Guild Wars 2

GS/Rifle Build

I’m looking for a roamer build that can pick off small groups of enemies in WvWvW (I’ll be roaming with my girlfriend). The one I have above is what I have so far. I don’t want to be a glass cannon, but I still want to do a hell of a lot of damage. I decided not to put any points in Defense but make up for it by adding Superior Runes of Dolyak on my gear as well as using Berserkers accessories. What do you guys think?

I would use Bolas instead of FGJ

Just my 2 cents

Oreoginal.1580:

GS/Rifle Build

I’m looking for a roamer build that can pick off small groups of enemies in WvWvW (I’ll be roaming with my girlfriend). The one I have above is what I have so far. I don’t want to be a glass cannon, but I still want to do a hell of a lot of damage. I decided not to put any points in Defense but make up for it by adding Superior Runes of Dolyak on my gear as well as using Berserkers accessories. What do you guys think?

Your build is glass cannon though. I would do 10/20/10/10/20 just my opinion.

Warlord.9074:

Your build is glass cannon though. I would do 10/20/10/10/20 just my opinion.

Glass Cannon is fine in WvW. In WvW, gear determines your stats far more than your traits, and just tossing that many trait points into everything will just make you a jack of all trades, master of none. Better to focus on one thing and actually be good at it than to focus on everything and be terrible. Grabbing that many minor traits just seems like a waste of time.

As for the OP: I personally don’t like that build, since 25 points in Discipline is really only worth it for the crit damage rather than the actual traits.

The linking is messing up, so this is my build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQJARUjgOxutQ2QMxBAzjiAiozDqYqJVh2A
I use GS and Axe/Shield usually, while changing to Rifle if I really need a ranged option. However, with all the distance closers on that build, I rarely see the need to grab it. I also choose Mending over the Adrenaline heal simply because it gives some much needed condition removal that you otherwise completely lack.

Since you’re using Greatsword and Rifle, you’re generally not going to be swapping that often while in combat to benefit greatly from the extra points in Discipline over more damage. For Great Justice isn’t as good in WvW as some of the CC options from Physical utility skills that you can get, imo. I also change between Balanced Stance and Frenzy, depending on what I’m doing at the time. For example, I really don’t like using Frenzy in zerg fights. It’s basically asking to die from all the AoE being tossed around.

Krathalos.3461:

Warlord.9074:

Your build is glass cannon though. I would do 10/20/10/10/20 just my opinion.

Glass Cannon is fine in WvW. In WvW, gear determines your stats far more than your traits, and just tossing that many trait points into everything will just make you a jack of all trades, master of none. Better to focus on one thing and actually be good at it than to focus on everything and be terrible. Grabbing that many minor traits just seems like a waste of time.

My build is actually awesome
http://tinyurl.com/d9odp54

There is a method to the madness. I always do 10 points in tactics, for the ranged immobilize with cripple on the GS or Axe or riffle.. I can change the trait and equip a LongBow and shoot up walls… It really helps in WvW when ranged characters try to kite my warrior or players trying to run around in circles and stuff it stops that….. or it makes them blow their cleanse to remove the condition in which case I can bulls charge or stun knowing they dont have anything up to get out of it.

As for as the 10 in defense Reflect Missiles is really awesome when I go up against a Rifle warrior like the OP. Just when you think you are so awesome and I put up my shield not so awesome any more I still haven’t used my heal and you just blew yours. As far as the 20 points in Discipline its needed for signet mastery so signet of rage cools down 20% faster… Weapon swapping….and mobile strikes so when I get immobilized I can break free and do some damage.

As far as your build is concerned I would do deep cuts instead of the rendering strikes to take advantage of the 10% damage to bleeding foes just to make sure they have bleeding on them…. GS already does a vulnerability on a basic attack.. Id probably get rid of the heightened focus again and do signet mastery. Why have a 9% chance to crit when you can have fury up almost all the time with the signet of rage as well as might and and swiftness.

Warlord.9074:

As far as your build is concerned I would do deep cuts instead of the rendering strikes to take advantage of the 10% damage to bleeding foes just to make sure they have bleeding on them…. GS already does a vulnerability on a basic attack.. Id probably get rid of the heightened focus again and do signet mastery. Why have a 9% chance to crit when you can have fury up almost all the time with the signet of rage as well as might and and swiftness.

No point to use Arcing Strike and lose not only 12% damage, but 9% crit chance instead just for 9 seconds of Fury (11% more crit chance for 9 seconds over a constant 9% + 12% increased damage). It also hurts your burst to have to use a weak and slow ability, as well. Signet of Rage gives more than enough Fury, and that build in WvW alone will give me 64% crit chance with full adrenaline. I literally never use the GS burst skill. Only burst skills I ever really use are Rifle and Axe, only because Eviscerate is a blast to use, and Kill Shot just does hilarious damage.

Nothing personal against your build. If it works for you, more power to you. I just feel like I’d rather focus on one thing than try to focus on being good in every situation. I love the Immobilize on cripple trait, though; I usually use it in sPvP whenever I play my warrior there. I’ve just found that I have enough damage and control in WvW through my normal abilities and Bull’s Charge to basically down anyone before the immobilize becomes necessary.

Also, the reason I use Rendering Strikes is to stack vulnerability with GS and its multi-hit abilities and auto attack. My bleeds already don’t do much damage, so the only benefit I’d get from the 50% longer bleeds trait would be from the 25 point minor trait, and I pretty much always have a bleed stack on the enemy anyway.

Arcing strike in this build is used for escapes coupled with GS mobility. 20 points in Strength makes it so you get endurance when you use F1 skills.

Also.. 20/30/0/0/20 is standard for this build. Could do 10/30/0/10/20 and still be okay.

Warlord.9074:

As for as the 10 in defense Reflect Missiles is really awesome when I go up against a Rifle warrior like the OP. Just when you think you are so awesome and I put up my shield not so awesome any more I still haven’t used my heal and you just blew yours.

Any half-way decent rifle warrior knows you have to stop shooting on targets who raises their shield for a block. Sure, reflected bullets hurt but its also fairly easy to dodge.

Swap out FGJ for Bulls rush (yea its the cookie-cutter build i know).

Less people bring condition removal and stun breaks in WvW compared to sPvP. Way less shields as well. If your roaming around its really, really easy to set up 100b kills compared to sPvP. Honestly after take a few weeks off from wvw to only spvp, after i came back to wvw, i felt like i was playing against a bunch of noobs. Only thing that got more difficult was thieves (perma-stealth troll builds in wvw with culling is annoying)

I’d take the 5 extra from strength and disc, and just move it into precision for the 2nd GS trait, or into tactics for the cripple gives 1 sec snare.