Guild Wars 2

Two cents on this trait.

1.)Like precise strikes, youll want as high a crit chance and condition duration as possible.
2.) Youll want as many multihit attacks as possible.

For two, the best options (IMO) are axe, sword, gs, and rifle (barely). Mace and hammer attacks as too slow.

My ideal configuration to maximize the procs on this trait are mainhand sword, offhand axe, and gs. Whirling Axes into Flurry into HB has produced as many as 15 vulnerability stacks. At 50% condi duration, those stacks last for 12+ seconds. I use mainhand sword primarily for the 7sec immobilizes.

I’ve yet to test this with DWA, but anybody who has would be awesome to share their results.

I think that this trait is good. I just think it doesn’t proc as much as I’d like it too. Sometimes it procs a lot othertimes you would never know its there.

But I disagree with using off hand axe for applying RNG vuln. When OH axe is so underpowered and you can use OH mace to apply 4 stacks of vuln automatically.

Offhand mace’s two attacks are on too long of a cooldown for my tastes, and Id wager 15 possible vuln applying strikes are worth more than a single and a double hit attack. Plus the fury gain from double chop applies based on every foe you hit, axe hits up to five things. Thats a possible 30sec fury from one attack. Permafurys how I maintain 100% crit rate.

Daniel Warren.4968:

Offhand mace’s two attacks are on too long of a cooldown for my tastes, and Id wager 15 possible vuln applying strikes are worth more than a single and a double hit attack. Plus the fury gain from double chop applies based on every foe you hit, axe hits up to five things. Thats a possible 30sec fury from one attack. Permafurys how I maintain 100% crit rate.

Warrior already has almost perma fury with Signet or rage and For great justice with only a 3 sec downtime. It is perma fury with 10 points in tactics.

OH Axe #5 is a 20 sec cool down without traits. And with traits it is 16 sec CD.
OH Mace #4 that applies 4 Stacks instantly is a 15sec CD with no traits.

The total damage that Axe 5 does during its long 3.25 Channel time is less damage than Axe main hand auto attack does in an entire axe chain which total channel time is the same 3.25s. Even if you like the way you play and you think it is superior its frankly not. I won’t sit here and try to convince you Ill just let the numbers do the talking.

Lastly OH mace is not 2 stacks its 4 stacks. And paired with main hand axe #2 you can do 8 stacks in 2 hits.

Fair enough. I primarily wvw, so I built myself around hitting as many people as fast as possible. Mace 5 is weird to trigger against actual people, it tends to misfire if youre not lined up perfectly. Much easier against mobs.

I have been killed by that before cuz of retaliation using whiling axe on a zerg retal made my HP melt and I died a couple times trying not to do vuln, but I was trying to use the whirl finisher to combo in my allies fields and spit poison, fire etc at multiple targets and I died from retal.

I really dig the whirl on axe 5. Mutliprocs unlike whirlwind. Spewing leeching bolts is my jam.

If you find yourself getting retal’ed to death, might I recommend Endure Pain and Defiant Stance? Traited with sure footed, thats 5sec immunity and about 4sec absorption. More than enough to crowd surf, dump your heavy hitters and dodge out.

Random question, does the heal from defiant stance proc off of getting hit with retal? If so there could actually be a place for offhand axe.

Testing indicates that yes, ANY type of damage is absorbed.

(even condition damage)