…at it’s job.
Below I would like to provide a rhetorical analysis on why the Berserker struggles so much in structured player-vs-player. It has more to do with it’s allies than the class alone. You might rethink using warriors as a scapegoat in the next match you play.
DPS: Damage per second.
Burst: A high amount of damage in a few very short seconds.
Warriors should be good in spvp. And I’m not complaining when I say this; seriously, look at the Berserker on paper. Highest burst in the game and the ability to become ‘invulnerable’ for 8 to 10 seconds. What’s not to love about being an unstoppable beacon of great justice? Primarily, it’s the way Guildwars 2 is designed.
I’m not telling you what the Berserker elite spec was designed to do; that’s Anet’s job. However… no, let’s not lie; I’m telling you what the Berserker elite spec was designed to do. It’s designed to charge in, and during the next 8 to 10 seconds cleave down everything in sight. And it’s kitten good at it too. The issue though is what happens after those seconds. What happens when they come out of rage. They simply cannot finish downed-state players. Now before you go replying about how this isn’t the problem with the profession, let me finish. The issues rely on two main components of how Guildwars 2 is designed.
Firstly, the downed state:
What do you do with a profession that can down someone, but is almost guaranteed not to live long enough to finish them? Well you bring a Tempest along to finish those downed players of course! It really is that simple. A Dragon Hunter works well for that too! Or perhaps a Reaper, ect. The Berserker can deal an incredible amount of damage in a short amount of time, but doesn’t have the finishing capabilities of a Daredevil, or the same level of mobility or stealth mechanics to slip away once you’re that engaged in downing someone. The Berserker needs a 2nd class to finish players that it downs, so that it may either go on to the next, or run out of combat to quickly heal up itself.
Secondly, the dodge mechanic:
So we’ve established that the Berserker is very good at downing people, but then why is it so hard for them to win a 1v1? Again, something inherent to the games design, the dodge mechanic. It’s extremely easy to dodge once, then twice, and before you know it, all the glorious damage is completely lost! And the short fuse on the Berserker’s life bar is usually by that point too low to both down and finish you.
Summary: The Berserker is the best +1’ing class when paired with another that can finish enemies off. But is that really what we want in this game? Yes it’s good for what it’s designed for but is what it’s designed for really any good? Sadly, it’s not for this game. Most classes can easily match around half of the Berserker’s burst using their average dps, meaning far more damage over all during drawn out fights, and all while having the abilities it needs to survive. The Berserker is good, it’s simply obsolete by the circumstances of how the game works. It’s too difficult to find an opening to deliver it’s burst, and by the time an opening does appear, you might as well just play either a Thief, Mesmer, or a Guardian to jump in instead. All of which have far more survivability, and additionally far more utility. When paired with a good Tempest or Druid, the Berserker does just fine. But is it really worth relying on that Tempest or Druid crutch when you could just as easily play a Dragon Hunter or Reaper and do the same thing adequately? With far more self-sufficient gameplay on top of that?
To all the other fans of the Warrior class I’m telling you; it really isn’t your fault for losing every other match. But can you blame your entire team for not shifting their entire strategy around you? You’re not the only person on your team that matters, and no matter how much raw damage you dish out, you need to come to terms that this simply isn’t what this game is designed around.
To all the folks who have Warrior’s on their team, I’m telling you this: yea Warrior’s shouldn’t expect you to bend down and kiss their feet by pressing “F” over a downed body like you’re suppose to be doing anyway, but maybe, just maybe don’t blame them for the loss when their doing their job and you’re not. If you honestly think you’re good at this game, learn what you’re teammates are doing, and learn what your class is doing. Now if you have more than 1 Warrior on your team then fine, go ahead and blame them, any more than 1 Warrior is excessive and more obsolete than the profession already is. But if you have 1 decent Berserker on your team, just do your job and stop pooping in team chat. Every second you spend blaming the rest of your team is another second that could be better spent playing the game. Do your job, play the game, and save the salt for the forums like an adult with too much time on their hands should.
“For Great Shake it Off!”