Guild Wars 2

Hey guys,

Does anyone have a good build for PvE using an axe/shield or mace/shield? I plan on using this weapon setup rather than 2-handed or dual wielding. I want to be flexible, having good all around support for my team, survivability, and DPS. I’ll probably use more weapons later on but right now my resources are too focused on acquiring the armor.

I’m looking for specific trait build advise as well as armor attribute type (berserker vs knight vs whatever). I plan on crafting the rare for now and work my way up either crafting the exotic of saving up on AC tokens.

Thanks!

Get that trait whick makes blocking reflect. That makes a shield a lot less boring!

I don’t see the point to shield in PvE. Try a warhorn and you’ll never go back.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIMQNApeUncOEFcyDOPgDZAA9ALwuyU4n0DyQLNA;T8AZTSmUNpYiKLTWissZ5ySm1ijxGHHeOMbA

Try that. Copy and Paste into browser.

Shields are great for PvE with interrupts/stun and the projectile reflection. It’s all in how you play. Shield builds, unless done with sword, aren’t made for the same direct damage. Control, countering, support and survival become your strengths in a build that utilizes shields properly.

Don’t listen to above.

Don’t take projectile reflection unless you are in WvW. The attack speed of mobs isn’t fast enough to make it worthwhile. Instead, get something else.

My current build is 0/10/30/30/0. With half Knight’s armor (chest, legs and gloves) and the other half Vaklyrie’s. I use a Hammer with a Mace and Shield secondary. I do decent damage and am hard to kill in PvE, I act as the tank in my guild’s dungeon runs.

The Major Traits I have are: Deep Strike, Missile Deflection, Merciless Hammer, Shield Master, Empower Allies, Lung Capacity, and Vigorous Shouts. Unlike the person above me I find Missile Deflection very useful, granted I’ve only done story mode dungeons so far, but against bosses like Eir, I hit for 20K in one block by blocking her spreadshot attack. It can also let you do good damage against ranged Silver mobs

I plan to get Sapphire Jewelery eventually to make my healing shouts better. My utilities are: Healing Signet (unless alot of condition removal is needed, which I use Mending), For Great Justice, Shake it Off, Endure Pain (can be switched with On My Mark), and Signet of Rage.

Hope that helps

runeblade.7514:

Don’t listen to above.

Don’t take projectile reflection unless you are in WvW. The attack speed of mobs isn’t fast enough to make it worthwhile. Instead, get something else.

I’m quite happy reflecting few things in dungeons when each projectile deal as much damage as eviscerate.

I’ve had no problems reflecting.. Usually the ones that speak as though they know best.. Don’t.

Sorry runeblade, maybe you’re just doing it wrong.

I think the build I posted works great, and I think a lot of other people will agree if they try it out. You’re not gonna be mowing down enemies like you can with 100 Blades, but you’ll be killing them, and taking almost no damage. Then you also have survival in WvWvW that you can’t get with most builds, and also make yourself more desirable in parties because of your revive, heals, and crowd controls.

I’d say it has a lot of the bases covered. It isn’t the best, but I think it’s a great start.

Khristophoros.7194:

I don’t see the point to shield in PvE. Try a warhorn and you’ll never go back.

This.

The problem with the shield in PvE is that its abilities and synergies pale in comparison with those of the warhorn.

Shield stance is a nifty interrupt but it has a hefty cooldown even when traited. It doesn’t do much considering its cooldown.

Shield stance gives three seconds of invulnerabilty every 30(24) seconds. It is useful for predictable damage phases and getting out of the thick of things but other than that it is underwhelming.

Compare that with the warhorn, when incorporated into the right trait setup, you get 100% uptime on swiftness, fury, and might, the ability to turn conditions into boons (you actually want to get poisoned with the warhorn), and you get insane mobility (vigor on over half of the time means that you get to dodge more often. This matches the invulnerability of the shield to some extent).

If you do want to go for the shield, your best bet would be to go deep into the tactics line and go with the shout cd reduction trait and the banner-regen trait. For utility go with FGJ, SIO, and the banner of your choice. Toss in soldier runes and you are solid.

I’m currently running a shield in CoF explorable paths. I actually found it to be more useful than a warhorn in this case, as I found places in which I would use my deep breathing trait to convert conditions were either too few and far between (ie a few bleeding stacks on a couple of party members is nothing to worry about), or the effect was very limited – where mobs or bosses would reapply their conditions too quickly for the removal to count.

When you have points in defense and discipline, the shield becomes extremely viable – if for nothing else, at least for CoF. As mentioned you can reflect projectiles, but you can also gain might when blocking – perfect for the flamethrower mobs you find in this dungeon. Undoubtably, the warhorn will provide much more party support but I believe the shield definitely has its uses.

This is what I’m using now http://www.gw2db.com/skill-builds/1443-tanky-shout-healer

It’s about as tanky a build as I think one can make, especially when you gear up with dungeon/karma/PvP power/toughness/vitality gear and a Superior Rune of the Soldier set. Also, your three shouts all heal and purge a condition. I swap Defense (10) between Turtle’s Defense and Missile Reflection depending on the fight, but mostly just run with Turtle.

Kendu Kuzal.3985:

I’ve had no problems reflecting.. Usually the ones that speak as though they know best.. Don’t.

Sorry runeblade, maybe you’re just doing it wrong.

I think the build I posted works great, and I think a lot of other people will agree if they try it out. You’re not gonna be mowing down enemies like you can with 100 Blades, but you’ll be killing them, and taking almost no damage. Then you also have survival in WvWvW that you can’t get with most builds, and also make yourself more desirable in parties because of your revive, heals, and crowd controls.

I’d say it has a lot of the bases covered. It isn’t the best, but I think it’s a great start.

3 seconds of reflection for 20-30 seconds cooldown.

It really isn’t reliable at all in PvE when mobs fire once every 4-5 seconds. If mobs uses rapidfire, missile deflection isn’t going to make much of a dent on their hp anyways. I only use Missile deflection for WvW because people like to go ranged more than melee and it actually has uses there.

I would prefer to put in Turtle’s defense because it helps more with survivability.