Guild Wars 2

Hi just a few questions how is sword and shield for warriors ? how are they farring in pvp and pve ? does anyone know any good builds for it ? also what gear i shoud be using for it? can i do big damage ? can i have a big survivability? can i have something in between ?been playing with greatsword for a long time now i want something diffrent note i need it mostly for pve content

I use sword and shield with the rifle and use this build in PVP (I can’t really speak for PVE):

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseUjMd04ZVIGeQHigfgCZMUDmCgrFeKoLNA-TJBFwACODA02foaZAAPCAA

It’s not meta, but it works well for me. Even though I use the berserker’s amulet I’m not terribly squishy (with 23,272 health and 2,724 armor), and it puts out decent burst. I was using longbow for a while with cleansing ire and rending strikes instead of crack shot and last stand, but I prefer this setup more.

Note: I’m not claiming this as my original build or anything, it’s just what I’ve been using.

The sword doesn’t do as much damage as the greatsword does, but if you use final thrust on someone or something that’s bleeding and below 50% health then you’ll do a lot of damage (which isn’t hard since the auto attack inflicts bleeds too).

As long as you switch back to the sword and shield, you’ll benefit from the +25% movement speed too. Or you could go with 2 melee weapon sets. Even though I don’t use it in PVE much, I’m sure it would do fine there too. It’s just not the most optimal DPS meta setup or anything (but neither is having a 1h sword + shield in PVE anyways lol). I hope this helps a little.

In general, warrior sword is something of a jack-of-all-trades weapon. It’s auto-attack chain applies bleeding and cripple, which makes it attractive to condi builds. Sword #2 is a low-cooldown leap that gives mobility, and Sword #3 is a heavy-damage attack to benefit from power builds. It’s burst skill benefits condi builds more than power, applying a LOT of bleed stacks, but it can hit decently hard with good power and crit chance as well.

In PvP, sword/shield works as a sort of substitute for a greatsword, offering less mobility, but more defense. You still have a leap to close gaps/cover ground, your auto-attack hits reasonably hard and fast, while shield bash’s stun helps you hold low-health targets still long enough to hit them with Final Thrust (and likely kill them, if it crits). Lots of warriors in zergs will run sword/warhorn for more mobility and group support, while condi builds might prefer sword/sword for the ranged torment and a block that counters with bleed stacks.

In general, it’s a weapon you’ll see a lot of warriors using in PvP. It works well with pretty much any build and pairs well with pretty much any other weapon set (I probably wouldn’t go sword/shield+greatsword in PvP… but you might be able to make it work). If you’re thinking of using it for PvP… go for it. Find a build that you like to run around with and have sword/shield be one of the weapon sets you use.

For PvE, however… it’s not really that useful. Again, a condi build can get a lot out of warrior sword (and more from sword/sword), but condi tends to appear lackluster in PvE, and most classes can outperform a warrior in condition-application where it counts. The mobility and defense can be useful if you want to pair it with axe/mace or axe/axe (or greatsword in this case), but in terms of raw damage output you will fall behind.

Try it out in PvE, though, maybe you can find a build to take advantage of it. The point of a game is to try and have fun, and sword/shield is by no means a ‘bad’ weapon set for warriors at all.

Derren.8724:

In general, warrior sword is something of a jack-of-all-trades weapon. It’s auto-attack chain applies bleeding and cripple, which makes it attractive to condi builds. Sword #2 is a low-cooldown leap that gives mobility, and Sword #3 is a heavy-damage attack to benefit from power builds. It’s burst skill benefits condi builds more than power, applying a LOT of bleed stacks, but it can hit decently hard with good power and crit chance as well.

In PvP, sword/shield works as a sort of substitute for a greatsword, offering less mobility, but more defense. You still have a leap to close gaps/cover ground, your auto-attack hits reasonably hard and fast, while shield bash’s stun helps you hold low-health targets still long enough to hit them with Final Thrust (and likely kill them, if it crits). Lots of warriors in zergs will run sword/warhorn for more mobility and group support, while condi builds might prefer sword/sword for the ranged torment and a block that counters with bleed stacks.

In general, it’s a weapon you’ll see a lot of warriors using in PvP. It works well with pretty much any build and pairs well with pretty much any other weapon set (I probably wouldn’t go sword/shield+greatsword in PvP… but you might be able to make it work). If you’re thinking of using it for PvP… go for it. Find a build that you like to run around with and have sword/shield be one of the weapon sets you use.

For PvE, however… it’s not really that useful. Again, a condi build can get a lot out of warrior sword (and more from sword/sword), but condi tends to appear lackluster in PvE, and most classes can outperform a warrior in condition-application where it counts. The mobility and defense can be useful if you want to pair it with axe/mace or axe/axe (or greatsword in this case), but in terms of raw damage output you will fall behind.

Try it out in PvE, though, maybe you can find a build to take advantage of it. The point of a game is to try and have fun, and sword/shield is by no means a ‘bad’ weapon set for warriors at all.

If I wanted to use Sword/Shield in PvE, what should my traits be?

I don’t have any condi gear.

I don’t run around in PvE on a warrior often, so I’d recommend looking up popular PvE builds and seeing what -if any- changes you’d need to make to fit in sword/shield.

That being said, personally I’d suggest at least 5 points in arms, which gives you Attack of Opportunity. You’ll always be fighting bleeding foes, so that’s a flat 10% damage you won’t want to overlook. That also gives you access to the Rending Strikes adept trait (apply vulnerability on crit) and either Blademaster (+10% sword crit) or Forceful Greatsword (GS grants might on crit, reduced GS cooldowns) for Master traits.

You’ll probably want at least 3 points in Discipline as well, because fast hands is very good. You have more freedom in what adept trait to take there, though Warrior’s Sprint (+25% movespeed with melee weapon equipped) will help you a lot while running about.

After that you have some more freedom, depending on what other weapon set you use, and the role you want to play in your group. For a more support-based build, you could go a full 6 points into Tactics, grabbing Inspiring Banners (reduced banner CD, increased range) Empower Allies (AoE power in combat) and probably Phalanx strength (When you gain might, grant might to allies)… this would probably work best with a sword/shield+GS build, where GS would end up being your primary weapon (Forceful Greatsword+Sigil of Strength = a fair bit of AoE might) In this build, Sword/shield would be there to help keep you alive with the block, and would be worth swapping to once mobs dropped below 50% for the damage from Final Thrust.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseRjMdUGalH2ewJaAmg6aEEA6ei0rQME8A-TBBXgAA7PK/C1H0r+zjSQSBExyI-e (Theoretical trait setup for this kind of build)

Another option would be a Sword/Shield+Axe/Mace, putting those 6 points into… Strength, possibly. Dual Wielding (5% damage with sword/mace/axe in OH), Axe Mastery (+150 ferocity with MH Axe) and Berserker’s Power (5/10/15% damage based on Adrenaline) would lead to significant damage output with your Axe/Maxe set, which also offers AoE-CC and additional Vulnerability stacking. You could grab Blademaster with this setup as well, helping both increase the output of your sword/shield set, as well as help guarantee that your final thrusts crit.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQRAse3ZjMdUGalH2ewJaggAxchAJueqkuyA-TBBXgAA7PK/C1P0r+zjSQSBExyI-e (Theoretical setup for this build)

In both, sword/shield is -unfortunately- your backup weapon set. Final Thrust does have potential when groups of mobs (and especially boss mobs) are at low health, but aside from guaranteeing bleed stacks on mobs, it’s damage is lower than most PvE-favored weapons. That being said, the block could very well save your life on some encounters, and Final Thrust is nothing to scoff at.

Derren.8724:

-snip-

Would something like this work?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseTjMd0Fa3HOeQHagpgCXCcdACg0dQYHDA-TBSBwAXOlCGV+hT9nU6bkoEkt5vY7PA4JFAA-e

When I play sword/shield and greatsword in pvp, I use something like this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseRjMdUFaZHmhwJagqABdlAJUfMYuUbA-TpBEwATOEAGOBA52fAwRAIbZACPAAA

You can use bull’s charge and sword burst to set up 100 blades and use shield #4 to set up final thrust burst on sword. I use bladetrail to cripple and immobilize (leg specialist trait) to set up bull’s charge since it misses so often.

I wouldn’t call it competitive, but it’s fun.

InfernoHero.5687:

Derren.8724:

-snip-

Would something like this work?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseTjMd0Fa3HOeQHagpgCXCcdACg0dQYHDA-TBSBwAXOlCGV+hT9nU6bkoEkt5vY7PA4JFAA-e

Depends a bit on what you’re aiming to do in PvE. For group play, high toughness will mean mobs will initially target you first, but there’s no way to keep them on you, so you can’t really fill a ‘tank’ role (which your build seems made for). It will certainly be very, very hard for mobs to kill you in PvE with that setup, though I’m not sure if that makes up for the reduced damage if you’re aiming to run dungeons. Hearts/events/world bosses? That will work just fine. Group dungeons? I might suggest Berserker armor, weapons and trinkets to boost your damage.

What you linked is close to a solid PvP-tank build, however. If you’re interested in running around in WvW with a build like that, move one point from Arms to Defense in order to grab Cleansing Ire (gain Adrenaline when hit, burst moves cleanse conditions) In PvE you might get away with only using Shrug it Off, but in PvP you’d want the extra condition-cleanse. You’d lose more damage that way, but in the end you’d have a very tanky build that could run along with your realm’s zerg group, offering support with your banners and some damage with sword and bow.

Shanks.2907:

When I play sword/shield and greatsword in pvp, I use something like this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNAseRjMdUFaZHmhwJagqABdlAJUfMYuUbA-TpBEwATOEAGOBA52fAwRAIbZACPAAA

You can use bull’s charge and sword burst to set up 100 blades and use shield #4 to set up final thrust burst on sword. I use bladetrail to cripple and immobilize (leg specialist trait) to set up bull’s charge since it misses so often.

I wouldn’t call it competitive, but it’s fun.

Oh nice. I suppose I should revise my last post, that is a good way to make sword/shield+GS work in PvP.