:

Funny you want to post a Hammer build, as I am using Hammer+Sword/Shield in WvW now. Lot of fun.

I’ve never played it, but the more I think about it, the more attractive I find this weapons combination. I wonder if we’d go the same way about it, though:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAS8ejkOFvpQyOMxBE0DNsK4CjijQ8UKsj6A-jUDBYLAoORmgAgkGiEBO/pIasl1FRjVtATdKyqUCpeDY+DR2hQIVIgeTAA-w

Elegie.3620:

Hi,

Cygnus.6903:

Funny you want to post a Hammer build, as I am using Hammer+Sword/Shield in WvW now. Lot of fun.

I’ve never played it, but the more I think about it, the more attractive I find this weapons combination. I wonder if we’d go the same way about it, though:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAS8ejkOFvpQyOMxBE0DNsK4CjijQ8UKsj6A-jUDBYLAoORmgAgkGiEBO/pIasl1FRjVtATdKyqUCpeDY+DR2hQIVIgeTAA-w

That does look pretty good. I like the way the way the 2 weapon sets complement each other. anyone else use this?

Hey there, I posted that really big Skullcracker post a while ago and just thought I’d give my 2 cents.

I generally liked most of your choices but some I disagree with. I only put 20 in defense because I really like Burst Mastery. It lets you use Skull Crack more frequently in addition to it hitting harder.

I also really like Reflect Projectiles because Counterblow is on a fairly short cooldown and honestly it can lead to some pretty hilarious as well as effective moments. Wading into a zerg with your blocks is fun, but Dogged March is always good.

I’m still trying to decide between Unsuspecting Foe and Forceful Greatsword. Right now I think you do get more damage with UF if you have 50% crit (or 30% + Fury) because every attack while they’re stunned will crit.

Here’s some of my suggested changes

Elegie.3620:

Hi,

Cygnus.6903:

Funny you want to post a Hammer build, as I am using Hammer+Sword/Shield in WvW now. Lot of fun.

I’ve never played it, but the more I think about it, the more attractive I find this weapons combination. I wonder if we’d go the same way about it, though:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAS8ejkOFvpQyOMxBE0DNsK4CjijQ8UKsj6A-jUDBYLAoORmgAgkGiEBO/pIasl1FRjVtATdKyqUCpeDY+DR2hQIVIgeTAA-w

The weapons actually go really well together. I prefer a direct damage version though, taking 20 in Arms instead of Strength for Furious reaction and Unsuspecting Foe. An ideal burst rotation will be something like ES (which applies the stun first so you always get the crit), Hammer 2, 4, 5, swap to sword, auto attack once, Shield 4, Final Thrust (also for the guaranteed crit).

Sword shield gives decent mobility. It is not as capable as sword warhorn, let alone GS, but along with ES it gets you places.

My set-up;

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAS8ejkOFvtQqQMxBE0DNsK4ijCAUJUKsjNE-jEDBYLERzEEJjWGgABiKAO5pIasVQFRjVxATfKpKXBWFDybQZVGgltA-w

Note that I use sigil of hydromancy instead of battle, even though I have Hoelbrak Runes. Hydromancy just gives you that head start when you need to bail, and it also allows you to stick to your target easier. Chill is one of the most powerful conditions out there, IMO.

If you’re going for a condition spec, you should stick with Battle though. Might is just great for a hybrid. I actually believe the condition version of this build is very potent, but for solo roaming, you will always want to take out at least 1 target as quickly as you can.

Have fun with it!

Hello,

Cygnus.6903:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAS8ejkOFvtQqQMxBE0DNsK4ijCAUJUKsjNE-jEDBYLERzEEJjWGgABiKAO5pIasVQFRjVxATfKpKXBWFDybQZVGgltA-w

Thank you for sharing. I find the build very consistent, and the gameplay mechanics that you have described looks quite efficient!

The note on the Sigil of Hydromancy, in particular, reminded me of some of my late fights, where I would be chilled in some dangerous situations. This appeared to be quite difficult to cope with, so I completely appreciate your choice.

The toughness might be a bit low for my current level. It reminds me of my progress in PvE, where I started berserker, went to the floor considerably, added back some toughness, and made my way back to berserker once I gained a better understanding of the gameplay. Currently, I feel that 3k might be too tight for me, but I surely hope that one day it’ll be manageable.

Cygnus.6903:

If you’re going for a condition spec, you should stick with Battle though. Might is just great for a hybrid. I actually believe the condition version of this build is very potent, but for solo roaming, you will always want to take out at least 1 target as quickly as you can.

As a matter of fact, I thought a lot on whether to go for a full direct damage build, or an hybrid one. Using the hammer, along with “Bull’s Charge”, one can indeed get 5 interrupts, which can stack confusion, given the right trait/runes. This is why I eventually proposed the hybrid approach, as confusion needs some condition damage to become interesting. Basically, I traded about 300 direct damage against acceptable confusion damage – but you’re right, I’ve also lost the ability to defeat opponents quickly, which could be a problem, given the medium sustainability of the build.

Thanks again for your insights, it’s always a pleasure to read you.

Elegie.3620:

Thanks again for your insights, it’s always a pleasure to read you.

Likewise!

Let me add, in favor of the direct damage build, that you can also use the Lemongrass+Dogged March+Hoelbrak/Melandru combo. This will give you close to immunity to not only immobilize, but cripple and chill also. As a warrior, being kited is our natural enemy. That’s why I find this combo to be incredibly important when roaming.

The condition damage spec does, however, get the inevitable panic response that goes with confusion. 5 stacks may not be enough, but, as you said, getting multiple interrupts is possible. If you’re opponent can’t cleanse it immediately, he will face a difficult decision in either taking damage while doing something, or doing nothing.

Pick your poison.