Guild Wars 2

I’ve run a Greatsword build, I’ve tried Axe/Axe but not too extensively. What I don’t understand is why Axe/Axe is considered to be more mobile just because of ‘Hundred Blades’.

It’s been mentioned before, tactics with the Greatsword is very much about herding the enemies. Whirlwind Attack, and Bladetrail work brilliantly for this by grouping enemies in small bunches and lines. On that note, I’ve found Whirlwind to perform incredibly well for damage when used in close quarters while also acting as a dodge. Whirlwind and Rush are also both specifically movement orientated skills.

Greatsword can also be traited with ‘Forceful Greatsword’ – with the shortened cooldowns for weapon skills and obscene amounts of might which can be stacked (I’ve typically found upwards of 18 stacks of might) – not to mention ‘Opportunist’ and ‘Leg Specialist’ with groups of enemies and blade trail I’ve seen over a minute of Fury – with help from Utility skills like ‘For Great Justice’ I should add. Not to mention all the control given with it.

Axe/Axe is high damage no doubt, but I don’t see where this mobility comes from – it’s not inherent in any of the skills. Throw Axe effects a single target. I tend to find the transition between skills for the Axe/Axe to be a little slow, especially when going from Cyclone -> Dual Strike -> Whirling Axe. Dual strike also being single target. I’ve not seen any really good traits to specifically work with the Axe/Axe aside simply raising damage %.

Now, yes you can move while using Whirling Axe – but I typically find circle strafing only saves you from certain abilities and really slow enemies which you’ll be doing anyway with the Greatsword and Whirling Axe doesn’t grant stability so you can still be knocked down.

There could be a number of alternating factors – like popularity which could be affecting the Greatswords reputation. With a 90 degree arc on the Greatsword you need to position enemies, with Whirling Axe allowing you to move while using it and affecting 360 degrees the respective reputations seem a little askew.

Trait Definitions:
Forceful Greatsword -> Reduce cooldowns by 20%, grant might on crit
Opportunist -> Gain fury on immobilise
Leg Specialist -> Immobilize on cripple

Current Build: (Crit, Buff and Condition Removal)
http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fIAQJARUncOEFcyDOPwEZAAVwqzjkYap0DxQLNA;TABg0ynEOJdS9kyJqsMZJyymlLLZWrRGjcG5NC

Your premise of “axes are considered more mobile” seems like a strawman. Says who?

Having played both quite a bit, the axes play more fluidly because you can keep moving and the burst skill can be mixed in freely. The frequent little leaps can help you mitigate effects of immobilize (with trait) and cripples (just getting in range). It’s not a risky self-root like sword and rifle bursts are and not focused on a boon you might be getting from elsewhere like the greatsword burst is. I often just use the addrenaline bar for passive bonuses or burst with secondary weapon when using greatsword as primary.

That said, I’d call greatsword the only mobility weapon warriors have even if axes or longbow play more nimbly. It is possible to not press the Hundred Blades button and use the normal attacks until good opportunity presents itself. I have specifically used greatsword as secondary weapon just for the mobility of Whirlwind Attack and Rush because without them, you’ll be much worse at disengaging a bad fight when enemies are receiving help. Just moving around the map is slower without greatsword even if you have good Swiftness uptime.

Well with the Axe skills you can chase that annoying little gnome around in WvW. With the sword you hit your big deeps button and then just sit there fuming while he runs away.

Unless there’s a way to use it on the move?

The greatsword skillset immobilises you. As in:

If you use hundred blades, you will be rooted.
Íf you use charge, you WILL charge to X location no matter what, you can’t cancel it. you are out of character control there.
If you use whirlind, you will whirlind to X location no matter what, you can’t control your character movement during this time.
Sword toss gives a small delay, a bump if you will in your movement.

Axe/Axe on the other hand is super fluent and mobile. None of the skills cause bumps/hiccups, you can keep moving/dodging all you want, while using all the skills you could have ever wished for. You are much more in control of your character and can keep up with others, without loss of control, hiccups and bumps.

Axe/Axe gives much more control if your mobility, it’s more reliable.
Greatsword gives a few burst mobility attacks which do happen to glue you to a given path.

~Kaluro
www.twitch.tv/kaluroo – Streaming for the masses

Greatsword has some of the best mobility in the game hands down. But it’s mobility is best used out of combat or to disengage from combat. As far as mobility while in combat, the axes will be better.

You just have to decide which is more important to you. Personally, i can deal with being less mobile in combat by making use of immobilizes and the talent that makes cripples immobilize. But the ability to run away at any time and no one can catch you is priceless.

Mobility is not measured by abilities that move you, but more measured by the ability to move yourself. To be more clear, a charge type skill “whirlwind, bullrush, ect” is a movement ability. Not mobility. They are great to be sure, but mobility refers to being able to move around freely while slashing away like a crazy person. The fact that GS abilities tend to stop your movement or send you on a path is what makes people say the mobility falls below to axe.

Vandal.8029:

Greatsword has some of the best mobility in the game hands down. But it’s mobility is best used out of combat or to disengage from combat. As far as mobility while in combat, the axes will be better.

You just have to decide which is more important to you. Personally, i can deal with being less mobile in combat by making use of immobilizes and the talent that makes cripples immobilize. But the ability to run away at any time and no one can catch you is priceless.

Excellent point Vandal, I think you nailed it.

Kaluro.6580:

The greatsword skillset immobilises you. As in:

If you use hundred blades, you will be rooted.
Íf you use charge, you WILL charge to X location no matter what, you can’t cancel it. you are out of character control there.
If you use whirlind, you will whirlind to X location no matter what, you can’t control your character movement during this time.
Sword toss gives a small delay, a bump if you will in your movement.

You can cancel whirlwind and charge by changing weapons.

Axe/Axe is so good in PvE. For the following post, I will be referring specifically to PvE

*Note: Dual strike isn’t single target. It, in addition to the axe’s first abilitiy, can hit up to three targets. This, in addition to striking twice, means 12 seconds of fury. Combined with “For Great Justice,” it is easy to have perma fury with an axe.

Greatsword pros:
Hundreds blades does a ton of damage
Bladetrail is AoE
Auto attacks aren’t limited to 3 targets

Greatsword cons:
Skill 1 doesn’t do that much damage
Burst skill, which gives you fury, is used later in the fight, usually after using hundred blades.
Mobility skills aren’t that useful against stationary targets

Axe/Axe pros:
Always have fury

Double/Triple chop attack multiple times quite rapidly, resulting in tons of adrenaline

Cyclone axe insta fills your adrenaline bar

Eviscerate does tons of damage

Whirling axe is basically Hundreds Blades that does less damage, you can move while using it, and does complete AoE rather than AoE in front of you

Auto attacks deal insane, persistent damage

Zhaitan.2578:

Axe/Axe is so good in PvE. For the following post, I will be referring specifically to PvE

Just on a side note, even though you’re referring to PvE specifically, I figured I could interject that it’s quite good for PvP as well.

Kaluro.6580:

The greatsword skillset immobilises you. As in:

If you use hundred blades, you will be rooted.
Íf you use charge, you WILL charge to X location no matter what, you can’t cancel it. you are out of character control there.
If you use whirlind, you will whirlind to X location no matter what, you can’t control your character movement during this time.
Sword toss gives a small delay, a bump if you will in your movement.

Axe/Axe on the other hand is super fluent and mobile. None of the skills cause bumps/hiccups, you can keep moving/dodging all you want, while using all the skills you could have ever wished for. You are much more in control of your character and can keep up with others, without loss of control, hiccups and bumps.

Whirlwind attack is fully controllable, lasts between 0.9 and 1 seconds, and evades. It’s also more reliable than even the regular dodge roll (due to a bug). The claim that this skill limits mobility falls entirely flat to me. It’s incredibly fluid.

Not sure if it’s a fault of your settings or what, but Bladetrail (sword toss) has never had any effect on my movement. There has never been any “small delay” or “bump” in my movement when I use it.

Aside from those, I can grant you that Rush and Hundred Blades limit mobility. But Whirlwind Attack is so freeing that I would consider greatsword to have far more fluid movement control than axe.

Aseyhe.2948:

Whirlwind attack is fully controllable, lasts between 0.9 and 1 seconds, and evades.

Its evade is chance based right?

No — it evades every incoming attack over its duration, just like a dodge roll.

Aseyhe.2948:

No — it evades every incoming attack over its duration, just like a dodge roll.

I’ve been using double axe nonstop since pre-release, and this has absolutely not been my experience. I’ve had my whirlwind attacks interrupted by stuns and knockdowns on a consistent basis. They have not been evaded.

Either it’s not evading literally every attack, or its window is extremely small compared to the overall length of the cast. Or maybe it’s bugged.

poot.5487:

Aseyhe.2948:

No — it evades every incoming attack over its duration, just like a dodge roll.

I’ve been using double axe nonstop since pre-release, and this has absolutely not been my experience. I’ve had my whirlwind attacks interrupted by stuns and knockdowns on a consistent basis. They have not been evaded.

Either it’s not evading literally every attack, or its window is extremely small compared to the overall length of the cast. Or maybe it’s bugged.

I think he’s referring to to gs ability. Not the axe ability cyclone

We might be talking about different things. I’m talking about Whirlwind Attack, a greatsword skill. Not Whirling Axe, an axe skill.

Edit: beat me to it.

Instead of asking which is better just use both! I mean if you’re not swapping every 5 seconds you’re probability playing sub-optimally, and the two synergize so well together.

Whirlwind (gs ability) + eviscerate is just too much fun even if it didn’t do massive burst.

Strange that I feel FAR less mobile with axe/axe than i do with Greatsword.

GS is my fave, and i rarely use 100b. Its amazingly mobile weapon. Whirlwind and Rush are just life savers. I can dps for a few seconds, then when my health gets low i can rotate out of the frontline with dodge + whirlwind + rush + dodge. IMO its the best defensive weapon we have – more survivable than shield.

I consider HB a bonus skill that i use when the opportunity arises. it also makes enemies think on their toes.

IMO dual axes are the way to go! I’m a killing machine with them! In PvE I usually roll 4 signets with Bulls Charge and I’m set.
Now PvP I’ll switch out 1 or 2 signets depending on what I want to do. But usually I have Throw Bolas and Throw Axe for stopping them and slowing them.
Now the 2 Signets I keep on me at all times are Healing and Dolyak.