Guild Wars 2

Hello fellow warriors!

I would like to play roaming warrior(solo mostly) with hammer and maybe bow if possible. What are my options? Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I wouldn’t recommend hammer+longbow for roaming. This combination works nicely in PvP because it offers area control, which is excellent for node control – but what matters most in roaming, IMHO, is area awareness (know what happens around you, players incoming, kiting options…) and mobility (take advantage of your build to engage/control/disengage accordingly).

You can, however, find excellent builds using either the hammer or the longbow, in physical or condition damage flavor. Would have you have a preference for a particular style and a particular weapon?

Regards.

Elegie.3620:

Hello,

I wouldn’t recommend hammer+longbow for roaming. This combination works nicely in PvP because it offers area control, which is excellent for node control – but what matters most in roaming, IMHO, is area awareness (know what happens around you, players incoming, kiting options…) and mobility (take advantage of your build to engage/control/disengage accordingly).

You can, however, find excellent builds using either the hammer or the longbow, in physical or condition damage flavor. Would have you have a preference for a particular style and a particular weapon?

Regards.

Thanks for fast reply mate! I prefer more Hammer playstyle than bow. Is there any good hammer build for me? Thanks in advance!

Hammer works great with GS or Sw/X. I prefer Sword but most other people run Greatsword because of the “Exit fight” button on number 5.

Hi,

Serbianwolf.1652:

Thanks for fast reply mate! I prefer more Hammer playstyle than bow. Is there any good hammer build for me? Thanks in advance!

Sure. I’d go along Gamgee’s suggestion and complement it either with a greatsword or a sword.

Hammer kind of always requires an investment of 6 points in Defense, mostly for IX (adrenaline and condition management) and X (hammer) and an investment of 4 in Discipline (for Fast Hands and Destruction of the Empowered). The remaining can be distributed in various manners:

• Strength 4, to get IX Slashing Power, which increases the GS damage,
• Discipline 6, to get XI Burst Mastery for better adrenaline management,
• Tactic I Leg Specialist.

For hammer/GS, I’d probably just go for a PvP-like 0/0/6/2/6 trait split, with intelligence/impact on the hammer:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJARSjMdUGaVImdwJagqgC9iHAPg6eoxzhUbAA-TVCEAB7eIAY4IAAj6PbpEkJlfScBA6QXAAPAgY2fgMALTA-w

Sw+Shield would probably be similar. Sword/Warhorn (used in zergs) would be a bit different, because you’d exchange Burst Mastery for Tactics IX Quick Breathing (and possibly increase the overall toughness). Finally, I’m not sure that Sw+Axe or Sw+Sw would make good combinations with the hammer (the offhand axe requires good precision, and the offhand sword is more of an hybrid / condition weapon).

Regards.

For 1vs1 hambow is quite good and much better than any Greatsword / hammer, Sword /Hammer builds most of the wvw heroes go for.
The problem is you need greatsword or sword for the mobility. therefore you have to decide to run either a build which is much weaker than pvp builds or you run pvp builds which lacks in mobility.

Sword/Shield is definitely better solution for me than GS. Can anyone provide me such combination build?

I think 0 0 6 2 6 works good for this.

LuXx.9354:

I think 0 0 6 2 6 works good for this.

Yes, I’d say so too. Leg Specialist becomes really interesting since both weapon sets have cripple, and one can also trait for Missile Deflection to add some diversity in damage.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseSjMdUGaVImdwJagqgC9BEAPg6eoxzhUbAA-TVCEAB7eIAY4IAAj6PbpEkJlfScCA6QfAAPAgY2fgMALTA-w

The shield and hammer also provide many interrupts, so one could maybe try and go for some hybrid build, using Distracting Strikes and/or Perplexity. I’ve never really been thrilled by the hammer as a condition weapon, so haven’t investigated in depth, but maybe some have already successfully experimented with this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseSjMdUGaVImdwJagjgC9I0BrgxA4mVmFpOA-TVCEAB7eIAmR9HGOCAbpEkJlfScCAMe/hO0HAwDAgMALTA-w

Serbianwolf.1652:

Sword/Shield is definitely better solution for me than GS. Can anyone provide me such combination build?

The gentlemen over me suggests a really nice build However I’m more of a damage person and I go 2 0 6 0 6, for extra power and the might on being blocked and the dodge dmg. That trait is just great for fighting engis, warris, guardians, mesmers with much of either aegis or a shield stance. It’s 3 might stacks for 5 seconds and 1 adrenaline on no cooldown, which means you can just auto attack with sword on a shield stance or something and stack yourself right up to 20+ stacks and unleash the fury when the stance drops. It happens more than you might think. 10K final thrusts inc

The dodge damage crits for 2.5K in this build and is on 5 targets. With energy sigil on sword there’s alot of damage to be done.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAS8ejMdUGaVIOewJagjgC9p3BrgpAQdWk6NPA-T1CHABveBAA4BAAkyjoUCakSMQU/xgjAQFaGCTHwAHEgS2fIAACwNvZAwNv5Nv5NvZpAYSZE-w

Works excellent in a damage group aswell.

Gamgee.8612:

Hammer works great with GS or Sw/X. I prefer Sword but most other people run Greatsword because of the “Exit fight” button on number 5.

It’s not just “Exit”, it’s avoid zerg or havoc squad incoming which prevents you being ganked.

Sword/X (Shield) tends to works better if you have lower population/off time hours or frequently run with many slower non-warrior groupmates.

I will definitively going with this build: http://de.gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseSjMdUGaVImdwJagqgC9BEAPg6eoxzhUbAA-TVCEAB7eIAY4IAAj6PbpEkJlfScCA6QfAAPAgY2fgMALTA-w

Thank you so much everyone!

Serbianwolf.1652:

I will definitively going with this build: http://de.gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseSjMdUGaVImdwJagqgC9BEAPg6eoxzhUbAA-TVCEAB7eIAY4IAAj6PbpEkJlfScCA6QfAAPAgY2fgMALTA-w

Thank you so much everyone!

Just some tips:

Swap the precision nourishment for power. 39 or 44% crit chance doesn’t really matter that much, sepecially as you don’t come up in 50% anyway, and you have intelligence sigil plus fury. The power food gives you 150 ish power, which does make a difference.

Try an energy sigil on sword/shield, it offers alot more mobility. Bloodlust is good too, if you don’t die. But there’s that.

Then thirdly as much as I love the reflect on block I think if you’re investing in a full rune set and food you should also take dogged march to close the circle. If not you’re sitting at -60% condi duration. Which is ok but not enough to offer a rune set and a food slot for.

Treat these tips as you want, you will certainly be able to wreck some faces without taking those into consideration.

dominik.9721:

For 1vs1 hambow is quite good and much better than any Greatsword / hammer, Sword /Hammer builds most of the wvw heroes go for.
The problem is you need greatsword or sword for the mobility. therefore you have to decide to run either a build which is much weaker than pvp builds or you run pvp builds which lacks in mobility.

Your entire post is correct from a theoretical viewpoint. In practice, however, hambow loses to hamgs every time in wvw.

You forget that in WvW, nobody is forced to stand inside your longbow F1, which is where almost all longbow utility comes from (alongside pin down, which is easily dodged, and a sure cleanse with CI).

The cleansing from longbow is useless against hamgs. Pindown is good, but, in WvW, almost every warrior runs with anywhere from 56-98% condition reduction, where you have no % increase to duration. Thus, pindown will also not succeed in keeping your opponent locked down. Also, try standing next to a warrior using whirlwind while being immobilised.

Thats where GS comes into play. A hammer circulation can be followed up by a HB>Whirlwind. Then, the GS warrior can kite your hammer with GS5, before coming back to stun you some more.

Trust me, in WvW, Hambow is incredibly inferior to almost any other warrior build, even in 1v1.

I can promise you that any decent Terrormancer, a 02660 ranger or a 60062 engineer will faceroll your Hammergratsword build and they don’t really need to make an effort. Maybe it’s true that it works against WvW-heroes who will eat some #f1 but that’s not the point. Every Warriorbuild which misses the longbow has a huge disadvantage. It’s not just the condi cleanse the Longbow offers. With pindown longbow 3 and nearly perma burning which hurts even without any condition stats, the longbow is the strongest weapon the warrior can use.
At the same way I can promise you that in a 1vs1 a hambow will win easily against a Greatsword-Hammer build even if the hambow will make some mistakes.
No doubt, you can’t play hambow in WvW but the lack of mobility is the only reason you can’t.

There is no perma burning if ppl dont stay in your fire field.
Why would they, its not tPVP?
Maybe only tPVP-heroes will stay in the field because theyre so used to stay on point.

dominik.9721:

I can promise you that any decent Terrormancer, a 02660 ranger or a 60062 engineer will faceroll your Hammergratsword build and they don’t really need to make an effort. Maybe it’s true that it works against WvW-heroes who will eat some #f1 but that’s not the point. Every Warriorbuild which misses the longbow has a huge disadvantage. It’s not just the condi cleanse the Longbow offers. With pindown longbow 3 and nearly perma burning which hurts even without any condition stats, the longbow is the strongest weapon the warrior can use.
At the same way I can promise you that in a 1vs1 a hambow will win easily against a Greatsword-Hammer build even if the hambow will make some mistakes.
No doubt, you can’t play hambow in WvW but the lack of mobility is the only reason you can’t.

A GS/Hammer build does better against ‘melee’ opponents and Ham/LB does better against ranged opponents. Weird. /sarcasm

The key is really running double-stability utilities, passive condition reduction (along with CI), use line of sight if able and YOLO against those classes as a GS/Hammer.

Hambow is more about reserving Adrenaline for the condition clear/Comb AoE on all the spirits or turrets.

Either works well against Engin/Rangers (not the trap/stealth ones) with Terrormancers being all about having Berserker’s Stance used at the right moment (and if it is on cooldown, run).

Drizzy.1268:

There is no perma burning if ppl dont stay in your fire field.
Why would they, its not tPVP?
Maybe only tPVP-heroes will stay in the field because theyre so used to stay on point.

They don’t but the opponents turrets or minions or spirits or illusions or ranger pets have to. Also, any melee (read: Thieves) also has to take the burning/damage ticks when you are positioned correctly. It’s not just about the burning though as much as might stacking, guaranteed condition clear via CI, shooting burning arrows out of it (combo field) and having a field of damage you can stay in or force damage against melee for attacking.

Don’t forget the other LB abilities too. It’s not just about Comb F1.

Somebody said to me sth. exist called projectile finisher. Not to mention that you stay 70% of the time in the firefield ,though because of it’s big area.
And actually I don’t talk about tpvp – I talk about the 1vs1 servers in PvP where you fight people like Sizer.
As I said,maybe in WvW there are some people out who get facerolled by Earthshaker and 100b but I can promise you that builds like that basically suck in 1vs1 comps.

dominik.9721:

Somebody said to me sth. exist called projectile finisher. Not to mention that you stay 70% of the time in the firefield ,though because of it’s big area.
And actually I don’t talk about tpvp – I talk about the 1vs1 servers in PvP where you fight people like Sizer.
As I said,maybe in WvW there are some people out who get facerolled by Earthshaker and 100b but I can promise you that builds like that basically suck in 1vs1 comps.

Not in WvW.

Right, in WvW the skillbase is so low, you fit better with builds where you have to land earthshaker which is very hard to evade.
But no problem some day you will fight people who are in the top 10 of the leaderboard instead of WvW-nonames and you will realize that you miss the longbow.
Untill that have fun, Cya !

I’m a roamer. With hambow. It’s OP